Sissy shifted and tore up next to Paula Jo. She was about to slam into her when Paula Jo beat her to it, forcing Sissy into a spin that nearly took her out completely. Then Paula Jo went after Ronnie Lee.

“That bitch.”

And now, Sissy was pissed.

Mitch blew out a breath. “Okay. Now she’s pissed.”

Bren’s eyes never left the track. “How do you know?”

“I know.”

And as if to prove his point, Sissy tore up the middle of the track between 48 and 52. Once between them, she slammed first to the left, knocking 48 into the grass in the middle of track, and quickly swung back, knocking 52 into the wall.

“Wow.”

Mitch shrugged. “Told ya.”

The crowd went wild, everyone on their feet. Even the aunts behind them were screaming, “Rip those heifers apart, Sissy!”

Brendon leaned close, his mouth next to Mitch’s ear. “One day, when it’s just you and me in a soundproof room with a couple of beers, we’ll discuss how frightened we are right now.”

“You got it, bruh.” To seal their pact, the brothers banged their fists together before looking back.

Of course, what they witnessed then only freaked them out more.

Sissy screamed. No. Not the hysterical scream like she had a couple of nights ago when she found her parents were using her entire childhood home as some sort of sex club—and that whole thing would have her shuddering in disgust for years—but one of her “I’m ready to kill everybody!” screams. She didn’t use them often, but when she did, smart people got out of her way.

Of course, it wasn’t that Paula Jo wasn’t smart. She simply didn’t get out of anyone’s way for any reason. If they hadn’t been mortal enemies, Sissy would probably like the bitch.

She saw the flag and knew they were entering the final lap. That was pretty much the only flag they ever used in these races.

Sissy pressed down on the gas and shot out past the lions to ride alongside Ronnie Lee on her left. Ronnie was ahead and could win this, but the cats were trying their best to take her out because as hard as Lucy might try, she simply couldn’t handle speed the way Ronnie could.

Dee-Ann pulled up alongside on Ronnie’s right. Her car had massive dents on the fender and side panels, but Sissy knew her car looked worse. Of course, she had a worse temper than Dee.

The lions had one more lap to stop Ronnie or lose. They went for broke, pulling out a move Sissy didn’t remember ever seeing them do before—it must have been new.

Karen Jane pulled past Sissy and cut in front of her. Then she hit her brakes. Sissy had seconds to move, hitting her own brakes and turning her wheel; that’s when Paula Jo slammed into her from behind, knocking Sissy off the track and right into the grassy field inthe center.

Lucy shoved her way between Ronnie and Dee and took Dee out with a well-placed slam to her left side. Sissy’s cousin spun and hit the wall.

Okay. Sissy had been mad before, but now…

Sissy tore across the center of the track. In a normal race, completely illegal and sometimes physically impossible, depending on the track. But there were only two rules to this game—you couldn’t deliberately hit a car once the car was out, and you definitely couldn’t purposely hit a driver if they were outside their car. Either infraction got you time in either the Smithtown or Barron County jails.

Sissy hit asphalt, and she sort of fishtailed when her back tires landed. But she’d gotten where she needed to be. She’d timed it so Ronnie Lee was just passing her when she tore onto the track. She cut across the track, pushing Paula Jo and Karen Jane back. Lucy sneaked by, but Ronnie Lee would always be faster than that little girl. Sissy’s big concern was her older sisters.

Gritting her teeth, she swung wild and spun, her backend colliding with Paula Jo’s front. The inertia pushed Paula Jo into the back right of her sister’s car. That spun Karen Jane out and right into Sissy.

The power of that shoved Sissy, and suddenly…Sissy Mae was airborne.

When Sissy’s car flipped up and over, Mitch jumped to his feet, his heart ripping a hole in his rib cage. Then her car didn’t stop. It kept going, flipping right back into the grassy field she’d illegally used to make her insane move. He lost count of how many times she went over. But when she finally landed, Ronnie Lee had made the last lap, and the checkered flag flew.

Again, the crowd went wild, and Mitch was briefly reminded of the soccer riots in Europe before he jumped over the railing and tore across the track toward Sissy’s car.

He made it there before her brothers and without even thinking, ripped the crushed side door off the car, tossing it behind him. He might have hit someone, but he didn’t care.

“Sissy?”

He crouched beside her, relieved to see that she at least had on all the proper gear, from a six-point harness seat belt to a helmet that matched her all-black fire-retardant racing suit and a neck brace.

Christ knew she really needed that freakin’ neck brace.

“Sissy!”

Her eyes opened, and she blinked, looking around. When she finally looked at him, she asked one thing…

“Did we win?”

Chapter 21

They had to cut her out of the car because her seat—and her—had gotten lodged in by the crushed metal, making it impossible for her to get out on her own. Mitch helped, pulling her out completely when her uncles told him to. That’s when he asked her, “How many fingers am I holding up?”