I take another sip, letting the silence linger before answering. “It’s handled.”
“I wasn’t talking about the situation.” She gives me a pointed look, and I already know exactly where this conversation is heading.
“I’m fine,” I say, setting the bottle down. “He’s just an idiot with too much confidence and zero self-control.”
She clearly doesn’t buy it, but she doesn’t push any further either, which I appreciate.
“And Cain?” she asks after a second, like it just occurred to her. I pause briefly before brushing it off.
“He stepped in,” I answer casually enough. “That’s it.” That’s all she’s getting.
She keeps her eyes on me, looking like she’s seconds away from saying more, but I already know exactly where this conversation is heading, so I cut it off before she can.
“I’m going to take a shower.” I grab the bottle again. “I smell like chlorine, and there’s no way in hell I’m sleeping like this.”
She exhales quietly, the irritation obvious now that she’s been cut off.
“Yeah… go ahead.”
I don’t respond, already heading toward the stairs, leaving her in the kitchen with whatever she didn’t get to say.
By the time I reach my room, I’ve already decided I’m done with today. At least for tonight. Because the last thing I need right now… is thinking about him when Cain is already stuck in my head.
Chapter 10
Cain
“This fucking bike is cursed or something,” I sigh, tightening the bolt again even though it’s already where it should be.
Dom shifts his hand on the frame beside me, keeping it steady while I work, his movements effortless, like he’s done this enough times not to think about it.
“It’s not cursed,” he says, glancing down at it. “You just keep going back to the same part like it’s going to fix itself.”
I ignore that, reaching for another tool and adjusting my position to get a better angle.
“It was fine yesterday,” I reply, focusing on the alignment. “Now it’s fucking dead.”
He lets out a quiet laugh, shaking his head.
“That’s what happens when you buy a Honda,” he scoffs, like that somehow proves his point. “My Kawasaki doesn’t have these problems.”
“Yeah, I know,” I add, not even looking at him. “I bought it in a rush, not like I’m a fan or anything.”
I adjust the alignment one more time before tightening it properly.
“I’ll get my Ducati back soon anyway.”
Dom’s expression shifts instantly, a grin pulling at his lips as he straightens up a little, clearly more interested now.
“Fuck yeah, brother. That bike is a monster,” he says, a bit too satisfied, like he’s already picturing it.
I let out a quiet breath, setting the wrench aside.
“Speaking of monsters,” I add, glancing at him, “what the hell happened yesterday with Sierra?”
“Barely anything, considering what I had in mind,” he admits quietly, something tight lingering beneath the words. “I kept myself in check as much as I could… like you asked.”
“You know we have to take it slow,” I reply, my tone steady. “If we rush it, we won’t get the kind of satisfaction we’re after.”
