Page 12 of Cold Ignition

Kael didn't answer. Instead, he looked toward Keanu. The unspoken permission in the gesture was obvious, and he could almost hear Kael’s voice.

Your story, little bruddah. You tell it when you’re ready.

Keanu exhaled slowly. "It's nothing really," he said at first.

Bateman made a doubtful noise. "That's a lie," he said cheerfully.

Keanu shot him a look. "Shut up."

Bateman just grinned.

Before Keanu could respond, Bateman reached off-screen and pressed something. The display split, and another video feed appeared.

Marsh's face filled the new window. He sat somewhere dimly lit, expression neutral—but his eyes flashed with unmistakable satisfaction.

"Of course it was you," Keanu muttered under his breath.

Marsh lifted one shoulder in a half shrug.

"Data trails talk, my friend," he said simply. "And data never lies, and I always like to know who we are working with."

Keanu rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "You could've just asked.”

"Where's the fun in that?" Marsh replied.

Luca frowned slightly. "Someone want to explain what's happening?"

Keanu looked around the room. These men were his family. They had grown up together, looked after each other, bled together. Fought together.

Built something stronger than most people ever experienced in a lifetime. But this was one piece of his past he had never really unpacked. Not because he didn't trust them. Because he didn’t want to relive it, and it had never seemed important to have to.

Until now.

"Two and a half years before I joined the service," Keanu said quietly, and the room stilled. "I had some time to burn."

Tane raised an eyebrow. "You? Burning time? Pun intended."

"Funny," Keanu said dryly.

He leaned back against the wall.

"I am the youngest of us," he explained. "Took me longer to finish school. When I did, you guys had already joined up, but I wasn't ready to enlist yet.”

Niko tilted his head. "Let me guess," he said. "You discovered the joys of making bad decisions."

Keanu huffed softly. "Something like that."

His gaze drifted briefly toward Kael. "I started racing, street racing.”

"I’m guessing it was illegal racing," Ethan guessed.

Keanu nodded. "Underground circuits. Desert runs. Canyon routes. Places where the rules didn't exist and the money was stupid."

"Sounds like you," Luca said.

Keanu ignored him. "At first, it was just adrenaline and the speed. The heat of competition. Then I started winning."

Bateman chuckled softly. "Yeah, you did!”