sorry about the confusion last night! I accidentally posted this chapter while I was still writing it, so I took it down a second later. Wattpad must've tweaked, and I'm sorry y'all still got the notification but couldn't open it :(

♔

In the days leading up to Gray's next race, he and Tommy work on his new car non-stop, fine-tuning it perfectly for the event. A few times, I go over to Tommy's mechanic shop just to sit and watch Gray get hot and sweaty while working on his car. When I'm not sitting on a pile of spare tires and drooling over him, I hang out with Gracie at the penthouse, looking after her as she slowly recovers from her injuries.

I haven't been to one of his races in a couple of months, so on the night of the event, I'm pumped full of adrenaline. I'm more excited than Gray, who presses his hand on my jittery leg as we drive to the race, reminding me to calm down. If anything, his hand on my bare thigh only makes me more excited.

"I can't tell if I'm nervous or eager for this," I say, watching as Gray pulls off the main road and onto a dark, dirt path. "These things are so fun, but scary at the same time," I admit.

Gray smiles. "They are. The thought of you alone at one of these races terrifies me." He looks over to me. "But I'm glad you're here with me, Riv."

Then we rest our eyes on the familiar sight of sports cars lined up in a grassy field. My nerves build back up again at the thought of weaving through the tight crowds of rowdy people. Gray's car is heading straight into the middle of the chaos where everyone is surely waiting, ready to ambush him.

Then Gray veers off to the side, away from the noise and bright headlights. A few hundred feet from where the crowds lie, he parks under a large tree and turns off the car. Surprisingly, no one notices or comes to greet Gray.

"An upside of wrecking your car," Gray says, leaning his head against the headrest, gazing at me lazily. "No one recognizes your new one."

Then he gets out of the car, rolling his neck before he opens my door for me. It's only when he holds his hand out for me that I realize he wants us both to get out. I ask, "Walking around kind of defeats the purpose of hiding in your new car, don't you think?"

Gray leans against the hood of his car, motioning for me to join him. "Who said anything about walking around? Besides, it's dark enough that people won't look twice over here."

I smile, leaning against his car and between his legs. We're both facing the clay track, and we watch as everyone frantically moves around, placing bets and assessing the competition. "This is relaxing," I remark, feeling a cool breeze blow over us. Gray rests his chin on my shoulder, and I lean back against him as his arms rest on my waist.

"It's nice to just get away from all of it sometimes," he says. "Racing can be a lot sometimes."

I think back to the first time I saw Gray at a race, the way he soaked in the energy of the crowd as he stepped out of his car. It was mesmerizing, watching him enjoy it so passionately. "But you love it," I say, matter-of-factly.

The silence between us tells me he's thinking too. "Yeah," he says, "I do. For a while, it was my escape from reality. But it's dangerous. I was fine with it when it was just me and Tommy. But, it's different now that you're experiencing it all with me."

I maneuver my body so I'm looking at him. His muscles are tense behind me. "Gray, street racing is your passion. Your concern for my safety shouldn't interfere with that.

Gray takes a deep breath, picking a loose thread from my shorts. "I love it, but I'm willing to give it up for you, River. You're my new escape from reality."

I kiss his jaw, touched by what he's saying. Still, I hate the thought of him giving up something that he's passionate about. "Your love for me shouldn't keep you from taking part in something else that you love."

I look down at our locked hands, running my finger over his tense knuckles. "You deserve love without having to sacrifice any other part of your happiness."

He tilts my chin up to face him. Softly, he tells me, "All I'm saying is, if I had to choose between you and this world, I'd choose you every time. I don't want you to ever have to worry about this."

I want to tell him that I love him too much to not worry, but I decide to save this talk for later. Instead, I nod and let him kiss my concerns away. The last thing I want to do is stress him before this big race.

Gray's whole body flexes when we hear footsteps approaching us. I turn around just as Gray flips us around so I'm behind him. From the way his stance straightens, I can tell the people approaching are more foes than friends.

"Grayson," a familiar voice drawls out mockingly.

Peter.

"We missed you down in Miami. I had a lot of fun winning that fifty thousand without your cheating ass there to steal it from me."

Gray crosses his arms. "Yeah, I decided to give you a freebie. Thought I'd let you experience racing without my dust clouding your windshield. I am a nice guy, after all."

I step out from behind Gray to see Peter sneer, enraged by Gray's comment. He sees me and quirks his head. Peter turns his attention back to Gray, looking as though he just remembered Gray's weak spot. "You were dumb enough to bring your bitch again? Maybe while we're racing, I'll have one of my guys show her what how a real man treats a lady."

I'm revolted. "You're disgusting," I spit angrily, stepping out from behind Gray. "And Gray is a thousand times the man that you'll ever be."

Peter laughs, and his stupid friends join in. "Oh look. The bitch can speak. Although, I think your mouth would be better suited for other activities, sweetheart."

Gray's fist is trembling with restrained anger, and I stand closer to him to steady both of us. I open my mouth to say something but decide it's best to not escalate the situation.

As Gray and I move away from them, I can hear them jeer. Peter says, "You know, Grayson, I'm a nice guy too. So I'll tell you that I'd leave right now if I were you. Or I guarantee you will regret it."

"Thanks for the advice, Pete, but I'm good," Gray says icily. "See you on the track."

A scoff. "Suit yourself," Peter spits. "Remember that you did this to yourself."

I let out a breath when they finally leave, muttering to themselves and hyping Peter up. Gray keeps his fiery eyes trained on them too, making sure they don't try anything. When they're a satisfying distance away from us, he turns to me, analyzing my face for signs of shock or fear. It takes him a few seconds to realize that the only emotion on my face is anger.

"He doesn't scare me," I say to him. "I can handle myself against him."

"I know," he says, leaning back against the hood of his car. Gray looks even angrier than me. "I hate the way the piece of shit looks at you. Like you're just some object. Makes me want to tear his eyes out and shove them down his throat."

His voice is low, almost to the point of a growl. I can tell he's only making himself more furious by the second. I stand in front of him, moving my body to rest between his legs. "He's not going to touch me, Gray. Peter's just a creep, nothing more."

Gray looks off into the distance, shaking his leg anxiously. "If he and his friends got their hands on you, Riv, I don't know how the hell I'd live with myself."

He runs a hand through his hair, still driving himself crazy with thoughts about what could happen to me here. His grey eyes hold a painful, almost tortured look as he probably contemplates every worst-case scenario. I grab his chin and make him look at me, the same way he does to me when I'm worried.

Gray smiles, amused by my gesture. Seeing that I'm doing a good job of calming him down, I give him a playful smile. Then I kiss him, letting him pull me into him and dominate the deep kiss. I hope the kiss assures him that I'm alright and that I'm not in any danger. I wish I could drain all this anxiety out of him so he could just enjoy racing, doing what he loves.

Still pressed into him, I say, "Now go win that race for me."

Gray grins and leans in for another kiss. I pull away teasingly, mirroring his grin. "Remember what I said? I only kiss winners."

He laughs. "You just kissed me."

I shrug. "That was your good-luck kiss. If you want another, you'll have to bring me back a trophy."

"The winner doesn't get a trophy, babe," he chuckles. I blush and back away. "Well then, if you win, you'll just have to give me something bigger to hold onto," I tease.

Gray laughs at my suggestion and stands up, just as Tommy walks up to us. "What'd I miss?"

"Just Peter being an asshole," I sigh, watching Gray slide into his car. "Gray worrying about my safety."

"Nothing new," Tommy says, folding his arms over his broad chest and standing next to me as Gray drives off to join the other cars on the track. The two of us talk as we walk to the best vantage point to watch Gray. This race takes place on a circular clay track, looping around to end at the same point where it starts.

A hot girl drops a checkered flag, and the cars stir up a cloud of dust as they tear forward. The first lap is uneventful, and Tommy and I mostly just focus on our own conversation as the cars struggle to gain leads over one another. It's only when Gray's car starts inching ahead that we engross ourselves in the race.

A quarter of the way through the second lap, Gray's car pulls forward as they peel around the bend in the track. I start cheering loudly, joining in with the other encouraging shouts for Gray. Judging from the large support for Gray's car, I assume that people connected the dots and realized that he got a new car.

Gray's car gains distance from the others, and I raise my voice, jumping up and down. For half a lap, it seems like Gray has this by a landslide, and the noise grows as the crowd realizes this. Then Peter's obnoxious car starts pulling from the group, and suddenly Gray's got competition.

Even as Tommy assures me that Gray knows what he's doing, I watch nervously as Peter closes the distance between him and Gray. Then it happens, barely visible from where we're standing. As Peter's car gains on Gray's, Peter cuts to the left and clips the back corner of Gray's car. Fortunately, it sets Peter back more than Gray, but it makes my heart stop in my chest.

Peter's playing dirty.

"Is that allowed?" I ask Tommy. He shrugs, keeping his eyes focused on the race. "Pretty much everything is legal in an illegal street race."

For the next lap, I watch with a stilled heart as Peter repeatedly attempts to run Gray off the road and steal the lead. He jerks to the side several times, sending other cars off the road as collateral damage. But his sights are set on Gray, and he knows this is the only way he'd be able to beat him.

Even Tommy is silent beside me, watching as Gray fends off the attacks and struggles to maintain the lead. When the last bend comes up, I want to bury my head in my hands, afraid of what may happen. Peter's car draws terribly close to Gray's, and it's easy to tell that he's gearing up for his final attack.

Just as Peter's car is about to cut toward Gray, Gray's grey car roars loudly, expertly maneuvering around the bend to gain the lead. A second later, before Peter can gain his bearings, Grey swerves tightly toward Peter. The abrupt movement catches Peter off guard, and he swerves off the course.

Gray coasts down the remaining length of the track, knowing the race is secured. When he crosses the finish line, I explode in a flurry of cheers, weaving through the crowd to watch as he gets out of his car. I want to see him as he rides his winner's high, doing what he loves to do.

His car pulls off the track, and he steps out. His sparkling eyes scan over the many faces, finally landing on mine. The widest grin spreads across his face, both cocky and reverent, and he starts walking toward me. Just like last time, I run into his waiting arms, letting him spin me around.

"You did it, babe," I say into his mess of dark hair. I pull my head back to look at him. "It was my good-luck kiss, wasn't it?"

Gray kisses me deeply before putting me down. "Let's get out of here," he says breathlessly, taking my hand and leading me to his car. People surround us, eager to be around their reigning champion, but Gray's eyes are only on me.

Until Peter steps in our path, looking even more furious than before. Gray's grip on my hand tightens, and I curse under my breath. This time, I'm prepared to tell Peter exactly how I feel about him.

That is until he whips out a gun from the waistband of his pants. I gasp, and Gray pushes me behind him instinctively, and time slows. Fear washes over me, freezing me to my core. Everyone starts screaming, running away from Peter, but Gray stays put. We both know that he's the one that Peter has his eye on.

He aims the pistol at us--at Gray. I hear a faint click, and my eyes widen.

"Someone didn't listen to my warning," he says threateningly. "I told you I'd make you regre--"

Before I can comprehend what's happening, Peter is knocked off his feet and thrown onto the floor. The gun falls out of his hand and toward the floor. Without missing a beat, Gray turns and covers my body with his, forcing us both low to the ground.

A shot rings out. Screams fill my ears.

Then Gray is off me, and I see him lunging toward the fallen gun. In the corner of my vision, I see Tommy press his knee into Peter's chest and start punching him. Not even Peter's friends dare to interfere.

With the gun in his hand, Gray yanks Peter off the ground and into a firm choke-hold. Blood runs down Peter's face and onto Gray's arm, and the veins under Gray's skin rise prominently. I gasp silently as Gray presses the gun to Peter's temple.

"Do it, tough guy," Peter dares him. "Do it in front of your pretty little girlfriend."

Gray tightens his hold, and Peter coughs up blood, gasping desperately for air. "I swear to God, if you come anywhere near her again, I will fucking kill you. You pathetic son of a bitch."

He chokes Peter for a few more seconds until his eyes start to lull close from oxygen deprivation. Then he throws his limp body to the ground, kicking him hard in the chest before leaving him there to wheeze pitifully.

"You guys should go," Tommy says, wiping blood from his hands. But Gray is already pulling me toward his car, still holding the gun with his other hand. I look back at Peter's bloody body and wish I'd taken the time to spit on it.

Even in the chaos of the moment, Gray takes the time to open the car door for me and make sure I'm safe inside. Then he gets in and we speed off, the gun placed between us on the center console.

"We're okay, baby," he assures, gripping the steering wheel tightly. His voice is strained, but I feel as though he's saying those words more for himself than me. For some reason, I feel fine. Safe here with him.

"That's what I was talking about," he says, speeding down the road. "This is too dangerous."

"We made it out alive," I say, taking his hand. "Just like you said, we're fine, Gray."

"But what about next time? What if Tommy hadn't been there to take Peter down?" He says. His leg is shaking again, and he pulls his hand through his hair. "What if Peter had taken me down, then turned the gun on you? You would--you would be--"

"But I'm not. I'm right here, Gray, and I know the risks. But I also have faith in us, in you," I insist. I hate that I'm the reason for him questioning his passion for street racing. "And I'm willing to take those risks to support your happiness."

He slows on the empty road, turning to me thoughtfully. "River, I will never let anything happen to you. But if you have even the slightest doubts about be street racing, I swear, I'll never race again. Just say the words and I'll quit it for you."

"Even if I had the slightest doubt--which I don't--I'd never ask you to do that," I admit.

Gray stares at me for a few more seconds, so long that I start to worry that we'll drive off the road. But then he straightens his gaze again and throws his head back against the seat. "Holy shit, Riv."

"What?" I ask, the corner of my mouth quirking into a smile.

"We almost got shot back there," he says, pulling his hand through his hair again, "And all I can think about right now is how much I fucking love you. What're you doing to me, Riv?"

I loll my head toward him, grinning deliriously. "I think you've asked me that exact question before."

"I have?" Gray chuckles. "And what was your response?"

I think back to that moment. "I think my phone rang. But, you were about to kiss me."

Gray stares out the straight, empty road ahead of us. He presses his leg up to the bottom of the steering wheel, steadying it. "I think I know how we can make up for that lost moment."

"How--" But then he leans over quickly and kisses me hard and fast. I feel the car still speeding ahead straight, and adrenaline pumps through me as both his hands reach up to possessively cup my face. But I let him press me against my seat with his strong body, already feeling a heat growing between my legs.

Then he's off me, placing both hands back on the wheel and smiling to himself. "You're insane," I laugh, gathering myself. But I can't deny the power that kiss had on me, and I doubt I can wait much longer before relieving the desire he just ignited in me.

"Only for you, baby," he says.

I press my legs together, trying to hold myself back. "I just remembered another lost moment."

"Enlighten me."

"Last time I went with you to a race, I said I'd show you how I treat winners," I recall. "Then you won. But I never showed you."

His eyes lock with mine, and I watch as the gears turn in his head. His eyes darken as he realizes just what I mean. Gray shakes his head. "Riv, you don't have to."

I lean toward him, placing my hands on his belt. "We can make up for that lost moment right now. You're a winner tonight, remember?"