Take Me Series (COMPLETE BOX SET)

by Masters, Colleen

  “It might not be safe to tell you,” I say, lowering my voice.

  “Why the hell not?” she asks, “What do you mean, not safe?”

  “There’s just...a lot of sensitive information involved,” I say carefully.

  “What, are you afraid you can’t trust me?” she asks, he eyes shining with hurt.”

  “It’s not you I’m worried about,” I tell her.

  “I don’t understand, Siena.”

  “The situation I’m in might be...sort of linked to someone you’ve been spending a lot of time with,” I say, trying my best to be diplomatic.

  “What? Who have I...” comprehension dawns across her pretty face, “Are you talking about Charlie?”

  I nod wordlessly.

  “You’re angry that I’ve been seeing him. I should have known that. I mean, I know it weirds you out a little bit, but I didn’t think you’d actually mind—”

  “Bex, it’s not that. I don’t mind at all, you two hooking up. You’re both adults, aren’t you? Normally I’d be thrilled to see you two pair off.”

  “But then why aren’t you? Why have you been so closed off to us since I told you we were spending time together?”

  “Things have gotten complicated,” I tell her.

  “No shit,” she shoots back, “But how complicated?”

  I lock eyes with my best friend as my mind scrambles. I’m dying to tell her what’s been going on, to get the weight of my secret struggle off my heart. I just have to let her in.

  “Okay,” I start, clasping my hands on the table, “You have to promise not to lose your shit and start threatening to end some bitches.”

  “I will promise nothing of the sort,” Bex says without missing a beat.

  “Fine,” I say, taking a deep breath, “The situation between Harrison and I...There’s this sort of...We may be...”

  “What?”

  “...Compromised,” I say softly.

  “Oh God...” Bex breathes, covering my hands with hers, “Siena, did your brother find out? Your dad?”

  “Not yet,” I say, “But Bex, they could find out any second, the way things are going.”

  “Tell me everything,” she says.

  “Back at the Budapest Grand Prix,” I begin, “Just as the race was ending, I got a text from an unknown number. It was a picture message. A gallery message, rather. About fifty pictures of me and Harrison together. Kissing, holding hands, all of it. And just one line of text: ‘Stay away, or the world finds out’.”

  Bex’s jaw drops, her eyes wide with shock. “You’re being blackmailed?” she whispers.

  “So it would seem,” I say. “I got a second batch, too. Someone out there has dozens and dozens of pictures of me and Harrison, just waiting to go out to the press. Shit, if one of those photos leaked, I’d be sunk. But a hundred?”

  “I’m so sorry, Siena,” Bex says, squeezing my hands, “You must be terrified.”

  “Terrified, angry, violated, you name it,” I tell her, my eyes welling up, “I don’t understand why someone would want to hurt us this way. We’ve never done anything wrong. It’s not fair.”

  “I know, I know,” Bex says, “It’s bullshit. Not to mention illegal as hell. I mean, someone’s been stalking you, Siena. Using these pictures to control you.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that,” I say.

  “But wait,” Bex says, her brow furrowing, “What does this have to do with Charlie.”

  “Come on Bex,” I tell her, “Don’t make me say it out loud.”

  “You don’t think...?” she says, letting go of my hands, “Siena. You can’t possibly think that Charlie Spano could be behind something like this.”

  “Why not?” I challenge her, “If anyone would have reason to try and keep Harrison and I apart, it’s him.”

  “Siena, I’m sorry that this is happening to you, and you know that I love you more than my own family...But that is absolute bullshit.”

  “What?”

  “We all know how much Charlie cares about you,” she goes on, “But you’re forgetting about the one great love of his life. Team Ferrelli.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “Why on earth would be threaten to rat you out to the press, knowing what it would do to your family? To the whole team?”

  “I didn’t—”

  “He loves you, Siena. He always will. And I’m not talking puppy love, crush-level nonsense. You’re like family to him. He would never stoop this low. He would never do anything to hurt you. Can’t you see that? Charlie isn’t doing this. I just know it.”

  I feel myself blush and drop my eyes from Bex’s. God, I never even considered the fact that Charlie might not even be interested in me romantically anymore. How presumptuous to assume that he’d lose his mind over me being with someone else, enough so to put the team in jeopardy? How could I have accused him of this in my mind without even pausing to check myself. Sure, he’s been pissing me off this entire season with his over-protectiveness and needless badmouthing of Harrison, but he’s still Charlie. My Charlie. The boy I spent every summer of my childhood playing with. The guy who was my constant shoulder to cry on during our teenage and college years...The man who may very well be falling for my best friend in the world right at this moment. I’ve been so horrible to him, all these weeks.

  “I feel like such an idiot,” I say, letting my face fall into my hands.

  “You’re panicked, it’s understandable,” Bex says, “But you’ve got to start looking at Charlie for who he actually is, not who you’ve built him up to be in your head.”

  “I know. I will,” I say, “Are you two...How is it going?”

  “Really well, actually,” she says, “I’ve never been with someone who could make a world class driver like Rostov seem like second best, that’s for sure. We just understand each other, I guess. I don’t know how to explain it.”

  “You don’t have to,” I tell her with a smile, “That’s so wonderful, Bex.”

  “It is...” she says, unable to hide a smile of her own, “I never in my life would have guessed that he’d be my type, but...here we are.”

  “I’ll apologize to him," I tell her, “I promise.”

  “That would be good, I think.”

  “I’m so sorry, Bex,” I say, “I’ve been such a terrible friend.”

  “You couldn’t be that if you tried,” she assures me, “What you’re going through...it’s gigantic. I’d go a little nuts too.”

  “I just...I don’t have any idea what to do,” I tell her.

  “Harrison knows about it, I’m guessing?”

  “We found a minute to debrief.”

  “Not the fun kind of de-briefing, I take it?”

  “Ha, ha.”

  “Seriously though,” she says, “What have you guys decided to do?”

  “Nothing, for now. We’re going to meet again in a week, after we’ve had some time to think. Until then I just have to stay away, I guess.”

  “So that’s why you’ve barricaded yourself up,” Bex says.

  “Pretty much.”

  “Does Harrison have any idea who might be out to get you?” she asks, looking around the tiny cafe. “Can you think of anyone else?”

  “I sure can,” I tell her, “You remember the blonde woman from Team McClain, Shelby?”

  “The one who spent the other night attached to Enzo’s arm?” she asks.

  “The very same. She’s been an ice queen to me since the minute we met in Barcelona. She also happens to be one of McClain’s social media managers. Every time I’ve seen her since these pictures arrived, she’s looked like the cat who swallowed the canary.”

  “Why would she do something like this?” Bex asks.

  “She’s probably carrying a torch for Harrison or something,” I shrug.

  “If that was so, why would she be willing to destroy his career?”

  I’m at a loss. “Well...Maybe...”

  “Could it be that you’re threatened by this Shelby
person, where Harrison is concerned? Perhaps you’re projecting a little bit...?”

  “No,” I say quickly, “If you could see the looks she gives me—”

  “I don’t think you can base a whole lot on looks, Siena.”

  Damn. She’s totally right, of course. Charlie and Shelby both care too much about me and Harrison respectively to be such easy suspects. A new fear begins to churn in the very core of me. As awful as this whole thing is, there’s something still comforting about the devil you know. Could a total stranger really be orchestrating this whole thing? I can’t totally get behind Bex’s dismissal of my two possible guilty parties, but she's right—I need to start thinking bigger. Who knows how far this really goes.

  “Siena,” my best friend says, leaning her elbows on the table, “Have you...have you thought about taking matters into your own hands, here?”

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  “I mean...telling your family that you’re seeing Harrison,” she says, “Before some gossipy expose does it for you.”

  I let out a loud bark of laughter, causing the few other cafe patrons to turn around and scowl in my direction.

  “You can’t be serious, Bex,” I say, lowering my voice again, “Tell my dad and Enzo? What, so they can skin me alive?”

  “Sure,” Bex shoots back, “Why not?”

  “Because they’d be furious!” I exclaim, “They’d disown me.”

  “They wouldn’t,” Bex insists, “And they’ll be a lot more angry if they find out about this from someone else, rather than from you.”

  “You can’t honestly be suggesting that I sit the two of them down and come clean,” I say.

  “That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.”

  “That...is absolutely insane, Bex.”

  “Why?”

  “Because...You don’t understand. What I’ve been doing is high treason. I’ve been going behind my family’s back to see a man they don’t approve of. A man who my brother’s coming to despise more and more by the day. And not only that, but I’ve put the team in a terrible position. It’s the conflict of interest to end all conflicts of interest.”

  “Siena,” Bex says, “What do you think your other options are, here?”

  “I...I honestly have no idea. I’ve only been thinking as far as the next hour, the next day."

  “Well, what exactly is your end game?” she asks, “Are you planning to call it off with Harrison and go your separate ways?”

  The very thought makes me sick to my stomach. I shake my head no.

  “Then are you willing to let this blackmailer expose you once you give up and see each other again, alone?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Then there’s really only one thing you can do,” Bex says, “If you really care about Harrison, and I know you do, you have to be honest with your family. What else is there? You can’t just stop seeing him. I know you can’t. You can’t carry on in secret forever—”

  “Why not?”

  “Oh, please,” Bex says, “You’re the worst liar that’s ever lived. Even if this blackmail thing hadn’t come down around your ears, you absolutely would have given yourself away. You’re too sweet to lie well.”

  “I’m in PR, Bex.”

  “But even there, you don’t lie. You bend the truth a little. So, bend the truth a little with your family. I’m not saying you need to go and tell them every juicy detail about your and Harrison’s sexcapades. All they need to know is that you’ve become involved. Say that you met in Barcelona and have been...chatting, ever since. Say that you really like him, but wanted to tell them before pursing anything so that they weren’t blindsided. Sure, it’s not the whole truth, but it’s a lot closer than what they’ve got at the moment.”

  “They’re still going to flip out,” I tell her.

  “Maybe,” she says, “But you can’t help that. Their grudge against Harrison is their own damn fault. You know full well how these F1 guys get. It’s not your fault they decided to make Harrison public enemy number one just because he’s an amazing racer. Once you’ve told them the truth, they can’t stop you from making your own decisions. You’re a grown woman, Siena. This is not out of your control, even if it may feel that way.”

  “You’re right,” I tell her, “It is in my control.”

  “Are you going to do it, then?” she asks.

  “I’ll...think about it,” I say.

  “You should do more than think about it, Siena,” Bex cautions, “I’m telling you, this is your only option. And you’re running out of time. Sooner or later, this unknown asshole is going to pull the trigger and blow your cover wide open.”

  “Thanks for the reassurance,” I drawl.

  “You don’t need reassurance right now,” Bex tells me, “You need a kick in the ass. Talk to your dad and brother. Please.”

  “Okay,” I say quickly, wanting to get off this particular subject as soon as possible, “Okay, I’ll tell them. When the time is right.”

  “I can’t believe you’ve been going through this alone,” Bex says, “This past week must have been hell for you.”

  “It was that,” I laugh sullenly, “It is that.”

  Bex comes around to my side of the table and wraps me up in her arms. I soften against her tiny body, giving her a tight squeeze. God, it feels good to talk about this. Especially to someone who isn’t afraid to give me a little tough love when I need it. Bex has always been in my corner, whatever it means in the moment.

  “Come on,” she says, “Let’s get out of here and bring you back into the world of the living, shall we?”

  “I really can’t go back out tonight, Bex,” I say, letting her pull me to standing all the same. “Running into Harrison at that club could have been catastrophic.”

  “We’ll just hang out at the hotel then,” she says, “Let me buy you a drink. Pretty please?”

  “Only because you asked so nicely,” I smile.

  We leave the cafe together, hand in hand. It’s only been a week or so since the bottom fell out of my world, but it feels like forever that I’ve been guarding this secret from everyone but Harrison. Already, I feel ten pounds lighter. And Bex’s idea to let my dad and Enzo in on my relationship with Harrison...it’s terrifying, but intriguing. Could that be the way out of this mess after all?

  Bex makes a beeline for the bar the second we arrive back at the swanky hotel. It’s still early in the evening, so the dining room isn’t terribly crowded. We sit together at the mostly-deserted bar, and Bex orders us a couple of vodka cranberries. I happily accept my drink and clink my glass against my best friend’s.

  “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Bex,” I tell her.

  “That makes two of us,” she winks.

  I scan the elegant dining room, checking to make sure that there are no unsavory characters lurking around. That night at Zhelaniye was such a shit show that I’m nervous to see any of my racing contemporaries at all. I’m just about to turn back to Bex, my sweep completed, when my eyes alight on Enzo’s face, far across the room. He’s sitting facing us at a corner table, a wide grin splayed across his lips. And he isn’t alone, either. Opposite him sits a woman—I can’t see her face from where I’m sitting. But as she shakes out her blonde mane and lets a trill of laughter escape her throat, I know at once who Enzo is dining with. It’s Shelby.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I breathe.

  “What?” Bex asks, whipping around to follow my gaze. “Oh dear...”

  I’m on my feet before I have a moment to think, ready to storm over there and give them both hell.

  “What are you doing?” Bex hisses.

  “Just saying a friendly hello,” I reply, through gritted teeth.

  “Siena, I don’t think that’s a good idea—”

  But I’ve already plunked my drink down on the bar. I march across the space, Bex right on my heels. As we bear down on Enzo’s table, his eyes flick up toward us. His smile stays entirely intact, a fact th
at only serves to annoy me more.

  “Hey, girls!” Enzo says happily, “Care to join us?”

  Shelby glances over her shoulder and catches sight of us. A slow grin lifts the corners of her lips as she takes in my furious expression.

  “Siena,” she says, her voice bright and cheerful, “I’m so happy to see you! You ran out of the club so quickly that we didn’t get a chance to catch up.”

  “I know, it was really a low point of my life not getting to chat with you,” I say, “Can I please have a minute alone with my brother?”

  “Siena, we were just about to order,” Enzo tells me.

  “This is important,” I say, planting my feet, “If you’d be so kind, Shelby?”

  “Well...” the blonde drawls, shooting Enzo a quizzical look.

  “I’ve been meaning to quiz you about your hair care regimen,” Bex says to Shelby, “Come have a drink with me?”

  “Fine,” the British bombshell sighs, rising up to join Bex, “I’ll be back in a minute, Enzo.”

  I wait until Shelby and Bex are out of hearing range before I sink heavily into the now empty chair opposite Enzo.

  “What the hell gives?” I demand.

  “I could ask the same of you,” he says, “I was in the middle of a date!”

  “No. False,” I say, “You are not on a date with that woman.”

  “Actually...”

  “She’s from McClain,” I tell him, “You know, the team you’ve had it out for this entire season?”

  “I don’t have it out for McClain,” Enzo says, crossing his arms, “It’s just Davies who’s on my shit list.”

  “Are you serious?” I ask, staring at my brother, “You’re seriously going to sit there and tell me that you have no qualms about taking someone from McClain out on a goddamn dinner date.”

  “No qualms at all,” Enzo smiles.

  “Despite the fact that Shelby happens to be a maniacal bitch who hates me?” I continue.

  “What the...You two don’t even know each other!”

  “We know each other well enough for my taste,” I mutter, “Enzo, you don’t understand. That woman is awful.”

  “How is she awful, Siena?”

  I bite my lip, stalling. I can’t exactly tell Enzo why it is that I can’t stand Shelby. I can’t tell him that she might be onto me and Harrison, might even be the person plotting my professional ruin. But if she really is the anonymous picture texter, what is she doing with my brother? Is she hunting for even more dirt on me, through him?