Page 11 of Fighting For Light
“You’re still not tired of watching me do handstands on a bike?” I ask him.
He chuckles. “Nah, brother, I’m not. I loved watching you when we were kids.” I smile to myself. We’ve always rooted for each other. Once we realized we could go pro, we never looked back. Our family is each other’s biggest fans. “How is Cordi?” he asks.
“Oh, she’s fine.”
“When will you guys finally give in to each other? I see pictures on socials, and it’s getting sickening at this point, Kai. What are you waiting for?” Liam asks.
Guilt and fear add to the souring of my stomach. He knows why. The one-night stands don’t do it for me. The last thing I want is for Cordi to see me tell some random womanbyein the morning. I can’t bring myself to do it. “You know why, Three. I don’t know why you keep asking me. I wish you were more careful.”
He guffaws. “I’ve got it under control, Kai. Keep it simple and upfront. It’s easy.”
“You’re going to slip one day, Liam. It’s only a matter of time. Then you aren’t going to know what to do. The last thing we need is some random woman being pulled into the shit storm that is our lives. No one deserves that.”
“You’re right. And exactly why I use fake names or disappear before she has a chance to get too attached,” Liam says confidently.
“You’re an ass,” I grumble.
“At least I’m getting some,” he quips.
“Liam,” I bark.
“Oh, calm down. You know I’m notactuallylike that. I’m a lady’s man, brother. What can I say? I treat ’em well and leave ’em satisfied.”
“Just please be careful.”
“Yes, sir,” he says sarcastically. “I mean it, though, Kai. If anyone is worth taking the risk for, you know it’s Cordelia. She’s the full package, dude.”
I stare at the trailer ahead of me; it’s coach and gem. He’s right—she is worth risking it all for. “That would meanshehas to risk it all and that’s not fair, Liam, it’s just not.”
“Fair enough, man. Well, I just wanted to check in with you. Emerson is quiet and grumpy as usual, but he said it’s clear over there, nothing out of the ordinary.”
“Good,” I grunt.
“Hey, Liam?”
“Yeah?”
“This all feels too easy. Is it just me? I haven’t been able to shake it off. It just…doesn’t add up. I feel like they are toying with us,” I trail off.
He sighs and I can hear him tap the counter, his nervous tell. “Let me talk to some of my contacts over in DC. I might be able to figure out if daddy dearest is up to something or if he’s talking to anyone we need to be concerned about.”
“We have every reason to be concerned about the Costa mob. They have a hold on our father, therefore us,” I snap.
“Kai, I get it. You don’t have to remind me.”
I take a deep breath, staring out at the dark night in front of me. On either side of the road, it’s just black. You can’t see for miles on the long stretches of roads between states.
“Okay, well, let me know if you find something.”
“Will do. Talk soon,” Liam says and hangs up. The silence returns, and I glance at the GPS. We’re getting close, but not fast enough. The nervous, paranoid energy is building in my body. I just want to be ready because I don’t like being kept in the dark.
7
Kai
When we arrive inLas Vegas, I set the trailer and unhook the back garage where I keep my bikes. There’s plenty of space to work on them and keep them stored and secured. Gem spotted me rolling my R7 out of the back of the trailer. She didn’t say anything, but she stared at me like she knew something was wrong. I have a good poker face, but if I can’t keep it together, I just smile all the problems away. Most people go along with it. Gem is an entirely different story. But I am back to square one in the sense that I can’t tell her, even if I wish I could.
I take off on my bike with the desire to clear my head and get right for tomorrow’s competition. If the mind isn’t clear and focused before throttling yourself up the ramp, you die. It’s simple. Mistakes cost lives. Then again, that’s part of the thrill, the fun of it. Toeing the line of seconds and breaths is what I do best.
