License to Love

Chapter 12 Survival of The Fastest

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"Michelle, I'm gonna need you to trust me." Brook gave her such a defenseless gaze it made Michelle's heart drop. She slipped her hands in his, squeezing tight.

"Brook, who are these men? What do they want with you?" she asked, her voice trembling. Brook swallowed again, averting his eyes to the ground, unable to meet her eyes.

"They want me to race for them. They want... they want us to race." Brook said in a low defeated voice.

"But why?" Michelle asked, glancing quickly at them over Brook's shoulder.

"I – I'll explain later." He replied haltingly. "Right now, we gotta find a way to get out of here alive – and the only way to do it is to comply with their terms."

"Which are?"

"Race to survive." Brook closed his eyes for a second as the words left his lips. "Michelle, if there were any other way – these races are savage and brutal. And Zhang's men are ruthless. It's like signing a suicide pact just entering –"

"I'll do it." Michelle interrupted him, summoning up her courage. Brook looked up in surprise.

"What? But—"

"If that's the only way for both of us to get away, then I'll do it." Michelle had quickly assessed the situation and made her decision.

"Michelle, this isn't an ordinary race. It's a bloodbath." Brook looked so worried that Michelle's confidence shook a little.

"Do you have a better idea then?" she asked impatiently. The whole idea of a bloodbath race frightened her, but for Brook's sake, she had to keep her courage. They had to get out of this together.

"Time's up, Havens! Have you made up your mind?" Zhang asked. "Either you ride, or die."

"Michelle, this is killing me," Brook whispered, the tension palpable in his expression. Michelle cupped his cheek, trying to imbibe what strength she had left in him.

"We'll be okay. Trust me," She assured him softly. She turned to Zhang.

"We'll do it!" She told him loudly. Zhang narrowed his eyes at her.

"At least one of you is smart." He turned to Holden.

"Get Havens a car. The girl drives her own. The rest of you, get moving!" he barked. The men dispersed as they got ready to race. Michelle exhaled weakly.

"You okay?" Brook asked, holding her close. She nodded.

"Forget me, I was so worried when I saw you get dragged off." She said with concerned eyes. She shivered. Brook noticed she was not wearing a jacket and her bare arms were exposed. He shrugged out of his shirt leaving only his vest and put it on Michelle.

"What did I get us into?" he asked in a wretched voice, half to himself. Michelle met his eyes, the silent unspoken need for each other louder than words.

"So here's what's gonna happen." Brook shook himself back to reality as he laid down the rules for Michelle. "These street races are not like the mainstream ones. There are no rules and no restrictions. Like I said before, they're savage and the main goal is to survive and make it to the finish line in one piece."

"Okay." Michelle nodded, though her stomach tightened.

"They want us to race each other and they'll try their damnedest to ram us off the road and make it look like an accident. They won't care what happens to us." Brook took a deep breath. "That's why I want you to cross the finish line first."