Page 112 of Hot Lap
He nods, but this doesn’t feel like weather. It feels like war.
THE SLIPSTREAM
@F1purist88:This is exactly what happens when you marry a stripper. Violent and unhinged. Poor Reece.
@Gridgirlsunite:She literally ATTACKED someone for being polite? The mask is finally off. #PsychoWife
? @RaceQueens2024:A woman defending her boundaries = "violent"? The misogyny jumped OUT with this one.
@RealRacingFan:One night in Vegas and now we're all supposed to pretend this trash belongs in the paddock?
? @BurnerforMaiken:Y'all are really believing Junior B??? The same man who was BANNED for years? Mai was defending herself. #MaikenSupremacy #MotherLang-uage
? @Sequinslut:Junior Betterton is a known creep and predator. She had EVERY right to protect herself.
@F1detectivemode:Wait... DBJ "accidentally" wore a body cam to a private party and "accidentally" captured this exact moment? And it's perfectly cropped to remove all context? PLEASE. This is a setup and y'all are falling for it. #JusticeForMaiken
? @F1neutralzone:100%! Something doesn't add up here. Why crop the video? What aren't we seeing?
@BurnerforMaiken:NICO BELMONTE JUST BACKED MAIKEN AND I'M CRYING. When the reigning world champ supports you, that's EVERYTHING. #TeamMaiken #NicoKnows
@F1detectivemode:Nico's statement is DAMNING. "I've seen DBJ's behavior toward women firsthand and it's unacceptable." WHAT did he see??? #SpillTheTea
@PitlaneApostle:Nico Belmonte doesn't speak up often but when he does... Man knows something we don't.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The spa smellslike eucalyptus and money. Not the kind that jingles, the kind that owns yachts and casually wears diamonds to brunch. I’m barefoot and clad only in a plush white robe, escorted through halls lined with flickering candles and decorative bowls filled with actual orchids. This is probably gonna be the most expensive mud I’ll ever have on my ass.
And I’m loving every minute.
Gudrun’s already ahead of me, looking serene as fuck as she slips into the mineral-rich bath without flinching. Lina trails us, sipping something that smells expensive and herbal.
Maria tosses her robe like she’s auditioning for a goddess role and sinks into the warmth beside me. “Step one, we detox. Step two, we retox with a bottle of wine and gossip. Step three, we annihilate anyone stupid enough to mess with one of our own.”
I laugh. Sort of. Because it’s funny, but it’s not.
“Are you okay?” Lina’s gaze is sharp.
I lean back against the curved stone tub and exhale. “I’m here. That’s about as far as I’ve gotten. Yesterday I felt like I could take on the world. Today I can barely take on getting dressed. It's fucked up how fast they can make you feel small.”
Gudrun hisses. “That man — Junior — he’s had this coming.”
Maria nods. “You don’t have to tell us everything, but we’re listening if you want to.”
So I do. I tell them how Douche Bag cornered me. How he reached for me without permission. How I warned him — calmly and clearly — and how he edited the footage to make it look like I went full psycho on agentleman.
Maria’s expression darkens. “Manipulation. Classic playbook move.”
Lina leans forward. “We’re going to dismantle him with grace. Every sponsor worth their salt is watching this unfold.”
“Let’s just say a few well-timed comments from the right women can go a long way.” Gudrun’s face is covered in a pale-green facial mask, yet she still looks elegant. Color me impressed.
We move from the mud bath to the massage table. A full-body treatment. Then a facial. Hot towels, cold stones. Somewhere between waxing and a very luxurious mani-pedi, my jaw finally unclenches.
We finish with hair — a glossy blowout and just a hint of wave — and makeup that enhances without hiding.
When I catch my reflection, I almost laugh. I should be on the cover of a damn wellness magazine, except the look in my eyes belongs to a woman out for blood. The contrast is almost funny.
