Page 64 of Formula Chance

“I also heard that Luca tried to talk her out of it, but… she was adamant. Packed up and left.”

My pulse pounds in my ears. Without another word, I pivot and head straight for Hendrik’s office, my steps echoing down the hallway like gunfire. His door is closed but I don’t care. I barge in, causing two aero engineers sitting there in a meeting with him to jump nearly out of their chairs when the door hits the wall. Hendrik’s eyes widen as he takes in my countenance and says to the other two people in his office, “Can you give me and Nash a moment?”

“Don’t bother,” I growl to the engineers who remain frozen with their digital tablets on their laps, then pin my attention to Hendrik. “I’m headed to Luca’s office right now to rectify this clusterfuck you’ve instigated over Bex. If you want a say in the conversation, because I’m going to be asking for your head to roll right along with hers, then I suggest you follow me.”

I pivot and head out of his office. I hear cursing, scrambling behind me, and if I’m not mistaken, the sound of his chair being knocked over backward in his haste.

I pass people in the hall and they take one look at the rage on my face, backing away slowly to give me room. If it wasn’t so fucking dire, I’d almost laugh at it.

The executive suite is contained to one floor, so it takes me less than a minute to reach Luca’s office. I feel Hendrik on my heels, although he doesn’t say anything.

Our team principal’s office is glass and I see him in there alone, reading something on his computer screen. His secretary starts to protest when I walk by, stating, “He’s busy,” but I ignore her.

I push open the door and Luca looks up in surprise. His expression darkens when he sees the look on my face but then Hendrik pushes past me, practically gasping as he wheezes, “For the record, I object to this meeting.”

“What meeting?” Luca asks.

Hendrik points at me. “He wants to talk about Toliver’s resignation and as the chief engineer of this team, I say it’s not any of his business. He doesn’t make hiring or firing decisions and besides that, there’s nothing to discuss since you accepted her resignation.”

Luca’s looks to me, his mouth pressed into a grim line. I can tell he does not appreciate this drama being laid on his doorstep.

“Why did you let her resign, Luca?” I ask, trying to keep my tone calm. “You should have denied it and worked with her.”

“She was adamant that she could not do the job,” Luca says calmly.

“Only because Hendrik and Matthieu made her job a living hell. She got no support or encouragement from them. What was she supposed to do when Hendrik told her that he was asking she be terminated? She had no choice but to resign so a termination wouldn’t go on her record. You should have stopped it.”

Hendrik throws his arms out. “She resigned because she couldn’t handle the pressure. That’s not on me.”

“Bullshit,” I growl. “She resigned because you and Matthieu made it impossible for her to do her job.”

“She made a bad call,” Hendrik says, his tone cold. “It cost us points. That’s what this is about.”

“It wasn’t a bad call!” I shout. “It was a smart strategy that didn’t work. That’s racing, Hendrik. You’ve been in this sport long enough to know that.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re sleeping with her,” Hendrik says.

I wheel around on him, giving him a slight push in his chest. “I’m only going to give you one warning… don’t go there. It caused Matthieu a sore jaw and it will be the same for you. My personal relationship with Bex has nothing to do with why I’m here now. I’m here for the good of the team.”

Not entirely true. I’m here for Bex too.

Luca raises a hand, trying to calm the escalating tension. “Nash, I don’t disagree with you, but Bex was clear. She doesn’t feel she can work effectively here anymore.”

“Because you let this asshole undermine her at every turn,” I spit, jabbing a finger in Hendrik’s direction. “And Matthieu? He’s a whiny little shit who can’t take responsibility for his own mistakes.” I bend over and place my hands on Luca’s desk. “Now you get on that phone and you get her back here.”

Hendrik’s face turns red, his composure slipping. “If she comes back, I’ll quit. And I’m not the only one. There are other engineers and mechanics who feel the same.”

I laugh bitterly, leaning forward. “Yeah? Name them. Because I don’t buy it for a second. You’re the only one who has a problem with her, and it’s because she’s better at this job than you ever were.”

“That’s enough,” Luca says sharply, standing. “This isn’t productive.”

“No, you’re right. It’s not,” I say, my voice low and dangerous. “Because if Bex doesn’t come back, you can count me out too. I’m done.”

Luca’s eyes widen. “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious,” I reply. “She’s one of the best in the field and this team will be worse if you don’t fix it. You’ve let Hendrik and Matthieu poison the environment, and now you’ve lost the best strategist you’ve ever had. Fix it, or I’m out.”

Luca sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. When he looks back at me, he nods. “I’ll call her, but Nash, if my opinion is worth anything, she won’t come back. I could tell… she was done.”

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