Page 48 of Rush
‘He also personally apologised within seconds of seeing me get out of the medical car. So I won’t be pissed for long. He was wrong and he knows it and I forgive him; I just need time to get over it. Move past my disappointment.’
‘Understandable. I heard Kodie going off at you.’
‘Yeah, well. Kodie needs to get over herself. I understand why she’s upset, but I have explained my side of things. If she wants to hold it against me, that’s on her.’
‘Every team goes through teething issues, Savannah. The guys and I don’t always get along, despite being friends and teammates for most of our careers. There will be disagreements and arguments, and you’ll make mistakes, but that’s just part of it. You’re still learning about each other. You guys gel really well, and you were all chosen to join the Revolution Racing family partly because of your individual abilities to operate as a team player. Kodie will get over her personal vendetta, once she gets a big brand deal or hits a milestone on social media. You and I both know you deserve all the fanfare you’re getting, with or without me being attached to it.’
‘You give good advice, Monaco. Anyone ever told you that?’ She uncrossed her arms, resting her hands on his. It felt a little strange, like the lines were blurring between real and fake.
‘Quite often, actually. You on the other hand, do not,’ he chuckled.
‘Are you ever going to stop roasting me for that?’ Sherolled her eyes but stayed put. ‘I didn’t know my advice was going to manifest into you embarrassing yourself.’
‘At least I can laugh about it now that my world does not revolve around Esme Keelan.’
‘Were you in love with her?’ Savi asked.
‘No,’ he breathed out a laugh. ‘I just thought I could be.’
‘Well as much as I love Esme, I believe there’s someone else out there who is a better fit for you.’
‘But, Cowgirl,’ he murmured, his presence still invading her senses despite the camera being long gone, ‘sometimes we settle because we don’t have the courage to explore what else the world might have in store for us.’
19
Savi had stayed glued to the screens for the last hour of the race, watching Marco do his thing. He was trying to climb back up to a podium position after they’d had a rain shower and he’d spun out during the fifth hour of the race. He’d fought the team when they’d tried to switch him out with Brett, claiming it was only fair that they give him a chance to redeem himself and undo the error that threatened to wipe the progress his teammates had made during their stints.
It had paid off. Big time. He had overtaken Talos Sport, followed by Eden Racing, then the second Talos car, and claimed the top spot. He’d crossed the finish to a roar of cheers, everyone in the grandstands on their feet, flags waving. Half the time in this championship, it didn’t matter who won or came second and third in each class; even finishing the race was a huge feat. And the response of the crowds always reflected that. They supported every team even if they had their favourites and they queued up for autographs in front of nearly every garage.
The team were discussing celebrating their win with dinner and a few drinks, but Savi was considering bailing in favour of room service and a bottle of wine by herself. Her body was sore all over, Kodie was still being standoffish, and she was tired. Socialising with a large group ofpeople seemed like too much to ask of her tonight, even if Brett had been trying his utmost to cheer her up since he’d found her sat at the back of the garage alone during Marco’s stint.
Marco pulled her to one side. ‘You don’t want to go to dinner tonight, do you?’ he asked, his voice low. He must have noticed how quiet she was, even if she’d tried to put on an act.
‘Honestly? No. I can’t think of anything worse. I’m going to head back to the hotel, leave you guys to enjoy your evening. I don’t want to bring the mood down.’
‘I’m coming with you. We’ll make a night of it, order everything off the room service menu we fancy, have some drinks, watch a film and play cards. I don’t want you being alone and miserable, but I understand why you don’t want to hang out with everybody.’
‘You should be with your team, Mars.’ She gave him a look.
‘You’re part of my team. Besides, if you’re feeling battered and bruised now you’re only going to feel worse over the next few hours. What if you can’t move around? I can be your slave for the night.’
‘Okay, thank you,’ she smiled, sort of looking forward to his company. They’d spent a fair amount of time together outside of work now, and there was never a dull moment.
‘But first, we’ve got to get the podium out of the way. We’ve got about twenty minutes while they do the scrutinising, then it’s go-time.’
‘Why is Jasper making us all go up? We didn’t finish the race.’
‘Because we, as a team, just won our one hundredth race. That’s monumental, we all need to be on that podium. We’re getting our own, Savannah. After the teams in second and third have celebrated.’
‘Okay, I will admit, that’s pretty cool.’
‘Exactly,’ he grinned.
Then she saw her, walking through the paddock with guilt etched across her features, and Savi’s world shattered. ‘Marco,’ she whispered shakily.
‘What?’ he asked, then his eyes followed her gaze. ‘Why is she here?’
Savi watched Sapphire get closer, flanked by one of the team’s security guards. She knew this was bad. If it was enough to make Sapphire fly halfway across the world, it had to be something Savi didn’t want to hear.
