AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I think I can get him a ride on the Drake team if he signs with me.”
“It’s better than Knight.” But not by much.
I snapped the tab on my beer and took a big gulp. The Russo doctor had prescribed me some low-dose painkillers for my back, which had been acting up lately. I shouldn’t be drinking while taking them, but too late now. The doctor also recommended I work on my core strength. That pissed me off.
The whole back issue had started that first night in Luna’s tiny bed in Montreal. I should have insisted on staying at a hotel, in a proper bed, but I worried it would break her heart. So I’d suffered through it and had so many regrets now. And added core strength wasn’t going to fix it.
“Why’d you ask me here?”
Enzo took a slug of his own beer. “I wanted to see how you were doing. Can’t I do that?”
I rolled my eyes. Enzo had been checking in a lot lately. More so than he ever had before. “What’s going on? Just spit it out.”
He shrugged. “Nothing! I’m just making sure you’re keeping out of trouble. After your suspension, we don’t need any more incidents.”
I thought of the crash in the Italian race, and the asshole I’d been trying to pass. “What do you know about Blake Carlton?”
“What everyone knows. He’s one of the best drivers ever. A flashy American.”
“That’s it?”
“I know he’s looking to retire. I assume he’s not happy driving those crappy cars his team is investing in.”
I tapped my finger on the side of my beer. How could I get information from Enzo without giving too much away? “He’s been paying attention to me all of a sudden. The asshole has never bothered to talk to me, and now he’s interested. It’s fishy.”
“That is odd. What do you think he wants?”
I gave up any pretense of subtlety. “My girlfriend. And I don’t like it.”
Enzo looked skeptical. “He only just broke off his engagement. Are you suggesting he’s moving in on Luna?”
“I’m not suggesting it. I just said it. And I don’t like it.”
“He’s a lot older than she is. Why would she want anything to do with him?” Enzo looked at me funny. “Do you think she’s interested in him?”
I glared. “No! But I don’t like it. I’m going to need to deal with this. Any suggestions? Maybe you can dig around and ask some questions? See what you can find out about him. I know you have resources.”
Enzo smiled at that. “Yes, I have a few. Let me see what I can find out. We both know it’s best your current situation doesn’t change, and if Carlton were to interfere with that …”
“Precisely.” This was why I kept Enzo around. He could get down in the dirt when he needed to.
“Give me a few weeks, and I’ll see what I can find out.”
***
I didn’t take an Uber back. This time I walked, enjoying the warm Tuesday afternoon. I figured it would also loosen up my back. Halfway to Luna’s place, my phone buzzed. Damnit, my mother. I’d been dodging her calls for days, but the more I avoided her, the more she called.
“Hi, Mum.”
“It’s about time you answered.”
“I’ve been doing a lot of traveling. You caught me at a good time today.”
“Good. So you have a few minutes for me.”
Fuck. “Yes, of course.”
"Your father and I have been making some summer plans. And yes, we know you have races to be at, but you get breaks, right? We want you to come home. And we’d like to meet your girlfriend. We think it’s ridiculous that we haven’t met her yet.”
