“Just leave.” A part of Nate was afraid he was telling the truth, not just about his plans, but about the fact that Nate’s body might betray him the same way it had that night. He’d been hard and achy, and toward the end there, he’d pushed back to meet each and every thrust of Kazimir’s thick length.
Nate didn’t hate himself. He hated what his choices could mean for the people around him. That wasn’t the same thing, but it did boil down to a similar point.
This conversation had to end.
“You said you needed me to play a part? I’m not going to do that. If you’re planning on competing with your cousin, find someone willing to help you. That’s your best shot, and I’m not that person. I’m not selling myself to Mit or anyone else. You’re right about one thing, I don’t have the kind of money you and Madden do. But I’m not desperate enough to be in that kind of business. My brother raised me better than that. You took what didn’t belong to you once. I won’t let that happen again. I don’t owe you anything, Ambrose. And I never will because this is where you and I come to a close.”
Kaz eyed him for a moment and then said, “I get the sense that if you did owe me, you would cave.”
“But I don’t.” Although that statement was true and the fact he’d been able to guess as much made Nate infinitely more uncomfortable. “Please. Just go.”
Kaz clicked his tongue. “It’s too late to plead now. Maybe if you’d led with that a few minutes ago I might have listened, gotten bored, and given up. I figured it out though, during your little speech. That’s the missing piece, isn’t it? The part I didn’t catch, the thing that changes it from a self-loathing issue to another one altogether.”
Nate didn’t feel good about this.
“You brought up that I have a complex? What about you, Pretty Boy?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“No? Should I spell it out for you?” Kazimir slid his hands into his front pockets and smirked. “You got me. I was wrong. It’s not that you don’t like to lose, it’s that you don’t like to disappoint Big Brother.”
“Shut up.” Nate felt himself go cold. There was no way Kaz had picked up on that from just a few thoughtlessly spoken sentences. Maybe if Nate downplayed it now, he’d at least—
“Does he even know you race, Narek? What about all that time spent with Mit Parker? Does Nuri know about that?”
“Shut up!” Nate swung a second time but Kazimir saw it coming.
He captured Nate’s wrist and twisted him, forcing his back to his front so he could contain Nate even through his struggles. “What about that time you spent with me, hmm? Does he know about that?”
Nate froze. “Stop.”
“Should I tell him?”
“Kazimir. Stop.”
“If you want to get people to do what you want, Pretty Boy,” Kaz told him, “you need to get better at reading them.” He glanced over toward the back of the building where everyone else was working—thankfully—out of sight. “Here, let me demonstrate.”
Nate tripped as he was suddenly shoved out of Kazimir’s arms. By the time he spun around, Kaz was back to that casual stance, as if their minor scuffle had never happened.
“I need someone to be my boyfriend, to help me convince Baikal that I’m capable of something like that. But also because I’m curious and want to give it a shot. We had fun that night at the bar.”
“That wasn’t fun for me,” Nate corrected, but Kaz merely shrugged.
“Next time we do this, I suggest you know your place and give in sooner.” Kaz’s eyes twinkled knowingly. “I wonder what Big Brother would think if he knew you’d been reprimanded by your boss.”
“I don’t know what fucked up game you’re actually playing here,” Nate’s voice shook slightly, “but I want no part in it. This is mylife, asshole. You can’t just—”
“Everything okay out there, Mr. Ambrose?” Sier suddenly called from her office, leaning out of the doorway with a concerned look painted across her brow.
Shit.
“Actually,” Kaz sent Nate a quick glance, “your employee was just explaining to me that there’s nothing he can do. Unfortunately, I guess the bike is a lost cause.”
“What?!” Sier stormed out and rushed over to them, violently shaking her head. “Surely that’s not the case, Mr. Ambrose! We’re the best in town! You want it fixed? We can do that for you!”
“According to Nate here, you can’t.” Kaz motioned toward him with his chin and then shrugged. “It’s fine. I suppose I should have known. Wishful thinking on my part. Anyway, since there’s no longer any reason for me to hang around…” He winked at Nate. “I’ll see you later, Pretty—”
“Wait.” This wasn’t happening. Nate needed to stop him. He couldn’t just say all of that nonsense and then leave!
