by Mia Hoddell
I gave Anthony a hard stare, silently reminding him of our earlier conversation. As long as Taz stayed glued to his side I’d be able to keep my head in the race. He gave me a curt nod in acknowledgement when I stopped a few metres away with Tazia.
Spinning her to me, I hooked her chin so her gaze met mine. “Enjoy the race, babe. Don’t forget to cheer for me.”
She kissed me, hard. Her fingers tangled in the back of my hair and she pulled my head down so her lips could reach my ear. “I like this suit by the way. I think it’s going to feature in many of my fantasies when I’m alone and in bed from now on.”
I shook my head. “You’re evil.”
“You love it.” She beamed at me, not the least bit contrite.
Placing my hand on her back I pushed her in the direction of Anthony and slapped her ass playfully. She squealed, quickening her footsteps. “Stay with, Tony, all right?”
She flicked the Vs at me with a chuckle. God I loved her.
Wait, what?
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
Tazia
I grabbed Anthony’s hand, squeezing unbearably tight so that when I leapt from my seat I nearly dragged him with me. Eyes wide in panic, I couldn’t tear my gaze from the screens in front of me. If it hadn’t been for Anthony returning my iron grip I’d have been tempted to run out onto the track.
The live feed on the monitors cut to a replay, showing me Dustin’s crash from every angle. When the on board feed played I covered my open mouth with a hand, not able to stifle my gasp. In a split second Dustin lost control. He tried to correct the oversight, but couldn’t pull the car back on track. The car hit the gravel trap and from that point on Dustin was only along for the ride as the car hurtled towards the Armco barrier.
The instant it smashed into the strip of metal, the car crumpled and then the feed cut back to the live race still going on.
“Why aren’t they showing him getting out?” I squealed, frantically looking around the garage. Why the hell was no one else panicking?
“Tazia, sit back down. That was a standard crash, he should walk away from it fine.”
“Should?” I screeched. “Standard?”
Anthony tugged me back to my seat and loomed over me. Pressing my shoulders back into the cool metal, he ordered, “Stay here. I’ll check with the pit wall to see if he’s been on the radio.”
I opened my mouth to protest, leaning forward to follow him.
He pointed a finger at me in the universal command for wait. “Stay. There.”
I grumbled about being treated like a dog and let him go, figuring I’d get the information quicker that way.
When Anthony headed back over to me, the cameras cut to the crash scene again. Dustin’s mangled car stuck out of the barrier in a crumpled heap. The front end wasn’t even recognisable and I couldn’t see him anywhere, only the medical car.
I glanced to Anthony through hazy eyes and dug my nails into my palms in an attempt to fight back the dread.
“He’s okay, Tazia. He’s on his way back here as we speak.”
My whole body deflated, the tension releasing in a wave so fast I couldn’t hold myself up. I sank down onto the chair, exhausted. “Oh, thank God.”
As if summoned by our words, Dustin strode into the garage with his helmet still on. I jumped out of my seat and rushed to him, but he held out his hand to ward me off. I tripped over my feet, not expecting the gesture and when I stumbled Anthony took hold of my arm.
“Give him a minute.”
Dustin peeled off his gloves and bunched them in his hand. He wrung the material tightly then with a roar loud enough to be heard through his helmet, he hurled them into the corner of the garage. A couple of water bottles toppled from the shelves, hitting the floor like skittles in a fairground booth. One of Dustin’s team hurried to collect them when Dustin lashed out at a chair. With a forceful kick he sent it skating across the shiny floor and stalked back to his room, unbuckling his helmet as he went.
I knew from the few Formula One races I’d watched that when a driver kept their helmet on it meant they didn’t want to talk to anyone, yet I didn’t think it included their girlfriends. My body twitched, itching to follow him.
“I’ll go and talk to him, Taz, okay? I’ll figure out what happened and then I’ll come and get you.”
I hated it.
I wanted to be there for him, though I didn’t know the first thing to say or do other than to fuss over him. That didn’t seem like what he needed so begrudgingly I agreed.
With a huff I dropped down on my chair and crossed my legs. I attempted to watch the rest of the race, but without Dustin on track it held no interest. I shifted on the cool metal, re-crossing my legs repeatedly. Glancing around the garage I noticed no one was paying attention to me.
I glanced to the door Dustin and Anthony had gone through, making a snap decision to follow them. I reached the door to Dustin’s room without a fuss and raised my hand to knock when barked words on the other side stopped me.
“Is she why you crashed?”
“What the fuck do you think? She’s always been a distraction. You were the one to point that out to me. You warned me not to get involved time and time again.”
My heart clenched. Surely Dustin wasn’t talking about me?
The door muffled Anthony’s response then something crashed.
“I don’t care what you have to do, get her the fuck out of here!”
“Dustin, I can’t remove people because you have a problem with them. I don’t know what you’re expecting.”
“I expect you to do your damned job and look after my interests. Seeing her right now is not in my best interests.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
I sank against the wall, my knees weak beneath me. I heard footsteps approaching and held my breath. Anthony stepped from the room, jumping when he caught sight of me. Guilt filled his eyes. “Tazia…”
“Is he okay?” I didn’t know why I still cared. Clearly he wanted me gone.
“Physically he’s fine, though mentally he isn’t in a good place.” He draped an arm over my shoulder. “Come on, let’s get you back to the hotel.”
Not giving me a choice in the matter, Anthony led me away. If I hadn’t been certain before Dustin had been talking about me Anthony’s gesture confirmed it.
“Get ready for the after-party, okay? Either Dustin or myself will collect you at the scheduled time.” Anthony led me out to a car he had waiting at the back of the garage. I slid in, too stunned to protest, and he shut the door behind me so the blacked out windows dulled the burning sun.
* * *
For a few hours I’d resolved to not go to the after-party. If Dustin didn’t want me, I didn’t want him either. In the end, however, I decided that if he wanted to end things then I’d at least get one night of being treated like a princess out of it.
I spent hours primping and preening and when a knock rapped on my hotel room door I had just slipped into my heels. I unlocked the door with my head held high and my posture upright. I refused to allow Dustin to see me hurting over him.
My show of nonchalance turned out to be for nothing.
Anthony waited on the other side of the door wearing a tailored suit with his hands clasped loosely in front of him. I glanced up and down the hallway, searching.
“Dustin’s going to meet us there. The team had some things they wanted him to take care of.”
I stared at him dubiously. I didn’t know whether to believe him or not. However, I hadn’t dressed up for nothing and I planned to show Dustin what he stood to lose and make him regret it.
As if it wasn’t my first time in heels for months, I glided past Anthony with long, graceful strides. He jogged to close the distance between us and guided me up to the private area in the hotel reserved for the after-party. The scale and grandeur of the building still astounded me. Compared to everything back in England, it belonged in a different league. The area which had
been set aside for us was the Skylite Lounge on the top floor. Its light-filled glass canopy that enclosed the entire building had been illuminated in a warm purple to give the feeling of a modern club. At the centre of the room and lit up with turquoise lights beneath the giant hole in the roof was the bar.
I would definitely head over there as soon as possible.
Music poured from the speakers and my gaze drifted from the line of palm trees at the back of the space to the crowd of people. Most were standing around talking, or sitting on the enormous red sofas in smaller groups. I didn’t recognise anyone and a surge of nerves had me backing into Anthony. It was easier to be confident when no one could see it.
Anthony’s hand on my back stopped me from hightailing it out of the room. Guiding me forward, he must have known where to look since we made our way straight through the crowd to Dustin.
My steps faltered and I stumbled in my heels at the sight of him. He had his arms wrapped around a petite brunette’s waist so she nestled against his chest and his hands were splayed across her stomach. He lowered his head to her shoulder and placed a kiss on her cheek while she laughed at whatever he said into her ear.
I gawped at them, sickness roiling in my stomach. I wanted to throw up. My feet remained glued to the floorboards so I swallowed it down.
How could he throw me away in the space of a few hours like I meant nothing?
And why the fuck did Anthony bring me up here?
Dustin’s eyes met mine over the brunette’s shoulder. He said something to her and when she nodded he dropped his arms and she separated herself. His gaze remained fixed on mine, but the smile tugging at his lips wasn’t up to his usual calibre. He appeared tired as he approached me.
“Hey, you’re here.” He touched his lips to the corner of my mouth, more of a polite greeting than anything else. “You look amazing.”
“I know.” I flounced past him, aiming for the bar. I refused to give him the satisfaction of showing my jealousy, no matter how much it raged within me. If he didn’t want me he’d have to be the one to bring it up.
I placed my order and he leaned beside me on the bar. When the bartender returned with my drink, I spun to face the room and sipped at my champagne.
“Is everything okay, Taz?”
I shrugged away from his hand. “I don’t know, you tell me.”
Dustin stepped in front of me, blocking my view of everything else. He folded his arms across his chest. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I took another sip and peered round him. The Formula One drivers were easy to pick out. Even if I hadn’t recognised them from the TV, they were the ones surrounded by the biggest crowds.
“Taz.” Dustin stepped into my line of sight once more to scowl at me.
I snapped my eyes to his and clenched my jaw. “What?”
Uncertainty flitted across his face until he composed himself and hardened his expression. I threw back the rest of my drink and turned to place the glass on the bar. As soon as I set it down Dustin’s hand encircled my upper arm.
Pulling hard, he tugged me to follow him. He led me through the crowds with determined strides. Pushing past anyone who got in our way, Dustin didn’t stop until we were in a secluded corner.
He pressed me back into the wall and glared down at me. “Talk.”
“About what?”
“Whatever the hell is going on with you.” He lifted his arm and braced it on the wall to trap me when he noticed my gaze flicker back to the lounge.
“Who said anything’s going on?”
“If nothing’s going on why are you acting like this? We may have only known each other a few months, but this sure as hell isn’t you, Tazia.” He caressed my cheek with the back of his hand and softened his voice. “What’s going on?”
I slapped his hand away. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because someone thinks I’m a distraction who caused them to crash and wanted them out of their sight. It didn’t matter I was terrified you were hurt, you wanted me gone, and then I show up here to find you stuck to another woman like an octopus.”
My words started off sarcastic then broke the more I protested. I dipped my head so he wouldn’t see the hurt I knew was plainly displayed. “You could have at least told me yourself, Dustin. Rather than have Anthony escort me from the track. At least have the balls to end things if that’s what you want.”
He hooked my chin and no matter how much I fought his grip he was too strong. He forced me to look up at him. “Babe, no.” Dustin shook his head, his expression clearing of frustration as understanding shone through. I kept mine narrowed, staring at him coldly. “I wasn’t talking about you, Taz. I’ve never thought that about you.”
“You weren’t?” I didn’t buy it.
“Of course not. You’re the best thing to happen to me in years.”
“Then why wouldn’t Anthony let me see you? Why couldn’t I check you were okay? I saw you crash, Dustin.”
He inhaled sharply and focused on the wall above my head. “It’s not you, Taz. Elora’s here.”
I gasped. “She’s here?”
Dustin nodded, his jaw tight. “Listen, I’m barely holding it together as it is right now and I need to be here for my sponsors and team. I promise to explain everything to you back at the hotel room where I don’t have to be this put together man for Sabre. But for now, please can we forget this? I need your help to get through the night, Taz, or I’m going to lose it.”
He reached down to take my hand in his. I wanted to melt into his touch, yet one question stopped me. “What about the other woman?”
“What other woman?”
I cocked my head to one side. “Uh, the one you were draped all over a minute ago. Have you really forgotten her so quickly?”
His confusion transformed into wry amusement. “You mean Raine?”
My cheeks prickled with heat. I was thankful of the darkness hiding my blush. “That was Raine? As in Teo’s Raine?”
He traced my bottom lip with his thumb. “Yup.”
My mouth formed an O beneath his touch. Embarrassment flooded my body when I realised how stupid I’d been.
“You were jealous, weren’t you?”
I snorted. “Of course not.”
“Sure you weren’t.” He waited until I peered up at him then continued in earnest. “I’d never do that to you, Taz. It’s not who I am.”
“I believe you.” And I did. It was probably why I hadn’t stormed over to him the second I saw him and created a scene. In my heart I knew Dustin wasn’t the type to cheat.
Dustin took my hand, drawing me from the wall. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
Dustin
I tried to remain upbeat for Tazia, but even with how stunning she looked in her royal purple dress she failed to be the perfect distraction. At least every minute my thoughts drifted back to Elora and the glimpse I’d caught of her at the start of the race.
I had been talking to Cale when the flash of her fiery hair caught my attention. At first I brushed it off, assuming I’d been seeing things. However, when she glanced at me over her shoulder again and waved it felt like a kick to the gut.
Looking back, it surprised me to have stayed on the track for as long as I did. Rather than focus on the race, all I could think about was her.
Why she was there.
What she wanted.
What it would take to finally be free of her.
Thankfully she hadn’t made direct contact before the race even though in the end it meant little. I’d crashed without her needing to.
She continually fucked up my life.
That was why I hadn’t wanted Tazia to see me after the crash. I hadn’t even considered how things would affect her. I’d been too wrapped up in the past and my rage.
Tazia squeezed my hand and brought me from my thoughts.
I spotted Raine next to her stand-in bodyguards, Flynn and Zeke. Teo wasn’t far away and w
atched her constantly to make sure she was okay while he spoke to the team boss of Braxton Racing. I was happy for her. Slowly, things were looking up for her with Teo’s help, and she even had a whole team to care for her now. While I’d always be there for her, I had to admit it was a relief to be able to focus on my own problems for once without having to worry about her.
The giant rock on her finger drew genuine happiness from me, only to be dampened by my next thought. I hadn’t known Teo planned on proposing today, and I had intended on attending his race. I wanted to see my brother crowned World Champion, and I had wanted to be there for Raine. The proposal would more than likely be up on YouTube, though it didn’t exactly have the same feeling.
It happened to be two more moments Elora had stolen from me which I could never get back.
“Think you can ease up on my hand a bit? I kind of need them functioning.” Taz stretched up to speak into my ear over the music.
Instantly, I released my hold and tucked her under my arm. “Sorry.”
Raine caught sight of us and waved us over. The excitement pouring off her sent a nervous shiver snaking down my spine.
“You doing okay, sweet girl?” I asked with a nod to Zeke and Flynn.
Teo chose that moment to sneak up behind her and place both hands on her shoulders. She stiffened at his touch, almost spilling her drink on her shoes. Thankfully, the music smothered her squeak.
Only when Teo bent to whisper in her ear did Raine relax and throw him a glower. Teo chuckled and placed a hand around her back to rest it on her hip. Whether it was a deliberate gesture I couldn’t be sure, but his fingers ran over the scar I knew was there.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Teo asked, tilting his head in Tazia’s direction.
Not bothering to wait for me, Taz held out her hand. “I’m Tazia.”
Teo took it, though rather than shake it he drew her into a hug. Whether he meant for me to hear the words I wasn’t sure, yet I heard them nonetheless. “Thank you for bringing my brother back to us.”