Free Fuel To The Fire (New Adult Contemporary Romance) by Brynn O'Connor

can reply. I grab my purse, a light jacket and run out the door.
Five minutes later I’m knocking on his door.
    “Come on
in Carrie.”
    I open
the door and step in. He looks okay. Sure he’s got a few scratches but to me he
looks amazing given the shape of his car. Then I see his helmet sitting there
in a chair. He sees me looking at it.
    “Yeah,
they gave me a little souvenir. First time I ever cracked up my helmet. Guess I
got my bell rung pretty hard didn’t I?”
    I’m
speechless as I walk over to his bedside. He’s got an IV in his right arm and
he’s hooked up to a heart monitor for good measure looks like.
    “Yeah,
they’re gonna be monitoring me for a couple days just to make sure it was just
my helmet that got cracked up and not my brain.”
    I sit on
the edge of his bed and take his hand in both of mine. His grip is strong.
Seeing my somber expression, he tries to reassure me.
    “Hey
Doc, it’s all good. This stuff, it’s just a precaution. They’re not really
worried about me. This is more of a CYA thing if you know what I mean.”
    “Cover
your ass...yeah I get it, but judging by the condition of your helmet, I think
the only one here whose not worried is you, and you should be concerned. If you
got a concussion, which I am sure you do, the track doctor is not going to give
you clearance to race until he’s satisfied that you’re 100% recovered.”
    “Yeah I
know the drill Doc, and I’m telling ya, I’m fine and Dr. Schumacher will agree
as well so don’t fret. So tell me, how’d Ariel do?”
    “So are
you going to tell me why you made your move when Harvey specifically told you
to back off and wait?” I ask, ignoring his question.
    “I saw
the opening and I took it. Not my fault somebody decided to run me over.”
    “Really...is
that what you think happened out there?”
    “It
ain’t what I think Carrie, it’s what happened.”
    “Oh man,
hitting the wall really did scramble something in there,” I say as I tap him on
his head.
    “Did you
come here just to argue with me, or see how I’m doing?”
    “Both,”
I reply with a straight face. “So, how are you Marco?”
    “Like I
said, I’m fine. I just—”
    Another
knock on the door interrupts our little reunion.
    “Come
in,” hollers Marco.
    The door
opens and in walks Alanzo, Team Panata’s crew chief and the team’s primary
sponsor, Enzo from Red Bull. This can’t be good.
    Alanzo
and Enzo pull up a chair near Marco’s bed. Alanzo addresses me first.
    “Uh,
Carrie, it’d be better if you just stepped out for a few minutes. We need to
discuss some important team business.”
    “Sure,”
I grab my purse and make for the door when Marco stops me.
    “She can
stay,” he says. “Anything you guys wanna say to me she can hear too. So spit it
out. You pulling out, Enzo?”
    “No...Said
I would stick it out for the season, and I will, provided you can drive. What’s
this I hear about a concussion and you getting benched?” Enzo asks.
    “What
the fuck? I ain’t getting benched. You get me a car and I’ll be cleared to
drive it.”
    “You
realize you have to win at Daytona if you want to keep your ride right?” Enzo
asks.
    “Of
course I know that! Why the hell you think I’m so stressed?”
    “Stressed?
Why would you be stressed, Marco? I thought you said you’re fine.”
    “That’s
not what I meant, Enzo. I’m just concerned that you won’t have a car ready for
me to drive.”
    “Well,”
says Alanzo, jumping into the argument. “Given your predilection for wrecking
my cars, it has been a challenge. We’ll have a car for you Sunday, but that
means you’re gonna have to borrow a ride for practice and qualifying.”
    “What
the hell? I have to qualify in a different car than the one I’m gonna be racing
in?” Both Alanzo and Enzo nod their heads. “Forget it then!” Marco objects.
    “No no
no,” I jump into the middle of the conversation. “You have to race, Marco! You
can’t let everybody down.