RACERS

CHAPTER ELEVEN:The Moments Before Everything Changed

“Someone's inside the garage. Your father's old car is gone.”

Axel read the message again, as though the words might change if he stared at them long enough.

Then he grabbed his keys.

“Axel, wait!”

He didn't.

I hurried after him, struggling to keep up as he crossed the hospital parking lot.

“Can you slow down for two seconds?”

He stopped so suddenly that I nearly walked into his back.

“Why are you still here, Isabelle?”

I stared at him. “Excuse me?”

“You've seen enough. Go home.”

“Your father's car has disappeared, someone nearly killed Daniel, and you think I'm going to wave goodbye and pretend everything is fine?”

“This has nothing to do with you!”

“Then why does someone keep sending me messages about it?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it.

For once, Axel Moretti had absolutely nothing to say.

I folded my arms.

“That's what I thought.”

He shook his head, muttering something under his breath, before opening the passenger door of his car.

“Get in.”

“Please, after you, Your Majesty.”

“Isabelle.”

I climbed inside before he changed his mind.

And despite everything happening around us, I caught myself smiling.

This man was going to be the death of my patience.

Possibly my heart, too.

. . .

By the time we reached the garage, most of Axel's crew had returned.

The atmosphere was tense,A tall guy with tattoos across his forearms stood beside the empty space where the car had been parked. He was Noah

Axel barely acknowledged them.

“Tell me exactly what happened,” he demanded.

Noah turned.

“We found the side door unlocked. The security camera went offline sometime after midnight, and the car was gone when we arrived.”

“Who has the footage?”

“I'm trying to recover it.”

Axel's jaw tightened.

“And Luca?”

“Still missing.”

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then Axel walked toward the empty space where his father's car had been kept.

I followed more slowly.

There was something heartbreaking about watching him stand there. He looked furious, but underneath the anger was a kind of helplessness I'd never seen in him before.

I stopped beside him.

“Was it really that important to you?”

He stared at the empty space.

“It was the last thing my father left unfinished.”

I waited.

“He used to bring me here when I was younger. He taught me how engines worked before I was tall enough to see over the hood properly.” A faint smile touched his face. “He said a car would always tell you what was wrong with it if you learned to listen.”

I glanced at the midnight-blue car parked nearby.

“Is that why you understand them so well?”

“Partly.”

“What happened to him, Axel?”

His smile disappeared.

For a moment, I thought he'd tell me.

Instead, he looked at me.

“Not tonight.”

I wanted to argue. I wanted answers.

But I saw the exhaustion in his eyes, and for the first time, I understood that pushing him wouldn't necessarily bring me closer to the truth.

So I nodded.

“Okay.”

He looked surprised.

“That's it?”

“What do you mean?”

“No argument?”

“Don't tempt me. I can start one if you miss it.”

A quiet laugh escaped him.

Then, unexpectedly, he reached for my hand.

His fingers slipped between mine, warm and gentle.

I forgot what I had been about to say.

Axel looked down at our joined hands before lifting his eyes to mine.

“You make it difficult to think straight, Carter.”

My heart stumbled.

“Maybe you should try thinking less.”

“Is that your expert advice?”

“It's free. Don't complain.”

He smiled, and this time, the expression reached his eyes.

For a few seconds, the noise of the garage seemed distant. It was just him and me, standing close enough that I could see the tiny scar near his eyebrow.

His gaze dropped briefly to my lips.

My breath caught.

He leaned closer, slowly enough that I could have stepped away.

I didn't.

But just before our lips could meet, Noah called from across the garage.

“Axel! You need to see this!”

Axel closed his eyes.

I bit back a laugh.

“Your timing is terrible, Noah!”

“Glad I could help!” Noah shouted back.

Axel looked at me with an expression that was half frustration, half amusement.

“This conversation isn't finished.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“What conversation?”

He gave me a warning look.

“Keep playing, Isabelle.”

I smiled sweetly.

“Always.”

And for the first time that night, I wasn't the only one struggling to hide a smile.

---

The next morning, Mia arrived at school wearing a smile so suspicious that I immediately knew something had happened.

I dropped my bag onto the desk beside hers.

“Talk.”

She looked up innocently.

“Good morning to you too.”

“Mia.”

“Isabelle.”

I narrowed my eyes.

She burst out laughing.

“Fine! I met someone.”

I gasped.

“YOU WHAT?”

“Keep your voice down!”

“Who is he? What's his name? Where did you meet him? How long has this been happening?”

“Can you let me breathe?”

“No.”

She shook her head, still smiling.

“His name is Kieran. I met him yesterday at a café. I knocked my drink onto his shirt, and somehow, instead of insulting me, he bought me another one.”

I stared at her.

“So your love story began with property damage?”

“Shut up!”

I laughed so hard that the girl sitting in front of us turned around.

Mia covered her face.

“He asked for my number, and now he wants to take me out this evening.”

“And you said yes?”

“Obviously.”

I clutched my chest dramatically.

“My best friend is growing up.”

“I'm literally only going on a date!”

“Tonight, it's a date. Tomorrow, you're naming your children.”

She threw a pen at me.

I dodged it, laughing.

Then her smile softened.

“I'm actually nervous, Isabelle.”

That caught me off guard.

Mia was usually the bold one between us. She could talk to almost anyone, laugh at almost anything, and walk away from an embarrassing situation as though she'd planned it.

Seeing her nervous over a boy was new.

I squeezed her hand.

“Just be yourself. If he likes you, he'll like the real you.”

“And if he doesn't?”

“Then he's an i***t, and we'll eat his share of whatever we order.”

She laughed.

“Deal.”

The bell rang, and we hurried to our seats.

But as I opened my notebook, my phone vibrated.

A message from an unknown number.

You should stop asking questions about the Moretti family.

My smile disappeared.

Another message followed.

Especially if you care about the boy.

I stared at the screen.

Across the classroom, Mia was still smiling at something on her phone, probably a message from Kieran.

I wanted to tell her what was happening, but I couldn't bring myself to ruin her excitement.

Not yet.

I locked my phone and looked toward the window.

Somewhere out there, Axel was searching for his father's stolen car.

And someone had just made it clear that getting close to him could cost me more than I was prepared to lose.