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My eyes widened in shock. Carlton had been right; people were talking. I looked at Devin, and still he didn’t look back. He seemed too cool under the pressure, while my chest began to heave. I thought about slipping out the door, but there were several people standing around it. It would be too obvious to leave now.
“My relationship with Miss Perez is none of your business,” he said curtly. His answer only sparked more speculation. A reporter from a popular British racing magazine joined the fray.
“You’ve avoided her like the plague in the paddock today. Is there a reason for that?”
He looked at the reporter and narrowed his eyes. I knew that he was about to crack. “Are you all hard of hearing? I just finished saying my relationship with Luna is none of your fucking business!”
I saw Blake Carlton smile, which infuriated me even more. Rafe stared down at the table, hoping he wouldn’t be asked any questions. He was using Devin’s philosophy of no eye contact. I didn’t want to see what happened next. I left the news conference and returned to the Perez motorhome, where I stayed until just before the race began. It was my only safe harbor.
* * *
As the race neared its start, farther up on the grid, I saw Devin standing next to his car. He didn’t look my way. I left the track and went to my usual place during the race, in front of the monitors to watched the warm-up. As always, Carlos Boreno, Rafe’s second-in-command, had saved me a seat next to him. We watched as Lauder took the pole, with Devin in seventh position. Rafe was eleventh.
“I have a piece of advice for you,” Carlos said, putting his arm around my shoulder. “Make your private life as private as possible.”
I groaned. “You heard?”
“Who hasn’t, my dear. In many ways, you and Flynn remind me of your mother and father. They were constantly bickering with one another, but never for very long. Your father couldn’t stand being angry with Maria. He was devoted to your mother.”
“I wish I could say Devin was devoted to me.”
“He will be. I’m sure of it.”
That surprised me. Maybe Carlos wasn’t in the anti-Devin camp?
The race started without a hitch. All the cars made it through the first corner. I watched as Rafe moved up into tenth position after a strong start even as Pedro lagged in fifteenth place. This didn’t bode well for Rafe, as his teammate wouldn’t be much help today unless he moved up the grid quickly.
Lauder had pulled away from the pack and by the tenth lap had a five-second lead over second-place Collins. Devin was fighting for fifth position, fighting off Nigel Webb’s car. He made his first pit stop on lap twenty-nine. As he left pit lane, he was behind Blake Carlton. Devin was making every effort to pass Carlton, but each time an opening came, Carlton quickly veered in front of him and closed it.
For three laps he tried to pass Carlton’s car. Finally, he made an aggressive maneuver, trying to squeeze his car between Carlton’s and the edge of the track, a move no other driver would have taken. The two cars collided and spun into the gravel in a plume of dust. Carlos Boreno shook his head while I watched the monitor closely. I had seen enough accidents to know that both drivers would be all right. But that wasn’t the problem. It was what happened next.
Carlton climbed out of his car and extended what seemed like a friendly hand to Devin to help him out of his. Devin scoffed at the gesture, and I could see that words were being exchanged. A feeling of dread formed in my stomach as Devin hoisted himself out of the car. He ripped off his helmet and balaclava and began screaming at Carlton. Field marshals had arrived on the scene but didn’t interfere in the altercation, as both cars were a safe distance from the track.
Out of nowhere, Devin shoved Carlton, who stumbled and almost fell. Carlton pushed him back, grabbing on to the scruff his uniform. Some marshals finally did step in, separating the two men. I couldn’t believe Devin had just made such a spectacle.
“Don’t react, Luna,” Carlos warned. “There are cameras all over the place.”
I nodded, knowing he was right, and I pushed my anger down. Devin had made a stupid move and had no one to blame but himself. It made him look even worse that he’d gone after Blake, like a kid picking a fight on the playground. I knew there would be repercussions. Behavior like I’d just witnessed would likely result in a fine, if not a suspension. I waited a few minutes before getting up to leave. I had to talk to Devin.
“Don’t go, Luna, he’s angry,” Carlos said.
“I have to.” I had to fix this now.
ChapterSix
Luna
Iwalked to the Russo pits. Devin had barricaded himself in the motorhome. Matteo, his racing engineer, was standing outside. He looked frustrated and angry. I liked Matteo. I knew he saw potential in Devin, and he hated to see Devin throw it away. We had that in common.
“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” Matteo said. “He’s been throwing things. He almost hit me in the head with a clipboard.”
“Thank you for the advice, but I’ll take my chances.”
I stepped inside the motorhome. The motorhome was empty, and I guess that all the Russo guests had been herded out when Devin arrived back in the garage. I found him sitting in the corner, his head down. He was already out of his overalls, showered, and into street clothes. There were papers scattered about and furniture knocked over.
“I want to be left alone,” he screamed when he heard the door open and close.
“It’s me,” I said in the calmest tone possible.
