Aurora

Chapter 6 | Archer

This was not my best race. I might've won, but I know that this was by far my worst race ever. I get the cash prize, take the medal I always get, do my pose on the stage to keep my image, then leave the stage.

My mind is only on one thing: Getting Bobby out of here. This isn't her scene. I saw the smile on her face as she watched me on the stage, I know she doesn't know who I am or she wouldn't have smiled the way she did.

Faye's brother Heath is on his way to his sister, ready to celebrate his second prize, but I block his path before he reaches her.

"What the fuck were you and your sister thinking bringing Bobby here?" I demand an answer. Nobody knows that I'm Ace, nobody except for the Alden family and so I should be careful with the loose threats. They could easily expose me.

The Graff and the Alden family have been in this fight for as long as I can remember, but when me and Heath started racing, things escalated. At first, I did it for a little extra cash because as rich as my family was, I didn't see a penny unless I worked for it – or raced. And even when I worked for it, I made less than expected. I don't hate that though, I think it shaped me to become the hard worker that I am.

Faye's dad however lost everything while gambling and lying. Gambling on racers and lying to his children.

"That's all Faye, if you want to talk to someone, talk to her," he says. Then his lips curve into a smile. "Or maybe talk to your wife?"

When I ran off to Vegas, married Bobby, then came back, the news of my being married quickly spread. People here know I'm married, they just don't know who I'm married to and so they also don't know who Bobby is. But Heath and Faye know. And so does their dad.

I could've avoided this whole thing if I'd just stopped Garrett Alden from betting on me, he wouldn't have lied to Heath and I could've let Heath win instead to pay off whatever was going on between our families. And if Garrett hadn't told Heath that he bet on his own son, Heath wouldn't have paid off his friend to hit my motorcycle, causing me to lose and therefore Heath to win and Garrett to lose all his money.

To this day, the entire Alden family blames me, even though Garrett was the one who fucked up his own kids lives. They all know what really happened, they all know that it wasn't me. But it's easier to blame me than their own father, and I understood that at first and respected their decision.

Except then Faye happened. They decided that to get their money back, they would let Faye marry me so she'd have access to my money and then get the Alden family back to their riches.

Not that anyone ever noticed they lost it all. But they know. And I know. And they could break me if I'm not careful.

"Or does your wife not know you race motorcycles?" He narrows his eyes. I'm taller than him, just by an inch, but we're totally different body types. He's broad, his red hair is messy and his jaw is covered by a dark scruff. I'm taller and a little leaner, which doesn't mean he's stronger than me. We're just opposites.

I don't answer him right away, because I don't know what to say. This lie of mine gets untangled with everything that Bobby does, and she has no idea what she's doing. I've focused too much on making sure the divorce doesn't happen, and I forgot to make sure she stays close to me so that the reason this divorce can't happen ruins everything.

Fuck, her being here messes everything up.

"Of course she knows," I tell him, "I just told her to keep it down." I don't finish my sentence, because he knows exactly why. Every single rider, including Heath, enjoys their time with women. My marriage is messy. Nobody knows to who I'm actually married to except Heath, Faye, and their family.