Chapter 165

Ella

As Rickie and I pulled away, I felt completely overwhelmed and shocked. Here was this woman, covered in tattoos and piercings and towering over me by several inches, and every bit of her looked terrifying.

And yet… I hadn’t received a hug quite like that in a long time.

I couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed. Logan was already deep in conversation with a guy who looked like he could have been a rock star, and I found myself frozen to my spot, unsure of what to say or do.

“You good, kid?” Rickie said, taking a sip of her own beer. “Look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I, um…” I cleared my throat with a wry sort of chuckle. “This is gonna sound rude, but…”

“No such thing as rude here,” Rickie replied with a laugh. “Go ahead. Spill.”

Buoyed by her kind and open attitude, I finally said what was on my mind. “I’m not used to this sort of scene,” I said, gesturing around with my beer bottle. “And I’m not gonna lie: I thought you were kind of scary for a second.”

Rickie threw her head back and laughed loudly, the bangles around her wrists jingling. “Hey, Miles!” she shouted. “Newbie thought I was scary!”

“You? Scary?” Miles retorted with a snort. “Yeah, and I’m the Queen of Sheba.”

“Sorry,” I said, my face turning a bright shade of crimson. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

Rickie shook her head, her piercings glinting in the dim light. “Don’t worry about it. I get it. It’s… well, it’s everything. The tattoos, the piercings, even these things…” she lifted up her foot to brandish her tall platform boots, knocking on them with her knuckles. “But I’m nice, I promise. Pretty much everyone here is.”

Her words helped me relax, or maybe it was the fourth or fifth sip of beer. I had lost count, due to the fact that I was sipping nervously to calm myself. “So, Logan talks about me, huh?”

“Pfft, of course,” she groaned. “He hasn’t shut up about you. No joke, Ella. He says you’re intelligent and badass. It’s not something you hear from him often.”

I couldn’t help but feel flattered yet puzzled by this revelation. Logan actually called me badass? To these people? The kings and queens of badassery?

“You’re messing with me, right?” I asked, searching for any sign of deception in her expression. “Is this some kind of hazing?”

Rickie laughed, her laughter as vibrant as her hair. “I promise I’m not. Logan clearly looks up to you, and that’s not something I’ve ever heard from him in the five years we’ve known each other.”

I was shocked once again. Logan had been friends with Rickie for five years, and not once had he mentioned her to me since we had met. What else didn’t I know about his secret life in the underground racing scene?

“You know, he never mentioned you before,” I admitted, feeling a mix of curiosity and annoyance. “I had no idea about any of this until tonight.”

Rickie shrugged, taking a sip from her drink. “Well, Logan mentioned once that this secret racing world of his is separate from his normal life. He didn’t think you’d be into it or handle it well.”

I sighed, my irritation giving way to a sense of intrigue. “I guess he underestimated me.”

Rickie’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Clearly. But hey, you were getting into it at the race. It was fun to watch.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the memory. “It was. I didn’t expect to enjoy it that much.”

Rickie leaned in closer, her voice lowering. “You know, Ella, you should come to the next race. We’ll get you a VIP seat with all of Logan’s friends. You won’t have to watch alone.”

The idea both excited and terrified me. The thought of being part of Logan's world, even if only as a spectator, was strangely alluring. But I still had reservations.

“I don’t know, Rickie. It seems intense,” I replied, my gaze wandering over the other partygoers. “And some of these people look… intimidating.”

Rickie chuckled, her tattooed arms adorned with various designs that seemed to tell a story. “Don’t judge a book by its cover, Ella. We’re a tight-knit community, and once you’re in, you’re family. Plus, you’ve got me as your guide.”

I couldn’t deny that her offer was tempting. I had always been cautious and reserved, but maybe it was time to step out of my comfort zone. Logan seemed to live a double life that I knew nothing about, and I was curious to learn more during what little time we had left together.

As Rickie and I continued our conversation, she pointed out some of the regulars at the races, sharing stories and insights about each of them. It was fascinating to hear about the different personalities and backgrounds of the people Logan associated with.

Then, Rickie nodded her head toward a figure near the bonfire, a mysterious man with a bandana covering his face and a hat pulled low over his eyes. “See that guy over there? The one they call ‘Jet’?”

I followed her gaze and squinted in the dim light. The name sounded familiar, and suddenly I remembered Logan mentioning his rival. “Yeah, I see him. What about him?”

Rickie’s tone turned a bit more serious. “Jet is Logan’s biggest rival in the underground racing scene. He’s been racing against Logan for years, and no one has ever seen his face. He’s like a ghost. He’s a fucking weirdo, if you ask me.”

My curiosity was piqued as I watched the man standing by the fire. He wasn’t drinking, wasn’t eating, wasn’t talking. He was just… standing there, his arms folded across his chest, staring at the flames.

And yet, as I looked at him it was as if there was something strangely familiar about him, something that tugged at the edges of my memory but I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

“Have you ever talked to him?” I asked, my eyes still locked on Jet.

Rickie shook her head. “No one really talks to Jet,” she explained. “He keeps to himself and doesn’t socialize much. He’s a mystery to all of us.”

I tore my gaze away from Jet and turned back to Rickie. “Why do they call him ‘Jet’? Is it because of his speed?”

Rickie nodded. “Yeah, he’s known for his incredible speed on the track. He’s a formidable opponent, that’s for sure.”

As I continued to watch Jet, our eyes unexpectedly met across the distance. It was a brief, fleeting moment, but in that instant, I felt a strange connection, as if I had seen those eyes before.

“Weird,” I muttered, my voice barely audible.

Rickie raised an eyebrow, curious. “You good, newbie?”

I shook my head, trying to shake off the eerie feeling. “Never mind. It’s just his eyes… they look familiar, like I know him from somewhere.

Rickie’s gaze lingered on Jet for a moment before she turned back to me, her expression thoughtful. “No way you know someone like that, newbie,” she said. “Jet’s a mystery. I think you’re better off letting it go.”

“You’re right,” I said with a nod as I tore my gaze away. “I’ll leave it be.”

Rickie was right; I was better off letting it go when it came to someone as mysterious as this ‘Jet’.

And yet, as the night wore on, I couldn’t keep myself from wondering why his gaze looked so familiar… and why it filled me with so much dread.