The Things We Crave

Chapter Fifteen

It’s been six months since Ace stuck his nose in Catherine’s personal life. He scared off a high-end client and refused to let her off that weekend’s race to go with the client to make three times as much she has ever gotten from one client. She ended up in a few more tabloid magazines which boosted her clientele, sending better money her way. Ace was getting jealous, and his behavior was childish. She wasn’t even his girlfriend; at a few weak moments she had slept with him. However, she made it clear there were no strings attached. He said he understood. Obviously not. He was pressuring her for a relationship, and this was the breaking point.

She made sure to be there at the race, but she refused to speak to him. He tried to apologize and did major kissing up, but she had made up her mind. She broke her own rule, don’t mix personal life with work. The worst part, she started racing to have fun, now it’s just another job. Still a better job then her degree, but all the thrill is gone. With her years of experience of racing on the dirt tracks, it made her the best street racer in the area. She now keeps her relationship with Ace professional, and it’s driving him insane.

For those two weeks, he could taste her lips, touch her body and receive her affection freely. Now she won’t even look at him, only gives short answers as a response. Other than that he gets the cold shoulder. It was pissing him off, and he was getting desperate. He even considered using the advice Vincent gave him. He hated that man with a passion, but he has gone to college and been running a business for ten years. So, he must know what he’s talking about. He just had to wait for the right time.

He couldn’t wait any longer, for six months, he had let her disrespect run wild. Now he was going to put her in her place and make her heal, by his side whether she wanted to or not. He was a mob boss’s son; he doesn’t play by the rules. When he wants something, he just takes it. He tried to play nice and let her come around on her own. It took talking with his father and Vincent to remind him who he was. It was time to put his plan into action at the next race.

Catherine, or Wildcat as she was known here at the racetrack, was leaning against the railing watching the other racers warm up. She has used that handle ever since she started racing as a kid. She can see Ace coming towards her from the corner of her eye. So, she quickly puts on her helmet. She started to get on her bike when he grabs her arm to stop her. She pulls away and crosses her arms. She waits to hear what he wants.

“Wildcat, I had a lot of time to think about some things. I really wish this disrespect would stop. I get it loud and clear you don’t want anything to do with me, but I am your boss as your sponsor. There’s been rumors you don’t want to race for me anymore. Is that true?” Ace says.

“I may or may not have complained to a few others. But that doesn’t really matter seems how there’s no way out of the contract, that you so deceptively talked me in to. You failed to mention that, it’s pretty sad I had to find out from the other racers you signed on.” She hissed.

“Hold on there, sweetheart. It was all there in black and white. You should have read the whole thing before you signed it.” He sighs in annoyance as Catherine rolls her eyes and snorts in irritation. “Anyway, I see you are going to make this job ten times harder than it should be with your attitude so, let me offer you a way out.”

Catherine’s head snaps around, she raises an eyebrow, “A way out? You are just going to let me go?”

“No, I have a reputation as a hardcore asshole to maintain. Just letting you go would make me look weak.” He replies.

Catherine couldn’t help herself, “I can assure you; your reputation stands firm. So how then?”

He smiles with the devil in his eyes. He crosses his arms and looks around before he speaks. “Let’s race. If you win, you walk. Free and clear. But if I win, I get your bike. You can no longer race in any more races and you pay back all the money we paid to maintain your bike for the past eight months and you can walk. Or, I can sweep all that debt under the rug and you take your place by my side. You can choose either one if you lose.”

Anger floods her body. He was trying to trap her! She knew he would never accept her rejection. Especially after she found out he was part of the mob a few moths ago. He was despicable! How could she trust him? How does she know he’ll hold up his end? She’s got to be smart about this before she agrees to anything. She did want out, she screwed up by signing that paper. She had a gut feeling something wasn’t right, but at the time, she didn’t know who Ace really was and trusted him.

“You race? Where’s the bike? I want to see it before I agree to anything.” Catherine says as she removes her helmet.

He leads her to an older model of her bike. A “Gray Ghost” decal was on the gas tank; the whole thing was painted a metallic silver. It didn’t look out of the ordinary. She circles the bike before she stops and looks out into the darkness. The moon was hanging high in the sky while stars winks at her.

“Fine. When do we race?” She finally says.

She was the best racer around. She hasn’t seen him race ever, so this should be easy.

“Right now.” Ace replies and grabs the helmet hanging off the handlebars of the silver bike and puts it on.

Catherine quickly put her helmet on and gets on her bike. They move to the starting line. Her heart thunders in her chest as the light switched from red to yellow to green. They take off, squealing the tires. She was ahead of him most of the race, it was just one lap. He made this easy… too easy. Something is wrong, her stomach twists in knots. She had a bad feeling about this.

They get to the strait away. She opens up going faster than she has before. However, it wasn’t fast enough. Ace flies by her going mock one and crosses the finish line before her. He gradually slows down the bike and pulls off the track. Catherine follows.

She feels like she was going to throw up. She sits on her bike, she turns it off, with her heel pulls out the kickstand. She slowly gets off and removes her helmet. She turns to see Ace stride towards her in arrogance. A smug look on his face she’d like to smack off.

He stops in front of her. “So, my dear, what’s it going to be?”

There was no way in hell she was going to be his girl. She has been saving money to buy a new bike anyways, but this bike was a gift from her mother. Which was given six months to a year to live. She figured asking for a favor now was out of the question, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

“Um, can I pay you the value of the bike instead?” She asks in a small voice.

His smile drops and is replaced by strait up rage. “Are you serious right now? You are still stubbornly rejecting me and trying to renegotiate the deal in one question! Give me the keys, Wildcat, right now!” He puts out his hand.

She was freaking out inside. This can’t be happening, how could she lose? How can she be so stupid to make a deal with this snake?! She has to think of something, and fast. She puts on her best face and grabs his hand.

“Please, Ace! Can I at least take it one more time around the track? My mother bought this bike for me and she’s dying of cancer. It was stupid of me to gamble against you. Please.” She figured she could play his ego and use his attraction to her to try one last trick. She batted her eyes and squeezes out a tear.

Ace’s fury was dampened down by her emotion and he thought how pitiful she looks. He pulls his hands out of her reluctantly. “Fine. One lap, then right back here with the keys.”

She doesn’t wait a second in case he changes his mind. She throws on her helmet and jumps on the bike. She starts it up and heads in the direction of the track. She smiles wickedly.

Two can play games, Ace. She thought.

She changes direction in a blink and races out of the parking lot on to the freeway. She could hear Ace cuss. She looks to see him and a few other run for their bikes. She chuckles. Catch me if you can. She’d like to see ace catch her where there are no strait-away. The chase was on but they never had a chance, she had a lot of practice. They lost her. Ace was so angry; he spews a stream of cusses that would make a sailor blush. He grabs his phone and dials her number. Naturally she ignores it. She was almost home. It was a good thing he didn’t know where she lived, unfortunately he did know where she worked. She would figure that out later. She just wanted to crawl into bed and bawl.