Racing Through My Thoughts

Chapter Forty: Family

Vote. Comment. Enjoy!
-
-
-
-
-
—Evelyn's POV—
I feel the rage boiling in my skin as I see him standing in front of me. The smile on his face makes my stomach turn, "As I live and breathe," he says moving closer to give me a hug. I push off him and one of his security pulls their gun out. He puts his hand up to stop him and turns to Lando.

"Why are you here? The last I saw, were just some sad excuse of a human," I tell him ignoring the way Lando hasn't stopped looking at me. His fist opens and closes so he doesn't open his mouth.

"People change"

"Yeah but you don't," I tell him with a bitter laugh, "How much do you need from him? Huh?"

"Why do you care about him?" He asks before turning to him and smiling even wider, "Don't tell me...oh this is great," he says. He raises his hand and everyone but us three leaves the room. The door slams shut echoing through the building. Lando rips his helmet off, the indents on his face are prominent telling me he's been wearing it for a while. He's fighting every urge in his body to move closer as he stands between his girlfriend and his boss, "I love a good family reunion," he says clapping his hands together.

"You may be my father but you have never been family... what do you want from him? There are hundreds of racers in the city and you choose him?" I ask.

"Don't tell me you're in love with the boy," he says as I feel his gaze burning through me, "Please, he's a lowlife that got lucky," he scoffs making me raise my hand to slap him across the face. His expression almost looks proud as he backs away licking his lip.

"Your little deal here is done," I tell him as he laughs again, "There are cars lined up that would have no problem winning. Get one of them," I shout as he starts walking away. He stops when I start walking after him. His body slowly turned to me.

"What did you hope to achieve when you came here today? Did you think you could just stomp your foot and throw a little tantrum and his contract would go away?" He asks.

I continue staring down at him before he looks behind me, "Race starts in ten," he states before walking out. Right as the door closes I feel Lando's hand on my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper as he cups my face and looks at the defeat on my face. He shakes his head pulling me into his arms, "God, I hate him so much," I cry as he flattens my hair. I hear the revving of cheap cars from outside meaning he has to go, "There has to be a way to stop him and I'm not going to sleep until I do," I tell him as he reluctantly lets me walk away. He calls my name but I ignore it as he puts his helmet on.

My father is standing outside leaning against the wall when I walk past. I ignore his eyes and go to Oscar who is where I left him. I grab his hand and pull him away. My stomach can't handle watching the race, "What happened?" He asks seeing the redness around my eyes. When we get into his car he doesn't start the engine until I look at him.

"I know we can help Lando," I whisper as his face softens and his hand touches the key, "I just need time to figure out how".

He doesn't ask anything else as he drives me back to my apartment. I thank him before climbing out and hurrying inside. When I open the door I see Kyla putting her keys down meaning she just got in. She sees my outfit and widens her eyes never seeing me in something like this, "Girl, what the hell did you do tonight?" She asks.

I kick my heels off and go into my bedroom grabbing my laptop, "I need your help but you can't ask questions," I tell her. She immediately sits next to me at the kitchen table. I ask for her phone and pull up the contact of a college friend we had who was going to become a lawyer.

"She actually passed the Bar, right?" I ask as she nods her head, "Text her if she would be willing to help us with some stuff".

She nods her head and tells me she is going to change as she does. I thank her and lean on my hand in front of my computer as I search up my father's name. His prison records are sealed to the public making this a lot harder than it should be. I walk to my bedroom and grab my sweatpants as I hit call on Christian's phone number.

He answers sounding worried, "You alright? I'm at the office right now," he says as I smile hearing his voice again.

"Dad is in Monaco," I tell him and there's silence on his end before a door shuts.

"How the hell did he get there? Are you okay? Did he reach out to you?" He asks.

I sit on my bed and shake my head before realizing he said see me, "He's cleaned up now. He doesn't reek of alcohol and his wife beater was replaced with a shitty-looking suit," I tell him.

"Why are you calling, E? You've always avoided talking about Dad," he points out. The only people I have told are Lando and Kyla now. 

"I'm in trouble...well not me my boyfriend and I just...I don't know what to do," I whisper as he stays silent. Someone walks into the room he's in and calls his name making me smile, "Woah, Chief Brooks it sounds so official," I tell him.

"Send me an email with everything and I'll look it over. I just don't know how much I can do outside of the US," he says.

"I know you'll pull through you always have," I tell him as he gives a dry laugh, "Thank you," I tell him as he says a quick goodbye and hangs up.

I walk back into the living room and see Kyla as my computer, "Why is your dad on the screen?" She asks.

"I thought I said no questions," I joke feeling hopeful for the first time in months, "I can't tell you everything because it's complicated but...soon it will all be over so you don't have to worry about it," I tell her. She wants to trust me and I get it who wouldn't want to know every detail about what they are doing? She's even more confused when she sees Lando walking into the apartment at four in the morning. 

"I'm going to bed cause I have work in the morning," She says smiling at him before walking off. He steals her spot and kisses the side of my head before looking at the screen.

"I called my brother and he's willing to help us," I tell him, "Don't worry I didn't tell him about what exactly," I clarify.

"And how is he going to help?" He asks trying to read my screen but it looks like gibberish.

"I forgot to mention he's chief in his police district in California and they work very closely with the government...and the only way that my father would leave the country is if he was running from something. I just have to figure out what to get his ass deported and thrown in jail," I tell him as he stares at me. I become nervous when he doesn't say anything, "What?" I ask as he puts his hand on my cheek.

"I just love you," he whispers.

"You're just saying that because I'm helping you," I tell him as he leans closer shutting my laptop.

"You hate when people say I love you don't you?" He asks as he captures my lips in a slow kiss. I hum against him as he pulls my chair closer to his, "I don't care if you only say it when you're drunk but it's true," he mumbles making me smile ever wider.

"How was the race?" I ask as we both stand up to go to my bedroom. He says it was the same as every other race except for the show beforehand. I sit on the edge of the bed and watch as he grabs a towel to shower. He's been scolded enough times to know I don't want his sweaty body in my bed. He bends down kissing me again knowing I'll be passed out by the time he gets out.