“That will probably be bad for Reese’s image.”
She turns and glares.
As it comes down to the final lap of the race, Reese is still fighting for first, a blue and yellow blur whizzing over asphalt. He battles it out with another rider, the front tyre of his Yamaha kissing the back of the Ducati’s. Kayla is now screaming at the TV mounted on the fireplace as they race neck and neck. The announcer’s yelling and the crowd roaring as Reese crosses the finish line a hair before the other racer.
“He won!” Kayla jumps up and down. “Holy shit, he won!” She catapults herself onto my lap.
“Did you doubt him?”
“No, I just . . . I’ve never seen him in his element.”
“Pretty intense, huh?”
“Yes. Just as intense as watching you perform surgery.”
“You don’t have to try and make me feel better just because my brother is a world-famous champion.”
“I’m not.” She presses her chest to mine and runs her fingers through my hair. “I’m just pointing out the magnificent talents of both of my men.”
“Oh? Is that what you’re doing?”
“Yes.”
“Is cardiac catheterization the only magnificent talent I have?”
“No.” She eyes me wickedly. “You have many, many magnificent talents. And I can’t wait to find out what else you have up your sleeve.”
Ever since our little adventure with the cuffs, feather, and pinwheel, Kayla has been an insatiable kink fiend. I definitely exposed her to the dark side, and she took to it like a duck to water. Could I be happier? No. The past few weeks have been the very best of my life.
Which, in my mind, raises a serious concern. I’m getting used to having Kayla all to myself. It’s what I wanted from the very beginning.
But we all know that notion is a fallacy. I’ll never have Kayla to myself, because even though Reese isn’t here, he is always a phone call, text message, or a whisper away.
Phantom is an appropriate nickname because his essence is always haunting me.
* * *
I brushmy teeth in front of the television in my room while Kayla showers. I steal glances of both the news and her naked body. This amazing normalcy has been my life for over two months. I’ve never lived with a woman, and even though Kayla still has her condo, she’s basically moved in. She even has her own drawer in the dresser and some clothes and shoes in my closet. I’ve gotten way too used to it being just the two of us—a notion I’ve tried to ignore. She isn’t just mine, but being together feels as natural as spring rain or a warm summer night.
Before I make my way back into the bathroom to spit, an image of Kayla’s aunt flashes across the screen. The news cuts to a commercial, giving me just enough time to run into the bathroom and rinse my mouth before ripping Kayla out of the shower.
“Dev!—”
“You need to see this!” I wrap a towel around her just as the story airs.
“A historical drug bust went down last night as nearlya million dollars’ worth of heroin was seized from an abandoned church off Town and Country Road. The church, which had been under surveillance for months, was a loading and unloading point on the ‘Highway to Hell’ drug route stretching from Virginia to New York. Police brought into custody Theodore Wells, a low profile drug runner who is believed to oversee the distribution of heroin in the local area.”
Well, I’ll be damned. Theodore Wells is none other than Viper, and seeing him hauled away in handcuffs is surprisingly gratifying. Every biker in a hundred-mile radius knew he was dirty but to be involved in such a complex drug ring comes as a shock. Who knew he had that much brain power?
“Did you know about any of this?” I ask her, as the mayor makes a statement behind a podium. Kayla’s aunt is standing right beside the distinguished-looking gentleman, with his graying hair and tailored suit.
Kayla shakes her head, looking a little pale. “I knew she was working on something big. I just didn’t realize it was this big.”
“The tireless effort our police force has put forth to apprehend these criminals is commendable. Tonight, our streets are safer because of these committed brave men and women.”
The news story ends after the mayor’s statement.
“Wow, your aunt is pretty bad ass.”
