“Listen,” I start, needing to convince Kiara of my innocence, switching my gaze back and forth from the road to the mirror. “Someone drugged her at the club.” Kiara pulls her eyes into thin lines.
“Said he was Enrique. But he had dark hair and dark eyes.” Kiara scowls as she turns to face the girl in the passenger seat.
“So your Enrique is not the guy you just saw back there?” she asks, still with a frown.
“I’ve never seen either of those guys before.” I’m starting to feel slightly sorry for the poor woman. “Can you drop me off somewhere? I don’t have any money or my phone.”
I grab my wallet from between the seats and hand it to Kiara.
“Give her all the cash in there, then I’ll drop her off at Del Norte Marketplace. She can grab a cab from there.” The girl lets out a sigh of relief. For the first time, I realize that she must be scared out of her mind.
“Thanks.” Kiara hands her roughly a thousand bucks and she takes it hesitantly, staring at it as if contemplating what to do. “This is a lot of money.”
“Don’t worry, just get yourself home safe.”
“I just need a cab to Bernal Heights, not Hawaii.” A pencil-thin smile appears on her face as she relaxes slightly. She seems like a decent girl.
I park and she scrambles out of the truck like she’s eager to get away.
Kiara gets out too and sneers at the girl … eh … Jessie.
“Girl, don’t take drinks from strangers, you hear?” Kiara snips as she gets into the front with me.
“Thank you guys. Bye.” I watch her go.
“You think Mel will understand?” I ask while holding my breath.
“Maybe. She was pretty devastated back there.” A one-two punch to the liver. “Just like the last time. You know, Mel acts tough, but she breaks easily. And today, you shattered her. Like the day you took her to the boardwalk.”
I realize that Kiara only knows about one time. She knows nothing about the zoo incident. Strange.
There must be a reason why Mel never told Kiara about the zoo. And I’m guessing that embarrassment was a big factor. And heartbreak. I’m such a dick.
“Oh, Karma is such a bitch.” Don’t I know it?
“You know she has had a crush on you since forever. Gave you her tiny little heart back there at the haunted house. But you trampled and shattered that poor thing over and over again. Scarred it. And now the one time you’re innocent -” She stops and peers at me with compassionate castigation. “Who knows what she will do?”
I drive straight to the track in Dixon. The whole way over there, the sudden shocker bounces around in my head like a ping-pong ball. I’m a fucking dick. I broke her heart. More than once.
Mel clearly spent a lot of years resenting me for hurting her; for breaking her heart; for embarrassing her; and for selflessly keeping her from other guys. And I have no excuse except that I was young, stupid, and scared.
“So do you think D drugged that girl?” Kiara asks out of the blue as I drive up to some black tent canopies and park next to a few black vans with the Reaper logo on them.
“Yeah.” It must be him. “But I’m not sure how he got the girl into my house. I passed out last night on the sofa … just took off my leathers … and when I woke up she was there. I promise you, I did nothing wrong.”
“You said that already.” We get out of the truck.
“You’re late Grimm!” my team manager yells from inside one of the tents.
“Sorry, Mark. Had some girl trouble! ” He shakes his head. Enrique parks his yellow Ferrari next to my truck and I immediately notice Mel’s absence. Where is she? Did they leave her all by herself?
“With you guys, it’s always a girl,” Dean, my agent, moans standing next to Mark but I barely hear him.
“Where’s Mel?” Kiara asks the question lingering in my mind.
“Oh, she suddenly didn’t feel in the racing mood,” Logan says rolling his eyes. “Fucking girls and their mood swings.”
“Did you leave her alone?” I ask more harshly than intended.
“No! We’re not stupid,” Logan says. They both glance at me.
“She decided to go to the Pier with that puppy trainer,” Enrique rants. “Maybe our little sister is falling in love with the hunk.”
“Yeah, lately she seems a little more in the clouds than usual. At least he’s ten times better than that Ren dude.” The brothers walk past Mark and Dean and into the tents.
“I agree,” Enrique says and then he chuckles. “And even if I don’t agree, I’m not going to take him on. That dude seems tough. I’m sure he can give Jackson a run for his money.” Not helping guys. Really not helping. Kiara gives me a strained look before she follows the guys.
Date = 16 November
Place = San Francisco (Argyll MX – Dixon)
POV Damion
“I know you’re going to smash them dead, little bro,” I say to my brother. Today is his first international surfing competition. I wish I could be there for him. Luckily Mom and Dad are cheering him on. And knowing how my mother performs at my races, he’s in for a very embarrassing treat. That lady can put on a show that would shame even Jerry Springer.
“Coach says I have a chance to win this thing,” he says in his preteen I-am-so-cool way, but the quiver in his voice is a dead giveaway of his excitement.
The next moment Jackson comes crashing from outside and falls onto me, almost causing me to lose my balance.
“Shit!” I lock my knees to hold us up. “Watch it, dude.”
“What?” Luke asks through the phone.
“No, sorry, I was talking to Jackson. Listen, brother, good luck out there, and ask Mom to take lots of pictures and videos so I can watch the whole thing later. But I gotta go now.”
“Sure thing. And you win your race too. Bye.”
“Bye, dude. Love you.” I slip my phone into my pocket and focus on Jackson.