Page 51 of Full Throttle 2

Colby was a little defensive. “You’re the third person to ask me that today.”

Brian crossed his arms. “Why do you think that is?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, but it’s annoying when I’m perfectly fine.”

Colby was on edge. Lately, she’d been easily irritated, and that’s not the Colby Brian knew. He had also noticed the darkcircles forming underneath her eyes, and everyone had noticed the weight loss.

He chose his words carefully. “To the world, you’re Colby James; to me, you’re more than that. And while Liam isn’t here, it’s my job to pull double duty.”

Frustrated, she glanced heavenward. “You talked to Liam.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Yeah. We connected last night, and he told me that with everything going on in his Beijing office, he might be unable to make it back in time for the race, but that’s not why we’re having this discussion.”

“Honestly, I hate that my boyfriend and my boss are related. It’s not cool the way you two blur the lines.” Colby didn’t mean to take her frustration out on Brian, but she was extremely disappointed that Liam wouldn’t make it to her next race. And she didn’t believe for even a second that Liam hadn’t told Brian to keep an eye on her like she wasn’t a fully formed adult.

Colby folded her arms. “You know what’s funny? I’ve been adulting for a long time. Up until this point, I’ve managed things pretty well.”

“Nobody says you haven’t, but we’ve all noticed you’re burning it at both ends. We care about you and are worried.”

“Have I ever not been ready when it’s go time?”

“No.”

“So, why are we having this conversation?”

There was an awkward silence between them before Brian broke it. “We’re having this conversation because I give a goddamn about you. We all give a goddamn about you. If we didn’t, none of us would give two shits about the dramatic amount of weight you’ve lost over the past couple of months.”

Colby quickly glanced down at her coveralls hanging off her body. Her voice lacked the edge it had a moment before. “I know I’ve lost some weight. It’s not easy seeing yourself and everyimperfection you’ve ever had splashed across blogs, magazines, and newspapers.”

“You’re an athlete, not a model.”

“I’m both.”

“That’s bullshit! Who told you that?”

“C’mon. It’s the one thing I agree with Mark about.”

“Your business manager?”

“Yes. He’s right when he says as long as I continue to raise my profile, we’ll have a better shot of getting more sponsors.”

Guilt fell on Brian like a ton of bricks. His tone had an edge to it that was a mix of both anger and frustration. “It’s my job to get sponsors. Your job is to win.”

Colby understood his feelings because, at times, she felt the same. “I get that, but you just talked about us being a team. Sometimes that means interchanging roles.”

“Are we really a team?”

“Yes—”

“Then you have to let me do my job.”

“I can’t pretend like my father’s life savings aren’t invested in Lockwood. If we don’t succeed, he’ll lose everything trying to help me follow my dreams. I can’t allow that. So, I’ll do whatever I have to ensure we’re successful.”

“You don’t think I know that? My entire financial portfolio has been invested in Lockwood. That’s how much I believe in us. That’s why I’m willing to risk it all because I believe in myself, you, and this team.”

Colby glanced down. She whispered, “I know, but my dad could lose everything because he invested inmydreams. Him going broke and you going broke are not the same.”

Brian wished he and his father had had the kind of relationship that Colby had with Cyrus. He walked up to her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “I get that. But know that I also consider you family. Not just because I’m in lovewith Lila, and you’re in love with Liam. Those are ties that bind, but separately from that, I care about you as a person, not just superstar driver, Colby James. I need you to be okay.”

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