Racing Hearts (Hollows Garage Book 3)

She slipped out of my grip as she spun, heading right at Slaughter.

“Carly, stop. Please,” I said, trying to catch up, but it was obvious that there was no stopping her. She kept going until she was standing right in front of him. I couldn’t see her face, but I could picture the glare all on my own. I was pretty sure Carly wasn’t afraid of anything when she was mad, and right now, she was pissed.

I waved at Fox and Ransom’s cars that were parked on the edge, having them come over. I didn’t think anything was getting better right now and after Carly started whatever she was about to start, this entire thing was going to blow up.

Their cars jumped forward, catching everyone’s eyes.

“Why the hell are you having more of them come over here? You think I don’t have friends waiting on the side, too?” He waved them over, and I rolled my eyes.

“I’m sure you do, but—” My words were cut off as three more cars pulled up from behind him. I hadn’t seen them parked around the corner, but I had already assumed some of them were there. The rest of them were apparently already waiting at the manufacturer lot, where he was planning to steal the cars from. I guess Carly had ruined their original planned date, and Slaughter missed his deadline with his business partner. Who, according to Slaughter, was worse than him, which really didn’t seem possible. When I called earlier, he put the plan back into place, calling all his friends to get ready.

I hated that it was such a smart idea. Steal the cars, install a fake VIN plate with fake titles, sell them to random buyers, and by the time anyone found out, it could be months or years later. He could do this with plenty of cars before someone caught on and even then, if he covered his tracks well enough, no one would know it was him.

Unless they had his files.

“What is going to make this stop? What is it going to take to make you leave me alone for good?” Carly said. I stepped closer to her, Riot already at her side.

“We already made a deal. As long as he comes with us, we are good,” Slaughter said with a creepy grin.

“That deal is off, because I know it’s bullshit. You’re going to get him wrapped up in this, so I give in and help.”

Slaughter gave a deep laugh. “You stole my laptop, and you’re going to start by giving that back. He was here making a deal that he would help in exchange for us leaving you alone.”

“I steal the cars, you leave her alone, and find someone else to help you with the rest,” I said, repeating what I had already told him.

Ransom stepped closer to me. “Jax, come on. You know better than that.”

“If you go with him, he will either kill you or never leave you alone again,” Kye said.

“Yeah, well, we are short on options. If any of you have another idea, please tell me.”

“It seems you left him in the dark about a few things, Carly, because he really doesn’t seem to understand that you and that laptop are the key to this plan working. I couldn’t turn down another set of hands that could take another car, though,” Slaughter said.

I pretty much already assumed it wouldn’t be enough to make him drop it completely, but I hoped it would be enough not to have her randomly attacked again.

“What is he talking about, Carly?” I asked, stepping closer until I could put my hand on her back.

“He can’t find someone else,” she whispered. “At least not that easily.”

“Why?”

“Because I built the program that he uses. No one else knows it like I do, and I never taught anyone else how to use it.”

“Shit,” I said. “You could have warned me.”

“I didn’t realize you would be sneaking out in the middle of the night to do this,” she whispered angrily.

“What if we give you the laptop back, and then you leave her alone? I’m sure there is someone else that can learn it,” I said, wishing she would back up, and let me finish this.

Slaughter laughed. “I don’t know. Carly’s like my daughter, and I worked hard to teach her what we need her to do. I can’t let that investment walk away, and have to start over. And you already agreed to steal a few cars for me.”

“Making a deal means you compromise. You want to be paid? Would that end this?”

“That’s not happening,” Carly said.

“It can happen if that ends this, Carly. I would rather do that than any of the other options.”

“I wouldn’t. It’s already done. The police will be on their way soon, and I’ll give them the laptop,” she hissed.

“You are not,” I said, my heart rate picking up. “You will go to prison for things you didn’t do. You said your name was all over that laptop. Unless his name is on there more, he would only be an accomplice.”

“I did do them, though, Jax. Maybe not everything on there, but I helped. I created it!”

“And that wasn’t your choice or your idea. You can’t take any of the fall for that.”

“If I take part of the fall, he has to take the rest. That’s what I’m doing, Jax. I told you, this isn’t something you are going to fix for me. I tried to think of any other way, but there’s nothing else. This is the only way, and I should have faced that before.”

“Giving the laptop to the police won’t be an option for you,” Slaughter said, waving Tristan around the car to him.

At his signal, the rest of his friends got out and ran over. One of them stepped a little too close to Carly, and Riot snarled.

“Get back,” the guy yelled at Riot, kicking out his foot.

“He only listens to my commands, so save your breath,” she said.

I leaned down, my lips against her ear. “Hey, me too.” I kissed the side of her neck. “Come on, back up, and get in the Charger. This is quickly getting worse, and if you really did call the police, we need to go before they arrive.”

I wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back towards the Charger, since my car was now surrounded by Slaughter’s goons.

But of course, in true Carly style, she started fighting me.

“I know it’s you being you, but you don’t have to fix this one for me, Jax. I should have stood up and finished this before. I shouldn’t have tried running away, but I don’t want to now that I have a reason to stay. You, more than anyone, have shown me who I am and now I know I can fix this. I can face him. For you, for the crew, for myself, I want to fix this.”

“One more time, he can come with us and finish this all tonight or we will take you and the laptop, anyway. Regardless if you fight it,” Slaughter said.

The rest of the crew stepped up at that, there was no way any of us were going to quietly watch that happen.

“She’s not going anywhere with you, whether she agrees or not,” Ransom said. I knew he hated Slaughter, possibly more than any of us, and I knew how serious they all were as they agreed.

She spun to me, anger etched on her face. “Neither are you!” she yelled. “You are not allowed to go with him!”

“Alright both of you shut up,” Slaughter yelled. “Tristan, get him in my car. Carly, you’re waiting here with my friends because you’re obviously going to fuck this up any way you can. We don’t need you there, anyway. I need you on the computer later.” He turned to Tristan, pushing him forward. “Maybe you can handle him better than the little girl and her dog.”

“That’s not happening,” she yelled as Riot started barking. “You’re not involving him.”

“He’s already involved,” Slaughter said, waving his hand again, and everyone behind him descended. This was getting so far out of hand. Now, it was turning into a brawl.

Tristan rolled his eyes, pulling out a gun and pointing it at me. “We need to go, and you’re coming with us.”