Chapter 6 CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 6
YAEL
The crowd was wild. Neon lights cut through the night air, engines growled like beasts, and everyone smelled like adrenaline and bad decisions.
Maya had a glittery drink in hand like she was watching a concert, not an illegal race.
“Okay, this is already the best night ever,” she yelled over the music. “I’m officially a race girl.”
“You just got here,” I said, trying not to smile.
“And I’m already emotionally invested.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t deny it—the atmosphere was addictive. People were chanting names, cheering for favorites. On the track, Aaron leaned against his car, exuding confidence and danger, while a few feet away, he stood.
Knox Hale.
He looked up briefly—and my heart skipped like a broken record.
I looked away so fast I might’ve given myself whiplash.
Maya, of course, noticed. “You okay?”
“Fine.”
“You were staring.”
“I was not.”
“You totally were.”
“Please drink your soda, Maya.”
She grinned. “You like him.”
“I like peace and oxygen.”
Liam laughed quietly from beside us. “You two sound like you’ve known each other since birth.”
“Feels like it,” Maya said proudly. “We’re already trauma-bonded.”
The announcer’s voice crackled over the speaker. “Racers to your cars!”
The crowd roared louder.
“Who you betting on?” Liam asked casually, leaning back.
Maya straightened immediately. “Aaron. Obviously. He’s the hottest one here.”
I grimaced. “That’s my brother.”
She shrugged. “Not my brother.”
I groaned. “You’re hopeless.”
Then Liam turned to me, eyes glinting. “What about you?”
I hesitated. “No one.”
“Come on,” Maya pressed. “Pick someone.”
I sighed, gaze flicking to the red car. “Fine. Knox.”
Liam smirked, low and knowing. “Interesting choice.”
“It’s not a choice,” I said too quickly. “It’s probability. He looks like he’s done this a hundred times.”
Maya elbowed me. “You just like his arms.”
“I’ll throw you into traffic.”
Before she could respond, the signal went off. Tires screeched, engines screamed, and every muscle in my body tightened.
Aaron’s black car shot forward, but Knox’s red one was faster, gliding with terrifying control. They were neck-and-neck, curves so sharp the crowd gasped in sync.
I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until Maya nudged me. “You’re literally gripping my hand.”
“I’m—watching!” I snapped, voice shaky.
She laughed. “Sure, babe.”
When the final lap came, it was chaos. The roar, the flashing lights, the blur of color—then, in one perfect move, Knox drifted through the last turn like he was dancing with death.
He crossed the finish line first.
The crowd erupted. People screamed, cheered, threw fists into the air.
Maya jumped up. “OH MY GOD, HE WON!”
“Okay,” I said, pretending calm. “Good for him.”
She turned to me with wide, mischievous eyes. “Wait. Did you just say good for him?”
I frowned. “What?”
“You like him.”
“I do not.”
“You absolutely do.”
“I like breathing. Stop inventing things.”
Before I could escape, Maya gasped. “Yael—he’s looking this way!”
“What?”
“He’s—oh my God—he’s—he’s WINKING!”
I froze. My head turned on instinct, and sure enough—Knox Hale, all smug victory and sweat-damp hair, was looking directly at me. Then he winked.
My stomach flipped. My brain short-circuited.
Maya screamed into my shoulder. “SOMETHING IS GOING ON BETWEEN YOU TWO!”
“There is nothing going on!” I hissed, but my voice didn’t even sound convincing to me.
Liam chuckled, resting his chin on his fist. “You sure about that, Yael?”
I glared at him. “Don’t start.”
He just smiled. “Didn’t say anything.”
As the crowd began to disperse, I exhaled, finally able to breathe again. The smell of gasoline and heat lingered in the air.
But then Liam leaned closer, lowering his voice. “You know this isn’t it, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“This is just the surface. The real races—the real bets—happen underground.”
I blinked. “Underground? As in—illegal illegal?”
He nodded. “Exactly that.”
Maya’s jaw dropped. “Like… fistfights and stuff?”
“Sometimes. Usually cars. Sometimes not.”
My stomach turned. “Aaron wouldn’t—”
“He would,” Liam interrupted softly. “And I think he already has.”
We exchanged glances. Before I could even think it through, Maya grabbed my hand. “We’re going.”
“Maya—”
“No, I’m not missing this. You can either come or overthink. Your choice.”
“I always overthink!”
She dragged me anyway, Liam trailing with an amused sigh.
We followed the small stream of people moving discreetly behind the main track, past barriers, through a narrow stairwell that led under the grandstand. The music above faded into a low, tense hum.
The underground space was wide and concrete, lit by harsh bulbs and adrenaline. People stood in a circle around an open area where two men were already throwing punches.
“Oh my God,” Maya whispered, clutching my arm. “This is… insane.”
My eyes darted, scanning for Aaron—and then I saw him.
He was in the ring, sweat dripping down his temple, his shirt half-torn. Across from him, another fighter threw a punch that Aaron dodged cleanly before countering with brutal precision.
Maya gasped. “Your brother—holy hell.”
My heart was racing. I wanted to yell at him, to drag him out. But before I could move, the crowd shifted again—because another fight was starting in the second ring.
Knox.
He was shirtless, muscles flexing, smirk still somehow in place. Opposite him stood a guy twice his size, tattoos crawling up his neck.
Liam muttered, “Of course he’s here.”
I couldn’t look away. Knox moved like he owned the air. Every dodge, every punch—it was calculated, brutal, beautiful in a terrifying way.
When his opponent swung, Knox ducked, landed a sharp hook, then a knee that sent the man crashing down. The crowd went wild.
He didn’t smile this time. He just wiped blood from his lip, chest rising and falling fast. Then, his head turned—and his eyes found mine.
The noise around me faded.
There it was again—that unreadable look, half amusement, half something deeper.
Then came the sound that shattered it.
A shrill, ear-splitting whistle.
People froze for a split second before chaos erupted.
“Campus security!” someone shouted.
“Run!” another yelled.
Maya screamed as people shoved and scattered. I grabbed her arm, but before I could pull her, a strong hand grabbed me.
“Yael!” she shouted.
I turned—and all I saw were stormy gray eyes, wild hair, and a jaw clenched in determination.
“Come on,” Knox hissed, dragging me toward the back exit as alarms blared.