“Like fuck, you little shit! You knew exactly what you were doing. You made me crash.” He was trying to stay quiet, but I knew he could lose it at any time.
I laughed and crossed my arms over my chest. “Oh no, Hunter, you did that all on your own.”
“The marshals investigated me because of your stunts.”
“My stunts? The marshals investigated you because you were driving like a fucking lunatic. It was nothing less than you deserved.” In fact, he’d received much less than he should have in my opinion. The officials couldn’t do more than issue a warning, because he hadn’t caused any damage to any other vehicle. To top it off, there was no evidence that his erratic driving was malicious.
“Why didn’t you just stay the fuck off the track?”
I smirked. “I thought you wanted me there.”
He narrowed his eyes at me.
“What? Are you afraid of a little competition?”
“I’m going to fuck you up the first chance I get,” he threatened.
I looked around, dropped my wrench back into my toolbox, and held my arms out. Then I took a couple of steps to the right. I wanted to ensure his best angle was captured on the cameras. “We’re alone now.”
He laughed. “I’m going to fuck you up good and proper.” He didn’t move toward me though. He obviously realised I wasn’t going to bite, so he changed tack and began to talk about Alyssa. “Or maybe I should just fuck your wife instead?”
I tilted my head to one side and regarded him. He had a certain menace about him, there was no denying that, but I was done letting it get to me. There was nothing he could do to hurt me or my girls; I had too many people watching out for me now. How I had ever let him under my skin before was beyond me. He was all bluster and bullshit, and I found myself laughing at the ridiculousness of it.
My laughter seemed to be the catalyst for Hunter, who drew his arm back and swung at me. It connected with my cheek, just below my eye. It didn’t hurt, but the shock sent me staggering back half a step until I could right myself. People who’d been congregating nearby heard the scuffle and in an instant, the room flooded with people. Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, Hunter was being escorted from the premises by security and Danny had his evidence in the form of a video of Hunter’s attack on the company CCTV.
Danny was on hand almost immediately to ensure that I filed a police report about Hunter’s actions, no doubt to ensure there was a justifiable reason to break the contract. In turn, Hunter threatened to press charges against me for Bathurst, but nothing more came of it before he disappeared. I could only assume someone warned him that the situation would be worse for him than for me if the reason behind my fury came to light.
It would have been nice to say that Hunter got everything he deserved in the years since, but I honestly didn’t know if he did. As far as the media was concerned, there was a whirl of controversy over his sudden departure from the Sinclair Racing camp. Alyssa and I organised an AVO against him, ensuring he would keep his distance from us.
The last we’d heard of him, he was in the United States, racing trucks or some shit.
After Hunter’s departure, Danny had been in need of a new driver. Morgan’s doctors were still unwilling to sign off on his injuries, which meant he was unable to drive for a little while longer—at least until the new season. Finding himself driverless, Danny did the only logical thing he could. He recruited a driver who’d come back from hiatus to race, and place, at Bathurst.
Dane Kent accepted the offer impossibly fast; probably because the time away from the track, followed by such a successful run at Bathurst, had rekindled his love of racing.
Even though I’d spent the better part of the year desperate to be back in the main seat, I wasn’t upset that Dane had been offered Hunter’s place. In fact, I’d been the one who’d suggested the placement. I’d been more than happy to continue my apprenticeship and complete the Micro Challenge to see out my year.
The main reason I was okay with it was that I had my own ideas for what the new racing year would bring for me. My small taste at team ownership had changed my entire perspective. On top of that, the persistent rumours that Wood Racing was struggling because Paige had been unable to secure a decent driver, and therefore the almighty sponsorship dollar, hadn’t escaped my attention. After consulting with Alyssa, and getting her agreement, we came up with a plan.
When I’d approached Danny with my idea, around the same time I’d suggested Dane as a replacement for Hunter, he’d been more than supportive. Between the two of us, we were able to knock out a deal with Paige that would see the end of an era for her, but the start of a new one for me. Emmanuel Racing, a subsidiary of Sinclair, was to be raised from the ashes of Wood Racing. Based in Brisbane, my team would operate out of the former Wood premises.
I’d ridden the high of my Bathurst result and the contract on Wood Racing for a long time. The euphoria of my career highs took me right through to Christmas of that year. That was when Morgan and Eden had used the staff Christmas party to announce a little surprise. They had wanted to wait for Morgan to make a full recovery before getting married, but had used that time for their own form of physical therapy. All that therapy earned them something else. They were expecting. Alyssa and I had given each other a secret smile, hoping that we might have our own announcement before too long.
It was only later that week, when Christmas day rolled around, that I discovered Alyssa’s smile had held a few more secrets than my own, and every career achievement took a back seat to the knowledge that I was going to be a daddy again—and this time, I’d have the opportunity to do it right from the beginning.
I threw myself into researching pregnancy and childbirth. I didn’t care if she’d been there and done that; I hadn’t, and I wanted to make sure I was prepared now that it was real and happening. Phoebe was beyond excited when we told her we’d have a new little brother or sister for her, due near her birthday.
The new year brought our belated honeymoon to London, where I’d fussed over everything Alyssa ate, touched, and did. Whenever she couldn’t get a seat on the tube or a bus, I would growl and complain until people vacated theirs. There was nothing I wouldn’t do to make her pregnancy as comfortable and safe as possible. Truthfully, I probably pissed her off to no end. It was testament to her love for me that she didn’t snap at me for being over the top. Of course, that didn’t mean I escaped the hormones scot-free.
To facilitate the start of the new team, my little family had moved back to Brisbane soon after returning from our overseas trip. By March, we were settled in a new house in Ormeau, and Phoebe had started her prep year at school. Even though Alyssa never said it in so many words, I think she loved the fact that we were close to her family again. It was probably one of the main reasons she’d agreed to take the risk of team ownership.
As per our deal, Paige stayed on as team manager during the transitional year, but I was secure in the knowledge that I was ultimately her boss.
Initially, we’d run just the one car, but after three years of running a successful team, an opportunity had come up to purchase an additional CAMS licence from another dying company. We’d jumped at the chance to run two main cars, plus one in the production series. The business may have been a success, but neither Alyssa nor I were willing to overlook a new avenue for expansion. I was savvier with contracts than I had ever been before, and I had Alyssa to thank for that.
Even now, so many years later, Danny was still a silent partner. I’d offered to buy him out a couple of times, but he wasn’t silly. He liked the return on investment he received, without having to be hands-on running two teams. Ultimately though, he caused me no stress so I was content with the partnership. In fact, without the heavy mentoring he’d given during the first few years, Emmanuel Racing might never have been the success it was.
The only sad thing for me was that the current season was my final year racing. I needed to spend more time nurturing new
talent and ensuring we were competitive year after year, well into the future and long after my own retirement.
“Sweetie, it’s time,” Alyssa murmured from behind me, startling me away from my memories.
“Yeah?” I asked, placing my hand over her swollen belly. It wasn’t my first rodeo, but somehow the moment managed to make me nervous every time.
She nodded. “They’re very close together now. Just a couple of minutes.”
It would be easy to assume that having been through the whole baby thing before, it would get easier, but no. I was as unsure as I had been the other times, first with Brock five years ago, and then with Beth a little over a year after that.
My palms were sweaty as I grabbed Alyssa’s hospital bag and the car keys.
“Remember, you’re not racing now.” Alyssa grinned to let me know she was joking, right before biting her lip and folding in half as the pain of another contraction hit.
I placed my hand on the small of her back and massaged tiny circles until she stood again and shuffled forward a little more.
“Mum, Dad, we’re going now!” I called out, ensuring the babysitters knew they were up to the plate.
Curtis stepped out and helped me guide Alyssa into the car.
“You take care of my baby now,” he warned after she was safely in, pointing his index finger at me and giving me a stern look.
“I always do.”
He nodded and smiled. “I know.”
It had been a hard road, getting Curtis onside, but eventually we’d found common ground—Alyssa and his grandkids—and it was almost impossible to imagine how much I used to fear him or how much animosity had been between us.
“Stop daydreaming and let’s go,” Alyssa demanded, leaning across the car to shout through the driver-side window.
“Yes, boss.”
ALYSSA’S FACE was flushed and sweat made her hair cling to her. She was exhausted and showed the obvious signs of being awake for almost twenty-four hours straight. I didn’t care about any of that though, because in her arms she held yet another tiny miracle.
Each time I’d witnessed one of our perfect children come into the world, I longed to get right on to creating another. I couldn’t believe that I’d ever not wanted kids. I didn’t think I’d ever get sick of having more.
Alyssa, however, tended to disagree. In fact, I was certain she would declare that this time was her last, just like she had after each of the others.
As I plucked our son from Alyssa’s hold so she could go freshen up, I knew I had, at most, half an hour alone with them both before the horde showed up. It was times like those that I was glad we’d made the shift back to Brisbane. I thought about how lucky I was to be so close to family and friends.
I was contemplating how lucky I was and had become lost in the eyes of my third-born son when I heard Josh’s voice.
“Is he daydreaming again?” Josh’s laughter filled the air.
“He does it a lot.” Alyssa was smiling, the signs of fatigue washed away by the shower she’d had while I’d grown acquainted with little Parker.
“Is this the little one who’s caused you so much trouble?” Ruby asked, reaching out to take Parker from my arms.
Alyssa grimaced at the memory of what had been a terrible pregnancy; one that had included morning sickness, fainting, fatigue, and two stays in hospital. “That’s the one. The last one,” she added, shooting me a pointed glance.
“Maybe,” I said as I sat on Alyssa’s bed, pulling her in to my side as she cuddled up against me. Noah gave me a shy smile as he waved from behind Ruby’s legs. It was hard to believe that the boisterous and outspoken parents that were Ruby and Josh could have produced such a quiet little man.
“When are Mum and Dad getting here?” Alyssa asked.
“As soon as they can get Beth into her car seat, no doubt.” Ruby laughed.
“Yeah, they were struggling with that when they rang me earlier,” Josh said.
I laughed. Besides Phoebe, Beth was certainly the one most like me. At two, she was a major handful. Surprisingly though, Curtis and Ruth turned up minutes later with the rest of our family. Beth ran over to sit between Alyssa and me on the bed, and Phoebe held Brock’s hand. I gave her a smile that I reserved just for her. Although I loved all my kids the same, I’d always feel guilty about not being there for the first few years of her life, and tried everything I could to make it up to her.
Glancing around the room, I wondered vaguely when my own mother would come. As if on cue, she knocked on the door before entering the room.
“Flynn’s out in the waiting room,” she said as she came in.
“Tell him to sneak in. I’m sure the nurses won’t mind.” I’d already managed to get most of them onside about the growing number of visitors to our room, with a few smiles and an autograph or two.
Moments later, Mum came back in with Flynn and his boyfriend, Luke. Luke placed a vase of flowers on the side table, giving me a little wink as he did so.
Once, only seven years earlier, I’d thought I had everything figured out. I’d thought I was better off without Alyssa, without kids, without anything or anyone that currently filled the hospital room.
Looking around at all the faces, and feeling the warmth of love surrounding me, I couldn’t help but think what a fucking dickhead I’d been.
THE END
(BUT YOU CAN READ MORE DECLAN IN DECODE)
DECODE
DECLAN REEDE: THE UNTOLD STORY
(BONUS NOVELLA)
CONTENTS:
CHAPTER ONE: SANTA BABY
CHAPTER TWO: PLAYING FAVOURITES
CHAPTER THREE: ADJUSTMENT PERIOD
CHAPTER FOUR: HOME SWEET HOME
CHAPTER FIVE: SWING SWING
CHAPTER SIX: VEEBACK
CHAPTER SEVEN: RUSH RUSH
CHAPTER EIGHT: HURRY HOME
CHAPTER NINE: FAMILY FRIENDLY
CHAPTER ONE: SANTA BABY
THE LEAD-UP TO my second Christmas with my little family was filled with anticipation. So much had changed in the year and a bit we’d been together; some good, some bad, but very little that I would alter if given the opportunity. For Christmas, we were staying put in our house in Sydney, mostly because it was the last we’d have in the space, and Alyssa’s family was coming to visit us. Because they weren’t arriving until Boxing Day, we were free to spend Christmas Eve and the following morning however we wanted.
With Phoebe already safely tucked up in bed, there was little I had left to do but wait for eleven o’clock because I’d been given explicit instructions not to be in our bedroom until then. Apparently, Alyssa still needed to wrap my present. When I finished doing the Daddy/Santa thing, I checked the time again. I had another fifteen minutes to kill.
I turned off the Christmas tree lights, checked the locks, ate the cookies, and drank the milk left in the fridge for the man in red. At exactly eleven o’clock, I knocked on the bedroom door.
“Can I come in?” I asked quietly.
There was no answer from within so I pushed the door open. The room was darkened except for the slight flicker of candlelight as the quiet notes of a pop song played over the stereo speakers.
“Alyssa?” I called as I took in the scene. The bed was immaculately made with red and white sheets. A pair of red boxer shorts with white fur trim around the waist and legs hung over the foot of the bed, with a Santa hat resting on top of them. As I drew closer, I saw a note that read, Shower, shave, and put these on.
As I gathered up the shorts, I tried to work out what song was playing, but it was so low I couldn’t really hear it, only the rhythmic baseline.
I tried the door to the en suite, but it was locked. Small sounds—banging and shifting—echoed from within. I could have broken in to the room easily enough if I’d needed to, but Alyssa never locked the door when she showered, so I knew she wanted her privacy for some reason. I left the bedroom and showered in the main bathroom. I wanted to follow the instructions o
n the note, trusting Alyssa enough to know that if I did as requested, good things were bound to follow.
I dried quickly and then slipped on the boxer shorts. The white fur tickled the sensitive skin of my stomach and upper thighs. There was nothing I could do about the tent forming inside the shorts, but I figured Alyssa wouldn’t mind. In fact, I was sure she was counting on it.
Lastly, I slipped the Santa hat over my still damp auburn hair.
I headed back to the bedroom with a lump growing in my throat to match the one in my pants.
What does she have planned?
A new note was on the end of the bed. Lie down.
I did as she requested, moving onto the middle of the bed and resting back on my elbows so that I had a better view of the en suite door. The music had changed, but it was still too quiet to work out the song.
Alyssa came out of the bathroom, dressed in a long bathrobe. I strained to see her in the low light while I waited for my eyes to adjust. She didn’t even look over at the bed as she headed to the stereo, but she knew I was there. My breathing was so loud and rough with desire that the neighbours could probably have pinpointed my location in the house.
The music flared and a jazz-style rhythm poured out of the speakers. Alyssa pulled on a Santa hat and dropped her bathrobe. I had no trouble noticing what she’d previously hidden from my view.
She wore a set of panties that matched my boxers, except with the trim only around the waist, not around her legs. Covering her chest and waist was a sheer red baby-doll nightie with matching white trim. Her cleavage blossomed over the top of the closure. A slit down the centre of the garment gave me a peek at the tantalizing skin beneath. Sheer white stockings wrapped her legs and red high heels adorned her feet.
I swallowed loudly as I drank in the sight of her. What had been a tent before quickly morphed into a multi-story apartment building as my cock strained to get closer to her.
Declan Reede: The Untold Story (Complete Series) Page 136
