Page 158 of Downforce

“Ms. Townsend, we have a message for you.”

Annalise looks surprised, noting she didn’t have any missed calls. “Shoot, I think I forgot my cell at the pit.”

She keeps two cells. One for work and one for personal reasons ever since she became an agent.

“You can get it in the morning,” I say as she takes the message from the receptionist.

“It’s from Bree.” She glances up at me. “I should give her a call.”

“You can use my cell.”

“I’ll call from my room. Don’t give me that look.”

I hate that she has her own room. Yes, she’s brought most of her belongings to my suite and is sleeping with me, but she’s gotten her own room to be able to take business calls, which she’s had quite a few of in the day we’ve been here.

“I won’t be long. I swear.”

I start to offer to come with her, but I know she’ll protest and it’s important that she has privacy for business.

“Meet me in my room,” I insist when I drop her off at her hotel room door.

She holds up the key.

My stomach twists with some unidentifiable emotion. I brush it off as separation anxiety. It’s clingy as fuck but I don’t like being away from her for too long. Thank God she’s chosen a career that has her traveling on relatively the same schedule as I do.

As I ride up to my suite in the elevator, I laugh at how much of a clingy bastard I’ve become in the months since falling for Annalise.

In my room, I shower and decide to check to see if I have any messages since I haven’t looked over my phone in a few hours. There’s a brief text from Edwin telling me he’ll be out at a party for most of the night. My mouth falls, frowning as that feeling comes back.

Edwin wasn’t too thrilled when I told him that I decided to take the race coordinators and Amato’s front office up on the offer to drive my father’s car, finally. I still can’t figure out why he seemed more upset about it than me.

I think about Harry, who I’ve talked to every week over the past few months, and even visited me in Monaco. He’s had his interest in F1 reignited and, at times, I consider asking him his thoughts on becoming my agent.

I shake that idea off for more consideration in the off season.

Checking the clock, I notice it’s been almost an hour since we parted ways. That weird feeling in my stomach grows in intensity.

“Hey,” she answers my call almost instantly. “I was just about to call you. I did leave my cell in the pit along with my tablet.”

“Where are you?” I ask, sitting up. There’s noise in the background that doesn’t sound like a hotel suite should sound.

“I came out here to get my phone and tablet because—” She stops short.

“Because what?”

“Hang on,” she almost whispers.

I don’t like this at all. I don’t like that she’s out at the pit by herself at night. It’s not super late, and there is security throughout the night to protect the vehicles and all of the other team equipment, but it’s still not sitting with me.

“Annalise, what’s wrong?”

“What are you doing here?” Alarm rattles her voice as she asks the question.

“Anna—” I call but there’s a sharp noise and then silence. “Hello? Are you there?”

No response.

My heart pounds inside of my chest as I dial and redial her number. Again and again there’s no answer. On the fifth time I give up and dial another number.