chapter64

Chris muttered a curse under his breath and hurried after her.

The night was deep and black, the wide track stretched out ahead, and five motorcycles shot across it like streaks of lightning. Every turn, every burst of speed, every pass was an adrenaline rush, the kind that made your heart slam against your ribs.

Neil and his two friends had taken the lead and, true to form, immediately started playing dirty. The three of them spread out, weaving back and forth to block the road, refusing to let Lydia or Chris get by. It didn't matter how good Lydia was, there was no way around them. If she couldn't pass, she couldn't win.

If she tried to force her way through, that was fine by them. They were experts at that kind of game, and they weren't about to be scared off by a girl.

Chris, riding right behind Lydia, caught on to what Neil and the others were doing. He yelled over the roar of engines, "I'll smash through them for you!"

But before he could even move, his eyes went wide in shock.

Lydia, handling her bike like it was an extension of herself, suddenly hit the throttle. In a split second, her motorcycle lifted off the ground, the engine screaming, and she seemed to fly right over the three guys in front of her.

It was a flawless jump, and she landed smooth as silk, now ahead of Neil and his friends.

Chris was left gaping.

Neil and his crew stared in disbelief. None of them had expected Lydia to have moves like this.

A jump at that speed? That wasn't something just anyone could pull off.

The moment she touched down, Lydia glanced back, a playful, daring smile on her lips. She looked almost unreal, like some kind of shadowy guardian of the night.

Neil shouted, losing his cool completely. Go after her!

If they lost to this girl tonight, they'd never live it down in the racing scene. They might as well go back home and never show their faces again.

But now, no matter how hard they pushed, no matter how much they tried to catch up, they couldn't close the gap. Lydia stayed just out of reach, always right there, but never letting them pull even.

That was the thing. She was always just one step ahead.

Lydia was playing with them, matching her pace just enough to give them hope, then pulling away whenever they thought they might catch her. She dangled victory in front of them, snatched it away, and left them with nothing but frustration and, finally, hopelessness.

Chris had meant to watch Lydia's back, but he quickly realized she didn't need protecting at all. In fact, her skills blew him away.

She was unreal.

When Lydia finished the lap and rolled back to the starting line, Chris' two friends stared at her like they'd just seen a ghost. Had she really won? Was this actually happening?

Lydia stopped her bike with effortless style, pulled off her helmet, and her face was striking, captivating, and almost too beautiful to believe.

The guys were stunned all over again. This girl was gorgeous.

Before anyone could say a word, the sound of engines roared in the distance. Neil and his crew finally caught up, with Chris trailing behind to make sure they didn't try any funny business. He knew better than to trust them, so he stayed close enough to keep them honest.

Neil and his friends looked furious, their faces dark and stormy. The idea that three grown men could lose to a girl was clearly eating at them. And the weirdest part? None of them had ever heard of Lydia before. She'd never shown up at any race they'd been to.

I won, Lydia said as they pulled up. She lifted her chin, her voice cool and completely certain.