While JULIE MILLER has never driven an actual drag racer, she has written more than thirty-five books and won several awards for her work, including the National Readers Choice Award. Some of her books have appeared on the USA TODAY and Waldenbooks bestseller lists. Julie lives in Nebraska, where she teaches English and spoils her dog. Find out more about her at www.juliemiller.org.
Out of Control
Julie Miller
www.millsandboon.co.uk
MILLS & BOON
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For Lori Borrill, Alison Kent and Jennifer LaBrecque.
FROM 060 has been a great collaborative effort and a lot of fun to boot!
Dahlia, Tennessee, really came to life for me, working with you guys.
I feel Ive been to that town and I know those people living there.
I appreciate you sharing your knowledge of drag racing with a novice like me.
I appreciate your humour and your creative energy fed my own.
And thanks to Brenda Chin for introducing us!
Table of Contents
Cover
About the Author
Title Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Copyright
1
Nashville, Tennessee Seven months ago
GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. Get out of the vehicle!
Detective Jack Riley pulled his Glock 9 mm and pointed it, along with his flashlight, at the three-hundred-pound behemoth who ignored his badge and his command and started the engine. Shit.
As the drug dealer shifted his customized Chevy Suburban into gear, Jack jumped back inside the cab of his pickup and slammed it into reverse, hoping to block his targets exit from the convenience store parking lot. But Lorenzo Vaughn slipped past him, burning an acrid trail of black rubber onto the pavement as he swung out into the street.
Screw that.
Silently apologizing to the trucks big bruiser engine, he shifted into drive and ruthlessly gunned it.
Jack flipped on the siren and warning lights of his unmarked truck, praying Vaughn would take this pursuit to the open road. With a long, straight stretch ahead of them, Jacks years of training behind the wheel would give him the advantage. But it might already be too late. There were too many hills, too many trees and houses blocking his line of sighttoo many things wrong with this takedown.
The original plan he and his drug enforcement team had worked weeks on had gone way beyond south.
Come on, baby. He urged as much speed out of the engine as he dared this time of night with so many cars still on the streets.
Jack? You in trouble? His partner Eric Mesners voice crackled over the radio. Were hung up in traffic at least five minutes away from your location.
Jack swore, yanking his steering wheel to the left to swerve around a car pulling out of a driveway. Were already a day late and a dollar short, buddy. Vaughn didnt stick to his regular schedule. He got away from me. Im in pursuit.
Son of a bitch. Did you see the drugs?
Didnt get a chance to. But the Chevy hes driving has been modified like the others. Looks like a monster-sized race car. If its street legal, Im your Aunt Fanny. Whatever hes selling was either transported in there or is still hidden inside.
Rather than risk their lives or any innocent bystanders lives by confronting Vaughn at his housewhere guns, drugs, lieutenants and a reputed fighting dog stayedtheyd wanted to arrest him when he slipped out to pay a nightly visit to one of his girlfriends. You watch your back, Jack. Dont take this guy on by yourself.
Too late for that. Jack had been spying on Vaughns house, tracking his routine for weeks. The closest they could figure was that Vaughn was getting his drugs stashed inside one of the new vehicles that seemed to show up at his house about once a month. The plan had been to grab the man, grab the car, and break both down until NPD had the proof necessary to bring down one of the citys biggest drug rings. But their precisely timed plan was turning into a flat-out road race. Youre coming to save my ass, right?
Were coming, Eric assured him. Lets get moving. Now! he shouted to the other team members who were closing in on Jacks lead position.
Jack switched his radio to an all-call channel and reported his location. Officer in pursuit. I could use some backup.
Flying through intersections and leaving streetlights and startled drivers in the dust, Jack needed to think fast. He glanced at the name of a side street, pulled up a map inside his head. Hell, yes. Flexing his fingers around his trucks taut leather steering-wheel cover, Jack took a deep, steadying breathand jerked the wheel to the right. He cut through an alley, skidded around the corner and pressed on the gas, his eyes peeled for any sign of pedestrians or civilian vehicles as he zoomed ahead of Vaughns position on a less-populated parallel street. He couldnt safely outrace Lorenzo Vaughn, but he could damn well outsmart him.