I shrugged, not sure what other choice I had. I was just thankful the screaming had finally stopped. Still, I couldn’t help but feel for the kid. I’d never heard or seen such a display of anguish, and my heart broke for him.
Squatting down in front of Eli, I held up my hands. I wasn’t sure why I raised them. I just didn’t want to do anything to upset him further, and it seemed like the right thing to do—as if by letting him see my hands, he would find it reassuring and remain calm.
“Eli, are you cool with that?” I asked softly. “I’ll let Marcus finish up your turn. Then you can come back to help when you’re ready.”
Eli nodded ever so slowly, the action somehow making him look hopelessly frail, before turning to walk away with Rylee and Colton. Getting to my feet, I rubbed a hand over my face, grateful the crisis seemed to be over.
“Rylee shouldn’t have brought him here,” Milo barked after they were out of earshot. “He’s got issues. That kid is all sorts of fucked up.”
My head snapped back, shocked by the harshness in Milo’s tone.
“Geez, Milo! Go easy on the little guy! If you hadn’t touched him, none of this would have even happened,” I pointed out.
Milo snorted.
“You think this is my fault? Maybe if you weren’t too preoccupied with a piece of tail, the kid wouldn’t have picked up the wrench in the first place.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m not blind, Atwood. I saw the way you looked at her,” he said, motioning toward Kallie with a lift of his chin. “I hired her to help you, not to fuck you. I have half a mind to call her agency and have her replaced—unless screwing clients is part of her PR strategy.”
“Hey! Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?” I stepped up to him, ready to lay him flat, but Kallie moved between us.
“Gentleman, you have an audience,” she reminded.
I glanced to my left and saw Marcus staring with apt curiosity.
Shit.
I took a deep breath and shook my head. Stepping away from Milo, I turned toward Marcus.
“Ignore the grownups. We can be dumb sometimes,” I told him, annoyed that I’d lost my head so easily. “Come on over here, Marcus. We can’t afford to lose focus when there’s work to be done. And last I checked, we have tires that need changing.”
I glanced at Kallie, and she gave me an approving smile. Milo, on the other hand, didn’t say a word but simply walked away in a sulk.
Fuck him.
Milo was the best agent around, having mastered the art of obtaining endorsements and sponsorships for drivers all over the country. He was the most sought-after agent in the racing circuit—but he was also known to be a complete asshole. At the height of my career, I ignored the ugly rumors because I’d needed him, but there was no need for me to do that now. I wasn’t entirely sure why I kept him around anymore. I should just fire him and be done.
But firing him would mean admitting your racing career is officially over.
Ignoring that thought, I sat down on the ground with Marcus and got to work.
10
Sloan
“I’m glad things ended better than they started,” Kallie said as we walked along the long corridor circling Auto Club Speedway. “I was happy Eli calmed down enough to come back. The two of you working together was pure gold. The press ate it right up.”
I shrugged.
“It wasn’t hard. I mean, I’ll admit I was nervous because so many eyes were on me. I just kept reminding myself that Eli is a good kid who was dealt a shitty hand. Focusing on that helped.”
“Well, it worked. I’ve got to say, though, I didn’t breathe for a full solid minute after you accidentally touched his hand when trying to maneuver the compressor.”
I laughed, appreciating her sentiment.
“You and me both. Thankfully, he was so concentrated on the task he didn’t seem to notice.”
