33. Wilder
Prescott Reed Lamont IV is a fucking liar.
There is something wrong with him, I know it, he knows it, and still he tries to convince me that everything is fine.
Which is bullshit, I know it so deep in my bones that it took everything I had to walk out of his room earlier and leave him with his best friend.
A best friend that just so happened to surprise him with no advance warning.
Is that a coincidence or convenient?
I know it’s not the surprise appearance of her that has him spilling with tension.
From the way he talks about Eloise, I can tell he loves her, but maybe it’s whatever news she brought with her.
Did his father do something to her? To his brother?
Is he planning on hurting Reed again? I texted Cade the second I left his room and asked him to press on his contacts, because they aren’t getting the fucking information I need quick enough.
It doesn’t matter what it is, I’ll take care of it any way I can, but still, Reed lied to me, and that stings more than it should.
I’m sure he thought I wouldn’t notice, I mean who would?
Someone like him doesn’t have any kind of tells, he trained himself out of them.
He is his father’s son after all. It’s in his blood, just like protection is in mine, but still the lie was too polished, and I wanted to stay and push it, but Eloise was standing right there, so I had to let it go.
Which is how I find myself here, standing outside the private dining room my father booked, three hours later, waiting for the happy couple to appear.
Casper was the first to arrive with my uncle Cam, both of them complaining about the suits they were wearing.
Then came Knox and Beck, arguing over something I paid no attention to.
Matt made his way in with my dad and Sid, quickly followed by Laura and Jess, all of them dressed up for the occasion, but still I didn't move.
When Caden and Bobby finally arrive, I feel my cousin's eyes trailing over me, making him pause on the threshold. “You good?”
No, I am not fucking good.
“I’m fine,” I grind out, searching the area, looking for the only person I actually want to see, as I feel Caden’s stare burning into me.
“Where’s your boy?” he asks, darkness lacing his tone, and it’s only then I meet his stare.
“On his way if he knows what’s good for him,” I grit back, knowing I won’t be able to relax until I set eyes on Reed.
I just need to make sure he is okay.
Caden continues to assess me. “I sent word to both Duchess and Blackwell, we’ll have more soon, I promise,” he starts, but I cut him off.
“I need something now, Cade, something is happening and I need to know what!” I don’t mean to sound so pissed at him, I know it’s not his fault, but can’t he see how fucking desperate I am.
He doesn’t even flinch, not one flicker of emotion crossing his blank mask, and a part of me wishes I had the same kind of restraint.
“I’m on it, Wild, trust me,” Caden says calmly, and the crazy thing is, despite what he’s done, I do trust him, but before I can open my mouth to respond, Reed appears behind him.
“Is everything okay?” My attention snaps toward him instantly, like it always does, and to my surprise, Caden is the one to step aside and respond before I can get a word out.
“It is now you’re here,” he grumbles, nodding his head to him and Eloise, before disappearing into the room with one last lingering look my way.
Ignoring him I focus solely on Reed, checking over every inch of him to make sure he is unharmed, and searching for signs of whatever is wrong with him, but coming up empty.
He looks good, too good, just like he always does, and my tongue thickens at the sight of him.
Hair perfectly styled, dark suit that compliments his eyes, crisp shirt, and that perfectly pretty smile that I wish I could kiss right off his mouth.
Eloise looks beautiful on his arm, her dress complimenting him completely, and I know she is exactly the kind of woman his father is happy to see on his arm.
It doesn’t stop me from wanting to kill her for touching him though, and the funny thing is, she looks as if she knows it.
I can feel her surveying me the same way I am him, but I don’t take my eyes off Reed.
“You trying to make me look bad, Blue?” I ask, checking him out again, letting myself enjoy it this time, despite the fact he looks every bit his father’s son right now.
“Is that even possible?” he snaps back, fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt, and I smirk, finally forcing myself to look at Eloise.
“Hi, I’m Wilder Miles, it’s nice to meet you.” I hold my hand out for her to shake, surprised to find she is already smirking at me.
“Oh, I know all about you Miles, you’re Reed’s hot little racer,” she confirms, and I raise my brows at that, looking back to the man in question to find him glaring at her.
“You did not just say that,” he grits quietly, but she isn’t deterred, appraising me thoroughly.
“You know you’re much hotter in person, Reed really didn’t do you justice with his photos,” she states matter of factly, and I look between the two of them in confusion.
“I’m going to kill you,” Reed huffs, but she doesn’t look concerned. In fact, she looks over the moon at seeing us side by side.
“Been talking about me, Blue?” I ask, and my favorite tint starts to spill up his neck.
“Something about insufferable and grumpy rookies may have come up,” he shrugs, forcing his tone to remain casual, but the way my blood heats at the fact he talks about me to her, is anything but.
“We should head inside,” I tell them, because I know he wouldn’t like it if I slammed him against the wall and creased his perfect suit.
When we enter everyone is already seated, with a notable set of three empty chairs beside Caden, and when he meets my stare, I know he has purposely orchestrated it that way for me.
So before Reed can sit down, I make a decision, a perfectly reasonable decision, that has me guiding Eloise to the chair beside Matt, before pulling out the one next to it, so Reed and I can be seated together.
“Sit there,” I tell him quietly, making Reed pause and narrow his eyes at me.
“What? Are you assigning the seats now?” he questions sarcastically, while still moving to take the chair so he doesn’t cause a scene.
Not that anyone is paying us much attention, with all the chatter that is going on, as I take my seat between him and Caden. It allows me to lean in close and whisper, “Yes, would you like me to make my lap available again?”
Reed snaps his head in my direction, his eyes widening at my words, as I lean back casually and survey him, as Cade cuts in from beside me, “You two are about as subtle as a knife.”
Before I can respond, my uncle Camden pulls my attention. “You’re having a hell of a season, kid,” he praises me, pulling my focus from Reed, and I turn to smile at him.
Being my dad’s twin means I have always been close with my uncle Cam, but that only intensified when I started at The Academy.
He’s both the principal and one of the leading driving coaches there, so some days I saw him more than I saw my dad.
I’m grateful for him and all the knowledge he gave me, as I wouldn’t be here without it.
“What can I say, I was taught by the best,” I joke, making both him and my dad roll their eyes.
“Still a problem child I see,” Cam groans, shaking his head as he sips his drink. “Do I have to worry about you corrupting my son when he comes to PRI next year?”
I look at Casper and remember the little show he was putting on at the lodge last night. “I think it’s a little late for that.” Then I flick my gaze to Cade too. “I think it’s a little late for both of them actually.”
Cade flips me his middle finger, while his dad smiles at him fondly. “Oh I can’t talk about my firstborn or his activities without my lawyer present,” he teases, making Cade shake his head with a smirk.
We’re a close-knit family, we always have been, and I thought we might have lost that after Jason, but it’s only now that I realize he never made himself a part of this group like I did.
He was always anti-racing, which was fine, but he never made the effort to hang out with us unless there was something in it for him.
Now here the majority of my family sits, ready to support me in the biggest moment of my career and I know without a doubt that even if Jason were still alive, there is no way he would be here.
We all spend the next hour eating, drinking, and catching up.
I get unsolicited advice from Knox, Beck, and Cas, while Caden excuses himself to take five phone calls.
My dad and Uncle Cam are all business, while Matteo wastes his time flirting with Eloise on the other side of Reed.
All in all it’s a great dinner with good conversation, but I can’t ignore the stoic wall sitting beside me.
Reed has barely said two words all evening, aside from responding to any questions he was asked, quickly and concisely.
Now his leg is bouncing up and down rapidly beneath the table, like he is fighting with himself to stay in place.
My hand slips from my lap to his without me even looking in his direction, and he freezes as soon as my fingers make contact with his thigh.
Still, I don’t move, I keep a gentle weight on his leg and continue my conversation with Laura, as she runs through my schedule for tomorrow.
“After the photoshoot, we can fit in a workout, and then get you prepped for the afternoon race,” she says, not looking up from her phone, and I nod mindlessly, my focus only on the man beside me.
“Reed will be by your side the whole day, because we want to get as much behind the scenes footage as possible, the fans will be dying for it.”
Now that has my attention. “So he has to stay with me all day, huh?” I ask in confirmation, and Laura looks up from her phone to glare at me.
“Don’t sass me and let him do his damn job.”
I nod with a smile. “Yes ma'am."
I let her finish going through everything else, listening attentively, my hand still on his thigh, until my uncle Cam stands up to excuse himself.
“Come on boys, time for a drink with your old man,” he says, directing his words to the twins, as he moves to Caden and affectionately squeezes his shoulders.
“Just us, or can I bring the guys?” Casper instantly asks, and his dad is already shaking his head in exasperation.
“Yes, son, you can bring your emotional support animals with you,” he grumbles, nodding his head at my dad. “Come on, brother, you too.”
I pretend to be outraged. “Wow, am I invisible now?”
Cam looks at me and points his finger. “You have to get an early night, you’ve got a World Championship to win this week,” he tells me firmly.
“Hmm, no pressure then,” I reply, as Bobby and Matteo both move to follow after my uncle Cam too.
My dad takes care of the bill before following suit, and to my surprise, Jess and Laura both follow too. Damn, I guess I’m the only one not invited. A fact that is only reinforced when my dad turns to Reed and says, “Lamont, you coming?”
Reed looks as surprised as I do, before he clears his throat and smiles. “Thank you for the invite, sir, but I’ve got some prep work to do for tomorrow.”
My father looks beyond pleased at that. “Yeah, you make sure you make my boy look good,” he says, before filtering out of the room.
“I’ll try my best,” Reed huffs, before abruptly standing and severing our connection. “We should be going too,” he rushes out, Eloise rising at his side, but before he can move, I throw out my arm and stop him from moving.
“Didn’t you hear Laur, she said not to leave my side,” I tease, and I spot Eloise hiding a smile, as Reed looks exasperated.
I can still tell there is something wrong with him, but unless he is willing to tell me, I’ll have to try and work it out myself.
Still, it doesn’t mean I can’t flirt with him.
With that in mind, I stand, purposely brushing my body against his.
“Maybe you should stay in my room tonight and keep me company,” I add with a wink.
“Wilder,” he sighs, no doubt sick of my shit, but it’s the lack of smile that kills me.
“Come on, Reed, tell me what’s wrong,” I plead, more serious this time, but his expression doesn’t change, which tells me everything I need to know.
“I already told you, I’m fine,” he lies, and it pisses me the fuck off, but still I follow him as he pushes past me to leave the room.
I trail after him and Eloise all the way to the elevators, pissed that they are staying on a different floor than me, but when I asked Laura about moving rooms, she said the hotel was full.
“Oh, you’re definitely fine, Blue, but you’re also full of shit.
” At that Eloise shifts slightly, as Reed jams his thumb into the button.
“Wilder, I’m good, I promise, it’s just been a weird few days and it’s going to be a busy week.” Lies, lies, and more lies, but none of his words give me anything, so all I can do is nod as the elevator arrives.
When we step inside I feel instantly suffocated, only wanting to pull him into me and plead with him to tell me the truth, but he remains at her side instead. “Your family is really great,” Eloise muses, desperately filling the awkward silence, and I force myself to smile.
“Thanks, I’m really lucky to have them,” I state firmly, and a flicker of sadness crosses her stare.
“Yeah, you are.”
The doors open on their floor and they step out, and I force myself not to go after him, but to my surprise Reed pauses, halting the doors just as they are about to close. “Thank you,” he says softly, and I cock my head to the side.
“For what?”
“For having my back.” It’s not what I expected him to say, but still I tip my head once in acknowledgement. “Now go to bed, you’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
I smirk. “Want to follow me for my morning workout and shower?” I ask teasingly, not opposed to him doing just that, but he shakes his head.
“If you raced as good as you run your mouth, you’d come first every time,” he claps back.
“And here I thought you liked my mouth, Blue.” My words have his stare darkening, as if remembering that night in the hotel between us, and fuck, what I would give to taste him again. Instead I clear my throat and add, “What do I get if I win this week?”
An impossible feat really, but it’s fun to play this game with him.
“Beat everyone else and find out,” he shrugs, then moves his arm, letting the door close between us without another word.
Fuck, I’m obsessed with him.