Mimi smiled, but that smile dropped off her face when she caught who I’d been standing with.
“I’m okay,” she said, returning her gaze to me. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” I said. “Out of the military. Back home. Own my own lawn service. Work when I want. Make beaucoup of money off of rich people. The usual.”
Mimi snickered. “I’m happy for you, Shine. How’s your sister doing?”
My smile dimmed a bit. “Better. After…”
After enduring hell.
“I know about it,” she said. “I followed it all on the news. Then I called my best friend and talked to her almost every day for a year to see if there were any updates. I’m glad that she was found, and to hear that she’s married now. That’s awesome.”
I loved Mimi.
“How about your parents? How are they?” I asked.
Mimi’s face fell completely then. “My parents died in a car crash last month. That’s why I’m back. Taking over the track.”
She gestured at the track around her, and my stomach sank. “Mimi… I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
Mimi smiled sadly. “It’s okay. I…”
I heard bootsteps making their way down the aluminum walkway.
“When did they die?” Bram all but barked. “Why didn’t you call?”
Mimi looked at him. “Why would I call you, Bird?”
The question wasn’t meant to cause harm, but I saw the blow land on Bram all the same.
“His name is Bram,” I heard Dorcas say angrily behind us. “Use it.”
Mimi’s eyes flicked to Dorcas, then to Bram, finally back to me. “Have a good night, Shine. It was really nice to see you.”
CHAPTER 9
Dolphins sleep with one eye open.
-Things you didn’t know
IRIS
After shaking out my left hand—which was still tingling after I’d hit it on the door panel—I headed for the crowd of people that were gathered around the front gate entrance.
It was now half past eight, and there would be no more driving for me tonight.
Not with how fucked up my car was.
Anderson was walking beside me, his big body shielding me from the people that were mingling about here and there.
I’d scared him earlier, and he was showing off his fear by not letting me get even a step in front of him.
Though, it might be due to the fact that JJ was still around somewhere, probably hiding in the bushes waiting to ambush me whenever he got the chance.
“I just don’t understand,” Anderson said. “Why the hell does he still hold this grudge? It was freakin’ ten years ago.”
I didn’t answer. I didn’t know how.
Nor did I have the answer.
Ten years ago, JJ and I had dated. Ten years ago, JJ had decided that we were better off as friends, and me being me, had decided that friends was okay.
Only, the first time I kissed another boy, JJ got all offended and tried to take his decision back.
From then on, he’d gone out of his way to make my life a living hell when he could.
And on the racetrack was one of those places.
The anger and hatred that we had toward each other now extended mainly toward the racetrack, since we rarely ran into one another outside of the track. It was a rare occasion that either Anderson or I didn’t beat the socks off of JJ.
At this point, it was more than obvious that JJ was willing to do just about anything to make our lives a living hell, any way he could.
And, it turns out, I attracted them like that from multiple sources.
Yay.
Now I had JJ and Teller.
“He knows the owner?” Anderson asked. “Is that what I heard?”
I looked over to find Shine with his arm around the owner’s shoulders. Mimi.
“He said that, yes,” I said through clenched teeth.
I didn’t like that Callum had his arm around her. Nor did I like the look on his face as he tugged her closer and pressed a kiss to her head.
It was more than obvious that they knew each other, and well.
“Thought Mimi had her heart broken,” Anderson said. “You think it was Callum? The reason she wouldn’t go on a date with me before I met Davina?”
I had no idea.
But I sure hoped not.
“Umm,” I hesitated. “I don’t know.”
And I didn’t.
I just seriously hoped that they didn’t have that kind of relationship, because the thought made me want to throw things.
“They don’t really look like they did,” he admitted. “More like good friends.”
By that point, we were arriving at the large group, and I couldn’t reply.
At least, not about that particular subject.
“Oh, you’re gonna have a shiner,” I heard Sophia call as soon as I made it to the group.
I grimaced. “That’ll be unfortunate since I have to work this week again.”
“You’ll look like a domestic abuse survivor,” Anderson teased, throwing his arm around my shoulders and tugging me in close.
I leaned my head against his large chest and kept my gaze not on Callum’s face, but on his chest.
I didn’t want to know if he wasn’t looking at me.
It might break my heart a little bit if he didn’t notice that I’d arrived.
But, with my gaze on the ground, it made it possible for him to arrive at my side without me bracing myself for the impact of his gaze.
All of a sudden, he was just there, lifting my chin with the middle knuckle of his pointer finger.
“Sheeze,” I heard him whistle. “That’s intense. It’s gonna be bad in the morning.”
I more than understood that.
Mainly because I could feel the pain in my freakin’ face.
“I know,” I admitted. “I’ve had black eyes before, but I’ve never broken my nose.”
“You’ll have two black eyes in the morning,” he said, dropping his hand. “Are you hungry?”
Was I?
“They have fair nachos and jalapeños at the concession stand,” I pointed out. “I was actually kind of looking forward to that. You want to share?”
He frowned. “I don’t share food well. I’m too hungry all the time. But I’m more than willing to buy you some, and me some.”
I snickered. “Actually, that’s normally what I would do, too. But racing makes me absurdly hungry.”
“All those Gs you pulled whipping your car around the track,” he teased. “Let’s hit up the concession stand.”
I looked over at my brother to see he was in talks with Callum’s brothers, so I nodded, and offered him my elbow.
“Use your body to get us through this crowd,” I urged.
He winked and did me one better, reaching for my hand and tugging me along behind him.
I followed in his wake, amazed with how fast the crowd parted for him.
They parted even better than they did with my brother.
Must be the MC cut he was wearing.
Whatever it was, Callum was like a force to be reckoned with as he easily sliced through the crowds.
I was snickering by the time we made it to the concession stand.