Velocity Shift

By -TempestRaces

Chapter 4 – Alone in a Crowd

Taylor was busily ruminating on the scene he'd left behind when he'd torn off with Storm in her car. He'd never seen so many flashing lights in such a rainbow of colours or heard so many different songs all blaring in one place outside of a carnival midway. The more he thought about it the more the whole place had reminded him of a carnival. It had even had the scantily clad women running around and high powered machinery. How much money these kids had wasted on irrelevant modifications to their cars blew Taylor out of the water. He could think of a lot of better ways to spend the kind of paper these kids did on huge chrome rims and neon lighting.

He just didn't see the point. Ok, so Storm stood to make three grand if she won, but how much had her car cost her? Was she ever likely to make her money back? Taylor didn't know the answers for sure but he figured the answer was no. He just didn't see the attraction to spend the money that Storm had on a car that was pretty much useless for anything but car shows and street racing.

And since he didn't understand that it pretty much meant he didn't understand Storm. A fact he was fast becoming cognizant of. The fact she was very aware of that fact herself filled her pretty green eyes every time she looked at him when he was taking her to task over it. It galled Taylor to no end that she was thinking she was crazy for going with him at the same time as he was thinking he was crazy for asking her. He wasn't the crazy one about to race his car on a public street. He wasn't the one who thought he had a place in the mob even though he was a female. Where did she get off acting like she was the one getting the proverbial shit end of the stick in this situation? On that note Storm stopped fiddling with her stereo and looked up at him.

"I need you to move for a quick second." Storm requested, waiting for him to comply.

"Why?"

"Because my NOS tanks and their valves are hidden under your seat." Storm looked at him expectantly, still waiting for him to move. He got out, mumbling about the foolishness of street racing the whole way. When she motioned him back in he sat with a flop. "Buckle up." Storm reminded.

"I don't do seatbelts."

"Yeah, well you do now. Do up your harness." Storm finished her order just as she saw CJ walking up to her window. "I mean it Taylor, in this case you will wear a belt or you will get outta my damn car." She turned away and rolled the window down to greet her friend and mentor.

"Hey Storm. You ready?"

"Of course. So, who's this dude I'm up against?"

"Some guy from upstate. I never heard of him before but check out his ride."

Storm leaned around him to look at the car that was pulling up on the stop light line beside her. "Not bad." Storm said, looking back at CJ, who winked.

"You'll get him."

"Sure I will." Storm winked in return, and followed it with a throaty laugh.

After CJ had moved off she looked back at the yellow car beside her on the line. It was a Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, around a 2004 if Storm didn't miss her guess. She was talking to herself under her breath as she double checked all her gauges and her harness.

"What are you saying?" Taylor asked, wondering if Storm was as crazy as he was starting to think. Why else would she talk to herself out loud?

"I said, 175 horsepower, 180 lb-ft of torque, short first and second gears, and the hood scoop means it's been turbo'd. Likely has a header and catback system too. It does 0-60 in 8 seconds stock. 2.5L 4 cylinder and with a turbo setup its likely pushing 300 horsepower and I bet he's got his NOS set up for a hundred horsepower shot. So under NOS he's got 400 horsepower. It's a straight race but my car'd be better in the twisties anyway. I got this." Storm blew out a breath forcefully and cracked her neck again.

"You got that all memorized. You know all that about his car?"

"Yeah. I made it my business to know the specs on most of the cars I was likely to come up against. Helps me plan strategy."

"So you think you can beat him?"

"No." Taylor looked at her in disbelief. "I know I can." Taylor laughed out loud. The old Demaret confidence. That was more like it. Much as he might not like it, if Storm Demaret ever acted like she thought there was something she couldn't do, couldn't have he'd have died of shock. If she showed anyone weaknesses it sure wasn't him.

A girl wearing a skimpy tank top and short skirt walked out between the two cars. Taylor leered at the skank. Storm decided to let it slide, even though some level of her she didn't want to acknowledge wished it was her he was leering at. "You ready?" She inquired, fighting to keep the jealousy out of her voice. Why wasn't he looking at her like he was that slut? Didn't he know which girl was class and which was trash? Storm shook the feelings off and focused on what she had to do instead. She couldn't let Taylor's attitude eat her for now. She had a race to win first.

"Yeah, it's only what? 20 seconds of fast driving." Taylor brushed off his nervousness and projected his usual confident self to Storm.

"Try 10." Storm grinned and revved her engine. The car growled with a low, barely contained anger, like it was ferociously angry at being held still while it was revved to the redline. Everyone around the car started to cheer.

"Why are they cheering?" Taylor inquired, wondering what about a high revving engine was cheer-worthy.

"Because my car is blowing flames about 4 feet long out of dual tailpipes that's why." Storm looked over at Taylor with a smirk.

"Flames?" Taylor shifted in his seat, thinking about where the exhaust piping carrying those flames was likely to be running. Right under his ass, that's where. The thought was far from comforting.

"Yep." Storm refused to take her eyes off the girl getting ready to start her race even though Taylor's discomfort amused her. The girl dropped her arms. Storm dropped her gas foot and feathered her clutch. She and the yellow Sentra left the line in unison. Storm was totally focused on what she was doing. She never spared Taylor a glance once they were moving.

Taylor couldn't get over the look of pure concentration on Storm's face. He'd never seen her so focused. She was totally involved in her car. Every movement she made was as fluid as water in a stream. There was no wasted effort or energy in any of it. She was keeping dead level with the Sentra, not giving any ground but not really gaining any. Taylor was counting lights as he watched Storm hit third gear and watched the second set of lights flash overhead. If he remembered correctly there were three more sets to go.

Then he watched the yellow car streak ahead of them and he groaned. He hadn't wanted to be a part of this hobby of Storm's, and in fact he knew that if her brother and father found out he'd encouraged her he'd be in trouble, but he couldn't help being caught up in the moment, in the adrenaline. He didn't want to lose. He looked over at Storm again and saw that she was breathing fast, almost panting and her face looked a bit flushed. If he didn't know better he'd say the whole proceedings was turning her on. She poised her finger over her hazard light switch.

"You gonna flash him into losing?" Taylor snarled, wanting to win as much as she had now that he was caught up in the moment.

"Hold onto something." Storm laughed as she hit her hazard light switch and the car shot ahead like a bullet out of a high powered assault rifle. The lights along the road turned into blurs of red and white as the car streaked up at the Yellow Nissan it was chasing and passed it neatly.

Not content to rest on her laurels, Storm hit the hazard light switch again and streaked them farther past the yellow car, straight under the forth set of lights and rapidly closer to the 5th and final set. Taylor was slightly in shock while he experienced his first fast drive enhanced with NOS.

Taylor turned in his seat to check where the yellow car had ended up. He was about 4 car lengths back but closing rapidly. He checked where the final intersection was and saw the yellow car couldn't catch them. Its driver managed to move as close as to get his front bumper in line with Storm's rear one but she flew over the finish line almost a whole car length in front of him.

With a self satisfied, breathless laugh that was one of the hottest things Taylor had ever heard she locked up the handbrake, skidded the car 180 and proceeded to fly back to the warehouse from whence they'd come.

"You enjoy that?" She asked with a quick glance at Taylor. She knew she had. Probably more then Taylor would ever guess. She knew, without being told that Taylor ultimately had a good time too. He'd been as caught up in winning as she had once he was lost in the moment. She wondered just how much he'd enjoyed it. Since she lived for the moment, she wanted him to enjoy living that way too. At least while he was with her.

"Was alright." Taylor wouldn't let himself let on just how much he'd enjoyed the experience. Of course it was more about watching her do her then about the race. But the race had been a good rush too. She could tell from how involved he'd gotten when he thought she was losing and from the look on his face as they streaked under the final set of lights he'd enjoyed it far more then he was willing to let on.

"Yeah, a few more and you'd be beggin me to teach you to drive this so you could race too."

"Don't count on it. So you made three grand off those 10 seconds huh?"

"Hell yeah baby! What a way to live!" Storm giggled, pulling up her car in its parking spot and climbing out. Taylor exited the vehicle too and watched as Storm was surrounded by a mostly male crowd of admirers. Her buddy CJ handed her a stack of cash.

"There you go girl, good race. You wanna meet the guy you just smoked?"

"Only if he's not in a pissy mood about losing his money." Storm raised an eyebrow.

"I'll introduce you next race then." CJ chuckled, knowing his new boy was fit to be tied over being beaten by a girl in an '89 anything against his surely superior skills in an '04 spec-V he'd spent tens of thousands on modifying.

"I thought so." Storm walked toward Taylor. "I mean if he ran his mouth then my date here might have to defend my honor. Wouldn't you Tay?" It was the first time she'd shortened his name. No one called him that but his mom, he didn't allow it. But coming from her lips it just sounded so intimate that he let it slip as he slipped an arm around her waist. When she said his name in that tone it made him think of mussed sheets and late mornings. He shook his head at himself. He couldn't go there with Matty's sister. No way. She was looking at him, awaiting an answer. There was only one he could give.

"'Course." He assured her, knowing he was showing off for the crowd of guys who were busy hating him for being with the trophy they all wanted.

"Good." Storm laughed, throwing an arm around Taylor's waist possessively. "Let's go mingle."

"Can we just go? I think it's time we headed for home." Taylor was done being sociable. Two hours was all he had in him and if you counted the time he'd spent with the boys since it was now 1am it had been 2 hours.

"Hell no, the night is young. I'm headed out to dance when this is all over. I got some people to see." Storm answered, the laughter leaving her face as she watched the stubborn look sweep over Taylor's. He figured he was going to get his own way in this. She didn't think so. Storm would have been willing to bet money that an argument was on the horizon.

"Hell no Storm. It's late enough."

"I didn't know you were so old that 1am was late." Storm put a hand on her hip and cocked an eyebrow. "What else has your advanced age affected Tay?" Taylor bringing her down on her night was pissing her off. She was the winner, the star of the night. Why did he have to try and dim her light?

"Nothing!" He snarled out then continued. "I mean it's not like you can just walk up in normal clubs Storm." Taylor growled, knowing what would happen if she was caught by her family or those who couldn't stand her family in a dance club.

"No one down here knows who I am in my other life Tay and it's gonna stay that way. 'Member what I told you about trying to run my life for me? It isn't gonna happen. I wanna go out so I'ma go. If you don't want to I can take you home or to your van before I head down."

"I think you should go home before your dad figures out you ain't in bed."

"I think you should mind your own business." Storm growled. Taylor frowned back at her, getting mad. He didn't take orders from girls, no matter who they were.

"I'm just lookin out for you!"

"So you say. But it turns out I don't need you Taylor Reese, I've been getting along just fine without you for 20 years. And I'll remind you now that I'm higher then you in this world Taylor, so watch your step." Storm hissed, totally disenchanted with him even after how totally into him she'd been mere moments before.

"I'll watch my step when you grow the fuck up!" Taylor roared, but somehow managed not to raise his voice.

"I'm all grown up and I been taking care of myself for years. I'm not gonna stop now just cause the great Taylor Reese decided I might be worthy and asked me out. I think I need my head examined for agreeing to so much as step foot outta my house with you!"

"I'm beginning to believe the same thing's true about me actually asking such a spoiled rotten rich bitch like you out in the first place."

"Well, a bigoted son of a bitch like you would feel that way." Storm shouted back at Taylor, getting very irate with the large man.

"If you value that pretty little ass of yours you will never call my mother into anything you ever say to me, not in any way." Taylor snarled in a low, angry tone which frightened all the bystanders into leaving the two alone. Storm was apparently the only one in the immediate vicinity who wasn't terrified.

"I'd love to know what you think you can do about it! Stronzo di merda!"

"What the fuck did you just call me?" Taylor asked Storm, his voice so calm that it almost scared even Storm. But then her anger took back over.

"It has no literal translation but as close as I could come that someone like you would understand is fucking bastard." She growled.

"What did I tell you about bringing my mother into this?" Taylor asked as he raised his hand to slap the look of righteous anger off of Storm's face. He was so mad that he wasn't thinking about what he was doing. She'd driven him to the brink of insanity. Plus no one said anything against his mother. Not in anger, and not even in round about ways. On pure instinct he sent his hand flying toward the side of her face.

The next thing he knew he was doubled over clutching his stomach. Storm had somehow blocked his slap, then spun around and sent a kick into his midsection with enough force to knock the breath right out of him. He stood up slowly and looked over slightly to his left, where she stood panting. Instead of fear for him after how close she'd come to having a bruise the size and shape of his hand marring her pretty face she showed him white hot anger.

Walking right into his face Storm snarled out, "Don't ever raise your hand to me again Taylor or you'll find yourself in a lot more trouble then simply catching your breath and being a bit embarrassed about getting taken out by a girl in public. Capisce?"

Taylor looked around and there were in fact some people snickering about him behind their hands. He wished some of the guys who were standing around looking angry would get angry enough to do something about it. He was so furious he could use a good fight against someone he was allowed to hit back.

"Taylor Reese, did you fucken hear me? Answer me! You simple or something? Don't ever raise a hand to me again if you value your life!"

That was pretty much it for Taylor. She was right. He never should have tried to hit her. He didn't really hold with hitting girls. At least not if they didn't hit him first. But it was the last straw. He wouldn't hang around to be humiliated by her either.

"Don't make threats you can't back up you spitting wild bitch." His anger got the better of him.

"I'll show you backing it up." Storm yelled as she used a different kick and nailed him in the knee. He almost went down from the force of the impact. He would have loved to know what the hell she was using to be able to hit him. Most men couldn't get as close to him as Storm was. His knee was stinging like a son of a bitch and he was willing to bet he'd have a bruise in the shape of her lug soled boot there tomorrow.

She moved in for a punch of some sort and he grabbed her arm and did the only thing he could think of once he had her in his arms. He wrapped them around her, pinning her arms to her sides and pulling her flush and tight against him as he looked down at her as she struggled and fought to get free. She was so pretty while she was impassioned. He saw her go to open her mouth, no doubt to let more filth spew out and acted on his first instinct to keep her quiet. He leaned down and kissed her.

Hard.

And she fought him as best she could in her helpless position. She might have been quick enough and trained enough to actually land blows on him, but once he had a good hold on her she didn't even come close to strong enough to break free.

Storm felt helpless rage build up inside her as she fought to get free and couldn't. He was just too strong for her to get loose from him when he was holding her arms so close to her body. She knew his kiss was born of anger, and a desire to punish her for humiliating him as she had by humiliating her back the only way he could without hitting her. And it was humiliating to be forcefully kissed by a man she at the moment couldn't stand and in front of all her friends and competitors no less. Her rage turned into a sense of total debasement as Taylor's punishment continued unabated.

She couldn't stand to see him, see triumph light his eyes as he realized that he'd finally won. She couldn't stand to see the people watching her be dominated so she clenched her eyes closed tight and tried to block out the feelings of absolute shame she felt as she stood in his cruel embrace. She was strong and tough, not to mention the daughter of one of New York's Kings. She had never been in a position of such total embarrassment before. Had never been in a position to feel so helpless.

The situation was completely out of her hands and there was nothing she could do about it. It was that sense of being helpless that got to her the most. The last time she'd felt things spinning so totally out of her control she'd only been 8 years old and the FBI had broken into her house, into her room in the dead of the night and stolen her father away from her. That night, experienced at that tender age was what had forged her resolve to never be helpless again. And till this night she'd pretty much succeeded in her endeavor. To her absolute horror she felt her eyes start to tear up.

The more Taylor thought about what he was doing the more like the bastard she'd called him he felt. Holding her and kissing her against her will was dirty pool. But when he opened his eyes and saw the tears tracking down her cheeks even though she never made a sound he felt like the biggest jerk on planet earth in that moment. He had never seen Storm cry. Not when she'd been 9 years old and he and Matty had yelled at her to stop following them. Not when her father's friends belittled her for wanting into their world. Not when she was snubbed by the other girls for being so aloof, never. Storm was almost as tough as he was and he knew it. But he had, in all his asshole glory just been the one thing in all the years he'd known her that had brought her to tears.

He knew he wouldn't have words to apologize to her. It wasn't something he did. Instead he put his feelings into their kiss. Turned it into something soft and yielding instead of hard and punishing.

He backed off and made the touch of his lips on hers feather light. He nibbled softly on her lower lip then caressed it with the tip of his tongue. It took a minute but he felt some of the rigidity come out of her stance. He released her mouth and started to kiss the tears off her cheeks with a butterfly soft touch of his mouth on her flushed skin.

Moving back to her mouth he kissed her softly again and released his iron hold around her arms.

The abrupt change in Taylor's treatment of her knocked Storm's world off its axis and she was helpless to resist the tenderness in his new kiss. When he kissed the tears off her cheeks it almost made her cry more. She knew, even if she didn't want to acknowledge it, what it would cost a man like Taylor to show such tenderness in front of a crowd of people like he was.

And when he turned her loose, no matter how hard she fought it her arms moved up to encircle his neck, almost like they had minds of their own.

Taylor felt his own arms settle around her again, this time softly around her waist, leaving her arms free. He lost himself in kissing Storm like he hadn't lost himself over a woman in as long as he could remember. The crowd faded into the background, as did his lingering shame over how he'd treated her. How dare he try to break such a proud person? He raised a hand to rub her back, hoping to make her feel the depth of his disgust for what he'd done.

Someone in the crowd coughed and it brought both crashing back to earth. Taylor released her lips and she burrowed her head into his chest. A feeling of tenderness lingered for a moment in Taylor's soul and it made him rest the side of his face on the crown of her bent head.

"Storm, I'm…I'm sorry." He managed, the words almost choking him as he said them. He waited for her response.

Storm felt the words reverberate around his chest as he spoke them in his deep baritone as much as she heard them, as low as he spoke. She knew he didn't apologize unless he really meant it. However she wouldn't learn what it had cost him to utter those words of contrition again until much later. How he didn't apologize now because he'd done far too much of it in his childhood. However, she wasn't quite ready to let him off so easily.

"I'm sorry for bringing your mother into it. She's a lovely lady and she didn't deserve to have me drag her into our fight." Storm replied, muffled against his shirt.

Taylor laughed softly, not really expecting her to fall at his feet, grateful for his simple words. He tipped her head up to look into her red rimmed eyes and kissed her quickly again. It was an impulse he couldn't resist.

As though he thought it might be safe to intervene now that the fireworks were over Devon walked up to the couple who were still locked in each other's arms.

"Storm, you ok?" Devon asked, keeping an eye on Taylor, ready to back off in a heartbeat at the first sign of trouble.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Storm said, stepping free of Taylor and looking at her friend. "We have a dance to catch do we not?" She raised an eyebrow, waiting for Devon to answer, hoping he could sense how badly she needed to get away from the crowd.

From Taylor.

"Yeah. I mean, CJ left for Overdrive already and he said he'd meet us there. You comin?" Devon held out a hand and waited for Storm to take it.

"Yeah, I'm comin." Storm took Devon's hand and started to walk away from Taylor with him.