Page 41 of Cross the Line
Mark heaves a sigh and straightens, pushing his shoulders back. He’s taller than most of the men in this room, so it’s really not necessary, but I’m grateful for my makeshift bodyguard. Not thatIneed protecting. No, more like I need someone to hold me back if Buck hits me with one of his famous microaggressions.
‘Buck,’ I greet with fake warmth when he and his son approach. ‘So good to see you.’
Argonaut’s owner, clad in cowboy boots and a Stetson, flashes me a smile that doesn’t come close to touching his cold eyes. He hates my guts, but he didn’t immediately cut me from the team after my scandal, which means his need for me outweighs his hatred. Unfortunately, I don’t know how much longer it’ll last, and my contract stipulates he can buy me out whenever he wants, so I’ll continue to try my best to stay in his relatively good graces.
‘Dev,’ he returns, tipping his head so his hat briefly hides his eyes. ‘Glad you didn’t skip this one.’
I skippedonesponsor party last year when I was so sick with the flu that I couldn’t get out of bed, and this guy is still holding it over my head. Every time I see him – which isn’t often, thank god, since he’s too busy running his evil empire to make it to many races – he gives me another reason to hate him back.
‘Wouldn’t miss it for the world.’ I turn my attention to Nathaniel, who looks bored out of his mind. I can’t blame him. ‘How you doing, Nate?’
Only certain people are allowed to call him by his nickname, and I am not one of them . . . which is why I make a point to use it as often as I can.
He juts his strong chin out. ‘I’m good.’ His Texas drawl is only slightly lighter than his father’s. ‘Excited about the weekend.’
I bet he is. The team will do anything to keep him happy, so I can only imagine what hell they’re going to rain down on me to make that happen. ‘Should be a good race if the weather holds out.’
Nathaniel’s eyes light up like he has more to say, but his father cuts him off.
‘I’ll see you in the paddock in the morning,’ Buck says. It’s a dismissal, a promise and a threat all wrapped into one. ‘Make sure you socialize tonight. I want everyone to see that you actually showed up. Honestly, I’m surprised you even made it here on time. Your kind of people aren’t usually known for their punctuality.’
I nod, biting back something along the lines offuck all the way off. ‘Yes, sir.’
He spares a glance at Mark but otherwise doesn’t acknowledge my trainer, then clasps his hands behind his back and strolls off with Nathaniel reluctantly trailing behind him. For once, I feel bad for my teammate. With a father like Buck, no wonder he turned out the way he did.
Once they’ve wandered into the crowd, I turn back to Mark and let my smile drop. ‘If that man keeps me until my contract is up, I’ll be shocked.’
‘As if he’d waste the money to buy you out,’ Mark scoffs, but doubt flickers across his face. ‘The team would be at the bottom of the standings without you scoring points. He needs you.’
Only until he can find someone he thinks is better, though. But outside of the top three teams, there are very few drivers better than me. No, fuck that. In the remaining fourteen, there aren’tanybetter than me. If only I had a better car and the support of a team to help me prove it.
‘We’ll see for how long,’ I mumble, just as my phone buzzes in my pocket.
When I pull it out, I’m greeted by a notification.Dev Anderson has uploaded a new photo. I follow my main accounts from the fake ones I set up after the Jani disaster, mainly so I could keep track of what people were saying about me after I disappeared from the public eye. Spoiler: it wasn’t anything good. I stopped checking them after two horrible days.
Looks like Willow is on the job, though it’s a little late to be posting. She’s probably in her hotel room a few doors down from mine, already in her pyjamas and lying in bed. That was her plan, at least, when I talked to her earlier. I like the image more than I should.
‘Why are you smiling like a dumbass?’
I blink myself out of the fantasy, eyes swinging to Mark. ‘Excuse me?’
‘You’re a fuckin’ goof on a good day, but this’ – he waves a hand in front of my face – ‘is different.’
I lock my phone and slip it back into my pocket without checking to see what Willow posted. I share just about everything with the man standing next to me, but I want to keep this to myself for a little longer. I don’t need more of his judgement. ‘It’s nothing important.’
But Mark knows me too well. ‘Is it Willow?’
I pull in a deep breath and confess. ‘She posted something. I was checking the notification.’
Knowing him, he doesn’t buy it. He just witnessed my far too jubilant reaction to a notification that shouldn’t have gotten more than a cursory glance.
‘Right,’ he says slowly. ‘I saw how you were looking at her earlier.’
I freeze under his hard stare and clench my jaw tight to keep from incriminating myself further.
‘You know nothing can happen,’ he warns, dropping his voice as he goes into lecture mode. Might as well stand back and let him get it all out. ‘Stop entertaining the idea that it might.’ He lifts a hand to motion to the party around us. ‘Pick any woman here. Get this out of your system. You’re only fawning over her because you’re thinking with your deprived dick. I promise you, the second you get off, you’ll forget about her.’
He can believe that all he wants, but not a single woman has caught my eye tonight. If that’s not proof that he’s wrong, then I don’t know what is.
