Kayden didn’t say a word. His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror for a second. Then, a subtle smile played on his lips.
The phone rang again. Kyler’s voice came through, sharp and demanding, “Nadia, tell him to stop the car-now!”
Nadia hesitated briefly before replying in a taunting tone, “Why don’t you catch up yourself? Didn’t you claim to be the best racer in Inassea? Well, my boyfriend is the king of Seclela’s streets and thinks you’re a joke.” She ended the call with a smug smirk.
Turning to Kayden, she dropped the playful tone. “You should know, Kyler’s not the forgiving type. Right now, he probably wants to rip you apart.”
Kayden didn’t seem fazed, his calm demeanor unchanged as his foot pressed down harder on the gas pedal.
“Dammit!” Kyler cursed, throwing his phone aside in frustration. Grabbing the walkie-talkie, he barked orders to his crew, “Don’t let him get away! Box him in-I want him crushed!”
“Roger that!” his team responded in unison, and the synchronized roar of engines signaled their pursuit. The sports cars behind them sped up, closing the gap.
Nadia felt the car jolt as Kayden accelerated. She instinctively grabbed the handle as a sharp turn approached. Most drivers would’ve slowed down-this turn was notorious for wrecks-but Kayden didn’t flinch.
In one smooth motion, he drifted through the corner with precision, the car skimming the edge of control but never losing it.
When Nadia glanced back, Kyler’s crew was nowhere in sight, left far behind.
She was stunned. Kyler’s gang were no amateurs-they were practically pros. And yet, this guy had left them in the dust. Who the hell was he?
“Okay, how did you do that?” she blurted out, unable to hide her amazement. “That was insane! Are you some kind of professional racer?”
Kayden, still expressionless, didn’t seem moved by the compliment.
Street racing wasn’t new to him, but it wasn’t where he’d honed his skills either.
He had previously driven in far more dangerous situations-on battlefields where one wrong move meant death.
Nadia’s awe quickly turned to irritation. This guy was acting way too cool for his own good. Sure, the driving was impressive, but did he have to be so damn cocky about it?
“Look,” she said, her voice edged with frustration, “don’t think you’re untouchable just because you’ve got some skills. Kyler and his crew will catch up, and trust me. His gang isn’t exactly known for playing nice.”
She paused, eyeing him critically. “Here’s the deal-I might be able to help you out. But only if you beg me. Because if Kyler gets his hands on you, you’re in for a world of pain.”
Kayden’s lips curled into a slight smirk that made her uneasy.
It wasn’t the kind of smile that came from confidence-it was the kind that came from someone who had seen far darker things and didn’t fear them.
Nadia’s bravado faltered. “What’s that look for?” she asked, her voice a little higher now. “You seriously think you can take on Kyler and his whole crew?”
Kyler’s reputation for cruelty was well-known. Take that cab driver from the other day-what he did to him was nothing short of savage.
“Well, that’s assuming he can even catch me,” Kayden replied, his voice as cold and distant as ever.
The sports cars were still hot on their trail, engines roaring as they gained on Kayden. But just when it seemed like they were about to close the gap, Kayden’s car suddenly vanished from their line of sight as if mocking their every move.
Kyler’s frustration was palpable. His teeth ground together as he slammed a fist on the dashboard. Over the walkie-talkie, the sound of a helicopter hummed through the static. “Mr. Clarkson, it’s like he’s toying with us! What do we do now?”
“I see it!” Kyler shouted, nearly shaking with rage, before smashing the walkie-talkie against the dashboard, the pieces scattering like shattered glass.
Fuming, he pulled out his phone and dialed another number. “Tony, get your guys to block the ring road-now! That car has some punk in it, and I want him stopped!”
“Well, well, Mr. Clarkson,” Tony’s voice came through, dripping with sarcasm. “Got yourself into a little trouble, huh? Someone daring to make a fool of you on your own turf?”
Since Tony had been kicked out of his previous position, he’d embraced his darker side, falling in with Kyler’s gang and enjoying the chaos they thrived on.
“Shut up!” Kyler barked, his fury boiling over. “Just do it, and bring some of your best fighters. I’m not letting this guy walk away from this.”
Without waiting for a response, Kyler hung up, hurling his phone onto the seat beside him. It hit with a sharp crack, the screen splintering into pieces.
His blood was boiling. His own girlfriend, taken right under his nose, on his own streets. And worse-he couldn’t catch them. This was more than just a chase now; it was personal, a humiliation he couldn’t let slide.
In the passenger seat, Nadia couldn’t help but laugh, her voice bubbling up uncontrollably.
“Oh my God! This is priceless!” She could barely contain her amusement, giving Kayden a playful thumbs-up. “You’ve got some serious skills, you know that? I bet Kyler’s already thrown his phone and his walkie-talkie. No one’s ever messed with him like this. I mean, how are you this good? Honestly, I’m starting to like you. And now? The last thing I want is for you to end up in Kyler’s hands.”
Her praise was cut short when, up ahead, a wall of cars suddenly appeared, neatly lined up across the road. No, not just one row-several rows, packed tightly together, blocking the entire street.
Next to the cars stood a group of men, all dressed in black, their posture casual but their intent clear. Some crossed their arms, watching with smug anticipation as if waiting for the show to begin. These were the men Tony had called in.
Nadia froze for a moment, her heart racing as she looked over at Kayden. But he showed no signs of slowing down. In fact, he was speeding up. Panic rising in her chest, she shouted, “Hey! What the hell are you doing? Slow down! Stop the car! Are you crazy?”
Just as it seemed like Kayden was about to crash headlong into the blockade, the distance too short to stop in time, Nadia’s heart leaped into her throat. There was no way they could make it.
But Kayden, as calm as ever, glanced her way and said with a smirk, “Hold tight. We’re about to fly.”
Before Nadia could process his words, that faint smile crept across his face, one that sent a chill down her spine.
Nadia’s reaction was immediate. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she let out a piercing scream-loud and sharp, like someone facing certain death.
Tony and the others watching from the sidelines were frozen in shock. What kind of lunatic was this? Was he trying to kill them both?
In a flash, the Porsche screeched to a sudden halt, the tires screaming against the asphalt. The car spun expertly, pulling off a perfect drift at breakneck speed.
Miraculously, the vehicle didn’t flip. It didn’t even wobble. Instead, it came to a smooth stop, as if all of that chaos had been orchestrated down to the last second.
Nadia’s scream cut off abruptly. Trembling, she slowly opened her eyes, half-expecting to be staring at the afterlife. “Am… am I dead?” she asked Kayden, her voice barely a whisper.
Kayden, still unfazed, kept his calm expression. He remained steady despite the chaos he had just handled.
To Nadia, the whole maneuver had been nothing short of a heart-stopping, death-defying stunt. She touched her face, pinched her arm, and burst into relieved laughter, realizing she was still alive. “You jerk! You scared me half to death!”
She playfully punched Kayden’s arm, her small fist barely a tap against his shoulder. The thrill of surviving something so intense flooded her with unexpected joy.
She pouted and crossed her arms. “Let’s see what you can do when you get out of this car!”