Page 24 of King of Wands

I think in the back of my mind any and all instances of being alone with King set off my red alert warning bells.

“Fine. I’ll drive.” King snatched the keys back.

I chased after him as he backed away, holding the keys out of my reach. He was also grinning like a fool. “This isn’t a game. You won’t be smiling like that when I can’t breathe.”

He instantly sobered, coming right back to me and putting his hands comfortingly on my shoulders. “You’ll drive. I’ll learn. No panic attacks will be had.” Then he placed the keys in my hand. “Let’s go.”

I drove like a granny. That’s what my friends said anyway. I didn’t care. I was a very good driver and before the accident I’d loved to go fast. I even went to one of those driving schools where they teach you how to do stunts. All that was in the past, though. I drove the speed limit. I made slow and cautious turns. I took an extra second at stops. The most exciting thing I’d done behind the wheel of a car was learn to drive on the wrong side of the road—aka drive in Great Britain.

But King didn’t say anything on the way to the track. He didn’t ask questions or make any noises. In fact, he sat still as a statue. I glanced over at him once and found he was concentrating. He really was studying everything I did. It was strangely comforting to see him take my fear so seriously.

When we arrived he gave me directions on how to enter the facility and where to park. It was already pretty crazy with camera crews everywhere and fans milling around.

“I’d like for you to stick with me.” A camera crew rushed to his door. “Right here.” He patted his left elbow. “I won’t hold your hand like I did at the party the other night but if I don’t feel you by my side I will.” He gave me a pointed stare.

I didn’t like being told what to do or threatened with consequences and I told him that, which of course caused him to grin mischievously at me.

“Stay beside me and you won’t have to worry.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I’m not. I’m making compromises to get what I want. I want my arm around you. I want everyone to know you’re mine. But I can’t have that yet, so I’ll settle for having you beside me instead.”

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. King grinned even wider, then hopped out of the sport utility vehicle. “Come on, Isabel. I’m waiting.”

I watched as he was swallowed by the crowd. How could I possibly keep up with him? Well the easy answer was I couldn’t if I didn’t get a move on. So off I went.

Did I mention I was actually making use of that “Race Day Attire” my stylist had assigned? Well I was. I wore a red silk blouse with black pants and blazer, matching red heels, and my race day lanyard identifying my access level. My hair was done the same as usual, down the middle and parted, but my makeup was dialed up several notches with heavier eyeliner, redder lips, and no glasses. All in all I felt pretty sophisticated but also very out of my comfort zone.

Somehow the crowd opened enough to let me through. King was talking to a reporter who held a microphone up. Three cameras stood around him with two more reporters hanging back, waiting for their chance to ask him a question.

“The car felt good yesterday during qualifying. I’m hoping for a great result today.”

“One, two?” The reporter asked, referring to King and Yedlin taking first and second place.

“Absolutely. We’re one and two on the grid. As long as we made a good start I don’t think any other team can pass us.”

I came to a stop at his elbow. This time when he smiled I knew it was because he could feel me beside him, not because of the questions being tossed his way.

“What about Ricci’s comments this week? At the press conference you dismissed them. Now that we’re on the track do you feel differently?”

It was amazing to watch the way King could transform from happy and charismatic to cold as steel in the blink of an eye. His gaze hardened, became callous, and his jaw clenched. “Ricci can find out for himself. I’ll be in P2. If he can find me I’ll have an answer for him.”

P2 was starting position number two. Ricci had a mechanical issue that made him lose the spot he’d earned. He was starting at the back of the pack. I knew the technical starting positions of everyone thanks to Luis’s careful explanation over dinner last night. What I didn’t know was what the heck the Ricci had said or why King was essentially threatening him now.

“Yes, well. It will certainly be exciting if he can. Good luck today King.”

King gave him a nod and turned to the next reporter. She asked a series of questions about the condition of the track that King answered with great technical detail. The final reporter finally asked about the logo.

“So King, fans want to know more about your new helmet design. King of Wands is official now, yeah?”

To my surprise and horror, King turned to me. “It’s official and all thanks to my new public relations manager. Isabel came up with the whole idea of turning my nickname into more.”

And that’s how I found myselfon cameraas King’spublic relations manageranswering questions about the name and design. I was going to kill King. Later. When I remembered how to think.

“He certainly is a fiery personality we all look forward to seeing on the track,” the reporter said. He had a really great smile with a dimple and flashing blue eyes. “Well done on the design.”

“Thank you. It was all King, really. We just put the pieces together.”

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