BEAR AND I HEADED OUT of town, our bikes tied down in the box of my truck.

My mood plummeted after Johnny returned to the house, and it showed in the stewing silence.

Nadine and I shifted from our place on the couch as he swung the front door open, only to slam it shut when he stepped inside.

The house shuddered, and Nadine flinched. If she was worried about Johnny seeing us cuddled together in the dimly lit living room, she didn't show it. Not as she flattened a palm against my chest and rose. "Did you find him?"

"Does it look like I found him?" Johnny shot back as he made his way to the kitchen.

My fists clenched, but I kept my remark sealed behind my teeth. This was Paul Bell's house, not mine, but if it was—

Paul came up from the garage. White brows pinched. "What happened?"

Johnny opened his beer with nonchalance, but his expression was as stiff as his shoulders. "If you want a ride, Nadine, you better grab your things."

I might have told him to fuck off. That if he insisted on being a prick, I'd take her home myself, but Nadine and I agreed to keep our relationship private and dropping her off at home on a Saturday night would raise suspicions. School was fine. We were both heading to the same place, but outside of that...

Nadine squeezed my hand when she rose off the couch, guiding me out the patio doors. I closed the door, and Johnny's palms immediately splayed to the floor, his face red and contorted with anger as he explained to Paul what happened.

I didn't bother watching. I waited with Nadine in the guest house until her uncle was ready and called Bear. 

We pulled off the highway and onto a hidden road that led to an old industrial park. If Johnny couldn't find Nico, I would, and I had a pretty good idea of where to look.

The chain-link fence lay open, with two burly dudes I recognized immediately. I rolled down my window, arm propped.

"Entry is twenty dollars," he said, his gaze glued to his clipboard.

I held out my money, my smile quirked as Kirk looked up, realizing who I was. "Oh shit, Hunt. What's good?"

He took the hand I offered and bumped my fist before reaching over to greet Bear. "Morin here?" I asked.

"Yeah. He got here about twenty minutes ago." Kirk leaned back, glancing at the box. "You racing?"

"We didn't bring the bikes for show," Bear piped up.

Kirk scoffed, "Smart ass." He pointed as I pulled ahead. "Make sure he stays out of trouble."

"I can't make any promises."

Swarms of people covered the lot, their cars and trucks parked in a long-outstretched circle. Tailgates lay down, trunks like open mouths.

Bear's smile broadened as the bass of the music grew. "Woooo!" he crowed. "It's been a while since we've been to one of these." To an unsanctioned and completely illegal race.

"A few years," I said, spotting Morin's truck.

After my mom passed, these popup race events were like a sanctuary. Perfect for kids like Nico and me to let off a little steam, but they were dangerous. And if we were caught, well...

I parked my truck next to Morin's and stepped onto the concrete in my black hoodie, adjusting my backwards hat. There'd be no registration tonight, no jerseys or assigned numbers. Anything went at these events, meaning you rode at your own risk.

Tugging gloves over my hands, I opened the backdoor for my goggles and helmet, leaving Bear and Morin to unstrap the bikes.

The smell of burning rubber lined my nose, thanks to the riders spinning circles in the center of the lot, showing off their bikes and skills, including the one I was looking for. 

Nadine's little brother positioned himself in the centermost ring, stealing the crowd's attention. I recognized him immediately by his black KTM, almost an exact replica of his dad's. Logan Bell held out his phone, snagging content for Instagram, I'd wager.

I shook my head as he stopped, took off his helmet and welcomed a pretty redhead against his side.

Paul was right. We had more in common than I realized.

Morin perched himself on the tailgate next to me, a white backwards cap that matched his shirt atop his head and a bottle of water in hand. "When did he get here?" I asked, needing to lift my voice over the base and screech of tires. 

"Ten minutes ago," Morin replied. "He rode on in here with Heather seated in his lap. Chest to chest."

I lifted my brows, and Morin nodded. "Yep."

I sucked in a long breath. Bear followed me toward the center, where I found Lucy, the one who started these events. "What's the buy-in?"

She turned, long feather-like hair sweeping across a pink leather coat. "Hunt?"

I smirked.

"Hey baby," she greeted, stretching her arms wide, "long time no see."

I embraced her, ignoring her latest conquest and keeping my gaze fixed on Nadine's little brother.

"I'd watch your hands, Lucy," Bear warned. "Hunt's spoken for."

Lucy lifted her thin brows high. "Really?"

"Hard to believe, huh."

"Hard to believe, indeed," she agreed. "Who is she?"

"None of your business," I answered and cut Bear with a look of warning. Not because I wanted Lucy's affection but because I didn't need anyone asking questions about Nadine. And he damn well knew it. My dad wasn't a forgiving man, and if he found out I was here in search of Nadine's brother, there'd be hell to pay.

She looked me up and down, curious but she didn't prod. "You racing tonight?"

I held up my money, and her smile broadened.

Her gopher called out, gathering everyone who wanted a piece of the action, including Nico, whose face dropped at the sight of me. "Hunt?"

"Nico," I greeted as Lucy plucked the wad of cash out of his hands.

His stunned look was almost comical. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious," Bear answered, handing over his cash.

"Alright!" Lucy yelled, standing on an old crate. "This is an unsanctioned race. That means videos are NOT permitted. If you get caught filming, Logan—" She twisted around, finding Nadine's little cousin. "—You're out."

He lifted his hands in mock surrender, a broad smile stretched across his face.

I crossed my arms, listening as Lucy explained the 'snitch' rule when Bear leaned in. "For an anything-goes race, there sure are a lot of rules."

I grinned. "Things have changed, that's for sure."

Lucy finished, and the crowd dispersed, all grabbing their bikes. All except Nico. "Seriously, Hunt, what are you doing here?"

I continued walking to my truck, Bear at my side.

"Did Nadine send you?" he asked lowly, keeping pace.

I laughed. "Nadine doesn't even know you're here."

"Then why are you here? Did you follow me?"

"You're the one who wanted to train. I'm simply showing up."

Worry gleamed in his eyes. "This is an unsanctioned race," he reminded, halting when Morin handed off my bike. "If you get caught, you'll lose your sponsorships."

"Good thing I won't be getting caught."

He frowned.

We walked our bikes to the start, which was nothing more than a line of red and white spray paint. The track here was different than the one's Bear and I rode, filled with rocks, holes and dips that could send you flying from your seat and straight into a coma if you weren't careful. It was spread too wide for me to assess, not in the dark anyway, but I'd hazard a guess and say there were obstacles. Each corner was lit by a burning barrel and overseen by a volunteer.

I adjusted my gloves, my bike held between my thighs. Nico pulled up next to me. "Last chance Hunt."

I smirked, clipping my hat onto my jeans' belt loop and reached for my helmet. "I'll leave if you do."

Nico pursed his lips.

"Have it your way then."

I stuffed my helmet on my head, adjusting my goggles as Lucy walked out onto the concrete.

She lifted her arms. "Ready?!"

I held my break—adrenaline spiking.

"Three. Two. One." Her arms dropped. "Go!"

A/N: Well, we found Nico! Anyone else think it's cute that Hunt went to look for him? Just me?

November 8, 2022: Today is a very special day for me because exactly one year ago, I posted the first chapter of SNOWCROSSED! I didn't expect it to grow the way it did and I wanted to say thank you to everyone who read it! I appreciate you so much!