Chapter ten — Temporary Wheels.

  Alex leans against the MR2, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. The turbo’s gone, the oil’s still leaking, and the reality is clear: he isn’t driving that car anywhere for a week.

  Chloe watches him silently, arms crossed. “You’re really going through with it, huh?”

  He nods slowly. “Yeah. I don’t care how crazy it is — I’m doing it.”

  She exhales sharply. “Figures.” She walks over to the corner of the garage where her three Japanese tuners sit in a neat row — a faded black S14 Silvia, a silver AE86, and a dark blue Evo VI wagon. None of them built for races like this, but all well-maintained, reliable, and tuned enough to keep a competent driver alive.

  “I’m lending you one,” she says. “Take your pick.”

  Alex steps closer, eyeing the cars. “All of these will survive a city run?”

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  Chloe smirks. “If you don’t try to turn them into MR2 twins. They’re not as fast as what Vance’s got, but they’ll get you there without catching fire.”

  He runs his hand over the Evo’s hood. “Not bad. Sleeper looks. I like it.”

  “Good,” Chloe says. “You’ll need it. Don’t wreck it, Mercer. Or I’ll make sure you pay for it.”

  Alex laughs lightly, though his chest is still tight with tension. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  He climbs in, feeling the difference immediately — no turbo hiss, no screaming exhaust, just solid engineering under the hood. Not a race car, but dependable. He checks over the gauges, the tires, and the shifter. Chloe had tuned them well; just enough to handle fast corners, quick stops, and city traffic.

  “Be careful out there,” she says. “This isn’t a street run. You get heat, you don’t have a backup.”

  Alex nods. “I know.”

  She gives him that old, familiar look, the one that’s equal parts ex-girlfriend and mechanic mentor. Leaning forward, she presses a quick kiss to his cheek — a gesture of care, not romance. “Call me if you’re not dead.”

  He grins, sliding the Evo into gear. “You’ll hear from me.”

  The streets are already alive with morning traffic. Alex merges quietly, staying low-profile, the car blending into the crowd. Behind the wheel, he can feel the tension building — Vance’s job, the thrill of what comes next.

  He knows this is the start of something bigger.