Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77816 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77816 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
I smile inside, because that’s exactly why I have Greg. He’s been in the sport for twenty-five years and is one of the best.
Brienne looks to me and inclines her head. “I believe we’ll be able to come to an agreement on everything, and I assume you probably want to get on my plane and head home to wherever that is. You’re going to need to make some plans to move.”
“I’m fine with you finishing up without me so I can head home, but there are two more things we need to discuss. The first is I can’t be ready in time for Jeddah. That’s eight days away and halfway around the world in Saudi Arabia. I haven’t even seen the car, much less driven it. And while I know all the tracks, it’s obviously been a hot minute since I’ve raced on them. I need more simulator time.”
Brienne cuts her eyes to Luca. “This is where my inexperience in the sport shows. What do you think?”
Luca glances at me a long moment, but nods in agreement. “I don’t doubt Nash could do Jeddah, but my preference would be we run Bernie in that race and give Nash the time he needs to get comfortable. I think it would be a wise investment. His first race should be Melbourne.”
“That’s settled then,” Brienne says, turning back to me. “What else did you want to discuss?”
My jaw clenches hard, not wanting to say the words, but I force them out anyway. “You need to know that Bexley Toliver and I were in a relationship, which ended badly about a month prior to my crash. Needless to say, it was a shock to find her here.”
I can feel the confusion as Brienne and Luca stare at me, but Greg speaks first. “Bex is there?”
“The chief strategy engineer,” I clarify for him.
Greg chuckles. “Good for her.”
Those words don’t surprise me. He loved Bex and was devastated when we broke up. He’s run into her periodically over the years and always mentions her, but I didn’t want to hear any of it.
Brienne seems to come out of her shock. “You were in a relationship… like, dated each other?”
“Like, we were engaged and about to be married when it ended,” I clarify in a flat tone. “Then the crash happened, not that that was related. Just to be transparent with timing.”
There’s a slight shift in the room’s energy as Brienne and Luca exchange glances. Brienne is first to break the silence. “I see. Are you telling me that this is something that could affect your ability to work together?”
My throat is tight and I try to swallow against it. “I don’t know. It’s a lot to unpack. She’s been fighting for her place here, and she’s damn good at what she does.” My mind flashes back to our last heated argument, the way we tore into each other—words that still cut deep. But I force that memory down. “I won’t let it affect my work. I’m here to do my job.”
Luca’s expression is worried, and he shakes his head. “It’s not the first time a personal conflict has made things difficult in this sport. I think we should replace her.”
“No,” I exclaim, not questioning the sudden burst of fear that Bex should lose her spot on this team. No matter how much she makes my blood boil, it’s not fair for her to be discarded by the team in deference to me. “Don’t replace her. She earned this position. She’s worked for it, and I won’t be the one to make her lose it because of our… history.”
Fuck, this pisses me off. I honestly thought that if I ever saw her walking across the street and about to step into a pothole, I’d have to think twice before I warned her. And here I am now, putting my hard feelings aside so she can keep her job, knowing that this is going to get messy at some point.
Still, it feels like the right thing to do.
Brienne nods in agreement, but Luca still looks uncertain, his brow furrowing as if trying to assess the real risk. “If she causes problems—” Luca starts, but Brienne interrupts him before he can finish.
“We deal with it. But for now, Nash is right,” she says firmly. “We don’t make hasty decisions without seeing how things unfold, so Bexley stays. But if she gets in the way of your success, she’ll have to go.”
I nod in agreement, because that’s as it should be. I’m not the only one with bitter feelings. I’m pretty sure Bex hates me, and if she comes at me, I’ll let the team cut her loose. “Understood.”
“Good,” Brienne says, offering me a small but satisfied smile. “My driver is out front, ready to take you to the airport. We’ll work things out with Greg, and I’ll get someone to find you suitable housing in Guildford.”