Nitro, p.11
Nitro, page 11
Torin climbed out of his car and circled it. His hair was mussed from the ride, and his dark eyes locked on me as though I was the only thing that existed.
“You went easy on me.” I pointed a finger at him, though my voice came out breathless, the accusation lacking any bite. “Don’t even try to deny it.”
“Maybe.” He pushed off the car, his grin widening. “But I don’t hear you complainin’. Congrats, baby. You just earned your vest.”
My throat closed. “You mean—”
“That’s what we were racing for, right?”
I nodded, happy tears filling my eyes. “Yup.”
Twisting around, he grabbed a black leather vest with the colors of the Redline Kings stitched boldly across the back, with PROPERTY OF NITRO beneath it. He turned it in his hands, and I saw my name on the front.
The air left my lungs as I lurched toward him. He held the vest out to me. “It’s official now. Everyone who sees you in this will know you’re mine.”
I took the property patch, my tears blurring the letters. I dragged in a sharp breath, half laugh and half sob. “Torin…”
I slid the vest on, tears streaming too fast to blink away, but he wasn’t done.
“Wait.” He reached into the glove box of his car, then straightened with a small black box in the palm of his big hand.
It was good that my car was behind me because my knees went weak. Then he flicked the top open, revealing a diamond solitaire ring. The band was simple, no extra stones. Perfect for me.
“And another permanent place in my life,” he added, his crooked smile cutting me in half. “Not that you ever had a choice since the moment you pulled your helmet off at the Shadow Tryout.”
“You’re such a caveman.” I covered my mouth with trembling fingers.
“Only for you.” He stepped in close, plucking the ring from the box. “I love you, Jana. Don’t even try to tell me you don’t feel the same.”
The words hit harder than any race win.
“I do,” I choked, my voice raw. “I love you so much.”
Relief and triumph flashed across his face before he slid the ring onto my shaking hand. Then he caught me up against his chest, his mouth crushing mine in a kiss that stole whatever breath I had left.
Our engines ticked as they cooled, metal groaning in the night, but the world felt silent compared to the steady thrum of his heart against mine. I melted into him, leather pressed to leather, his hand tangled in my hair, sealing me to him with nothing left between us.
I’d come here chasing victory. But standing on the asphalt with Torin’s ring on my finger, his patch on my back, and his baby in my belly, I finally realized I’d already won everything I could ever want.
EPILOGUE
NITRO
2 months later
The first sound I heard when I walked through the door of our house was Jana laughing. Real, unguarded, belly-deep laughter that made my chest crack wide open every damn time I heard it.
She was in the kitchen, barefoot, hair tied up, messy with wisps falling loose, freckles scattered across cheeks flushed from the stove’s heat. She wore one of my old shirts, the sleeves rolled up and the hem skimming her thighs, and she was waving her fingers at Ashlynn’s two-month-old daughter, balanced against her mother’s shoulder.
The baby let out a tiny grunt, fist curling near his face, and I froze like an idiot just watching. Ashlynn gave Jana a look only mothers can pull off—half amusement, half exhaustion—and adjusted her hold while still managing to stir something in a pan.
“Good luck in seven months,” she teased, eyes flicking to me as I leaned in the doorway. “Yours won’t come with an instruction manual either.”
Jana rolled her eyes, but her grin didn’t falter. “You make it look easy.”
“Easy?” Ashlynn snorted, bouncing her son. “Haven’t washed my hair in a week, and Mason had to search online for how to fold the stroller yesterday. But yeah, sure. Easy.”
That earned her another laugh from Jana, and fuck if I didn’t want to bottle the sound.
I stepped into the room finally, pressing a kiss to the top of Jana’s head before resting my hand on the curve of her belly—still flat, but mine all the same. “Baby’s not even here yet, and you’re already volunteering for overtime.”
She tilted her head back to look up at me, green eyes soft but sparkling. “Somebody’s gotta get practice.”
“You’ll get plenty,” I muttered, brushing my thumb over her stomach, voice dropping so only she caught it. “Kid’ll know from the start he’s got the fiercest mom on the planet.”
Her lips parted, that little crack in her armor showing again. The only one I got to see. I kissed her before she could argue, long and slow.
We were interrupted when heavy boots entered the kitchen, and Edge groaned, “Fucking hell, you two. Some of us are trying to keep food down.”
Jana laughed against my mouth and pulled away, swatting my chest lightly. “Go set the table before I burn dinner.”
I didn’t argue.
The house smelled like garlic bread and roasted chicken. Several of my brothers were here, their laughter and low hum of conversation filling the air. It wasn’t the clubhouse or the track. It was home. And it was ours.
The thought of Jana here, glowing with freckles and fire, with our future in her belly, had me feeling like the luckiest bastard alive.
Later, after the table was cleared and Ashlynn’s and Savannah’s little ones were asleep in the spare room, the guys sprawled in my living room, beers sweating on the coffee table. Kane leaned back, his arm over Savannah, smirk sharp as ever. “Hell of a thing, Nitro. Didn’t think I’d ever see you playing house.”
“Not playing house,” I corrected, arm tightening around Jana where she curled against me. “Building one.”
Edge lifted his bottle in mock salute. “Careful, brother. Keep talking like that and we’ll start to think you’ve gone soft.”
I bared my teeth in a grin that wasn’t a grin. “Try me.”
They laughed, the kind of dark humor that comes from men who’d bleed for each other.
“Just you wait,” Axle murmured, not even bothering to try to hide his amusement at the idea of Edge being taken down by a woman.
Edge snickered and took a drink, then grunted, “Cold day in hell, brother.”
Laughter rumbled around the room, but Axle, Kane, and I shared a different smile. Edge’s time was coming. I wasn’t normally a superstitious guy, but I had a feeling he just jinxed himself.
More banter continued, and through it all, Jana’s hand slid over mine, entwining our fingers across her stomach.
Home. Family. Future.
All mine.
EPILOGUE
JANA
The roar of the crowd was a living thing. It pulsed in my veins, mingling with the engine’s vibration. My grip on the wheel was tight but steady. I’d taken this track in practice more times than I could count, but nothing compared to this moment—race day, the real deal, my first professional circuit.
Although I’d been a member of Redline Precision since Kane first made the offer, I hadn’t been able to race until after I had Nella. Being behind the wheel at high speeds was too dangerous while pregnant. The wait hadn’t even been that difficult, since Torin filled my life with so much happiness and family that I didn’t have time to miss racing too much.
But once I got back into the driver’s seat, I was more determined to win than ever. And this was my chance to make my mark.
I hit the corner of my final lap hard, tires shrieking, the acrid scent of burning rubber sharp in my nose. Every ounce of my focus narrowed to the line. Gas, brake, shift—muscle memory honed by years of proving myself on asphalt that never cared if I won.
The checkered flag came into view, waving in the floodlights. My heart surged up into my throat. I pushed harder, my car screaming beneath me, and then the finish line blurred under my tires. The grandstands erupted in a tidal wave of sound and flashing lights.
I’d done it.
I’d actually won my first pro race.
For a second, I sat there, helmet heavy and chest heaving. My eyes blurred as I pulled the car into victory lane. Then I cut the engine, and the sudden silence was deafening. My hands shook when I unclipped the harness.
The second I ripped off my helmet and climbed out, the roar of the crowd and the flashing cameras blurred into nothing. Because I saw Torin. He stood directly behind the barrier, towering and unshakable, with his black leather cut stretched across his broad shoulders. His dark eyes locked on me, pride blazing in them so fierce it nearly knocked me off my feet. But that wasn’t what undid me.
It was the sight of our daughter nestled snug against his chest in a tiny black baby carrier, sound asleep despite the chaos. A fistful of his cut was clutched in her little hand, as if she already knew exactly who kept her safe.
And Torin’s crooked grin lit me up more than the victory.
I barely remembered shoving through the crowd to reach him, the adrenaline still pounding in my ears. His arm hooked me in, pulling me tight against his chest, our daughter safe between us as he kissed me like the cameras weren’t pointed straight at us.
“Congrats, sweetheart,” he rasped against my lips.
Laughter and tears tangled in my throat as my fingers curled around his biceps. “I can’t believe it. I actually—”
“You didn’t just win.” His thumb brushed away the tears sliding down my cheek. “You owned that track like you were born to do it.”
The pride in his voice meant more to me than my own.
“Hell of a finish.”
I twisted toward it and spotted Kane standing behind me with his arms folded over his chest. “Thanks.”
“You showed the world why I held your spot on Redline Precision.” He shook his head with a rueful laugh. “Not sure why anyone doubted me in the first place. Fucking idiots.”
“Language,” Savannah chided as she slipped up beside him, grinning. She had their son, Kylan, in her arms, the toddler squirming to get down. “I don’t need my kid picking up bad words before he turns two.”
I laughed, pressing a shaky hand over my face. “Sorry. It’s just—I can’t—”
Savannah bumped my shoulder affectionately as Kylan wriggled free, little sneakers hitting the pavement. He immediately toddled over to Torin, making a beeline for my daughter.
“Baby,” Kylan declared proudly, reaching stubby fingers toward Nella’s foot.
Torin huffed a laugh, shifting just enough so Kylan could pat her gently. “That’s right, kid. She’s family.”
The simple statement made my throat burn all over again.
The reporters shouted questions. Cameras flashed. Engines ticked as they cooled. But none of it mattered.
Not with the man at my side, our baby safe against his chest, Kane’s blessing sealing my place on the team, and our Redline Kings family forming around us.
When I came to Crossbend, I thought the checkered flag was the ultimate dream. But as Torin kissed me again, I knew what we had was the real finish line. And the best part was, it was only the beginning.
Nitro was correct about Edge jinxing himself because he’s the next Redline King to fall hard & fast for his woman!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The writing duo of Elle Christensen and Rochelle Paige team up under the Fiona Davenport pen name to bring you sexy, insta-love stories filled with alpha males. If you want a quick & dirty read with a guaranteed happily ever after, then give Fiona Davenport a try!
Fiona Davenport, Nitro
