Still, it wasn’t clean. Twice I saw him get boxed dangerously near the makeshift barriers, and one turn got tight enough that we all held our breath until Racer immediately recovered and kept pushing harder.
Midnight swore through comms. “Shit, that was close.”
By the final lap, the entire crowd was screaming. When Racer crossed the finish line first by less than half a car length, the whole place erupted. But even from here, I could make out his murderous expression when he climbed out of the car.
It shouldn’t have been that fucking close. But with the conditions he was working with, I considered him lucky to be in one piece.
Racer collected his winnings, moving through the betting groups while talking to the men handling payouts. He played it perfectly—cocky enough to fit in but relaxed enough not to raise alarms.
I could already tell from the look in his eyes when he finally drifted back toward Midnight that he’d seen and heard enough.
We slipped out as quietly as we’d arrived, disappearing back into the Florida night without drawing attention. But the mood among us had shifted completely.
We weren’t dealing with opportunists anymore. These were reckless bastards who thought fast money mattered more than human lives.
This had just gone from a threat to our territory to a situation that we needed to handle before bodies started dropping.
13
CECILY
Iwas tired as I folded a pair of leggings into the duffel bag on my bed, my hands moving on autopilot. The house was quiet, but my mind was anything but calm.
My thoughts kept drifting to how well Ares took care of me whenever I spent the night. In the mornings, he kissed me awake instead of letting me sleep through my alarm. He even made me perfectly balanced breakfasts without any prodding. The meals were high protein with just the right amount of carbs, exactly what my body needed before a brutal training day.
Not only was the food delicious, but his choices had made it clear that he’d put a lot of thought into what to make for me. He’d even admitted to doing research. And timed everything so I walked into the pool with minutes to spare.
His thoughtfulness told me that he took my dreams seriously. Being with him was better than anything I’d ever imagined. And that realization made my chest ache.
I zipped the bag halfway and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at nothing and wondering if his support of my goals would make it easier for him to let me go when the time came. Maybe he’d understand that the Olympics had to come first. Butthe thought of walking away from him made my stomach twist into knots.
I had no idea how I was going to survive the loss now that I knew what it was like to be with him. I’d let myself get in way too deep. Which was why I had to end this.
If we were going to rip the bandage off, it needed to happen soon. Before the Olympic selection process kicked into high gear, and I had to upend my entire life again. I couldn’t afford to be heartbroken and try to make the team at the same time. There was too much on the line for me.
I needed to be in control. And I wasn’t sure I could do that when the man who owned my heart was thousands of miles away. It was better for me to go through the pain now so that I’d have a better chance at focusing later.
I stood, slung the duffel over my shoulder, and took a deep breath. With the decision made, I knew I should leave the bag behind. But despite everything, I still couldn’t bring myself to do it. Deep down, I knew it was because I wanted one more night with him, even though I’d packed for a heck of a lot more since he’d asked me to.
As I headed downstairs, the bag felt heavier with every step. I was almost to the front door when my parents’ voices stopped me cold.
“Cecily, honey, where are you going?” Mom asked, stepping out of the living room with Dad right behind her.
Their gazes went straight to the duffel on my shoulder, and I knew we were about to have a conversation I’d been hoping to avoid on a night when I really didn’t want to have it.
I shifted my weight. “Ares is picking me up. I’m staying at his place tonight.”
Dad’s jaw tightened, and Mom let out a slow breath, like she tended to do when I had disappointed her.
“We’ve put a lot into your artistic swimming career.” Dad crossed his arms over his chest. “We don’t regret the years of early mornings, travel, coaching fees, and sacrifices because we know how much you love it.”
“I hope you both know how much I appreciate all of your support.” I flashed them a grateful smile. “And that I understand I never would’ve gotten this far without it.”
“We do, sweetheart.” My mom shook her head with a soft sigh. “But we’re not going to stand by and watch you throw everything away for some guy.”
I bristled, my grip tightening on the strap of my duffel. “I get that me being with Ares might be hard for you since I’ve never dated anyone before, but he’s not just ‘some guy’ to me. He’s…important, okay?”
Mom’s expression softened slightly. “We assumed he was since you’re spending almost all of your limited free time with him.”