Boost or Bust

Serenity Sea

PG-13 (For some nudity and innuendoes)

Part 1

Author's notes:

I love Gone in 60 Seconds. Love it. I really do. Since I've already attempted one fic involving Sway and Jared, this will be the second. If you don't know who they are, go read "With a Rookie," on my page. It will explain a lot.

While Sway will not be a demi-goddess, and not have gods for parents, her meeting Jared did happen. And their first job went along the lines of the plot of "With a Rookie," except that Sway didn't have the car unlocked magically like that.

Oh, and she doesn't steal cars for the good of the people—usually.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Gone in 60 Seconds, some lucky duck that I refuse to acknowledge does. And Trevor Rabin does a great soundtrack, huh? If anyone wants to send me theirs as a token of appreciation, I'd be ever so grateful.

***

Sway lay in her soft, king size bed, luxuriating in the feel of the cool, jersey sheets against her skin. Who knew sleeping could be so great? But after the past few months, who was surprised? She'd gone through a lot, and sleeping wasn't something she could take for granted anymore.

Memphis had had her working a lot more these days, training new rookies, and doing a double act with Blaze.

Blaze.

The man who had the shade of green for his eyes that always seemed to blaze impossibly. The man who always managed to sneak up on her, no matter how hard she tried to evade him. The man she'd given his other persona name for life after knowing him for such a short period of time. The man who saved her life.

Blaze, of course, wasn't his real name. No, he, just like the rest of them, was born with a more decent name than 'Blaze.'

Jared Wycham was his birth name, and something Sway never forgot. She too, had a different name. She had been born Sara Wayland—but christened by Memphis, 'Sway,' after she'd shown promise in boosting cars.

Sara Wayland. A name she never went by. It reminded her too much of her pain-filled past. Even the little mail she got was addressed 'Sway,' and since she didn't have to worry about bills, because the company 'took care of them,' it wasn't something she was reminded of often.

But she reminisced this morning, and didn't know why. Maybe the brief memory of Jared before he had become Blaze had induced it.

Her reflections were interrupted by the sound of a knock at the door. Groaning, she rose from her bed and padded across the floor, out her bedroom door, through the kitchen, to her penthouse front door.

Clad in only a man's pair of gray plaid boxers and a green tank top, she opened the door, without looking through the peephole.

Only one person was crazy enough to call on her this early in the morning.

Kip Raines.

The brother of the legend she knew as her boss didn't bat an eyelash at Sway's clothing—or lack thereof—but strode past her into the kitchen and threw himself into one of her rarely used chairs at a rarely used kitchen table.

With a raised brow, she spoke. "What's up?"

Kip turned to her, a look in his eyes she couldn't place. "Memphis wants me to get out of the business. He's going to sever my account by noon tomorrow if I'm not out." His accent was heavy and barely softened by the edge in his voice.

"And if you leave before that?" Sway questioned, taking a seat herself and analyzing Kip's reaction.

He made a few gestures with his hand. "I get my account open for money and stuff, but if he ever gets wind of me boosting a car, for any reason, he eliminates it right away. Easy as that, he said."

Sway felt a wave of annoyance and exasperation flow through her. Sure, boosting cars was a dangerous work, but somebody had to do it. Kip, one of the regulars now, was one of their best. But she also understood why Memphis was anxious to get his brother out of the business.

Ever since the 'miracle boost' that had saved Kip's life, where they'd boosted 50 cars in one night, Memphis was always worried some associate of Calitri's would find out about what had truly gone down that day and come after Kip.

Still… it was harsh to send him off like that.

Kip looked at her pleadingly. Sway threw her hands up, surrender style. "What? What do you want me to do? I know Memphis just as well as you do—if he wants something, he gets it." Kip stared on. "What? —Oh, jeez, Kip—me and Memphis aren't like that anymore!"

The younger Raines brother slouched in his seat defeated. "So then there's nothing I can do to change his mind?"

A sigh escaped her lips without meaning to. "I'll see what I can do, but I'm not making any promises," she warned, putting a hand up to ward off his elated look.

"Oh, thanks Sway—this is great. Whatever you can do to convince him will be great."

He jumped from his seat as Sway rose from her own, and wrapped her in a bear hug. Kip looked up just in time to see Blaze walk in the penthouse door.

"Now I know you're not into Sway like that, Raines," he called out, watching amused as Sway jumped, as always, at his sudden arrival. There was a cardboard tray balanced carefully in his hands and set it down on the counter gently.

Kip gave him a half smile. "No, not me. You might be, but not me."

Blaze handed Sway her caramel Frappachino with a charming grin, and kissed her on the forehead lightly. "Me, Raines?" A look of incredulity was cast at Kip. "Never." Then, to Sway—"Is my shirt still here from last week? I think I left it here."

Sway nodded, her eyes closed to savor the full taste of her drink. "It should be on top of the closet, behind my green capri pants."

Kip, having had too much interaction at such an early hour, decided to take his leave. "Well, guys, I'm gonna go—have to start cleaning out my office, ya know?" And with the same lopsided smile that his brother had, Kip Raines left, closing the door quietly.

And all Sway could think was that yet another Raines man was about to walk out of her life again.

***

She'd burned his shirt.

The only shirt he liked, and she'd burned it.

Oh, Blaze found his shirt on he back of Sway's closet, like she'd said. Except, in the process of getting there, though, he tossed his other shirt on he floor in one of the rooms, and didn't know where. And now, as he held the bag of ashes in his hands, labeled "Blaze's Shirt," he realized he'd better find some shirt to wear, otherwise he was going bare for the rest of the day.

"Sway…" He said menacingly, as he walked out into the kitchen, where Sway was sitting on the counter, still drinking her Frap. She looked up, confusion in her lovely green-gray eyes and was barely able to hide a grin when she saw the bag of ashes in his hands.

She slid off the counter and met him halfway. "This is nice…" Sway said, rubbing her hands up and down his bare chest. After about a minute or two of the delicious feeling, Blaze caught her hands and held them.

"Why did you burn my shirt?" He asked, his tone no longer so menacing.

Sway looked up. The moment was over. Grabbing her Frap, she said, "Because I didn't like it. And you were crazy about it. Think of it as an ex-girlfriend." She flashed him grin before taking her own shirt off. "I just didn't like the competition."

Her back still to him, she walked out of the kitchen, and into her bedroom, past the bed and stepped into the shower.

"An ex-girlfriend, Sway? So does that mean you're going to burn them and save their ashes too?" Blaze muttered as he stared at her receding bare back.

***

To be continued…