High-Sided: An Armed & Dangerous Novel by L.P. Dover Read Free Book Online Page B

thoughts of our next meeting, I investigated the three gamblers Richard had put on the list. There was nothing that led me to believe they were responsible for Levi’s death. None of them were in or around the city when it happened.
    The sound of Micah’s truck rumbling down the gravel driveway brought me from my thoughts. I opened the front door. His motorcycle was in the back, strapped down.
    Getting out of the truck, he stretched his arms above his head and inspected the cabin. “Nice place,” he said.
    “I lived here when I raced. Turns out it was available.”
    He followed me inside and it was strange how everything felt like home to me. The owners had kept everything the same, except for an upgraded kitchen. Other than that, the furniture was the same brown leather sofa and chair, with three deer heads hanging above the mantle. Kassie had hated looking at them every time she came over.
    “What time do we have to be at the track?”
    “Twenty minutes,” I said, glancing at the clock on the microwave. “I hope you’re ready to race.”
    He snorted. “You’re shitting me, right?”
    “Nope. I need you a part of the crowd.”
    A sly smirk spread across his face. “What if I beat you? Don’t you think it’ll look odd if Bennett hires the second best?”
    I slapped him on the shoulder and winked. “You’re not gonna beat me, smartass. Even if you ride as dirty as you want. We both know I’m better than you.”
    “Yeah, we’ll see about that.”
    I packed some waters and a few snacks to get us through the day, handing Micah a bag of his own. If Richard was having tryouts, that meant there’d be a shit ton of people hoping to get a spot on his racing team. Unfortunately, we had to make the process look legit, even though my place was secured.
    “Think you still got what it takes?” Micah asked.
    “Fuck if I know, man. I guess we’ll see when we get there.” My stomach was in knots and not because of riding. Pulling out my phone, I scrolled until I found our superior’s number with the FBI, and pressed send. He always answered within two rings.
    “I thought you were on vacation,” Kincaid greeted.
    I wished I was. “There’s been a change of plans. I’m in Franklin, North Carolina right now with Perry. We’re investigating a murder and other illegal activities involving the racing team I was on years ago. I have a feeling more shit’s about to go down.”
    I could hear papers scrambling around in the background. “Who ordered this?”
    Micah perked up, clearly hearing Kincaid’s demanding tone. “I did,” I said.
    “Why the hell would you do that without consulting me first?”
    I could see Levi’s face in my mind, how eager he was when I’d first started riding with him. I owed it to him to figure out what happened, even if I did get reprimanded. “The man who was killed was a good friend of mine. I have to find who did it before more of my loved ones are involved. I’m going undercover as myself, as a racer for Bennett Racing.”
    “So this is personal,” he said.
    My teeth clenched. “Yes. I need to do this, sir.”
    The line went quiet, before I heard him sigh. I was fully prepared to get suspended. “Then do it,” Kincaid murmured. “I’m sorry you lost a friend, and I understand you want to find the killer. I would want to do the same thing.”
    Eyes wide, I turned to Micah. “So we’re good to pursue this?”
    “For now, but if something comes up, I’ll need you back here. I can’t have you getting paralyzed like you did the last time you tried to race.”
    “That’s the thing, Kincaid. It’s looking like my accident was anything but. I owe it to myself to find out who fucked me over.”
    “Yeah, I suppose you do,” he agreed. “Keep me updated with your progress.”
    “Will do,” I said, then hung up. Looking to Micah, I smirked. “You ready to do this shit?” We had a plan in place, now we just had to execute it.
    Micah rubbed his hands together. “I was