𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝑶𝒇 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆

Let's race

We sped down the highway, the city lights blurring together as Eli's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly.  Adam, bound and gagged, sat in the backseat, his eyes wider with fear, I glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing Carter's car gaining on us. Now that I see his face clearly, must admit that Ashton is a spitting image of his Dad. 

"Eli, he's getting closer!" I warned, my voice tight with anxiety. 

Eli's eyes flicked to the mirror, his jaw clenched in determination. "Hold on, Ava"

The car surged forward, the engine roaring as Eli pushed it to its limits. I felt the rush of adrenaline, my heart pounding in my chest. Carter's car pulled up alongside us, his eyes fixed on Eli with a fierce intensity. Eli didn't flinch, his focus on the road ahead. We were evenly matched, our cars pushed to gain speed. 

The highway stretched out before us looking like spread out ribbons.  Eli took advantage of every shortcut, every bend, expertly handling the car. Carter kept pace, mimicking our each move aiming to never lose sight of us. 

Eli's skills comes from years of racing and that's when I realize the similarity between Eli and Carter. The way they counter attack each other's move is not adrenaline induced, it's muscle memory. That's when the pieces starts to fit in like an unresolved puzzle, the unspoken enmity between them when we got kidnapped. 

Carter is Eli's opponent in racing, he is the gigantic figure I once saw getting upset over Eli's win. I never stayed back to see him reveal his face because it meant nothing to me. 

"He is your rival in racing" I whisper to Eli and his brows dip in confusion. 

"How the hell do you know about my racing?" he yells back without losing his focus. 

"You aren't the only stalker in our relationship you know" I tell him. 

His lips curve at the ends but he never lets his focus drift away from the road. We reached a straight road, and Eli let the speedometer climb higher and higher. Carter kept pace, his car neck and neck with ours. Suddenly, Eli yanked the wheel to the left, taking a sharp turn. The tires screeched in protest, but he held tight. Carter wasn't so lucky. He made a mistake while turning making his car fishtailing wildly. 

Eli took advantage of the momentary distraction. Our car surged forward and we shot ahead leaving him behind. But he wasn't giving up, he had managed to regain control of his car and was hot on our heels once again. Eli's eyes flicked to the mirror, his expression grim. 

"Fucking Bastard. Hold on tight, starlight" he said. 

The next few minutes was a blur of speed and adrenaline putting Eli's skill to the test. But the menace isn't far behind us. 

"Here we go" he said and that's when I noticed the narrow gap between two buildings. Eli squeezed through the gap but our car was scraping against the walls. Carter tried to follow but his car was too wide resulting in the worst possible accident. 

Luck was not in our side either, because our car lost the control, smoke coming out of the hood and our car crashed. I felt a wave of pain, my head spinning. I turned to see Eli reaching out for me protecting my head before I lost consciousness. 

When I opened my eyes again I was surrounded by white curtains and lights and two concerned figures hovering over me. 

"Mama.. Papa" my voice coming out hoarse. 

"How are you feeling, baby?" Mama touches my head. 

"Like I've been tossed from the tallest building" I tell her. 

"The doctor said you'll feel better after taking bed rest for two days" Papa says holding my hand. 

"How did I get here? What happened?" I ask him confused.