No Place to Hide (Rocking Racers Book 2) Page 9

  “Oh my God!” Bria gasps. “Is she okay?”

  “A little sore and a lot pissed that she can’t play until her arm is healed, but other than that she’s fine.”

  “Okay, I’ll put something together and post it on the website.”

  “There’s more.”

  “Go on.”

  “Helen Rhodes is here.” I hear Reed growl. “Yeah. Anyway, she told us she sent the paps because apparently she knew one day I would get violent and she wanted them to have photographic evidence.”

  “That woman is a bona fide psycho,” Reed says.

  “Won’t get any arguments from me.”

  “What was Knley’s reaction?” Bria asks.

  “She didn’t have much of one, which means she probably suspected as much. Who knows what her mother has been spewing while I’m not around.”

  “Poor Knley.”

  “My girl is strong, she’ll be okay, but Helen has apparently already released a statement.”

  “What does it say?”

  “I’m not sure. I asked and all she said was it said the truth. How she knew what that was, I have no idea. She didn’t even ask Knley or me what happened, so I can only imagine she got some warped tale from one of her paparazzi buddies.” In the background I hear typing.

  “Oh fuck,” Reed curses.

  Knley’s Back Alley Drama!

  While out celebrating the opening of new Melbourne eatery, Blue, located amongst the city’s ultrahip laneways, McKnley Rhodes has fallen and broken her arm while exiting the venue. Details are sketchy, but what is clear is McKnley and boyquaintance Cole Matthews exited the venue and were surrounded by a large media pack. Somehow in the hustle McKnley fell, landing on her left side. We’ll have more details as they come to hand, so stay tuned, Mongers!

  Chapter Thirteen

  Knley

  My arm throbs and I’m in no mood to deal with my mother. I had an inkling she’d been sending paparazzi to tail Cole and me, but I never thought she’d stoop to this level.

  “What did the statement say?” I ask.

  “I told you, the truth.”

  “How do you know the truth? You came barrelling in here and immediately began accusing Cole of all kinds of ridiculous things.”

  “They’re not ridiculous if they’re true,” she says haughtily.

  “But they’re not true!” I say, my anger and frustration beginning to rise to the surface. “What you accused him of isn’t even close to who he is.”

  “Oh please, McKnley, be real for a minute. Competitive men like Cole are always aggressive, especially if they manage to make it to the top of their game. That’s how they get there in the first place.”

  “What did the statement say?” I ask again.

  “I told you, the truth.”

  “Tell me what the fucking statement said or so help me God, Mother—”

  “So help you God you’ll what?” she asks with smug superiority.

  “You’re blaming me for breaking Knley’s arm?” Cole roars as he storms back in.

  “What?” I gasp.

  “I was reliably informed that was what happened,” my mother says.

  “Informed by who? One of your paparazzi buddies? You’d believe them over your own daughter? You never even asked us what happened.”

  “I don’t need to. I saw the footage.”

  “There’s footage of the accident?” I ask.

  “Of course, there’s always at least one videographer following you. Photos can be taken out of context, video cannot.”

  “Video can just as easily be taken out of context too,” Cole fumes.

  “But not in this instance. In this instance, the video shows you, Mr Matthews, pushing Eddie first.”

  “Eddie?” I ask.

  “The photographer.”

  “The one who was in my face?” I ask, my anger almost at boiling point.

  “He was simply doing his job. There was no need for any violence.”

  “What violence?” Cole shouts, his hands pulling the ends of his hair.

  “You shoved him, Mr Matthews, or have you forgotten that?”

  “I barely touched that piece of shit.”

  “Nonetheless you did shove first.”

  “What did the statement say?” I ask for the third time. My mother goes to open her mouth and I know she’s not going to tell me. “If you say ‘the truth’ one more time...,” I warn.

  “I have never lied to the press, McKnley,” she says.

  “An acquaintance of McKnley’s got aggressive with one of the members of the media,” Cole says, reading off his phone. “This member was simply doing his job and did not deserve to be assaulted trying to earn a living. Unfortunately, the acquaintance’s actions have resulted in McKnley breaking her arm. Due to this unforeseen circumstance, Places’ upcoming sold-out national tour will have to be postponed until she is fit to play again. We thank the members of the media for their interest in our band.”

  “What the motherfucking hell?” I yell.

  “McKnley,” my mother begins.

  “Get out!”

  “Now, McKnley, there’s no need for such dramatics.”

  “Dramatics? First off, Cole is my boyfriend, not an acquaintance. Second of all, you set those paps on us, so if anyone’s to blame for this,”—I point to my arm in its sling—“it’s you, not Cole, and third, those vultures have made my life hell. I was terrified trying to get through that scrum tonight, yet you welcome it and thank them?” I shake my head. “You’re insane and I want you to get the fuck out before I have you thrown out.”

  Reluctantly she gathers up her things and turns to leave. “You might not think so now, but mark my words, one day you’re going to be pleased there are people protecting you from him.”

  “Right now I’m thinking the person I need protecting from is the one person a child should never need to be shielded from.”

  With a huff, she shakes her head, holding it high, and walks out.

  I slump against the bed. “Sorry about all that,” I say to Cole as he makes his way to my bedside.

  “Why? It’s not your fault she’s psycho.”

  “I guess. I just feel bad for subjecting you to that, and that statement….”

  “It’s okay, Bria’s putting one out, and if we can get the video footage, which will back up our side of the story, then it’s not a problem.”

  “When’s Bria releasing the statement?”

  “Should be up soon.”

  “I feel terrible. She’s nine months pregnant.”

  “She said it’s okay. She’s not sleeping well these days. The little man’s too big.”

  “What is the statement going to say?”

  “Paparazzi were harassing Mr Matthews and his girlfriend, McKnley Rhodes. He repeatedly asked them to give them space, as their particularly aggressive pursuit was frightening Ms Rhodes. When they refused, Mr Matthews was left with no alternative but to use a small amount of force to get through the crowd. It is unfortunate a member of the paparazzi did not take kindly to his personal space being breached and shoved Mr Matthews, causing him to bump Ms Rhodes, who fell. Despite not being at fault for Ms Rhodes’s injury, Mr Matthews is devastated she is hurt and unable to do what she loves, but has every intention of nursing her back to health.”

  “You’re going to nurse me back to health, huh?” I ask, a grin on my face.

  “Sure. There are only a few bones I haven’t broken, so I’m the perfect person to nurse you.” He leans over and kisses me gently.

  “So how many times have you broken your arm?” I ask when we break apart.

  “Just once, but it was bad, worse than yours. That’s why my handwriting is so shocking.”

  “Didn’t they fix it properly?” I ask worriedly. What if that happens to me and I can never play again?

  Cole chuckles and kisses my forehead. “Nothing like that. I broke my right collarbone about fifteen or so years ago. I was still in school and needed to write,
so I had to do it left-handed, but I never really got the hang of it. That’s why when I write it’s all capital letters.”

  “Why didn’t you switch back?”

  He shrugs. “Dunno. Too lazy, I guess. Plus it’s not like I need to write much now, so it’s not really an issue.”

  “But you could if you wanted to, right?”

  “Probably, but it’s been ages.”

  I nod. “Right.”

  “You’ll be fine, love.”

  “I know.”

  The doctor walks in, trailed by a nurse.

  “How are you feeling, McKnley?”

  “Okay.”

  “The pain’s not too bad?”

  “It’s manageable.”

  “Good, then I see no reason why you need to stay here.”

  “Awesome.” I smile.

  “Just be sure to check in with your GP so they can refer you to an orthopaedist.”

  “But I thought you said it wasn’t bad?”

  He smiles kindly. “It’s not, but you’ll still need specialised care, just to make sure everything’s healing as it should.”

  “It’s okay, Doc,” Cole says. “I know the drill.”

  “Figured you might,” he says, before turning back to me. “Now I know this is going to be awkward, but you’re going to need to sleep sitting up. It’ll take a little while to get used to it, but you won’t be able to get up otherwise.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “It’s okay, love, I got it,” Cole says reassuringly.

  “Just sign these forms,” the nurse says.

  Once I do that, she says I’m free to go. Cole drapes my jacket over my shoulders and walks me out.

  “There are no paparazzi here?” I ask.

  “They’re not allowed on private property, and the driveway’s pretty sheltered so we should be okay.” I nod and let Cole ease me into the car. He runs around and gets in the other side. “Are you all right?” he asks once he’s settled.

  “Just sore and tired.”

  He squeezes my thigh. “I know, love, and I’m so sorry.”

  I cup his face with my usable hand. “You have nothing to be sorry about, you hear me? You were doing your best to get us through that scrum. It’s not your fault some dickhead my mother sicced on us couldn’t handle a taste of his own medicine.”

  “You’re incredible, you know that?”

  I smile. “Yeah, I know.”

  Cole chuckles. “A smartarse too.”

  “Yep, all part of my charm.”

  “Part of something,” Cole mutters, and I elbow him, which jars my arm. I cry out.

  “Careful, love.”

  “This is going to get annoying really quick,” I say.

  “Could be worse, you could be in a cast.”

  “This is so fucked up.”

  He sighs. “I know.”

  “My own mother.”

  “I’m sure, in her own perverted way, she was doing what she thought was best.”

  “By sending psycho paparazzi to harass her daughter?”

  “I did say she was perverted.”

  I shake my head. “In what way is that even remotely acceptable?”

  “In her own, I guess.”

  “Why are you so okay with this? I’m pissed, so I can only imagine what you’re feeling.”

  “I’m not okay with it, far from it. I’m absolutely livid that she did this to us. It’s just, in her own way, she cares about you, Knley, and only wants the best for you, even if it’s not what you want for yourself. My father can barely get out of a bottle of bourbon long enough to notice I’m still around. That’s when he’s actually around, of course, and not at the beck and call of his latest sugar mama.”

  “Do you ever think about your mum?” I ask quietly.

  “She left, what’s there to think about?”

  “A lot.”

  “I think about her as much as she thought about me when she left me with my pathetic excuse for a father. She’s had plenty of opportunities to get in contact with me and never has,” he says, his jaw firm.

  I press a kiss there, feeling his stubble against my lips. “Okay.”

  “What a pair we make, huh?”

  “I happen to think we make a pretty great pair.” I lean my head against his shoulder and once again his lips find my forehead. They’re the last things I feel before I drift off.

  Statements at Twenty Places

  Well, well, well, Mongers, it looks like the private battle between McKnley Rhodes and Mumager Helen over Cole Matthews has now spread to his racing team.

  In the wake of the incident that has left McKnley with a broken arm, both Places and Ryan Racing released statements, although the details differ widely.

  What is clear from both statements though, is it was Cole who was the first to use force, a worrying development. Could it be the constant media attention is getting to the racer?

  Regardless, the injury to McKnley means Places’ upcoming national tour has had to be postponed until she is able to play again.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Cole

  I managed to get Knley out of the car and into the house. She didn’t even stir. After all that’s happened tonight, I know I should be feeling a whole host of things, but the overwhelming emotion is sadness. Sad she’s hurt and can’t do what she loves, sad her mother has such fucked-up priorities, but most of all I’m sad she can’t live her life the way she wants to. The media circus surrounding us is going to be even bigger now, especially given the conflicting media releases. It’s exactly what we didn’t want to happen and why we tried to stay out of the games Helen has been playing. Personally I don’t give a shit about what Helen says about me; it’s Knley I worry about, and she’s going to hate the increase in attention.

  I get her ready for bed as much as I can, which means taking the jacket away and ridding her of her shoes and jeans. Sleeping with a broken arm is a bitch. You can’t lie flat because when you need to get up, you generally use both arms; she can’t do that. I pile the pillows up high and slip in behind her so her back is to my front; that way I can do all the work. She still hasn’t stirred. My girl must be exhausted. I flick on the TV, and because of the time difference, I’m able to watch the practice sessions for the American MotoGP. What I wouldn’t give to be there. I fall asleep to the soothing sound of 250, 600, and 1000cc bikes.

  I’m woken the next—well actually it’s the same morning, isn’t it? Especially given the late hour we got back. Anyway, I’m woken by Knley moaning, and not in an “oh, Cole, you’re a such a sex god” kind of way.

  “Hey, are you okay?” I ask.

  “My arm hurts.”

  “I’ll go get you some paracetamol.” Carefully I scoot out from behind her and prop the pillows so she’s still sitting up, before getting a glass of water and the tablets. I give them to her and she downs them quickly.

  “Do you need anything else?”

  “I’d love a shower and some breakfast.” She’s probably able to shower alone, but what kind of boyfriend would I be if I left her to fend for herself? Getting Knley naked is something I’ll never struggle with.

  Disregarding the large bruise that marks her broken bone, Knley is the definition of the perfect female figure. Even though I bet sex is probably way down on her list of priorities, I can’t help my body’s reaction to her. She sees and raises an eyebrow. I just shrug and drop my boxers.

  “Come on, handsome,” she says, and holds her hand out to me. Carefully I wash every inch of her body, taking special care with her arm and paying extra attention to her boobs.

  “Mmm,” she moans as I massage them, and my dick hardens further at the sound.

  “Feel good, love?” I whisper in her ear.

  She nods. “So good.” Her hips move to my rhythm. I release one breast and move down her body to between her legs, where I can feel she’s wet and ready despite the water crashing down on us.

  “Cole,” she moans.

  “Remember, you
have to keep your arm still,” I say, my hand just inches from where I know she wants me.

  “Then don’t tease me.”

  I chuckle and kiss her cheek before circling her clit. “Is this what you want?” I ask.

  “God yes,” she breathes.

  “You are so incredibly beautiful,” I say as I kiss her neck. She reaches up and threads her fingers through my hair. Another moan escapes her. “You are so talented and brave and the strongest person I’ve ever met. You blow me away, Knley.”

  “Cole.”

  “Shh, love, just feel.” I continue to play with her boob, pinching a dusky red nipple before slipping a finger inside her. Her moans increase, and the fingers in my hair tighten their grip. “That’s it, love, just feel.”

  “Cole!” she screams as she comes hard around me. When she’s able, she opens her eyes to stare deep into mine.

  “What was all that about?” she asks.

  “I thought it was fairly obvious.” I smirk.

  “You know what I mean, why are you being so sweet?”

  “I’m not allowed to be sweet to my girlfriend?”

  “Of course you are.”

  “Well there you go then.”

  “This was more than that.”

  I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “I just wanted you to know how much I care for you.” I stop and take a breath. “How much I love you.”

  She gasps. “You love me?”

  “Why are you so surprised? We’ve been together for three months. We were best friends when we were kids. I thought this was the next step in our relationship.” To be honest, I’m kind of hurt she hasn’t said it back to me. Not that I want her to say it just because I have, but it would be nice to know we’re on the same page.

  She still hasn’t said anything. “But clearly I was wrong. Just forget I said anything,” I say, and turn my back to her so I can wash myself and maybe drown in the spray.

  “Cole,” she says softly, her hand on my arm.

  “I’ll be done in a minute and I’ll help you dry off,” I say.

  “Cole,” she says again.

  “It’s fine, Knley, really. Just let me get clean and I’ll be with you, okay?” She doesn’t say anything, but I hear the shower door open and close. I finish not long after and step out, securing a towel around my waist before stopping to help Knley dry off and get dressed. She tries a couple of times to say something, but every time I stop her. Right now anything that comes out of her mouth is just going to be a consolation prize.