All Revved Up

Kiara

3 years ago

The sound of engines revving pierces my ears until they start to ring. The air is filled with the smell of gas, and exhaust coats the area in a thin sheen of smoke.

It’s my favourite thing in the whole world.

My father’s black Ferrari gleams in the sun, and I run my fingers along the smooth surface before looking up at him.

“What are your bets?” I ask.

It was what I asked before every race, and every time he had different answers.

“The red GT is sporting low tire pressure,” he said, eyeing up the car he spoke of. “And that Mustang’s driver looks like he’s about to hurl.” He grinned at me. “I’d say my chances are pretty high.”

I held my hand out between us, and he gripped it in his own before pulling me into a hug.

“No losing, no dying,” I whispered, repeating the words I had said every time he got into a car.

He gave me one last squeeze. “I promise.”

He released me, and I went to my spot on the sidelines, watching as he put his helmet on and knocked the hood of his Ferrari twice. He said that it was good luck, but I thought it was just superstition.

He revved his engine once he was inside the car, showing up both cars on his sides, and I snickered to myself.

A girl dressed in the skimpiest clothes you could imagine walked to the middle of the road, giving a toothy smirk as she raised her red flag.

“Racers ready!” She called.

Cheers drowned the air in chaos.

Claps and hoots went up in volume.

The air turned tense and exciting.

The red flag went down, and all three cars took off at a stupid speed. Tires screeched, screams roared, steam clouded the entire earth, and then they were gone from view.

That was usually the time when I would butter up the judge and sway my dad to the winning side, but as I looked across the road to start that way, I saw that he was already in what looked like a very intense conversation.

With Felix Grell.

Aka, the owner of this whole racing gig.

It wouldn’t have been so suspicious, except for the fact that they were both looking at me. They averted their attention as soon as our gazes collided, but the damage had already been done.

Something was up, and I was not supposed to know about it.

I walked over to them, adding a little extra sway to my hips as I did. I wasn’t one for seduction, but learnt that, with these men, it was the easiest way to get what you want.

“Is there a reason we’re being so secretive over here?” I asked when I was close.

Felix’s eyes dropped to my toes and slowly worked back up to my gaze. His assessment made my skin itch.

He smirked. “Just wondering why you aren’t racing today.”

Liar.

I put on my sweetest smile. “I thought it was time to let someone else win for once.”

The judge chuckled quietly, and Felix’s smirk grew.

“My best racers don’t slow down for others.” He held my eyes. “They speed past them.”

There was something weighted in his words, but I couldn’t figure it out, and I didn’t get to, because the next thing I knew, a loud boom had me covering my ears and cringing.

It took only a second for me to realize that the boom was from the road, and I whipped my head around to find flames licking up the gravel only ten feet away from the finish line.

Not only gravel, but a car.

A black Ferrari…

I took off running. Everything was ringing and buzzing in my ears. I couldn’t hear anything but my heartbeat, thudding way out of control.

“DAD!!” I shouted, like he could somehow hear me.

I was inches away from the fire when strong arms grabbed my waist.

I clawed at his arms. I recognized Felix, and that only made me fight harder.

“Let me go!” I screamed, thrashing in his arms.

“There’s nothing you can do for him,” Felix said into my ear. “He’s gone.”

I hadn’t realized I was crying until tears started to drip onto my hands.

“He’s not dead!” I yelled. “We can still get him out! Please, Felix! Let me go!”

“There’s nothing but ashes in that car, Felling.” He said, sounding remorseful. “I’m sorry.”

I stopped fighting then. Stopped everything, really, because his words finally registered.

My father was gone. My best friend was dead. My racing buddy was ashes.

Someone blew up his car, and I intended to find out who.

==========================

Present time

My alarm pierced the silence like a machete, swift and sharp.

I rolled over, groaning, and almost slapped the clock off my bedside table.

Maybe that last chapter wasn’t such a good idea…

I sat up, knowing that if I closed my eyes again I would fall back asleep. My eyes take a minute to adjust, and then I’m up and getting dressed.

Just as I was pulling my shirt over my head, light knocking started on my bedroom door.

I swung it open to find Oliver standing there, grey eyes still drowsy with sleep.

I rubbed a hand along my forehead. “Ollie, what are you doing up?”

He rubbed at his sleepy eyes. “My window has a draft again.”

I sighed through my nose before ruffling his hair and opening my door wider. “You can sleep in my bed while I make breakfast.”

He gave me a sleepy grin before walking inside and muttering, “You’re the best sister ever.”

My heart warmed, and I smiled all the way downstairs.

Something about his appreciation made me feel like I’d accomplished something today. Reagan, my best friend, called it a praise kink, but I thought I just liked having verbal feedback on the good things I do for people.

Ok, so maybe I had a praise kink…

Darkness greeted me as I took the last step on the stairs. Even the sun still slept this early. I kinda envied its position.

I flipped on the kitchen lights before going through the motions of the morning:

Make two bowls of cereal for Amir and Kaia.

Two waffles in the toaster for Oliver.

Eggs and toast for Mom, who would most likely not eat breakfast unless I forced this under her nose. She hated breakfast, but it was a personal goal of mine to make her love it. It was still a work in progress.

Gentle waves of pink and orange lulled across the sky and seeped into the windows by the time I was done. I bounded back up the stairs to complete the second part of my morning.

I opened the bedroom door on my right and flipped on the light, smiling as two sets of wide blue eyes stared back at me.

“Good morning!” I said cheerily, walking to the dresser and pulling out two outfits.

“Big truck,” Amir murmured, rubbing his face sleepily.

I furrowed my brows. “What?”

He pointed to the window, repeating, “Big truck.”

I turned my head to look out the window and saw that there was, in fact, a big truck there. Right next to our house. A new neighbour.

“You’re right, Amir,” I started, trying to find any people accompanying the moving truck. “Maybe some new friends will move here to play with you.”

He stayed quiet, and I knew I had made him nervous. He was the most introverted 3-year-old you would ever meet, and I honestly couldn’t blame him. Moving from six different foster homes would do that to a kid.

Pressure on my leg had my attention slipping to the koala bear known as Kaia hugging my leg. I ran my fingers through her black curls as she rested her head against my knee.

Another introverted 3 year old. It was no wonder they were twins.

“So,” I started, putting my hands on my hips. “Do we want sunflower pants or flamingos?”

“Flowers,” Kaia muttered, smiling for the first time since I entered the room.

I tapped her nose. “There’s that smile. Finally waking up a bit?”

She squeezed my leg tighter. “I don’t wanna go to daycare today. I want to stay with you.”

My chest pinched.

I squatted down to her level. “I’ll be right here when you get home.”

Her blue eyes turned pleading, and I swear I would have given in if I didn’t have two demanding jobs that were awaiting my arrival.

I shook my head sadly. “Not today, girly. I’m sorry.”

“I wanna stay home too!” Amir says, coming to stand in front of me.

I opened my mouth to speak, but running footsteps halted my words. Oliver appeared in the doorway, panting.

“I have no clean underwear,” he blurted.

And so began my chaotic morning.

========================

The front door slammed open with fervour, and I looked up to see Reagan standing there, seemingly composing herself.

I raised a skeptical brow. “You doing ok?”

She widened her eyes as she slipped her shoes off. “Absolutely not.”

I set the knife I was using to butter bread down, looking up at her expectantly.

She sighed dramatically. “You have new neighbours.”

I nodded. “Uh-huh.”

She blinked before lowering her voice, presumably for the children’s benefit, as she said, “Incredibly hot neighbours.”

I smiled while shaking my head. “You think everyone with a male title is hot.”

She scoffed. “Kie! You aren’t getting the point! These men are jaw-dropping, mouth slapping, dramatic gasping, panties drop-“

“Reagan!” I quickly interjected, gesturing to the little people in the room who had paused their eating to stare at her.

“Why would you drop your panties in front of a man? Private parts are supposed to be only for yourself,” Oliver said, shoving another bite of waffle into his mouth.

I glared at her.

She smiled apologetically before clearing her throat. “What I meant was that men just love doing laundry so much, and so, while wearing another pair of panties underneath our current ones, we would drop the first pair for them to wash.”

I almost couldn’t conceal my laughter as I asked, “Do you want a shovel for that hole, or are you good to continue how you are?”

“All done!” Kaia announced, breaking the awkward silence.

I rinsed a cloth to wipe her face before taking her out of her chair. She followed me around the kitchen as I cleaned up breakfast.

“Oh, Kiara!” Mom’s voice rang out from the top of the stairs. “You let me sleep in!”

I smiled as I grabbed my bag from the floor. “It was no problem. The kid's lunches are in their backpacks and your breakfast is in the microwave.”

I bent down to kiss Kaia’s cheek before turning to Reagan.

“Thanks, hon,” My mom said, running an exhausted hand through her hair.

Always so tired…

I forced a smile. “No problem.”

“Bye, Kiara!” Little voices rang out as I opened the door, but I didn’t make it two steps before my face met Reagan’s back.

“Reagan, what are you-“

She turned quickly to cover my mouth with a, “Shhh! Look.”

My eyes glanced to the left, and I was positive my jaw would’ve hit the concrete if Reagan hadn’t been holding it shut, because oh my goodness.

Chiselled muscles covered in sweat. Rippling tan skin. Scruff that had no right being that sexy. It was perfection incarnate.

“Oh,” I breathed when she finally let my mouth go. “Oh my.”

She giggled quietly. “I’m certain they’re aliens. No one has business looking like that.”

Two men were moving boxes out of a truck, laughing and talking with each other, oblivious to the drooling girls staring at them.

Until they weren’t…

Blue eyes latched onto mine, curious before they turned smug as my act was caught. He smirked before going back to his task, and my cheeks heated as I rushed to Reagan’s car.

“It is completely unfair that I have 80-year-old grumps as neighbours and you get sex walking!” Raegan said after her car door was shut. “Absolutely outrageous!” Her eyes turned wistful. “But those eyes! Have you ever seen eyes so green?”

Oh, we definitely weren’t looking at the same man.

I smiled as I looked out the window, muttering, “I think they looked more blue.”

A/N

Ok, drastically different from most of my stories, I know, but I’m so excited to unleash this book into the world. Happy reading!!