Harrison always played by his own rules, and everyone else was forced to follow. “Dark Hole. The Nocturne. Aston Martin Valkyrle,” Selene announced, listing the cars she wanted. They were the three most expensive ones in Harrison’s garage.
In an instant, Harrison’s gaze sharpened, icy and penetrating, as if he could see right through Selene’s helmet.
“How do you know I have the Nocturne and the Valkyrie in my collection?”
His presence was so commanding that anyone else would have been shaking in their boots by now. But Selene had spent enough time around Harrison to be immune to his oppressive aura.
“Mr. Vaughn, a man capable of building a masterpiece like the Dark Hole must be a true car lover. I just made an educated guess–those two high–performance supercars are exactly the kind of thing you’d keep in your garage. So, Mr. Vaughn, would you be willing to part with them?”
Luna’s explanation was reasonable enough. As a professional racer, she could easily guess which cars Harrison might own.
But Harrison’s eyes remained fixed on Luna, dark and searching. “You know me well.”
He couldn’t shake the strange feeling that he’d met Luna somewhere before. He was tempted to rip off her helmet, just to see the face beneath.
“You can come collect the cars from the Vaughn estate any time in the next three days,” he said at last.
He wanted to see Luna in private, to see her not just as a racer but as the woman beneath the suit and helmet.
Selene wasn’t fazed in the slightest. “Then, Mr. Vaughn, could you give me the Dark Hole’s keys now?”
Her voice, muffled by the helmet and colored by a foreign accent, sounded different from usual.
But the man standing before her was her husband. And the young man beside him–their son. These were once the people closest to her, and yet after all this time, they couldn’t even recognize her voice.
She’d learned, bit by bit, how to play Harrison’s game.
1/3
21.30
Chapte
Harrison was like a wolf–ruthless, merciless. She knew what she was doing was like snatching food from a predator’s jaws.
Without hesitation, Harrison pulled out the Dark Hole’s keys and tossed them her way. The oval key spun through the air in a perfect arc and landed neatly in Selene’s hand.
The Dark Hole had been built for Natalie. If Natalie was watching from above, Selene hoped she’d be comforted knowing that her idol, Luna, would drive it on the
track in her stead.
Adrian came over and stood shoulder to shoulder with Selene.
Instantly, a deep frown furrowed Harrison’s brow. He found Adrian’s presence beside Luna more than a little irritating.
Selene handed the car key to Adrian. “Have someone take the Dark Hole to the garage.”
She made sure Harrison could hear her when she added, “And tell them to take it
apart and sell the pieces.”
The Dark Hole had cost even more to build than the Solarius, but it had no reputation or history. No collector would ever want to buy it whole. The only way to get any value out of it was to break it down for parts. Selene figured just the engine alone would fetch a few million.
A dangerous chill settled over Harrison’s face. “You’re planning to destroy the Dark Hole?”
“Mr. Vaughn, a bet’s a bet!” Selene and Adrian replied in perfect unison.
Selene’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that the connection she’d felt with her co–driver during the race was still lingering even now?
A vein pulsed beneath Harrison’s temple. He looked like he wanted to rip Adrian’s mouth right off his face.
But Adrian just grinned brightly, turning to look at the staff member behind him.
The staffer stepped forward, holding a bucket and sponge, and handed them to Harrison. “Mr. Vaughn, here’s what you’ll need for the car wash.”
Nobody dared get too close to Harrison–he was like a tiger baring its fangs. The staffer stopped a good three feet away, set the bucket down, and slid it over before making a hasty retreat.
Harrison let out a short, incredulous laugh. “I’d be delighted to serve the Solarius.”
2/3
21:39
“Who said you’d be washing the Solarius?” Selene and Adrian again spoke as one exchanging a look. They were perfectly in sync.
Harrison took a deep breath. What was going on? The more he looked at Adrian, the more irritated he felt.
