Loving a Daredevil (Book 1 of the Billionaire Bad Boys)

4

The guard had called up to the house to announce Lucas’ arrival at exactly midnight. He was nothing if not punctual. Maxine was ready by the door in her wine-red club dress. She wasn’t sure where they were going, but she was sure she had to dress up. Knowing the way the Sanchez’s were, jeans and a t-shirt wouldn’t cut it.

Carlos took Maxine by the arm and walked her to the door whispering his expectations in her ear but every word faded away when they stepped out the front door, and Maxine saw the car Lucas had driven up in. Her breath caught in her chest as the sleek black and red two-door vehicle came to a stop in the drive. It was midnight black with a blood red trim and rims. She’d never seen anything like it.

Carlos’ grip tightened around her bicep. “Remember your place.” He whispered before releasing her. She started down the steps and opened the passenger door. Climbing inside she looked over to Lucas, he looked good in his stone washed jeans and grey t-shirt beneath his leather jacket. “Am I overdressed?” She asked.

“A little.” He grinned reaching for the gearshift.

“This is a nice car.” She said looking around the interior. It was as stunning inside as it was out and spotless there wasn’t a speck of dashboard dust anywhere it was finely polished, and the dash lit up with a soft red light, though it did look like it had been mortified. Between the seats was a black leather compartment. Maxine lifted the top and looked inside to see a tank of Nitrous Oxide which looked as if it was somehow rigged to the buttons on the steering wheel. It finally struck her; this was a racing car.

“It should be it’s only the fastest car in the world. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport: two-hundred-sixty-seven miles per hour, Zero to sixty in two-point-four seconds. That was before the after-factory modifications,” he smiled revving the engine, “and she purrs like a kitten.”

Something occurred to her. “Is this thing street legal?” He just snickered and pulled out of the drive heading north. “It’s not is it?” She said sitting back in her seat. “You know the local PD is just going to impound this thing if they pull you over.”

“They would have to catch me first.”

“All they have to do is run your plates, and they can come to your place and pick you up.” Again, Lucas smiled. “There are no plates on this thing is there?” She shook her head and laughed. “It’s nice to see you haven’t changed. So where are we going so late?”

“You’ll see.” He said turning down another street and glancing in the rear-view mirror. “Is that car following us?” He asked a little less surprised then she would have expected.

“Yeah, Carlos has no doubt sent Morris and Owen to watch us. He doesn’t trust you.”

“Or you it would seem.”

“We will have to pretend they’re not there. Go about our night, and they will report back that nothing happened and put him at ease.”

“I have a better idea.” He said shifting gears and stepping on the gas. “Sit back and hold on.” He grinned as they shot down the road. Maxine braced herself between the dash and the door holding on tight as they whipped around corners and out into the flow of freeway traffic. They ripped down the road at a hundred miles an hour darting in and out from between the other cars. They hit the off-ramp and zipped down an industrial road.

“Slow down.” She snapped looking over her shoulder to see no one behind them. He had sufficiently lost the guys. Carlos was not going to be happy about that.

“Can’t, the race starts in ten.”

“Race? What race? You’re not going to race this thing, are you?” He smirked and ripped around a barricade with a road closed sign. Up the street and around the corner they drove down through the auto district. There were at least ten different auto shops on this street from repair to customizing and tire shop. The street flooded with people come out to see the race. Lucas was forced to slow down to a crawl as he moved his car through the dense crowd to the starting line.

Maxine looked out the window at the crowd. She was surprised to see how many women were there. Looking at them all, she now understood what Lucas meant when he said she was overdressed. Every woman there had on a skirt or a pair of shorts that barely covered their ass. Their tops were barely more than a bra. They each wore high heels, be it pumps or boots. Short of strutting around in their underwear they couldn’t have less on, and she thought her dress was short.

The men, on the other hand, were fully dressed everything from jeans and T-shirts to track pants and jerseys. Their outfits often coordinated with their cars. There were almost twenty street racers lined up throughout the street with the radio on and the hood popped to appreciate the engine modifications. Everything was spotless. There wasn’t one oil smudge or one grease drop on any of the engines. Everything was clean and showroom pristine.

She knew a little bit about cars but not much. She saw Nissans, Mazdas, Skylines, Chevelles, Corvettes, and even a few Fords. They had all been modified, but she didn’t see even one car that looked like it could outrun Lucas’ Bugatti.

They reached the starting line pulling in between a yellow Ascari A10 and a blue and white 1969 Z28 Camaro. The fourth car in the lineup was a red Mazda RX-7 drift car. Each driver stood leisurely beside their ride waiting for the race to begin. Maxine and Lucas stepped out of the car and into the commotion.

“Oh, crap it’s Lucas.” The man leaning against the Camaro teased. He was a young Latin man with baggy jeans and a light blue jersey. A stocking cap on his dark head. He was clean shave with a cocky air about him.

Lucas smiled as he leaned against the hood of his car. “You going to race that slow ass thing Orlando or are you just going to hand over your money now and save yourself the humiliation of coming in second.”

“Not this time Lucas.” He said running his hand over the sleek curves of his car with pride. “We’ve had some work done since last time. She damn near flies now.”

“Unless you got a jet engine in the rear of that thing all you'd be seeing is my tail lights.”

“No-no-no, tonight you get a run for your money.”

“Such confidence,” Lucas grinned reaching into the inner pocket of his jacket and removing a rolled-up wad of cash, “Five G’s.”

Orlando looked thoughtful for a minute and then reached into his pocket and took out a folded wad of cash. “You got a bet.”

“Who decided we were raising the stakes?” The man beside the Ascari jumped in drawing Lucas’ attention to him. He was around their age a fair-sized man with spiky blond hair. He wore faded black jeans pulled down over his boots and a concert t-shirt beneath his brown jacket.

“What’s wrong Phillip don’t think you can keep up?” Lucas goaded him.

“I’m going to wipe that cocky grin off your face.” Phillip smiled taking money from his pocket. “You’ll be sucking my exhaust.”

“Now no fighting boys. We all know I take those corners better than all of you. This race is mine.” The fourth driver jumped in. A woman of all things. She was short with dark hair and a milk chocolate complexion. She wore knee-high leather boots and the shortest little-pleated skirt with a tiny cut off t-shirt that showed off her flat firm belly. Her hair was thick and hung in long curls. She reached into her car and pulled out a wad of money. “And so is your cash.”

“Please, Lola we all know that little tinker toy of yours can’t keep up.” Orlando teased.

“We’ll see about that.” She said getting into her car. “See you boys at the finish line.”

Maxine stepped back off the line as the drivers all climbed into their cars. The organizer came up to each collecting the bets. The engines revved, and a half-naked Asian girl stood just in front of the cars between the third and second car. She held both hands in the air and then as a hush fell over the crowd she dropped her hands, and each car sped past her almost hitting her as they passed by but she didn’t seem fazed.

Maxine came to the forefront of the crowd watching the cars race along swerving back and forth across the road each trying to get in the front and stay there. Lucas was not out front like she would have expected instead he trailed in fourth place. She didn’t understand why. She knew he could drive better than this. He must have been playing with them adding some sense of suspense to the race.

They rounded the corner and disappeared from sight. The crowd quickly rushed in the other direction waiting for the racers to reappear on the other side. They were to make a complete circuit around a four-block radius and end right back where they began. Each second felt like an eternity, and then Maxine saw them. All four cars came ripping around the corner three of the four fishtailing but regaining control instantly. Lola’s Mazda drifted skilfully and was out in front. She did take the corners better than the boys. The benefits of driving a small drift car.

It was looking like Lola would win, but then Lucas whipped out from behind her and was side by side matching her speed. Orlando came around her other side, and the three of them raced for the finish line. Then Orlando shot forward like a rocket; he must have hit the NOS button. Lucas sped up, but he was critical seconds behind Orlando then it happened he must have hit the NOS as well, and he launched forward speeding past the competition and crossing the finish line first.

Suddenly Maxine was jumping and cheering with the crowd as the other three cars crossed the finish line seconds after Lucas. Lucas coasted to a stop and was swarmed by the crowd everyone praising him as the winner. The other three stopped not too far away. Maxine pushed her way through the crowd as Lucas got out of the car. Reaching him, she threw her arms around him and hugged him excitedly.

“I can’t believe you won.” She laughed.

“I always win.” He said as the organizer approached and handed him his winnings. She couldn’t believe in less than a minute, and he had made twenty grand. Not legally but still impressive. She felt sixteen again watching him drag race down the residential streets. Only his control was better now, and he wasn’t hitting the neighbour’s Benz. Lucas took the money and stuffed it into his jacket.

“Scatter!” Screamed a man standing on the bed of a truck, a police scanner in his hands.

Lucas opened the door and shoved Maxine into the passenger seat. He was behind the wheel in a flash. Everyone had scattered getting into their cars and taking off in every direction. It was amazing they didn’t hit one another as they took off before the cops got there.

Maxine could already hear the sirens and see the red and blue flashing lights in the back window. They were never going to get away. They were going to get arrested, and she was going to have to get her superiors to bail her and Lucas out. “They’re right behind us.” She said looking out the back window. “They’re going to catch us.”

“No, they’re not.” He said with confidence. He shifted gears and took the next corner. Soon he was taking the on-ramp to the freeway. He darted around cars at top speed and took the next exit into a residential neighbourhood. He zipped around the corner and into a dark alley backing into some stranger’s driveway and killing the engine and turning off the headlights. They waited quietly in the dark as they watched the cop cruisers drive right past the alley and out of sight looking for him.

Once they were out of sight, Lucas turned on the car once more and headed back the way they had come in. He drove fast putting some distance between them and the cops. He took back alleys and side streets staying off the main drag. Maxine sat back and relaxed watching Lucas drive. She used to fantasize about cruising along with Lucas in the middle of the night hoping he would ‘run out of gas’ on some dirt road. It was crazy how just being alone with him even now could still make her pulse race and her heart flutter. A stupid high school crush that still seemed to haunt her. She had to remind herself she wasn’t sixteen anymore and they weren’t just killing time. They had a job to do, and her job was to see that he did his job. There was too much at stake for her to let him make her lose her head.

“So, tell me something.” He began as they left the city. She wasn’t sure where they were going, but they were alone and safe from being discovered. “What exactly is my job description?”

“What do you mean?” She asked as he pulled off the road and off to the side of a by-road. He brought the car to a stop and turned off the engine.

“I mean what do you expect me to do? I did what you said. I signed on with Carlos but what do I do now? Do I actually have to sell that crap to people, or do I just trade it to the cops and you guys give me money to give him? Exactly what do you expect from me?” He asked turning in his seat to face her.

“I expect you to sell it.” She said.

“But isn’t that illegal?”

Maxine laughed. “You’re illegally racing, and this is where you draw the line?”

“There is a difference between drugs and drag racing. No one gets hurt in races. People die from drugs. If I’m going down, it’s not going to be for drug dealing. I don’t need that kind of reputation.”

“It’s the part you have to play. You volunteered for this.”

His brows drew together with annoyance. “I volunteered for nothing. You coerced me.”

“Look I know this is hard for you it is hard for me too.”

“Funny because it seems pretty damn easy for you. You have to stand there and look pretty it’s my reputation on the line here.”

She was annoyed that he honestly thought she did so little. “I do more than you think.” She hissed. “Do you think it’s easy for me to smile at him when I’d rather cuff him? Or to let him kiss me when his very touch makes my skin crawl? I do more than you think. I help orchestrate his deals. Run a background check on his associates and underlings. I play banker when he’s making transfers, and on top of it all, I have to pretend I actually like him. So, screw you if you think I do nothing.” She said sitting back and crossing her arms. “Take me home.” She demanded.

“Your home or his?”

She lived with Carlos she had for the last year. It had been all she could do to get him to extend the invitation. In the beginning, she had been living out of a three-story walk up the department was financing. She was followed all the time, and Morris and Owen were more often than not staked out across the street keeping tabs on her. It had been a major step forward when she moved in with Carlos and could keep closer track of him and his dealings. She had certainly paid her dues and didn’t deserve Lucas’ scorn.

She didn’t answer him, and after a minute of silence Lucas started up the car and pulled back onto the road. They drove along without a word as they headed for Oceanside. They reached Carlos’ villa and pulled up in front of the gate. “I think you should keep in mind that Carlos will be having you followed.”

“I can lose them.”

“Well you shouldn’t if he can’t keep tabs on you he will take measures you may not like.”

“Isn’t that what you were supposed to be doing, keeping tabs on me?”

“Trust me just keep on your toes because someone will always be watching.”

He snickered. “I’m a third-generation rich kid of a rockstar. I'm used to people watching me.”

“Remember you’re a dealer now. You can be discreet about it. The easiest way to protect them is to do what he expects of you.”

Lucas sighed as the gate opened and he drove her to the front door. “There is an art exhibit in three days up in LA. Lance is showcasing his latest works. There will be a lot of people there. It’s probably a good place to start. You’ll need a cocktail dress.”

She was surprised by his suggestion. “Are you sure you want to do this around your family?”

He simply shrugged his shoulders. “There is no avoiding it. My family is everywhere. You can’t be in my world and not bump into one of them. They frequent the same parties, the same clubs, the same beaches, and restaurants. Short of the races they are always around.”

She supposed he was right. Well if they were discreet, they could go undetected. She would hate to get him in trouble with his family, but despite her feelings, they had a job to do, and the job came first. She was about to get out when she paused and opened her purse. Inside was an untraceable cell phone. She held it out to Lucas. “I already got one.” He said refusing it.

“Consider this one a work phone. It’s how Carlos will contact you, and I would suggest when you build a client base that you give them this number and not your own. And there is a GPS tracker in this phone so don’t go anywhere you don’t want Carlos to know about because he will be checking.”

“Ah, gee do I have a curfew too?” He asked taking the phone.

“This isn’t a game Lucas this is serious. Lives hang in the balance.”

“Yeah-yeah I know. Be ready at six Saturday night, and I mean six, not six twenty, I don’t like to wait so check that chick s**t at the door.” She was wrong he had changed he was rude as hell now, and it wasn’t becoming. She didn’t like this side of him at all.

“I’ll do my job just do yours.” She snapped getting out of the car. Carlos was awake and waiting at the door when she mounted the step.

“Pleasant night?” He asked observing her ire.

“He’s a complete jackass.” She snapped going inside.

“Morris and Owen said they tried to follow you, but you lost them.”

“How is that my fault the guy is a street racer. His car was tricked out specifically to lose people. I wasn’t the one driving. Next time send them in a faster car.” She said taking off her heels, her feet hurt.

“What happened?” He demanded, standing beside the chair she was sitting in.

“Nothing special. Lucas took me to a street race, and he won. Then the cops showed up, and we scattered. He did a pretty good job at losing them too. Then we came home. He says there is an art exhibit he wants to work on Saturday night. I’ll need some product and a cocktail dress.” She said standing up in her bare feet.

“Why does she get to party with the stars?” Morris grumbled from his place by the doors.

“Because I’m prettier.” She hissed heading for the stairs. “Now I’m going to bed unless there is anything else you want me to do.”

“I’ll be right up,” Carlos said watching her leave the room. She could feel his eyes on her all the way up the steps. The next few days were going to be tense.