“Anna who?” he said, all trace of the smirk gone.
“Thanks for your time.” Isaac left, not turning off the recording until he was out of Spencer’s trailer. More weight fell from his shoulders. He should have had this confrontation with that jerk before the break, but now it was done. While concerned that Spencer might have done something more serious than spread false rumors, he hoped that the man would stay away from Anna and cease all harassment.
Isaac took a deep breath to calm himself and headed into his box through the back door and shifted into work mode. Anna and Angel both shot him concerned looks when he arrived trackside, so he may not have let the encounter go completely, but he thrust it from his mind and focused on his job for today, practice and preparation.
This week, the buzzing reporters had zeroed in on the fact that Vince hadn’t come to Finland, making this a prime opportunity for Isaac to make up points in the championship, if he could hold young Luka at bay. Maybe they needed an angle for their articles. Racing without his brother reminded him of Vince’s long-ago arm injury that hadn’t healed at first. Those had been bleak days for his brother and strange days at the track without Vince. They’d trained and raced for so long together that it was odd to be without each other.
Luka—a future champion in the making—was looking better with every race. This was his rookie year. Next year, Vince would need to beware. It didn’t bother Isaac to think of the racing rivalries continuing without him. He’d had a fantastic run and was finishing with his strongest season—one that exceeded his wildest dreams.
Isaac’s mid-break return to conditioning served him well. He finished the race first—his second win in a row. While wins, neither of his victories felt complete. He wasn’t complaining about the fifty points, but they didn’t feel like true tests of his racing abilities. One win he’d earned because Vince had crashed and the second because his brother hadn’t been there. It would be a landmark if and when he took a victory going head-to-head against Vince.
Two weeks later in Silverstone, Vince returned, but his conditioning was behind the others after seven weeks away from racing, and he wasn’t yet on par with his usual fitness level. Vince had won a couple of races at the famous British circuit, buthe couldn’t run the same pace as Isaac, Luka, and Xavi, instead finishing fourth, five seconds behind the front trio.
Isaac’s third consecutive victory felt like the first real one. Vince was the first person to congratulate him after the Silverstone race, stopping his bike alongside Isaac’s, to shake his hand before Isaac continued on to parc ferme. During the podium celebration, after the Spanish anthem played, he caught his brother’s eye, and the two of them exchanged matching grins. Let the cameras wonder about that. For Isaac, it seemed like a dream come true as he stood on the top step of the podium.
That night, Vince and Catarina joined their party, staying until late. When a tipsy Isaac made his way back to his room with Anna tucked under his arm, his face ached from hours of smiling.
Everything in his life felt perfect, on and off the track.
...
Monday morning, Isaac and Anna sat at their airport gate to head home for a week and a half before the next race in Austria at the Red Bull Ring. He and Anna would stay at their rental place but had plans with Vince for dinner mid-week at his place and at theirs on Saturday. The casual dinner plans felt more like old times and brought a smile to Isaac’s face.
While they were waiting, his phone rang. Isaac didn’t recognize the number with a Spanish area code but answered anyway. “Hello, this is Isaac.”
“Hi, Isaac. This is Lily Navarro, Catarina’s mother. Is this a good time to talk?”
“Sure,” he said. “We’re boarding a flight home in half an hour, but I have a few minutes. What have you found so far?”With his peripheral vision, it was obvious that Anna perked up listening.
“There are three properties for sale near Cervera that fit your criteria at this time. All with at least a hectare of land and with beautiful homes. One house has been renovated, one has had some remodeling, including a gorgeous kitchen, and the third needs some love and attention, but has a lot of potential.”
“Could we look at them one day this week?” It would be helpful to see all three and compare.
“I have appointments tomorrow. How does Thursday look?” She sounded hopeful.
Isaac covered his phone and said to Anna, “Are you free to look at houses with me on Thursday?” Her eyes widened, and she nodded. “Thursday it is. Just send me the time and addresses by text or email, and we’ll be there.”
“Perfect,” Lily said. “I’ll set it up and send you an email with the listings and information.”
“Thanks. See you Thursday.” He would need to let Vince know his plans about moving so he didn’t hear it from another source, as so often happened in small towns. It probably wouldn’t be a surprise that his relocation would become permanent.
CHAPTER 19
Anna
In Austria, Anna walked, daydreaming about the houses that they’d looked at last week, and making pro-con lists in her head for her favorite two. One needed renovations and one didn’t. She came to a dead stop in the service lane behind the garages along pit lane, looking up as a vaguely familiar Moto3 rider blocked her path. She stepped to the side, and he moved to counter her, holding his arms out, not letting her pass. She went on alert, her palms damp. She’d seen him drinking with Spencer several times, one of his younger cronies.
“You’re Anna, right?” He glanced over his shoulder, looking around. He was only about twenty years old with an entitled frat boy look about him. He was one of the few riders who spoke English without a trace of a European accent. Another American maybe.
“Yes.” She didn’t like how he scanned her from top to bottom and that when he spoke, he stared at her chest.
He shuffled his feet. “I’ve got twenty Euros. Do I pay before or after?” His hand dipped into his pocket.
“Before or after what?” What the hell was he talking about?
“My blowjob,” he said, leaning in, clearly checking that their conversation wouldn’t be overheard.
The idea rammed her heart into her throat, and her stomach clenched. She needed to get away from this creep. Spencer hadprobably put him up to this. Just when she’d thought he couldn’t go lower.
