I was lucky I hadn’t slipped. I was always lucky.

Veins popped in their necks as they screamed at each other and me. I saw Viktor, his inhuman eyes once again hidden behind dark shades. He was grinning with excitement as he raced to an oversized SUV, a couple of bodyguards barreling in with him.

I twisted the bike’s throttle, speeding away from the mob, heading back towards the tall buildings of the strip. My pastel rainbow hair whipped wildly around my head as I picked up speed, twisting through the tiny blocks and trying to miss the people out walking around.

This city never slept and this district, Southeast, was known in particular for its night time street life. Open markets and vendors galore. Even the jam-packed strips of stores, cafes, bars, and restaurants left their doors open nonstop at night, their tables and chairs spilling into the sidewalks and streets. It was as if everyone was allergic to being inside around here. Which would be more charming if I didn’t need to race away from trigger-happy assholes.

Finally, I cleared the bustling streets of Southeast and was on the outskirts of the main strip–a place we called the Fringe. The streets were wide and mostly deserted this time of night. It was made up of old buildings gentrified for those who wished to stay tightly knit into the main vein of the city but weren’t rich or adventurous enough to actually live on the Strip. There was nothing interesting about the place and that was exactly what the denizens here paid for—quiet, expensive, close to the action but not inside it. It was as normal as this city saw.

I turned to look behind me. Suddenly, Viktor’s black SUV was zooming forward and a man was hanging out the window, aiming towards me. I jerked my head forward a moment before a shot sparked on the street beside me.

I had no fear of the bullet. These bastards had no chance of catching me now. Really, they never had. I laughed as the sound of gunfire was lost in the wind. Excitement burned in my legs and arms. My heart thudded hard in my chest. This was living.

I watched the speedometer move quickly. Ninety-five miles per hour was a bit faster than was safe on these city streets. I felt my face twitching in the thrill that was building with the speed. The bike reached up toward one hundred. Then one hundred and five...right before a semi-truck screeched into focus.

My brain stalled in surprise as the massive eighteen-wheeler entered the intersection in what seemed like slow motion. My heart stuttered in my chest as full understanding jump-started my thoughts.

I was going too fast and there was no time to turn. I was going to hit the truck.

My eyes shot towards the road in front of me as my bike raced forward, unstoppable. It was happening so fast, too fast.

I wasn’t giving up though.