49. Breaking Point

Jet hasn’t spent one night with Luca; he’s spent the past two. Luca is adamant about making sure Jet’s sutures don’t rip out. While it’s less annoying than when Kit tried playing nurse, Jet still feels coddled to the point of suffocation. He’s allowed to walk around the house, eat, and sleep, but that’s it. Well, almost. Even then, Luca is annoyingly careful.
This morning, he’d driven Jet to the hospital to get his sutures removed, fussing over him with a concern that bordered on the excessive. The nurse had to escort him bodily out of the room. Once the procedure is complete, Jet is directed by disgruntled text to the cafeteria. Luca sits sulkily in a corner with Em. Two coffee orders sit on the table in front of him.
“You got him to sit still.” Jet slides into the chair next to his boyfriend, exchanging mischievous glances with Em.
“I plied him with a mocha.” Em grins, indicating the second coffee cup. “He said you liked Americano.”
“With ice.” Luca adds, lips still pursed in a pout that makes him look like a recently disciplined puppy. “She forgot the ice. And she put cinnamon in my mocha.”
“But you’re still drinking it.” Jet tilts his head at him. “Why don’t you go get a new one and my ice while you’re at it?”
“I’m not allowed to move from this chair until this cup is empty.” Luca grumps. “Nurse’s orders.”
“That was only to keep you from pestering Jet while his sutures were removed, and well you know it.” Em’s swat on Luca's arm is light.
Luca’s expression remains sulky. His phone buzzes, and his brow furrows when he reads the text. He glances sideways at Jet before setting it back down again, carefully out of Jet’s reach.
Jet watches him. “What?”
“Nothing.” Luca takes refuge in his coffee, wincing at the tang of the cinnamon. “Don't worry about it.”
Alarm bells sound in Jet’s head, but he turns them off. The last time he pushed, it ended with stitches. Luca will tell him when he’s ready. Maybe the text really is nothing but work, and therefore none of Jet’s business. But something about Luca’s furrowed brow nags, like the pull of the newly healed skin on Jet's side. Something is definitely off.
“So,” Em’s deliberately casual voice breaks into Jet’s thoughts. “How does it feel? Or are you sick of people asking that?”
“Doesn’t itch anymore.” Jet shrugs, taking a sip of coffee. “It’s still raw though, so I’m not supposed to engage in physical activity for a couple more weeks.”
“All physical activity?” Now Luca looks like a puppy denied his favorite treat. “No exceptions?”
“You figured it out while the sutures were in.” Jet points out. “You can do the same now they’re out…tesoro.”
Em rolls her eyes. “I do not want to know details, thank you.”
Jet leans back in his chair. That feeling of restlessness nags. What he doesn’t want to tell Em, or anyone really, is that Luca’s constant fussing grated on his nerves. It was one thing to be injured and feel completely useless, but Luca coddling him was something else. Luca was still flirtatious, still confident, but it also felt like Luca was overcompensating.
Obviously, he felt guilty for keeping Jet in the dark for so long, but that didn’t mean he had to treat Jet like he was made of glass. Jet had been under the impression that with his admission and apology, they now had a clean slate. But every time Luca’s fingers brushed over Jet’s sutures—voluntarily or otherwise—his body had tensed in a way that was anything but positive.
That tension filled Jet with unease. Not pain, but something else. Something that knotted inside him. The concern was supposed to be a lifeline, but sometimes Jet felt like it was a noose. Every time Jet brushed him off, a crack appeared in Luca’s facade. He never stopped trying—never stopped hovering just close enough for Jet to feel tethered. Luca was still wallowing, still hiding, waiting for something else to go wrong.
No. Jet clamps down on that train of thought. He’s projecting, adjusting to the idea of being taken care of by someone. Arguing would push Luca away, and Jet is done with that. Better to accept the help—and the love—being offered. Jet’s already lost Kai by being an ass. He’s not about to lose anyone else. Maybe Luca needed to care just as much as Jet needed space to heal. He was trying, wasn’t he? They both were.
“You can survive taking things slow.” Jet smirks in Luca’s direction, hoping the doubt simmering inside him doesn’t reach his eyes. “Just like you can survive cinnamon in your mocha.”
“It doesn’t taste the same.” Luca insists.
This time Em’s phone buzzes. She glances at the text, then up at Luca, who shakes his head. Em’s face is taut, and Luca’s jaw sets as the two of them engage in a silent argument.
“What?” Jet’s question is more pointed this time.
“Nothing.” Em’s reply is quick. Too quick. “You’re an outpatient, so finish your Americano and you can go home.”
Luca’s fingers tap against the table, while his knee bounces underneath, his eyes locked on his coffee. Em casts a furtive glance in his direction, fingers twitching toward her phone, then dropping awkwardly in her lap. Irritation flares up inside Jet. They’re hiding something. Something to do with Chalam. He knows it. Something happened while he was in the hospital—something neither of them want to tell him.
Another buzz. It’s not from Em or Luca’s phones this time. Luca’s hand clamps instinctively over his pocket. Jet’s eyes narrow. Puzzle pieces start clicking into place. The nagging feeling that something is off isn’t just instinct anymore—it’s fact.
“Luca.” Jet’s eyes drill into his boyfriend’s. “Where’s my phone?”
Luca’s gaze drops. He shifts, sliding his chair a few meters away from Jet. “In my pocket. I took it before they kicked me out of your room.”
“Give it to me.” Jet holds out his hand.
Luca hesitates, glances at Em. “Jet—”
Another buzzing, first from Luca’s phone, then Em’s, then from Luca’s pocket where Jet’s phone is. Luca succeeds in removing his phone from the table, but Jet slams his hand on top of Em’s, sliding the device closer so he can see what’s on the screen.
KIT: Trouble. My condo. Right now.
Jet’s stomach clenches. His instincts were right. He’s on his feet, Em’s phone sliding from his nerveless fingers, clattering on the table.His side flares. Jet presses a hand against the newly healed skin. Heat lingers under his fingertips, but he tamps it down. “Trouble” could mean only one thing: Kai. Kai and Chalam. What stupid ass thing had his brother done now?
Luca is also standing, one hand out to steady him. “Jet—”
“I’m fine.” Jet shakes him off. “Give me my phone, Luca. Now.”
The tension between them is a wire ready to snap. Luca reaches into his pocket. Jet’s fingers twitch. His impatience unravels with every buzz. When Luca finally hands it over, the device is vibrating like a mad thing—not with texts, but a phone call. Kit’s name screams at Jet from the screen. Jet snatches the phone and answers the call, heart pounding against his ribs in time to the buzzing.
“Where are you?” Kit doesn’t even bother with a greeting.
“With Luca and Em.” Jet’s answer is clipped. “They got your secret texts.”
“Good.” Kit sounds businesslike, rather than apologetic. “I need the three of you—”
“At your condo.” Jet finishes. “I know. Why?”
“Your brother decided to go after the shark.” Kit sighs. “You should see this.”
◼️◼️◼️◼️
The atmosphere in Kit’s condo is so thick, Jet almost chokes on it. He stands by the window, his mind a storm of emotion. Behind him, Kit is propped against the bar, fingers twirling a mini KitKat against its surface. Em and Talay sit on the couch with Rome, while Luca leans against the far wall, present, but also staying out of everyone’s way.
Jet clenches his fists, nails digging hard into his palms. He hadn’t said anything to either Em or Luca on the drive over, hadn’t even blinked when the three of them walked into Kit’s condo to see it full of people. They were just not the people he expected. Resentment builds up inside him, replacing the unease.
Kit is the one who finally breaks the silence, holding up his phone. “If it helps, I didn’t know anything until about an hour before he texted. Bel let it slip.”
“Let what slip?” Jet growls.
“Kai had his own plan to take down Chalam.” Romeo’s voice is quiet. “He was going to even before he knew you were.”
Jet’s chest constricts. He’d told Kai to stay away from him, and Kai had reverted back to his original plan. And everyone but him had known about it. Jet moves toward the door. Kit side steps, blocking Jet’s exit.
“Move.” Jet snarls.
“Can’t.” Kit’s expression is just as stony as Jet’s. “You’re in no condition to go anywhere. Even Kai knows that. He wants you to stay away.”
Hearing his own words flung back in his face is like a punch to Jet’s gut. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Rome and Talay on their feet. Luca hasn’t moved, but his body is a coiled spring, ready to launch himself at Jet if necessary. Em regards Jet with sympathetic eyes. None of them are going to let Jet leave.
Jet sucks in a breath. Without a word, he extends his hand toward Kit, palm up. Kit hesitates, then reaches into his pocket, unlocks his phone, and drops it into Jet’s hand. There’s a single text from Kai, short and to the point.
KAI: Keep Jet away.
Jet’s fingers clench around the edge of the phone. Kai has never been this blunt, this direct. Had he really sent Kit this text, or had Chalam, hoping Jet would assume his little brother was safe and not ask questions?
“I got the same message.” Talay tries to sound reassuring and misses. “He just wanted to look out for you. When things went to hell, you were in no condition to be involved, so—”
“He did something on his own?” Jet snaps.
“Not on his own.” Kit does manage to sound reassuring. “He got my brothers involved. And Iris, and—”
“—and you knew about it and kept me in the dark?” Jet’s voice rises with every word, his gaze shifting from one person to the next. “Everyone knew but me?”
The betrayal stings harder than Jet’s recently removed sutures. He should have known Kai wouldn’t sit around and wait, especially if he believed he was on his own. At the very least, Kai could have reached out to Kit or Talay--they were professionals, and on better speaking terms with his little brother than Jet had been. But he hadn’t.“It wasn’t just you.” Rome corrects him quietly. “Kai texted me, too. About Mali. He said she shouldn’t get involved.”
“What he said,” Talay fumbles with his phone, but is still able to meet Jet’s eyes. “Is that none of us should be involved because of our connections. He didn’t want Interpol or the NIA to find out before he could carry out his plan.”
“So what? He went after Chalam behind my back?” Jet’s mind races. His hands tremble at his sides. His stubborn jackass brother had asked for help from amateurs. Did Zone or Iris or any of the rest even know what they were up against? Kai was going to get himself and everyone else involved killed. “Kai thought he could just make that decision for me?”
“Isn’t that what you’ve been doing to him?” Luca’s expression is calm but pointed, a challenge.
Jet rounds on him. “The hell does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said.” Luca pushes himself off the wall, eyes locked on Jet’s face. “You’ve been trying to steer him clear of this shitstorm from the very beginning—telling him what to do, where to go, who to talk to and who to stay away from. Now he’s just doing the same thing you did. You told him to stay away and he’s still protecting you.”
The room shrinks with each of Luca’s words. Jet says nothing, realization settling like a lead weight. Luca’s right—Jet knows Luca is right. He’s been trying to keep Kai away from Chalam from the start, and Kai has been doing the same thing.
But that doesn’t make it easier to swallow. He turns back to the window, half tempted to put his fist through it, but not in the mood to clean up the mess that will create, ont just to Kit’s window, but to Jet’s hand. His reflection distorts in the glass. Clouds are gathering overhead, angry and dark. IThat doesn’t help his mood, either.
“You couldn’t have stopped him.” Rome moves up next to him, his voice soft and understanding. “Mali and I tried. Multiple times. Your little brother does what he wants when he wants to, and damn the consequences. Exactly like you.”
Jet closes his eyes, his breath fogging up the window. He leans against it, letting the coolness of the glass calm him. The thought of Kai going after Chalam on his own gnaws at his insides. Jet is supposed to be the one looking after Kai, not the other way around. But then, he hadn’t been looking after Kai, had he? Not just because he’d been hospitalized, but because he’d told Kai to leave him alone. And Kai had done as he asked.
“He didn’t want you to get hurt anymore.” Em breaks the silence, her tone sympathetic but firm. “I know that’s not what you want to hear—”
“Where’s Kai now?” Jet’s voice is hollow.
Kit clears his throat, turning everyone’s attention back to him. He exchanges looks with Talay, then Rome, then Em. They nod.
"It started about five minutes ago." Em answers Kit's silent question. "You might as well let him see it now."
Kit taps his phone a few times, and the tv screen on the wall lights up. Jet stares. It’s the press conference announcing ManiratInfiniteDrift’s sponsorship of Ratcha Inferno. He’d forgotten that was today.
Instead of the logos of the racing team and ManiratInfiniteDrift, there are photos of the OmniVentures building, side by side with financial statements, and stills from CCTV footage. The screen changes, zooming in on more financial records with numbers circled in red, and diagrams showing profit versus deficit.
Clips from CCTV footage come next, showing Chalam attacking a sixteen-year-old Jet, and then Nail, and what are presumably other OmniVentures employees. Photos of the car accident that killed Jet’s parents appear next, along with surveillance photos of Mali, Rome, and Kai all with OmniVentures’ logo in the corner.
Jet can’t take his eyes off the screen. His stomach twists, his worst fears becoming a stark reality. Kai has just exposed Chalam’s corruption—but at what cost?
Iris stands at the podium, her voice ringing out over the growing anger of the crowd. “We urge all citizens to come together against corruption and deceit. Call for the arrest of this shark so that he can answer for his crimes.”
Zone is speaking again, but Jet can’t hear the words. His stomach twists. Kai hadn’t just pulled the trigger on Chalam. He’d lit a fuse.
Jet rounds on Kit. “What the hell is this?”
“Kai’s plan to expose the shark.” Kit actually sounds impressed. “This is going public right now. It’s already being broadcast. The press conference is live.”
“Chalam had you backed into a corner.” Talay’s eyes are on the television screen, rather than Jet. “So Kai chose to finish the investigation for you.”
“And he didn’t even think about potential consequences.” Jet makes it a statement, rather than a question. He grinds his teeth together. When the hell would his little brother learn to think before he acted?
Jet’s phone buzzes. The text sends ice water through his veins. The words are simple, stark. The world freezes. Jet’s mind blanks out. An iron band clamps around his lungs. He grips the edges of the phone so tight his fingers tremble. Here’s the cost. This is the price Kai had to pay. The room around him is silent except for the low drone of the voices on the television as the press conference continues to broadcast.
“Jet?” Luca’s tone is apprehensive.
Jet looks up, his face tight with fury and fear. His voice is a growl as he repeats the words of Mali’s text. “Nail has Kai.”