Page 53

CHAPTER 53

Senna

“Get your fucking hands off my sister.” Niki jumps up and rushes Connor, but I stand in front of him.

A curl of Niki’s dirty blond hair falls on his forehead from beneath his backwards cap. His stare burns a hole in my heart.

“Niki, leave it,” I say, lifting my jaw.

Connor tries to get out from behind me. The fool. I can protect him. “It’s not?—”

“Don’t you dare say it’s not what I think.” Spittle flies from Niki’s mouth, landing in the air because I’m forcing distance between him and us. His tan highlights his cheekbones, as do the red angry spots on his cheeks. “You’re fucking my sister, right?”

“Yes, but it’s not just?—”

“Shut the hell up. We had a deal, and clearly, you haven’t stuck to it,” Niki rages. “I know what you’re like, remember? You’re a player.”

“I’m not like that.”

“You had a personality transplant?”

I turn so I’m still facing Niki in case he does anything stupid, but so I can speak quietly to Connor. “Connor, please let me handle this.”

Although Niki’s lost the lean body of a racing driver and bulked out a little, I’m confident Connor could take him, but knowing my man and how guilty he’s felt over the last months, he’d probably let Niki beat him to a pulp.

“So you need my baby sister to fight your battles, do you? You were supposed to be my best friend.” His face is bright red, and he’s fisting his hands.

“I am your best friend.”

“You’re dead to me,” he replies, his jaw tight.

There’s a ding at the lift. We don’t need anyone else to get involved in this. “Connor, you go. I’ll talk to Niki and call you, okay?”

He slides his hand into mine. Niki growls in response. “I’m here for you. We can do this together.”

I shake my head. “He’ll be more reasonable if it’s just me.”

“I’m right here. I can hear everything,” Niki says between gritted teeth. He squeezes his fists again. Where has my sweet brother gone?

“Trust me,” I murmur to Connor, whose face drops as he nods.

He glances at Niki and winces, yet still kisses my cheek. “I love you,” he whispers, but in the quiet of the corridor, I’m certain Niki hears.

As he steps away and walks to the lift, his eyes wide with worry, Niki aims one last jibe at him. “All this time, you were finding a way to get with her. You promised me, promised you would take care of her. I asked you to protect her this season, and you did this.”

Connor looks away from me, but the truth is evident in his pinched eyes. My mouth drops.

“What is he saying, Connor?”

“It’s not like it sounds?—”

I round on Connor. “You’ve been talking about me behind my back?”

“Yes,” Niki replies smugly. “I knew how hard this year would be for you and?—”

“Stop, Niki. I’m talking to my boyfriend.”

Connor squeezes his lips together as he stares at me. His forehead is squished, but I resist the pull to smooth the lines. “At first, it was about protecting you, but within a short time, I knew you didn’t need that. You just needed someone on your side. Out of the two of us, I’m the one who needs protecting. I’m a liability, remember?”

He gives me a soft smile.

“I love you,” he says, imploring me.

Niki guffaws. “The player is in love? Sure. Jog on, Dane.”

Connor’s face drops, and my heart breaks.

“Connor, I love you, too. But I need to talk to my brother. Could you leave us alone?”

He lifts his eyebrows as if waiting for me to change my mind. I kiss his cheek and hold his hand to my heart. “Please?”

“Are you two fucking kidding me with this? Get lost, Connor,” my brother shouts.

Connor hesitates, but my pinched stare has him walking to the lift.

“Get in my suite now, Niki,” I hiss as I open my room and storm into it.

Niki slams the door as he joins me. “He’s not the right man for you, sis. He’s a player. He treats women badly?—”

I round on him. “This isn’t about him, although I’d defend that incredible man until I had no breath left in me. This is about us. You’ve lied to me repeatedly. Did you know Dad was selling the team no matter what I did?”

Niki holds his hands up.

“You shit,” I snarl.

“Sen, I was trying to protect you. I thought if I came home and took over, then we could run it together. I’d be in charge, and I could protect you. With me leading things, I’d convince Dad not to sell.”

I square up to him. “Are you kidding me? I don’t need you. You should have believed in me. You should have been proud of me like I’ve always been proud of you. I’ve made this team a success.”

“A success at what cost? Your health? You’re not being rational. Look at who you’re dating. You can’t be thinking straight. I love the guy, but he’s not boyfriend material, and he’s your driver! You’ve always said it’s hard to be a woman in this industry, but look at who you’re secretly dating. What will people say because I know you haven’t told your team?”

“What do you mean?”

“I went to the garage to find you, but no one knew where you were. Macca needed you, but you were off with Connor. Connor is distracting you. I told him to protect you this season, and he didn’t, and now you’re losing the team. All those people depend on you.”

“And I’m doing everything I can to ensure we have a future.” My shoulders hunch as I pace. I check my phone. Ten missed calls from Macca.

“By getting distracted and going off with Connor the week before your last race?”

It’s like he’s repeating all my fears. My inferiority complex rears its head, and I don’t know what to believe. “I’m an effective boss. We’ve done well this season. We nearly made the top six. Why can’t you believe in me?”

He walks towards me, and I step back. “Because I don’t recognise you anymore. Do you remember saying how difficult it was for you to make strides for women? You’ve struggled your entire career. Don’t let it all go for him.”

“I’m not.” I drag in a breath. “I’m stronger with him and with the whole team on my side.”

“If he’s really as great as you say he is, and if you love him as much as you say you do, then why didn’t you tell me? I heard it from Dad. He called me as I got to the hotel. I didn’t believe him because the idea you’d date your former enemy, a player, was ridiculous.”

I freeze, staring at Niki.

“We wanted to tell you face-to-face,” I stutter. I rub my scar as I fumble with my words.

“Are you ashamed of him, Senna?”

“No!”

“But you know people will think less of you. You’ll lose all the respect you’ve earned like you lost Dad’s and mine.”

I choke. This isn’t my sweet older brother.

“And you’ve put the company at risk by dating him. How can you make reasonable decisions when you’re secretly dating one of the team? You can’t. I want you to be happy and have a good life, but you can’t do that with Connor. You need protecting, and he isn’t the guy to do it.”

“You’re saying these things because you’re hurting.”

“Or maybe I’m saying them because no one else can because they don’t know.”

My hands shake. His words sting. I always said I needed to do this alone. What if letting Connor in has cost my future and that of my whole team?

Niki’s brow furrows. “Senna, I’m here for you. I want you to be happy, but?—”

I point to the open door. “Just go.” His jaw drops. “I love you. I’ve always been proud of you and put you first, even though you haven’t done the same for me. I watched Dad go to your race in Austria and miss my graduation and didn’t say a thing. You’re my big brother who I would do anything for, but right now, I need to be alone.”

He ambles out the door. He turns as if he has more to say and is rewarded with the door shutting in his face.

I slide to the floor and drop my face to my hands.

My phone buzzes. It’s Connor. But I can’t bring myself to answer. I love him, but I’m the boss and I must protect him and the team.

With one race to go and my career in the balance, I’m not sure I can.