Page 137 of Rear View
My world imploded when he offered me a dark smile, then slammed the door and sealed me in.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Xavier
I stood in the Parc Ferme, the sun setting in the background. The race had ended an hour before, the crowds gone. My back was leaned against the concrete wall as I talked to Ma and eyed my rally car. Mine for about five more minutes, anyway.
“Did you tell her?” Mom asked.
It’d been three hours since Ryah’d left. Since I’d been sent off after the WRC had suspended me pending an internal investigation. Since my world fell to shit.
Stroking the key chain from my girl, I adjusted my phone and cleared my throat. “Yeah, Ma. I did.” But the look of cold dread in her face when the media’d pounced, it kept ricocheting around my head. What if she’d changed her mind? What if my life—my trouble—was too fuckin’ much? I might’ve ignored the idea, shoved it to the back of my mind ’cause Ryah’d said she’d be back. Problem was, she hadn’t answered one of my calls since.
The empty goddamn tone I used must’ve given things away, ’cause Ma’s voice was strained when she softly said, “Oh, sweetheart.”
Earl had told Alec and me to hang back for a meeting. Didn’t have to guess what it was about. I had no clue what’d come next. What I’d do with my life. I had cash, but I wouldn’t use it. Not for me. Sean, though, he’d already started getting paid, ’cause whether my girl wanted me or not, I’d still be hunting the prick that was after her.
When I’d handed those original emails to Sean, he’d tracked them to a spoofed IP address, which he claimed was harder to track, so he needed time.
I’d sent the Nolans off thirty minutes earlier. I tried to thank them for stickin’ around and say sorry for everything. They’d pulled me in for a hug, instead, telling me the only thing they cared about was how I treated their daughter. And it might’ve felt good, if only Ryah’d picked up.
My heart barely worked. I’d stared at my phone, hoping for something from my girl.Anything.But I’d scared her, and I’d scared her bad. The terror in those copper eyes nearly gutted me. A look I’d put there.
Christ, I missed her so damn much already.
Ma’s soft sob carried over the line. “This is my fault. I should’ve spoken up. Pushed the police. Your father never should have been yours to deal with. If I’d done something, he never would have fixed on you.”
She should’ve, but then, if she’d done something, I never would’ve gone to juvie. Met Castillo and Earl. Never would’ve met my girl. And as shit as possibly losing Ryah felt, not having her at all, that would’ve been worse. “Stuff happened the way it supposed to, yeah.”
She sniffed. “I’m so sorry, Xavier.”
So was I.
Alec came around the corner.
“I gotta go, Ma. Talk soon.”
“I love you, sweetheart.”
“You too.” The call ended and I shoved the phone away.
Straightening, I met him at the Parc Ferme’s entrance. His expression was flat, so I couldn’t read it when I asked, “How ya doin’?”
He popped a shoulder and ran a hand over his twists. “Been better. You?”
My laugh was dark as hell. “Been better.” I stuffed my fists into my pockets and chucked my chin in Earl’s direction. “You ready?”
“Not even close.” He tugged his coat zipper higher. “Let’s get this over with.”
I headed for the back, and he fell in beside me. When we crossed inside, Earl sat on a couch there, deep creases around his eyes like he was bracing for what came. Castillo occupied a seat in the corner, a forced smile on his face, while Trina leaned against a shelf to the right.
The mood was sour when Alec and I took our seats. Which fit, ’cause everything damn well sucked.
Earl angled forward, his forearms dropping to his knees. “The sponsors are out,” he said, his voice hollow.
“Which ones?” Alec asked.
He scratched his jaw. “After the media coverage of Peter’s scene, all of them.”
