Twilight isn't mine, but the idea is. I was inspired to write this after a marathon of Fast and Furious. All the songs on the soundtrack helped me create this, so you should check them if you don't know them.
Many thanks to my dear friends m0t0b33 and TeamAllTwilight for the pre-reader and beta work.
And to you, my readers and followers, thank you! I wish I had the time to answer you, but we can discuss stuff in my facebook group. ;)
Sorry for the delay but ffn didn't work... :(
There was an insistent knock on the bathroom door. Edward refused to even try and get up from the floor. He'd never been this nervous before a race. He'd never thrown up, and his so-called best friend was laughing his ass off.
The knocking didn't cease.
"Fuck off!" Edward called loudly.
"It's me," Bella said softly. "Let me in."
Edward moaned, glaring at the ceiling. "Go away."
"Is it something you ate? Please."
"I'm nervous!" he shouted, finally allowing his nerves to get the best of him.
His first race was in less than five hours—it was with a first-time racer with an unmodified Honda. He was going to win, but the mere thought of going out there and risking his life when he'd come to a pact with himself to never race again…it was too much.
Minutes ticked by and he heard movement on the other side of the door.
"Are you still there?" he asked, moving into a sitting positing, resting his back against the door.
"Yes," Bella answered, letting her head fall against the door too. "Feeling better?"
"Not really. I'm scared," he mumbled.
"Open the door, Edward."
Sighing heavily, he did as told and in the next second he was pulled into a choking hug. "I'm scared too," she whispered into his ear. She kissed his temple. "I prayed last night."
"Bella…" He had no idea how to feel. He wasn't exactly religious.
"I haven't slept well since New Year. There's what happened to Brady as an example and…I know what it's going to be like. I was with you in the car when you sped."
"You don't have to come. I thought we established you'd wait here under the blanket, hugging Baby Seal."
Bella gave him a small smile. "I'll be there, Edward. To hug and kiss you before you get into the car…and when you get out. Definitely when you get out very much unscathed and alive."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Come, you need to eat something. Vicky cooked and it's surprisingly very good." Bella winked.
"Don't mention food. I just spent the last hour emptying my stomach. Where's Jasper?"
"With Jake, eating the lasagna Vicky cooked."
Bella cupped his cheeks, kissing his forehead. Her eyes widened when she felt him warm. Her palm felt him and she gasped. "You're burning."
"I don't feel so well," he grunted, letting his head fall on her shoulder.
"That's it. You're not racing."
"Don't be stupid. I have to race, Bella. I told you what happens if I don't. I don't want anyone hurt or shot or…killed."
"Oh, so you'll go there with a fever ready to kill yourself?"
"I'll take a pill or something. I'll be fine."
~~000~~
Adrenaline spiked through his body as he drove to the place where the first race would be.
It looked like an old road, now not used anymore. There were many people gathered and quite the selection of cars.
Edward immediately found the Honda. The owner didn't stand a chance.
"There are people from school," Bella mused, looking around with huge eyes.
She'd insisted on coming, and no matter how hard Edward tried, he couldn't convince her to stay home. He was feeling much better—all his nerves gone, replaced by sheer excitement—but the stubborn creature next to him didn't seem to understand that.
Jake and Jasper were already there. Edward could even spot Alice. She had short pig tails making her look even more like a child.
Edward rolled the car to the Start line, next to the Honda. He turned to give Bella a reassuring knee squeeze before exiting.
He shook hands with the people hosting the race and even gave Ben a curt nod. Bella kept close to him, clinging to his arm.
Every male present leered at her. Wearing her short black dress and the knee high boots burrowed from Vicky wasn't the best choice. And her heavy make-up didn't help, either.
"Go to Jake. He'll keep you safe. If he touches you, I'll kill him," Edward told Bella when he got the signal to get ready.
"Be careful, honey." She kissed him quickly on the mouth before rushing to Jake.
Edward licked his lips as he slid in his car.
The drag race would be an easy win. The next one—a drift—would present some difficulty. He still remembered his conversation with James on New Year's. Somehow, from talking about marrying Vicky, James had confessed he was the one to give Seth the list with the names and cars, and he happened to know what kind of races there would be, too. He also divulged the plan he had made with Emmett.
Once Edward won the last race—the one with Ben—cops would descend. That meant Edward had to win everything.
When a girl came between their cars, Edward took a moment to look at his opponent. He looked about ready to shit himself. The girl signaled their start and Edward peeled off, leaving Honda in a whirlwind of dust.
He was used to driving at night, and even though he didn't know the road, he kept his eyes ahead, focused on the task at hand. All too soon, he could see the finish point illuminated by headlights of the waiting cars. In Chicago it used to be a building they all knew allotted as their finish point.
Checking in the rearview mirror, Edward was pleased to see the other car trying to catch up with him.
Mach One was indeed no match. A true wild horse, this Mustang, he thought amused.
He arrived at the finish, and was welcomed by cheers and pats on his back. But Edward didn't want to lose focus. He had another race in only two hours. Night had fallen dark over them.
Once they reunited, Bella refused to leave his arms. He didn't mind, chewing slowly on the sandwich she had brought him.
The drift race would take place into town. Luckily, he knew the cops would stay out of their way. His opponent was a Yenko Camaro, and Edward could tell it was much better for drifting…for racing in general.
Before the start, Bella kissed him again and wished him good luck. Edward winked promising her to win. Having his girlfriend around gave him unknown powers, making him want to show off and prove her racing wasn't that bad. She had a preconceived idea of racing, when racing had been his life before the unfortunate event back in Chicago.
The race turned out to be more challenging than Edward expected. The other guy kept gaining speed, but each street corner Edward's car sprang ahead like a cheetah. All the time invested in repairing Mach wasn't a waste. He was proud of his handiwork.
The end of the race was tight, after the last corner. Yenko Camaro was ahead which gave Edward no choice but to use the ace from his proverbial sleeve. Closing his eyes briefly, he pushed the nitro button. The car zoomed past the Camaro.
What he didn't think was how to stop the car on such short notice. Seeing the car fast approaching the group waiting and any of them moving away, Edward slammed the brakes making the car spin. He gripped tightly the steering wheel, keeping his eyes wide open. He could almost feel the scared look on his face, his heart beating wildly in his chest.
People cheered loudly, probably thinking he was doing victory donuts.
After finally stopping, Edward stayed slumped on the wheel for a couple minutes, trying to settle his heartbeat.
"Well done, my man!" Jasper pulled him out of the car, hugging him tightly. "No one realized what a close one that was. Bella loved the "circles" as she called them." He gave his friend a scandalized look.
Edward relaxed visibly, a smile tugging at his lips. His little innocent Bella. "Nice. I had it under control."
"You looked terrified."
"Shhh!" he hissed, opening his arms for Bella who was running to him. She collided into him full speed. "Hey, baby." Picking her up, Edward spun her around, making her squee gleefully.
"You were amazing," she gasped out, kissing all over his face.
"We have to celebrate."
As more people approached to congratulate him, even his opponent came to shake his hand, Edward was transported back in Chicago and how well he was perceived by his peers. In that moment, he didn't even feel he was working for the police, helping the enemies. He was doing what he loved, what he'd restrained himself from for so long.
The euphoria didn't last long. Ben approached his group.
"Great race, Speedy," he said in his thick voice.
"Thanks, Badass."
"See you later. We changed the place. I think we have a rat around." Ben frowned, sweeping the crowd with an angry look.
"Oh? Where will we race?"
They walked a few feet away, to have some privacy for their important conversation.
"On US 89 A Route."
"What about traffic?" Edward raised an eyebrow.
"At one in the morning?"
"The time has changed too?" Edward felt sweat trickling down his neck.
How could Ben know the cops had a lead on them?
"Yes." Ben grinned maliciously. "See you in four hours. Maybe three is a lucky for you."
"Tonight?" Edward half shouted, ignoring the jab.
"Unless you have a problem." Smirking, Ben left Edward stunned.
Obviously Ben hadn't raced, he was the previous winner. He's simply race the one who won everything, which turned out to be Edward.
Spinning on his heel, Edward went to his friends telling them they had to get back home, because there was a major change in their plans.
To Edward's surprise, back at the Swans', he found Emmett and his father chatting with the host in the kitchen. They went into a frenzy when Edward explained the situation. After a beat of frozen silence, his cousin and James started calling their friends, his father was on the phone as well and Edward suspected he'd really involve the mob. Shuddering at the thought, he took Bella's hand and told everyone who was listening that he was going to get a couple hours of shut eye. He needed to be fresh for the most important race of his life.
They went to Bella's room. He stood at the foot of the bed, watching as she methodically and carefully removed all her toys from the bed before pulling down the blanket and patting the bed.
Edward kicked his shoes and crawled up the bed, shifting around until he had his back pressed against the wall and Bella was in his arms. Her head rest on his bent arm as her hand kept stroking his face, looking at him anxiously.
"Are you scared?" she whispered.
"It's such short notice…"
"Is he allowed to change the time and place?"
"Theoretically, he can do anything." He closed his eyes, sighing. "There are only a few simple rules in racing, Bella. But ever since he became king of the road, everything's changed. He thinks he's allowed to do anything. Many races back in Chicago got switched to whatever hour he wanted, turning into lost races considering his opponents didn't know, or were informed too late. Whoever wins, gets the other's car."
"Oh?"
"When I competed against him, I never used Betty. I always used whatever car I won in a previous race. They weren't as good as Betty, but losing the only thing I loved most…no." He shook his head.
"Does Jake know it's a possibility for him to lose the car? After all the money he spent on it?"
"He knows. I hope he does, but I'm going to win. I'll show the motherfucker who's the boss. For once, I'll have a car if not better than his Plymouth then close to it. Ah, if I get that car…" He trailed off, grinning lazily. "Fuck."
"Hey!" Bella snapped her fingers in his face. "This is your last race. You promised Jimmy."
"Did I?"
"Edward!"
"What? We're going back to Chicago after this."
"Do I have to handcuff you to keep you away from racing?" She glared at him.
"I knew you were kinky, Bella, but handcuffs?"
She turned red, and huffed, rolling around. He regretted the joke immediately. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he hugged her tightly, burrowing his face into her hair. Bella eventually took his hand and played with his fingers as he slowly fell asleep.
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