Redline Read Online Free PDF Page A

gets it, and stops.
    Forget driving with him. I’m better off alone, where I can keep my head about me. Much more balanced.
    And forget going to the track with him. I don’t need some stupid seven-second sprint to feel my escape. Sure, it might be nice to learn how to make my engine work to its fullest potential, or how to drive with more skill. But I prefer the open road.
    Instead of heading to the coffee shop, I make a pit stop at 7-Eleven. Diet Coke and a bag of sunflower seeds.
    I drive south, toward where the street racers go. I don’t know when these guys usually show up, so I’ve come prepared to spend some time waiting.
    I pull over onto a gravel construction road that connects with the highway. They’re still building and developing this neighborhood, which is probably why the street racers come here to do their thing. There’s not a lot of traffic, but it’s still inside the city limits.
    I turn off the engine and climb out, taking my music with me. I grab a blanket from inside the trunk and make my way up the steep berm beside me. At the top, I spread the blanket out, plug in my headphones and unscrew the cap on the bottle of Coke. From where I sit, I can see the long black tire streaks on the pavement. My stomach tightens a bit when I think I’m about to watch real street racing.
    Dmitri would freak if he knew I was here.
    I shiver. Then I shake off the thought.
    Whatever. Dmitri’s not part of the picture anymore. I try to ignore the little fluttering feeling I get in my belly when I think of him.
    I settle in to wait.
    They show up around one o’clock. Four cars. Three of them are old-school, like Dmitri’s, but not as nice. One car’s super flashy. It looks like a newer American model, but I can’t really tell from here. The guy who’s driving it seems to be some sort of leader. He walks with a swagger, and everybody listens to him. They don’t move around much when he talks. That’s power.
    The races get underway. I watch, grinning, as the cars rip down the highway and back, over and over, with a few breaks in between.
    It’s during one of those breaks that the powerhouse steps away from the group and starts climbing the hill. It takes me a second to realize he’s headed my way. I think about my options. Run? It’s dark. I’d trip and fall for sure. Stand my ground? But what if he’s dangerous? He’s totally breaking the law by racing on the streets. Who’s to say he’s not going to hurt me?

Chapter Nine
    Maybe he doesn’t even know I’m here. Maybe he’s climbing up to get a better view or something.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” The anger in his voice cuts the night air, and I jump.
    Nope. Not looking for a better view.
    I fight the urge to look around to see if he’s talking to someone else. Of course he isn’t. Who else is out here but me?
    I take a breath and make sure my voice is steady. I need to seem like I’m in control, not worried. “I’m watching you guys,” I say, ignoring my pounding heart. “What else would I be doing up here at two in the morning?”
    â€œHoly shit,” he says. I hear a surprised laugh. “You’re a chick!”
    I don’t reply.
    â€œWhy aren’t you down at the stage, hanging out with us?” he asks. He comes closer, and I can just make his face out. Dark hair. Strong features.
    I shrug, although he probably can’t see it. I answer his question with one of my own. “How’d you know I was up here?”
    He points far along the berm to my left. “We got a guy on lookout. Want to see the cops before they see us.”
    I look toward where he’s pointing, but I can’t see a thing. “Oh.”
    He takes a spot on the blanket next to me. Like he belongs here, in my space. I’m not sure I like sitting with a complete (lawbreaking) stranger, in the middle of the night, in an unpopulated