Page 90 of Fast & Reckless
“I’d ask you for a little favor for those, but it seems you only hand those out to drivers.”
She froze, mouth hanging open. Her face flamed with anger, mortification, or some bubbling mix of both. SheknewDom. She’d been working with him all season. They’d joked around and chatted. And he thought he could say something like that to her?
Suddenly Violet was there, slapping her hand down over Dom’s and shoving it away. “A, she doesn’t have to do you a fucking favor for doing yourjob, and B, being a driver hasnothing to do with it. The problem is, you’re a sad fucking asshole. And a lousy lay, from what I’ve heard.”
Dom’s face colored, but he said nothing. Violet tugged her out of Dom’s office, and Mira stumbled after her, still in shock.
“I can’t believe he said that to me.”
“He’s an idiot,” Violet growled.
“God, if people who know me are going to believe all that crap …” Mira closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m never getting out from under this. I should just go back to LA. I’m making it worse by staying.” Her heart folded in on itself just thinking about leaving, but maybe her name was just too tarnished in the small world of racing. Maybe she’d always be branded as that slut with a thing for bad-boy drivers.
“Hey.” Violet stopped, swinging around to face her. “None of this is your fault.”
“I don’t know, Violet. If bad things happen because of you, even if they’re not your fault, maybe they’re still your responsibility.”
Violet blinked. “That’s why you broke up with Will, isn’t it? You think you’re saving him or something.”
“Iamsaving him. Being with me was only going to hurt him.”
“He can handle it. He’s done it before.”
She shook her head. “No. He’s worked too hard this season to blow it because of me.” Violet opened her mouth to protest, but Mira cut her off. “The one thing I could do was to get out of the way, so I did.”
“Just be careful, Mira. Don’t let them decide who you are.”
“That’s not what I’m doing. I’m just trying—”
“To do the right thing. Yeah, I get it. I’m just not entirely sure this is it. Listen, I have to go. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for that back there with Dom.”
Violet gave her a light punch in the arm. “Anytime. Fuck the patriarchy, remember?”
When Mira opened the door to race command minutes later, she heard her dad’s voice. She hadn’t seen him since last night. When she’d arrived at the track this morning, he’d been busy putting out fires in the emergency meeting that now had Will on a plane back to London. She’d been avoiding him on purpose, too. But she knew she’d have to face him eventually and apparently time was up.
Steeling herself, she peered through the open door. He and Harry were studying the video monitors of the track, deep in debate.
“Tae thinks Rikkard is in great shape,” her father said. “Good simulator times and he’s backing it up in practice. We could probably finish the season with him, if it comes to that.”
“Will’s coming back before the end of the season,” Harry grumbled. “The boy’s got fire, Paul, and you know it.”
Oh god, they were talking about Will. She shrank back, intending to retreat the way she’d come and wait until they were gone. But her father’s angry outburst froze her in place.
“I’m not sure I know anything about Will anymore, Harry. I thought all that nonsense from three years ago was behind him. I trusted him. Then it turns out the bastard seduced my own daughter behind my back. Of all the women he could have had, he targetedher. What was hethinking?”
“It’s a shame he’s such a handful. Never seen a better driver.”
“Maybe he’s just too much of a risk, no matter how bloody talented he is. I have to think of what’s best for the team, and maybe that’s not Will anymore.”
Cold sweat prickled along the back of her neck as Mira gripped the doorframe until her knuckles went white.
“You need to do what you feel is right, Paul,” Harry said with a weary sigh. “I’d better get back to the garage. The team’s got their hands full putting Will’s car back together.”
Without making a sound, Mira scrambled back out of the office and ducked around the corner, waiting while Harry left.
She felt like she couldn’t breathe. Walking away from Will hadn’t fixed a single thing. In the vacuum she’d left, people filled in their own story—about him and about her—and they were all wrong. They’d been wrong about her years ago, and they were wrong about Will now. Her father was about to abandon him, thinking the worst of him.
