Page 50 of You, Me, and Lucky Number 13

“Lawson,” I growl.

“Hello, Cole.” The voice is smooth, oily. Familiar. My blood runs cold.

Chad fucking Tane.

“You sonofabitch,” I snarl, knuckles white around the phone.

He chuckles, the sound grating on my last nerve. “Now, now. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?”

“We were never friends, Tane. What the fuck do you want?”

“Just calling to see how you’re holding up,” he says, fake concern dripping from every word. “It must be so difficult, having your family’s dirty laundry aired like this.”

I grit my teeth, fighting to keep my voice steady. “If you think this is gonna break me, you’re dead wrong.”

“Oh, I don’t want to break you, Cole,” Chad purrs. “I want to watch you squirm. To see the great Cole Lawson brought low by his daddy’s sins.”

Red clouds my vision. I want to reach through the phone and strangle him. “Why now?” I demand. “Why drag this shit up after all these years?”

“Because you just couldn’t leave her alone,” Chad hisses, all pretense of civility gone. “We had a deal, Lawson. You were supposed to walk away, and in turn, your family’s secret would be kept safe.”

Lola. He’s talking about Lola.

“That was years ago. Lola has nothing to do with our fathers. Leave her out of it,” I growl, protective instinct flaring.

“Too late for that, Cole,” he sneers. “She’s as much a part of this as you are. I wonder how she’ll feel when she learns just how deep your father’s corruption ran?”

As far as I know, it ran as deep as his father’s.

“Don’t pick a fight you can’t win, Tane.”

“Oh, I’ll win,” Chad says, smug satisfaction dripping from every word. “This is just the beginning, Lawson. By the time I’m done, you’ll wish you’d never set foot on a racetrack.”

The line goes dead.

I stand there, phone clenched in my fist, rage and fear warring inside me. Chad’s words echo in my head, a promise of more pain to come.

“Cole?” Lola’s voice snaps me back to reality. She’s watching me, concern etched on her face. “Who was that?”

I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “Chad,” I say, watching her eyes widen. “He’s not done fucking us over.”

Lola’s jaw sets, that familiar determination hardening her features. “Then we’re not done either. Whatever he’s got planned, we can handle it.”

I nod, drawing strength from her resolve. Chad wants a war? Then a war he will get.

CHAPTER TWENTY- ONE

LOLA

The late-afternoon sunbathes the lake in a warm glow, turning the water into a shimmering expanse of molten gold. A gentle breeze whispers through the trees, carrying the scent of pine needles and a hint of smoke from the campfire Cole’s built. It’s idyllic, peaceful, a world away from the pressure cooker of the racetrack. For the first time in days, I feel my shoulders unclench, the knot of anxiety in my stomach loosening its grip.

We both needed this escape, a stolen afternoon away from the scrutiny of the team, the media, and the ever-present weight of expectations. This past week has been a whirlwind of stress and adrenaline, a constant battle against Chad’s relentless attacks and the whispers of doubt that have threatened to consume us both.

Cole sits beside me on the rickety wooden dock, his gaze fixed on the horizon, a contemplative frown etching lines on his forehead. He’s exhausted, I realize, both physically and emotionally.

I want to reach for him, to offer comfort and soothe the turmoil I know he’s carrying, but I hesitate, my hand hovering in the space between us, unsure of what he needs from me.The events of the past week, the sabotage, the media storm, the simmering tension of our own unresolved feelings, have created a minefield of emotions that I’m not sure how to navigate. Maybe if I had been more successful in my attempt to run down Chad, we wouldn’t have all this drama on our plate…

One minute we’re devouring each other in the simulator, the next he’s pushing me away, his eyes filled with a haunted look I can’t decipher. It’s exhausting, this push and pull, this constant dance between desire and denial. And the truth is, I’m not sure how much longer I can keep playing the game.

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