Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
But when the checkered flag waves at the end of the session, it’s Nash Sinclair on top.
And me, just a breath behind.
When I roll back into the garage, the crew rushes out, pushing me back into the stall. As soon as I kill the engine, the cockpit fills with claps and slaps to my helmet as I try to undo my harness. I disconnect the steering wheel, hand it to one of the mechanics and climb out.
“Well done, mate,” Felix says, a wide grin splitting his face. “Good base. Very good.”
I peel off my helmet, the heat rushing out from inside, and yank off the balaclava in one motion, raking a hand through my sweat-dampened hair. The garage buzzes around me, but all I can think about is getting a cold drink and some space to breathe. Sean Byrne slaps me on the back, grinning. Gunner gives me a quick fist bump.
And that’s when I see him.
Standing just outside the Matterhorn garage.
Lance. He’s dressed in pressed chinos, a short-sleeved polo and a designer watch on his wrist. His blond hair is perfectly styled, his summer tan still deep and rich.
Every instinct in my body goes hot. He’s staring right at me, expression blank and unreadable. I toss my gloves aside and storm across the tarmac toward him.
“Reid, mate,” Carlos says, appearing out of nowhere and grabbing my forearm. I twist my neck to look at him. “You play it cool. People are watching.”
“Understood,” I grit out and he releases me.
Lance stands statue-still as I approach, opening his mouth to say something, but I don’t want to hear it. I grab two fistfuls of his shirt, slamming him back against the side of a utility van hard enough to make it rattle. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I hiss.
His eyes widen and he tries to dislodge my hands. “What the fuck, Reid? I need to talk to you about Lara.”
“Give me one reason I don’t lay you out right now. You fucking hit her.”
His eyes go wide. “How… how did you know?”
“It doesn’t matter, but now everyone knows, and you have a lot to answer for.”
“I just—” He stammers. “I fucked up, okay? I know that. I would never really hurt her, Reid. You’ve got to believe me.”
“You left your handprint on her face,” I snarl. “Bruises on her arm. You sent her threatening texts.”
“That was—” He swallows. “It got out of hand. She was provoking me. You know how Lara can be.”
I almost go blind with rage and give him a hard shake. “Don’t you dare try to make this her fault. You were fucking cheating on her, you lowlife piece of shit.”
“She’s stubborn. She pushes. I just… I lost my temper. It wasn’t supposed to happen.”
I can’t believe he’s still trying to put this off on her. I can’t fucking stand someone who doesn’t take responsibility for their actions.
“You’re done, Lance,” I growl. “You go near her again, and I swear to God you’ll regret it.”
The change that comes over Lance could be frightening to some. I bet Lara has seen this and been scared. Face hardening, eyes cold and calculating, and a slight sneer twisting his face.
He knocks my hands away from his chest and leans toward me. “You’re just pissed because I got her and you didn’t.”
That stuns me for half a second, but I brush it off as ludicrous. I even open my mouth to deny it, but he rolls right over me with a smirk. “Yeah. Thought I didn’t know? You’ve been carrying a torch for her since we were kids. Always second best to me, little brother.”
I rear back, fist tightening. My arm even starts to swing, prepared to launch straight into that nose that matches mine. I even anticipate the crunch of bone, the satisfying spurt of blood, but then Carlos appears, stepping between us and clapping a firm hand on my chest.
“Not here, hermano,” he says low. “People are watching and he’s not worth it.”
I breathe hard, fists still clenched, but I let Carlos ease me back a step. I glance around, and sure as shit, several people have stopped in their tracks, watching the brotherly drama play out.
Lance straightens his shirt, giving me a cocky, hollow grin. “See you around, little brother.”
He saunters off like he’s won something, and maybe he did. He wasn’t intimidated by my threats in the least, which means Lara will still be in his sights.
Carlos shakes his head beside me. “Guy’s a bloody mess.”
“Yeah,” I mutter, watching Lance disappear into the crowd.
My friend’s strong hands go to my shoulders, forcing me to turn to him. Carlos’s expression is grim. “You need to snap out of this. You have another practice session in a few hours. You have qualifying tomorrow and a race on Sunday. You’re one of the fastest right now, but to keep that, you have got to get your head on straight. You cannot afford to let this interfere with your concentration.”