Starr kind of bounced and skidded into a ditch on the other side of the road and James slammed on the brakes. "What the hell are you thinking Sara?! What if she's dead?" he yelled, slammed the truck in reverse and screamed back to get her. I jumped out after him as he ran down to her side. She blinked and stared at me. " My contact said you was a wuss." she said in a hood lilt. I glared down at her. "Well I'm not. Don't judge something you know nothing about." I said. James helped her up and we climbed back into the truck. The ride to Albany was a quiet one, because Starr and I had come to an understanding; she wouldn't bother James and I wouldn't bother her. James dropped her off at a run down apartment in Arbour Hill, and I made a quick note of it's location. Starr jumped out and ran straight to the door. James glanced over at me. "I suppose you think you won over her, right?" he asked. I smiled a little and looked ahead of me. "Yeah. I suppose I do." I answered. James sighed and shook his head. "Sara, you never cease to amaze me." he said after hesitating for minute. I smiled. "I know. I never cease to amaze me either." I said.
A half hour later we were in hell. James took me to a small, underground basement 30 minutes from the outskirts of Albany, underneath an old abandoned farm house. 50 guys and a couple girls were down the stairs, each with a drink in their hand and a cig in their mouth. I looked around, and then peered up at James. "Where are we?" I asked. He put his arm around me and smiled at a guy that walked past. "Hey brotha, heard about that sweet race you ran in Sydney. You around for awhile for do we need to lay our shit out here and now?" he said. I looked at the other guy, someone who looked a little over James' age. He smiled and smacked James' outlaid hand. "No brotha I'm around for a good four months. We can catch up lata, seein as though you look like you busy." he said. I looked at the ground as the guy walked away, and James lifted my chin up lightly with one finger. "Hey...what's wrong beautiful?" he asked. I shook my head. "I don't know, I feel a little out of place here." I said. He grinned and led me to a hardwood platform in the middle of the basement. Everyone immediately quieted down and looked up at us in amazement. "Isn't that the girl that beat the crap outta Tabitha?" I heard one girl yell out. James held out a hand to quiet the crowd, then cleared his throat. "My friend here isn't feeling too at home right now. So what I'm suggesting is that one of you who thinks you're all that steps up and takes her on so we can start getting her aquainted." he said loudly. No one moved. "I'll take her." a guy said down front. James smiled and kissed my forehead softly. "You make him sorry baby. That's why I love you. You're strong enough to beat anyone." he said quietly. Then he jumped off the platform as a tall, also Hawaiian guy climbed up with me. "Dakota." He said, extending a hand. "Sara." I said, staring at his hand. He took his hand back and tackled me. "Guess you just wanna start right into this right?" he yelled over the crowd and we smashed into the wood underneath us, both of us momentarily stunned. I kicked him hard in the gut, finally able to throw him off of me and off of the platform entirely. I leaned onto my side and got up slowly, just in time to see James climbing onto the platform. "Dakota loses. My baby wins. So that means drinks are on Dakota!" he yelled. The crowd started to yell and clap and James picked me up and twirled me around in his arms before kissing me lightly. "I'm keeping you around for a long time." He promised. I smiled.
James drove me home that night, and stayed for awhile in my room with me. He slept in my bed with me until 7 the next morning, and when I woke up I found a note next to me on the bed that read simply; "Gone to save the world. I love you."

To be continued....