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“Eli and my mom agreed that I should continue with cosmetology school and live out my dream, and that left Eli with very few options once my mom’s medical bills started rolling in. We took out a loan from the bank when the insurance informed us they couldn’t cover all the expenses. We had to use the house as collateral. It’s the same house my parents moved into after they got married. Eli and I were both born in that house. We never wanted to take that sort of risk, but we didn’t have another option.”
“Eli found work around town and eventually started racing his Supra for extra cash on the side. Word got out about how good he was and how no one could win against him, and that’s when he started racing for real.”
Keaton’s fingers curl around the steering wheel, squeezing until her knuckles are bright white. If she glanced over at me, she would find that her hands resembled mine at that moment. White knuckled and shaking.
“After he got arrested, I knew I had to quit school and pick up where he left off, otherwise we were going to lose our house and I didn’t want my mom to give up the last place she and my dad lived together. So, Eli signed the Camaro over to me before they sentenced him, and I practiced every chance I got. Turns out that I’m really good at it.”
She manages a small hiccupping laugh through the tears she’s fighting to keep at bay.
“Word spread just as quickly as it did with Eli, and suddenly everyone wanted a piece of me. Everybody wanted to race Eli King’s little sister, especially when I started making a name for myself.”
“The Street King,” I say so quietly it’s almost a whisper.
“Yeah,” she responds. “It was funny at first, just a play on my last name, but pretty soon the weight of that title settled in, and people were coming from towns over to race me, and I was making more money in a single night than I would in two weeks with any full-time job. So, I kept it up, and I focused, not letting anyone or anything break me. I took on my brother’s status as undefeated. What no one else realized, though, is that I had something worth fighting for. I didn’t care about the title or what people thought of me. All I knew was that if I didn’t win that race, I would lose a hell of a lot more. That’s why I let no one pass me.”
Determination in the set of her jaw is unbelievable. The strength that she carries in every step that she takes is amazing. But I also see how much she’s hurting because I’ve seen it in myself.
“Are you mad that your brother left you with all of this to worry about?” I ask.
“No,” she answers calmly before adding, “and yes. It’s not his fault.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, furrowing my brows as I watch her.
“He raced for the same reason that I am. To pay bills and help keep our family afloat. When word got out about his winnings in the very beginning, he gained the attention of someone who I wish he never had. This guy saw potential in my brother and seemed to sympathize with his story. Our story. He offered to pay my brother’s way in each race for a portion of the winnings. Just a small portion for finding the races and allowing my brother to race one of this guy’s vehicles. It was too good to be true, but Eli saw a good deal and jumped.”
I sit up a little straighter, not liking where I think this story is going.
“With every win, Eli set aside a small amount of money to fix up the Camaro. It was his and my dad’s project car. When this guy’s name started drawing a lot of negative attention, Eli told him he wanted out. He appreciated this guy’s help but wanted to make his own way from there on out. The guy agreed, but asked if Eli would complete one last race he had already set up, and Eli agreed. He picked up the car before the race like he always did, but he got pulled over before he ever reached the finish line.”
“The car was reported as stolen and he got charged with Grand Theft Auto. He told the cops that he was borrowing the car from a friend, but apparently that’s an excuse that law enforcement hears often, and they told him he could take it up with the judge.”
“What did the judge say?” I ask, afraid that I already know the answer, seeing as her brother is currently sitting in a jail cell.
“Why would his friend report his car as stolen if he lent it to my brother? There was absolutely no proof or eyewitnesses, so my brother got sentenced to a minimum of five years.”
“Fuck, I’m so sorry, Keaton.” I clench my fist to keep myself from reaching out and touching her, suddenly wishing that this was a bench seat instead of two buckets, so that I might pull her to my side and hug her the way I want to.
“I hate that he trusted someone who lied and used him and never had his best interest at heart. Not even for a second. That’s why I was so hesitant to borrow the Subaru,” she admits.
“Keaton, I wouldn’t screw you over like that.”
“I didn’t know that at the time, but you can understand why I was hesitant, right?” She turns now and makes eye contact with me for the first time since she started this story. The last rays of sunlight bring out the gold in her eyes. Such sad eyes.
“Yeah, I understand. But you have to know, I wouldn’t do that to you.”
I stare into her eyes, trying to convey the seriousness in my statement, showing her she can trust me.
“I hope not,” she says, barely above a whisper.
I swallow hard, not wanting to ask, but knowing that I have to know, even though it’s going to shatter this moment between us.
“Who is the guy that Eli got in with?”
Breaking eye contact, she turns and stares out at the horizon where the sun has finally disappeared.
“It doesn’t matter now.”
I go out on a limb and ask, “Was it Mateo Chavez?”
