Page 121 of Ace of Spades

In the meantime, I pull Joey aside.

"Hey," I say, grabbing his shoulders. "Look at me."

He does, wide-eyed and rattling apart at the seams.

"You've got this," I tell him, with all the faith I can muster. "Theo's designs are killer. But you’re the one who’s gonna bring them to life. You're the artist. You!" I point a finger into his chest.

He swallows hard. "But what if I mess it up?"

"You won’t," I say. "Because you care too much. I know you do. I’ve seen you work on something over and over until you’ve perfected it. I know you can do this.”

His lip wobbles slightly, but he squares his shoulders, nonetheless.

"You’re SKC," I remind him. "You don’t fold. You fight."

Joey nods, blinking hard, and I know I’ve got him back. At least for now.

The lobby’s packed now. Different crews milling around in their branded shirts, media teams buzzing with camera rigs and mics.

Savage Rides is easy to spot. They all have on the same grey polo with their skull branding. All swagger. All flash.

Grayson Holt stands in the center of his team, arms crossed, flashing that cocky smirk I know all too well.

Cameras trail after him like puppies as he exchanges words with different people.

When he spots me, his smirk sharpens into something meaner.

He claps his hands together like he’s just seen the punchline of a joke.

"Well, if it isn’t Breaker’s Isle’s finest!" he calls out, voice dripping with fake charm as he approaches.

Some of his crew laughs. The cameras swivel toward us.

I stiffen.

Before I can say a word, Levi steps up beside me. Solid, steady. He’s storming with a quiet fury only those that know him could sense.

"Back off, Holt," he says low and lethal.

Grayson throws up his hands, all mock innocence.

"Hey, man, no harm no foul. Just admiring the little charity project you dragged down here to compete in anational championship."

His gaze flicks to Joey, who’s clenching and unclenching his fists, still looking pale as hell.

The camera pans across all of us, waiting for a reaction.

Waiting for us to crack.

Levi steps forward, chest to chest with Grayson now.

"You got your cameras," he says, voice like steel wrapped in velvet. "You got your crew of divas and clout chasers. But we got family."

Grayson’s grin twitches. Just for a second.

Then he backs off, giving a two-fingered salute.

"See you in the pit, family," he says the word in mockery.

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