Chapter 39 Adeline
Adeline's POV
I'm buzzing with nerves and adrenaline. This is not my first competition, of course, but this is different. This is my first competition that's not illegal, and the money is to die for. There's also the pressure to make sure everything goes smoothly because I know Percy is not above actually barging into the racetrack to scoop me away if he actually thinks something is wrong.
The helmet slides on easily over my hair, blocking the rest of the world out. The noise from the paddock faded, and so did the noise from the shouting mechanics, the clanging tools, and the bass from the speakers. All I can hear is my own breathing and the idling of the Ducati beneath me.
I grip the handlebars so hard that my gloves creak. My left leg, the one with the titanium rod, throbs dully against the peg. It’s not pain, exactly; it's merely a reminder that it's there, that I survived it.
Mason is in jail, I tell myself. The track is clear. It’s just me and the track.
"Ghost," Percy’s voice comes through the comms system in my helmet. He installed it this morning, insisting he needed to be in my ear. "Radio check."
"Loud and clear, Boss," I tease.
He is in a serious mood, though. "Remember the agreement," he says, his voice tight. "If the leg hurts, you pit. If you feel dizzy, you spit. If you get scared, you pit. If you even just feel like pitting, you pit, okay?"
"I’m not going to get scared."
"Adeline..."
"I love you, Percy. Clear the channel." I flip my visor down as the flag drops. I launch immediately as the gun shoots. The world blurs into streaks of green and gray. The G-force slams into my chest, and it's familiar and intoxicating.
For the first ten seconds, it’s perfect. I am weightless, and I am fast. I am the Ghost, but then I hit the first hairpin turn where I lean the bike, my knee hovering inches above the ground.
Suddenly, a flash of black in my peripheral vision morphs in my mind. For a split second, it’s not a tire barrier; it’s a black sedan. It’s a bumper hitting my rear wheel, and I'm back to the night of my accident.
I panic, and my breath hitches. My hand twitches on the throttle, threatening to wobble the bike.
"He’s going to hit me. He’s going to kill me." The thought spins around in my head. I didn't know I was saying it out loud until Percy's voice came through my helmet.
"Steady." His voice, through the static, is calm and anchoring, just what I needed. "You’re safe, Adeline. Look through the turn. Eyes up."
His voice snaps me back.
Eyes up. I force my gaze to the exit of the turn, and the hallucination vanishes until it’s just me and the track. I grit my teeth and twist the throttle.
"Not today, Satan."
"Good girl."
I tear out of the turn, the engine screaming. I push harder and channel every ounce of fear into speed. I fly down the straightaway. When I cross the finish line, the flag waves down.
My heart is hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs as I slow down in the pit lane, not believing that I pulled that off.
I pull into our designated garage spot. Percy is there before the kickstand is even down. He grabs the handlebars and stabilizes the bike so I can slide off.
I rip my helmet off. "I did it." I breathe, sweat matting my hair to my forehead.
Percy scans my face, looking for cracks. "You wobbled in Turn 3."
"I recovered," I counter, breathless. "What was my time?"
Before Percy can answer, the garage door opens and Sienna walks in, holding a tablet. Her dark eyes are shining with an intensity that makes me pause. She walks straight past Percy without a glance, invading my personal space until I can smell her perfume. It's something expensive and heavy. Ordinarily, most women can't take their eyes off Percy, but to Sienna, he might as well be thin air.
"One minute, twelve seconds," Sienna purrs. She holds up the tablet. "Top of the leaderboard by three full seconds."
My jaw drops. "I'm first?"
"You’re a revelation," Sienna says. She reaches out, her fingers trailing over the shoulder of my leather suit, lingering on the dusty scuff mark. "I watched you in the turn. You hesitated, didn't you?"
I stiffen, ready to give her an excuse. "I..."
"But then you got angry," Sienna whispers, stepping closer. "I saw it. You turned the fear into fuel. It was brilliant."
"Okay, back up," Percy says sharply. He steps between us, his shoulder brushing Sienna back as he hands me a water bottle, effectively blocking her view of me. "She needs to hydrate. She just got off the track."
Sienna looks at Percy with open annoyance, like he’s a pest she wants to swat away.
"Mr. Akilov," she sighs. "Always hovering. You do realize she’s a grown woman? You don't need to guard her."
"I’m her partner," Percy says coldly. "Not her guard, but I’ll be that too if I have to."
I look between the two of them in confusion.
"Partner." Sienna repeats the word, tasting sour in her mouth. She turns her gaze back to me, smiling brilliantly. "Adeline, the VIP lounge is opening the champagne. The organizers want to toast the day's fastest rider. You must come."
I look at Percy. He’s shaking his head slightly.
"We’re tired," Percy says. "She needs to rest her leg."
"Oh, don't be a bore," Sienna laughs. She reaches around Percy and grabs my hand, her grip surprisingly strong. "Come on, Ghost. Just one drink. You earned it. Unless... you need his permission?"
What she's trying to imply is clear. Percy is protective, but I also know he's worried about me. I also know that I just crushed the time trial, and for the first time in months, I feel like a winner. I don't want to go back to the hotel and ice my leg. I want to celebrate.
"One drink," I say to Percy, squeezing his hand. "Please? I’m buzzing. I can't sleep yet anyway."
Percy looks at me, his jaw ticking. He hates that I'm not taking care of myself, but I know he's not controlling, just worried.
"Fine," he says tightly. "One drink."
Sienna beams and links her arm through mine as she pulls me toward the door.
"Perfect," she coos. "I have a private booth. The view is to die for."
As she pulls me away, I glance back at Percy.
He's watching Sienna with a look I’ve only seen him use on Mason. It's cold and brutal.
I tell myself he’s just being overprotective because Sienna is intense and a little eccentric, but there's nothing more to it. Rich people are always a bit weird, but as we walk toward the VIP section, Sienna leans in close, her lips brushing my ear.
"He doesn't get it," she whispers. "He looks at you and sees something to protect. I look at you and see something to unleash."
She squeezes my arm. "We’re going to have so much fun, Adeline. Just you and me."
I shiver.