Chapter 40 #3
“I’m sure he didn’t tell you this, since it’s a sore spot, but Rome is supposed to be on his best behavior right now to get back into Indy.
One more temper tantrum, and he’s going to be blacklisted from Indy for good.
I really thought his running onto the field would do it, but I guess since you were injured, they didn’t want to push things. ”
“Aren’t you teammates, though?” His jaw clicks, and I wonder what his dentist has to say about his teeth grinding.
“You could say I’m not his biggest fan.”
“I kind of got that when he attacked you that one time. I couldn’t believe it.”
“He’s always been a loose cannon,” Levi says.
“Everyone always talks so highly of him,” I say, trying to push him. “Even the critical articles about him are still a bit nice and complimentary.” Levi groans, irritation flaring on his face.
“Oh, trust me, I’m well aware—the golden boy who can do nothing wrong. I heard Kevin warn him a dozen times to be good, to keep it in his pants, to stay out of fights and out of the press. But did he ever actually take him off the lineup? No.”
“Well, he did, eventually. Right?” I ask, taking a lock of hair and twirling it around my finger. When he smiles, it’s not hot and cocky the way Rome’s is. Instead, it’s a bit scary and arrogant in a way that could never be appealing.
“Can you keep a secret?” he asks, leaning further into my personal space.
I nod, pushing my chest out a bit and tucking my hair behind my ear.
His hand is on my knee, and I have to force myself not to shift away.
In this moment, I’m locked in, knowing I’m about to get something big.
It wasn’t the plan to pull a confession from him, but we are recording, and this is a one-party consent state.
If I manage it, it could be used not only to close this case, but to press charges on Levi.
“Of course,” I say.
“I may or may not have been pushing things along, trying to speed up the process.” My heart pounds, and even though anger races through me, I give him a coy smile and widen my eyes.
“How?”
“Little things. That drug test press leak?” I drop my jaw, and he grins.
“That was you?” He nods, and I put a hand over my mouth to pretend to giggle. “That’s devious! He was so mad.” I bite my lip, as if I’m thoroughly enjoying this. “What else?”
“I had someone steal his clothes before that press conference.”
“No!” I say, slapping his shoulder, playing into it. “Oh, you’re so bad!”
“You want bad?” he asks, and I bite back a grossed-out grimace, instead nodding.
“I set it up so he’d sleep with the wife of one of our biggest sponsors.
” The shock is genuine now, because while I assumed as much, hearing the confession is another thing altogether.
He continues, oblivious to the hole he’s digging.
“She’s an old friend of mine. I took her out to a party and made sure she and Rome hit it off.
I made sure I got plenty of pictures of them leaving together, then leaked them the next morning.
Finally got rid of him from the circuit. ”
“Holy shit,” Demi murmurs, and I sit up, out of Levi’s space.
“Did you get that?” I ask.
“Yes,” Demi confirms.
“Get what?” Levi asks, confused.
“Tell me, Levi, was it your idea or Mel’s to swap the gasoline out for Rome’s truck?” His entire body goes still. “I figure I’ll give you a chance to speak your peace now, since I’m sure Mel will have her own story.”
“What… What are you talking about?” he asks, face white.
“What about the harness? Who did that?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, sitting back and crossing his arms on his chest.
“Oh, but you just said you were so bad, helping to push Rome’s removal from Indy along.
What, you don’t want to take claim for all of the shit you did?
” For a moment, I think he’s going to continue to argue with me, but then he crosses his arms on his chest, leans back, and gives me a shit-eating cocky grin.
“Who cares. No one is going to believe a dumb bitch like you. You’re a nobody. Even Rome knew it, it seems.”
“Hmm,” I say, shrugging, then reaching up to pull out my earpiece and show it to him.
“Well, I bet this is going to go a long way in clearing things up.” The color leaves his face.
“I might be a nobody, but I’m sure as fuck somebody when I have a recording of you admitting to sabotaging Rome. ” His jaw drops.
“I didn’t…” he starts, but must realize he’s backed into a corner.
“You really did a bang-up job at helping me show everyone who you really are, Levi,” I say, an echo of what he told Rome at the Indy race.
I jump a bit when a hand comes to rest on my lower back, though it eases when I look over my shoulder to see Rome.
“You’ve been sitting on that one, haven’t you?” he asks, and I grin up at him.
“Yeah.”
“What the hell is this shit?” Levi asks, his face a mix of confusion and panic as he looks around the restaurant.
“This is the downfall you brought upon yourself, Levi. Payback’s a bitch, and so am I,” I say, standing up, eager to get away from this asshole.
With my parting words, Rome lets out a loud laugh, and even though I would give good money to see Levi’s face as Kevin walks in, the look of pure joy on Rome’s face is worth missing it.