Burnout (The Holland Brothers Book 1)

“Knox fucking Holland.” Colter steps down from his lifted truck, a big smile splashed across his face. In all the years I’ve known him I don’t think I’ve ever seen him without that same goofy, happy smile on his face.

My own much rarer smile loosens as I approach my longtime friend.

“You made it,” he says, striding toward me with a huge grin on his face. We shake hands and he pulls me into a one-armed hug. “What’d you think?”

“I think I could still kick your ass in any race.”

His dark eyes dance with amusement as he laughs. “No way. You’re lucky I quit when I did. I’d be stealing all that prize money from you.”

“You name the time and place, and we’ll test that theory,” I say, knowing he won’t take me up on it. Neither of us let the other’s ribbing get to us. I’ve known Colter since we were kids. We grew up in Valley together, met in elementary school, and have been racing dirt bikes just as long. About a year ago, the same time I started competing again, he switched to freestyle. Now he spends his days doing crazy stunts on his bike instead of racing.

Coincidence that he stopped racing at the same time I came back? I think not. I don’t blame him. I’m fucking fast.

“I’ll race you as soon as you can do the Kiss of Death double backflip.” His expression dares me to attempt the crazy stunt where the rider flips the bike and holds on to the handlebars for dear life with their legs straight up in the air.

“I like all my bones inside my body.”

His shoulders shake with his laughter. Someone calls out to him and tosses him a beer. He nods his thanks as he catches it in one hand. “Want one?” he asks, offering it to me.

“No thanks.”

With another nod, he flicks the top a couple of times before opening it. He takes a long drink before asking, “Honestly, what’d you think?”

“That was some cool shit. I had no idea you were doing tricks like that. Are you planning on competing at the next X games?”

“Fuck, I dunno. Right now, this tour is all I can think about. We’re booked nearly every weekend from now until Christmas.”

“Seriously?” I’m not sure what I pictured when I heard he was touring and doing freestyle events, but it was a lot more casual than the event they pulled tonight.

“Yeah.” He shakes his head and takes another drink. “Up and down the West Coast. Monster truck rallies and fairs, you name it.”

“That’s really cool, man.”

“Thanks. How are things going for you? I was sorry to hear that Thorne dropped you. You had a hell of a season. That kid Link is a real piece of work.”

I huff a short laugh. “Yeah, he’s something all right.”

“Have you already signed with someone else?”

“No, not yet.”

He looks at me with a barely contained surprised expression.

“I’ll figure it out.” I try to wave it off, but the truth is it stung. After Link crashed into me at the final race, he went on to win. I was lucky I wasn’t injured, just banged up. But I was pissed. I said some things, he said some things, and then I lost my head. I pushed him in front of the media and our team owner, Mike, and that was that. They cut me loose.

“No doubt. You had a hell of a year. You’re the guy to beat next season and everyone knows it. I bet you have a new team by the end of the week. You’ll be out of this desert heat and training on a fancy track next to the ocean with dieticians and specialized workouts and all that shit.”

“Nah. I was planning on coming back here anyway. It’s Flynn’s senior year of high school, so I need to stick around as much as possible.”

“Baby Holland is a senior?” Colter’s brows rise in disbelief. “Damn. It doesn’t seem possible that we graduated more than five years ago now.”

I nod my agreement. It doesn’t seem possible to me either, but that’s because I didn’t graduate. I understand what he means though. And it’s all the more reason I need to be here to make sure Flynn finishes school and gets a scholarship to one of his top colleges.

“Seriously, you killed out there.” I turn the conversation back to Colter. “I’m impressed. The atmosphere, the energy, the whole event was cool as hell.”

“You’ve never been to a freestyle event before?”

“Just the small ones at races. I always wanted to go to the X Games, but it’s never worked out.”

He beams at me, looking more like the gangly bucktoothed kid he was fifteen years ago. “Well, hey, if you’re looking for something to do until you get the team thing worked out, we can always use another person.”

“Freestyle?”

“Why not? I’ve seen you pull a few tricks.”

“Yeah, just messing around.”

“That’s all we’re doing.”

He’s underselling the talent it takes to flip a bike while moving around above it, and then land it clean, for sure.

“I don’t think so.” My only focus for the next few months is to train my ass off and convince Mike to bring me back on with his team.

“If you change your mind, say the word. Even if you don’t want to run tricks, we can always use more hands setting up and tearing down. We leave on Thursday night or Friday morning and come back late Saturday or Sunday. Quick turnaround. Lots of fun. I’ll add your pay directly to the Knox Holland fine fund in anticipation for all your future fights.”

“Fuck off.” I scratch the side of my face with my middle finger.

Laughing, he cuffs me on the shoulder. “Come on, I want to introduce you to some of my team.”

Colter leads the way, stopping to grab another beer out of the cooler in the back of his truck. “Are you sure you don’t want something to drink?”

“I’m sure.” As much as I’d like to drown my sorrows in a bottle, I need to be clearheaded to figure out my next move. I can’t have worked this hard for it all to be over after one season.

I could try to jump on another team. Though, that seems unlikely. All the top teams are set with big name riders they aren’t going to let go of unless someone gets hurt or retires. I don’t see where there will be an opening for me. Maybe I can jump onto a small team. But they don’t have the same budget, so I’d probably be better off with a couple of sponsors. The nice part of a team is that they take care of a lot of the bullshit so I can just race.

He grabs another for himself and then walks up to a group of people chilling in front of an old, beat-up RV. I recognize the shirtless guy sitting on the steps of the vehicle not just from tonight’s event but from several over the years.

“Knox, this is Sam, but we call him Oak,” Colter says, pointing to the guy. Then he tips his head toward me. “Knox and I grew up racing here in Valley. I used to let him kick my ass on the track.”

Let?

“You wish.” I scoff, then offer a hand to Oak. He’s tall and thin with locs that come down past his shoulders. “I’ve never seen anyone land a Volt that easily. That was awesome.”

“Hey, thanks, man.” We shake and then Colter moves to the only woman on the team.

She has long, fiery red hair and a don’t fuck with me expression. Sexy but not my type. The energy she puts off is too much like my own. I’m not interested in fucking a version of myself. The smirk she gives me says, right back at ya, buddy.

“This is Brooklyn.”

“You look familiar,” I say as I step closer and get a better look at her face. There’s something about the wide set of her eyes and the way she holds her mouth that reminds me of someone. “What’s your last name?”

“It’s not important.” She suddenly looks bashful and that’s an odd look on her. Now I’m intrigued.

“Her dad is—” Colter starts but she punches him in the stomach before he can finish. He doubles over and wheezes through a laugh, but as soon as he gets a hold of himself, he mouths the name to me.

My brows shoot up as I piece it together. “No shit?”

“Tell anyone else and I’ll castrate you,” she says to me before punching Colter again and then turning away with a flip of her ponytail.

Colter stands upright and lets out a breath.

“She seems sweet,” I say dryly. I think my balls just crawled up inside of my body for protection.

His voice is still strained as he says, “She takes a little bit to warm up, but she’s great at organizing the events and working with the venues.”

“I guess she’s not close with the old man.”

“She just wants to make a name for herself. Can’t be easy being the daughter of a legend.”

I huff a short laugh. Yeah, I wouldn’t know anything about that. The only thing legendary about my dad is how shitty he was at being one.

“And this is Shane. House mom of the group.” Colter winks.

The big guy sitting on an overturned crate sends the man next to me a mock smile before glancing my way and giving me a chin jut. “Hey. Knox Holland, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.” I cross my arms over my chest.

He nods slowly, then reaches up and strokes his beard. “I was in Salt Lake City for the championship last month. I’m sorry about how things went down.”

Fresh anger and disappointment surge through me. I ball my hands and drop them to my sides. I don’t know what else to say but “Thanks.”

Before either of us can say anything else, a petite dark-haired girl squeezes by me and throws herself at Colter’s side.

He wraps an arm around her waist and then places a quick kiss on her lips. “Babe, I want you to meet someone.”

He turns them so they’re facing me. I recognize her instantly. She was sitting with the smokeshow, prissy chick earlier tonight.

“Hiiii,” she drawls out, scanning me with a smile like she’s in on some inside joke.

“Hey, I’m Knox,” I say.

“Knox and I went to school together,” Colter tells her. He leans down and kisses her neck. “This is my girlfriend, Quinn.”

“Nice to meet you.” She lifts a hand and wiggles her fingers. Her boyfriend keeps kissing her neck as she reaches out that same hand and pulls another girl closer. The smokeshow.

My lips curve as I get a good look at her up close. Long blonde hair is curled around her heart-shaped face, and her eyes are a bright, almost neon, blue. She’s wearing this light pink lacy dress thing that’s short and tight. My mouth goes dry. She’s hot, no doubt about it. I stare hard, taking in her long, tan legs all the way down to her dirty white sneakers. They’re the only part of her that isn’t prim and perfect. Where the hell did she think she was going tonight in that outfit, and how did she end up here?

At some point she put on a short black leather jacket over the dress, like she was trying to blend in with her surroundings. It didn’t help. She sticks out in this place, all prissy and pink. Even her vehicle sticks out. Retro Bronco with a custom paint job in light pink. It’s a sea of black and chrome around here, and then there’s her.

“This is my friend, Avery. I think you two had a run-in earlier.” Quinn giggles before nuzzling into Colter and the two of them get more serious about making out.

Avery and I stand and stare at each other for a beat, neither saying anything at first, but Quinn and Colter don’t seem to be coming up for air.

“Hi,” she says, then shuffles uncomfortably.

“I’m Knox.”

I don’t know why I don’t say more. I just sort of stare at her. I’m not one for getting tongue-tied around a woman, but she’s just so prissy. Undeniably hot, but high maintenance. I’d be better off letting Brooklyn claw my eyes out than messing with this one. But damn if I’m not tempted to ask her if she wants to hop on my bike and go for a ride.

“Are you a freestyle racer too?” she asks.

“Rider.”

“What?”

“Rider, not racer.”

“Right. Whatever. You knew what I meant.” Her tone is harder than I expected, and I find myself holding in a chuckle. Smokeshow is sassy.

She looks at her friend for an out, but Quinn is still kissing Colter, so she glances back at me. “So, are you?”

“They aren’t racing bikes, they’re riding them. So, they’re riders,” I clarify. “And I ride motocross.”

“What’s the difference?”

“When I’m riding, I am racing.”

Her tongue darts out to wet her pink lips. They’re big and full, sort of pouty in a way that makes me want to kiss her to see what they feel like against mine.

One of the guys I was hanging out with earlier calls my name and I glance back at him. He motions toward his motorcycle, indicating he wants to take off and go for a ride.

“I could show you.”

“Show me?” Her voice rises several octaves on the last word.

“Yeah. You want to go for a ride with me?” Excitement thrums under my skin at the thought of her on the back of my bike.

Those perfect lips part into an “o” but no sound comes out as she considers my question. I’m pretty sure she’s trying to figure out how to politely tell me to fuck off. I laugh, knowing damn well she won’t say yes even before she shakes her head.

“I’m not going anywhere with you. I don’t even know you.”

“Colter will vouch for me.” Though as I glance over at him, he’s still got his tongue down his girlfriend’s throat. “Afraid you might get dirty?”

“Afraid I might die,” she quips. “I’m familiar with your driving skills, remember?”

My mouth quirks up on one side. “You mean when you nearly ran me over?”

“You came flying out of nowhere.” Her tone sharpens and she attempts to glare at me, but she’s just so damn adorable, my smile widens.

“One ride, princess.”

“Princess?” She scoffs, looking even more like a stuck-up, prissy chick.

“I’ll have you back before your friend comes up for air. You might even like it.”

“Doubtful since you’d be there. Why don’t you go ask your girlfriend?”

“My what?”

“The girl you were making out with earlier. Does she know you’re off flirting with other women?”

“Sounds like you were keeping tabs on me tonight. I’m flattered.” I step forward and lower my voice. “She’s not my girlfriend, and I just asked if you wanted to go for a ride on my bike, not my dick. Though…”

Her jaw goes slack, and her cheeks flush a pretty pink. “The answer to both of those would be a hard no.”

“Your loss.” I wink at her and take a step back then flick my gaze to Colter. I raise my voice so that maybe he’ll hear me over the sound of him making out. “I gotta get going, man.”

His mouth pulls away from his girl, but he keeps his arms around her. “Thanks for coming. See you next week at the track?”

“You can count on it.” I nod to his girlfriend and then take one last look at Avery. “Later, princess.”