Gridlock: Full Velocity Series - Book 2

by Delaney, Tracie

  As he’d promised, Jack dropped by first thing with some personal items, and both Rob and Jared came to check up on me. It was good to see them, but they weren’t who I really needed to see. I desperately wanted to put things right with Madison. I could only hope I hadn’t fucked things up for good.

  Just after eleven, the door opened, and Madison poked her head inside. “Are you decent?” she joked, which I took as a good sign.

  “I’d rather be indecent,” I said.

  She smiled. “Maybe take a few more recovery days first.” She pulled up the same chair she’d sat in yesterday, but I stopped her.

  “Sit beside me,” I said, patting the mattress.

  She hesitated but then perched on the edge of my bed. I held out my hand, giving her the option to take it, or not. She did.

  Positive sign number two.

  “Tate—”

  “Madison—”

  She chuckled. “You first.”

  I stared at her hand then lifted my eyes to hers. “The deal with Frank’s company, I’m sorry you found out like that. We hadn’t been talking for long, and I honestly never expected it to move as quickly as it did. If I’d had any idea, I’d have made the time to talk to you first.”

  “It’s not how I found out that’s the problem, Tate. It’s the fact you signed the deal in the first place. You know how I feel about kids and fast cars, and this product makes it easier for them to gain access to parts and easily fit them without any skill required, then go out on the road and potentially kill themselves, or others.”

  “I had to,” I said, holding up my hand when she started to interrupt. “There’s something you don’t know. I should have told you in Majorca, but stupidly, I thought it would be better to show you, and I intended to do so, but when we arrived home, time ran away with me, and then everything moved so fast.” I pointed to an overnight bag in the corner that Jack had dropped off. “Can you grab my phone. It’s in the side pocket.”

  She did as I’d asked. I opened a browser and typed in the website for my facility. I handed the phone to her. She scanned the screen, scrolling upward to read more of the information on the homepage which talked about what went on there. After she’d finished, she looked up, frowning.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “That’s my facility. I started it years ago as soon as I amassed enough cash to get the building up and running. We started off with five patients. Now, we’re much larger, and I fund it with a good proportion of my salary and all my sponsorship earnings, as well as investing huge amounts of cash in the scientific research lab. One day, I hope to find a cure for the disease that killed Cam.”

  I could tell the second the lightbulb went on, the moment she realized I wasn’t a money-grabbing freak who refused to be satisfied with the tens of millions I earned each year. That I kept enough for myself to live comfortably, and to make traveling around the world as easy as possible. The rest I poured into the place where my heart lay.

  She tugged on her earlobe, her lips slightly parted. I didn’t prompt her or speak again. She’d have questions, and I’d answer them as honestly as I could.

  “Why the deal with Frank?”

  “Two things really. One, we need to expand. There’s a huge demand for places, and not enough beds, and two, I only have a few more years racing left in me. The deal with Frank will mean there’s enough funding not only for the expansion, but to ensure financial security for at least the next ten years.”

  She twisted her lips to one side. “There wasn’t another option? One that didn’t involve that kind of business?”

  I shook my head. “The money Frank is offering just to attach my name to his brand is insane. I’m sorry, Madison, but I couldn’t turn it down, not even for you and the sake of our relationship. If you can’t get past that, to see the good I’m able to do with that money then…” I breathed heavily. “There isn’t really much else I can do.”

  “Why don’t you just go public? If you did, I’m sure the donations would flood in.”

  Is she channelling Joanie’s rhetoric? I’d had the same discussion with her over the years. Joanie constantly worried I spread myself too thin.

  “I don’t want to go public,” I explained patiently. “If I do, the place will end up swarming with press, it will stop being about the patients and our search for a cure, and end up being all about me. This isn’t about me. I don’t do this to win favor with the public or the press. I do this for the patients and their families.”

  She drew in a long, shuddering breath. “And you couldn’t have told me all this last Thursday?”

  I chuckled. “You didn’t exactly give me the chance.”

  Her cheeks flushed pink. “That’s true.” She looked down at my phone again, then up at me. “Will you take me?”

  Hope jolted my pulse into action. I grinned. “For a fee.”

  “What’s the fee?”

  I tapped my lips with my forefinger. “The price of entry is a kiss.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “That’s a pretty heavy price to pay.”

  I grazed the edge of my tongue over my teeth. “I’m worth it.”

  She placed the flat of her hands on either side of my hips and leaned forward. Her lips brushed mine, all too briefly. “We’ll see.”

  Madison

  “Take it easy,” I said, putting a steadying arm around Tate’s waist as he climbed out of the car.

  It had been six weeks since the accident that should have killed him, and although his internal injuries were healing well, he’d ended up needing surgery on his shoulder when the ball joint kept popping out, so his arm was in a sling—and he hated it.

  “Stop fussing,” he groused. “I can still throw you over my shoulder, one arm or not.”

  I giggled. “I’d like to see you try.”

  We’d spent the last few weeks in Switzerland while Tate recuperated at a private clinic, and during that time we’d got our relationship back on track. I’d finally found the right moment to tell him about my argument with his mother during his surgery. Whether I’d overstepped the mark had been playing on my mind, but Tate didn’t even flinch when I recounted the conversation. In a way, that saddened me, but he wasn’t short of people who loved him, and he honestly seemed okay with it.

  “You just wait. I won’t be in this thing forever. Then it’s game on.”

  I giggled again. “I look forward to it.”

  The front door opened, and Joanie came out to greet us. I’d met her over Skype a couple of weeks ago, and we’d struck up an instant rapport.

  “At last,” she said, hugging first Tate, then me. “It’s so good to finally meet you in person, Madison. Let’s get you both inside. It’s freezing.”

  She made us all a cup of hot chocolate. She and Tate talked about how the expansion plans were progressing, and as I watched his animated expression while they discussed an idea for a family suite where the loved ones of those nearing the end could stay over, I teared up.

  I cast my mind back to a few months earlier when I’d thought of Tate Flynn as a demon, an evil, gluttonous man who chose money over integrity. They said never judge a person until you’d walked a mile in their shoes. Well, I’d got my feet firmly planted inside Tate’s, and the view from here couldn’t be more different. His compassion, determination, and philanthropy actually took my breath away.

  Joanie showed me around the facility, and Tate stopped to talk to every single patient. The place was almost full, with only one bed vacant, but Joanie explained that they were expecting a new patient tomorrow. I’d assumed the facility would be a sad place, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Those here might not have long left, but they’d learned to cherish every single day in a way healthy people never seemed to manage.

  I was so impressed with all Tate had achieved, and by the time we left, my heart almost burst with pride. I mightn’t have agreed with his methods of funding the facility in the beginning, but now I’d seen for myself the amount of good every s
ingle penny achieved, well, I had to admit I’d been wrong. Everyone had personal accountability, not only for their own safety, but also how their actions impacted on the safety of others. Just because companies like Frank’s provided the tools to allow cars to be modified, the final decision rested with the individual to make sure they didn’t act recklessly. It had taken me a while to get there, but I’d finally come to realize that people like Tate shouldn’t be held accountable for the actions of others.

  I drove us back to London and parked beneath Tate’s building. I couldn’t be bothered with cooking, so we ordered takeout. After we’d eaten, I flicked on the TV, although more for background noise than to tune in to any particular program. I curled into Tate’s side, and he slipped his good arm around my shoulder.

  “It’s an amazing place,” I said, referring to the facility.

  Tate never referred to it as a hospice. In his mind, it did so much more, not least because of the tireless efforts of the scientists who worked around the clock desperately trying to find a cure, or at least identify a way of stemming the disease to allow a few more precious days, weeks, or months to its unfortunate, and totally undeserving, victims.

  “It is, and filled with incredible people who manage to keep smiling in the most challenging of circumstances.”

  “You’re incredible,” I said, caressing his face. “No, don’t roll your eyes at me, Tate Flynn. You are. You work so hard to channel as much money into that place as you can, and yet you sit idly by letting the press vilify you for being just another greedy Formula One driver who only cares about making another million bucks.”

  He touched his lips to mine, and what started out as an innocent peck turned into something much deeper within seconds. It took considerable effort for me to pull away, but Tate was under strict instructions from his doctors. No physical exertion, and that included the between-the-sheets variety. His internal injuries were still healing, not to mention his shoulder, although Tate had said, on more than one occasion, that he’d quite happily lie back and let me do all the work.

  “You’re killing me,” he groaned. “I’m almost fully healed. Let’s go to bed and fuck.”

  “A few more days,” I said. “That’s all you have to wait, and then we can fuck as much as you like.”

  “My dick will have shriveled up and died by then,” he protested.

  I walked my fingers down the front of his chest, teasing, tantalizing. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll give it the kiss of life—when the time comes.”

  He groaned again. He got to his feet, dislodging me. “If you won’t help me get rid of this hard-on you’ve created, I guess I’ll have to show you what I’ve been cooking up.”

  I sat up, excited. “What is it?”

  He left the room, returning a minute or so later with a thick manila envelope. He sat beside me once more.

  “I know you struggle with some of my sponsorship choices, especially after what happened to Dean, but at least now you understand why I signed those deals. But you’re right, I do have at least some responsibility to try to get the message across that speed can be dangerous, especially in the wrong hands. So, I’ve been searching for the right opportunity to sit comfortably alongside the likes of Frank’s company, without causing conflict, and last week, I found it.”

  He handed me the envelope. I opened the flap and removed a glossy brochure with a picture of what looked like a video game on the front. I flicked through the first couple of pages, but I still wasn’t sure I understood.

  “What is this, exactly?” I asked.

  “It’s a company that designs video games, specifically motor racing ones, but they’re diversifying into what is called eSports. It’s the latest in virtual reality technology. Their idea is to bring VR to the masses. Basically, it’s a very real simulator which allows anyone who wants to hone their racing skills, whether that be to drive professionally or not, to practice in a very safe way. They invited me to their design offices a couple of days ago, and I drove one of these simulators, albeit one-handed.” He laughed. “Honestly, Mads, it felt so damned real. If they can reduce costs enough to make this marketable at a similar price point to the video game consoles of today, it’ll help enormously with road safety, particularly for young kids. And who knows, they might get enough of a kick out of virtual driving to not want to risk something as dangerous as street racing. I’ve spoken to Frank, and he sees no conflict of interest. They’re a small but growing company who can’t afford my usual fee so, if you like the idea, I want to do it pro bono.”

  I didn’t even need to think about it. I tossed the brochure to one side and threw my arms around Tate, careful not to jar his shoulder.

  “I love the idea,” I enthused, even though it would mean even less time for us than we had already. It was totally worth it. “I can’t believe you’d do this, for me.”

  “I’d do anything for you.”

  I stroked my knuckles over his cheek, two-day old stubble grazing my skin. “I love you.”

  He leaned in, briefly kissing me. “Love you, too.”

  Oh, screw it. He’s almost fully recovered. “Wait there,” I said, crossing over to the kitchen. I opened the drawer where Tate kept some paper and pens. Grinning, I scrawled a note. I returned to the living area and handed it over.

  He scanned it, then laughed.

  “I, Dr. Madison Brady, hereby declare Tate Flynn well enough for a single sexual act, the manner of which is to be of his choosing. This is a one-time offer not to be repeated until full medical discharge has been received. The recipient must promise not to overexert himself during the act.” He looked up, wearing a broad grin. “I accept.”

  I held out my hand. “Time for that kiss of life.”

  FROM ME TO YOU

  Thank you so much for reading Gridlock. I am having so much fun with this series. Motor racing is such a brilliant backdrop for a hot, steamy romance.

  I hope you enjoyed Tate and Madison’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. They will definitely make future appearances.

  Inside Track is up next. Ahh, Devon Gray. Such an enigma. So talented, so dedicated.

  So broken…

  I can’t wait to introduce you to Devon and Reilley. And you don’t have long to wait. Inside Track releases on November 15th, and is available for preorder here

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  INSIDE TRACK - PREORDER HERE

  Devon Gray…

  An enigma.

  Intense, brooding, mysterious.

  And the subject of my next biography.

  There’s just one small problem—he’s refusing to participate.

  I’ll wear him down eventually.

  Everyone has secrets, and I’m going to expose his.

  All I need is to find his achilles heel.

  When I do, he’ll be in my book.

  And my bed.

  Reilley Bennett…

  Writer. Force of nature. Pain in my ass.

  Four years ago I made a terrible mistake.

  One I’ve paid for ever since.

  My greatest fear? People finding out.

  Which is why I’ll never agree to her demands.

  Or so I thought—until a turn of events makes it

  impossible to say no.

  I’ll need to be on my guard.

  She’s used to being in control. So am I.

  There will only be one winner in this battle of wills.

  Me.

  Books by Tracie Delaney

  The Winning Ace Series

  Cash - A Winning Ace Short Story

>   Winning Ace

  Losing Game

  Grand Slam

  Winning Ace Boxset

  Mismatch

  Break Point - A Winning Ace Novella

  Stand-alone

  My Gift To You

  The Brook Brothers Series

  The Blame Game

  Against All Odds

  His To Protect

  Web of Lies

  Irresistibly Mine Series

  Tempting Christa

  Avenging Christa

  Full Velocity Series

  Friction

  Gridlock

  Inside Track

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