Thrust: Bad Boy Racing Romance (Fastlane Series Book 2) (28 page)

Knowing Serena like I did, if she’d had any idea about my true identity, there would have been no way for her to keep it hidden from me. While I didn’t believe her lie about the camera, something told me she didn't know about the envelope and its contents.

“Anything else, Marco?”

I thought about her question for a couple of seconds. Things didn’t have to end up like this between us. Somewhere along the way she’d lost track of the true nature of our relationship. I'd never promised to be with her. The marriage was a stupid mistake. We’d talked about it, but deep down, I knew she would do anything she could to keep it intact. If it had just been between her and me, I might have been more lenient with her.

But the level she’d stooped to, to hurt Dani… Unforgivable wasn’t too strong a word to describe how I felt about it.

“I’m sorry that I hurt you, Serena. That was never my intention. But unless you take responsibility for what you’ve done and make things right with Dani's employer, then you leave me no choice but to handle the situation myself. And I can promise you that if you decide to go that route, you won’t like the outcome.”

Serena huffed, sticking to her claim of innocence and ignorance.

“You’ve always enjoyed hurting me, Marco. Isn’t that true? That’s how you keep yourself safe, isn’t it?”

“You’re out of your mind, Serena. Really, I feel pity for you.”

“Marco, the way I see things, I’ve protected your little whore. I’ve kept her safe from you. And that’s why you’re angry. You can’t do to her what you’ve done to me.”

I looked towards the ceiling and let out a calm, slow exhale. I should’ve known better. Serena had never been honest. I didn’t know why I expected anything different this time. Left with no choice, I issued my ultimatum.

“Serena, I will never speak to you again. That’s the first thing. The second thing is that I will make sure that you and your sleazy attorney pay for what you’ve done, not only to Dani, but also to me. I hope that you find a way to get your life together, Serena. I will miss our friendship even though the person I grew up with has been gone, for a long, long time now.”

With that, I dropped the phone away from my ear and disconnected it. Within a couple of seconds, Serena called me back.

I blocked the number - for good.

DANI

Chloe stayed over with me, but even so, I found it next to impossible to get any sleep. Dragging myself out of bed the next morning, I made my way to the kitchen, passing by the living room and Chloe, who was sleeping on the couch. I wasn’t even sure why I bothered getting out of bed. It wasn't like I had a job to go to or anything to do, at all.

Marco hadn’t called or messaged to let me know about his conversation with Serena. Like a zombie, I staggered along the tile floor, unaware of the present and numb to my future.

My shuffling feet caught Chloe’s attention.

“Hey,” she whispered, propping herself up on her elbow and squinting at me. “Is everything okay?”

I stopped, turning to look at her.

“Yes, I was just thirsty. Sorry to wake you.”

Chloe stretched, easing herself into a seated position on the couch. She patted on the cushion next to her.

“Come sit for a minute, Dani.”

I pointed in the direction of the kitchen.

“Okay, I just want to get something to drink. Do you want anything?”

Chloe shook her head and leaned back into the couch, closing her eyes.

“No.”

A couple of minutes later I returned with a glass of water and sat down next to her.

Without opening her eyes, Chloe asked, “Did you hear anything from Marco?”

I took a swallow of the cold liquid.

“No.”

Sitting there alongside of her, I felt like my very existence was in limbo.

What was I going to do?

Aside from Chloe, of course, I had no one to turn to, no one to rely on for anything. She would do whatever she could to help, but my situation was far beyond anything she could fix. Sighing, I leaned back into the cushion next to her and reclined my head into the back of the couch.

“Did you sleep?” Chloe asked, her eyes still closed and her words barely above a mumble. “You seemed pretty tired when you went to bed.”

Looking down, I traced the top of the glass with my fingertip, causing it to make a sound.

“I was tired. But no, I didn’t sleep very much.”

We sat there in silence for a couple of seconds. At last, Chloe swiveled her head on the couch and opened her eyes in my direction.

“What are you going to do?”

I looked at her, shrugging.

“That depends on what you’re talking about.”

Chloe lifted her head away from the cushion.

“Oh my God, Dani,” she began, covering her mouth with her hand. “Your dad, I totally forgot. With everything that happened yesterday, I totally forgot. How's he doing?”

I continued to circle the rim with the pad of my finger.

Shrugging, I replied, “I haven’t been answering my mom’s calls. She did text me the other day, though, and told me his condition was stable. I’m guessing nothing has changed, but I really don’t know.”

Chloe reach for my thigh and rubbed it.

“Well at least he’s in the hospital. If anything goes seriously wrong, there’s no better place for him to be.”

I nodded but didn’t reply.

“What are you going to do if Marco calls?”

I looked away from her, staring blankly at a wall across the room. Chloe and I talked about Marco’s confession, about his marriage to Serena and the destruction it brought to my life. She was understandably defensive and protective of me.

She warned me about being too lenient with him if he tried to call. In fact, before we’d gone to bed, she’d just about convinced me to be done with Marco for good. I’m sure the hour-long crying session I had after my phone call with him didn’t help. In spite of that, I decided to at least wait to hear what he had to say. At this point, all the damage was already done. It wasn’t like I had anything else left to lose, including my dignity.

I shrugged a reply. “I know that you don’t want me to talk to him, Chloe. But I feel like I owe it to him.”

Chloe scoffed.

“Puuhhleease…” she began, looking away from me and rolling her eyes at the same time. “You don’t owe that jerk
anything.
”

“Chloe, if you were in my situation, I guarantee you would do the same thing. One last phone call isn’t going to make a bit of difference at this point. I’m not expecting miracles or anything, I just want some honesty, that’s all.”

She ignored my response. Instead, Chloe moved her hand away from my thigh. Wrapping her fingers around her knees, she pushed herself up, standing next to the couch.

“On second thought, I do think I’m thirsty.”

She looked down at my nearly empty glass.

“Do you want some more?”

I shook my head.

“Not right now. Thank you.”

Like I had minutes earlier, Chloe did her own version of my early morning shuffle, scooting her feet along the tile floor. Right around the time she reached the kitchen, I heard my cell phone ringing in my bedroom. Chloe stopped in place and spun to face me, her eyes wide.

“Do you think that’s him?”

Listless, I shrugged. “Don’t know.”

Chloe pivoted. Turning in place, she started to walk in the direction of my bedroom, picking up the pace of each step along the way.

“Where you going?” I called out.

“Where do you think?” she said, disappearing around the corner.

Two rings later, I heard the sound of her voice. The words, however, were muffled. I frowned and took a final sip of my water, placing the glass on the coffee table in front of me and standing. I began to follow in her footsteps, making my way towards my bedroom, coming around the corner moments later.

“Oh,” Chloe muttered into the receiver, sadness in her tone. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Let me go get Dani. It will just take a few seconds.”

Chloe turned and stopped dead, her face framed in a mask of disbelief. Without speaking, she covered the phone’s receiver with the palm of her hand.

“What?” I asked, crossing my arms at a sudden chill I felt in the room. “Who is that?”

Chloe kept her hand on the phone and walked towards me.

“I’m so sorry, Dani. Honey I, I totally feel terrible for you.”

I frowned at her.

“What are you…” I muttered. “What’s going on? Who is that? Is it Marco?”

Her hand still in place, Chloe straightened her arms and extended the phone in my direction, her eyes glazing over with the beginnings of tears. She repeated herself from moments earlier, saying the same thing, over and over.

“I’m so sorry, Dani,” she whispered. “I'm so, so sorry.”

I swallowed hard and took the phone from her hand. Turning it over I expected to see Marco’s name at the top of the display. Instead, I saw the word ‘Mom’.

Oh no.

MARCO

The receptionist looked up at me, her mouth hanging open.

“I’m sorry sir,” she began, her eyes darting between me and her computer screen. “What was your name again?”

“Marco Rhys.”

“Mr. Rhys,” she said, striking her keyboard with lightning fast strokes. “Did you have an appointment?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t need an appointment. Just tell Bernard and Leopold that I want to see them in the next five minutes, or they can forget about managing my assets.”

The young woman looked up at me again, her eyes wide like saucers.

“I-I um, let me…” she stammered, standing from her chair and looking in every direction. “Can you wait right here? Please, I-I'll be right back.”

With that, she disappeared around the corner and, out of sight. To either side of me stood my family’s long time attorneys. After my call with Serena, we took my jet to New York first thing the next morning. It wasn’t long, maybe a minute or so later, when I heard a familiar voice.

“Mr. Rhys!” Bernard exclaimed, walking towards me with a rapid pace.

Just behind him was the frantic secretary. He extended his hand in my direction. I didn’t take it.

“We have some important matters to discuss, Bernard,” I began, looking past him. “Where is Leopold?”

“He um, he’s here,” Bernard replied, gesturing behind him. “He was on a call when Jessica came to get me. I’ll um…”

He paused, turning to the woman still standing behind him.

“Go get Leopold right away,” he ordered, urgency in his tone. “I don’t care who he’s talking to. Understand?”

Doe-eyed and slack-jawed, she nodded for a second before turning around and hustling away again. Once she disappeared from view, Bernard looked at me.

“This is…” he paused, looking at my attorneys. “Quite unexpected. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit today?”

I waved my hand in front of his face.

“Don’t insult me, Bernard. You and Leopold are hanging on to control of my account by a thread, sir.”

The smile on Bernard’s face melted, transforming itself into an expression of deep doubt.