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“The what?” I furrow my brows in confusion, thrown off and a little concerned by his reaction. Even more so because I have no idea what he’s talking about.
“It's the name of the road there. Not officially, but that was the name we gave it,” he says.
“We?” I ask.
“Racers. God, Keaton, have you even been out there before? Do you know how dangerous that road is?” Bodhi's voice rises, veiled panic creeping in, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say the place doesn't hold very fond memories.
“No, but really, it's just a road. I can—”
“Just a road? Yeah, sure. One that sits up above the Boneyard,” Bodhi throws out the name like it's going to mean something to me. He sounds more like a little kid reciting ghost stories over a campfire.
“What is the Boneyard?” I ask, rolling my eyes as I slump back into the lounger, not amused in the slightest.
“The chasm between the red rock. It has a tendency to swallow up the bones and cars of drivers who race The Snake and aren't mindful of Dead Man's Curve,” he says.
“Dead Man's Curve? Oh my God, Bodhi. Are you freaking serious right now?” I groan, my frustration getting the better of me.
“Yes,” he says, completely serious.
“You do know this whole thing sounds like a made-up ghost story from a group of twelve-year-olds, right?” I reply.
The whole thing sounds stupid, and an awful lot like a sorry attempt to scare me out of entering the race.
“Be that as it may, the names were all given for a reason. I didn't pick them, so don't make fun of me for it,” he says, holding his hands up in defense.
“Okay, fine. I'll give you that, but it all sounds pretty ridiculous,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I agree. I thought the exact same thing when my brother and I went out there and watched a race one weekend. Until we watched one of the racers lose control on the Curve and end up in the Boneyard.”
A chill skitters down my spine, despite the absurd names given to the location. The weight in his expression speaks volumes, and I can't imagine being that young and witnessing such a horrific turn of events.
“Did the driver…?” I ask, trailing off, not wanting to voice my suspicion.
“Make it? No, he didn't,” Bodhi says, solemnly.
“Jesus…” I say, staring off past the pool, envisioning a car and its driver soaring over the red rock to their death.
“Yeah, now you see why I reacted the way I did,” he explains.
I meet his eyes for a moment, and understand that he means well, but he's not the one who has to deal with this shit. It's an opportunity to get one step closer to freedom, and I’d be stupid to pass it up.
I level my stare at him, sure he isn’t going to like what I have to say, but saying it nonetheless.
“I appreciate your concern, but I'm still accepting the invite.”
Bodhi sighs loudly, the crease in his eyebrows growing more prominent by the minute.
“I don't like it, babe,” he says quietly, reaching out a hand and twining his fingers with my own.
“Well,” I say just above a whisper, knowing this might undo everything that was done today, “I wasn't asking you to.”
“I know, Princess, but that doesn't change the fact that I wish there was another way for you to make that money. A safer way.”
He scoots back up the lounger to sit beside me, pulling me back into his side and pressing his lips against my temple.
“Yeah,” I say, nuzzling further into his side, “me, too.”
Chapter 42
