Page 179 of Green Flag
“He’s what I want love to be.”
Her smile deepened. “Why can’t he be? I thought love was one thing and then… well, then, this asshole came skidding into my life and… turns out, what I had before wasn’t anything in comparison.”
How had I once thought there was something between Livie and Luca? I bit down on my lip to stifle my laughter. I was completely clueless about a lot of things.
But not him. Not now.
There was a commotion below us and Luca was standing, his face nearly as red as the stripe on his leathers, his chair collapsed on the floor behind him.
It was the same expression before he had stormed across the ring to beat ‘black shorts’ to a pulp. Instinctive anger. Primal fury.
We were too high to hear exactly what he said but everything in his rigid, tall stance screamed danger.
I took Livie’s hand, and she gulped down her drink. We ran down to them.
When we finally got there, everyone was at work just as they would be in our pit box.
But Luca stood glaring at one of the members in his purple Stratos team colours. Nix stood in front of him, slightly taller, hiseyes darting between the two as he spoke in hushed tones to his ex-teammate.
Wherever and whenever, I always gravitated to him, as he was the centre of my calmness, but with that alarmed look in his eyes turning to savagery, it was something more than gravity. It was a nuclear force; something was wrong, and Luca looked explosive.
When his eyes met mine, they widened with panic, and that magnetic pull brought him forward to me too, where he led me back to the corridor.
“What’s wrong?” I hissed, following his lead.
The last thing I saw was Livie’s disgusted, angry face as she glared at the man she loved most.
“Who was that?”
He shook his head. “We’re getting out of here. I’m pulling out of the race.”
“Who was that?” I repeated, stopping and letting that gravitational pull freeze my feet to the ground.
“Fuck!” he shouted and turned away from me, his hands in fists. “Everly, I’ve got to get out of here or…”
“What?” I held onto his leathers and tugged him closer to me as he tried to avoid my eyes. “Luca, what?”
He swallowed, lip curling as he breathed deeply through his nose. “You know you heard a rumour about Pedro working for MotoBike?”
I nodded slowly, mind clear of thoughts.
“He did get a job. On Nix’s team.”
No. He couldn’t have. What team would…
“And if we don’t get out of here, you’ll be visiting your boyfriend in prison.”
I snorted as my heart warmed. Boyfriend.
Luca Mendes was my real, actual boyfriend.
And he loved me.
As I did him.
His brows knitted at my laughter. “I’m serious.”
“I know you are,” I said, trying to fight my smile.
