Blaze's POV
I'm startled out of a deep sleep by the shrill ringing of my phone. I groan and squint against the unexpected intrusion of sound as my head pounds. Who the hell is calling me now? I grope around blindly, trying to locate the source of the noise. My fingers finally close around my phone, and I somehow manage to swipe it open. Felix’s voice roars through the speaker, instantly cutting through the fog in my brain. “You idiot, where the hell are you? The race is starting in 30 damn minutes!” he yells, his voice full of irritation. The race. Shit! My heart pounds as I sit up quickly, my mind struggling to catch up. If it’s starting in 30 minutes, then it must be 11:30 p.m. already. I scramble off the soft bed, only to wince as pain shoots through my body. My waist aches like I’ve been beaten up by ten guys. Ha, shit… What happened to me? I glance down and freeze, realizing that I’m completely naked. My skin is littered with bite marks and bruises. Panic flares in my chest. Did I hook up with someone last night? A lady? But no, I don’t remember talking to any woman. Why does my body feel like I was the one being pounded on? Slowly, awareness returns, and I feel a strange, painful sensation radiating from my lower half. My ass hurts, and not in the usual way. It’s sore, sensitive, like— Oh, hell no. Images start flashing through my mind in a disjointed sequence—sensations, a blur of skin, and... a lion’s head with an eagle’s wings tattooed on a broad chest. A man’s chest. I swallow hard. I was… I was ridden by a guy. I can barely remember his face, but that tattoo is etched into my memory like a brand. My head spins as I try to piece together what happened. All I recall is that it felt insanely good, but thank goodness he’s gone. There’s no way I could have faced him when I woke up. Forcing myself to move, I stand up, only to be hit by another wave of dizziness. My vision blurs and my legs feel unsteady. Is this a hangover, or something else? I want to collapse back into the bed and sleep it off, but there’s no time for that. I need to get to the race. After pulling on my pants, jacket, and boots, I grab my phone and dial Felix’s number again. It’s late, but the streetlights outside still shine brightly. I glance around, trying to get my bearings. The surroundings look familiar—close to the clubhouse, maybe. “Are you here already?” Felix asks, his voice crackling in my ear. “Yeah… you seen my bike?” I mumble, rubbing my temples. “You left it parked at Stanfold Bar, dude. Anyway, we brought It here. Find a way to get over here fast. Just a few minutes left!” he shouts, urgency dripping from his words. Stanfold Bar. Right. I remember now. I was drinking with those Steel Rider bastards. Did they leave me passed out on a table, only for some random guy to pick me up and—? I shake my head, running a hand through my messy hair. No point in dwelling on it now. I order a ride to the location, and soon, I’m on my way. Every bump in the road makes me wince. My ribs hurt, but I ignore it. I’ve got a race to focus on. When I finally arrive, Felix rushes up to me, looking worried. “Hey, buddy, are you sure you can pull this off? You don’t look so good.” “I’ll be fine,” I lie, trying to mask the pain. “It’s just some slight pain in my ribs.” No way am I telling him about the throbbing in my ass. He’d never let me live it down. “You know you can let someone else do the race,” Felix says, his tone pleading as he tries to talk sense into me. "Dude, there's nothing I can do. There is no other method to settle the debt." I reply, putting on my gloves and helmet straps, "I have to do this." "B-but—" He begins, but I interrupt. "Now is not the moment." I firmly say, "Just wait for me at the finish line," and get back on my bike. Every action hurts my body, yet I grit my teeth and keep going. I feel a chill go down my spine as I rev the engine. I sense a deadly gaze from behind me, as though someone is observing me with malicious intentions. I cast a quick glance behind me, but nothing unusual catches my eye. Just more riders getting ready. I shake my head, trying to ignore the uneasy sensation. It’s probably just nerves. Or maybe I’m still feeling the aftereffects of whatever happened last night. But something else is off. I scan the lineup and frown. Where the hell is Carlo? He should be here with me. But instead of him, I have some random dude, whom I’ve never seen before. Oh well. I guess it’s for the best. The more the distractions, the worse. I have to center myself. Any moment now the race will begin, and I have to make sure that there are no mistakes. Still, I can’t help but remember last night. The weird feeling in my body, the veil-like fog that has occupied my brain making it difficult to see clearly. And that creepy itch in my stomach. But I shove it all back. I Will sort that out when I am finished. Right now there is a race to run. I ready myself and breathe in as the countdown begins. Three… Two… One… The starting signal goes off, and I hit the gas hard, the noise from my motorcycle canvasing all other sounds. The track widens and blurs as I descend, the vision narrowing and narrowing to the line in front of me. No more distractions. Just me and the road. I’ll finish this race, win it, and pay off the damn debt. Then I’ll figure out what the hell happened last night—and who the guy with that damn tattoo is.Blaze's POVMy vision blurs as the night air cools my face. My motorcycle's headlights pierced the night sharply, and the roaring motors behind me struck my head like a hammer.I'm starting to worry now about what was in that drink. I should merely have a hangover because I slept it off, yet I still feel inebriated. My body aches like I’m being ripped apart from the inside out, and I can barely think straight.I wince as pain from my wounded rib penetrates me like a knife as I brace myself for the next curve.Fuck! That old man—he could have waited until I healed to give me this chance. Right now, it feels like I’m being sent on a death mission. This isn’t a race. It’s a suicide run.The sharp turn is brutal. My grip tightens on the handlebars as I push through, fighting to keep control of my bike. Every bump in the road makes my rib throb harder, and the pain clouds my focus. I can’t even see clearly anymore.A flash of movement to my left catches my eye. Someone breezes past me like
Blaze's POV “Man! You scared the living shit outta me,” Felix exclaims as he walks into the hospital room, his voice a mix of relief and frustration. I squint at him, trying to process everything. He looks... worn out. His face is thinner, his cheekbones more pronounced, and there are dark circles under his eyes—evidence of sleepless nights. He must have been really stressed about me. “One whole month,” he continues, shaking his head. “I thought you were enjoying some blissful dream with a pretty lady or something. Like you didn’t want to let go and refused to wake up.” He snorts, attempting to lighten the mood, but it only deepens the pit in my stomach. Does he think life is a movie? I try to roll my eyes, but even that simple motion aches. I want to speak, to ask a thousand questions, but the words won’t come out. My throat feels tight and dry as if it’s forgotten how to function. Probably because I haven’t used it in a month. Felix catches my gaze and stops talking. For a
Blaze’s POV3years later My life slowly passed me by, and I was quickly forgotten—thrown down from being the top racer to a nobody. I wish other aspects of my life had changed along with that harsh truth, like the fucking debt hanging over my head. That old man is really an asshole without a heart. He just abandoned me after all the fucking money I made for him. Because of him, I'm in this shit.My attention snaps back to the fucker sitting on the bed in front of me, while my knees ache like hell from kneeling and blowing him off. Tch! How long do I have to keep doing this shit? Sucking off this scumbag for money honestly pisses me off, but I have no choice. He pays quite well, and in my current situation, that’s what matters. “Hey, do it properly!” he growls, pushing himself further into my mouth. If I really wanted to do it “properly,” I’d bite it off. Jerk.I force myself to keep
BLAZEI spent the entire night trying to avoid him. That punk. But no matter how much I try, I can’t. He’s too damn handsome. Who the hell looks that good in a big cardigan and plain pants? Yeah, I’ve got to give him credit this time—he deserves it.The club is nearly empty now. I sweep my eyes over the few remaining customers stumbling out, the dim lights casting long shadows over the polished floor. I let out a heavy yawn. Finally, it’s time to go home and get some rest.Getting back in the staff room, I hurry to get dressed out of my uniform and grab a casual T-shirt and jeans. The music has stopped yet the vibrations from the bass are still reverberating in my head. I scan the place one more time before stepping into the back exit.It is 4 am and people have not woken up yet. There is no noise except the faint sound of cars from far away, the quietness is not normal. The cool air touches me on the face, but it is not refreshing. I felt empty for some reason. For a while, it feels
CARLOAt first, I couldn't believe it. I’m staring at the one person who’s haunted my dreams for the last three years. Blaze. He’s right there, only a few feet away. I watch as he glances at our table a couple of times, but he quickly looks away as if that night meant nothing to him—or could he really have no memory of it at all?The thought is almost insulting. It gnaws at me, and a bitter pang rises in my chest. That night… Does it not linger in his thoughts the way it does in mine? Does he not remember how he made me feel? How his touch and taste etch themselves into my memory, playing on repeat in my head for countless sleepless nights?“Are you looking at Blaze?” Bobby’s voice cuts through my thoughts, dragging me back to the present. I glance at him and realize I’ve been staring for too long—long enough for people to notice.“His downfall was unexpected,” he continues, his voice carrying a hint of regret. “It took a huge turn after that crash. I feel bad sometimes… It was partly
Carlo "What the fuck makes you think you can just say that and I'll hand him over to you?" I snap at the bastard standing a few meters away. Felix. Blaze's fucking lapdog. He has the nerve to stand there, all smug, like he’s got some kind of right to speak to me. "You think I didn’t notice you, coward? You stood there like a goddamn statue, watching while Blaze was pounded into the ground, raped until he fucking passed out. And now you think you can just waltz in and take him?" I glare at him, fists itching to rearrange his goddamn face. Felix shrugs, looking all nonchalant, like I’m not seconds away from smashing his teeth in. "What the fuck did you expect me to do? Fight a group of guys that even Blaze couldn’t handle?" His voice drips with annoyance, his brows furrowing like he's the one pissed off. "Fuck off with your excuses," I growl. "You just stood there, you pathetic piece of shit. You’ve always been a spineless coward hiding behind Blaze. Always tucking your tail lik
Blaze"Ugh, Christ!" I wake up with a little bit of pain shooting through my body, and my head a little light.I blink my eyes open and stare at the ceiling. It’s clean and white—too fancy for any hospital I know of. My chest tightens. Where the fuck am I?Sitting up slowly, I take in my surroundings. The bed’s softer than anything I’ve slept on in years. The room? Big, luxurious, and smells like expensive cologne. Definitely not my shitty apartment or the alley I passed out in.What the fuck happened? Did I die and somehow end up in a penthouse version of hell?I rub my temples, trying to recall something—anything—but my head pounds like someone’s using it as a fucking drum.“How do you feel?”The voice cuts through my thoughts like a knife. I freeze, recognizing that smooth, arrogant tone. I turn my head and, lo and behold, there he is. Carlo.Sitting there all smug, wearing a suit that probably costs more than my monthly rent. His hair slicked back, except for a strand falling ove
Carlo"Son, you barely even come home or call your mother. That’s not very nice," my mother says, her voice soft and composed, as if everything is peaceful.Hell, it’s not. My insides are on the verge of fucking combustion, and I’m sure as hell my father can feel the heat from where he’s sitting. My so-called brother, the prick I just found out about six months ago, is sitting across from me. I’m still trying to figure out how the fuck my mother is completely fine with this bullshit."Sorry, Mother. I've been really busy," I mumble, forcing out the words because I know she won’t let it go otherwise."If I had a daughter, I wouldn’t be so bothered, but the worst part is my only son has refused to bring a woman home."My fork freezes mid-air. “Not this shit again, Mother.”"What do you mean ‘not this shit’? The last time I saw you with a woman was three years ago. What kind of celibacy streak is this?!" She yells, waving her fork around like it’s some kind of weapon.I bite back the urg
Blaze“Dude, that bike looks like it was smashed into a rock, the fall was messy,” Alexi continues to rant as we walk to the shop together, but my feet fucking freeze the moment we get to the front.“Woah, what a fucking handsome rich dude, he looks like the wealthy God from Greek. Damn, I suddenly remember I have a working pussy,” she whispers, eyes wide and stuck to the tall figure casually smoking in front of my shop like he owns the place.“What the hell, Alexi… Thought you were the top and you’re not into ‘dicks’?” I ask, forcing a smile, but the truth is, my stomach is in knots, flipping like it’s on crack.“Yeah, but trying it once with that gorgeous figure is an achievement,” she mutters. I don’t laugh. I can’t even move a fucking muscle.Carlo. That stupidly gorgeous bastard. His shirt is slightly open, tattoos on full display, hair slicked perfectly to the side, fucking polished from head to toe like he belongs in a mafia fantasy. His head’s down, so he hasn’t seen us yet, b
Blaze“You actually suck at this. Move. Let me do it.”Alexi snatches the wrench from my hand like I just committed some kind of sacred sin, and I don’t even fight her on it. I step back, wiping sweat from my neck with the back of my hand, watching her lean over the greasy engine like she owns the damn thing.“You know I’m still recovering from rich-boy trauma, right?” I mutter, lighting a cigarette and squinting at her through the smoke. “Three weeks out and I still flinch every time I see marble floors.”She snorts. “Yeah, well, this ain’t no penthouse, sugar. This is grease, fuel, and freedom. Welcome back to the land of the living.”I smirk a little.Three months. That’s how long it’s been since I walked out of Carlo’s place and didn’t look back. Since I shoved every memory, every fucked-up emotion, and every craving for his touch into a goddamn box and tossed it somewhere far away.This new place? It’s loud, rough, smells like gasoline and old tires, and I fucking love it. I open
Carlo“Whiskey. Double shot. Don’t go light.”The bartender doesn’t ask questions. Just pours and slides it over, it’s been a long time I came here but they still treat me like a regular. The glass hits my lips, and it burns like it’s supposed to. I stare at the bar stand where Blaze used to stand, all cocky and full of heat. It’s dead now. Cold. Like someone ripped the fucking soul out of the place.I down another.The club smells different without him here. It’s got that same stale sweat and desperation vibe, but it’s missing the spice. The fire. The fucking heartbeat. And I hate that I came here thinking maybe I could feel close to him. Maybe I’d see a shadow of him in the corners. Dumb shit like that.“You look like you need more than just a drink, man.”The voice comes from behind me. Smooth. Confident. I turn my head and there’s a guy—dark hair, pierced lip, smirking like he knows exactly what he’s offering. I don’t respond right away. Just stare.He’s not Blaze. But he’s got th
CarloDays pass.Then weeks.Then fucking months.Every morning I wake up hoping he’s on the couch. Hoping I’ll smell his skin again, hear him cussing at the coffee machine. But it’s just silence. Cold, empty fucking silence that echoes louder than a scream.The bed feels too fucking big. I roll to his side every night like a goddamn addict chasing a fix that ain’t there. I breathe into his pillow even though the scent’s faded. I still look for his towel on the bathroom rack. His boots by the door. But all I see is absence.I hire a private investigator. I pay triple to get the best. They come up with nothing. No name, no face, no trace. Like he never fucking existed.I start checking the places we used to hang out—bars, the old underground garage, that beat-up taco truck near Fifth where he always asked for extra hot sauce and never finished the food. I even go back to the last racing ring we chilled at, the one where he nearly punched a mechanic for scratching someone else’s car. I
Carlo“Where the fuck is he?”That’s the first thing I mutter the moment I walk into the penthouse. I drop my bag by the door and look around like he might be hiding behind the damn curtains. But the place is too clean. Too quiet. The air smells like furniture polish and nothing else. No cologne, no cigarette smoke, no burnt toast from his lazy attempts at breakfast. It’s just empty.“Blaze!” I call out louder this time, my voice bouncing off the damn walls.Nothing.I head into the bedroom, push open the door like I expect him to be passed out on the bed or curled up under the sheets with one of my hoodies like he usually does. But it’s made. Neat. Fucking untouched.“Goddammit.”I check the bathroom. Closet. Balcony. Nothing.I pull out my phone and dial him again. It goes straight to voicemail—again. Just like it’s been all fucking week. I thought maybe his phone was acting up, or maybe he lost it. I even joked about it to myself on the plane, thinking I’d get back, find him half-n
Blaze“You still think this shit is love, Blaze?” Felix asks, his voice sharp like a damn knife to my ear. “You really gonna keep choosing Carlo over your fucking sanity?”He’s pacing the penthouse like a caged dog, arms crossed, jaw tight, eyes wild. It’s just me and him now that Carlo left for that bullshit business trip. The place feels too big. Too quiet. Too fucking cold.I don’t look at him. I just sink into the couch, legs stretched, a glass of whiskey in hand. My body aches. Or maybe it’s just my soul. I don’t fucking know anymore.I roll my eyes, dropping my phone on the armrest. “You’re still on that shit?”“I never left that shit,” he fires back. “Blaze, I’m your best fucking friend. I’ve watched you drown in this toxic-ass mess for too long. I ain’t gonna pretend like I’m cool with it just ‘cause he buys you pretty things and fucks you right.”I stare at him. That silence between us tightens.“I love him,” I say, flat. Like the words don’t even mean shit anymore.Felix sto
Carlo“You’re still here?” I mutter, walking into the living room and spotting Felix on the couch like he fucking lives here.He glances at me, smug as ever. “Good morning to you too, Carlo.”I hate his voice. Too calm. Too fucking smug. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he’s trying to get under my skin on purpose. But I do know better—he is.I walk past him without saying another word. I’m not in the mood for his bullshit, not this early. I head straight for the stairs, checking on Blaze first before I deal with anything else. He’s awake, sitting up in bed with his crutches leaning against the nightstand, flipping through some stupid magazine.His room smells faintly of antiseptic and vanilla—him. The curtains are half-drawn, sunlight slicing through the room in streaks. He looks comfortable, like he’s finally getting used to being home again. There’s something peaceful about that. The kind of peace I don’t get often.“Hey,” he says, eyes lighting up when he sees me. “Thought yo
CarloWeeks later.“You still awake?”I look up from my screen, surprised to hear his voice. I didn’t even hear him coming. That’s how focused I’ve been. Blaze is standing by the edge of the living room, leaning on the damn wall like he’s trying to look casual. His steps are slow, but shit—he’s actually walking. No crutches. No help. Just that annoying limp that’s been driving him insane.“You’re climbing stairs now?”He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but I see that hint of pride in his eyes. “Yeah, figured I’d surprise you.”I shut the laptop halfway and eye him as he limps closer. There’s this stupid grin on his face like he just won a damn medal.“You should’ve called me.”“For what? I ain’t crippled.”I grunt. Typical Blaze. Always acting like he’s fine when his body’s been through hell and back. I try not to hover too much lately, but fuck, it’s hard.He comes closer and reaches for the laptop on my lap, placing it gently on the table beside the couch. Then he straddles me like it
Carlo“Four fuckin’ hours, doc. You sure that’s normal?”My voice sounds like shit, dry and rough from too much pacing and zero fuckin’ sleep. I’m leaning against the wall outside the OR, arms crossed so tight my muscles are starting to cramp. Felix’s long gone—he couldn’t sit still, said he’d come back later. I don’t blame him. It’s hell just waiting. Every fuckin’ second feels like I’m stuck in a pressure cooker.The nurse doesn’t answer. Just tells me again to wait and walks off like I didn’t just ask that for the third goddamn time.So I wait.I keep checking the double doors like Blaze is gonna walk out himself. Dumb. Fuckin’ dumb. He’s cut open, knocked out, leg sliced up while they try to fix something he should’ve handled years ago.I should’ve forced him.I should’ve noticed the limp sooner, the way he tried to hide how bad it was getting. I should’ve dragged his stubborn ass to the hospital myself. But no—I had my head too far up my own shit.Four fuckin’ hours.I don’t sit.