Chapter 2

I ran over, tears streaming down my face, clutching a wad of cotton stuffing in my hand, trying to help. "Babe, I was scared that you'd get hurt in a crash.

"I stuffed some blankets in there. They're soft, and they'll keep you from getting hurt."

Joel was shaking with rage, jabbing a finger at my nose. "What the hell is wrong with you? We're going racing, not playing with pillows."

Like a furious animal, he yanked the blankets out of the driver's seat and hurled them onto the ground.

Ella kicked the stuffing from the passenger seat with a look of disgust, grumbling at me while she cleaned up.

It took them over ten minutes to clear out two narrow spaces they could barely squeeze into.

"Damn it, this is so stupid," Joel cursed under his breath as he shoved himself in, while Ella wriggled in.

The car was still packed tight, and the way they moved looked ridiculous.

Joel took a deep breath and turned the key, ready to let the engine's roar blow off his anger.

However, the engine didn't roar the way he expected. Instead, it answered with a dull, broken coughing sound.

Joel paused for a moment, then gave it another try.

The engine struggled for a moment, then fell silent.

A moment later, thick yellow-green smoke poured from the seams of the hood, carrying a stench of chemicals mixed with something burnt.

Ella's face turned pale. "Joel, it's gonna blow. Run."

She let out a piercing scream, frantically clawing at the car door in a panic.

Joel, just as terrified, lunged for the door.

He knew how wild that engine was. If it blew up, the whole garage would be wrecked.

Thanks to all the lubricant I'd smeared on, the door slid open so fast that it was almost impossible to control.

They pushed too hard in a panic, and with a loud bang, the door flew open at a weird angle and hit the wall next to the car.

With nothing to stop the force, Ella was flung from the passenger seat like she'd been launched, tumbling out and crashing hard onto the ground.

Joel didn't get off easy either. The door swung back and hit his hand hard.

I stood frozen at the garage entrance, tears streaming down my face as I watched the thick smoke pour out, completely terrified. "Joel, what do I do?"

The fire suppressant I'd poured in wasn't working. It was still going to catch fire. How could this be happening?

I kept crying, and Joel, burning with rage, yelled at me, "Idiot. It's not on fire yet. Get a fire extinguisher, now."

Yes, that was it. I had to put the fire out right away. I had to use the strongest method there was.

My legs nearly gave out as I ran toward the red emergency box in the corner of the garage, risking a muscle tear.

"Joel, hold on. I'm coming to save you," I said.

I smashed the glass cover of the box and slammed the red emergency button with all my strength.

With a dull hiss, six cooling nozzles in the garage ceiling activated at once.

It wasn't water or dry powder. It was a liquid nitrogen mix I'd paid a lot for through a special contact, something used to cool delicate equipment in emergencies.

Joel always said that the fuel in race cars was special. If it blew up, the whole neighborhood could be in trouble.

That was why I put in a ton of effort to upgrade this fire emergency box.

I was afraid water might conduct electricity and dry powder would foul the engine. This was the only option that sounded quick and clean.

White frost surged through the garage, swallowing the space in an instant. The temperature plunged below freezing, and countless tiny ice crystals formed in the air.

Ella was screaming, trying to scramble up from the ground, when a wave of arctic cold slammed right into her.

Her scream died halfway and turned into a choked noise as frost coated her face and froze her eyelashes.

Her hand, reaching for Joel, froze there in midair.

Joel was clutching his injured hand, mouth open to yell at me, when the freezing air poured straight into his mouth.

The rage and cruelty on his face froze exactly as they were. He was stuck mid-move, like he was about to rush me, frozen like a statue.

The thick smoke was instantly smothered by the freezing cold and disappeared instantly.

The car wasn't smoking anymore. The fire was out. I let out a long breath and dropped to the ground, crying from relief and shock.

I said, "Thank goodness. Joel, you guys are safe now."

I walked over and patted Joel, feeling relieved. However, both of them were frozen stiff, and I panicked at once. "Joel, are you okay? What's going on?"

Shaking, I took out my phone and called emergency services.

When the call connected, I was sobbing so hard that I could barely get the words out. "Hello, is this the hospital? Help. My husband was playing with fire. He almost blew everything up. I stopped it, and—

"Please, hurry. I think they're freezing."

They were taken to the hospital. The sharp smell of disinfectant gave me a rare sense of safety.

Because we got them there fast and their racing suits kept them safe, they weren't in any real danger.

As soon as Joel woke up, I rushed over to apologize. "I'm sorry, Joel. I only did it because I was worried about you. I swear I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

He was so furious that he grabbed a pillow and chucked it at me. "You fucking idiot."