I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN something was wrong when I couldn't find Ace anywhere. He is always sitting at the top of the bleachers, watching each racer with his entire focus.

But I couldn't find him anywhere, and when I asked about him, everybody shrugged their shoulders.

Ace never misses a race especially when I'm racing.

Something is wrong.

Screw it. I'm going to go to Leah and get the hell out of here before something goes down. But as soon as I started walking off, somebody called my name.

"Joshua Carter!" Sebastian's voice called, making me freeze.

I wasn't scared of Sebastian. He could whatever he wanted to me, but he needed to leave my friends and my girl out of it.

I turned around to see Sebastian, smiling smugly. He had two buddies with him, and they were standing away from the crowd in the shadows.

"Can't get enough of me today, Sebastian?" I asked with a scoff.

Sebastian simply shrugged, still smiling,"I want to make a deal with you."

I rolled my eyes,"Go make a fucking deal with somebody else, asshole."

Annoyed, I was about to turn around, ready to walk to the parking lot to get to Leah. But then the dummy had to open his mouth.

"I don't know, Joshy. This deal only works with you," he replied, making me raise an eyebrow.

"What in the hell are you talking about?" I asked him, confused as hell.

Sebastian took a step forward,"I want you to let me win. I want you to lose the race."

I laughed with a shake of my head,"I would never let you win, but it doesn't even matter tonight because I have to leave."

"That's right. Gotta get Leah home, huh?" He taunted with a smirk.

My jaw clenched as my hands gathered in fists by my sides. He has no reason to talk about Leah, and he knows she's my weakness. He knows he's playing with fire, but he is about to get burn if he's not careful.

"Leave her out of this, Sebastian. You don't want to go there with me," I threatened, two seconds away from loosing my cool.

Sebastian tsked,"Well, sorry, but I already went there."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What did you do?"

All he did was smile like a fucking child.

"What the fuck did you do?" I asked, angrily, taking a few steps towards him.

His buddies took two steps forward, ready to protect him if needed.

"Y'know, you should call Xavier," the smug bastard said, tucking his hands in his jacket pockets.

I pulled my phone from my pocket, and I quickly dialed Xavier's number. While I waited for him to pick up, I quickly prayed that everything was okay.

"Joshua," he said before groaning in pain.

Why was he groaning in pain?

"Xavier, is everything okay? Is Leah okay?"

"Joshua, he has her," he said before explaining what happened.

But I couldn't make out what he was saying because of my anger. All I could focus on was that Sebastian has her; he has my girl.

I hung up on Xavier, and I glared at Sebastian who was still smiling. He won't be smiling after I'm done with him.

I started to take a few steps towards him, but he shook his head.

"Think this through, Joshua."

I got in his face, fisting his shirt in my fist. I had my other hand ready to punch the living daylights out of him.

"Where the fuck is she?" I asked, darkly, as my body raged from the anger.

"I wouldn't hit me if I were you," Sebastian said, looking unbothered that I was about to hit him.

"Name one fucking reason why I shouldn't put you six feet under."

Sebastian smirked,"Because I'm the new boss around here, buddy."

My eyes widen, and my grip loosened. "What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Ace is dead; died two weeks ago in his sleep," he answered before continuing,"And since he was my father, and this was his company, he left it to me, meaning I'm the boss now."

Surprise overtook me, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"If you are in charge, why haven't you kicked me out already?"

"Because, Joshua, that's the easy way out. I like to push your buttons, and see what can throw you off your game. And all it took was one blondie to get you thrown from your rocker," Sebastian said before chuckling to himself.

"Let her go, Sebastian. She has nothing to do with this."

"No can do, buddy. See, she has everything to do with this. That girl has you wrapped around her finger, and I mean, it has to be pretty serious if the unbeatable Joshua Carter is worrying sick about her. I mean I'm sure your exact words were that Leah was more important to you than money and your status."

My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. How did he know that? Anger soared through my body, and my grip tightened once more.

"What do you want? Money? Cause you can fucking have it. I just want my girl back," I offered, making him shake his head.

"No, no, no. See, you got it all wrong. I don't care about the money. I have plenty of money. What I want? I want you to lose against me in the last race."

"Why?"

"For two reasons; one, you get beat and everybody realizes you aren't shit and second, once you lose, I can finally kick you out forever."

"So if I lose the race, you'll let Leah go, right?" I asked him, ready to agree to this deal.

Sebastian nodded,"Sure will."

"Fine; I'll lose the race," I started, making him grin,"but if one person harms a hair on Leah, I will end you and anybody else that was in on this. Do you understand?"

Sebastian nodded,"Sounds like a deal to me." He extended his hand, and I took it. We shook hands agreeing on the deal.

"Midnight," was the last thing Sebastian said before walking away from me.

As soon as he was out of sight, I scrambled for my phone, looking at the time. 10:34. I had a little over an hour to find Leah and get her out of here safely.

I dialed Xavier's number, and he picked up on the first ring.

"Where are you?" I asked him.

He told me where he was, and within a few minutes, I was at his side. I thought I couldn't be any angrier with Sebastian, but when I saw my best friend hurt, the anger intensified.

Xavier had a busted lip, and a bruise forming on his upper cheek. He was holding his ribs, and every time he breathed, he would groan in pain.

"Did they break a fucking rib?" I asked him as he lifted up his shirt, revealing a bruise covering his entire left side of his stomach.

"It's fine, Joshy. You should see the other three," Xavier replied, making me narrow my eyes.

"Three?!"

"Calm down. I handled it," he said before groaning once more.

"Calm down? Xavier, you are hurt because of Sebastian and his pricks."

"Yeah, but all three of Sebastian's pricks are unconscious with a hella lot more injuries than me. I'm pretty sure one guy will never breathe right from his nose."

"I need to get you to a hospital."

Xavier shook his head,"No. We need to find Leah."

"Xavier, you can't even stand up all the way. You need to go get checked out and get some medicine."

"I will as soon as we find Leah."

I sighed, knowing he wasn't going to give up. "You are so fucking stubborn, y'know?"

Xavier grinned,"And that's why you love me."

I rolled my eyes, and I helped Xavier away from my car. I held his arm around my neck, and I wrapped my arm around his waist.

"We should call Jake. He can help find Leah," Xavier suggested, but I shook my head.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because there's something fishy going. Sebastian knew what I said word per word, and the only people I was around you, Jake, and Eliza. But I know it's not you."

"So that leaves Jake and Eliza."

I nodded,"Yep."

"Do you think that's how he knew Leah's name too?"

"Probably. All I know is that somebody is feeding him information on my relationship with Leah."

"Where should we start looking for her?" Xavier asked, making me look around in the empty parking lot.

Cars upon cars were lined up in multiple rows for miles, and there were buildings lined up a few miles away. She could be anywhere.

My girl could be anywhere, and I only have a little over an hour to find her.

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. If I start panicking, it won't help me nor Leah.

"Let's start with this way," I said, nodding towards my right.

I'm going to find my girl, and then I'm going to get her out of here and never come back.

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