Victory Read online

  “Stop!” she screamed, just as Sam brought the bar down through the glass. Then he did it again. “Stop!” she yelled again and moved toward him before he aimed the crowbar toward her as if he were going to throw it.

  “He’s not racing in Savannah,” Sam snarled, and in the dark she could see his eyes were wide. “He’s not racing again,” he said as he brought the crowbar down on the hood of the car.

  “Sam, what are you doing?” She took a step, but stopped when he poised the crowbar up again. “Why?”

  “The accident didn’t kill him. Losing his sponsor didn’t stop him. You couldn’t keep him out. So now I’m finishing it.”

  “Sam, why?” Her intentions were to grab the crowbar, but he brought it down on the car in front of her, and she jumped back. That was when she heard the moaning to the side of her.

  “Oh, my God!” She hurried to Jake who lay in the floor of his garage bleeding from his head. “What did you do?” She looked around for something to press to his head, eventually opting for the flannel shirt she had on over her tank top.

  She pressed it to his temple, and he moaned again.

  “Let him lay there. Let him bleed to death,” her brother shouted to her. “You could be next if you try to stop me.”

  “Sam, I don’t understand. Why are you doing this?”

  “Because I should have been the one driving the whole time. But he chose you, because you’re a girl and you are marketable. He should have chosen me years ago.”

  “What does this have to do with Walker?”

  “He’s held us back, Sis. We were never number one, because of him. When dad fixed his car, he should have been out for good because we won then.”

  Now she felt the earth start to spin as she held Jake in her arms. “What do you mean dad fixed his car?”

  Sam slammed the crowbar into the car again and she winced at the sound. “Dad fixed his crash. Don’t tell me you didn’t know that,” he said before he slammed the crowbar into the car again. “Everyone on the team knew that.”

  Now she felt the stinging of tears. Her father had done that? Her father had nearly taken the life of someone for his own selfish reasons. She didn’t want to believe it. Buying into another racing team, sure, she understood that greed, but this?

  Sam moved around the front of the car, his eyes still wild, the crowbar still gripped in his hands.

  “Now you’re sleeping with the enemy—living with him. No wonder Dad kicked you out and Mom prays for her whoring daughter.”

  “What’s gotten into you?”

  “It’s always about you isn’t it?” He took another swing at the car, which had her ducking, and holding Jake close. “Maybe all my problems would go away if you were gone too.” He raised the bar above his head and looked down at her. “You’re in my way, Sis. This will make my life easier.”

  He inched his arms further behind him, as if winding up just as the door opened and light beamed right into his eyes. “You put that down right now,” Bud’s voice bellowed.

  “Old man, you’re next.”

  The lights turned on and Missy winced at it. She watched as Officer Smythe moved in with his gun drawn, followed by another officer, who moved Bud out of the way.

  “Put it down, Sheridan,” Smythe said as he eased toward him. “Looks like you’ve done enough damage.”

  “Not yet I ain’t.” He moved to take the crowbar over Missy’s head, just as he’d planned to do before Smythe walked in. A moment later the mind splitting noise of a gun firing echoed through the garage and Missy watched her brother fall back against the car and the crowbar hit the ground at their feet.

  Sam grabbed his shoulder. “Damnit! Damnit!”

  Phillip turned to the other officer. “Call for help. Let them know we have two injured.” He knelt down in front of Missy and Jake. “Is he okay?”

  Jake stirred only slightly. “His head is bleeding, a lot. I’ve been pressing my shirt to it.”

  “Okay, that’ll be good.” Sam squirmed on the ground, and Officer Smythe went to him. “Bud, get me a clean cloth or something for Sam’s shoulder.”

  He gave him a nod and ran for the main garage.

  He edged back toward her, keeping himself between her and her brother. “I’m glad you called. I’m sorry it had to be like this. I had no idea.”

  She looked past Smythe to her brother. “Neither did I.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Jake had felt his share of pain, but this headache was unlike anything else. Of course, after his crash, they’d put him under and he was in surgery. Waiting for a doctor to finish stitching up his forehead, that sucked.

  “Okay, good as new,” the doctor pushed away from the bed and put her tools on the tray. “I’ll get you some instructions on how to care for it, though looking at your record, you probably are a pro.”

  “Of all things to be a pro at,” he joked as she left the room.

  Missy sat in the corner of the room. In all the chaos of getting carried out of his garage and taken away in an ambulance, he’d collected bits and pieces about what had happened from the time he’d been hit on the head until now.

  “You’re a mess,” he said casting a glance at her in her tank top, a blanket wrapped around her.

  “Then I look like I feel.” Pushing her hair from her face, she wiped her cheeks.

  “Any reason your sulking in the corner?”

  “Truly feeling as though I shouldn’t be here.”

  He tried to adjust on the bed, wincing as he’d lifted his brow. “I’m not sure why. Get over here.”

  She stood slowly, obviously thinking too hard about the situation. Eventually, she moved to his bedside and took a hesitant seat next to him.

  “That’s a deep gash,” she looked at his newly acquired set of stitches.

  “What’s one more scar on a handsome face?”

  “Oh, Jake. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

  “The one thing I don’t remember is you throwing the wrench at my head.”

  She brushed away tears that seemed to have no end. “My father tried to kill you,” her voice quivered as she spoke. “How could he think you were a threat?”

  “I’m a good driver.”

  That made her laugh through the tears. “You are.” She took his hand and stared down at their intertwined fingers. “I didn’t have anything to do with this, Jake. You need to know that.”

  “I wouldn’t want you this close to me if you thought differently.”

  She caressed a thumb over his knuckles. “Smythe said they will press charges against Sam. He’s headed to jail,” she said and the sob started.

  “Sweetheart, it looks like he needs some help. They’ll get him that.”

  “I never knew. I just never knew.” She took a deep breath and lifted her red, swollen eyes to his. “He called me a little bit ago. They arrested my dad too.”

  Now he remembered all the pieces and it was becoming a clearer story. “Your dad rigged my car?”

  “I don’t know what he did to it. We will find out. They arrested him.”

  “You said that.”

  “Just trying to believe it,” she admitted. “I tried to call my mom, but she had the church secretary tell me that she wasn’t taking my calls.”

  “Missy, I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head. “We can’t be sorry. We didn’t create this, Jake. I didn’t do this.”

  “I know you didn’t.”

  They opted to turn on the TV, and she crawled up next to him as they waited for them to observe and then release him.

  When the door to the room opened, Phillip Smythe walked in. “How’s the head?”

  “Stitched closed with twelve stitches,” Jake informed him.

  “Damn. Concussion?”

  “Major one.”

  “So you’re not racing next week?”

  Jake grinned. “Did you want to tell Lydia for me?”

  Now Phillip laughed. “Not what I want to discuss with he
r, loss of finances.”

  “That’s what I thought.” Jake gripped tighter to Missy’s hand. “I’m guessing you’re not just checking up on me. You have some information.”

  “I do,” he said scratching his head and then looking at Missy. “I suppose you need to hear it all. I want to give you the option to hear it from your family if you’d like.”

  She stiffened. “My mother won’t speak to me. I’ll take it from you. Officer Smythe, I didn’t know anything about all of this. I want to make that clear.”

  “I know.” He took his phone from his pocket and scrolled through his notes. “Your brother was arrested on breaking and entering, destruction of property, and physical assault with a deadly weapon. He was also booked on a narcotics charge.”

  “A what?” Her voice rose.

  “Your brother was under the influence of cocaine.”

  She covered her mouth. “I had no idea. Oh, God, why would he…”

  “It’s not new, Missy. He’s had a few things on his record. I guess you weren’t privy to knowing.”

  Jake watched the flush creep up her neck and into her face. “I’m beginning to think secrets were always a family trait. Some just didn’t sneak through.”

  He gave her hand another squeeze. “What will happen to her dad?”

  “They have him in holding right now. A few of your crew knew about the sabotage on Jake’s car when he crashed. It looks like he might have made some modifications to Carson Maverick’s car too, but then he didn’t race. They’re doing some bargaining. If it comes down to it, he could be held for attempted murder.”

  Jake watched her settle herself by breathing in deeply. “I understand.”

  When the door opened again, it was the nurse with his paperwork.

  Phillip moved to the side. “I’ll be in touch soon.”

  An hour later, Jake had been released into Missy’s care. He wasn’t surprised to find his sisters and his brother in the waiting room, as well as his aunt, uncle, and a few of his cousins. Even his mother had come. This was what family was about, he thought. But of course, his father wasn’t part of the welcoming committee.

  He slept in his own bed, with the woman he loved by his side. When he woke, he called in to Bud, who assured him that everything was taken care of at the garage, and made him promise that he and Missy would stay away until Monday.

  It took some convincing, but he agreed.

  Missy headed to the kitchen to make pot of coffee and pancakes, which he craved on a regular basis. Who wouldn’t feel better with coffee and pancakes?

  He’d showered, as per her instructions, and when he walked out to the kitchen his brother sat on a stool next to Missy at the breakfast buffet counter, each with a mug of coffee.

  “How are you feeling,” he asked Jake.

  “Like I was hit with a wrench. Otherwise, I’m fine.”

  He took the mug, which Missy had left for him next to the coffee pot, and filled it. He was sure that the magic brown liquid possessed medicinal powers.

  “What are you doing here this morning?” Jake asked.

  “I’m guessing that the conversation with Dad didn’t quite go the way we assumed?”

  “He was in Samuel Sheridan’s office. That part was true. He is part of the silent partner team of Stout Farm. But they were there to dismiss Sheridan from the racing team,” he said.

  Missy covered Todd’s hand with hers. “My father was embezzling the funds from the team. Now that I know Sam’s state of mental health and drug abuse, I assume that so many things have been a set up like this. You should go to your dad Jake.”

  He sipped at his coffee. He wasn’t quite sure he was ready for that.

  “But he bet against me, right? He still was part of the organization that fired me and picked up Justice. And what about him taking your keys?”

  “Seems as though the key thing was just that. I have to believe him on it too. You know he has that look when he’s truthful and just being Dad. And then he has that look when he’s pulling a con on you.”

  Jake nodded. “God, why do I have to say I know what you’re talking about. No child should say that about their parent, right?”

  Todd shrugged. “He’s also the one that sent Justice with the twenty grand to get you out of the race. He knew Sheridan was messing with the cars again. Dad was sure you’d take the buyout and not race. Then he could be sure the car was messed with.”

  “Jesus. That’s why he was in Atlanta? Good guy and bad guy all rolled into one.”

  “We knew that,” Todd said. “That’s what makes our family unique, right?”

  Jake chuckled. “I suppose it does.”

  Though his head hurt like a son-of-a-bitch, Jake enjoyed lounging in the TV room, his eyes closed, head on Missy’s lap, listening to some sappy girl movie that she was entertained with. It was a hell of a way to get a day off, or a month off since he wasn’t racing.

  Due to the circumstances, they credited Lydia back the entry fee for the race. That too worked out, he thought, as he had told him her partner was working on a huge campaign to promote the next race and him as a racer. They were even considering adding one more car to the team, and that cinched his decision to buy the new car. He’d tell Missy about that later.

  “Since we’re not racing in Savannah, what do you want to do? It’s a weekend free from cars. My aunt’s ball isn’t for another two weeks. Hmmm, I don’t remember the last time I had a weekend off.”

  “I’m rather enjoying this,” she said stroking his hair with her fingers.

  “Maybe a drive out to the family ranch. You’ve never been out there have you?”

  “Nope.”

  “I’ll bet if I made the call I could have Susan make us one of those fancy picnics she caters out. You know, fancy picnic basket, bottle of wine, nice dessert.”

  “She’ll do that?”

  “Of course she will.”

  Missy let out a hum. “I think that sounds fantastic.”

  “I think Pearl wants to help you find a dress for Aunt Glenda’s ball too.”

  She laughed. “I’m awkward when I’m all dressed up.”

  “I doubt that, but tell her you want your boots under it. She’ll make it work.”

  “I think I love her as much as I love you.”

  And he was counting on that.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The stitches had come out, and the scar was forming nicely, Jake decided as he examined it in vanity mirror in the truck as Missy drove toward his family’s ranch.

  “Just another part of my body that will never be the same,” he joked.

  “I’m not done counting your scars, Walker. This just adds to the count.”

  The dirt road jarred him against the seat belt, but he thought it was part of the charm of traveling out to the ranch.

  “Is that your aunt and uncle’s house?” Missy slowed as they came upon the house that his father had grown up in and his grandparents had lived in.

  “Yes. Beautiful isn’t it?”

  “I love it. You can see the rustic still present even though it looks as though it’s been updated quite a bit.”

  “It’s like a project for my aunt. Stay on this road for a while and we’ll come up to Susan and Eric’s house.”

  They drove up over the crest of the hill and took the left to the new house that Eric and Susan had built when the original house had burnt down.

  “I love it,” she said as she pulled up to the house. “It’s gorgeous. Look at the porch and her plants. I didn’t expect this.”

  “The kitchen is fantastic too,” he said. “She does a lot of her work there.”

  Susan opened the door as Missy put the truck into park and they stepped out.

  “You’re looking as if you’re ready to have that baby,” Jake said as she stepped onto the porch and then rested her hands on her stomach.

  “Not quite yet. I have some time still.”

  Jake took Missy’s hand and laced their fingers togethe
r. “Susan, this is Missy Sheridan.”

  He saw the grin form on Susan’s lips. “It’s nice to meet you. Jake has talked a lot about you.”

  Jake shook his head with a chuckle. “What Susan means is I’ve mentioned you over the years. Let’s leave it at that.”

  “C’mon,” Susan pulled open the screen door. “I have your hamper inside.”

  They followed her into the kitchen, and he was pleased when Missy actually gasped. “Jake was right. Your kitchen is amazing.”

  “A perk from starting a house from the ground up. Eric dotes on me.”

  Jake judged the hamper and hoped he could carry it. “Is there a person in here?”

  “It’s my finest set up, just as you asked for. I have a quilt on the back porch. I like to set them out to catch the breeze before clients take them for picnics. The wine is one that I have my sister send me from Colorado. It’s a beautiful red. I hope that’ll be okay with you.”

  Jake looked toward Missy who nodded enthusiastically. “I think that sounds lovely.”

  “Have a good time then. Just drop the hamper off when you’re done.”

  Jake moved in and kissed Susan on the cheek. “I really appreciate this. I assume Eric is in the barn?”

  “Of course.”

  “I think we’ll walk up. It’s too nice out not to.”

  Jake led Missy through the back door, where they collected the quilt. Then they hiked to the barn, which was more of a walk than he’d remembered. In the end, it would be worth it, he thought.

  Both Eric and Todd were in the barn, along with Jake’s other cousin Gerald.

  “You made it up,” Eric moved to him to shake his hand.

  “Longer walk than I remember,” Jake said panting. “This is Missy. My cousin Eric and Gerald. You know Todd.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” She smiled graciously, the blanket draped over her arms.

  “I have you all set up. Apple over here is a fine mare, very calm,” Eric said to Missy. “We weren’t sure how much riding experience you had.”