Page 9 of Green Flag (StormSprint #2)

Luca

She was gone by the morning.

Getting into the bed after my shower, I’d felt weird going to cuddle her, though that’s what I’d done sitting beside her as I guided her hand to make her come. Twice.

Fuck, I couldn’t get hard in the pit box thinking about how she’d moaned and wriggled against me.

No wonder she’d fled. I’d fucking come in my boxers like a teenager. Like the virgin I’d been then.

But hearing her moan, her grabbing me as we worked together to make her come… how could I not follow her lead?

I’d promised her fun. We’d had more than fun. It still didn’t feel real. I’d spent the whole time in my hotel room reminding myself it was real and the girl I’d seen on Instagram was in front of me, in my hands, and she’d let me touch her.

Too bad I’d ruined it.

At least the shame gave me something else to think about, taking my mind off what was about to be revealed to the public.

I’d walked swiftly from the coach to change and then straight to the pit box, trying to avoid any noise about the inquiry.

I didn’t want to be surrounded by anyone other than my team.

Even if my main company was Nix, grinning at his phone like the lovesick fool he was.

But I could feel the difference out there, the buzz wasn’t the same as usual.

It was louder next to the building, full of anticipation. But not for the race.

For their nasty gossip. For their accusations and mild sorrow over what had happened to my family.

As much as I’d tried to avoid it, I hadn’t.

StormSprint staff knew what the inquiry said and we’d all been given a script to follow if we’d been asked. Everything is covered in the report. Our thoughts are with Alv’s family.

But that was just for us to say to the press.

When I came out of the bathroom, I heard two of the grid girls giving a tour of the facilities further down the corridor. I peered out of the door, looking up and down and, nope, there was no way out other than past them. Great.

“There aren’t many people wanting tours,” said Hollie, from Prixton, offering a sweet smile to two men in their fifties and a young boy. She pushed her golden-blonde hair back. “I suppose there are a lot of people wanting to stay for the press release.”

Hannah nodded beside her, looking down at her heels. “It’s been very different today. So quiet and yet so… loud.”

The men nodded, looking at each other with raised brows.

“A load of drama over a man who didn’t look after his helmet and used it on his own bike,” one of them laughed. “Heard the family are suing as well.”

Hollie stiffened and then lifted her chin. “We don’t speculate,” she said, her voice tightening as she kept her professional smile.

“You haven’t read the report then?” the other laughed. “We know the head of Ciclati, we’ve read it. That’s why we don’t need to be there for the fiasco.”

That didn’t surprise me.

Hollie’s chin rose further and she kept her eyes trained on them. “Sounds like you’re quite close to Don then.”

One shrugged. “Quite. Have you heard if they’re going to sue?” he pressed as they started to walk my way. I opened the door further, pretending to be busy on my phone.

“No,” Hannah said and then crouched down to the boy. “Would you like to see one of the bikes next? We even have a little version you can sit on!”

The kid’s eyes lit up and his hands turned to excited claws, but the men were paying no attention to him.

“Surely they don’t have a leg to stand on if it was his own fault?”

Holding onto his dad’s coat, the kid cried, “Dad, I can ride a bike!”

“Not with their helmets,” the other laughed. “You can sit on one, but wouldn’t want an accident—”

They saw me.

And the way they paused told me they knew exactly who I was. Hollie’s face heated and she went to speak, but I shook my head at her, hoping she could see that my anger was not aimed at her.

“Sorry?” I asked with an incredulous breath of a laugh. “What did you just say?”

The jokester looked at his friend, mouth open, ready to speak.

Yeah, choke on your fucking words, you piece of shit.

“Were you just joking about someone’s life-changing injury?” I asked, frowning, with enough doubt in my voice to suggest I was giving this man a chance. “In front of a kid?”

Sound came from his throat, but it wasn’t a word. It was hardly a syllable.

“In front of the injured guy’s cousin?” I pointed to my chest. “Do you know what I was before I raced?”

A fucking boxing champion was the answer and by his swallow, he knew it too.

“Mendes,” the kid said pointing at me, eyes bulging from his little head. “Oh my god!”

I let my stare settle on the mute, almost convulsing man as the kid’s dad tried to back him up. “He didn’t mean it—”

I ignored him, letting my glare say everything I needed. Sometimes words weren’t everything to me; I had a history of using my fists when I shouldn’t.

It was part of the reason I’d had to get out of the ring.

“Hey, bud,” I said, smiling wide as I crouched down and the kid came running a few feet over until he almost collided with my knee. “What’s your name?”

“Angus,” he said, his grin taking over the whole of his face, as was often the case with kids.

“Nice to meet you, Angus! Did you want a picture?”

He nodded his head so aggressively that I was worried he might need a neck brace. His dad silently got out his phone and snapped a photo.

Kneeling beside him as he wrapped his arm around my waist, shaking in excitement, reminded me of Alv’s boys. I missed them.

I signed the boy’s programme, his shirt — which was Nix’s number, no surprise there — and waved them on.

My body had gone into public mode: calm, collected. But the whole time I was with Don’s shithead friends my brain had been thinking one thing — funny how the inquiry blamed Alv’s helmet, but the people who handed it to him weren’t even named.

“Thank you,” Hollie said, stealing a moment with me as Hannah walked ahead with them. “You just made that kid’s day.”

When they stepped further out of earshot, she sighed and shook her head. “I’m so sorry you overheard that.”

“Couldn’t be helped,” I told her. My anger was already halfway to numb. Disappointment was easier.

“Some people show their grief in different ways,” she said. “Maybe Don just wanted to share the report for their opinions.”

I snorted. “Sure.”

Her eyes rounded with pity and she reached for my arm. “I’m here if you need anything, Luca.”

It wasn’t that I was the only one entitled to feel sad about Alv. He was the most adored man in the motor world. People who didn’t even know what a pit lane was still knew his name. He was The Man.

People should grieve for him.

But not like it was a scandal. He was a good human being who deserved their respect, a man who had lost his life doing what he had loved, inspiring thousands along the way.

A man who had a family and a passion. A man that people would miss.

That I would miss.

Even if he did wake up, he wouldn’t be the same Alv I idolised.

I felt guilty thinking such a thing.

“Anything,” she said again, on her tiptoes and then she was hugging me and I was hugging her back.

Despite the fact we hadn’t spoken since we last hooked up three months ago, it wasn’t awkward. I didn’t do serious and she knew that.

I thanked her and walked back to my pit box.

It wasn’t that I’d slept with a lot of women across StormSprint, in fact I’d tried to avoid it, but I didn’t really have a connection with Hollie.

I was pretty sure the feeling was mutual and with the way she looked at me in the corridor, I worried I was a pity fuck more than anything.

Whereas Everly was a surprise, a healthy distraction that could easily lead to obsession.

If she ever ground on my knee like that again…

I’d wear shorts for the rest of my life, just to get a chance of her skin on mine.

It shouldn’t have been hot, but it made me sweat with the urge to sink into her.

She needed me in that moment.

And I needed the distraction that was her.

“I’m so glad you know what you’re talking about,” Arabella, my previous grid girl, laughed as she opened the door to the pit box. If she was here, done with her tours, Everly might be too. I straightened, eyes focused on the door.

“I feel like I should be writing down notes,” she continued.

Everly came in behind her, shut the door and showed me the back of her body that I’d pressed into last night.

Her hair was in looser waves than yesterday. Was that from her curling it, or from my fingers pulling it while she came?

She shrugged as she walked further into the pit box, avoiding looking at me. She didn’t want to notice me. If she gave me no attention and dismissed me, I wouldn’t be surprised. Because I’d fucking come in my damn boxers just to the sound of her moans.

No wonder she didn’t want me to fuck her, she probably didn’t think I’d be up to it. And I might not. Because I’d probably come in 0.2 seconds, knowing I had Everly Bacque in my hands.

Damn it, how had I let that happen? Like a teenage boy. Like I was a little virgin getting too excited when she was fully dressed, showing just her long, glorious, shiny legs and her cleavage and—

No, no, chill out, Luca. You cannot get a boner.

My cock was its own damn entity.

“You know me, raised on the track,” she said to Arabella, still ignoring my sorry existence. “My mum would have inhaled so many fumes, petrol is probably in my DNA. It’s a surprise I haven’t ever stood on the grid before.”

And she’d stand there at my side.

I sunk down into my chair, hoping no one else could see me puffing my chest.

“Quiet in here today,” Bella noted, looking around pointedly.

“No surprise with what’s happening,” I grumbled.

She widened her eyes at Everly. “I take it back,” she stage-whispered before going to one of the cabinets that lined the wall.

Took what back?

Everly had been talking about me?

Nix stopped typing on his phone and gave me a sad smile. “Got a track to dominate, though, haven’t we?”

I nodded, stare fixed on the floor.

I didn’t dominate the track. Not like Nix and not like Alv. My cousin had said he’d help guide me at Sprint2, show me the ropes and train with me. But he wasn’t around to pull the ropes. Or anything at all.

And the daughter of Ciclati stepped forward. Her heels were the same as last night, walking right into my eyeline.

We’d be in our trailers tonight. There wouldn’t be another night where I could accidentally bump into her, other than when we celebrated the winners on Sunday nights.

I might never get last night again.

“Everly,” I called and patted the leather seat beside me. “Isn’t it?”

Her head snapped up and her eyes sparkled, lips turning slightly.

She met my fire.

“Nice to meet you,” she said, offering me a handshake.

I took it. Her dainty hand was so soft in mine, just like when she’d let me lead. My grip was in charge again as I shook our hold, lingering there a second too long.

Her hair fell on either side of her face, hiding her smirk.

“You too,” she said and sat beside me.

Nix turned in his chair. “There’s no planet where you two haven’t met before. All of last year, you two didn’t cross paths?”

I shook my head, not looking away from her. “No paths crossed.”

Nix raised his brows and shook his head. “Crazy.”

“I’m excited to get started,” she said with a determined nod.

“We’re excited to have you,” I told her. “It will be fun.”

I didn’t put much emphasis on that word, just a small pause before, and it was enough for her to look away, her shoulders shaking.

That was the first time I’d smiled all morning.

Even with my slight hangover, she was adorable.

And I’d come here to seek comfort from my racing family, but suddenly I just wanted to be alone. With her.

Nix side-glanced us and hummed with a smile before going back to his phone and, as if he’d heard my inner thoughts, he got up and walked out of the pit box.

He was taking today well. Better than I was.

Nix had been in the collision that put Alv in the hospital. Before, they’d been best friends. His involvement had come into question throughout the investigation, but, of course, he wasn’t at fault.

His mask was different to mine. Mine was all easy charm. His was a smirk.

But Nix had Livie.

And I had myself.