Broken Wings (Dark Legacy #1)(85)

We pulled up directly beside Jimmy, and I rolled down my window.

“New girl,” he said, tilting his ball cap up in surprise. “Driving Jasper’s car. What ... uh ... what am I to make of this?”

Smiling, I took the cash from my lap and held it out to him. “Jasper’s still in the hospital, I’m his proxy.”

Jimmy hesitated, glancing around him. Probably looking for Beck.

“Hey,” I said, bringing his attention back to me, “You’re in charge, right?” Jimmy nodded slowly. “So what’s the issue? No one even needs to know they’re racing a girl if that’s what you’re worried about.”

The race coordinator rubbed the back of his neck, then sighed and took my wad of cash. “Fine, you’re in. But if you total this car, I want nothing to do with the fall out. Understood?”

Beaming, I nodded. “I absolve you of all responsibility.”

Jimmy grumbled something under his breath but tucked the money in his pocket and walked away while I hit the button to wind the window back up.

Eddy waited with me, right up to the point that the racers—just four of us this time—needed to line up. Then she popped her gull wing door and stepped out.

“Kill them all, babe,” she encouraged me with a sassy wink. “I’ve got money on you for the win.”

As her door closed and she walked away, I spotted Evan’s horrified face in the crowd.

Shit. Beck was about to find out in about five ... four ... three ... two...

Sebastian Roman Beckett’s furious glare was the last thing I saw before the flag fell and my foot slammed down on the gas pedal. He could curse me out later because right now, I had a race to win and a reputation to repair.





Jasper’s yellow Lambo didn’t let me down. We flew across the finish line several car lengths ahead of the next driver, and I gently eased down my speed until I could safely loop around and return to Eddy. She was standing beside Jimmy, jumping up and down and screaming like a lunatic. I could hear her even through the closed windows of Jasper’s car.

Crazy bitch.

It was the three scowling, scary as fuck dudes waiting behind her that made me hesitate on exiting my vehicle though.

Crap. They looked really pissed off. So much for Jasper’s idea that Beck would be fine if it’s “all in good fun.” Little bastard set me up!

Grabbing my phone out, I shot him a quick text.

I won your race, but I think Beck’s about to murder me. Say nice things at my funeral.

His reply came almost immediately.

Hah! Murder you with his dick, more like.

Classy. I replied with a deadpan emoji face. Fucking Jasper.

A knock on my window saw me fumbling my phone before I peered up at Eddy’s beaming face.

“Come on,” she shouted through the glass. “Stop being a pussy!”

I sucked in a huge breath and released it in a heavy sigh. Time for those metaphorical big girl panties. With shaking fingers, I popped open my door and waited for it to raise before I got out. People were whooping and cheering for me, and it reminded me of old times. If only Dante was here to see me...

My gut panged with guilt, remembering that I still owed him a car to replace my butterfly.

“Hey! I know you!” Some random dude called out, pointing at me. He was clearly wasted, but he squinted at me and nodded. “Yeah, you’re that chick.”

Eddy snorted. “She’s clearly a chick, that much is obvious.”

I smirked at her, and she laughed.

“Nah, nah, nah.” Drunk guy waved his hand in the air. “You’re that chick. The one who used to race the butterfly car down in Jersey. Didn’t you get in a crash and like ... kill your parents or something?”

Shock ripped through me and my jaw dropped. “Excuse me?” I breathed in outrage.

“Yeah,” drunk guy carried on, slurring his words badly. “You were like some kind of racing urban legend and then you just poof! Disappeared.”

My lips moved, but no sounds came out. This dude had clearly combined the crash that killed my parents with the crash that destroyed butterfly. But the accusation that I was responsible for my parents’ death left me utterly speechless.

I needn’t have worried for long, though. Seconds later, Beck’s fist met drunk dude’s face and sent him sprawling—unconscious—on the ground.

Shock saw me gasping, covering my mouth with both hands as I frantically looked around. Was anyone going to intervene? Beck could kill that guy! He was more than capable, given all his training.

But everyone was just staring like this was some sort of half time entertainment. Eager, fascinated, but not in the slightest bit concerned. Only one person wasn’t watching Beck as he stalked over to where drunk dude was sprawled.

“Hey,” I grabbed Eddy’s arm, “isn’t that...” My words trailed off as I searched the crowd again and came up blank.

“Isn’t that who?” My friend asked, peering in the direction I was looking.

I shook my head. “Nothing. I thought I saw that creepy guy from the mall filming us again, but maybe I imagined it.”

Jeering yells came from the crowd that had closed around drunk guy and Beck. They pushed me into action, and I shoved my way through the spectators until I saw Beck holding drunk guy by the neck of his bloody shirt, whispering something to him.