The Fast Lane [gxg]

Changing Tires and Other Sapphic Things

a/n: WE'RE BACK. AT LONG LAST.

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"Can you—Can you fix it?" Maze asked, gesturing to the exposed caliper.

Kass studied her for a moment before glancing over her shoulder where Maze's paranoid eyes flickered. "Yeah, just give me a sec," she said.

Maze paced up and down the length of the truck. She was too anxious to sit still and watch what Kass was up to, no matter how much she wanted to. It didn't help that the radio was still playing at a low volume that was barely registered to her until she passed the driver's door and caught wind of the drum beat of an old song from the 60s.

And, it certainly didn't help when Kass started singing it.

"Oh my God, stop. It sounds like Tiptoe Through The Window," Maze complained, half-covering her face.

She could hear the smile in Kass' voice when she dipped her voice abnormally low and sang, "'It's your mind that's been tricking you... So step in line—' Hey, help me get the tire back on."

Maze let out a breath of relief. Finally. They were so close to getting the hell out of there.

The two of them put the truck back together. Near the end of it, movement at the end of the road brought her eyes up from the tire.

A car pulled up to the intersection, headlights off, but very much running. Maze stared at it, and with the halo effect of the street lamps, she couldn't make out the model of the vehicle.

"Okay, done," Kass said. Maze took the jack and, after assessing the look of terror on Maze's face, Kass glanced back at the car. She cursed under her breath and pried open the passenger door. "Get in—let's get outta here."

Maze scrambled into the cabin. Kass circled around the hood and, to Maze's horror, made direct eye contact with the car at the end of the road. Maze held her breath as they pulled away from the shoulder. Kass tested the brakes at the stop sign, at which point the ambiguous vehicle turned down their street.

"Go, go, go," Maze hissed.

Kass turned right and bolted a block down. She took the next turn down one of the suburban roads, headlights flicking off. She curved into a nearby driveway, up to the garage, and shut the car off.

They both looked back through the open window to watch the car trail past their road and out of sight. But now, close enough to see, Maze recognized the car in an instant.

"It's that Aston from the race," Kass whispered.

Maze's breath caught in her throat. They sat in silence until Alfie' car was out of sight. Kass looked back at Maze and said, "You were talkin' with that guy, weren't you?"

Maze swallowed hard. "Yeah. He's... friends with Bryan's brother."

"Malachi?"

Maze shook his head. "No. He goes by Malak," she said. Kass raised an eyebrow, so Maze gestured to her arms and neck and said, "Tattoos everywhere. Pretty thick beard."

"Doesn't ring a bell," Kass said.

"He recognized Vincent's Corvette, though. He knew who I was," Maze insisted.

Kass rolled her eyes. "I'm not saying you're lying, I'm just saying—" 

Something crashed next to them.

Maze jumped, startled, as some guy in a robe marched out of the side of the house, waving a fist at them and yelling, "Get the fuck outta my driveway before I call the cops!"