It’s impressive.
“My dad really couldn’t stand that you were better than him,” I joke. “He'd probably burn this office to the ground if he saw it.”
“He also can’t stand that you’re better than him,” Vince stresses. “You need to be careful out there. Watchful.”
I grip the sides of the chair I’m sitting in, my hands wrapping around the arms tightly.
He has no idea just how watchful I have to be—on and off the track.
“And you should keep your hands to yourself too.”
My chest tightens, and all I can think about is my hands on his daughter. The curve of her hips, the tight buds of her breasts against my palms, her soft, velvet-like skin.
“The FIA won’t tolerate physical violence,” he adds.
What about a driver becoming obsessed with his engineer?
Or how he’s sleeping with the team owner’s daughter?
I shove the thoughts away and say, “But the FIA tolerates illegal modifications to cars and cheating?”
His lips pull into a hard line. “His time will come, Rome. Like I always say, what goes around comes around.”
I’m not sure about that.
Things are getting worse, and the secrets I’m continuing to keep because of a flimsy little piece of paper that tells me to have begun weighing on me. It wasn’t so much of a problem when I was only worried about myself. But things have changed.
“Grandpa!”
I swing around in my chair. Vivian skips into Vince’s office without so much as a knock, carrying a cow-print plastic cup with a purple straw coming out the top.
“A milkshake for me?” His eyebrows rise to his hairline.
She nods. “Yeah, but it's sugar free.”
“Of course,” he mumbles grumpily. “Whose idea was that?”
She hands over the cup. “Grandma.”
“Excuse me…” I throw my hands out. “Where’s mine?”
Vivian smiles with smeared ice cream surrounding her mouth. “Tessa took it because she said she was in the mood for chocolate instead of strawberry.”
“She took my milkshake?” I narrow my gaze at Vince’s opened office door.
Vivian giggles when I stand up and pretend to be angry.
She climbs on Vince’s lap to steal some of his milkshake. “I told her she better hide from you.”
“Where is she?” I ask.
Vivian scrunches her nose. “I can’t tell you where she is! Remember…girls rule and boys drool!”
“Fair enough. I’ll find her myself.”
“Good luck!” Vivian calls from behind.
I leave Vince’s office and stand against the wall next to the door. I pull out my phone and click on theHalston Siblings + Romegroup text.
