AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Parker chuckles. “I like her, she’s forward.”
“She takes no shit,” I say as Dad gets in the car, looking pissed. “We’re heading back now.”
Ending the call, I wait for Dad to say whatever he needs to get off his chest. True to his stoic nature, he drives us to the hospital in silence. When I was younger, this is how he used to punish me when I had gone too far, pushed beyond his limits.
“I know you’re pissed at me,” I tell him as we walk inside the hospital. “You think I’ve gone too far, but—”
“Too far?” Pausing in the middle of the hallway leading to the elevator, he turns to fix me with a narrowed stare. “What makes you think you’ve gone too far?”
“It’s not what I think.”
“What do you think, Brody? What exactly is going through your head right now?” Sucking in a deep breath, he waits for me to answer. However, when I’m about to open my mouth, he turns on his heel and leads us to the elevator. “Let me tell you what’s going through mine.”
The morose sound of his voice tells me this isn’t going to be good for either of us. Unlike his calm and cool-headed way of dealing with his feelings, I’m like Mom—hotheaded and quick to act. It’s who I’ve always been, and it’s part of what makes me who I am.
“Right now, I’m trying to figure out how I can protect you from this. What you did back there…you can’t take that back or erase it. You’ve shown the world your worst side, and anyone that might have questioned or doubted what the press are saying about your past or who that makes you, has been given carte blanche to believe the shit. Your credibility is fucked, and I don’t know how to fix it.”
The elevator doors open, and while we enter and wait for them to close, I allow his words to sink in. I’m not an idiot. I know what I did. What my actions showed. But if I allow myself to step back and simply let all of this pass me by without doing everything I can about it…
What kind of man does that make me?
How can I look Rosie in the eyes and believe that I deserve her? More than that, how would I be able to live with myself?
“It’s not me that needs protecting, nor my credibility that needs fixing. And if that’s where your mind is, then you’re not thinking of me as your son like you always said you would. Right now, I’m just your fucking driver, a part of your business.”
“Because you are!”
“Not right now,” I tell him, meeting his gaze and forcing my emotions down. If I get riled now, he’ll shrug me off like a problem he needs to take charge of. But that’s not what I need from him. “I’m not your driver, Dad. I’m your kid and her man. My only concern is Rosie. She needs protecting and the shit that’s happened to her needs fixing. This isn’t about me or how the world sees me. It’s all about her, and if you can’t see that, then you need to go. I’ll handle it all myself.”
The only response I get is a nod before the doors open and I head directly to Rosie’s side. It’s not the outside world I care about because my universe and life is right here, staring back at me with tears still in her eyes. And she is the only one that matters to me.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The ride back to the hotel is quiet. Brody hasn’t said much, his hand gently resting on mine atop my thigh. My stomach is in knots. I know he said Natalya meant nothing to him, but I’m worried he’s angry I decided to press charges. I can’t imagine it will make things within the team easy. The two drivers’ girlfriends causing drama.
The driver takes us around to the side of the hotel, no doubt to avoid the paparazzi that will be desperate for a reaction to their latest headline. How does Brody deal with this drama constantly? It’s eating me alive and I feel nauseous just thinking about it.
“Let’s get inside,” he says, slipping out of the car and offering me his hand. I gladly take it and relax a little when he pulls me into his side protectively. I can’t see anyone with cameras around, but you never know.
We head to the elevator, my mind still racing, going over everything that has happened in the last twenty-four hours. Brody nods hello to a few passers-by and I keep my head down.
“Are you feeling okay?” he asks, pulling me into him as the elevator doors close. He gently tilts my chin up and assesses me. I try to look away but he’s not having it. “What’s wrong, Angel?”
“I’m sorry I’m making things difficult for you,” I sigh, dropping my head to his chest and inhaling his comforting scent. I melt into his embrace, the heat of his body seeping into mine.
“You’re not doing anything,” he says into my hair. “How many times do we have to tell you, none of this is your fault.”
The doors open and he says, “Come on,” leading me to our suite. He reaches into his back pocket and grabs the key card, swiping it and holding the door open for me.
“I know, Brody. But this is going to cause tension within the team. Racing is your life and I’m messin—”
“Stop. Racing is not my life. You are. Angel, you are the only thing that matters to me.” He sits on the couch and gently pulls me onto his lap, gazing into my eyes. “You’re my whole world and I can’t live without you.”
He brushes his lips over mine for a sweet kiss, running his hand up and down my back in a soothing gesture. The tension of the day will take some time to dissipate, but sitting here with him now, his touch is a soothing balm to my aching soul. We sit in a comfortable silence for a moment, content with being close. The steady sounds of our breathing lull me into a peaceful trance. For the first time today, I feel safe. But I can’t ignore the elephant in the room.
Taking a deep breath, I pull back and look him in the eye.
“I love you, Brody. But I don’t expect you to come back to Silverbell with me. I’ve caused enough trouble. You need to stay here and kill it on the track, show them why you’re the reigning champ,” I tell him, running my hands through his unruly hair.
