Free Freefall by Tess Oliver Page A

always make a point of calling him Fucker.”
    I shook my head. “You really are an asshole.”
    “Yep, but he did a nice job on that Nova. You should race him in the Firebird.” Having a race car driver for a dad, I’d always just assumed I would follow him in to the business. He had me driving around the track by the time I was twelve. And for awhile, even though he was gone, I thought I would still race. But those dreams faded away eventually, much to Nana’s relief.
    “Hey guys,” Taylor poked her head in between us. She had tied her blouse up to expose her flat, brown stomach, and she had her hair in two braids. Her jeans were cut off so short the bottoms of her pockets stuck out below the fringed hem.
    Clutch stared down at her. “I was just wondering where the annoying pest, Taylor, was tonight.”
    She pushed her face up toward his. “Why, were you waiting to see me?”
    “Right. Don’t flatter yourself, Sweetheart.”
    She pulled her phone out to read a text and then squinted into the crowd. A couple of young, straight out of high school guys, were waving her over. Taylor shrugged and texted something back to them. “So did you sell a car tonight?”
    “No, I didn’t. Selling cars is a little more complicated than that,” Clutch said tersely.
    “Really, cause I heard that Mikey from over at Baron’s shop sold three cars tonight without ever leaving his beach chair.”
    I laughed. “Maybe you need a beach chair.”
    “He sells his stock dirt cheap, that’s why.”
    Her phone buzzed again, and she read the text. The two guys had not given up yet.
    “Why don’t you go play with your little friends?” There was always pure tension in Clutch’s tone when he spoke to her, but it wasn’t anger. It was frustration.
    She waved to the guys. “I’ve got plenty of them out there.”
    Clutch crossed his arms, something he did a lot around her, and I was pretty sure it was out of self-preservation. “And yet, you stand here and annoy me.”
    She stepped in front of him and lifted her chin up in the air, a gesture she’d perfected. “Don’t flatter yourself, Clutch.” She turned away and headed for the guys who had been texting her.
    Clutch watched her walk away the same way I’d watched Scotlyn leave. “Why the fuck does she dress like that?”
    I looked over at him. “Like what?”
    He dropped his arms, finally able to relax now that she was out of reach. “Like one of those Daisy May farmer’s daughters. You know with the old man who sleeps with his damn hunting rifle and the poor unsuspecting salesman shows up to the house and the daughter seduces him.”
    I lifted a brow and stared at him. “Well, I’m going to go out on a limb and say she’s dressed that way because she’s seventeen and she likes the attention.” I smiled. “Farmer’s daughter? A fantasy of yours?”
    “Shut the hell up, Nix. And look who’s talking? Just how fast did you slip into the bathroom to jack off after that girl walked away from you? I saw you coming around the building.”
    He could sense my anger and he shut up fast.
    “I think I’ve had about enough of this place tonight,” I said. “I think I’m going to head to the harbor.” As I turned to leave, a convertible Mustang pulled up, and the driver laid on the horn.
    Clutch’s shoulders tensed. “What the hell is she doing?”
    The two guys that Taylor had left to talk to were pulling her toward the Mustang. Taylor was laughing at first but then her smile faded. She was struggling to get out of their grasp, but they got her to the car, picked her up, and tossed her into the backseat. I’d never seen Clutch move so fast. He stood in front of the car like Thor and scowled down at the driver. The idiot laid on the horn again, but Clutch didn’t budge.
    “Get out of the car, Taylor.”
    “She’s with us,” the driver, who apparently had a death wish, said confidently. “Why don’t you go back to your beanstalk?”
    I walked over to the car and