Page 14 of Close Contact
She didn’t answer. Just the faintest shift of her jaw.
Kimiturned to me. “What happened?”
“That’s her story,” I said. “All you need to know is she’s done with this place today.”
“Jevaisbien,” she said suddenly, and we all turned to her. Her voice was quiet but strong, and so veryAurélie.
Marco hovered by the door. “So what’s the play?”
“We get her out quietly. No questions.”
“Media’s buzzing already,” Marco said, glancing at his watch. “We’ve got a few minutes before someone comes knocking.”
“She rides with me,”Kimisaid. “No one will question it.”
I didn’t love the idea. I wanted to be the one beside her, the one she turned to. But he was right. It made the most sense. “Fine,” I agreed. “Marco and I will lead. We swap cars outside the city.”
“Like a bloody heist,” Marco said with a grin, rubbing his hands together. “I’m in.”
I shot him a glare. “It’s not a joke.” It came out harsher than I intended. Guilt gnawed at me. “Sorry.”
He sobered. “Yeah. Got it. We’ve got her back.”
“Luminisdoesn’t deserve her,”Kimiadded. He stepped closer toAurélie, crouching in front of her. “You deserve better. Do you need anything before we go?”
She finally lifted her head, just a little. “No. I don’t want to talk about it here.”
“Fair.” He stood and nodded at me.
“We’ll handle it,Auri,” I reassured her.
Marco gave a thumbs-up. “Where do you want to meet?”
“There’s acaféoutside the city. It’s secluded. No press, no cameras.” A spot I frequented when I needed to get away.
Marco smirked. “Romantic.”
I ignored him. Auréliestood slowly. I was already beside her, steadying her with a hand on her lower back. She didn’t flinch. That alone felt like a victory, until she stepped towardKimiand away from me.
“Let’s go,” I said quietly.
The four of us moved quickly.Kimistayed close toAurélie’sside. Her head stayed low, her eyes fixed on the floor as we navigated the maze of hallways. My chest tightened with every step, hyper-aware of every shadow, every sound. The last thing she needed was another confrontation. The walk was tense, but Marco and I kept our pace casual, making idle conversation about the upcoming race, though my mind was a storm of worries. I couldn’t shake the harrowing image ofAurélieon that couch, her eyes red and empty, her shoulders slumped like the world had finally broken her.
We reached the exit without incident. Marco and I climbed into my car and waited forKimito pull out behind us.
“Is she okay?” Marco asked as we pulled onto the road.
“No,” I admitted. “But she’s holding on.”
Marco shook his head. “FuckingLuminis. They’re all about diversity until it gets uncomfortable for them. Hypocrites.”
“They’re going to lose her,” I said. “And they deserve to.”
“We should put in a word with some other teams,” Marco suggested. “Ferrari, maybe. They’re looking for a new driver next season.”
I glanced at him, surprised. “You’d do that?”
“Hell, yeah,” he said. “She’s got talent, Fraser. You know that better than anyone. She deserves a shot, and not with some shitty midfield team who wanted to make waves this season but wasn’t prepared for what all that meant.”
