“Yeah, well.” Carmen looked away, blinking fast. “Doesn’t erase the years I stayed because it was convenient.”
“That’s not all you did,” Bree said. “You supported the riders who weren’t assholes. You kept Heidi out of the worst of it. You watched for things that didn't feel right, and you spoke up. That counts.”
Carmen gave a small, crooked smile. “You’re too generous,” she said.
“Maybe,” Bree said. “Or maybe I know what it feels like to stay somewhere because the alternative is a big, terrifying unknown.”
Carmen closed her eyes briefly. “Yeah,” she said. “I guess you do.”
“This is a clean break,” Hank said. “That matters.”
“It also means some people who already don’t like you are going to like you even less,” Bree said gently. “Are you safe?”
Carmen’s mouth twisted. “I’m not stupid,” she said. “I’ll be careful. Diaz made me promise I’d call if anyone from the Dragons started getting too friendly outside official events. Most of them will just be pissed in a loud, macho way for a while and then move on to the next thing. The ones who worry me are the guys who were benefiting from the shady deals you exposed.”
“Einstein’s supplier,” Hank said.
“And his friends,” Carmen said. “I heard one of them on the phone this afternoon, hissing about ‘making examples’.”
Cold went down his spine. “You heard a name?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. Just a voice. Brooklyn accent, smoker’s rasp. Diaz said that matches some of what she’s hearing from the state. I’m not useful beyond that.”
“You’re more useful than half the people who think they are,” Hank said.
Carmen huffed out a breath. “Point is, I’m out. I wanted you to hear it from me, not through paddock gossip. You put your neck on the line to call out the nitrous; I’m putting mine on the line to back that call.”
“Thank you,” he said simply.
She nodded, then turned to Bree. “And I wanted to say… I’m sorry.”
Bree blinked. “For what?”
“For bringing you into the mix in the first place,” Carmen said.
Bree’s expression flickered; hurt, then understanding. “You were in a complicated spot,” she said. “Doesn’t mean you get a lifetime pass, but it does mean I get it.”
“Can we call it even if I buy you coffee next time I’m in town?” Carmen asked. “Assuming I’m allowed in your new fancy studio without an appointment.”
Bree smiled, the ache in it obvious. “You’re always allowed,” she said. “We’ll paint over the Dragon logo on your jacket if it makes you feel better.”
Carmen laughed, startled and real. “Deal.”
People began spilling out of the tent, the temperature shifting as bodies moved through the night.
Carmen hesitated, then stepped forward and hugged Bree, quick and fierce. When she pulled back, her eyes were bright.
“Take care of her,” she said to Hank.
“Planning on it,” he said.
“And let her take care of you, Marine,” Carmen added. “You’ve got that ‘I can handle everything’ look. It’s bullshit.”
He smiled. “Noted.”
She nodded once, squared her shoulders, and walked back toward the tent; the Dragon logo on her back caught the light, then disappeared into the crowd.
Bree watched her go, her hand finding Hank’s.
