Page 25 of Burn
She goes to his bedside and kisses his cheek. Her father chuckles, but instead of his usual robust laugh, it’s a weary sound. It’s a sound that speaks of pain and the newfound knowledge that he’s mortal—something I’m not sure the gregarious Adrian ever considered before this week. I stand back with my bodyguards, and watch as Lily and Mrs. Onassis fawn over Adrian. Lily strokes her father’s brow and Mrs. Onassis brings him a cup of water.
“Papa, look who wanted to come see you. I hope that’s okay.” Lily rubs her father’s arm and glances at me.
Adrian’s eyes crinkle at the corners as he shifts in my direction. To the side of his bed, monitors beep softly.
“Hello, sir.” I smile at him and move toward Lily. She stands to allow me to move closer, and in the process, she squeezes my upper arm. I get a jolt of adrenaline from her touch and sit at the edge of the bed. Adrian’s eyes notice Lily’s touch. Nothing gets past him, and suddenly I’m a rookie driver again, sneaking around behind the powerful man’s back.
I clear my throat. “How are you feeling?”
Adrian smiles. “A little rough around the edges, but I’m going to be back in action soon. My wife’s here and she’s going to whip me into shape.”
He winks, which makes me laugh. Adrian is truly one of the men I admire most in Formula World, and working for him is everything I thought it would be. I’m going to miss his presence on the track.
“I heard about the race. Finally got an orderly to tell me the results. They wouldn’t even let me watch the damn recaps on television.” Adrian shakes his head.
“They weren’t supposed to tell you about the race,” Lily says, scowling.
“Maybe it’s best if you don’t focus on that right now,” I say. “We’ll work out the issue with the engine.”
“That’s what the doc over there says, that I need to let it go, but it’s difficult not to think about it while I’m lying here. What happened with the car?”
“You don’t need to worry about the cars now.” Lily’s voice soars across the room.
Her father slowly lifts a hand and moves it through the air in a dismissive motion. “Tell me what happened.”
I explain, making sure to keep any disappointment or anger out of my voice. “We’re going to discuss it in a call today with the engineers, sir.”
Adrian inhales deep, then coughs once. “You’re still doing well in championship points. I’m confident we can come out on top this season. But what the hell happened to Esteban?”
“Father.” Lily’s voice is sharper, a warning. She turns to the doctor, her hair flying everywhere. “He shouldn’t be stressing himself like this, should he?”
The doctor pulls her into the hall to say something in private. When she’s gone, Adrian tugs on my arm again, demanding my attention.
“Now, Max, I need to tell you something. Come a little closer.” Adrian coughs a bit but beckons me with a hand that’s attached to a tube.
I scoot a little nearer so he doesn’t have to strain.
Lily and the doctor are huddling together right outside the door. For a second I’m mesmerized at the sight, of her mere presence so close to me. I never thought I’d feel this again, it’s been so long. Even the harsh florescent light can’t hide the spark in her face. Her profile is refined and soft, like an antique cameo. Her lips, so pink and perfect, stick out in a slight pout, her nose scrunched, her eyebrows furrowed as she focuses on Dr. Patel.
The tabloids used to call her plain, unglamorous, even ugly. Nothing could be further from the truth. To me, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and now that her face is pinched with worry, I’m concerned about what all this stress will do to her.
She’s wearing the same dress as yesterday, and it skims her figure without being too sexy. Probably to others it’s a plain dress, but to me it’s tight enough to make me remember the curves of her body. This drives me wild, to be honest. But right now she doesn’t need my lust—she needs my friendship. If she doesn’t want that, the least I can do is provide a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on. She deserves to feel valued and loved. I know this even though I’m still haunted by how we ended.
Adrian jolts my attention away from his daughter when he reaches for my arm and clasps it, and that’s when I realize that he’s more physically weak than I expected. He did have major heart surgery yesterday. Still, it’s a shock because he’s usually so filled with exuberance.
Perhaps he’s not going to recover as quickly as we all anticipate, and this realization sends a pang of fear through me, in part because I want the man to live a long life, and I don’t want Lily to hurt in any way.
I also don’t want to be part of a team in chaos. This is a crucial year for me, racing-wise. I shove the thought back into the recesses of my brain as quickly as it comes, as selfish as it is.
“It was my decision to have Lily take over the team. Only for a couple of months until I recover. I need you to be professional, which means none of that nonsense, you hear me?”
“I understand, sir. She’s an excellent choice.” It’s not like I can express my real feelings, that having her as my superior is disastrous for both my concentration and my heart. That working for someone I’m attracted toandangry at could erode my focus.
“You need to step up and be even more of a leader.”
“In what way?”
“Some of the team might not want a woman at the top. You’re the star. You have to set an example. Make sure everyone treats her with respect and follows her orders. She went through hell at that game company. You know I loathe those racing video games.”