Royally Chosen Christmas (Royal Sons MC #7) - Elle Boon Page 0,35

parading around, which she was sure they probably did or could, but she wasn’t judging, much.

In truth, Louis gave her the creeps the way he was always watching her. However, she’d brushed her feelings aside until he’d crossed the line a week ago, scaring her more than any man ever had. Talena closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to think about what had almost happened. She still wasn’t sure if she’d dreamed it, or if it had happened. No matter, she wasn’t drinking before or after races anymore unless she brought her own liquor or if it was from an unopened bottle. Definitely not drinking any shots or whatever the fuck she’d had last time.

The sound of engines firing up startled her from memories best forgotten, or in her case, memories not remembered.

She didn’t do like a lot of the drivers did and rev her engine. Many liked to show off with how loud their motors could get. In her opinion, all that did was risk overheating your engine, and she wasn’t foolish enough to do something like that.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Louis sitting in his car next to her, his arm on the open window. If he wasn’t such a creepy asshole, he’d have been a guy she’d have said was hot as fuck. He wasn’t very tall, maybe just shy of six foot, but he had black wavy hair he pulled back in a low ponytail. His dark complexion was flawless and his dark eyes had many women taking second looks. It was the eyes that made you think of sin, and they were also evil as fuck in her mind. His lips were full. She’d immediately noticed them when he’d talked. Combine all that with his extremely muscular physique, and he’d have been a high nine, until he opened his mouth, or you looked into his eyes. There was no denying the depravity inside him once you did either.

The first week she’d raced him, she’d won by a small margin. He’d been all smiles and congratulations. Talena had thought he was a great guy, a great loser, until a half hour after the race. She’d stumbled upon him and a few others who were with him. The things they’d said about her and what they’d planned to do to her made her blood run cold. They’d laughed when Louis had compared her to the last bitch he’d taught a lesson to when you fucked with him. The way he reminisced about making the nameless woman suck his cock after he’d beaten her, was said with such pleasure she’d felt sick. It had taken everything in her to walk away quietly, praying they didn’t hear her. The next day, she’d convinced herself they were guys just making shit up, but then she’d heard more whispers throughout the races, and then Rosalie and her girls came. She was such a little bitch, and her friends were just as bad. Yet there was no denying Rosalie got off on hurting others, especially women who she felt were her competition. On more than one occasion, she’d seen the gaggle of women gang up on someone they felt were competition or anyone they took a dislike to. Talena fell into one of their categories even though she wanted absolutely nothing to do with any of the men Rosalie and her bitch friends fawned over.

“Mind on the race,” she said, making sure she didn’t look toward Louis directly. From her periphery, she’d noticed Rosalie getting into the vehicle with him. Only five minutes more to go before it was time to race. She had to wonder if the other woman was going to ride with him or what but knowing every extra pound of weight could fuck with how well a car did, said he wouldn’t allow it.

A girl in a pair of booty shorts and a bra like top moved up to the front minutes later, waving a flag. She forgot about Louis and his bullshit. After this race, she was going to move on. This area wasn’t the only place there was to find a spot to race. Sure, it was organized, and the cops didn’t seem to patrol as heavily, but the bullshit that was everything else wasn’t worth it. Mind made up, she felt as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders.

Her car rumbled under her, familiar, exhilarating. She let the motions that were like second nature take