Page 3 of One Winter Knight
Me
Wow. She is?
Fiona sent a laughing emoji. Saoirse was skeptical of me at first, rightfully so, but I’d like to think she’d warmed up to me.
Fiona
Saoirse likes you fine as long as you’re nice to me.
Me
I am here to serve, Mi Reina.
Fiona
You can show me tomorrow. Saoirse says I have to focus. Text you later.
Me
Sounds good. I have to help Hale anyway.
A high-end, ultra-fast, hot pink sports car pulled up in front of the bar. A window rolled down and Hale grinned at me. “Get in the car, fucker. We’re going to cause some trouble.”
“As long as we make our flight, let’s do it. Dusty will be pissed if we’re late.” I got into the passenger’s seat. “Does your sister know that you have her car?”
His sister was mated to three of my teammates. She also didn’t know we were friends. For some reason she didn’t want us to be.
“They’re already at the airport. Don’t worry, I won’t wreck it.” Hale wasverytall and broad-shouldered but narrow waisted. Today his brown hair hung long and loose. Like usual for him, the alpha wore tight jeans, cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, and a T-shirt.
“Finals went okay?” I asked. Hale was in his last year of an undergraduate degree in organic chemistry at a private research university in the South.
“I think so. My inorganic chem final was tough, but medical chemistry? Nailed it.”
Country music blasted from the stereo.
“What exactly are we doing tonight?” I asked. In his sister’s car. She wouldn’t be happy if anything happened to it. It was a gift from one of her mates after Hale wrecked her old car.
“Just a little street race. I need you to livestream it for my socials. Don’t worry, I’m so much better at not crashing now.” He grinned at me.
“Oh, okay, I can do that.” I didn’t post much online. The PR person for the Knights seemed perpetually mad at me, so I tried not to give her any reasons. I mean, sure, I’d brought an imaginary cat to a strip club to get a lap dance more than once. But Lucky wasveryconsiderate, not handsy, and a huge tipper. Also, the strippers were okay with it.
We pulled into a parking garage, filled with high-end supercars straight out of a street racing movie
“Wait, are we doing Manhattan After Midnight?” I breathed. I didn’t know Hale was on that level. It was a street race that people came from all over for. It used the streets blocked off for the Merry-thon happening in the morning, which was a holiday marathon most people ran in festive costumes.
“Yep. I won a spot last minute off my buddy in a card game. My car doesn’t meet the specs. But this baby does.” He patted thesteering wheel, excitement in his pluot scent.
Someone came over to our car with a tablet and knocked on the window.
Hale rolled it down and tipped his hat at her. “Howdy, I’m Hale Thorne.”
She nodded, glanced at her tablet, then checked his ID. “Does your girlfriend know you have her car, Cowboy?”
“It’s my sister’s, and fuck no.” Hale laughed. He nodded to me. “He’s my videographer.”
I waved. She affixed a tracker to the inside windshield and handed us a map of the route and the rules.
We were directed to a line of cars, and I looked over the course and regulations.
