Fast and Loaded: A Bad Boy Sports Romance by Roxy Sinclaire Page B

are never able to be driven again.”
    “Jesus,” I muttered under my breath.
    I had no idea that sandstorms could be so bad. It was a lot like hearing about any other weather you weren’t familiar with. The idea in your head never seemed to match the reality. I had to wonder if Curtis wasn’t being more dramatic than what was needed. Desmond was probably just being careful. Luke, though, he was stupid, he would try and navigate through it.
    Before I could think about all the other alternatives, people started to pile out of the bar.
    “They’re headed back, but the storm is right behind them too.” announced Curtis.
    I noticed that not only were people exiting the bar, but they were leaving all together. My heart began to sink. A storm that would drive people away from seeing who won the race had to be bad. I was scared for Desmond and for Theresa.
    I knew that I could fix anything on the car, but I couldn’t replace Desmond. Headlights rose out of the dust, coming in fast.
    “There,” I said in a hushed tone.
    The remaining people looked and started to talk amongst themselves. I didn’t know if it was the cars or the storm following close behind them that was making them talk, though. From the looks of it, the storm was the hot topic now. The drivers came rushing in, parking their cars and climbing out. The crowd, still larger than I had realized was cheering.
    Desmond was the clear winner to my relief. I couldn’t contain myself as I ran to him and he engulfed me in a bear hug.
    I could see the damage to the cars right away. Thankfully most of it looked pretty much cosmetic. I didn’t wait for the two men to start their banter. Instead, I wanted to make sure that Theresa was still okay underneath the hood.
    The look on Luke’s face though stopped me dead in my tracks. It sent chills down my spine. Desmond didn’t see it though as he spun around to the crowd, they were cheering on their champion.
    “Oh, Luke my man, I look forward to having you and your boys polish my girl up,” said Desmond with a smile and a hearty laugh.
    Luke laughed, “That’s a small price to pay. If I were you, I would be more worried about whether or not your “girl” is ever going to race again.”
    The smile fell from Desmond’s, and he glanced back at me. I had no idea what Luke was talking about, but he looked pretty sure of himself. I jogged to the hood and unsnapped the latches. Right away, I felt my heart drop down to my stomach. I didn’t need to hear Luke’s words, but I couldn’t drown them out of my head. The silence around us was deafening.
    “What the hell is he talking about Amber?” asked Desmond in a low voice.
    “Oh, sorry Desmond. Let me fill you in. See, a sandstorm won't ruin a car unless someone left off a filter.” said Luke.
    He climbed into his car, his crew already loading up to leave. “Just let me know when you want that washing, pal.”
    Luke’s tires squealed off into the night, and I felt Desmond’s eyes on me. They were boring holes into me. In all my years of racing, I had never used a heavy duty filter. They were nothing but dead weight. I did, however, always know to put one on. I checked where the filter should have been under the engine, and my face went pale. There was nothing there but sand, caked into the opening and sealing it shut like glue.
    “Oh my God,” I whispered.
    “Amber,” said Desmond in an eerily calm voice. “What the hell is going on?”
    I rose back up to stand in front of him. I couldn’t find the words. In my head, I imagined that this was what a veterinarian might feel like when they had to tell someone their pet wasn’t going to make it. The longer I waited, the more I saw his temper building up inside of him.
    For the first time in my life, I was speechless. I couldn’t find the words that I knew were going to break his heart. I needed to speak, but my throat was dry.
    “Amber!” he yelled, his hands started to shake.
    I shook my head, “I’m so