Page 6 of Fighting For Light
“No problem. Oh, and Kai?” she says sweetly. I turn around to face her. “Disappear again without saying a word, and I’ll have you running laps until you puke.”
I chuckle. “You got it. Oh, and Cordi?”
She hums. It makes goosebumps rise over my skin despite the heat.
“Take a picture. It’ll last longer. I’ll even pose for you.”
Her mouth drops open in shock, and I lift my water bottle, squeezing water into my mouth for longer than necessary.
“You’re playing with fire, daredevil,” she grumbles.
I drop my arm and look into her sunglasses-covered eyes. “I was born in it, gem.”
I turn and go back to my trailer because this got a little too real. The name just slipped out of my mouth, but she is like a gem. Rare, beautiful, and hard to break. Seeing her in that swimsuit makes me think about one of Mom’s Astor heirlooms. A blue diamond, extremely rare and utterly stunning. I would give it to her and more if I could. But I can’t.
Despite that, Cordelia Quinn is persistent and determined. She hasn’t gotten to me yet, but it’s only a matter of time. I’ve kept our romance away for years, but I love Cordi and I’ve never told her. But there will be a day when my love for her will win out over logic. So before that moment comes, I need to build up my resistance to my best friend because if I do give in, the consequences could be deadly.
4
Kai
Thirteen Years Ago
“Are you sure youwant to try motocross, Kai? You can’t find something else, maybe…a little safer?” Mom asks loudly. She said Liam and I need to get involved in a sport so we can meet other kids. She wants us to be more sociable. We never had the chance until now.
I shrug, watching the guys on dirt bikes race each other around the dirt track. One of them guns it up a hill and lifts into the air. My heart pounds as he kicks his legs out, then sets them back on the bike right before he lands. I want to do that.
“No, Mom, I want to do this.”
She sighs as a man walks up to us.
“Hi, I’m Reece Quinn. Are you Esmarie Coldwell?” he asks, holding out his hand to Mom. Reece is tall, tan, and lean. His hair is almost buzzed, and there are a few tattoos on his arms. He seems like a cool guy and around Mom’s age.
She plasters on a smile and shakes his hand gingerly. She’s been weary of most men since we left Dad a little more than a year ago. We’ve been moving around every couple of months.But she said it’s time to settle, so Steel Creek, California it is. We got a house with a ton of land around it. I think it’s so we can see anything coming from miles away. I don’t really like California, but there’s lots to do. Liam has enjoyed learning to rock climb, so I guess it’s okay. And Emerson has calmed down since moving here. I don’t wake up hearing him pace anymore, and he’s not as angry as he was. So that’s probably a good sign. He trains a lot, though. He picked up boxing and told Mom it was for exercise, but I’m not stupid. I’m fifteen. He’s doing it so he can be stronger to protect us. After coming here, Mom finally sat us down and gave us the bare bones truth that leaving wasn’t just to keep him from beating us. Leaving was to save our lives because Dad is involved with people who could kill us without hesitation. The only reason it took so long to get away was because my father took everything Grandpa gave her when he died, so she had to take it back carefully. She told us it was a lot of money, so she had to be patient before she could use it to get us a house to live in.
Mom and Reece talk, and I tune them out, still watching the race go on. Dirt flies everywhere, and other guys keep doing jumps. I turn to ask Mom if she’s going to get me a bike so I can start practicing. Then I see a girl my age, maybe a little younger, with long brown hair and the bluest eyes I have ever seen, bluer than Em’s.
“Dad, can you give me some money so I can get something to eat?” she asks Reece. She’s wearing jean shorts with a long-sleeve motocross shirt. She looks at me, and our eyes lock. I stop hearing the engines in the background.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry, Cordi,” he says and fishes his wallet out of his pocket.
Her eyes widen, and she glances back at me. “Dad,” she grits out. “Don’t call me that.”
He smiles and hands her a twenty. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Esmarie, Kai, this is my daughter, Cordelia,” he says, emphasizing the last bit of her name.
I wave to her, and she blushes, making my skin feel hot. She’s beautiful.
“Hi, Cordelia. It’s lovely to meet you. Do you ride dirt bikes?” Mom asks.
She shrugs and nervously shifts on her feet. “Not really, but I’ve been around them my whole life. Dad used to compete and stuff like that.”
I glance at my mom, and she has a soft smile on her face. I look back at Cordelia and find her staring back at me.
“My dad is a good coach, even though he doesn’t ride anymore.”
Reece chuckles and puts his arm around her shoulders. “Cordi stays with me during the summers. I’m uh, divorced so…” She elbows him in the ribs, and he grins at her with love in his eyes for his daughter. My father never looked at me or my brothers that way. All I could see as I got older was anger and evil. Reece is obviously a good man.
“Well, Cordelia, we were hoping your father could coach my Kai,” Mom says, putting her hand on my shoulder. I look up at Reece, and he’s studying me. I puff my chest out and pull my shoulders back. Even though I want to look down, I don’t. I learned that lesson the hard way.
