XIII.Illegal Racing

The wind was chill yet warm as it softly blew through the parking lot,the night sky was littered with stars and the moon casted a bright glow on the monster in front of me.

Dress comfortable,he said.

I had worn a short yellow summer dress that reminded me of picnics and flowers,a cobalt blue scrunchie on my wrist and a white purse to match and there was literally ribbon clips in my hair!

Luca stared at me with a bright smile that shocked sucker punched my guts and had me taking in deep breaths,he looked so badass with his legs over his monstrous motorcycle and a leather jacket thrown over his navy blue shirt and black pants.

"At least you didn't wear heels"He shrugged his gaze heating as he checked me out,he was wearing doc martens,I had opted for white gladiator sandals.He looked casual,too casual.The usual luxury wristwatches he swapped on every occasion wasn't on his wrist but instead a thin gold chain that matched the one glistening on his neck

Fuck,who knew collar bones could look that hot

"I can't get on that thing!"I shrieked when he started it,the engine rumbling like a fucking kraken.

"This is not just a thing.This is Angelo"

I almost cried as he petted the monster lovingly.

"Come on,I'll help you"He outstretched his hand to me,i eyed the large part of him"Give me your fucking hand,I'm not asking for your hand in marriage"

I huffed and gave him my hand "Yeah well you didn't need to do that to get a ring on my finger"He clasped both hands on my waist and hoisted me up,Of course he was strong,he looked strong,why this display of strength had me heating up was beyond me.

He probably spiked the coffee he gave me earlier.

"You don't like it?"He brought his hand back,yanked me closer till I was pressed against his back"If you don't want to be a splat of bloody entrails on the floor hold me tight"

"It's too big of a diamond"He stiffened as i wrapped my arm around his torso,he was warm,so warm i wanted to snuggle into his large back,this man was ripped,I could feel the corded muscles beneath my touch,how did he look shirtless?

He then handed me a helmet that I plopped on my head and fastened,I was doing this,I was really doing this

"Aren't diamonds a girls best friend?You don't like jewelry?"

"Oh trust me I do,I'm not on that bandwagon of girls claiming to be different from other girls.I like jewelry but I've always liked emeralds,y'know?"

The monstrous vehicle rumbled between my thighs eliciting fear and ecstasy in me,if Luca was an object it'll be this.

"Emeralds…"He trailed off seemingly deep in thought"I'm about to move,will you be okay back there?"

"Depends on what you consider okay"

He chuckled,deep tremors vibrating into me,if I was purely white I'd be a tomato by now.

"Don't just die on me.It's hard to get blood off metal and leather"

How romantic.

I gripped him tighter when the motorcycle started moving,so fast the wind began to furiously whip my hair"Are you going to tell me where you're taking me?!"

I yelled over the sound of other vehicles as we sped down the highway,my heart beat furiously as he curved past trucks like we had nine lives.

"You'll see!"

and oh my God I did see.Our destination was away from the main city but looked like it was straight out of a fast and furious movie.

Multiple cars were parked with people leaning on it and bass music thumping out from each and everyone,the mixture an ear deafening bass that still managed to get hips shaking.

Angelo slowed to a stop on the strip of road where two other motorcycles were waiting

"Ayeee Luca"A heavily accented voice called out and a guy wearing a neon oversized varsity jacket and baggy jeans walked up to us with a big grin.He appeared asian but with a Mexican accent and blonde dreads in his air.My lips curled up

"Pierre"Luca dropped and cut off the ignition.He twisted and helped me get down.

"You came to take all the money huh?Haven't seen you since Lachowski ate dirt"

"That's me"Luca couldn't sound more disinterested as this

The culturally confused human finally noticed me and a big grin spread over his face,he wasn't bad looking,his slanted eyes were eerily beautiful with the way his dark orbs looked like ink.His lips were a plump pinkish color that would make field jealous,his nose looked like it had been broken one too many times and he had a star tattoo over the right side of his dark eyebrow and a scribble of writing beneath his left eye.

"Hey,who's this fine thing you have with you"

Thing

The motherfucker called me a thing

"Call me a thing again and I'll rip out those fake dreads of yours and slice every tattoo on your body off to feed you"

Silence.

Literally

Luca and the guy's jaw dropped and the look my ring matcher gave me looked proud,he wrapped his arm around my waist and tucked me into his side"Meet Mirabelle,my wife"

Pierre scratched the back of his neck with his lips turned down"I'm Pierre.Sorry for my manners"

I instantly felt bad as he gave me the sweetest puppy dog eyes I have ever seen in my entire life"It's okay,and it's Mirabella"I looked up and threw Luca a glare,he shrugged like he couldn't be bothered.

Pierre grinned at me and I grinned back when I noticed the deep dimples on both sides of his cheek

"Let's go"Luca slid his hand into mine and tugged me,his sudden display of affection startled me

"Where?"He pointed to a crowded area with smoke curling up from the middle.

"That's the betting ring"Pierre explained"You either bet on racing players or you place your name to be betted on"

"Please tell me you're betting"

"Oh honey,I never bet"His eyes glistened like liquid metal

I gulped this man was going to race and he looked like it wasn't his first time,I yanked my hand away from his and hugged myself"I'll wait for you with Pierre"

His brows dipped"You sure?"

"Yeah,here is definitely safer than there"I pointed with my thumb,one hand still over my torso in a protective manner.

He nodded and looked over my shoulder giving Pierre a hard look before he left.

"So Luca huh…"

"So?"

"It's just…I never expected to see him married,not with the way he made money through this racing, never stayed in a location long enough to even make friends"

Did he know Luca was mafia?I doubt he did,it was a secret to people who weren't intertwined in our society and it seemed Las Vegas was Luca's escape.

"Love prevails"I muttered my lie"How did you guys meet?"

"I was eighteen,my foster parents finally had enough of me and threw me out,I lived from mouth to mouth,working odd jobs and sleeping in alleyways then one day thugs tried to steal the little money I had,I didn't give them so they beat me up but Luca just appeared out of nowhere and shot all three of them"He smiled at the memory"I told him thank you but he just shrugged and said he didn't give a fuck about me,that they just owed him money"

My eyes widened at the story,of course they just owed him money,he was just doing his enforcer duties even at eighteen,it made me wonder when he started killing,was that why Luca was so dissociative and hardened?

"He's kinder than he looks.The next day I got hired in a bar that had rejected me and I just knew it was him.I only saw him once in a month,ordering whiskey like an old man"Pierre then proceeded to tell me how honest Luca was when he was drunk,how he had told Luca about the racing happening here,how Luca had pissed off a top racer and won his motorcycle fair and square then handed it to Pierre.

Pierre then quit being a bartender and raced every night making money.

"I'm half black by the way,my locs aren't fake"

My jaw dropped and no one on the planet felt as guilty as I did"I'm so sorry"

"It's aiit"He replied with a soft smile "I get that a lot,my mom was Latina and black,my dad Korean so I understand why I don't look that black to others but my hair came out 4c"

He looked sad talking about it,his Jordan clad feet making invisible circles in the floor

"Yeah until you realize you don't really fit in anywhere."

"Fitting in is overrated,you get to enjoy diversity some people can't boast of"I smiled and he smiled too

"My mum and dad used to make awesome food so I did enjoy the diversity"

"What happened to them?Your parents?"I then asked in a whisper knowing it was a sensitive topic.

He shrugged his hands deep in his pockets with his gaze on the asphalt"They got into an accident when I was 10 but hey at least i didn't die in the car accident "

His slumped shoulders perked up as he looked over my shoulder,his sad eyes then filled with hope and adoration "Here comes your man"

I turned and there was 'my man' alright,striding towards us like he owned the world and a smirk that had my toes curling.

"I'm in"He announced to Pierre and his gaze dropped on me"and you're racing with me"

"I hate you"