Off the Grid (Full Throttle, #1)

by K. Bromberg

He didn’t make me feel judged.

all I feel is comfort and compassion.

“Do you know how rare it is for a rookie to finish in points consecutively like you have?

pretty incredible. You should be proud of yourself.”

Because you feared that once he knew the truth about what happened, he wouldn’t want to touch you again. Instead, he pulled you in even closer.

I’m thinking about the gala.”

You just went from bedhead to the charity event in Champagne?”

I don’t dress up for galas. I don’t do galas.” “I have to go.”

“Come with me. Keep me company.”

“What can’t? A Moretti going with their driver? Pretty sure that’s allowed.”

“First, let me congratulate you on your podium.”

“For the record, just because you’ve had a few good results in the time you’ve been with Moretti, doesn’t mean you run this team and get to call the shots.

“You’re the driver. Your whole team works hard to protect and guide you on the track. Hank directs you according to their input.

your second warning, Riggs. And as you know from your contract, there are only three warnings before the contract is terminated and you’re out of this team. Are we clear?”

“Crystal,” Riggs says, the muscle in his jaw pulsing and anger burning in his eyes.

Not only was he just berated in front of his team, but it was done by a female.

Every part of me tries to tell him with my eyes that I’m sorry, that this wasn’t my doing, but I’m met with a stone face and steel in his eyes.

I look around at our crew. Some seem like they understand why I just did what I did. Others are clearly pissed at me.

My chest aches and tears burn in the backs of my eyes. The lump in my throat feels like it’s a boulder.

look up from my phone and find my dad sitting behind my desk. His head is angled to the side and his eyes are locked on me.

“It’s hard having to deal with employees when they’ve become friends, isn’t it?”

“You set me up.” Disbelief and hurt mars my tone.

“No. I thought it was important for you to understand that this is a business. First and foremost.

“So, what? You think Riggs and I are friends and so that was going to put him in his place and stop our friendship?”

“I think you needed to be reminded that you are a Moretti first and foremost.

But housekeeping is in there when I get there. He’d already checked out. He left without letting me say a word.

Have I ignored every text and phone call and smoke signal that Camilla has tried to send my way? Again, yes.

She hurt me. And now I wish I hadn’t let her in.

“A marketing manager giving a driver a warning? Berating him in front of the entire fucking crew? Last I checked, that wasn’t in your job description.”

“I did what I had to do.” Her voice is quiet. Resolute.

“My boss asked me to deliver the warning,” she says.

“What way? Trying to understand why my—” girlfriend. Girlfriend? What the fuck, Riggs. “You acted that way.”

Mission accomplished. Half the crew are pissed at you and half the crew think you’re a bitch. Looks like a win-win to me from where I stand.”

“My dad had a health scare,” I say. “It was enough that he realized he needed to start thinking about Moretti Motorsports beyond him.”

Marketing is my focus, but he’s also determined to teach me every aspect of the business.”

“As in reprimanding drivers.” “As in he wanted to teach me a lesson.” “What

“I was faster. My sector times. My overall lap times. Erikkson was fading. I could see Halloran in the distance, and he was within my realm to reel in.” He pauses.

had to prove myself my whole life. Prove that I am Ethan Riggs’s son, that I drive like him, but that I’m not him. It’s a constant balancing act.

Reprimand made, but point made on my end too. Moretti wants their crew to know the team backs them, but I deserve the same.”

Being a driver on an F1 team means you listen to your engineer. Period. They know what they’re doing. They see the bigger picture. They know the cars inside out.

“I got word from my agent before the race that Maxim is looking better than expected. That . . . my time might be limited.”

“I don’t know, Cam. Maybe what I did was a desperate attempt to prove to everyone that I deserve to be at this level.”

“That should tell you where you land on my list of priorities, Riggs. High.”

“Thanks, mate.” “We’re going to do everything we can to keep you here.”

“Teams like you, man,” Andrew says and waits for me to meet his eyes before continuing. “There’s talk going around. Teams like your grit and skill.

It’ll come around, Riggs. It’ll come around.”

“You’ve earned it. Hands down. And I’m not the only one who sees it.” Let’s hope so.

My dress is a deep red. It’s formfitting with spaghetti straps, a sexy but not too revealing neckline, and falls just above my knees.

debated doing this. The dress. The surprise I have in store for him. But I figured if there is any time to get his mind off the day-to-day and what’s coming up this weekend, it’s right now.

“Baby, I more than like. If I wasn’t waiting for my driver to come take me to the gala right now, I’d pull you in here, lock the door, and show you just how much I like.”