by Day Leclaire
“Oh, trust me, I will,” Lucas retorted. The instant Lucky stormed off, he turned his attention to Jamie. “Whose idea was it to take me out? Yours? Or did someone else put you up to it?”
“It was my idea.”
He was lying again and Kellie suspected she knew why. He was protecting someone and it didn’t take much thought for her to figure out who. Cole had approached her and suggested just such a solution. The idea that the older driver might have put her son up to this had her so angry, she could barely contain it. To her relief, if Lucas picked up on Jamie’s ruse or her fury, he didn’t let on.
“Would you mind if I spoke to my son for a minute?” she asked in a tight voice.
“Sure.” Lucas planted his fists on his hips. “Right after we decide on what sort of payback my team and I can expect.”
“What do you mean?” Kellie asked warily.
“I mean there have to be consequences. I think it’s only fair that I decide what those consequences should be.”
More than anything she wanted to argue. But with Jamie standing there, listening on in horror, she needed to play this carefully. “What do you have in mind?”
Lucas offered a sharklike grin. “I suggest that between now and the Charlotte race, Jamie plays wrench monkey for my team. They want a tool cleaned, he cleans it. They want something taken apart or put back together, he does it. They want food, he fetches. Anything, anytime, no arguments, no discussion, no complaints.”
Actually, it wasn’t a bad idea. “I agree,” she approved without hesitation.
“Mom!”
She rounded on her son. “That’s Mrs. Hammond to you. Go to my office. I’ll deal with you as soon as I have a private word with Lucas.” She waited until Jamie had left the garage before speaking again. “I’m sorry. I had no idea this was going on and I should have. It won’t happen again.”
“No, it won’t. Hell, Kellie, I didn’t expect flowers and candy from the HRI staff when I joined on, but this is ridiculous. NASCAR would have a field day over it, not to mention the media.”
She didn’t bother to conceal her alarm. “Lucas, I will talk to Jamie, he will serve your sentence and this will be taken care of, but I need your word that this incident doesn’t leave the garage.”
“Guess that would be the final straw where Food Basket is concerned.” He debated for an entire gut-wrenching two minutes before inclining his head. “Leo Farmer’s had enough grief over some of Jamie’s stunts without adding any more fuel to the fire.”
She lowered her voice and stepped closer. “Just as I can’t have Lucky’s behavior endangering my drivers, I need a business partner I can trust, not one I have to watch every minute.”
“That goes both ways.” Anger still rippled beneath the surface, but she could tell he’d regained control of it. “Let’s not forget who got hit here. I’d be well within my rights to report all of this.”
“If this gets out it will hurt you every bit as much as it hurts me. Worse, it could cause long-term damage to HRI.”
“Which is the main reason I’m not pursuing this any further.”
The sheer relief of his comment left her light-headed. “Then you agree? This incident won’t leave the garage?
“This time. If I can trust you to end this here, you can trust me to keep this in-house.”
“Thank you.”
She didn’t give him an opportunity to add any more conditions to his agreement, but headed for her office, determined to get to the bottom of this whole sorry mess. She didn’t give Jamie any time to prepare his defenses. Sweeping into the office, she slammed the door behind her. She snatched up her phone and punched in her assistant’s extension.
“Get Cole in here now,” she ordered, then turned on Jamie. “Let me warn you right now that if you lie to me again, you will no longer be driving for HRI. So don’t even try to play me. Whatever clever little fabrications you’ve been working on over the past five minutes, or whatever Cole might have told you to say isn’t going to work. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Give it to me straight. Cole approached you at some point before Bristol and told you to take out Lucas, didn’t he?”
“Not in so many words.”
“But he implied as much.”
“He said it would be best for HRI and for you,” Jamie admitted miserably. “I was trying to protect you, Mom. If Bad wins the championship, he could take HRI away from you. What was I supposed to do? Just let him?” He shook his head, his jaw taking on an all-too-familiar jut. “No way am I going to do that. With Dad gone, it’s my job to look after you.”
Before she had a chance to respond, a knock sounded at the door and Cole walked in, offering a broad smile. One look at Jamie’s wretched expression, as well as Kellie’s undisguised fury, had his smile fading. “Uh-oh. Busted.” He gave Jamie an understanding shrug. “I don’t blame you. I know you wouldn’t have ratted me out unless they beat it out of you.”
“I’m sorry, Cole.”
“Don’t you dare apologize to him,” Kellie bit out. She turned on Cole. “And how could you use my son like that? Have you completely lost your mind?”
He turned wide, ingenuous eyes in her direction. “Come on, Kellie. I was only doing what you wanted.”
“What I wanted, or what you wanted? And while we’re on the subject, you didn’t actually do anything, did you? You were too careful for that.” She stabbed a finger in Jamie’s direction. “Instead you used Jamie as your patsy, you son of a—” She broke off before the words could be uttered.
“Look, it wasn’t like that. At least, not exactly.”
The breath shuddered from her lungs as the full weight of the “could have beens” hit her. She thrust her hair from her face with trembling hands. “Dear God, Cole. He could have lost his ride. He still might if Food Basket gets wind of this—or of the fact that it was deliberate. They could pull out. As it is, he’s lost the respect of other drivers who are publicly calling him cocky and arrogant. And he now has NASCAR watching his every move. One more infraction and he’s in serious trouble. He’s only eighteen. And in one stupid move, he’s put his entire future in jeopardy. Not yours. His.” She paced off some of her fury. “Though allow me to assure you you’re not off the hook, either. I’m warning you. One more false move on your part and I’ll fire you.”
The words had no sooner left her mouth when her office door crashed open. Lucas stood there. The instant he spotted Cole, he charged across the room. Catching him by the throat, Lucas slammed Cole against the wall.
CHAPTER NINE
“DID YOU THINK I wouldn’t find out? Did you think someone wouldn’t give you up? You’re not that popular, Whaling. At least, not in the garage. Maybe you should spend less time mugging for the cameras and more time bonding with your men.”
“Get the hell off me!” Cole shoved at Lucas, but couldn’t break his hold. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about convincing the kid to wreck me. I’m talking about interfering where you don’t belong because you’re hoping to scoop up a piece of HRI for yourself by romancing it out from under your boss.”
“That’s enough!” Kellie couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this angry. Or scared. The two men broke apart, though she knew they’d be battling it out again at the least provocation. “Jamie, head down to Lucas’s shop. Now. I don’t care what they want you to do, or how dirty the job, you’re to do it. Are we clear?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He eyed the two men with clear-cut uncertainty. “Maybe I should wait a minute or two before leaving.”
“Don’t you worry about me.” She scrutinized the combatants with grim intent. “I’m more than capable of taking care of this little problem.”
The instant the door closed behind Jamie, Lucas planted a fist in Cole’s face, knocking him to the ground. He stood over him, the breath hissing between his teeth. “Get up again, you scum-sucking piece of snake turd.
Get up, so I can knock you down again.”
“It was a joke,” Cole claimed desperately. “A joke that got out of hand.”
“You suppose NASCAR will see it that way? Why don’t we give them a quick call and find out?”
“Nobody is calling NASCAR. This stays in-house, as agreed,” Kellie snapped. “Lucas, back off. You hit him again and I’m calling security. Then you can deal with your own morals clause with Wolf Sportsman.”
Lucas stood there for endless seconds, no doubt weighing his options. After a full minute, he shot her a single smoldering glare, and fell back a step. It was just far enough to appear as though he were falling in line, while still close enough to take Cole on if the other man so much as twitched.
“Were you in on it, too?” Lucas demanded of her.
The fact that he needed to ask the question hurt more than she thought possible. “You should know the answer to that without having to ask. If I’d had any idea that Cole intended to involve Jamie in this, I’d have fired him on the spot.” She cut her gaze to the other man. “I still might.”
“Did you know Whaling planned to take me out?” Lucas pressed. She hesitated, a hesitation that cost her dearly. Fury flared anew. “Son of a bitch! You did know.”
She kept her eyes trained on him, forcing herself to remain as direct and unguarded as possible. “Cole mentioned putting his bumper to you as a way to keep you from gaining controlling interest in HRI. I told him in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t to interfere in any way, shape, or form.”
“She’s telling the truth,” Cole stated wearily.
“Shut up, Whaling. When I want your opinion I’ll beat it out of you.” He took a single step in Kellie’s direction, a step that had Cole shooting to his feet.
“Leave her out of this,” Cole warned. “You want to lay into me, have at it. At least I deserve it. But if you so much as touch her, I’ll take you apart.”
“How noble.”
“You want the truth? You want to know why I did it? Fine.” Tension filled the other driver, along with a painful indignation. “I saw you and Kellie kissing outside of Jamie’s hospital room after Daytona. I didn’t like it. Fact is, I still don’t like it. Jinx had only been gone a few weeks at that point. So, I used Jamie to even the score. Consider it divine retribution, since I’m sure Jinx would have approved wholeheartedly of what I did.”
That caught Lucas’s attention. “Had her pegged for yourself, did you?”
“You do both realize I’m still standing here,” Kellie broke in. She was determined to take charge again. “I’m not a bone to be fought over and I refuse to be treated like one. Cole.”
The driver spared her a swift glance. His left eye was already swelling and the sight of it had her mouth compressing. “You understand why I did it, don’t you?” he asked.
“Not even a little. Get some ice on that eye before the doctor has you sidelined at Texas. I’ll discuss disciplinary action with Lucas and let you know the consequences. Until then I suggest you get yourself under control. Am I clear?”
His jaw worked for a moment before he gave an abrupt nod. “Crystal, boss.”
“Get out of here.”
He didn’t wait for a second invitation, but crossed the width of her office and exited. Kellie couldn’t help but notice that he gave Lucas a wide berth. As soon as they were alone, she returned her attention to her partner. “Now you can say whatever you need to.”
“Assuming I believe that you weren’t directly involved in what happened, you knew there was a possibility that Cole would try something. You should have warned me. And even if you didn’t think he’d use Jamie to take me out, that possibility occurred to you after what happened at Bristol, didn’t it?”
“Yes, but you watched the video replay and didn’t see anything.” Honesty forced her to concede, “But you’re right. I should have told you what Cole said. At the time, you’d just joined HRI and I didn’t want to create any dissension between you and Cole.”
“I’ll say it again, Kellie. You’ve taken on too much. You’re stretched too thin to stay on top of everything that’s happening.”
She refused to accept that. “No, the real problem is we’re not working as a team and I can’t trust any of you. I’m having to babysit my drivers, as well as run a three-team racing organization.”
Lucas took a minute to consider that before nodding in agreement. “Fair enough.” He shot her a glance from beneath furrowed eyebrows. “You do realize this has to change. We have to find a way to all work together instead of everyone running around half-cocked.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m listening. What do you suggest?”
“I suggest that for the good of HRI, you and I join forces.” He shifted closer and lowered his voice, which only gave his words added impact. “On all fronts.”
She turned that one over, not sure she’d heard him right. “That sounds remarkably like a proposition.”
He nodded. “You have excellent hearing.” Before she could gather her wits enough to react, he continued. “Now, shall we discuss Cole and how you intend to handle that problem?”
It took a second to switch gears. “I intend to fine him and put him on probation. According to our contract, this was a firing offense and it’s my choice whether I stick a price tag on his actions or kick him to the curb. I’d rather not replace him at this point in the season.” She grimaced. “I’d rather not replace him at all. For all his flaws, he’s still an outstanding driver, not to mention that the fans are crazy about him. All in all, it makes him a valuable addition to HRI. That said, I can’t have one of my drivers deliberately taking out another.”
“Make the fine stiff enough to hurt and I can live with it.”
Residual anger still clung to him and she attempted to soothe it. “You’re only one spot out of twelfth. There’s still plenty of time to make up the difference.”
“Oh, I’ll make it up.” His eyes were as hard as diamonds. “All this did was jack with me a bit. Tends to make me more ornery. You can’t shake a wolf by kicking him, and Cole’s going to find that out if he comes after me again.” He took one final step closer. “Now that we’ve resolved our business issues, I suggest we discuss our personal ones.”
Alarmed, she shook her head. “I’ve told you before, we don’t have any personal issues.”
“If that were true, Whaling wouldn’t have gone after me. He sees what you refuse to.” Determination settled into his expression. “You want me.”
“No—”
Lucas silenced her with one simple touch. He skimmed his hand along the curve of her cheek, just as he had all those weeks ago when he’d first arrived at HRI and she’d shown him his office. The effect was identical. Desire swept through her with an intensity that stole her breath. She didn’t have a hope of concealing her reaction from him. Sure enough, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and his eyes softened.
“If it makes you feel any better, it’s the same for me. I want you, Kellie.” He paused a beat, then added pointedly, “I also intend to have you.”
She shivered. “That’s not going to happen.”
“Time will tell.”
He left the office then, and she sank into her seat. Deep inside, she couldn’t help but wonder. If Lucas made a play for her, she wanted to believe she could resist him. But considering she’d never been able to before this, chances were excellent that he was right. Before long, he’d follow through on his promise, and she doubted she was capable of stopping him.
“THE RACING WORLD is abuzz over the latest coming from HRI. Jinx Junior’s family curse has struck two weeks in a row, both times taking out his teammate and last year’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Champion, Lucas ‘Bad’ Boyce. The wreck resulted in HRI owner Kellie Hammond, Lucas Boyce and Jamie Hammond, as well as their respective crew chiefs, being invited to the NASCAR trailer to meet with the powers-that-be for a serious discussion, no doubt regarding race track etiquette.
“When
asked for a comment, Bad is reported to have said, ‘Jamie and I have discussed the matter and will be working closely together to resolve it.’ Rumors coming from both camps indicate that there might have been more than words exchanged.
“Fellow teammate Cole Whaling confirmed the suggestion of in-house dissension. ‘Boyce is just annoyed because these past two weeks he’s been on the receiving end of a bumper for a change. No one else would dare move The Big Bad out of the way. I’ve got to hand it to the kid. He’s got chops.’
“So far no comment from Jinx Junior or HRI owner Kellie Hammond. As soon as we hear what was said behind closed doors—and our understanding is that it was an earful—you’ll hear. And one of our first questions will be…who gave Cole that impressive shiner he’s sporting? Stay tuned, race fans!”
KELLIE STOOD shoulder-to-shoulder with her father, staring through the bank of windows overlooking the shops a full story beneath them. Jamie, Lucas and his team were working on the cars and had been for eight hours straight. She’d never seen her son look so filthy or so exhausted—or so happy.
Until a few hours ago the entire crew had taken great delight in torturing the teenager with the worst chores they could dream up. And while one part of her had fretted over the treatment of her son, the other part had taken pride in his tenacity, good humor and willingness to take whatever garbage they chose to dish out.
When she’d last peeked down at them an hour or so ago, she’d noticed a change in attitude. Instead of treating Jamie like something that had crawled out of some slimy bog, they’d begun to accept him as one of the team. Even better, several of the mechanics had switched to teaching mode and were actively explaining the hows and whys of what they were doing. And though Jamie had spent his entire life with his head buried under the hood of a car, he soaked up each and every pointer with undisguised enthusiasm.
