CHAPTER 18
Isaac
Isaac didn’t wait long after their arrival in Finland to find Spencer for a chat.
He’d rehearsed what he would say several times over the last few weeks.
This couldn’t be put off again, and it was going to be unpleasant, but he wasn’t going to wait for an opportunity, he would make one.
He took the first shuttle to the track, changed, and then waited for Spencer by the Australian’s trailer behind the garages. The second shuttle would be along soon.
Spencer’s steps faltered when he spotted Isaac. He nodded and turned to climb his stairs.
“I need two minutes.” Isaac kept his expression neutral and his voice calm, despite his anger. “For a word. In private.”
“I’m due on track soon,” said Spencer. “Come back later.”
“We can do this here and now, or in private. Your choice,” said Isaac.
Spencer smirked. Probably a show in case someone else was watching. “I guess you can come inside. I have two minutes, but then I need to change.” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter and continued up the stairs.
Isaac followed and pulled out his phone before closing the door. “I’m recording our conversation. I’ll talk. You listen.” He took a breath. “You need to stop spreading false and slanderous rumors about my girlfriend.”
“Big man,” mocked Spencer. “Coming to protect her honor. She’s just some chick. Why do you care?”
Isaac ignored his dismissive remarks. “She doesn’t know that I’ve heard what you’ve been saying. Don’t talk to her. Don’t look at her. Better yet, forget that she exists.”
“Or what?” said Spencer, his eyes flicking to Isaac’s phone in his clenched hand. He smirked again, as if daring Isaac to share the conversation.
“Or next time, she will have you charged.” Isaac’s molars ached from his jaw clench. There was so much more he wanted to say but he kept himself under control.
“The bitch made it up,” said Spencer, as he turned away. “I didn’t do anything to her that she didn’t want.”
Without warning, Isaac shoved the other man against the wall, his arm across Spencer’s throat.
For all Spencer’s bravado, Isaac was taller and had fury on his side.
There was more to this than words even if he didn’t have proof.
“She didn’t tell me anything. Vince told me about the filth you’ve been spreading.
If you think this will be your word against a helpless young woman’s, you’re wrong.
Vince and I are both on her side now, and you will pay if you hurt Anna again.
” His entire body shook with fury. “We’ll have you banned from racing permanently. The Vasquez name carries weight.”
Spencer must have believed what Isaac said or at least finally understood the seriousness of the conversation.
“Anna who?” he said, all trace of the smirk gone.
“Thanks for your time.” Isaac left, not turning off the recording until he was out of Spencer’s trailer.
More weight fell from his shoulders. He should have had this confrontation with that jerk before the break, but now it was done.
While concerned that Spencer might have done something more serious than spread false rumors, he hoped that the man would stay away from Anna and cease all harassment.
Isaac took a deep breath to calm himself and headed into his box through the back door and shifted into work mode.
Anna and Angel both shot him concerned looks when he arrived trackside, so he may not have let the encounter go completely, but he thrust it from his mind and focused on his job for today, practice and preparation.
This week, the buzzing reporters had zeroed in on the fact that Vince hadn’t come to Finland, making this a prime opportunity for Isaac to make up points in the championship, if he could hold young Luka at bay.
Maybe they needed an angle for their articles.
Racing without his brother reminded him of Vince’s long-ago arm injury that hadn’t healed at first. Those had been bleak days for his brother and strange days at the track without Vince.
They’d trained and raced for so long together that it was odd to be without each other.
Luka—a future champion in the making—was looking better with every race.
This was his rookie year. Next year, Vince would need to beware.
It didn’t bother Isaac to think of the racing rivalries continuing without him.
He’d had a fantastic run and was finishing with his strongest season—one that exceeded his wildest dreams.
Isaac’s mid-break return to conditioning served him well.
He finished the race first—his second win in a row.
While wins, neither of his victories felt complete.
He wasn’t complaining about the fifty points, but they didn’t feel like true tests of his racing abilities.
One win he’d earned because Vince had crashed and the second because his brother hadn’t been there.
It would be a landmark if and when he took a victory going head-to-head against Vince.
Two weeks later in Silverstone, Vince returned, but his conditioning was behind the others after seven weeks away from racing, and he wasn’t yet on par with his usual fitness level.
Vince had won a couple of races at the famous British circuit, but he couldn’t run the same pace as Isaac, Luka, and Xavi, instead finishing fourth, five seconds behind the front trio.
Isaac’s third consecutive victory felt like the first real one.
Vince was the first person to congratulate him after the Silverstone race, stopping his bike alongside Isaac’s, to shake his hand before Isaac continued on to parc ferme.
During the podium celebration, after the Spanish anthem played, he caught his brother’s eye, and the two of them exchanged matching grins.
Let the cameras wonder about that. For Isaac, it seemed like a dream come true as he stood on the top step of the podium.
That night, Vince and Catarina joined their party, staying until late. When a tipsy Isaac made his way back to his room with Anna tucked under his arm, his face ached from hours of smiling.
Everything in his life felt perfect, on and off the track.
. . .
Monday morning, Isaac and Anna sat at their airport gate to head home for a week and a half before the next race in Austria at the Red Bull Ring.
He and Anna would stay at their rental place but had plans with Vince for dinner mid-week at his place and at theirs on Saturday.
The casual dinner plans felt more like old times and brought a smile to Isaac’s face.
While they were waiting, his phone rang. Isaac didn’t recognize the number with a Spanish area code but answered anyway. “Hello, this is Isaac.”
“Hi, Isaac. This is Lily Navarro, Catarina’s mother. Is this a good time to talk?”
“Sure,” he said. “We’re boarding a flight home in half an hour, but I have a few minutes. What have you found so far?” With his peripheral vision, it was obvious that Anna perked up listening.
“There are three properties for sale near Cervera that fit your criteria at this time. All with at least a hectare of land and with beautiful homes. One house has been renovated, one has had some remodeling, including a gorgeous kitchen, and the third needs some love and attention, but has a lot of potential.”
“Could we look at them one day this week?” It would be helpful to see all three and compare.
“I have appointments tomorrow. How does Thursday look?” She sounded hopeful.
Isaac covered his phone and said to Anna, “Are you free to look at houses with me on Thursday?” Her eyes widened, and she nodded. “Thursday it is. Just send me the time and addresses by text or email, and we’ll be there.”
“Perfect,” Lily said. “I’ll set it up and send you an email with the listings and information.”
“Thanks. See you Thursday.” He would need to let Vince know his plans about moving so he didn’t hear it from another source, as so often happened in small towns. It probably wouldn’t be a surprise that his relocation would become permanent.