Dear Vera,

I had received your letter from the last time. Of course, I can't answer all of your questions. That would ruin the fun!

On the other hand, I do want something from you. I know that as one of their closest friends, you have access to the Kleizmick Mansion. I want any information you can find.

And keep your mouth shut. Or bad things will happen.

-Secret Keeper

I had never felt more misplaced in my life.

These emotions flooded me after Julia confessed. Not to mention, everything around me felt odd. Alyssa looked completely normal and somewhat bored even though one of her best friends was in jail. And Tyler was religiously staring at me.

Yeah, something was definitely up with that.

I pretended not to notice any of these as I sat next to Jordan on Alyssa's bed and stared at the floor like him. I was surprised the floor hadn't fallen away from our glares.

"Why would Julia do that?" I said, speaking everyone's thoughts. The question hung in the air.

"I don't know," Jordan whispered. His emerald green eyes were red and puffy.

"You sure?" Tyler asked. I turned to notice that his unreadable eyes slid over to Jordan.

Jordan turned and gave him an inquisitive look "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Tyler shrugged, not breaking eye contact, "She was your sister. We all know she tells you everything."

"I guess there's exceptions," Jordan mumbled and he turned back around. 

The statement reminded me of the letter from Secret Keeper that I found in my purse earlier. How the hell did it get there? How did I not notice a stranger approach me close enough to slip it into my bag? The only people that were near me were my friends...

I shook my head. I must've just been distracted because of the confession. Either way, I would have to worry about it later. I had bigger problems now.

"It just doesn't make sense," I said. "Why would she confess to a crime she didn't commit? And it wasn't just any crime, it was murder. Why would someone confess to that?"

"Maybe she was defending someone," Tyler spoke. I stiffened a little as I ran the thought over through my mind. I felt Jordan go still and Alyssa snap her head up, suddenly attentive.

"You're saying," Alyssa started, "that Julia knew who murdered her brother, and not only did she keep it to herself, but she defended them?"

"It's possible."

"No," Alyssa argued. "No, it's not. She would never help someone get away with murdering Jason. She loved him more than anything. Julia would want justice for him."

"Not if it was someone close to her."

I didn't kill him.

"That's impossible," Alyssa scoffed.

"The police said that the murderer was someone close to Jason," Tyler said. "He would've fought the person off otherwise. It's likely that person was close to Julia too."

My heart started to pound and I was sure the entire room could hear it.

I didn't kill him.

"That would mean that it was someone in this room," Alyssa concluded.

Tyler stayed silent.

I didn't kill him.

"That's crazy," Alyssa told him. "None of us would do such a thing."

"It could've been an accident," Tyler reasoned.

My heart skipped a beat. They were getting close, too close.

I didn't kill him.

"If it was, they would've said something."

Guilt crept up. I pushed it down.

I didn't kill him.

"Maybe, maybe not," Tyler said. "But if she wasn't defending someone, then..." Tyler's words trailed off but the unspoken words were obvious.

"Julia didn't kill Jason," Jordan nearly shouted as he glared at Tyler.

"I know," Tyler said calmly. "But the police don't. That's their line of thinking. And if the police don't figure out who she's defending, she could be imprisoned for life, or worse, be given a death sentence."

Guilt swarmed me as the severity of the situation hit. Julia could die because of me. My head started to feel dizzy.

I didn't kill him.

I wanted to stand up, to tell them exactly what happened. I wanted rid myself of this torture. I wanted to face my punishment from behind bars. I wanted to free Julia from her prison. But I couldn't. My legs couldn't move. My mouth couldn't open. So I stayed silent.

"They wouldn't give a minor a death sentence," Alyssa argued. "Not to mention, she confessed! They can't do that to her."

"They can and they will," Tyler stated. "Especially because her victim was Jason Hargrove."

The emphasis sent shivers down my spine. That was exactly what I was thinking only a few hours ago at the funeral.

"Maybe if it was anyone else, but your parents won't let that happen to Julia," Alyssa turned to Jordan, "Right?"

He spoke, voice barely louder than a whisper, "I-I don't know. They weren't willing to help Julia through anything earlier and looked close to disowning her."

Silence hung in the air. My stomach twisted.

Come clean, goddammit! Why can't you just come clean?!

Alyssa ran a hand through her hair and sighed, "It doesn't matter why she did it. Right now, what matters is getting her out. We can't let her sit in jail for crime she didn't commit."

The tension in the room decreased a notch. Alyssa's words were enough to set my guilt aside and focus.

"Why didn't she get out on bail?" I asked.

"Our parents refused to pay the bail money," Jordan replied. He had his head in his hands. "They said they wouldn't help a daughter who killed her own brother."

"Your parents actually believe her?" Alyssa questioned.

"They didn't think she would lie about something like this."

"Well, if your parents decided not to post the bail money, then our parents are going to be no help," Alyssa pointed out. "They aren't going to go directly against them."

"What are we going to do?" I asked. I needed her to get out of jail. I couldn't let her sit in there because of me.

"We need money. Fast," Alyssa summed up.

The boys sighed and shared a secretive look, as if daring the other one to speak. Alyssa noticed and narrowed her eyes.

"What?"

Jordan sighed and looked back at Alyssa, "Did we ever tell you what Tyler likes to do in his free time?"

Alyssa's eyes widened as realization struck. A small smile started to develop along her lips.

"I thought you were kicked out?" Alyssa pointed her question to Tyler.

Tyler shrugged and gave a small smile, "They kick me out every month. I always go back."

I looked between the three of them, confused.

"What is it?" I asked. "What do you do in your free time?"

Tyler looked at me and his smile widened, eyes dancing.

"Race," he said, "I like to race."

"Why do you get kicked out every month?" I shouted as we pushed through the tight crowd.

Actually, I was the only one pushing. The others were walking with no problem. The crowd parted for Tyler as they recognized their reigning champion. No one got in Jordan's way as he spent enough time here to be recognized as Tyler's friend. As for Alyssa, well, she was Alyssa. The crowd gave her one look over and moved out of the way. That left me pushing and shoving as I tried to keep up.

Tyler turned, and upon noticing my struggle, he grabbed my arm and brought me closer to him, forcing people to recognize me as a part of Tyler & Friends Co.

"Cause' I hurt their ego," Tyler answered my question as I fell into step next to him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked as Tyler leaned in closer to hear me better, hand now on my lower back.

His breath tickled my ear as he answered, "The hosting party places their own racers in each round. They typically get pissed off whenever I beat them."

"And you do that every month?"

Tyler shrugged, "Every first Friday."

I gasped, some of the pieces clicking together, "That's why you always miss half of Alyssa's parties. Cause you're here!"

Tyler nodded.

"And that's why you told Alyssa, isn't it?"

Tyler nodded again, "She got really mad since I was never present and cornered me. So I told her that illegally raced on the first Friday of each month. In the end, Alyssa was happy that at least I was doing something worthwhile and changed her parties to the second Friday of the month. I've been present ever since."

"Okay..." I said slowly, my mind still trying to take the surroundings in, "But why do they kick you out every time that you win? I thought you said they get a cut of the betting money. Wouldn't they lose all of that money if you leave?"

"Not quite," Tyler answered. "See, me winning against their own racers hurts their pride so they kick me out. But me winning also scares others. The other racers are more likely to step down from challenging me, so I would only be going against new racers who don't have common sense and don't bet as much money. At least if I'm gone for a month, the other racers can cool down and build back up their confidence. And besides, at this point, Bentley knows I would come back the next month no matter how many times he kicks me out."

"Bentley?"

"Yeah," Tyler responded. "Strange name right? I think his name was originally Benedict but then he changed it to sound more cool and car-sy. That obviously didn't work out very well."

"No," I said. "I wasn't talking about the name. It's just- who is he?"

"Oh. He's the main host. Bentley's the one in charge of all of this."

"And the best part," Jordan added with an amused smirk as he appeared next to me, "is that he owns a Bentley."

"No way!" I looked at Tyler for confirmation who nodded with a smile. "That reminds me of this one "No Bullying" book that I read on a website..."

My words trailed off as we approached a clearing. In the middle of the crowd a small tent was set up with couches and tables. There was alcohol and cash money spread out in the tent along with a white board in the corner. Names and amounts of money were written across it. In the middle of the couch sat a tall man who looked to be in his early thirties with brown hair and eyes. Around him, men stood like body guards. Tyler approached the man who regarded him with cold eyes.

"Bentley," Tyler greeted him.

"Turbo," Bentley greeted back, distastefully. His gaze slid to Jordan, "Spider-Man."

"Turbo?" Alyssa scoffed.

"Spider-Man?" I questioned.

"Turbo because I only ever figured out that this kid's name started with a T and I definitely had to a give a nickname," Bentley answered. "As for Spider-Man, well, Jordan equals Michael Jordan, Michael Jordan equals MJ, MJ equals Mary Jane, Mary Jane equals-"

"- Spider-Man," Jordan finished with a sigh. He was obviously not a fan of the nickname.

Bentley turned his focus back to Tyler, "Didn't I tell you not to come back here again?"

Tyler sat down in the chair and gave him a challenging smile, "Didn't you ever learn your lesson?"

"I keep giving you a chance, kid."

"And I keep taking it, Bent."

Bentley leaned backwards and rubbed his temples with two fingers, "You want to race?"

"Nah, I came here to fight a Jedi."

"You really expect me to let you race?"

Tyler only responded with his half smile.

"Kid, you've been costing me ten thousand dollars every month for two years and then I find out that you only got your drivers licence a month ago."

Tyler shrugged.

Bentley scoffed, "I can't believe this."

"Look," Tyler sat forward, suddenly all business, "Me driving is something that no one would miss. You could get so many more spectators if word gets around that I decided to drive again."

Bentley gave a small laugh, "Look around. Look at how many people are coming on a Monday. You really think I could do with more spectators?"

"You could always do with more spectators."

The look in Tyler's eyes explained the unspoken words.

More spectators means more betters and racers which means more money for Bentley.

It might not have been the best excuse ever since Bentley really didn't need more spectators or publicity. In fact too much of it could tip off the cops. But Bentley didn't need good reasons. Behind that cold stare in his eyes, I could see the affection and respect he had for the champion teenage boy sitting in front of him. Tyler sensed it too. He knew that more publicity was a crappy reason, but he gave one to let Bentley feel tough and exclusive. In reality, Tyler was holding back his best reason for when Bentley really did get annoyed with him, if ever.

Tyler was definitely smarter than I thought.

"Fine. But it's gonna cost you something valuable."

Alyssa spoke up, "What about me?"

"Alyssa!" I scolded.

"Are you high?!" Jordan questioned.

"I knew you wanted some, but..." Tyler trailed off with an entertained smirk. I gave him a glare and smacked him across the head. He laughed.

"I'm fine if you are," Bentley said with an identical smirk. Now Tyler was the one glaring.

"Not like that," Alyssa clarified. "You idiots need to get your heads out of the gutter."

"Then like what?"

"Your current host is a 225 pound forty year old man who could barely invigorate a bottle of beer, much less an entire crowd."

Bentley eyed her suspiciously, "Are you saying that you want to host?"

"An interesting race starts with a good hostess," Alyssa replied. "And anyone who has eyes can tell you that I would make a very good one."

"If I wanted another host, couldn't I have done it?"

"You could've. But we both know you won't. You're a race manager and founder who makes more money in a week than most people do in a year. You have no reason to step into the middle of the race and risk being run over. If you did, you wouldn't have kept your current host."

"Sunshine, I should inform you that we don't have a pretty hostess because the last one ended up with a broken arm, misplaced spine and two paralyzed legs."

Alyssa sat down in a chair next to Tyler and crossed her legs, "Well, Walter, I should inform you that I like to live dangerously."

Bentley inspected her and sighed, "Fine."

Alyssa smiled brightly and Tyler gave me a wink that said "I told you so."

"It'll be a group race so four drivers in total," Bentley informed them. "You'll need a second. I'm assuming Spidey's with me to overlook the betting?"

Jordan pulled out wads of bills from his pockets and smiled, "Yep. I've got all $15,000 right here."

Bentley nodded and turned to me, "Guess that makes you the second, Chocolate."

I gave him a confused look, which he ignored, as he stood up and clapped his hands, "Race starts in thirty. Hope you lose."

"What's a second?" I asked Tyler as we approached his car. He pried open the hood and started to look things over.

"It's someone who sits in the passenger seat for added assistance. They're typically used in races with more than two competitors so that they could look out for the other cars. They might even have to take the driver's place if something happens to them, but that usually doesn't happen."

"Wait, so I have to get on the track?"

"You won't be driving."

"But I have to get on the track?"

"Yeah."

I thought back to all of the other sports cars speeding away in the dust, going back to back and neck breaking speeds as they competed each other for the title of winner. I imagined having to go on the mountain side road at hundred miles per hour, having to round all the curves without falling behind or falling over the side. I shivered and mumbled, "I did not sign up for this."

Tyler closed the hood and turned to me, "Hey, you'll be fine."

"I can barely ride a bike much less drive a car."

Tyler placed a hand on my shoulder, "You won't have to drive."

"How can you say that? What if something happens to you?"

"It won't."

"Why not?"

"Cause I always win."

I raised an eyebrow, "Cocky much?"

"Cocky is just another word for observant," he mused as he made his way back to the car.

"Excuse me?"

"Only the observant understand their place at the top of the world."

I rolled my eyes, "Stop sprouting nonsense, Turnpike."

Tyler laughed, "As you wish, Lady Reinhart."

I took that as an opportunity to smack his head which only made him laugh some more. He went back to tampering with his car and climbed onto the roof as I waited. Bored, I inspected the car. It was a metallic silver sports car with yellow and blue lining the angles and curves. It looked pristine and sparkled under the rays of the setting sun. I had never seen this car before and was deeply surprised when he it out of his car instead of his silver Aston Martin.

"What car is this?" I asked him. I wasn't very good with cars and didn't recognize the symbol.

"It's a Koenigsegg Agera RS," he replied from under the hood.

"I've never heard of it."

He shrugged, "It's not very common. There were originally 25 manufactured for $2.5 million. I bought this baby at from a guy for $10 million."

"10 million?!" I asked, stunned. "For a car?! Why would you pay so much for a car?"

"It's the fastest car in the world as of purchase with a top speed of 277.87 mph. It has a twin turbo V8 engine with 1176 horsepower and can go from zero to sixty mph in 2.9 seconds and even zero to 249 mph in half a minute."

Most of that sounded like gibberish but I understood enough for my eyes to bulge out of their sockets. "277 mph?"

"Yep."

"Zero to 250 in thirty seconds?"

"Yep."

"Wow, that's... fast."

"Yeah."

I carefully slid off of the valuable car that I was sitting on top of like it was a worn out couch. Tyler just sent me a small smile and continued working. That's when my brain caught up to me.

"Hold up, 277 mph?!"

"Yeah."

"Would we have to go that fast?!" I don't think I could handle those speeds without crying my eyes out.

Tyler shrugged, "Depends."

I threw my hands in the air, "What do you mean 'depends'?"

"On the other racers."

"Do you guys usually race that fast?"

"No," Tyler responded. "But one of the racers is someone who I've beaten multiple times before and he seemed to have just gotten a new car, so he's probably looking for revenge."

"But he can't drive faster than us, right?"

Tyler thought about it as he hesitated, "I mean, he is a professional illegal racer so he could've bought the latest fastest car..."

"We're gonna die."

"No, we're not."

"Yes we are. Not to mention we're gonna lose and not even earn the money."

"We're not going to lose."

"How can you say that? You just said that he may have purchased the latest-"

Tyler rolled his eyes and cut me off, "It doesn't matter if the car is the fastest. It matters if the driver can handle it. The drivers control the race, not the car. And trust me, I will not let us lose."

I sighed, "Okay, okay, I believe you."

"Great," he spoke eyes shining as he checked the time on his phone. "Now get in the car. It's time for the race."

Tyler pulled up to the starting line as crowds formed all around us outside the windows. Just for a moment I actually understood where Tyler was coming from.

Tyler's dad was a world-famous professional racer so it was no surprise that he would become a racer too. It was in his blood. Still, it made no sense. Why did Tyler race? It's not like he needed the money. His mother's company took care of that. Maybe it was just for the thrill. For a moment I could almost imagine me being the one driving up to the start line, confident and sure that I would win, hundreds of people cheering me on. I started to truly understand Tyler.

Alyssa walked between the cars and past Tyler's window.

"Don't lose," she told him.

"I won't. Don't die."

"I won't."

Alyssa walked in front the cars and turned to face the crowd, as gorgeous as ever. I couldn't hear what she said as Tyler closed the windows, but could understand when she pointed at our car. Tyler revved the engine and crowd cheered, most of them jumping up and down. The deafening sound of the engine roared through my ears. I could feel it's power vibrating through the seat, chattering my teeth and my adrenaline spiked.

Alyssa pointed at the yellow sports car next to us and he revved his engine. I looked over and could only the see shadows of two boys sitting in the car through the tinted windows.

"Is that him?" I asked Tyler. He nodded as he eyed the car.

"What car is that?"

"Hennessey Venom GT 2019. Current fastest production car in the world."

That's fucking awesome. Note the sarcasm. Although, it was a cool car.

Alyssa raised her arm up and started counting down with her fingers.

Three...

I faced the front and gripped the door handle tightly, knuckles turning white, as I leaned back in the low car.

Two...

Tyler's eyes were set straight ahead, filled with determination and sparkling with a sense of mischief and excitement.

One...

The drivers revved their engines.

Alyssa dropped her hand.

The car took off like a shot in the cannon. My stomach was left behind at the starting line as I was pushed back in my seat. Tyler seemed intent on breaking the 60-mph-in-two-seconds record and the rational part of my brain was not enjoying it. I watched as the speedometer ticked off miles like they were pennies.

60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110...

"Vera," Tyler called. "Watch the cars."

I tore my eyes away from the speedometer, grateful for the distraction. Tyler and the Venom were going neck and neck, trying to pass the other. The two cars behind us, a black and orange Bugatti Veyron Super Sport and a red and black SSC Ultimate Aero TT, according to Tyler, were trying to find an opening but we kept cutting them off.

Suddenly, the Bugatti lurched forward.

"Watch out!" I called. 

Tyler swerved to the right just as the Venom swerved to the left, allowing for the Bugatti to squeeze through with the SSC following right after. Tyler cursed. We were now behind two cars who were locked next to each other as they tried to out speed the other. The yellow Venom was still next to us, trying to find an opening between the Bugatti and SSC, like us, but getting cut off.

The worst part: we were entering the mountain pass.

You know those two-lane roads that offer beautiful scenery as it curves through mountains? That was what the mountain pass was. It was great for some stress relieving driving. It was not great for racing at 150 miles per hour, and definitely not at night. Not to mention the way some of these racers were driving...

We're gonna die.

"At least that Venom wasn't the 2020 model that comes out next year," Tyler added optimistically as if he read my mind. "That would've been bad. They're estimating a top speed of 300 mph."

"I thought you said that speed doesn't matter?"

"Yeah, but when they have a 30 mile per hour advantage on you, it might."

I sighed, "Eyes on the road."

"They are on the road."

"Mouth closed."

Tyler clamped his mouth shut, a comical look filling his eyes.

"Focus."

Tyler narrowed his eyes and set them straight ahead. I was beginning to like my new power over him.

The road curved as it went around the base of the mountain, slowly starting to incline. I wondered for a moment how there were no other cars on the road but decided that it could wait.

The Bugatti and SSC in front of us were still fighting for first place as they pushed on. The Venom and Tyler tried to find an opening between the two cars, but it was impossible in the two lane road and we weren't as suicidal as that Bugatti from earlier.

The road became curvier and more inclined, but none of the cars slowed down. If anything, they increased their speed. The only exception was during the steeper curves when the cars would line up single file on the side closest to the wall so as to not go over the side. Tyler maneuvered the twists and turns with ease, making me barely notice them, and it made me wonder how long he had been doing this. How much practice and experience did it take to drive like this?

The sun was now completely set, the sides and trees becoming black shadows. I for a moment, I stole a glance to the side, outside my window, and panicked.

Just half a foot away the mountain dropped off at a steep angle, the black expanse of ocean clearly visible. One small twitch to the right, and we would fall straight down a hundred feet and into the cold black depths of the sea.

"Holy sh-"

"Don't look outside," Tyler commanded. I obliged, tearing my eyes away from the window and set them straight ahead at the cars in front of us, pushing thoughts of the cold dark sea out of my mind.

That's when things went wrong.

The suicidal Bugatti started pushing into the SSC, forcing it to get closer and closer into the mountain wall. Still, the Bugatti kept getting closer and closer to the SSC until it couldn't move any closer to the wall.

"What's he-"

"He's trying to force the SSC to slow down and back off so that he can get in front," Tyler explained.

The Venom, who was behind the SSC started to back off, trying to give some space in case the SSC suddenly slowed down. Tyler did the same, just in case something went wrong. Which it did.

The Bugatti pushed even closer, but the SSC didn't slow down. He probably called the Bugatti's bluff. Unfortunately, it wasn't a bluff. Infuriated, the Bugatti lurched further into the SSC and the SSC didn't react fast enough.

The Bugatti collided into the SSC, the force causing both of them to crash into the mountain wall. The Venom and Tyler slowed to a fifty as they tried to find a way around the cars. The Bugatti and SSC flipped over multiple times in the road, glass flying everywhere. Suddenly, Tyler moved the gear shift and pressed down on the gas pedal.

"Tyler!"

"If we don't go now, we're never gonna be able to get past them."

"We're gonna crash into them!"

Tyler kept his eyes focused straight ahead, jaw tightly clasped shut as he calculated everything at a hundred miles per hour. Literally, a hundred miles per hour. The Venom seemed to have the same idea as it cut us off, taking the lead.

The cars in front of us flipped one more time, closer to the wall. The Venom took the opportunity to speed past it, in the lane closer to the ocean. Tyler followed, pressing 140 mph. Everything seemed to slow down, ironically, as he passed by the flipping cars. The Bugatti had it's rear up as it leaned towards us, threatening to fall on top of us. Tyler pressed the gas pedal further and swerved a little to the right to give us a couple extra miliseconds before we became pancakes. I held onto my seat tightly as I made the mistake of looking out the window.

We were so close to the border that I could no longer see the edge, just the drop. I doubted there was even an inch between the tire and the drop off. Back on our left, the Bugatti came closer and closer to our car until it was mere inches away, allowing me to see through where two bloody boys sat in the seats, the driver unconscious as the passenger cursed with a scared expression.

Shit, shit, shit.

Then the car sped off, passing the Bugatti just as it touched the ground behind us. I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. Tyler seemed to relax a little too. I looked behind us at the two cars lying on the road, upside down and in ruins.

"Are the riders going to be okay?" I asked.

Tyler looked at the rear view mirror, "Yeah, they'll be fine. But the cars," he gave a hurt puppy dog look and shook his head, "four million dollars worth of two beautiful masterpieces gone."

"Tyler," I groaned.

"What?!"

"I'm worried about the people, not the cars."

"That's why I'm worried about the cars. Someone has to look after them," he responded. "Besides, I told you they'll be fine. It was just a couple flips. Maybe a concussion and a couple bruises."

"But, what if the cars ex-"

The cars exploded.

Tyler and I remained silent as the orange light filled our car and pierced through the night like a knife cutting through a thick, dark curtain. I looked behind again to find two cars filled with yellow and orange fire, burning to ash. We turned a corner and the image of the fire's fury remained forever ingrained in my mind.

"Never mind," Tyler whispered quietly after a moment.

His eyes were still set straight up ahead and he thought for a moment before speaking, "Send Jordan your location then call him and tell him what happened. Bentley should've noticed the explosion but he might not know for sure if it was one of his racers or where it happened."

I started sending my location as I asked, "Shouldn't we be calling the police?"

Tyler shook his head. "If we call we could lose the 30k needed for Julia's bail and get us and everyone else at the tracks arrested. Bentley's handled stuff like this before though. He'll just send people to go check on them as he sends an anonymous tip about the crash to the police with a burner phone and evacuates everyone off the tracks."

"What would the people sent by Bentley do?"

Tyler shrugged nonchalantly, "Look for survivors and pull them out before the police arrive. Maybe even help contain some damage."

I sighed and did as he asked, dialing Jordan's number and explained what happened as he caught up to the Venom that was racing ahead. The speeds continued to go up, faster than before.

170, 180, 190, 200...

Again, I had to tear my eyes away from the speedometer and avoid looking out the window and being reminded of what would happen if we missed a turn at these speeds. Looking ahead at the Venom made me think about what would happen if they crashed into us and it brought back images of the car crash. I averted my eyes again and set them on Tyler this time.

Tyler's eyes never wavered from the road in front of him as he drove on. His jaw was pressed tight, hands loose on the steering wheel and gear shift despite the tenseness of his shoulders and arms. Where before he had a fun and free air to him, now he was serious and determined. I could almost hear the gears turning in his head as he calculated the Venom's every move and every turn that came in front of us, maneuvering with calculation but ease as he kept us on the road and tried to catch up with the yellow blur ahead.

"Vera, you're looking at me as if you're determining the best way to chop my head off and it's a little scary."

My cheeks flushed as I looked away and mumbled, "Sorry."

He gave brief smile before refocusing on the road.

With no other cars present, the Venom and us flew at our own speeds, nothing left to stop us. Our surroundings became more and more blurry as we curved and turned around bends and finally caught up to the Venom. I didn't dare check the speed.

Suddenly, the two cars turned left onto a narrow side road covered with trees.

"Where are we going?"

"If we continued on the mountain pass, we would've reached the small cabin community at the top of the mountain. This road leads to the mountain pass going back down."

"Wait, but the road between the mountain passes isn't until the very t-oh," I said, cutting myself off as I tried not to look stupid. I had been so focused on the Venom and not looking over the edge that I hadn't even noticed that we were one bend away from the top.

Both cars slowed down as they navigated the smaller, twistier road through trees. I caught a glimpse of one of the million dollar cabins in the distance, golden light spilling through the large windows with a silhouette in the middle watching us zoom past. Then, it was gone behind the trees.

Finally, we reached the two lane mountain pass again. Immediately both cars sped up. The race was, once again, afoot.

"Now for the dangerous part."

I turned my head so quickly that I got whiplash as I gave Tyler a death stare.

"What do you mean the dangerous part? Wasn't that dangerous enough for you?!"

"Yeah, but this is more," Tyler said. "We're going down hill at super high speeds and there are more curves since the constructors thought that it would force people to slow down. Not to mention that we're approaching the finish line. They're gonna go faster to secure their spot in first place and we have to go even faster to steal the spot back. Also, our tire health is gonna start deteriorating now because of the high speeds."

"This isn't going to end well," I mumbled. Tyler stayed silent.

Sure enough, the Venom started going faster than before, especially with gravity aiding them. Tyler shifted the gears and slowly pressed harder on the acceleration. Numbers flew across the dashboard.

195...

The uneasy feeling in my stomach increased as I shifted my feet and held the seat harder, knuckles turning white. I wanted to close my eyes at every turn, but couldn't. I needed to know what happens, to see what happens.

200..

We were descending faster than I thought, but we were still very high up. The way down looked like the way up, with a steep drop off into the ocean and nothing in the middle that could stop our fall.

205...

Tyler and the Venom kept pushing each other, trying to pass each other and cut the other off, but the other car would always speed up at the last minute. They chased each other to higher speeds, leaving sanity far behind.

210...

That's when the bend came into view.

It was a steep turn, the kind that would pass between two mountains. It was the hardest turn on this road as far as I could remember. And we were approaching it fast.

Neither Tyler nor the Venom were making any move to slow down. In fact, as we neared the bend the speeds ticked upwards, each daring the other to surpass them. I was too scared to speak.

215, 220, 225...

Holy motherfucking shit.

We're gonna die.

Suddenly, we were jerked sideways, the car spinning to the side as it tried to round the curve.

SHIT! THERE'S ONLY TWO LANES! WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER!!!

I closed my eyes as I waited for the feeling of weightlessness. It never came. I opened my eyes to find us speeding along the road, the Venom a few feet behind us as it struggled to round the bend. We must've drifted through the bend. I realized that the construction workers were smart and built an extra emergency lane at the bend.

Thank. The. Lord.

That's when it really hit me. Tyler just did a drift. A real life, professionally executed drift. At 230 mph. On the top of a mountain. Without falling off the edge.

Holy sweet son of god.

After this race is over, I'm definitely buying him a large ice-cream cone with two scoops and all the toppings that you could find. It's the least I could do for the amazing gentlemen next to me. 

The Venom that had fallen behind quickly caught up. The two cars battled as we curved around the mountains, descending down the deadly road. Finally, we got off of the mountain path and onto the main road. It wasn't long before crowds came back into view. Time started to slow again.

We approached the finish line which was marked by two white flags on either side of the road. Alyssa stood in the middle, on the lane divider, with a black and white checkered finish line flag. I vaguely noticed how the crowd was in a sense of hurry and evacuation but they stopped and watched the spectacle.

Tyler and the Venom were accelerating quickly, the Venom mere inches ahead of us.

240, 245...

My heart raced as the anticipation in my stomach became unbearable. I wanted to do something, anything, but I couldn't as I was forced to merely watch as the scene unfolded itself.

250, 255...

The roaring sound of the engine filled my ears, vibrating through every bone of my body.

260, 265...

The car started to shake, but Tyler kept pushing the gas pedal farther, his eyes locked ahead.

268, 269, 270...

The finish line neared, closer and closer.

271, 272, 273...

We had to win. We need to win for Julia. I need to win for Julia. I needed to get her out of the cell that should've been mine.

274, 275, 276, 277...

The car was shaking more violently now, but yet the Venom was still inches ahead.

278, 279, 280, 281...

Come on, come on, come on.

We zoomed past the finish line and started to slow down. The Venom was still right next to us, slowing down as well, but it was hard to understand what had happened. My breathing started to steady again and the butterflies in my stomach stopped fluttering.

"Who won?"

Tyler sighed and brought the car to a complete stop, "Hard to tell. We were too close."

"So what are we gonna do?"

Tyler leaned back in his seat,"Bentley has high-speed cameras hooked up to the finish line. He'll watch the footage and tell us who won," he turned and looked at me, "Come on. Let's get the tires changed before the police come."

He climbed out of the car and I followed suit. Immediately, the ground felt foreign as I stepped onto it, spinning under my feet. I placed a hand on the car to steady myself.

"Whoa," Tyler came to my side and held my arm. "Steady there."

"Is it always like this when you get out?"

Tyler shook his head, "The first time is the worst. You're body is adjusting to the vibrations and sitting at a low height like you were in the car. It'll fade in a few moments."

Sure enough the dizzying feeling was dissipating and my feet were starting to feel more at home on the ground.

"Thanks."

"No problem," he mumbled, but his focus was already trained on a figure approaching us in the distance.

"That's Bentley," Tyler said. "Come on."

He guided me away from the car and we walked towards where Bentley was standing, the two boys from the Venom following right behind. As soon as we left the Agera's side, people surged towards the car carrying tires and small fuel tanks.

Nice service.

I looked back at Bentley and noticed Alyssa and Jordan following close behind. Alyssa was carrying her usual smirk and still holding the finish line flag. Jordan's lips were pressed into a thin line, but when he spotted me he gave a small smile.

"Who won?" one of the other boys asked Bentley. 

Bentley sighed. "Normally we would have a huge speech to reveal the winner but I guess we need to wrap things up quickly now," he explained, mostly to me.

"So, who won?"

"It was a close race and you almost didn't make it, but in the end, it was Turbo."

I jumped and squealed and gave him a hug. He laughed at my reaction and hugged me back. Jordan gave him a clap on the back, beaming while Alyssa gave him a friendly peck on the cheek.

The other team members cursed a little but managed to give Tyler a handshake and whispered, "Good race," although the words were laced with venom, before storming off.

Bentley sighed again, feigning disappointment, and gave us a couple envelopes, "Here's the 30k. I couldn't fit it all in one envelope."

It was at that moment that I realized I still had my arms around Tyler. I pulled away and he accepted the envelope. Jordan took it from his hands to count the money.

Tyler's expression became a more serious, "What happened with crash?"

Bentley fidgeted with a golden ring on his finger, "I sent some men up there, but things are looking pretty bleak."

I remembered the sight of the cars burning and shivered, understanding what he meant.

Tyler ran a hand through his hair and shook his head, "Why the hell did you send someone so risky on the hardest path in such a competitive race?!"

"I don't know what got over Tony when he got on the track. He's usually more calm than that, you know it. I should've noticed the difference in his mood the moment he..." Bentley shook his head and trailed off before continuing, "There's nothing we can do now. I suggest you four leave before the police follow the route of the car crash to this location."

Tyler sighed and stared Bentley a moment longer before nodding and turning around. The three of us followed suite and started to leave.

"Oh, hey, Turbo!" Bentley called. We stopped and turned to find Bentley narrowing his eyes. Tyler smiled a little, knowing what would come next.

"Yes, Bentley?"

"You've caused enough trouble on these tracks and in my vicinity for the next ten years. Don't you ever come back. If I find you anywhere near me, I will personally sell you to the Italian mafia. Understand?"

"Yes, Bent."

Bentley narrowed his eyes at Tyler's challenging smile, but only sighed and said, "Now leave. And don't come back."

"Okay, Bent."

We resumed our journey to the cars. Jordan said he was going to the police station to release Julia and Alyssa demanded that she wanted to be there when she was released. Those two split off to Alyssa's car and Tyler offered to drive me home. I went with it, too tired to face Julia and the guilt that was sure to flood me the moment I saw her. I still had to do my homework, too.

As we approached the Agera, a thought occurred to me and I turned to Tyler, "Bentley acts so much like a tough father to you, it's kind of... strange."

"It makes sense," Tyler said as he gave a knowing smile and opened my door for me before opening his. "He is my Uncle, after all."

I sat in the car listening and waiting. After I had gotten over the initial shock of the news that he had presented, Tyler decided to tell me everything as he drove me home.

"Bentley," he started, "or, well, Benedict at the time was a little more... tame that my dad. He was more of a desk job type of person whereas my dad was, you know..."

"A race car driver," I filled in.

Tyler nodded, "That doesn't mean that Uncle Benedict couldn't drive. He was an excellent driver."

"Everyone in your family is an excellent driver."

"Not my mom," Tyler laughed. "She can't drive for the love of god. My dad banned her from driving anywhere on her own after she crash his Aston Martin into a street light. Why do you think she always has a driver?"

"Opposites attract, I guess," I mumbled.

Tyler gave me a look before clearing his throat, "Anyways, back to the story."

I refocused on his words.

"Benedict was a great businessman and within a year or so he had managed to climb all the way to the top of his working company and, before he even graduated college, he became the CEO."

I let out a low whistle, then realized that I couldn't whistle and decided to say, "Wow," instead.

"Yeah," he said, thankfully ignoring my failed attempt. "That's how he met my mom. She was already the owner of her company that was passed down from her parents and well respected. I think she met Benedict at a meeting somewhere. Eventually, she accidentally met my father because of him. Something about crashing a party and destroying chandeliers... I don't remember, exactly.

"So, then suites-and-ties-and-spreadsheets met family-disappointment-runaway-race-car-driver, and wham, you know what happened after that."

"You," I deducted.

"Yep."

"Wait, but how did Bentley, or Benedict, whatever, end up as an illegal race host?"

"Well, he was the CEO for a good four years, but then the chair people voted him out so he got fired and lost his job."

"Wait, what?! Why?"

Tyler stiffened, an almost unnoticeable change, and shrugged, "I don't know the details, but eventually he ran out of all of his savings and no one else would hire him. Again, I don't know why, but in the end, he was left on the streets."

"That's just so... disappointing."

Tyler nodded, "Yeah. Finally, he decided to follow my father's footsteps and get into racing. Obviously, his lack of experience and slightly older age made it difficult to get in professionally. So he changed his name to Bentley and pursued illegal avenues. It was good money, thousands of dollars a week. Much more than what you would get working two mediocre jobs. Of course, as I said before, he was an excellent driver. He, once again, climbed his way to the top, but this time he was determined to stay there. He secured his spot by taking over the whole operation."

"So he's been doing that ever since?"

"I think so. I don't really know that much about him. I got most of this from one of the regular racers that had been there ever since Bentley first showed up."

"Don't your parents ever talk to you about him?"

"Nope. I have vague flashes of him from when I was really young, maybe three or four, but after that, he just kind of disappeared. I think that's when he lost his job. Ever since, my parents didn't even acknowledge the fact that he existed."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess they just didn't want my criminal Uncle Bentley influencing me."

"So, I'm guessing your parent's don't know that you know him?"

"Nope," Tyler popped the p.

"What about Bentley? Does he know about you?"

"I think Bentley's aware that I'm his nephew. I don't know if he knows that I know, though. We're here."

It took me a moment to catch up with the second to last sentence. "Does Jordan or anyone else know?"

"No."

"Then why did you tell me?"

Tyler shrugged and looked at me, "I felt like it."

Our eyes were locked into what felt like an impromptu staring competition as I tried to read his mind and then got frustrated that I wasn't a Jedi.

"Julia will be fine," he told me.

Tyler must've assumed that she's what I'd been thinking about this whole time. In reality, I was thinking about Star Wars. And I should've been thinking about Julia, more than everyone else. She was sitting in the cell that was meant for me. But here I was, shamelessly talking to Tyler about his soap-opera family. I guess I had forgotten about everything when I was talking to Tyler. Guilt flooded back in again.

That's no excuse.

I nodded and got out of the car. 

"See you later, Chocolate."

"Goodbye Turbo," I mumbled back and made my way to the gate. I watched as Tyler drove off and in that moment one singular emotion had pushed its way inside my heart.

I had never felt more misplaced in my life.

Tyler: Vote if you want a ride.