Page 88 of When Sinners Hate
“Oh, you better.”
I put my seatbelt on and drop the window. “Who’s starting the race?”
Dante jogs around the car and jumps in the passenger side. “I will.” The smoke from his cigarette blooms inside the car. I cruise back out along the slip road and let Dante out before I line up the car at the start of the half-mile drag straight. Mariana pulls up alongside me, with Knox on the other side.
Dante stands in front of us all, and I get a little surge of anticipation as I wait. My foot hovers over the throttle, gently pushing down and making her purr. Total power sings back at me, deeply raw in its quiet rumble.
I look across at Knox, then to Mariana, and finally, focus my eyes on Dante. He raises his arm in the air, and the noise from all three cars picks up.
Any. Second. Now.
Dante drops his arm, and we all let rip, surging forward.
I take the early lead, but it’s close.
The Challenger is faster on the straight. It's got more horsepower than the Camaro, but Knox can drive, and has me on the bank, even though I try to stay on the inside track.
As we come up towards the first lap, I’m close behind Knox, with Mariana behind me.
The second lap is almost a carbon copy of the first, but I’m gaining confidence on the bends and drawing back the distance, so I’m right on Knox’s tail. I'm so close that I give him the tiniest nudge. What can I say? The devil made me do it.
His red brake lights flash up, and it gives me space to pull to the right, head out of the incline, shift, and take the inside line that he’s left open for me. I look across as I pass him and feel the car begin to pull away onto the straight. Knox is too busy looking across at me, though, because he's forgotten about Mariana. She’s hot on my tail and lets me pull her through and past her brother.
I watch her car behind me, making sure she doesn't try anything. It's beautiful – too beautiful to be playing out here, but that’s her call. It’s a work of art in reality, and either way, I’m pleased we both get to beat him.
The final straight is all I have to hold, and with the power of this car and Knox rattled, I push hard, refusing to give up. Dante is standing in the middle of the track, so I correct to miss crashing into him and cross first, with Mariana behind me, and Knox is last.
My smile is award-winning, as we all slow and hit the exit lane. And for the first time, it fills me with a sense of real joy I’d forgotten existed.
I ease back around to where the rest of the family is waiting.
“Abel, your wife is a fucking cheat.”
“Cheat, did we establish rules?” He looks over to Dante, who’s laughing to himself and shaking his head.
“Sore loser, hey, Knox? Maybe you just need to warm her up a little more,” I call over to him, as I get out of the car.
“Beginners luck, Lexi. And you know what you did.”
Mariana looks pretty pleased with herself as she heads straight for her brother to brag.
Abel’s looking at his car. “Risky move.”
I join him, looking at the front. There’s a scuff mark, nothing more, and certainly worth bragging rights. “You told me to win.”
“I did.”
“All in, family race, no excuses this time,” Dante calls out to all of us.
“Who’s driving her?” I ask, still looking at the car.
Abel looks over at his brother. "Knox, you good with letting Lexi show you how it’s done?”
The look he gives in return is pure venom, but he concedes. “Fine. But I’m with her in the car.”
“I don’t appreciate backseat drivers,” I warn.
“I’ll behave. Scouts honour.”