Page 60 of Downforce

Including me.

I don’t bother moderating my applause as Max crosses the finish line to the black and white checkered flag.

When I turn to Alyssia, she’s smiling but it’s mild because I know she was cheering for Travis who came in third. Still a good finish for him and for the team as a whole, but my thoughts and gaze stray to Max’s car.

My heart races when the garage begins vibrating from the rush of his engine as he pulls in. Everything turns into a blur of applause, cheers, and congratulations as the team rushes in to both him and Travis.

I watch as Alyssia goes up and hugs my brother, but I stand back, knowing that he would’ve liked a higher finish. Even though it’s not possible, he’d love a first place finish at every single race.

My eyes flit up toward the screen replaying Max’s first place finish. I decide to turn away from the crowd and search out a private place where I can decipher all of the weird emotions rushing through me.

I don’t get the chance before someone’s grabbing my arm, stopping me.

Max lowers himself close to my ear.

“I think I’ve just found my good luck charm.”

As soon as the words are out of his mouth, the pressure on my arm releases and he’s gone. I turn to find his back disappearing into the crowd of the Amato team.

CHAPTER 18

Annalise

“Can you believe this?” Alyssia says, outraged, gesturing toward the bulky man dressed in a black suit who walks about a foot ahead of us.

Her frustration with Travis’ security requirement is funny. They always travel with security but even when going around town, Trav prefers she go with at least one guard after what happened last year.

I adjust my sunglasses before replying. “I can, actually. We traveled almost everywhere with bodyguards as kids,” I tell her.

She pauses the stroller to adjust a sleeping Lucky. We’re on our way to lunch in the center of Monte-Carlo. It’s been a week since Bahrain, and Travis is at Amato’s headquarters for some meetings and training.

I’ve finished my work for the day, so I gave Alyssia a call to see if she wanted to go to lunch at one of our favorite seafood restaurants in town.

“I can’t imagine that,” she responds while lowering the shade piece over Lucky’s stroller. “If I don’t respond to his call or text in like twenty minutes, he starts freaking out and is ready to send in the calvary.”

“You do realize I’m the one who coordinates with your security team, right?” I remind her.

She gestures to me with one hand, looking exasperated. “Exactly that. A security team. Do we need an actual team?”

Alyssia looks to me as if expecting an answer.

“I mean, you were kidnapped while nine months pregnant.”

She rolls her eyes.

I want to laugh it off, but I remember the look in my brother’s eyes after that happened. As we come to the entrance of the restaurant, I stop in front of Alyssia.

“It might seem like overkill, but our family has always taken security seriously. We’ve had some instances in the past that warrant the need to take it seriously. Travis blamed himself so much for what happened to you.”

“I’ve told him repeatedly it wasn’t his fault. How was he to know that his teammate was willing to go that far?”

“Logic isn’t going to win you that argument,” I tell my sister-in-law. “Travis sees you and Lucky as his responsibility, and in his mind, he failed at taking care of you both when that happened. He won’t ever let it go.”

I don’t tell her that I think it’s better to be safer than sorry. I’m sure, in time, she’ll learn of the various security risks that’ve happened to my family over the years.

Our security enters the restaurant ahead of us, doing a broad sweep of the dining area with his hawkish gaze before stepping aside and allowing us through. Thanks to the reservation I made ahead of time, we’re able to quickly find our way to a table by the window with a nice view of the bay.

“I’ll get that.” I take Lucky’s stroller from Alyssia, and the staff quickly swoops in to fold the stroller for us and take it to be stored away while we eat. A beat later, our hostess brings a highchair for Lucky.