Kairos - Blood (MxM) | Book 2 | ✅

43.Ride Me!

Ride me. The sleek curves and hoarse engine called out and said: Ride me.

I walked toward the motorcycle and when I was close enough, my palm ran along its leather seat. Ride me.

"Are you interested in a few lessons?" one of the instructors asked approaching.

So I smiled at the bearded pudgy guy. I probably had less than a day to live. One ride. One lesson.

After we'd dropped off Ginny and Richie at the airport, Henry had brought me home. Sweet sleep. I had slept until ten in the morning.

It was Tuesday so another day missing classes. Before going to the airport to meet Mira and Sean, Ginny had called her colleagues and the HR department to let them know that she'd be away until after New Year's.

I didn't care enough to let anyone know anything. But Tuesday had been the second day missing work without notice. The more I waited the worse it would be for me later on, when I did return to my lectures. In the end, I sent Lana Drake to charm the Dean and substitute for me on the last week of lectures before winter break. I'd be Prof.Finley once again — after the holidays. That was, if I survived being Max...

Fifty-fifty chance of success but the fucking plan was all I had.

"Have you ever ridden a bike before?" the instructor asked.

"I-," the answer hid in the dark recesses of my past so my words hung idle in the back of my throat. I don't know, but I sure hope I have.

A cigarette made its way between my lips and I turned to look at Henry. As always, he was beside me and with a lighter at hand. I puffed a few times to light up the cig and turned my attention to the instructor.

"I guess we'll just have to see."

My long black coat was in no way appropriate for mounting a bike.

Henry had picked it for me on Tuesday. It looked a lot like the ones the 'family' and Donnie wore. It looked a lot like Jack's coat. But it also resembled the Russians'.

As Henry arranged the coat collar when I was trying it on, his fingers lingered on my nape and his thumb touched my skin in slow strokes.

"At least I look like I belong now," my whisper laced with a scoff.

"The first time I saw you, sir, I thought you were an accountant or something," Henry revealed.

"No need to rub it in, soldier. I know my sense of style is that of an old man complaining about taxes."

Henry ran his palms along my shoulders. "No. You were wearing a Clark Kent to Superman costume." His hand pressed on my chest where the Superman logo would have been.

"The Halloween party?"

"Yes. You went out into the alley where Mr.Fox was dealing with the party crasher. I watched that door thinking you'd run back in soon enough, frightened by the beating or at least fearful for yourself."

"I didn't." A smirk played on my lips as I recalled the twisted way I had tasted Jack's blood-soaked hands and all of the other sick things I had done in that alley.

"Mr.Fox came back in. His mood was foul and after a while, when you returned as well, I thought — that's no accountant. You were smiling, just as you're smiling now."

"Am I?"

"Like you don't give a damn."

"Maybe I don't." My arms stretched to test how the coat fit length-wise. "Maybe everything's a game to me and all I care about is winning."