Victory Read online

  “Maverick’s a weasel. He just wants to be part of the action, and he’s not that good of a racer.”

  “Good enough he came in second.”

  “Because he pushed the two of us out,” she argued.

  “Oh, and had you not pushed me out, then what? I would have come in third?”

  “You would have won the freaking race, Walker. You’re the guy to beat, don’t you know that?”

  He snorted out a laugh. “How would I know that? You’ve pushed me out of the past three races. That sorta goes against everything you’re saying.”

  “Justice wants to see you in traction again. If you think that race that took you out for nearly two years was an accident, then you’re an idiot. I’ve heard that Justice had a hit on you.”

  “A hit? What is he, mafia?”

  “Close enough. I took you out of those races to save your ass.”

  “And why the hell would you do that?”

  “I hate you but I still don’t want to see you dead.”

  He watched her eyes flash when she said the word hate. It didn’t go with the tone in her voice. Crap! The chick had a crush on him, he could see it now. What was he supposed to do with that? He didn’t want to be just one of her hookups. He didn’t totally trust her.

  Jake stepped in closer, trying to feel out the tension between them. What the hell, he thought. Even Bud thought he should take her to bed.

  “You hate me, huh?”

  “Step back, Jack. You’ve already copped your feel carrying me across the street.”

  He couldn’t help it. He stepped in a little closer and her hand came up to his chest.

  “I said step back,” she demanded again.

  Jake smiled down at her. “Is that really what you want me to do, Missy? You save my life because you hate me?”

  “You saved mine, and I don’t think you feel anything for me,” she confirmed, and that had him stepping back. She was right. They were just two decent people.

  Jake ran his hand over the stubble on his face. “I’m sorry.”

  “You will be if you try that again,” she threatened.

  “Why don’t you call your brother to come and get you. I’ll walk you out.”

  With a curt nod, she agreed and placed the call to her brother, who had a barrage of questions as to why she was with Walker.

  “He watches out for you,” Jake said as he walked her out of the hotel room.

  “Yeah. It’s not easy being a girl in this game. You’ve heard the rumors, don’t deny it.”

  “Which ones?”

  She rolled her eyes as they waited for the elevator. “Really? You’re asking?”

  Jake shrugged. “Wouldn’t be gentlemanly of me to assume I had any idea what you were talking about.”

  Now she laughed. “I don’t sleep around, Walker. I didn’t sleep my way into the race circuit or to the top of it. I race. I know my cars. I know my tracks. I have a daddy who finances my car and that pisses off everyone.”

  “Your dad is a straight up man,” he offered. “He deserves to have a good team.”

  “Thank you,” she said with some astonishment laced in her voice as the elevator door opened. Her dad was a ruthless business man. She didn’t hear anyone refer to him as a straight up man often. In fact, she figured she and Jake had a lot in common when it came to fathers. But let him think what he did. What did it matter to her?

  They walked to the side door where she’d told her brother to meet her.

  “I hope I didn’t cause too much damage to your car,” she grinned up at him.

  “No more than last time. If you feel bad about it, you could come help me fix it before next month.”

  She pursed her lips together. “I think I have a lot more work to do on mine.”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “I could help you.”

  As her brother’s truck pulled into the parking lot, she turned to him. “You’d do that?”

  “I would. I don’t think you need me. You have a good crew,” he said motioning to her brother’s approaching truck with his head.

  “I do. Thanks again, Walker. I owe you one.”

  “If what you said is true, looks like we’re even. Take care of yourself.”

  “You too,” she said as she walked toward her brother’s truck and opened the door.

  He watched as she carefully climbed inside, still favoring her shoulder.

  The look cast at him by her brother Sam wasn’t one of trust. She’d have a lot of explaining to do.

  Jake turned back to the door. He didn’t expect they’d get the police involved. This was the kind of thing they’d take back to the track. He just hoped one of them didn’t get themselves killed.

  Chapter Four

  “What the hell are you doing in Walker’s hotel?” Sam Sheridan started his inquisition on his sister. “You have a reputation, and you’re feeding it.”

  “Those are lies, and you know it.”

  “Yeah, I know it. But anyone who saw you in there doesn’t. What the hell are you doing?”

  “I was attacked tonight,” Missy said and she saw Sam’s attention shift from the road to her and then back again.

  “Walker attacked you?”

  “Did it look like Walker attacked me? No. Maverick.”

  Sam pulled his truck to the side of the road and slammed on his brakes whipping Missy back in her seat.

  “I’ll kill him.”

  “I know, so hear me out,” she said as she adjusted her seatbelt which had locked her in place. “I went to the bar across the street to talk to Walker.”

  “But you’re not sleeping with him?”

  “Grow up. No, I’m not. Anyway, he stormed out on me, and when I was in the parking lot Maverick started pushing me around.”

  He looked at his sister and it was as if he’d only then noticed her holding her arm, and what she assumed was the red mark on her face where Maverick’s fist had connected.

  “Jesus, Missy.” He reached toward her and she backed away. “Did he do that?”

  “Things got a little out of hand,” she assured him, keeping her voice calm. “But Walker came up on us and busted a Jack bottle over Maverick’s head.”

  She saw the white of his teeth shine in the dark. “Good.” Sam let out a breath. “Where’d Maverick end up?”

  “I don’t know. The blow knocked him out and Walker carried me back to his room.”

  “He carried you?”

  “The whole way. Got me some ice and took care of me.”

  She knew he was contemplating that as motive, but couldn’t come up with anything.

  “Where’s Maverick now?”

  She shrugged. “Bud said there was no sign of our struggle, and the bar doesn’t have surveillance in the parking lot.”

  “Small town stupidity.”

  “So if he takes it to the cops, Walker could be out.”

  “Not our fight there,” he said.

  “Yeah, well if I take it to the cops, we might all be out.”

  “He attacked you. You damn well better take it to the cops.”

  Missy rested her hand on his arm. “I’ve had guys come after me before. I’ve held my own.”

  “So then why did Walker have to step in?”

  She winced in the dark. “I might have been in more trouble than I thought,” she admitted for the first time. “But I’d rather settle it on the track.”

  “You’re a freaking idiot,” Sam said as he glanced in his mirrors and put the truck back into drive. “Those assholes tried to kill you today. Then when that didn’t work, one of them tries to finish the job.”

  “They don’t want to be beat by a woman.”

  “They should be. And I mean in all aspects, not just in a race.”

  That made her chuckle as she rested her head back against the seat. “I don’t want Walker out of the circuit, and I sure as hell don’t plan on quitting.”

  “What’s with you and Walker then? You’ve pushed him out of three races no
w.”

  “Justice is after Walker for some shady dealings with Walker’s father. He doesn’t need to be killed over it.”

  “But you think if you keep him out of the race, he’ll be fine and you can win.”

  She grinned. “Something like that.”

  “You’re messed up.”

  “I know. Can we fix my car by next month?”

  Sam rolled his head, popping his neck as he did. “Yeah. Dad ain’t too pleased.”

  “He’ll get over it when I win.”

  “You’d better win. And stay away from Walker. Dad’s dealt with his dad too. You don’t want to get mixed up with him.”

  “I don’t think he’s like his dad.”

  As Sam pulled into the parking lot of their hotel, he parked the truck next to their racing trailer. “You’re not getting soft for Walker are you?”

  “Nah. I don’t have time for that in my life.”

  Sam clucked his tongue. “I’ll kill him too if he touches you.”

  “You’re a good brother.”

  “And you are becoming one heck of a charge to have to take care of.” He scanned a look over her in the light from the parking lot. “You look like shit. I should take you to the hospital.”

  “Do you think they’ll believe that it’s from the wreck?”

  “Go to the police, Missy.”

  “No.”

  Sam stayed silent for a long moment. “Yeah, they’ll believe it was the wreck. But if I see Maverick on the street…”

  “You’ll keep yourself intact and let me beat him on the track. Imagine if Walker and I pull in first and second, his sponsors will pull. That’ll hurt him worse.”

  “You’re warped.”

  “I’m competitive. I want to take everything from him.”

  “And you want Walker involved and you’re not sleeping with him?”

  She smiled wide at her brother as she pushed open the door to the truck, then winced. “Not yet,” she joked and she could feel the air in the truck fill with tension.

  “I’m calling the cops.”

  “No,” she said pulling her legs back into the truck and shutting the door. “But take me to the hospital. I think I’m hurt more than I thought.”

  “Like I said. You’re becoming one heck of a charge to take care of.”

  “And you love me,” she said through clenched teeth as she eased back against the seat.

  ~*~

  Jake lay in his bed, the TV moaned on with some infomercial, and his mind wandered to Missy Sheridan.

  There had never been a woman that got under his skin like she did. Just seeing her truck pull up to the track made his blood start to boil.

  He’d have always just taken that as good ole’ competitive adrenaline. She was a good racer. He had to be on top of his game to beat her. But there was something else, and he didn’t want to admit it to himself. Missy Sheridan was a looker and Jake looked too much.

  Jake ran his hand over his stomach, which growled, but he didn’t want to go out and feed it, so he stayed where he was.

  He’d been racing against Missy for the past six years. She’d entered the circuit when she was eighteen, and everyone noticed. Not only was she a decent driver, she’d been one hot number to look at.

  It had disgusted him how the men poured themselves at her, but behind her back the talk was horrific.

  Jake wasn’t that guy. He didn’t want to take her for a ride, as some of the guys put it. He didn’t want her out of the race just because she wore panties and not boxers or briefs.

  When the rumors had begun to fly that she spent as much time on her back as she did in her car, well that had put a kink in Jake’s attraction for her. He didn’t want to believe that about her, but who was he to say it wasn’t true?

  Even he’d been known to hook up with girls around the track. It was what happened. But Missy seemed different—and tonight he realized she was.

  Jake scrubbed his hands over his face. She was a driver, and a damn good one. That was what she believed in and she wanted to prove that she was the best on the track. And if he took stock in what she said about pushing him out of the races, then he had to respect her for that. It wouldn’t be the first time his father had screwed someone over. In fact, it must have been printed on the man’s business cards. And he wasn’t biased—he included family in his list of those he screwed over.

  That thought made him chuckle. He and his brother were so different than their father. In fact, all his siblings luckily seemed to have their crap together. Perhaps the only one that might have ventured down their father’s path was his half-sister Bethany. She’d been a B-list movie actress, which led her to abusing prescription drugs. But she’d kicked it—with the love of a good man on her side. Now she too was a pillar in the community in which they all lived. But wasn’t it funny, when people realized they were on Byron Walker’s side of the Walker family, attitudes changed.

  Jake swung his feet over the edge of the bed and held his head in his hands. Maybe he’d order something to be delivered to the room. Even small towns had pizza delivery.

  He stood and walked to the little desk next to the TV. Scanning the local restaurants, he noted the pizza place would deliver until midnight. Good, he could eat a whole pie, he thought.

  Jake dialed the number, placed his order, and reclined back on his bed again.

  He hoped Missy’s brother would get her some medical attention and talk her into going to the police. Surely, Jake didn’t want to get kicked out of racing, but he didn’t want to see anyone hurt a woman as Maverick surely had planned to hurt Missy. Then again, he’d like to beat them all fair and square in a race to shut them up.

  Looking down at the scars that tracked up his arm, he thought of the race that had nearly killed him. It had been blamed on the track, but had Justice had something to do with his accident?

  It was all too much to think about.

  He stood again and walked to his cooler. There was a six pack of some crap Bud had picked off another driver. What did it matter? Jake could use a drink.

  Twisting the top off the bottle, he looked at the bed. A smile came to his mouth when he realized her smell had been on his pillow. No wonder she was occupying his mind.

  Then he thought about the kiss he had planned on planting on that set of pink pouty lips. Was she really not attracted to him?

  Jake took a long pull from the beer. Maybe this was why all the men hated Missy Sheridan. She screwed with their thinking.

  All these years, he’d despised the woman and tonight he’d actually thought about kissing her.

  Damn. She had some voodoo over everyone. Well, he was out. As far as he was concerned, he was going to fix his car and win some races. The last thing he needed was Missy Sheridan messing that up more than she already had.

  Jake finished off the beer, which left a nasty taste in his mouth, and picked up another. His plan was to forget Missy Sheridan with a pizza and the rest of that crap beer. With any luck, his dreams would be empty tonight.

  Chapter Five

  Pain pills were a Godsend, Missy decided, as she sat in her father’s office listening to him blow a gasket over the shape of her car.

  This was a normal Monday afternoon following a race. Missy would come back with Sam. Her father, disappointed from the lack of a win, would chew their asses about the cost of a race team and how he’s going to replace them.

  After an hour, he’d go check out the car and assign certain people to begin to fix it. In the end, Sam and Missy would finalize the car before the next big race.

  Her father was just getting to the part of his speech where he told them how disappointed he was in them.

  “How can I expect you to drive when you’re as wrecked as the car?” he shouted as he gestured in her direction.

  “I’ll be fine in a month.”

  “Well, you did a fine job on the car. I can’t believe you rolled it.”

  She saw Sam take a breath to defend her, but she shook her
head. There was no need for it. Their father would forget the whole thing in a month.

  They were at the part of their meeting where she would stand up and Sam would follow. “I race to win. Sometimes so do the other guys. I’ll be ready for Atlanta next month,” she said as she headed for the door.

  “You’d better only be racing,” her father called after her. “I don’t want to hear that you’re doing anything else,” he called after her as she shut the door behind her.

  Sam scanned a glazed look over her. “How do you put up with that?”

  “I’m used to it,” she admitted, though she hated that she was. “You’ll get used to it.”

  “I’ve been on your crew a year. I didn’t know he treated you like this every time. It’s sexist.”

  She laughed at her brother’s naiveté. He’d only just cleared nineteen-years-old, and had been put in charge of her crew. Wholeheartdly, she’d agreed with his promotion. He deserved to be part of it. However, she did worry that he wasn’t altogether with it all the time, and she couldn’t help but wonder if it would cost them in the end.

  She couldn’t imagine Sam hadn’t seen some part of the negative ways they were both treated, but then he had a good heart, even if he did seem to be on his own planet some of the time. Maybe he chose to see past it all.

  He wasn’t new to the circuit either. They’d both been raised in it. But it was different when they were front and center. They were Samuel Sheridan’s kids. They had a reputation to uphold, though Missy wasn’t sure which rep they were supposed uphold.

  Their mother was a minister in the Baptist church. So, there was the wholesome, good kid image they’d portrayed when they were younger.

  Their father was a ruthless business man who owned six dealerships in multiple locations across Georgia. So, they were expected to be successes.

  Of course, there was always the hide from the truth part of being a Sheridan. Their mother was good at that part. She’d preach of the good Lord, while at home she drank to forget the sins of her husband—whom often forgot that he had a wife at home when he traveled on business—which also wasn’t anything less than shady.