Acres, Natalie - Bang the Blower [Country Roads 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (10 page)

Chapter Ten

“Frank, I swear you can convince me to do anything,” Julie said, grinning as she slid through the window of the race car Frank had been dying to see her drive.

“I don’t know, little girl. I still haven’t seen you on that mare’s back. The two of ya haven’t bonded yet. You need to get down there in that field and get to know her, just you and her. Sit around down there and read a book. Let her come up and sniff around ya, and you’ll be thick as thieves before ya know it.”

Julie shook her head. “You saw her, Frank. After Duke left, I went down there and tried to catch her. She was too interested in kicking up her heels and showing off.”

He waved his hand in front of his face. “Don’t worry about that none. She’s ornery after her trip. Once she gets some rest, you’ll be able to get on her back.”

“She almost kicked me in the head,” Julie complained, thinking Frank should’ve been alarmed by the fact rather than dismissing the incident as a freak incident due to some sort of animal jet lag. The mare was temperamental, and after this afternoon, anyone could see that. Then again, she and Frank were used to mares like her. They used to break horses for a living.

Julie studied her older friend. Frank was getting up in years. He wasn’t the same anymore, and Julie had noticed the changes since she’d returned to the Hinmans’ world. He was still loyal to a fault, but he’d changed. Sometimes when she talked to him, he looked off in the distance like he didn’t hear a word she’d said. He used to hang on her every sentence.

“Well hurry up now. Get to drivin’. If you wanna practice without anyone around, you gotta hop to it.”

Julie slid on her helmet and waved. “I’ll see you on the start side of the finish line, Frank.” She used the familiar phrase they used to share between them, which meant she’d look for him as she crossed the finish line so they’d share their victories together.

He grinned. “Yes ma’am, I’ll be there with ya.”

“All right then,” she said, disappearing inside the car. Once there, she flipped switches, cranked the engine, and readjusted her seat. Trying to familiarize herself with a stock car after racing dragsters for several years took some time.

Clutching the wheel, she focused on the track, refusing to look at Frank now. It was bad luck, he used to say. He used to tell her, once you say good-bye, you don’t look back. Look forward. You gotta race to win, and you’ll never be a good competitor if you’re looking at what you pass up or leave behind.

One of the mechanics motioned her forward, rapidly rotating his wrist in a circular manner as he walked in front of her car. Several guys gathered at the fence. She had an audience of ten, and they seemed anxious to find out what this car could do.

After the first lap, Julie realized she was where she needed to be. Racing was more than her career. The sport was her hobby and her life. Three laps in, the men on the rail started to whoop and holler, and really cheer. And that’s when Julie decided to put on a show, the kind of exhibition stock car racing fans appreciated.

Practice run or not, Julie was ready to punch the pedal and find out what this car could do.

* * * *

Duke jumped out of the truck and slammed the door. He ran toward the track. The sound was like nothing he’d ever heard there at their practice facility before. It sounded like a professional driver having one hell of a qualifying run.

“Hurry up!” he yelled at Sam as he left his vehicle, too. “Julie’s on the track!”

Sam caught up to him and they ran side by side. “How do you know it’s Julie?”

They stopped at the top of the hill and Duke pointed. “Because no one drives like that! Hurry up!”

Duke ran down the hill waving his arms overhead, but instead of slowing down, she sped up. “Fuck! You’re such a show-off!” he screamed, waving his hands again when she passed, hoping she’d note the fear on his face, the concern in his eyes.

At increased and quite incredible speeds, Julie passed him on the rail and came up into turn four. Duke saw the brake lights, but the car didn’t slow down. “She can’t stop!” He jogged around the parameter of the track and stalked Frank, who was communicating with Julie.

Snatching the receiver out of his hand, Duke glared at Frank as he yelled in the transmitter, “Julie! Someone tampered with the brakes. Stay calm. That car is tough.”

“Duke!” she cried out, the fear in her voice.

“Honey, listen to me. I want you to stay low, get down near the field. When you come out of turn three, cut to the left, get infield. You’ll spin, maybe flip. But you’ll survive. Just stay off the wall, baby. Hear me. Stay with me.”

“Duke, damn it! I don’t have any brakes!”

“I know, Julie. I know!”

“She doesn’t have much gas,” Frank reported, turning to one of the mechanics. “You didn’t fill ’er up, did ya?”

“No, sir,” the young kid replied.

“Who would do this?” Frank asked, shooting Sam a glare.

“I wonder,” Duke retorted, watching as Julie struggled to get the car under control. He punched the button on the side of the radio and spoke into the device. “All right, baby, check your gas. How much you got?”

“I don’t know. I can’t see the gauge.”

“What do you mean you can’t see the gauge?”

“I can’t see the gauge!” A wail filled the line. “I can’t see anything!”

“Why wouldn’t she be able to see the gas gauge?” he asked Sam accusingly.

“There’s no reason.”

“Unless she’s going in shock,” Frank suggested.

“Someone call the paramedics,” Duke yelled toward the fence, holding his breath as Julie fought with the wheel, the car spinning and reeling out of control as she did her dead level best to stay on the track. And there was no question, Julie was once again fighting for her life.

“She should be out of gas,” Frank reported.

Duke hurriedly said, “Stay with us, Julie. You got a choice, baby. Ride this out or bring that car infield. If you slide in, you’ll try and make it to the runaway ramp in the center. Chances are, you’ll wreck before you get there. Take your chances, baby. Drive, girl. Frank says there isn’t much gas left. Just drive it out like you know how to do.”

Sam glared at Duke. “She’s not gonna make it. That car is banging over a hundred miles per hour. There’s no way she can keep coming into those turns without crashing.”

“Evidently you’ve never seen Julie drive a stock car. She grew up in these vehicles. Before she knew drag racing, Julie knew these cars better than a man driving them or mechanic fixing ’em.”

He stared at Sam point-blank then. He could only imagine what the new fellow was probably thinking. If Sam told the truth about Frank, and the bill of sale suggested he may have, then Frank deliberately put Julie in danger. For all Duke knew, the damn car could have had a full tank of gas!

About the time Duke began to question whether or not Julie would run out of fuel, the car started to putter. Minutes later, Julie’s four tires screeched to a halt. She barreled out, storming down the track.

Oh, she was pissed. And Duke wondered who’d catch the brunt of her anger.

She stomped toward them, flipped the shield up on her helmet and screamed, “What the hell happened out there!”

By the time she reached them, her protective headgear was tucked under her arm. Damp with tearstains on her cheeks, her puffy eyes and smeared mascara proved she’d been crying.

“Julie, honey, it’s all right. We’ll find out what happened. We’ll get to the bottom of this,” Duke assured her, trying his best not to knock Frank sideways. Could he be responsible for something like this? Surely not.

Then again, the evidence suggested he didn’t care about Julie’s welfare.

“I’m supposed to trust you!” she accused, shoving the helmet against his gut. “You were supposed to build this incredible car.” She slapped his arm. “It was equipped with all these safety features.” The tears came. “And let’s not forget the superior brakes that you said were untouchable! ‘No one can tamper with them’ you said!”

“Julie, listen—”

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say!” she screamed, ranting as she stormed toward the garage. “I’m tired of listening!” She stopped, turned around and glared at all of them—Sam, Frank, Duke, and the rest of the crew. “Somebody wants me dead! Apparently none of you understand that, or if you do, you just don’t care!”

“Julie, honey…”

“Don’t you ‘Julie honey’ me!” she raged. “You promised me a car that was second to none, the safest vehicle on the road or the track. That’s what you said!”

“He told you the truth, Julie,” Frank said, glaring at Sam. “There’s no way anyone can tamper with those brakes unless they’re on this team. Sam has a security code on the wiring. If someone messes with your car, an alarm goes off and—” He stopped talking all at once. He studied Sam with intense eyes. “The only way the alarm isn’t activated is if someone unhooks the security system which is coded and virtually impossible unless…”

“Unless what?” Duke demanded.

Sam and Frank glared at one another. Their eyes were cold. Frank looked mad enough to kill him. Sam appeared smug. In fact, he came across as a man who didn’t have anything to worry about.

At that point, Frank clenched his fists and his teeth. After his nostrils flared a few times, he said, “The only way that alarm wouldn’t go off is if the person who designed the security system decoded several of the alarm triggers. Only one man on this team has the knowledge required to disengage the system.”

“Two people knew about that feature,” Sam reminded him. “You and Hank.”

“Hank didn’t snip the wires on that car,” Frank said confidently. “And I’d cut my own arm off before I’d harm this little girl. And that’s not what I said in the first place. I said only one man could’ve done this. You and I both know that, Sam. If Hank were here, he’d tell you to get the hell off his property. That is, if he didn’t kill you first.”

“Frank!” Julie yelled.

“Little girl,” Frank began firmly, “there wasn’t a thing wrong with that car yesterday. Me and the boys went over it with a fine-tooth comb. We often check things out whenever Sam isn’t around.”

“And why would you do something like that?” Sam asked.

“Reckon after today, you can put two and two together,” Frank replied. “I don’t trust you.”

The men stood nose to nose. Duke couldn’t remember a time when Frank looked more furious.

“You got a right to your opinion, old man,” Sam said, obviously trying to get a reaction.

“Why you…” Frank went after him, and Duke stepped between them while some of the crew held them off one another.

“That’s enough!” Duke yelled, forcing the men to part ways. “This is madness. The two of you work on the same team.”

“Not anymore I don’t,” Sam said bitterly. Turning on Duke, he added, “You have a few choices to make. You know what I’m talking about. I’ll be back tomorrow when I cool off. You let me know what you decide.”

Frank narrowed his gaze. His eyes were full of questions, but he didn’t ask them. He was more concerned about Julie, and the sincerity was evident in the way he studied her.

Didn’t Duke know better than to doubt Frank? Hadn’t Frank proven throughout the years how much he loved Julie?

Debating on whether or not to address the bill of sale on the crazy mare, Duke finally decided against discussing it. He was afraid he’d choose a side without meaning to do so and effectively, choose the wrong one. Instead, he faced Julie and forced a smile. “Honey, I know you were scared.”

“Is that the best you can do?” she asked, her voice raised an octave higher. “I was terrified. Let
your
coveted life pass in front of your face and you’ll see why I don’t trust myself in
any
car right now.”

“The car didn’t let you down,” Frank told her. “Whoever got their hands on that wiring did the damage, Julie.” A beat later he added, “And as far as trusting yourself? You’re the best driver I’ve seen in a long time. If you drove out of that mess there, you can drive yourself out of anything. I always said you were sharp and gutsy, little girl. You confirmed that belief out there today.”

“I don’t care. I never want to see another race car again. I’m done. Do you hear me, Frank? I’m finished!”

“After coming out of this without a scratch? Julie, no one handles a car like that. You should’ve been in the wall or flipping metal. You’re where you need to be. Racing stock cars and taking names. No one will beat you. You were one of the finest in drag racing. Come on over to stock cars. Let’s make women out of those boys who think they’ve got a right and claim to the winner’s circle.”

“Is that all you can say to me, Duke Hinman? I almost died out there!”

“When?” Frank asked. “I didn’t see nothin’ but good driving out there. I agree with Duke and myself—course that’s a given—even when you were in trouble, I had confidence you’d pull out of it and hold it together.”

“You did not,” Julie said, her voice finally back at a normal pitch. “I heard you tell someone I was going into shock.”

“What’s an old man know anyhow?” Frank asked, giving her a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead.

When Frank released her, Duke quickly snatched her hand. “Come on, Julie. I want to talk to you privately.”