Racing Hearts (Hollows Garage Book 3)

I figured she was trying to get out of town fast, but now it seemed she actually had someone hunting her down.

Carly wasn’t some sweet old man in a broken down old truck, she was apparently one step away from a fugitive.

“Go away,” she said through gritted teeth as she tried to grab her bag out of my hand. It didn’t work. Instead, I grabbed another bag from the bed and threw them both in my car.

“Get in. Come on, grab your stuff. I’ll have your truck picked up.”

She grabbed the bag in my hand, trying to pull it away again.

“Listen, you just met me, but you are obviously in trouble, and I swear I’m not a murderer or anything. So please, get in the car and we can sort the rest out once you aren’t about to be literally kidnapped right in front of me.”

“I can handle it fine on my own.”

“By hiding in the woods? No, get in the car.”

She looked at my car, then me, and then in the direction of the approaching car. Her pretty eyes went wide and nostrils flared, in what I could only guess was anger. Finally, she spun toward my car as the other car pulled off the road. Luckily, they didn’t seem to see my car right away as they parked behind the truck.

“That’s him,” she said, grabbing a bag off the ground and throwing it in the car.

“Alright, I got it. You can stay there.”

She did, but Riot did not.

 I heard the loud growl as Riot pushed past me. His hackles rising up as he let out a nasty snarl, teeth bared at the guy stalking towards us.

If I thought Riot had been angry at me, it was nothing compared to this. She was right. He had been protective, but now he was out for blood.

She yelled for him, but Riot’s eyes were completely locked on the guy. There was no changing his mind now.

“Tristan, back up. He’s going to bite you,” she said.

“No, he won’t. The damn dog is all bark.”

As though Riot was offended, he jumped forward, lunging and snapping his jaw.

“Come on, Riot,” I said with a whistle. He looked back at me but didn’t move, still pissed.

“Who the fuck are you?” Tristan asked.

“None of your business. Seems like she’s none of your business, too.”

That pissed him off more. He stepped up to me, his chest all puffed up as he yelled.

I didn’t know what it was about guys that liked to get so close before fighting. Do we need to chest bump before it starts? Why get close enough to get hit unless you’re already throwing a punch? It’s become such a pet peeve that it only made me pissed.

His hands came up, and he pushed at my chest with a huff.

Fuck. No part of me was in the mood for this.

I leaned down, throwing my shoulder into his stomach to push him back before swinging my fist up and into his nose. I could hear Riot barking next to us, but he didn’t get any closer.

The guy was equivalent to a cooked noodle trying to fight, waving his fists and not landing a single solid punch. I hit him again, this one landing on the side of the head, making him fall to the ground with a yell.

I turned back, heading to my car and pulling open the driver’s side, trying not to laugh as I saw Riot still standing over him.

“Riot. Come on,” I yelled, surprised when he stopped and listened. He snapped one more time before trotting over to my door and jumping over me into the backseat.

“Tristan’s going to follow,” she said, her tone even and quiet.

“Then we are going to lose him. Plus, the bloody nose is going to give us a few minutes’ head start.”

“He races cars. I don’t think you can outrun him. Even with the bloody nose. Maybe I should go with him. I can try to leave another time.”

“Did I not mention that I also race cars? I have been street racing since I could drive, and considering the crew I race with, I should damn well be considered a professional now. So, no, based on how hard you’re trying to get away from him, you aren’t going to go right back. I can take you where you need. Then again, based on your bags, you were headed pretty far.”

“As far as I could get.”

“Where did you come from?”

“About fifteen minutes up the road.”

“No offense, but you didn’t get too far,” I said, laughing until I saw her face. The angry scowl not showing any humor.

“Wow, thanks for pointing out the obvious.”

“Sorry,” I said, wincing. “I was trying to lighten the mood. You didn’t have a destination in mind?”

“Nope, just trying to get far away and find a fresh start.”

“Good for you. A lot of people want to run away from life sometimes, but most people don’t actually do it.”

“It’s a lot easier when you run out of reasons to stay.”

“Yeah, I guess it would be.”

I sped back to our building. The old firehouse my friends and I converted into our personal apartment building was the only place I’d ever called home, and the only place I could think where she’d be safe this late at night.

I could easily get her to the nice hotel across town, but I was going to assume she wouldn’t want to spend a couple hundred dollars to stay for a few hours. And there was no way that I was dropping her off at the gross motel.

I looked over at her, her face still in a hard frown as she stared out the window. I was a little hesitant to bring a stranger right back to our place, especially with whatever people were after her, but she didn’t exactly strike me as a problem herself. The guys after her, maybe, but we had security systems already set up anyway, so it’s not like anyone else would be able to walk in. I didn’t think one night would cause any issues.

“Do you just want to stay at my place tonight? It’s a little late to drop you at any safe hotel, and then I can get your truck to our shop in the morning. Maybe have you back on the road before the end of the day tomorrow, depending on what’s wrong with it.”

“I don’t really have money to fix the truck and leave still. I might have to go back.”

I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me. “You packed up your bags, your dog, and took off in the middle of the night. If you want to leave, don’t let this stop you. The truck might be an easy fix. Let me look at it in the morning and we can see how fast, or cheap, it can be fixed.”

“I appreciate it, but I really can’t pay you for your work or for staying at your place for the night, and I don’t want to owe anyone anything. That never ends well.”

I didn’t exactly disagree, but I hated to make anyone go back to such an awful situation just because of one inconvenience. I didn’t know if I could actually let that happen when it might only be a simple fix needed to get her back on the road tomorrow.

No, I knew I couldn’t let that happen.

“Okay then. What are you good at?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

“I mean, what skills are you good at?”

“Nothing as useful as a mechanic.”

“You don’t have any job or hobby that you feel you are good at? Something you just like to do?”

“I don’t know,” she said, one eyebrow cocked up, looking me over again with that suspicious glare. “I like to cook.”

“What kind of cooking are we talking about? What do you cook?”

“Mostly Greek and Italian recipes. My grandparents’ recipes, but I like to try all sorts of things.”

I groaned, realizing how hungry I’d become. “Perfect. Cook me lunch and dinner tomorrow while I look over your truck and get it fixed. And before you ask, I will buy the ingredients. I’ll also throw in free parts if you feed my friends too,” I said, trying to give her a charming smile, but she only seemed suspicious.

“Why are you being so nice?” she asked, glaring at me.

“Honestly? Because it would be harder to be mean right now. It’s not like I’m doing much. Working on cars is my job. I own a garage with my friends. And don’t forget, I thought I was helping some sweet old man, not an angry girl with a baseball bat, and a big, pissed-off dog.”

Finally, her lips tipped up the slightest amount. “Surprise.”

I shook my head with a laugh. “Really, none of it’s a problem, especially if you’re cooking. There’s a team of us who don’t, and honestly can’t, cook much. We have like five staple items we make at cookouts, and that’s about it. Everyone would be happy for some new food for the day.”

“And somehow that would be a fair trade?”

“To me? Absolutely.”

“I can’t go home with some random guy.”

“I’m not forcing you. But I did just have to knock a guy out who was after you, so you are obviously the one who’s trouble here. I’ll drop you off somewhere if you want. I don’t really know how to convince someone that I’m not a creep or murderer? Although, I have three very nice, also very angry, women that can vouch for me if you come to my place, and who would personally ruin my life if I hurt you.”

“You live with three women?” The shocked horror in her tone made me purse my lips harder, trying not to laugh.

“My friends and I have a building that we renovated into apartments for all of us. So, I technically live with all of my friends, three of which are women, but in our own apartments. I would never have another peaceful day in my life if I hurt you.”

“I don’t know if that setup makes me feel better or worse,” she said with a deep breath. “Fine. I’ll go back with you. It’s not like I can think of anywhere else to go, and I can’t sleep in my truck now that Tristan knows where it is. And honestly? I’m so exhausted I don’t know if I’d care if you were a murderer. Are you sure you’re fine with both of us there for the night?”

I didn’t even have to look back at Riot since he was resting his big head on my shoulder.

“As long as no one bites,” I said, looking at him out of the corner of my eye.

“Only if you give us a reason, too.”

“I’ll do my best not to.”

She gave a tight smile and looked back out the window, seemingly fine with the silence as we drove back.

“Alright,” I said, parking and getting out. “Let’s get your bags up and try to get some sleep.”

She took the bag out of my hand just as fast as I had picked it up.

“I only need this one for the night.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind bringing up the rest.”

“No, it’s fine. No need to carry them up, only to bring them back down tomorrow. Let’s get inside. Where would I be sleeping, by the way?”

“One of us gets the bed, one gets the couch.”

“I will take the couch. I don’t want to kick you out of your room.”

“Whatever makes you more comfortable. I do have a lock on my door if you need.”

“A lock that I’m sure you could get into if you wanted. Locks do not make me feel safe.”

I pushed open the door, letting them both in, and trying to figure out what could have happened to make her say that. It sounded…terrifying.

I wasn’t surprised when Riot began inspecting every inch of the apartment. Luckily, I was one step away from being Monica Geller with my level of cleanliness. I had watched all the seasons with the girls and hadn’t heard the end of my obsessive cleaning since.

“Wow, this was nicer than I expected,” she said, stopping to look around.

“What were you expecting?”

“Honestly? A cave of an apartment with various mattresses on the floor that you share with your friends.”

“And you still came back here? All I can picture with that description is a murder dungeon.”

“That’s what it looked like in my head. This looks normal. Nicer than normal, actually.”

Riot jumped onto the couch, flopping his body down and growling as he rubbed and rolled against it.

“Riot, no!” she yelled, running over to pull him over. “Get down.”

“It’s fine. Let him get comfortable.” I grabbed him water from the kitchen before heading to get some pillows and blankets. It was only for one night. I hoped the dog wouldn’t rip the entire apartment apart in less than 24 hours, but he was the size of a small horse. I could imagine the damage from him would add up fast.

She didn’t need another reason to feel uncomfortable, though, so I held my tongue.

“Are you hungry?”

“I could eat. I was too nervous to eat all day.”

“I can imagine why. I’m no cook, but I have chicken nuggets.”

She sat back on the couch as Riot settled next to her. The dog was obviously obsessed with her, every motion from him seemingly out of pure love or protection. She still seemed uncomfortable. Not that I blamed her. It’s probably better that she was on guard a little. I would be pissed if any of the girls went home with a random guy they met on the side of the road.

By the time I sat back next to her with the food, they were both almost asleep.

“Still want to eat?”

“Yes, please. My growling stomach will wake me up if I try to sleep now.”

She grabbed for her plate and for the first time, I took in her features.

Long dark hair, flawless skin with a spatter of freckles across her nose, emerald eyes, and a body that I was working hard to try to ignore.

“So,” she said, interrupting my thoughts. “When you pick up girls with giant dogs broken down on the side of the road, do you always bring them home for chicken nuggets?”

“So far? 100% of the time.”

She laughed, the sound soft and honest, which I liked. I hated it when someone had a fake laugh. The sound was the equivalent of someone scraping a fork on a plate.

“Riot looks like he wants to take my plate,” I said.

“He does. What dog wouldn’t want a plate of chicken?”

“Will he?”

She laughed again, looking at the dog. “No, unless you hand it over, he’ll stay put. I’ve never been able to stop the begging for food, not that I can blame him much, but he won’t get any closer.”

When she looked away, I slipped him a piece of chicken and he nearly swallowed it whole, but hopefully he understood the peace offering.

We ate, and by the time we were done, I was the one nodding off.

“Alright. Get some sleep. I’ll bring the truck over first thing in the morning and we will both get to work.”

“What about the food I need to cook?”

“One of us will run to the store. Do you need to go to pick everything out?”

She nodded, her face pinching like going to the store would be another nightmare.

“No problem. We’ll see who can go tomorrow with you. No one here will bite, unlike you, even if they all look like it. Promise. And I highly doubt any of the people looking for you will be looking at a grocery store first thing in the morning.”

“Okay. And thanks for all of this. This is a lot better than trying to walk anywhere or going back.” She had leaned back, looking exhausted as her eyelids grew heavy.

“Or sleep in the freezing woods while scared to death? No problem. You’re safe for the night. Security in our building is great, and any noise you hear is probably one of my friends.”

“Did you need help cleaning your hand or anything? You punched him pretty hard.”

“All good.” I held it up, my knuckles already red but not split open.

She nodded hard and turned away. “Thanks for doing that.”

“I would say anytime, but I try not to go around punching people.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Goodnight,” she said, her lips pressed into a tight smile.

I shut myself in my room and laid down. I hadn’t been sleeping right for weeks, but I figured that sleep would come easily from pure exhaustion from the nights events. I still laid awake for what felt like forever, and the moment I did start to fall asleep, I heard Riot start walking around.

I assumed he was nervous in a new place, but it gave me time for my thoughts to run wild, thinking over Riot, Carly, the night, and what she was going to do next.

It was fine.

The big dog, the pretty woman, the broken truck, the food that I hoped would be good.

It was all fine.

I could handle the disarray for a day until it all went back to normal.

BY THE TIME the sun was up, I was ready to get moving. I showered, changed, and snuck out as quietly as I could, leaving a note with my number and where I was going. There was no point in lying awake in bed to stare at the ceiling, and the sooner I picked up her truck to get started on it, the sooner she could be on her way.

Riot watched as I grabbed a drink and something to eat before sneaking out quietly while Carly slept.

The guys were already waiting for me downstairs, ready to come with me in case any of the people after her were waiting by her truck.

“So why did I have to be up this fucking early to go pick up a car, and why did all of us need to come?” Kye asked, leaning against his car and looking half asleep. Fox and Ransom stood next to him, both interested in the answer. They had been my friends since we were kids and I knew they would come with me, no questions asked, but there was no point in hiding it now.

“Long story short, I found a girl broke down on the side of the road. She has someone, or apparently multiple people, looking to bring her back home where she doesn’t want to go, so I brought her back here, and agreed to help her fix her truck today in exchange for her cooking us all dinner tonight. I need you guys to come pick up her truck in case the people after her are waiting there. If it’s still there.”

Eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“You brought a random girl in trouble back here?” Ransom asked.

“Yeah, but no one followed us or anything. I punched the guy that was there, and if there were more with him, they didn’t keep up with us.”

“Where exactly did she sleep?” Fox asked with a giant smirk on his face. Of course this somehow wouldn’t be a shock to them, and even less surprising was Fox only worrying about the gossip.

“Why? Need to know so you can run and tell the girls all the updates?”

“Already texting them,” he said, pulling out his phone with a grin. “But you know the question has to be answered.”

“She slept on the couch and nothing else happened.”

“Really? Interesting,” Fox said, already tapping at his phone.

“Do you really think I’m going to sleep with a random girl I found on the side of the road and brought home?”

“Stranger things have happened,” Fox said, still tapping away. “Next question from Ash. Do you think she’s good looking?”

I rolled my eyes, ignoring him. “Please tell the girls not to go invade my apartment to meet her yet. It’s way too early for that. I was going to ask one of them to bring her to the store anyway.”

“Okay,” Fox said, quiet for a minute. “They are all bringing her to the store. They want to meet her.”

I could only shake my head. I should have known it would take all of ten minutes to have everyone know exactly what was going on.

“Come on. She only wants to stay for the day, so we need to get this truck and get it fixed. Are you all still coming?”

They all nodded, climbing into my car to head to the garage and get our tow truck.

“Good choice since that’s the only way you’re getting invited to dinner,” I said.

“Perfect. I want real food. I’ve been warming up pizza for days now,” Kye said.

Great. One day. One dinner. Granted, it would be one large, loud, messy dinner in my apartment, but then life would be back to normal.

Everything would be back to normal.

With how hung up I was already getting on those gorgeous green eyes of hers, I knew that getting back to normal was the best thing for me.