His glare turned to me, one of his eyes twitching.“Did you know you’re not actually needed here? Never were.”
I wouldn’t panic at what he said if it weren’t for Zolt’s stricken expression, covered as he ran a hand over his face.
“What?”
He spat his words. “One of the translators we were offered speaks Kriolu. Zolt would have done just fine speaking through him, but herefused.”
“Why?”
“Because he knew you were an option.”
He grinned at his brother, full of menace, and turned on his heel, his footsteps heavy with anger.
Good. I hated him.
“I’m sorry,”he blurted immediately. “It isn’t quite what it sounds like.”
I shrugged. “You’re not comfortable speaking Kriolu. Your instinct is Hungarian. There’s nothing to be sorry for.”
But he chewed on his bottom lip, squeezing my hands.
“Right?”
“Mostly. I… I did know you were an option, and after everything Imre had done for me… I knew how much he missed you and —and I obviously didn’t know how much he’d hurt you then.”
I felt his hands heavy in mine.“This isn’t important,”I told him firmly.“I’m here now.”
His hands trembled in mine.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah.”
I brushed a curl back from his clammy forehead into his hair.
I’d caused this. If we had just come clean, we wouldn’t have had this worry. His brother wouldn’t be a dick.
“I need to shower.” He lifted his hand to show the graze he’d managed despite his gloves.“I’ve got gravel dust in my hair, too.”
The trailers had been held up in Poland, so the racers had been checked into the same hotel the rest of us were staying in. It was an hour’s drive away, so I shoved him into the disabled shower block that was in a side tunnel.
This wasn’t the track in France next to my Nana’s house, but because the race here was normally in my school holidays, I knew it particularly well.“Shower and I’ll grab you a towel.”
“No, no,”he said and pulled me close, brushing back my hair, gripping my ass.“I’ll call someone to bring us some. Don’t leave me.”
There wasn’t a world I could turn him down.
“That makes me worry even more, Zolt.”
“What?”he asked, laughter in his voice as he turned to put the shower on. A light spray splashed up onto my leggings.“Because I need you? You know I do.”
I took his hand from my face and held it tight. “You’re shaking.”
“I tremble around you, yes. Can you blame me?”
“Zolt.”
He smiled, brows up, prompting me to question him further.“Fia.”
