Chapter 28 – VALENTINA
Twenty-Eight
VALENTINA
“You ever sleep?” I call out, letting the door shut behind me.
Remi grunts. “Says the girl who went off grid for hours and came back looking like she got wrecked by a semi.”
I snort—close enough—and slide onto a stool, grabbing the energy drink off her workbench like it’s mine. It’s warm, disgusting, and exactly what I need.
I fucked Maksim.
The words burn the back of my teeth. I haven’t said it out loud, not even to her, and she’s the one person who gets everything. But something about this thing between us feels…untouchable. And I want to keep it mine just a little longer.
“Val, your text said you had something important to spill, and if you don’t spit it out already, I’m chucking this ratchet at your head. Stop being so goddamn suspenseful.”
“Bite me.”
“Tempting, but I’m elbow-deep in a timing belt right now.”
I crack a smile and take another swig, letting the silence sit until I can’t hold it anymore.
“I slept with him.”
The wrench clinks against metal, and she straightens in a flash, already grinning.
“You little slut.”
I bark a laugh. “Really?”
“A fucking semi indeed. Look at you. You’re glowing.”
“I am not.”
“Please. I can see it all over your face. He turned you inside out, didn’t he?”
I try to glare, but I’m smiling too hard, and my face burns as last night rushes back.
“It was...a lot.”
“You mean emotionally, or like, dick game too good and now you’re spiraling?”
I laugh and shake my head. “Both?”
Remi slams the hood down and wipes her hands on a rag. “Maksim fucking Belov. Damn. I told you.”
“Yeah.” The word escapes as a whisper.
She stops. Narrows her eyes and slides in beside me.
“Oh, fuck! You’ve got it bad.”
“What?”
“You sound like you’re about to write his name in your diary with hearts around it. I’ve seen you stupid before—remember Cole?—but not like this.”
“God, don’t remind me I ever let that man touch me.” I shiver, pushing away all thoughts of that asshole. Until I only see Maksim, and my body shudders for a whole different reason. “I don’t know, Rem. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way.”
Her smirk fades. Remi has always been good at hearing the shit I don’t say.
“But…something is holding you back. Let me guess—your dad?”
I shrug. “Yes and no. I don’t need anyone’s approval. Not even his. But…”
“You care too much to just say fuck what everyone thinks.”
“Something like that. I don’t want this thing to blow up the entire family. My dad, Aunt Leni…Maksim.”
As if on cue, my phone buzzes. Dad again. Another missed call stacked on top of ten others. He knows I’m alive. I texted Mom something useless just to avoid a full-scale search, but it doesn’t stop the constant calls or the guilt crawling up my throat.
I shift, restless, cursing the crutches propped beside me.
“Hey,” Remi says, squeezing my shoulder.
“Breathe. Leave the spiraling to me. At the end of the day, there’s nothing Uncle Derek wants more than your happiness.
And because I’m wise beyond my years,” she adds with a smirk.
“You know, certified genius and all, I know he cares for Maksim more than you think. He’s part of our family and practically blood, whether you two are fucking or not. ”
“Remi!” I shriek, elbowing her in the ribs. “You make it sound like some taboo romance. We are not related.”
“I’m not gonna lie, it’s toeing that line a little bit, babe.” She pinches her fingers together. “Just a little.”
“Did you have a point you were getting to? Some philosophical advice?”
Remi chuckles, her smile softening. “Val, I bet Uncle Derek sees a lot of himself in Maksim. I know I do. And maybe it scares him a little. But deep down, he understands that you’re a Cain, and you weren’t meant to end up with some soft-handed accountant…
or a limp-dick Cole Bradshaw. Men who don’t know what the world is really about. ”
I nod.
“And whether Maksim is just a good fuck—” She pauses. “Or endgame, there’s no one more worthy of a woman like you. And that’s saying a lot.”
I look at her, and my chest swells. My baby, my heart. I just wish she knew how extraordinary she truly is. That she could see herself the way we all do.
I sling my arms around her, nearly sending us both tumbling to the floor. “I love you. I needed that. And I can’t wait for you to find someone who will adore and worship you the way you deserve.”
She snorts and hops off her stool, as if putting distance between us makes my statement any less true.
“Fairytale shit…or a horror story, actually.”
“Remi…”
“What? I’ve kissed a ton of toads, Val. Do you see anyone around here? They don’t exactly stick around.”
“All I see are dodged bullets. The man who steals your heart will be the luckiest bastard alive.”
She turns away, but not before I catch the faint blush rising to her cheeks.
“Wait—what aren’t you telling me? Is there someone?” I press, suddenly intrigued.
Another wrench clanks to the concrete, and she pretends it’s going to take three to five business days to retrieve.
“Remi?” I sigh, cursing this stupid cast. I can’t even crouch and shake her by the shoulders the way I want to. “I can’t believe you kept something like this to yourself.”
Remi whips around, one brow arched, incredulous. “Now you know exactly how I feel.”
“Okay, okay. Touché.” I lift my hands in surrender. “But technically, you didn’t know I had a secret at the same time I didn’t know you had yours—so that makes us even.”
She laughs. “How did this get turned on me? We’re talking about you telling everyone you’re sleeping with the man who used to feed you applesauce as a toddler.”
My jaw drops. We both burst out laughing.
“You bitch! That was low.”
“It was.”
“Take it back.”
“Absolutely not.”
Her laughter dies. When she meets my eyes again, something softer slides across her face. “I haven’t slept with him yet. We’re just…friends.”
There’s a wistful smile and the ghost of a blush. “Yet? Who?” I prod, draining the last of the energy drink.
Remi leans against the Supra, exhales, and looks at me like she’s deciding exactly how much to give. “Remember that night at the speedway? What happened with Ryuji.”
My stomach flips with each word. “Kuroda?”
She nods. “He did something that night I wasn’t expecting.
Putting himself between me and the gunfire like that, when he could have run to his brother.
And before you say anything, this isn’t me feeling like I owe him anything—I owe no one shit.
But he’s…different than what I thought. We actually click.
We have fun. Maybe that’s all I need right now. No strings. No expectations.”
I give her a slow, approving smile. “You sound…lighter. That’s good. Just let him know if he ever hurts you—”
“You’ll kick him in the dick.” Her grin is all mischief.
“And destroy his ego on the track.” I grimace. “That is, if I ever go back.”
Remi pulls me into a hug. “Another week down. You’re almost there.”
As if the universe hears my thoughts and decides it’s the perfect time to fuck with me, her phone goes off—a ringtone I recognize instantly. Furia business.
She goes quiet as she reads the message.
“Okay,” she grumbles. “Now this is interesting.”
“What is it?”
She doesn’t answer right away, just hands me the phone.
UNKNOWN: Is it true about Val? Word is she’s out. Like, out-out.
I sigh. “Balterra?”
“Who else?” She takes the phone, scrolls once, then lifts a brow. “He’s telling people you’re too embarrassed to race after catching your ex fucking that bitch, Romina.”
My jaw tightens. “He really said that?”
“Word for word,” she mutters. “Guy’s begging to get his teeth kicked in.” Remi pauses and narrows her eyes as if an idea has just sparked. “You know, I bet Maxy would take care of that little problem for you.”
“As insanely tempting as that is, I don’t want to put that on Maksim. He has enough ghosts, if you know what I mean.”
She breathes out, planting both hands on the Supra’s hood. “Yeah. I feel that.”