Page 80 of Heartbreaker

“That’s because you’re an asshole and weren’t one of us anymore,” Oliver says with a grin. “Thankfully, you’ve been welcomed back into the fold now that you have Lana to vouch for you.”

“Oh, he’s still an asshole, but he’s a reformed one now,” I inform them.

“We figured,” Tyler says with a wide grin that makes me let out a little laugh, but hiss as it makes my bruised ribs ache.

“See? You’re hurting her!” Rome says, sitting next to me on the bed, hands at the ready as if he can fix it. I just roll my eyes.

“They’re not hurting me, Roman, stop being overprotective.” His glare turns to me, and I smile at him before turning to the guys. Unfortunately, Oliver’s face is screwed up in confusion, his gaze on the edge of the bed where Demi is sitting.

“What’s that?” Oliver asks, gesturing toward the folder Demi had laid out on the bed. A few of the papers inside have slipped out, and I hold my breath with panic. Demi’s eyes widen, and she reaches to fix the folder, but she’s not quick enough.

“Nothing. It’s⁠—”

“It’s surveillance photos,” Tyler says, snatching them before we can. “Like, high-tech shit.” He lifts his head, looking from me to Demi. “Is this the inside of your trailer?” I sigh, and Demi has a similarly defeated look as we lock eyes. My gut tells me neither of them is our guy, but I’m not comfortable with spilling everything to them if Demi isn’t sold.

“Would this have anything to do with why Jordan was arguing with Mel this morning, with Mel saying she’s got it covered?” Oliver asks. My entire body stills, but Demi has a completely different reaction.

“Jesus, Tyler, why don’t you just steal the wind from my sail?” she groans, looking crestfallen. The woman loves a dramatic reveal.

“Demi?” I ask, thoroughly confused.

“Okay, so, to be fair, the Jordan aspect is new to me, but what I was trying to say before we were interrupted—” she starts, but before she can get another word out, there’s another loud banging on the door, and we all jump. “Who the hell could that be?” Her voice is full-out annoyed, but Rome looks even more irritated as he stands up again and then storms to the door.

“Open this fucking door right now,” a deep voice calls, but it’s not someone I recognize from the circuit.

“Dad?” Rome asks, shock in his words as he opens the door

“What the fuck is going on here?” the man asks, moving through the room, then hesitating when he sees the crew there, me propped up in his son’s bed. Demi starts grabbing the papers in front of her, snatching them from Tyler’s hand and slipping them into a folder before even more people find out why we’re here.

“This isn’t really a great time,” Rome murmurs.

“Getting a little cramped in here,” Demi whispers.

“Not a good time? Not a good time?” Kevin says, voice rising. “This shit is all over the press! Another fucking crash and your face is in the center of it once again.” Irritation burns in my chest at his dad’s words, at the way he only seems to care about the optics.

“Look, I know you’re mad—” Rome starts, but he gets cut off once more.

“Mad doesn’t begin to cover it. I’m furious,” he grits out, and irritation fills me. His dad is so worried about Rome’s image, and that’s why Rome has made it his mission to change, to ignore things like friendships and happiness in exchange for all of this. I know he said he loves his dad, that they’ve always been close, but I don’t know if I could ever truly like the man if this is how he typically acts.

“If it means I’m permanently banned, I get it,” Rome says, and even though I can hear the nervousness in his voice, his shoulders stay strong, his posture showing that he means it. My stomach churns, but at the same time, Kevin stills, looking to his son with sudden and clear confusion.

“What?” he asks. Rome sighs and then sits on the bed beside me, running a hand through his hair.

“I caused a scene. I was reckless. I nearly punched Tyler,” Rome says. Tyler lets out a snicker, and I snap my head in his direction with a glare. “I went against every safety protocol in the books. That doesn’t really scream rehabbed bad boy who is going to lie low and worry only about winning races.” He lifts a shoulder. “I get it if I just screwed my last chance at redemption, but I’d do it again.” He reaches over for my hand and squeezes it once. “Every time.”

“You think I’m here because of your image?” Kevin asks, sounding thoroughly confused. Demi looks at me, bewildered, and I return the look, completely lost. Tyler and Oliver watch on with similar expressions.

“I mean, you came in storming in angry as fuck,” Rome says, seemingly just as confused as we all feel. Kevin shakes his head.

“No, Rome. God, No. I don’t care about that shit.”

“It’s all you have cared about.”

“Because I want you to have everything. Fuck.” He runs a hand through his hair, looking so much like his son for a moment. Despite myself, I can’t help but think I’m damn lucky to know that in twenty, thirty years, Rome will still be hot as fuck. “I’ve been really fucking this up, haven’t I?” he asks, almost to himself. “All you’ve ever wanted was to race. And all I’ve ever wanted was for you to do what you loved. You worked so hard, so fucking hard, Rome, to get where you are. You beat all the odds, got in without me pulling a single string—insisting I not pull a single string, even—and you did it. And then you got reckless, and I saw it slipping through your fingers, and I hated that.” He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath, and Rome’s hand tightens in mine, clearly needing some kind of grounding touch. “I hated knowing that if you went too far, I wouldn’t be able to fix it for you. Getting on your ass to clean up your act had nothing to do with me or the brand or even the team: it was me protecting your hopes and your dreams.” My chest swells for Rome as I see the genuine concern, love, and regret written on his father’s face, a slightly different version reflected on Rome’s.

“I’m not mad because you ran onto the field. I’m mad because you had to. I’m furious because for weeks now, something has been happening to my son, and not only have I not been taking it seriously enough, but my best friend who I’ve trusted with your safety hasn’t either.” He comes closer to Rome, and it might be strange to witness this moment in a hotel room after a concussion with my best friend and two other men in the room, but somehow it feels more real, more important. It’s something so vital, Kevin couldn’t wait for a better time or location.

“I’ve really fucked up, Rome,” he says low, and Rome stands, moving to his father.