In Love With My Stepbrother

Chapter 15: A Kiss Before the Race

The deafening roar of supercharged engines echoed through the concrete caverns of the Midnight Circuit, but inside the cockpit of the Dodge Demon, the world was reduced to the sound of my own steady breathing.

I sat in the carbon-fiber bucket seat, my fingers gripping the suede-wrapped steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. Outside my tinted driver’s window, the staging grid was a chaotic sea of flashing neon, thick tire smoke, and shouting bookies.

Across the yellow starting line sat Archer West in his low-slung, neon-red twin-turbo Mustang. He was revving his engine frantically, trying to intimidate me, his eyes full of desperate malice through his open window.

I adjusted my harness, staring straight ahead at the drag strip stretch that bled into the treacherous mountain hairpin turns ahead.

Click.

The passenger door opened, and the cold night air rushed into the warm cabin.

Kai leaned into the car. He had discarded his suit jacket, wearing only a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing the muscular dark ink of the wolf tattoo climbing up his forearm. He didn't look at the crowd, nor did he glance at Archer. His golden-amber eyes were locked entirely onto me.

"You don't have to prove anything to these vultures, Sienna," Kai murmured, his deep voice slicing effortlessly through the roar of the idling V8s.

"I'm not doing this for them, Kai," I replied, holding his gaze as my heart hammered against my ribs. "I'm doing this to put an end to Archer. To take back what belongs to my family."

A dark, proud smile touched the corners of Kai’s lips. He reached out, his long, calloused fingers gently hooking under my chin, tilting my face toward him. His thumb brushed lightly over my lower lip, sending a sudden, searing wave of heat straight down to my core.

"You drive like a demon when you're angry," he whispered, his tone dropping into a low, velvet growl that made my skin ignite. "Use that rage. Break his spirit on the first turn."

"And if I wreck your car?" I asked softly, a tiny, teasing spark igniting in my eyes despite the high stakes.

Kai leaned down further into the tight space of the car, bringing his face inches from mine. The rich scent of dark cedarwood, expensive leather, and rain completely overwhelmed my senses, making my head spin.

"I don't give a damn about the car, Sienna," Kai growled against my lips, his hand sliding behind my neck, his long fingers tangling into my dark hair. "I only care about you coming back to me in one piece."

Before I could answer, he closed the remaining distance, claiming my mouth in a sudden, possessive kiss that wiped every trace of fear from my mind.

It wasn't a soft or gentle touch—it was demanding, fierce, and filled with a raw, unspoken promise. His tongue parted my lips, tasting of dark whiskey, taking total control of my senses right in front of the entire underground syndicate.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd outside, but I was completely blind to them. I melted into his touch, my hands instinctively reaching up to grip his broad shoulders, feeling the immense, rigid power of his chest against mine. The crescent birthmark on my collarbone burned with an incandescent, blinding heat, radiating a surge of liquid fire through my veins.

When Kai finally pulled back, he didn't go far. His forehead rested against mine, both of us panting softly, our breaths mingling in the cool night air. The golden rings in his eyes flared brightly in the dim dashboard light.

"That was for good luck," I whispered, my voice raspy as my pulse raced wildly.

"That wasn't for luck, little sister," Kai purred darkly, his thumb trailing down the sensitive side of my neck, leaving a lingering trail of spark on my skin. "That was a down payment on what happens when you win."

He stepped back out of the car, slamming the heavy passenger door shut. He stood by the concrete barrier, his arms crossed over his massive chest, looking like a ruthless king waiting for his queen to claim her throne.

On the staging line between the two cars, a girl in a leather skirt stepped forward, raising two glowing green flares into the air.

Archer revved his engine again, screaming something arrogant through his window, but his words were completely lost on me. My mind was sharp, my blood was burning, and every nerve ending in my body was alive with Kai’s lingering warmth.

I flipped the toggle switches on the center console. The supercharger let out a high-pitched, terrifying whine as the launch control engaged.

3...

I locked my eyes on the dark, slick track ahead.

2...

I tightened my grip on the wheel, letting my mind settle into absolute focus.

1...

The green flares dropped to the asphalt.

Tires shrieked violently against the slick pavement as smoke billowed into the night air. The Dodge Demon launched forward like a cannonball shot into the dark, leaving Archer and the rest of the world behind.

Next Steps:

Chapter 16: Winning the Syndicate – Sienna executes her high-speed victory over Archer, officially forcing the Northern Council to yield, while the stepmother prepares a secret ambush at the estate.