Ten years laterCoyote wiped the sweat off his brow, his grey tank top clinging to his skin as he finished an oil change for a client’s car. He pulled out the dipstick, checking the oil level carefully, ensuring it was within the right range. Satisfied, he sealed everything up and grabbed a rag, rubbing off the grease stains on his hands.As he worked, his mind drifted—he shouldn't be here.Back to square one.Struggling just to get by.Coyote knew how he had ended up here, but not why.A year ago, he was on top of the world.He had just won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. Louie was still alive—sick, but alive. Sponsors were falling over themselves to sign him. He had a team, a future, a shot at making history.Then Louie Watkins died.And everything unraveled.His wife, Evelyn, didn’t even wait for his body to reach the morgue before kicking Coyote out of the mansion. She made sure he didn’t even attend the funeral. Her hatred for him was absolute.When the will was read, Coy

“Wow. You’re big—and you’re not even hard.” Her grin widened as she stroked him through his pants.A sharp breath left Coyote’s lips. Apprehensive. Turned on. Caught off guard. It had been too long since a woman had touched him like this. Getting back into racing had been his only focus, leaving little room for distractions—except for the occasional lonely, frustrated night with his own hand.This was unprofessional. Completely out of line.He should stop her. Say something. Move away.But as his body responded, the words refused to come.“What do you say we take this somewhere private, champ?” Katalina murmured, pressing herself against him, her ample cleavage brushing his chest.Coyote considered it.He knew exactly where to take her—the staff restroom. No one would catch them there. His only coworker had quit two days ago, leaving him to run this dying auto shop alone.It would be easy.But just as he opened his mouth to suggest it, his gaze flicked to her left hand.A wedding ring

Coyote pulled up in front of an old apartment building. The street was cloaked in shadows, save for a few scattered windows glowing faintly with light. At first, he considered stepping out and going inside, but something made him hesitate. A heaviness settled over him. Instead, he reached for his phone and dialed Jax’s number.It rang a few times before Jax picked up.“Hello, bro, what’s up?” Jax asked.Coyote drew in a sharp breath. “Bro, can you come outside? I’m parked out front.”“If you’re parked out front, why don’t you just come inside?” Jax replied, confused.Coyote reached for the driver’s side door but grimaced in pain—it barely budged. “Just come outside. I need your help now. Please.”There was a brief pause before Jax answered, “Okay, I’ll be there.”He was about to hang up when Coyote added, “Please bring a first aid kit... and some pain meds. The type you take to not feel anything at all.”Jax’s tone changed instantly. “Dude, what the hell is going on? Why do you need t

Coyote stirred awake on what felt like a stretcher, his heart pounding wildly—faster than any engine he’d ever heard. His vision was blurry at first, but as it sharpened, he realized he was inside an ambulance. Oddly enough, it wasn’t moving. Sirens weren’t wailing. The whole world felt like it had paused, holding its breath. Then, a voice he knew cracked through the silence.“Hey! EMT, he just opened his eyes!” Jax shouted, nearly shaking the stretcher with the force of his voice.Coyote let out a pained groan. His body throbbed in multiple places, bandages wrapped around his arms, his chest, even his ribs. Every movement sent a fresh jolt of pain rippling through him.“Please don’t move,” said a calm, soothing voice—a woman’s voice. “You sustained a lot of injuries. You need to rest. It’s a miracle that you’re still alive.”Through the haze, Coyote managed to catch a glimpse of her. She had light olive skin, striking grey eyes, and long brown hair pulled into a ponytail beneath her

“Hey, Jax, it’s been a while. How have you been?” Gwen asked, completely ignoring Coyote’s question.Coyote’s face tightened with irritation, but Gwen wasn’t paying him any attention. Her eyes were locked on Jax.“I’ve been just fine, though not as fine as you look tonight,” Jax replied with a sheepish grin.Gwen’s face lit up. “Thank you. You always know the right words to say. What a gentleman you are.”“I asked you a question, Gwen,” Coyote interjected, trying to cut through whatever strange energy was building between them.“I wanted to see you, brother, and know how you were doing,” Gwen said, still not looking at him.“At midnight?” Coyote asked, eyebrows raised.“Yeah. Is there something wrong with that?” Gwen responded, her expression turning serious.“No. It’s just... odd. And it’s not exactly safe to be in this part of town this late at night,” Coyote said, sitting down on the bed with a wince.“I’m a grown woman, Coyote. I can take care of myself. Back to my question—why do