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CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR

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[photo of River Daniels running down the track]

kod612: If a man doesn’t abandon a sure victory to pull me out of a burning car, I don’t want it.

motortasticity: Yeah, because that’s realistic. Grow up.

walkswithabook: I’m with you girl. That’s the energy we want.

cur10usbro18: Why on earth are all of you freaking out about this? He should have let the safety professionals get her out. It was reckless.

thespicereader: Don’t you get it? We want reckless. We want devotion. That man was willing to die in order to save her life. What are you willing to do?

Grayson paced my hospital room, and it was dark. Beck sat in the corner with his elbows on his knees. Elias was in bed with me, and River leaned against the wall with a crackling energy I didn’t understand.

The darkness told me it was sometime in the night, but none of them were asleep. “Hi.”

Their gazes all snapped to me as soon as they heard my voice. Beck stood and touched Elias on the shoulder. They switched places without saying anything, Beck pulling me to his chest and purring. My body relaxed instantly, and I felt them all projecting calm and ease. I loved the way they called to my instincts even if right now they were hiding something. “What’s going on?”

“What makes you think there’s something going on?” Beck asked.

I scoffed quietly. “Besides the fact that you’re all pretending to be calm and you’re trying to make me all melty with your purr? You guys aren’t subtle.”

River laughed. “You’ve got us, sweetheart.”

One by one they released the false emotions. It was all replaced with rage . My hand went to my chest all on its own. Beck’s rough purr was the only thing that kept me relaxed. That, and his fingers stroking up and down my back.

“You’re scaring me,” I whispered.

Slowly, Grayson came around the bed and sat on the edge. He covered my hand with his when I reached, Beck still wrapped close from behind. “John Lockwood came to see us. He overheard something and managed to get it on video.”

“I’m guessing I’m not going to like it?”

Elias snorted. “Fucking understatement.”

Beck took Grayson’s phone from his hand, propping it up in front of me while he kept me tucked against his body. Then he played the video.

All I could do was watch.

I did feel all the rage they felt. And the sadness. But at the core of my feelings was, oddly, relief. Instead of a faceless, nameless enemy trying to get at me, we now knew who it was.

We’d suspected, but now knowing it was Lars felt like vindication. Gendra too, and the others he’d mentioned, but I blamed them less. They were young and looked up to men they admired. Whether those men were good people? Different conversation. Gendra’s panic made me hopeful that he would change his views. Regardless, I wasn’t going to stand in the way of any punishment he had coming.

“Now I know why you’re angry.”

Beck pushed his face into my neck, growl blending with his purr. “Angry doesn’t even scratch the surface, love.”

Sighing, River dropped his head. “John is willing to help. Which means I can’t kick his ass anytime soon.”

I smiled at that, and they laid out the plan. After the last race, we’d call a press conference like the one we’d called when we were forced to announce our relationship. Everything would come out then.

“If I’m away from you more than normal in these next few days,” Gray said, “it’s because I’m working on this. But I won’t be able to stay away from you either.”

“Do you think he paid someone for the tyres? Or did he have Gendra do it?”

“One of the things I’m hoping to find out. I want to have everything ready to go so I can answer most questions. And I’ll go to the FIA and stewards right after the final race.”

“And then ,” River said, “Gray’s going to cover for me with Vic so I can beat the absolute shit out of him.”

I laughed. “You don’t have to do that.”

“Oh, it’ll be my pleasure.” His voice was dark.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to encourage those thoughts, but I loved how protective he felt—how safe he made me feel.

Elias shook his head and pushed out of his chair. “I won’t lie to you. I’m going to have a hard time in the garage. He sabotaged his own teammate .” If it hadn’t been the middle of the night he would have shouted it. Instead, it was a harsh, brutal whisper. “I want to pin him to the floor and let the tyres he saboed run over him. If this is how I feel, I can’t imagine how the rest of you’re feeling. For fucking once I’m glad I’m not an Alpha.”

He stopped, chest heaving, and shook his head. “We need to vet the team too. His side of the garage. I don’t think, I truly don’t, that our people would do something like this, but now we can’t trust any of them. This is going to be a bitch to put behind us, Gray.”

“Good thing it’s the end of the season, then.” Gray’s face was grim. “But yes. We’re going to vet everyone.”

Slowly, I turned over, rolling into Beck’s embrace and inhaling the dark scent of incense, so much stronger than his cedar at the moment. He held me tighter.

My soul ached with old, familiar pain.

If grandpa was still here, he would be so livid nothing would have made him wait. I was impressed they were keeping it in. That they had any restraint.

Grayson let out a dark laugh, feeling the line of my thoughts. “We’re barely holding on, little one. White-knuckling is closer to the truth.”

“It’s still a good idea.” Then I sighed. “I don’t want to think about it. Can we leave as soon as they let us? I don’t want other people. Just you.”

“As soon as they let us,” Gray said. “I’ll make sure.”

“Are your hands okay?”

River rolled his eyes and smiled, his bond amused by my insistence. “My hands are fine, baby. But I like when you worry about me.”

He towered over me where I sat in a private box above the track. There were screens everywhere, friends of the team, and Annika was here with me.

The four of them had brought me up here earlier, showing me what they’d created. A big chair with cushy blankets, some soft pillows, and an ottoman to prop my feet on. The worst of my burns were on my feet. It hurt to walk, but I wasn’t complaining about the way they insisted on carrying me places.

The others were already downstairs. Elias was helping Aran Toma into my car. Lockwood had agreed to lend him since our reserve driver was ill. I’d laughed to myself when I heard. Very full circle. I’d gotten my chance in a final race because a driver had been injured and the reserve driver was sick. Now Aran had that same chance in a much faster car.

River braced himself on the arms of my chair and leaned down, stopping when our lips barely touched. “You gonna cheer for me?”

“You know I am.”

Pure possessive pride swelled in our bond. “Damn right.”

“You need to go so you can actually be down there when the race starts.”

“Are you comfortable?”

I pushed at his shoulders, laughing. “I’m fine. Go .”

He didn’t, sinking one hand into my hair and tilting my head back, slanting his mouth across mine. This would be the first time since the hospital that I’d be alone without any of them nearby. And though I was fine, safe in the box, I still felt their nerves and understood them.

Grabbing his racing suit, I pulled him down further. “Don’t let him touch you,” I murmured against his lips.

His cocky smile appeared. “Wouldn’t dream of it. Bachman and I have a date, remember?” He winked before he backed away, touching a hand over his heart.

Fuck, I loved him.

The care each of them had shown me the last few days had me glowing with happiness. I glanced down at my ring, smiling. Beck and Grayson felt fierce and focused. Elias was laughing, and River was sinking down into his racing headspace. Feeling the way his world narrowed was incredible.

“Here you go.”

Annika handed me the heavy headphones that would allow me to listen to the radios from up here. These could switch between the teams, so I could listen to River if I wanted to, not just Paragon. I kept one ear out in the open so I could hear the announcers on the broadcast too. I never got to hear it live anymore. “Thanks.”

“You look like the very picture of an Omega,” she said.

I laughed. “For once.”

“Here.” She took a few photos and sent them to me. I looked cute and cozy. So I posted it.

Wrapped up and ready to watch the race! You guys know who I’m rooting for

“Do you need anything?” Annika asked.

“I’m pretty sure they made sure I have everything I could ever need for a week within arms reach.” The table next to my chair had everything from water and pain meds to snacks and a phone charger.

“That they did.”

“Ahh, the good life.” She smirked.

“How’s it going with Ronan?”

Annika flushed and took a sip of her drink. “Honestly, it’s amazing.”

“Mmhmm.”

We both collapsed into laughter. Then I groaned. I was still bruised all to hell and laughing hurt, but it felt good too. I needed the levity. Because after the celebration came everything else.

Nerves jangled in my gut. Gray had everything ready. Well, as much as he could have ready while still keeping things quiet. It felt familiar. Only this time when things leaked it wouldn’t hurt us. It would bring justice.

But there would also be judgement. Everything in this world had two sides. We were on the right one, but there would be plenty of people who disagreed. As per usual.

Couldn’t fucking wait for that. Said no one ever .

My phone vibrated on the arm of my chair. Grayson’s name was on the screen. I pulled off the headphones and answered. I was still a little clumsy with the cast on my arm. “Wrong racer, or did you forget Aran is in my car? You should be getting ready.”

“I am ready. Or I was until I felt my Omega make herself sick with nerves.”

“I’m not making myself sick.”

“Tell the truth, little one.”

I sighed. “I’m fine. I promise.”

“Sounds like the way I woke you up this morning didn’t work.”

He’d been between my legs, and I woke on the brink of orgasm, only for him to pull away. Then he slid in— slowly —and pushed me over the edge in seconds.

“You know exactly how well it worked.”

Laughing, a tender touch stroked down our bond. “Try not to worry.”

“Figured I’d tell Annika now.”

“That’s fine. Call me if you need me.”

“Love you.”

I heard his smile. “I love you too.”

Annika frowned at me after I ended the call. “Tell me what?”

“Remember that time I asked you to keep a straight face and not give anything away?”

“When you told me the tyres were sabotaged?” She added heavy sarcasm. “How could I ever forget that?”

“I need you to do that again.”

“Oh god, what now?”

I gestured her closer with my finger. “We have proof. There’s a press conference scheduled after the race. It looks like normal post-race media, but it’s not. It’s the five of us. We’ll tell them everything.”

Annika’s eyes slowly went wide. She whispered so quietly it was almost mouthed. “Who?”

“Who do you think?”

A small gasp. “Bachman?”

I nodded once.

“Of fucking course it is.” She shook her head. “What do you need me to do?”

“Nothing. I just didn’t want you to be blindsided the way everyone else will be.”

I shared the video with her along with everything else. Her shock and disgust were exactly the same as ours had been.

“Oh, they’re starting.”

I looked up at the screens. The lights were going on, River at the front of the pack and Lars in second. This would be one hell of a fight.

The announcers’ voices were enthusiastic. “And we’re racing in Emirat! Daniels gets off the line well, closely followed by Lars Bachman, both men chasing the championship today.”

“That’s right. It’s a much easier journey for Daniels. In order for him to lose, he would have to not finish the race. But as we know from recent history, absolutely anything can happen in Formula 1.”

“On that note, there’s a shot of Vanessa Lennon recovering from her crash last week, watching the race.”

I looked over toward the cameras outside and waved.

“Everyone here wishes Vanessa well.”

They flipped back to watching the race, and I settled in. Things were just warming up. The race was fifty-eight laps.

Every time River took a tight corner, my stomach clenched and tightened. I’d never had this feeling watching a race before. Then again, you’ve never had someone you love driving a car while you watched either.

My sympathies to both Grayson and my grandfather if this is what they felt while watching me. Still, River was the same person he’d been a week ago. A fucking incredible racer. He had this.

“It’s funny seeing you,” Annika said. “You’re moving your body like you’re driving.”

“Am I?” I realized she was correct as I leaned to the right at the same time as River’s car. “Fuck.”

We laughed, but I couldn’t take my eyes away from the screen. Halfway through was the trickiest part. The pit stop.

There were any number of ways a race could go sideways, one of the biggest being the pit stop since there were so many people involved. That, and River would lose his position. Ronan couldn’t guard the front since he was running in third. My Alpha would have to fight his way back to the front.

I hadn’t been listening to the radios, but I did now. The pit stop went off perfectly. “Well done, boys. Let’s get this done.”

“Currently in fourth position,” Glenn, River’s engineer, said.

Aran was doing all right. After twenty races in a one car, switching over to a different one was like putting on clothes that were the wrong size. They were familiar, but not right . He was down in 8 th place, but if he kept going, maybe he’d have a chance at taking Lars’s place on the team. Because we were about to have an opening, and he’d done incredibly this season despite the disadvantage of his car.

River came back. He passed Ivanov, and Ronan let him pass. I smiled. Ronan could have fought him on that, since he had also enough points to win. He would have his chance some day. Now it was just River and Lars.

Lars had already pitted, keeping his position thanks to timing and River being behind. Their tyres were about equal, but Lars was still seven seconds ahead.

Without thinking, I reached out. Annika held my hand and let me squeeze. Excitement and nerves choked me. River gained, but was it fast enough?

The laps kept counting down. Fuck, it was going to come down to the last second. I couldn’t even hold Annika’s hand now, pulling the blankets to my neck, hiding behind them.

River slowly closed the gap. It was going to be so fucking close. I needed him to win. If Lars took first, River would still win once they stripped Lars of the title. But winning it outright would feel so much better.

Two laps left and River was just behind Lars, chasing him. Catching him. “Come on,” I whispered. “ Come on .”

They went wheel to wheel around the corners, and Lars just managed to keep himself ahead. Barely. One lap left. Fuck, it couldn’t happen like this. River couldn’t lose like this.

Neither driver held back, pushing their cars to the limits. They came into the final chicane and I heard River’s voice as they came around the corner into the final straight where the checkered flag waved. “Vanessa,” River said. “I know you’re listening. This one’s for you, baby.”

And he moved.

Pulling out from Lars’s slipstream, River surged past him, crossing the line no more than a wheel-length ahead. He’d won.

“ YES! ” I leapt to my feet, not caring about the pain, cheering and screaming along with everyone else in the suite. He won. He fucking won . “That’s my Alpha.”

I needed to get to the podium.

“Annika, will you help me get down there?”

“The podium?”

“Yeah.”

She grinned. “Sure thing.”

Of all the kisses I might miss while River stood on that podium, this wasn’t fucking one of them.