48. Exposure

Kai’s muscles feel like lead, every joint protesting. The gym around him is unnaturally quiet, the lights dim. Only a few beams pierce the darkness, creating an isolated arena. This is a secret training session--one taking place long after regular hours. It’s one Kai is grateful for. No one will be able to see him…or see the person he came with.
Nail stands a few meters away, half hidden in shadow. Why he’d agreed to meet Kai at this time of night is unclear, but he’s here, and that’s good enough for now. How the hell Nail managed to get them into the gym after hours is not exactly something Kai wants to know. He has suspicions it’s the same reason Nail is considered a VIP at the gun range.
In the past two weeks, Nail had insisted that not only should Kai learn how to shoot, but also prepare himself physically--in the Muay Thai gym. Both are fully aware Chalam won’t go down without a fight, and even if Kai can’t take on the shark all on his own, he should still be able to give as good as he got. Kai had only agreed if Nail could get them in after hours. This situation was complicated enough. Nail seemed to be willing to earn Kai’s trust. Kai didn’t want to answer awkward questions if he didn’t have to.
“Keep going.” Nail is using that tone again--the one Kai both dreads and respects. “Push yourself.”
Nail had started tonight’s session with jumping rope, then stretching, and now push-ups: three sets, twenty reps a piece. Kai’s breath comes in ragged gasps, each push up a battle of willpower. Sweat prickles along his skin, making his eyes burn. This isn’t just physical preparation. It’s mental, too. He’s going to need all the preparation he can get, and only five more days to master it. Kai’s mind feels sharper now, able to anticipate every move Chalam would make, able to put the piece together that Nail could be a potential ally--even as pressure around him mounted. It’s not just work, not just training, it’s about earning something valuable--respect. Respect from Kit, Pepper, Talay, Nail, even Kai himself. After all of this, maybe he could also earn Jet’s respect, and ask Jet’s forgiveness.
No more fear. Kai times each pushup set with the rhythm of his thoughts. No more second guessing. No more doubt. No more hesitation. No more. No more.
Balance control with understanding. If he couldn’t control or understand it, then he’d figure it out. Kai had been the one to find all the crucial evidence needed to expose Chalam. He had come up with a plan to expose the shark, and a backup plan. He trusted Nail, in spite of everyone else’s doubts. Kai had been right. He was right.
Kai finishes his last set and collapses onto the mat. His breath comes in ragged gasps, but his blood hums with satisfaction. Nail watches him with that inscrutable look.
“Good. Not enough for an actual match, but you're getting closer.” Nail’s tone carries a hint of approval. If that curve of his lips was allowed to continue, it might turn into a smile.
“Thanks.” Kai’s voice is not much more than a whisper. The word is all he can manage, but something tells him that, for Nail, it’s enough.
Nail nods in acknowledgement, moving to the center of the gym. “ You’ve got more in you. On your feet. Let’s go.”
Kai pushes himself to his feet, following Nail to the center mat. Nail adopts a fighting stance and Kai mirrors him. The first few exchanges are quick. Nail strikes sharply and his defenses are impenetrable. Kai’s own movements are sluggish, his body still recovering from the warm up Nail put him through.
“Fix your stance.” Nail commands. “It’s off.”
Kai adjusts his posture, managing to dodge a few of Nail’s jabs, then follows up with a swift kick.
Nail blocks it effortlessly. “Anticipate. Don’t just react.”
“You’re not making this easy.” Kai grimaces, aware he sounds like a disgruntled toddler.
“That’s the point.” Nail retorts. He sidesteps, smoothly countering with a jab to Kai’s midsection.
Kai blows out a frustrated breath. “You can read every move I make.”
“Your fault, not mine.” Nail smirks. “You’ve got instincts, so use them. Don’t think. Be unpredictable.”
Kai grits his teeth. He lunges forward, aiming a hook at Nail’s jaw. Nail parries, but let another strike through his defenses, and then another. Kai smirks, his confidence and adrenaline soaring. That smirk is quickly replaced when Nail goes on the attack.
Nail’s strikes come faster, harder, shouting instructions each time. Kai’s limbs grow heavy, his guard lowering. Out of nowhere, Nail’s knee rises, brutally connecting with Kai’s side. The impact jars Kai off his feet, sending him sprawling.
“Shit!” Kai slams his hands into the mat, hauling himself back up. “What’s with the knees?”
“Incapacitation, disorientation, creating openings.” Nail rattles the words off like a vocabulary lesson. “That’s how Chalam operates. That’s how everyone in that shark’s employ operates. You need to understand that.”
“I do--”
“Do argue with me.” Nail cuts Kai off, resuming the fighting stance. “Again. Pay attention.”
Kai forces his body to steady itself. This time, those switches in his brain flip, awakening his instincts. Nail’s attacks aren’t random--he uses his knee to draw Kai closer, to throw him off balance and easily defeat him. The fourth time Kai hits the mat, Nail tosses a water bottle at him, rather than a fist.
“Thirty seconds. Get your breath back.” A light sheen of sweat covers Nail’s face. Kai can hear the unevenness of each inhale and exhale. Nail’s tiring. Finally.
Kai takes several gulps of water, then tosses the bottle back at Nail. “One more.”
“Fine.” Nail pushes damp hair out of his eyes. “Don't hesitate.”
They face off again. Nail moves in faster, his knee aiming for Kai’s ribs. Kai spins, channeling every ounce of energy into his back leg. His heel connects with Nail’s side in a powerful spinning back kick. Nail’s eyes widen. He staggers, clutching his midsection. Kai takes advantage, following up with a series of strikes that sends Nail reeling backward. Kai stands over him, face split in a triumphant grin.
“Who the hell--showed you that?” Nail’s words come between gasps of exertion and pain. Admiration glimmers just behind his eyes.
Kai’s grin widens. “You used that on me in Chalam’s office the day you smashed your phone. I just asked Talay to show me how to do it.”
“You didn’t hesitate.” Nail staggers to his feet. “That’s good.”
Kai catches Nail’s elbow to steady him. Nail blinks in surprise, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face, before he regains composure.
“Thanks.” Kai drops his hand. “I just did what you told me to.”
“I know what I’m talking about.” Nail shrugs, stepping back into the shadows. His tone is detached, businesslike. “Get your stuff and go home. We’re done.”
Kai watches Nail pack up, understanding that he’s finally earned both approval and respect. It’s exactly what Kai needs.
“Nail.” Kai hesitates. “Go buy some bruise cream.”
Nail’s answering nod is sharp, but his lips twitch. He’s understood. “Go home, Kai.”
◼️◼️◼️◼️
Luca ignores the constant buzzing of his phone. He has the night off so has nowhere to go, and Pepper is working and then going out with Kai, so he has no one to talk to. He stares blankly out of his window, watching the neighborhood shimmer the heat.
All he had done was say things that needed to be said. Things no one else had for reasons Luca still can’t understand. Jet needed to hear them. Frankly, he thought Kai and Jet avoiding each was completely ridiculous, even if both brothers thought they had good reasons. He had told Jet the truth this time. So why does he feel so damn guilty?
His phone continues to buzz. Annoyed, Luca yanks it out of his pocket. Seven missed calls, seventeen unanswered texts. The last text isn’t one he’s expecting.
NAIL: We need to talk. NOW.
Luca barely has time to wonder what that means before Nail’s name flashes on the caller ID. He answers halfway through the first ring. “What?”
“We need to talk.” Nail’s voice is still detached, but there’s a hum of urgency beneath his words. “About Saturday.”
“That’s two days from now.” Luca tenses. “Are you backing out?”
Nail says several words that would make someone other than Luca flinch. Instead, Luca chuckles. “What’s this about?”
“Kai’s backup plan.” Nail elaborates. “We need to talk about it.”
“Ok.” Luca’s curiosity peaks. “When?”
“Now would be good.”
Before Luca can ask why it’s so urgent that he and Nail talk now, there's a knock at the door. “Are you on my front porch?”
“No. My condo.” The tension in Nail’s voice is palpable.
If Nail isn’t here, then who the hell else is at Luca’s door? “Let me call you back.”
“Luca.” There is definitely urgency in Nail’s tone now. “This is important.”
“I’ll call you back. I promise.” Luca hangs up, opening the door to find Jet standing in front of him, his face unreadable.
Luca freezes. “You’re at my front door.”
“You didn’t pick up the phone.” Jet retorts. His expression doesn’t change, but here’s a hint of frustration in his tone.
“Yeah.” Luca’s lips twitch in spite of himself. Jet got frustrated when he was wrong. Something like relief starts to flicker inside Luca’s chest.
“And you called me your boyfriend.” Jet adds, voice laced with something Luca can’t quite place.
“What the hell else am I supposed to call you?” Luca snaps, but there’s softness in his eyes. He doesn’t invite Jet in, but he doesn’t close the door either. The air between them fills with that familiar magnetism, sending tingles through Luca’s bloodstream.
“I’m sorry.” Jet is the one who breaks the silence. There’s a vulnerability in his voice that tempts Luca to give in.
“That’s it?” Luca’s not about to let Jet get away with it so easily.
“No,” Jet hesitates, then meets Luca’s eyes. “Hai ragione.”
“Yeah?” Luca’s pulse quickens, keeping his voice neutral with an effort. “I’m right about what?”
“Everything.” Jet’s voice hums with sincerity. The look in his eyes sends a shiver down Luca’s spine. “You, me, Kai. You’re right about all of it.”
Jet takes a step forward. Instinctively, Luca steps back, allowing Jet inside. The door closes behind them. The space between them shrinks, the tension palpable. Espresso eyes lock with black ones.
“Your boyfriend is an ass,” Jet murmurs. His lips curve up in an apologetic smile. “Mi dispaice.”
Luca’s breath hitches as Jet’s lips move to his mouth, along his throat, then just above his collarbone. The touch is light, teasing. His grip tightens, pressing Jet back toward the closed door, careful not to apply too much pressure to Jet’s side. The need to touch overrides any other hesitation.
He pins one of Jet’s arms against the door frame above their heads, fingers intertwining with the ones on Jet’s free hand. Hinges creak as Jet is caught between Luca and the door. His pulse thrums through Luca’s fingertips, strong and steady.
Jet’s scent fills Luca’s head, clean, tangy and sharp, like lime leaves and basil. There’s something intoxicating about it, headier than alcohol. Luca’s own lips trace the same line Jet’s had, but slower and in reverse—from Jet’s collarbone, up along his jawline, and finally to his mouth.
“You’re so annoying.” Jet breathes.
“Yes.” Luca’s eyes sparkle. “Because I know what I want. E io ti voglio.”
“I want you, too.” Jet tilts his head, closing the distance between them, craving more. “Mi piaci.”
Luca pulls Jet closer. “I like you too, tesoro.”
Both their hands and mouths continue to move, testing and exploring until Luca is on the verge of losing control. He’s also finding the presence of their clothes increasingly irritating.
“Apology accepted.” Luca finally murmurs against Jet’s lips. “We’re done talking tonight. Vieni qui.”
His hands drift lower, carefully avoiding the sutures in Jet’s side as he works to remove that barrier of fabric between them. Jet’s hands move in the same direction. His answering grin is all the confirmation Luca needs.
Luca’s hands move more deliberately now, sliding under Jet’s shirt. The space between then disappears as their breaths sync up. Jet pulls Luca closer, gripping his shirt and tugging it upward.
“I missed you.” Jet’s words almost get lost between kisses.
Luca pulls back, lips hovering millimeters away. “I know.”
“Of course you do.” Jet tugs Luca’s shirt free, the fabric bunching between them.
The teasing look in Luca’s eyes falters when his fingertips brush against Jet’s sutures. Jet’s breath hitches, but he doesn’t pull away. Instead, his hands tighten against Luca’s back, as if proximity alone can ease the tension hovering between them. The kisses are deeper, longer, hungrier. Their hands continue exploring, needing, tasting.The tension uncoils, replaced by something deeper, more grounding.
This—whatever it is—is real.
◼️◼️◼️◼️
Kai isn’t sure what he expected the office of a nightclub owner to look like, but Bel still managed to surprise him. The room doesn’t look like an office at all. It looks like Bel had cut out a piece of his front room and had it transferred to Nightshade’s second floor.
There’s no intimidating desk, no rows of cabinets with files, no cold, sterile atmosphere. Instead, a long leather couch takes up the length of one wall, while a flatscreen tv hangs on the opposite. A black box with blinking lights hangs one side of the tv—the feed for the CCTV cameras—while a floor to ceiling bookshelf stuffed with paperbacks stands on the other. The bowl on the coffee table brims with a variety of dark chocolate, while a coffee maker stands side by side with boxes of Crio Bru and tea on a sideboard under the picture window.
A more professional looking table and chairs is crammed into the farthest corner, as though embarrassed to be in the same place as the cozier decor. Kam and Pepper are currently seated at said table, each on their own laptop. As it’s Saturday, Kai is pretty sure the two of them aren’t doing actual work, but feel the need to look busy so they don’t look impatient. Bel lounges on the couch, nose in a paperback, looking the most relaxed out of all three of them.
“If you smudge that window,” Kam doesn’t even look up from his laptop when he issues the warning. “I’ll make you clean every piece of glass in this building.”
Kai thuds his forehead against the window one more time, just because. Today, everything will either go according to plan, or blow up in his face. It would be really nice if the former happened, rather than the latter. He’d seen the presentation that Iris and Pepper had put together last night—it had been well thought out and emphasized just the right things. Zone had Kai everything would go off without a hitch. But that had been last night. This was today.
Kai curls his fists, feeling the newly healed skin on his knuckles crack. A slight twinge of pain--enough to serve as a reminder of the punishment his taken from making stupid choices--but they don’t split, not this time. No more fear, Kai. Remember? Nerves, yes, anxiety, yes. But fear? That’s buried.
He forces the events of the past two days to play back in his head. Since Jet didn’t want to see him, and everyone else was occupied with their assigned tasks, Kai had split his time between the gym and the gun range.
Every combo Talay threw at him at the gym, he’d completed with absolute precision. At the gun range, every shot he made was clean--dead center, through the target’s head. Talay had praised him, and Nail’s eyes had flickered with something that could be a distant cousin to respect.
But it wasn’t just physical. Kai’s mind feels sharper now, able to anticipate every move Chalam would make, able to put the piece together that Nail could be a potential ally--even as pressure around him mounted. After all of this, maybe he could ask Jet’s forgiveness.
No more fear. No more second guessing. No more doubt. No more hesitation.
Balance control with understanding. If he couldn’t control or understand it, then he’d figure it out. Kai had been the one to find all the crucial evidence needed to expose Chalam. He had come up with a plan to expose the shark, and a backup plan. He trusted Nail, in spite of everyone else’s doubts. Kai had been right. He was right.
I’m done hiding. I’m done running. I’m done hesitating. This will work.
Kai’s phone buzzes. He pulls it out of his pocket, already knowing who the text is from.
KIT: This is a very stupid idea.
KAI: You won’t stop it, right?
KIT: .......
KAI: You won’t, right?!
KIT: Can’t. I won’t be at the press conference. I’ll have my hands full keeping your brother from saving your ass.
KAI: This will work. I even have a backup plan, just don’t ask me what it is.
KIT: I’d rather stay ignorant, thanks. Plausible deniability. Press conference starts in twenty, if that’s helpful.
Kai slides his phone back into his pocket, releasing the breath he didn’t know he was holding. There are now two smudges on the window: one from his forehead, and the other from his breath.
“I was serious about the windows.” Kam’s disapproving voice sounds behind him.
Kai turns to face him. “Good. It’ll give me something to do.”
“Leave him alone, Kam.” Bel doesn’t lower his book. “Find something else to do besides pretending to work for twenty minutes. It’s a Saturday.”
Kam gets up from the table and crosses to the couch. Without closing his book, Bel sits up, allowing Kam to sit before lowering himself back down so his head is on Kam’s lap. Bel raises the paperback high enough so that his boyfriend can read over his shoulder. It’s a cozy little tableau that the two of them have clearly done before. Pepper watches them, then smiles at Kai. Kai smiles back before turning toward the window again. He’s got one more thing he has to do. He checks his watch, then sends another text:
KAI: Press conference starts in twenty minutes.
NAIL: [middle finger]
KAI: [middle finger] [middle finger]
NAIL: Not funny. Be ready in thirty. No mistakes.
Thirty. Thirty minutes. How the hell could Kai kill time for thirty minutes? Kai wanders over to the table, where Pepper is still sitting. Kam’s laptop is also there, still open. Instead of columns of figures or some kind of business report, the image on the screen is a car. The front of the vehicle is dominated by a bold, upright grille, its headlights like those of a predatory animal. Imposing wheels add to its overall elegance, the paint job makes it look as though the car is cloaked in rich, liquid metal.
“Is that a Rolls-Royce Ghost?” Kai doesn’t bother to keep the awe out of his voice.
Kam smiles at him. “You know cars?”
“I know Zone.” Kai reminds him. “He knows cars.”
“So he passes that knowledge on to you, as an adoptive Manirat.” Bel’s tone is teasing, but the look in his eyes is sincere. “That’s Kam’s latest project. No idea what customization the client wants, but Kam will do whatever he’s asked to.”
“Within reason.” Kam corrects him. He is also smiling at Kai. “You like that car?”
Kai nods. He’d give up the rest of his tuition and his dorm fees, and probably a good chunk of whatever savings he has to own something like that. It’s probably what it would cost him, too. If he got a used one. Maybe.
Kam is still watching him. “Sell it to me.”
Kai stares at him. “I just said I know nothing about cars.”
“Not like a mechanic.” Kam corrects him. “You’ve seen what it looks like, and you could probably imagine what it’s like to drive. So make me want that car.”
Confusion and wariness mingle on Kai’s face. “Why?”
“Pepper says you’re studying Media Arts, and you still need an internship.” Kam elaborates. “I know you had one at OmniVentures, but you need a new one due to—unfortunate circumstances.”
“Pepper talks too much.” Kai grumps.
Pepper swats him. “Just do what Kam asked you. Sell him the car by telling him a story about it. Don’t give me that look, you know what I mean.”
“Unless you can think of a better way to spend the twenty minutes we have til the press conference starts.” Bel adds.
Kai turns his gaze back to Kam’s computer screen. If nothing else, this is a way to kill half an hour. And, it’s better than staring out the window or constantly checking his phone. Bel sits up, arms dangling over the back of the couch. Kam and Pepper watch Kai, but they don’t push him, giving him time to think.
“This car…” Kai chews on his bottom lip, trying to force the images in his head into words. “This car will change your life. No, that’s too cliche, sorry.”
“It’s ok.” Kam’s voice is encouraging. “Build off that cliche. If Manirat Nexus wanted to make a short film about this car, so the client could get a better idea of what customization he wants, what would that look like?”
Kai interlocks his fingers, resting his chin on them as he stares at the car, letting his mind paint the pictures he wants to use. He’s never driven a Ghost, or any kind of Rolls-Royce, but he’s seen people who have. He knows the kind of story they want to hear.
“This car,” He starts slowly, speaking faster as his idea takes shape. “Is a sanctuary, a masterpiece of engineering and…artistry. So we’d open on a breathtaking landscape, and an endless road with just the car. Each following frame highlights the inside and outside, the leather seats and the way light dances over that paint job. And the sound, that purr of the engine. It’s not noise—it’s music. Owning this car isn’t about possession. It’s about embracing a lifestyle. By the end, the client doesn’t just want the car—he’s, or she’s, dreaming about what it feels like to be part of something iconic. They want their Ghost customized by Manirat Nexus so they can be part of a legend in the making.”
Kam whistles. “You thought of all that just by looking at a picture of the car.”
“Yeah,” Kai shrugs. “Something like that.”
“You should offer him an internship, Kam.” Bel nudges his boyfriend. “He almost had me convinced, and I don’t like luxury cars.”
“I’ll make my own decisions about my company, thank you very much.” Kam scrutinizes Kai, then glances at the image on his laptop. “You really came up with that all on your own.”
Kai nods. “Just like crashing the press conference.”
“When do you graduate?” Is Kam’s next question.
“End of next semester.” Kai is beginning to feel like he’s being interviewed. Is that what this is? Had he really just done a pitch and was now being critiqued and considered for an internship at Manirat Nexus?
Kam glances at the laptop again, then Pepper, then Bel, and finally turns his gaze to Kai. “Monday.”
Kai’s brow furrows. “What about it?”
“That’s when you’ll start at Manirat Nexus.” Kam clarifies. “As Media Intern. You’ll do for me what Iris does for Jet and Kam, if you’re interested, that is.”
“Hell yes, I’m interested!” Kai grins. “Do you want me to sign anything now, or—”
“We’ll have time for that on Monday,” Kam reassures him. “When you come with me to talk to the client with the Ghost.”
Kai’s grin is threatening to split his face in two. He has an internship—one where he can do more than be a glorified gofer and avoid being pummeled by the company’s head of security. Manirat Nexus will let him use all his creativity and the skills he’s been honing to help expand their clientele. Also, since Kai is working for Manirat Nexus, his employment doesn’t have a conflict of interest. The company is owned by the Manirat family, yes, but it’s a completely different branch.
Maybe, if he was able to prove himself, the way he’s done at the gym and the gun range, Kai will be offered paid position after he graduates. He just has to graduate first. After he makes up with Jet. And takes down Chalam. Hopefully in that order.
“Congratulations Kai. Now the Manirats are never going to let you go.” Pepper smiles at him, blowing a kiss before checking her watch. Her face sobers. “It’s time.”
Three other faces also change—into identical expressions of determination. Bel gets up from the couch and turns on the tv. Kam leans forward in his seat, tapping his fingers on one knee. Pepper gets up from the table and leans against the back of the couch, while Kai drops onto the couch’s arm, leaning forward so his arms rest in his elbows. He’s careful to choose the arm of the couch closest to the office door. He has ten minutes. The closer he is to the exit, the better.
His pocket vibrates, but he doesn’t need to glance at his phone to know the text is from Nail. There are ten minutes left. Kai’s idea will work. It has to.
On the screen, a large platform, takes up most of the view. A podium stands in the center, displaying the logos of Ratcha Inferno and ManiratInfiniteDrift. Behind the podium, a screen flashes images of the logos, then the racing team, then the car Kit and Jet had customized for Zone to drive once he’s promoted from test driver to racer. What had Zone called it? A Regara?
Members of the racing team, drivers, pit crew and engineers, line the back of the platform. Zone, in his racing suit, stands at the far end, shifting his weight from the balls if his feet to his heels and back. Iris stands a few meters away, camera in hands, chicly dresses as is expected for an event like this. She is also checking her watch, and exchanging anxious glances with Zone. A knot of press has gathered below the platform, mics and cameras at the ready.
“You ready for this?” Bel squeezes Kai’s arm, taking a seat on the couch between him and Kam.
“Yeah.” Kai nods, anxious energy and excitement radiating off him in waves. “Let’s watch OmniVentures crash and burn.”
Pepper’s arms snake around him from behind. “I’m so proud of you.”
Kai’s response is a quick kiss on her upper arm. He can’t take his eyes off the tv screen. He might miss something. The team manager steps confidently up to the podium as the images continue to flash behind him. He introduces himself and the team.
“We’re here today to provide you all with updates on Ratcha Inferno’s recent performance, to discuss upcoming races, and share some exciting news about our latest sponsorship deal. We’re thrilled to have you here and look forward—”
A murmur runs through the crowd, increasing in volume until it resembles a swarm of bees. The images on the screen have changed. Instead of logos and cars, clips from the CCTV footage Kai gathered and other images carefully chosen by Iris and Pepper flash in front of the press and—thanks to national broadcasting—across the country. Zone moves from the end of the line of racers up to the podium. Iris follows him.
“You see?” Kai addresses the room in general, rather than one person, releasing the breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I told you Zone could figure this out.”
“Ladies and gentleman.” Zone looks directly into the camera, addressing the press in a loud, clear voice. “What you are seeing is evidence of an empire built on lies and corruption. Contrary to public belief and opinion, Chalam Tian Samongkonchai is neither philanthropist nor ethical businessman, but a liar, a fraudster, and a murderer.”
Iris steps up next to him. The two of them continue to speak, outlining each of Chalam’s crimes. Behind them, the screen continues to display images and footage, stripping back the veneer of lies to expose the rot underneath. The murmur of the crowd becomes louder, reaching a crescendo as security begins to fight their way toward the podium.
Kai’s face splits in a triumphant grin. They’d done it. Chalam’s crimes has been exposed to the public, and now that shark could finally answer for everything he’d done. He glances at Bel, ready to celebrate, but Bel sits frozen next to him. Kam doesn’t move either, and Pepper’s arms are tense around Kai’s shoulders. Bel and Kam’s eyes are wide, their faces taut. Kai can’t see Pepper’s face, but he can feel the uptick in her pulse. He glances behind him.
Nail stands in the office doorway, his expression unreadable, one arm is raised. The gun in his hand is aimed at Kai’s head. “On your feet, Kai.”
“The hell—” Bel tries to rise, but Kam’s arm shoots out, pinioning his boyfriend to the couch.
Pepper steps away from Kai, toward Nail. Nail turns the gun on her, guiding her back toward the wall. Kai swallows, getting slowly to his feet.
“Good.” Nail’s eyes lock with Kai’s. “Now you’re going to walk out that door, with me, right now.”
Every one of Kai’s instincts are screaming at him to run, to fight, to say something. But his eyes are frozen on the metallic object in Nail’s hand. The paperback in Bel’s lap slides to the floor with a soft thud. Nail’s eyes drop to the floor, and Kai throws himself forward to knock the gun from Nail’s hand.
The weapon clatters to the floor as Nail’s hands instinctively move into a defensive position, but not quickly enough. Kai’s fist connects with Nail’s jaw, sending him staggering backwards. Kai dives for the gun, only to be yanked back when Nail seizes his arm, twisting it savagely enough to make Kai’s eyes water. Pepper screams. Kai can hear Bel and Kam’s voices, too, but their words are indistinguishable. His sole focus is getting out of Nail’s iron grip.
Nail jerks Kai back onto his feet, slamming a brutal knee into Kai’s stomach, then throwing a kick to his ribcage that sends Kai tumbling into the coffee table. The bowl hits the floor seconds before Kai does, shattering. Chocolates scatter everywhere. The impact of the floor against his back sends pain shooting into Kai’s spine, smashing the air from his lungs. Nail hauls him upright, pinioning him to the wall with one forearm, while the other hand presses the retrieved gun into Kai’s side.
“Don’t make me ask twice.” Nail snarls.
Over Nail’s shoulder, Kai sees Pepper struggling to get to him. It takes both Bel and Kam to hold her back. Nail turns the gun on them without taking his eyes off Kai. The click of the safety makes all four of them freeze.
For a moment, the only sound is the tv screen, showing the nation a press conference descending into chaos. The cool steel of the gun presses into Kai’s side, sending tremors of fear through his body. Bel takes half a step forward, but Kam holds him back.
“Don’t.” Kam addresses both Kai and Bel. “He’ll shoot.”
“Smart boy.” Nail doesn’t take his eyes off Kai. There’s no emotion there, not even a flicker. “We’re leaving, Kai. Now.”
Kai takes a shuddering breath. He raises his hands up, slowly so Nail can see he’s done fighting, and nods. Nail lowers his forearm, but keeps the gun trained on Kam, Bel and Pepper, forcing them to stay back. Kai moves toward the door.
“Leave your phone.” Nail orders, his tone deadly. Kai hesitates. Nail turns the gun back to him. “You heard me.”
Kai reaches into his pocket, and removes his phone. Aware that both Nail’s eyes and Nail’s gun are still trained on him, Kai crosses the room, sending three quick texts—one to Rome and Luca, and one to Talay—before placing his phone in Pepper’s hands. Pepper’s eyes meet his, searching, pleading.
“It’s ok.” Kai forces as much reassurance as he can muster into his voice. “Jet knows the password.”
Pepper’s lips part, but Kai shakes his head before she can speak. No questions. Not now. Kam’s expression is one of barely controlled fury, but he stays planted in front of Bel, who looks ready to launch himself across the room. Kai glances at them, silently begging them not to move, not to say anything.
Nail’s fingers wrap around the back of Kai's neck, dragging him through the door. Kai stumbles down the stairs toward the street, guided by the grip around his neck and the gun pressed into his side. They go out the back entrance, where a sleek, dark green Range Rover is parked at the end of the alley. Nail gestures Kai into the passenger’s seat and he climbs inside without a word. It’s as Nail moves toward the driver’s side that Kai sees her through the passenger window: Mali.
She stands frozen across the street, eyes locked on the car. Their eyes lock for half a second before Nail turns the engine over, and they disappear into traffic.