Racing Hearts (Hollows Garage Book 3)

Apparently, helping the sheriff bring down a huge car theft ring, again, wasn’t enough to keep you out of handcuffs.

At least this time, none of us were in the back of a car.

Yet.

“Kye, stop fidgeting or he’s going to think you’re up to something.”

“The only thing I am up to is trying to get out of these things. I’m freaking out,” he hissed.

“You can’t tell me this is your first time being arrested?” Carly asked, handcuffed on the other side of me. I smiled down at her, unable to hide how happy I was to be here with her.

Even if we were handcuffed, it was over. She could stay and not have to look over her shoulder every five seconds.

“He hates the handcuffs part, not the being arrested part. He couldn’t care less about that.”

Kye jumped back onto the hood of the sheriff’s car, moving his legs up and twisting his arms until he was threading the handcuffs underneath him and to the front, smirking into the windshield as he did.

“You know he’s going to be pissed, right?”

“Yeah, but at least I can breathe a little better,” Kye said, turning to look into the passenger side again as the sheriff came up behind him.

“Kye, what the hell? Do I have to put you in the back of my car, too?”

“Sure, sheriff, I won’t mind. Is this ‘take your daughter to work’ day?” Kye asked, looking into the car. “Go ahead, and put me in the car. Let me see how prom queen is doing at her first drug bust.”

That’s when I realized what he had been looking at.

“Leave Daisy alone, Kye,” the sheriff said, the warning tone serious.

“You’re the one that offered to put me in the car with her. I was only trying to be polite.”

“Polite my fucking ass,” he mumbled, pulling Kye around to the back of the car. “She happened to be with me when I got the call. Don’t even look at her.”

“She’s looking at me!” Kye yelled, somehow jumping himself onto the trunk of the car.

I looked down to see Daisy looking out at us. Kye was right. She was still looking at him, and it was a little funny that he brought his daughter along.

“We aren’t the criminals. We did you a favor and you seem to be forgetting that,” Ash said, the anger on her face making her turn red. “And I swear I will never let you hear the end of putting me in handcuffs for helping you.”

“Sorry, Ashton. I have to keep everyone cuffed until it’s all sorted. Don’t take offense. I don’t need your dad being pissed at me.”

“For being treated like a criminal when I was the one to call you? I take a lot of offense!”

Fox leaned down, trying to calm her. I knew Quinn and Ash had never been handcuffed before, and both seemed pretty upset. Quinn was more upset as Ransom tried to quietly tuck her under his chin.

Carly, on the other hand, looked annoyed, and almost bored.

“You good?” I asked.

“No. I just dealt with Slaughter, and watched a gun be held to your head, and all I would like to do right now is have your arms around me while I kiss you and I can’t because of these stupid things.”

My heart melted. “That was the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard you say. My hands are a little tied up right now, but I can still kiss you.” I turned in front of her, leaning down as she fell back onto the car for balance while reaching up to kiss me.

Her lips met mine and turned into a frenzy. Suddenly, the people around us didn’t matter to her as she whispered for me to come closer, kissing me harder.

“Aww,” Scout said. “Look at our little criminals in love.”

I dropped lower. “Is she right, Carly? Are you in love with me yet?”

“Mmm, I don’t know. Just faced my worst fears, took down a huge car theft ring while shooting Tristan so you were safe and I could stay with you without worrying. Really, what I’m saying is that I’m still on the fence.”

I laughed as I kissed her again. “I love you, too.”

“I never actually said those words.”

“That’s alright. I know what you meant.”

Her head fell against my chest, and now it was my turn to start getting mad at the handcuffs.

“I do love you, Jax.”

“I know, sweetheart, and as soon as these are off, I’m taking you home and showing you exactly how much I love you.”

Carly huffed and stepped away. “Alright. Get these handcuffs off of all of us and let us go. It’s been two hours now. If you don’t, I won’t be helping you anymore with this.”

The sheriff’s eyes narrowed. “You know you all already agreed to help, which includes testifying.”

“Consider us all out unless you let us go home right now. I am exhausted, and won’t be agreeing to anything unless I get some sleep.”

He looked around, eyeing us all up. “Fine. If I have any trouble getting a hold of any one of you, you will all be down at the station for days.”

“Deal, just get these off,” Kye said.

The sheriff did, un-cuffing us all and letting us go.

I grabbed Carly’s hand, pulling her as fast as I could to the car.

It was time to take her home with me again.

This time, forever.