No Place to Hide (Rocking Racers Book 2) Read online

  No Place to Hide © 2017 by Megan Lowe

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any written, electronic, recorded, or photocopied format without the express permission from the author or publisher as allowed under the terms and conditions with which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution, circulation or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author's rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

  No Place to Hide is a work of fiction. All names, characters, events and places found therein are either from the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to persons alive or dead, actual events, locations, or organizations is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  For information, contact the publisher, Hot Tree Publishing.

  www.hottreepublishing.com

  Editing: Hot Tree Editing

  Cover Designer: Claire Smith

  ISBN-10: 1-925448-70-3

  ISBN-13: 978-1-925448-70-2

  Dedication

  For those who want to be more, who want to do more, who are more, or who want more for others, keep up the good fight.

  For Luis Salom, who died doing what he loved

  and

  The people of Nice.

  Dedication

  Glossary

  Prologue

  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

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Epilogue

  Playlist

  Information

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  About the Publisher

  Glossary

  No Place to Hide is written in Australian English and has a colourful collection of colloquialisms and slang. Enjoy discovering some new and wonderful terms.

  ARIA: Australian Record Industry Association

  Big note: To show off

  Hard yakka: Hard work

  Goss: Gossip

  Merch: Merchandise

  Punters: A fan

  Busting: A desperate need to go to the toilet.

  Hoon: A reckless driver whose actions on the road often border on illegal.

  G: MCG or Melbourne Cricket Ground

  Doona: Duvet

  Eskie: Cooler

  Hole Shot: to come to the first corner of the race in first place

  Myki: Travel card

  Parc fermé: The area where the winners of a motor race park afterwards

  Maccas: McDonald’s

  Fairy floss: Cotton candy / candy floss

  Prologue

  Cole

  Twenty-two years ago

  I hear her before I see her. She’s hiding, waiting for me to get close before she runs away again. It might annoy some people, but I don’t mind. I’ll chase after McKinley forever if she’ll let me. I round the corner just in time to see her turn, her black hair streaming behind her. Her bare feet slap against the cement before she scampers up the mango tree in her front yard.

  “Come on, Cole,” she yells, already three quarters of the way to the top.

  By the time I start to climb, she’s already in her favourite spot right at the top where the branches are new. I thought she might be scared to go that high, but she isn’t. She told me once that she wished she could go right to where the branches end and the leaves are. I told her that was silly, that she’d fall, but she just shrugged.

  I finally manage to get to my spot, as close to her as possible. A breeze rustles the leaves and the sun breaks through right where Kinley is and makes her look like an angel. Dad says I’m stupid to be spending so much time chasing after one girl, that I shouldn’t bother because when I’m older I can have as many as I want, but I don’t want anyone else. The breeze blows again, this time bringing voices. Angry voices.

  “My mum and dad are fighting again,” Kinley says, hugging her knees to her chest. They do this a lot and I know it makes her sad.

  “Come on,” I say, holding a hand out to her, “let’s go ride our bikes for a bit.” I don’t like when she’s sad, and I know riding my bike makes me happy, so maybe it will work for her too. We like to go over to the park; there’s a big hill there and I go down it really fast. The other kids in the neighbourhood don’t like it; only Kinley goes down with me.

  We ride around for ages and she doesn’t seem sad anymore, which makes me glad. I wish I could make it so she were never sad again. It’s almost dark by the time we go home.

  “Thanks, Cole,” she says as we walk up her driveway.

  “It’s okay. I don’t like it when you’re sad.” She hugs me and kisses me on the cheek before she runs into her house. I know I have a goofy smile on my face as I walk to my own house, but I don’t care. The smile is quickly wiped away, however, when I get inside and see the house is empty. All my stuff is gone.

  “Dad?” I ask, my voice echoing through the empty rooms.

  “Oh good, you’re home,” he says, coming out of the kitchen.

  “Where’s all of our stuff?”

  “Gone.”

  “Where?” I panic, thinking of my comic collection and Game Boy.

  “To our new house.”

  “What new house?”

  “The house we’re moving to tomorrow.”

  My heart leaps to my throat. “But I don’t want to move. I like it here.” My hand brushes my cheek where Kinley kissed me.

  “Too bad, it’s done. Now come and have some dinner, then go to bed. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

  He stands over me while I eat and get ready for bed, leaving me no chance to go over to Kinley’s and tell her we’re leaving.

  It seems I’ve only been asleep for a minute before I’m being shaken awake. It’s still dark outside.

  “Come on, we’ve got to go,” Dad says.

  I drag my feet, trying to go as slowly as possible, but he yells at me and tells me to grow up. Finally all of the stuff we have left is packed and Dad orders me into the car. I do as I’m told, looking over at Kinley’s house one last time. I know she’ll be sad, and I hate that I won’t be the one to cheer her up. I start to cry when I think about it.

  “Don’t do that,” Dad says. “It’s not what men do. That’s what you are, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t want to leave,” I tell him. “I don’t want to leave Kinley.”

  “Forget about the girl. She’s nothing, and there are plenty more fish in the sea. Besides, where we’re going, you’ll be able to ride all day and night. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I nod, but I don’t tell him it won’t be the same without Kinley.

  “We
ll there you go. See, this move is going to be a good thing.”

  I turn and watch Kinley’s house disappear as we drive away. Dad says this is going to be a good thing, but I can’t help but think I’m leaving the best thing in my life behind.

  McKinley

  Mummy and Daddy are fighting again. Sometimes it seems like that’s all they do anymore. I don’t like it. It makes me sad, but then Cole comes and makes me feel better. He does every time this happens. I want to go over there, but Daddy stops me.

  “Where do you think you’re going, young lady?” he asks.

  “To see Cole.”

  His face goes a funny red colour. “You are never to see that boy again! Don’t you see what a bad influence he is on this family? I never want to hear you mention his name again.”

  “Why? What did Cole do? If he did something wrong, I’m sure he’s sorry.”

  Daddy bends down, grabs me by the shoulders, and squeezes me hard. “The Matthewses have torn this family apart, McKinley. They’re no good. Just stay away from them, okay?” I don’t want to but I nod anyway, because Daddy’s scaring me.

  The next morning, I wait until he’s gone to work before I go over to Cole’s house. I try the doorknob, but it’s locked. I knock loudly, but no one’s there. When I look through the window, I see that all the furniture’s gone. Where are they? Why didn’t Cole tell me he was leaving? Tears sting my eyes and I shut them tight so they won’t fall. Slowly I walk back home, remembering on the way that Mum might know where they’ve gone. She and Mr Matthews are friends, best friends, just like me and Cole.

  “Mum!” I yell as I run into the house. “Mum! Mum! Where are you?” I ask as I run from room to room. Finally, I find her in her study.

  “Mum,” I say breathlessly.

  “What is it, McKinley?” she snaps, barely looking up at me.

  “All the furniture in Cole’s house is gone and no one’s answering the door. Do you know where he’s gone?”

  She looks up at me. “You need to forget about Cole Matthews. He’s a no-hope loser who will only drag you down.”

  “But he’s my best friend,” I say, my chin wobbling and the tears I tried so hard not to let fall outside Cole’s house now streaming down my cheeks.

  “You listen here, McKinley, you and your sisters are destined for great things. Hanging around with no-good losers like Cole Matthews is only going to cause trouble. That’s what boys like him do, they ruin everything for the people who are stupid enough to get involved with them, do you understand?”

  I shake my head. Cole’s not bad. He’s the one who tries to cheer me up when I’m sad. How would that ruin me?

  “The Matthewses are bad men, McKinley. They’re evil and they’ve torn apart everything we love. They’ve destroyed us. Believe me, you’re better off without them.”

  I don’t like the mean things Mummy’s saying about Cole, so I run to my room, throw myself on my bed, and cry into my pillow for the rest of the day.

  Later that night, I wake up and hear Mummy and Daddy fighting again.

  “You just couldn’t do it, could you?” Daddy asks.

  “It doesn’t matter anymore, he’s gone. He and Cole left this morning.” Cole? Why are they arguing about Cole?

  “It’s too late, Helen. The damage has already been done. I hope he was worth it.”

  “Of course he wasn’t. He was a fling. I love you,” Mum begs.

  “You think I want Daniel Matthews’s sloppy seconds? That motorbike wanker? You’re out of your mind. I’m done with you.” I don’t understand. I thought Mum and Mr Matthews were friends. Why is Dad mad about that?

  “Please,” Mum says, and she’s crying.

  “No,” Dad says, and I hear footsteps, so I tiptoe back to bed. I don’t like it when Mummy and Daddy fight. I wish Cole were here so he could make me feel better, but he’s not.

  The argument I overheard runs through my head. I don’t understand why Daddy is so angry at Mummy and Mr Matthews, but he doesn’t like him. The words Mummy said today about Cole and his dad come back to me. Maybe he is evil. He must be if he’s causing Mummy and Daddy to fight. But Cole’s not evil. Mum must just be having a bad day. I’m sad because Cole left; she must be too. Mr Matthews was her best friend too. That must be it, I decide as I go to sleep. Tomorrow will be better.

  In the morning, I wake up and go downstairs. Instead of both Mum and Dad sitting at the table, it’s just Mum.

  “Where’s Daddy?” I ask.

  “Gone,” Mum replies.

  “Already? I didn’t say goodbye.”

  “And you won’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “He’s gone, McKinley. Your father left us.”

  “No, yesterday was a bad day. Today will be better,” I say, repeating my thoughts from last night.

  Mum laughs, but it’s not a nice laugh. It sounds like it’s coming from one of the evil witches from the Disney movies I like to watch. “Today will not be better. It’ll never be better, thanks to those no-good Matthewses. I told you, McKinley, they’ll tear apart everything we love, and they have.”

  “But they’re not even here anymore.”

  “Exactly. That’s the power they have. They made your father leave, and they’re not even here.”

  After Dad left, Mum changed. She wasn’t nice like she used to be; she was mean, always forcing my sisters, Blake and Ashton, and me to practice our music, even when we didn’t want to. I love music, but Mum’s taking the fun out of it, and when I complain she reminds me the reason it’s like this, that she’s like this, is because of Cole and his dad, that they’re destructive and they ruined our family. She’s right. Before, we were happy, and now, everything is wrong and it’s all Cole’s fault.

  Booker Rocks The Racers

  Rumour-mongers rejoice! Our favourite time of the year, also known as the Rocking Racers gala, is here! The who’s who of Australian sport and entertainment will descend on the charming town of Booker to eat, drink, and raise money for a good cause. Of course, for us here at Rocking Rumours, we know it as one more opportunity to check up on our favourite residents of the quaint town, the Ryan brothers. Unfortunately for us, since last year, Reed Ryan has been tied down—meeting, proposing to, and impregnating his now fiancée, *sniff*, Bria Adams. But put those tissues away! There are still three eligible Ryans, as well as newly crowned Supermoto champ, the very fine Cole Matthews. The bad girl of rock ’n’ roll, McKnley Rhodes, will also be making an appearance, so stand by for the type of fireworks only she can produce!

  No matter what happens though, we here at Rocking Rumours have you covered!

  Chapter One

  Knley

  I hate these things. I hate getting all dressed up only to be paraded around like a doll. I’m nobody’s doll. I’m McKnley fucking Rhodes, and yes, you read that right. McKnley, pronounced McKinley, but without the i. I’d like to say the reasoning behind that is because I have a thing against i’s, that being in a band with my four sisters, there’s no room for I, only we, but as you can tell from the start of this chapter, I clearly don’t have a thing against i’s. The truth is someone spelled it wrong and I liked the way it looked. Don’t tell anyone I told you that. I have a reputation as Australia’s bad girl of rock ’n’ roll, and my mum—also known as my manager, Helen—would prefer I keep it that way. There is no room for nice girls in rock ’n’ roll, she tells us. She’s right. We’re at the top of our game, with number one albums at home and in the US, numerous ARIA awards, and even a couple of Grammy nominations. Places, that’s our band, is what every other band wants to be. But enough about us; let’s get back to me.

  My mother has sent me to the town of Booker for the evening. It seems every year they hold a charity gala called Rocking Racers. Apparently Booker is a hotbed for developing motorbike-racing talent, and that talent likes to give back. Since Booker is only three hours from Melbourne, it’s a relatively easy trek for the many rock stars, like me, that live in the city and add some
much-needed oomph to this event.

  Now, I’m all for charity, especially breast cancer. The majority of my ex-boyfriends and random one-night stands—and I, of course—happen to like my boobs very much, and I’m willing to support any charity that aims to keep them in one piece, well two pieces, but you know what I mean. What I don’t like, however, is being forced to parade around like a glorified show pony. Not even the promise of hot men who ride bikes for a living can induce me to have any fun, although….

  I’m on the red carpet, doing my thing, when I notice the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. He’s built, over six feet with dark brown hair and green eyes, and can wear a tux like nobody’s business. My excitement is dashed when I see him go over to two women, a short brunette and a taller blonde whose dress needs some serious tailoring—the hem is drowning the poor girl. He stands behind the blonde and lovingly places his hands on her stomach. Bummer. A girlfriend is easy to get rid of, but a baby means he’s committed, and by the looks of him, he’s way past committed. Pity, we could’ve had some fun. Never mind, plenty of fish and all that. I roll my shoulders back and smile a smile my mother would be proud of. I’m McKnley fucking Rhodes—and no, that’s not my actual middle name. It’s Laura, and I hate it—and my lacking a man is not going to ruin my night.

  My media commitments are done, so I go inside to continue my schmoozing. It’s unusual for me, or any of us really, to be at an event alone, but I do have to admit, I like it. My sisters, Blake and Ashton, and half-sisters, Quinn and Sloane, and I have been singing and playing music for as long as I can remember. We love each other, we love what we do, we come together well as a band, but at times we just don’t like each other. We are sisters after all. So getting a night alone is as close to paradise as I’m going to get whilst we’re in rehearsals for our upcoming tour.

  We’re invited to take our seats, and in my excitement about riding solo, I forget to ask which rider I’m paired with. My heart sinks when I read his name on the place setting: Cole Matthews, the guy who ruined my family.