In Love With My Stepbrother

Chapter 6: The Rival’s Desperate Move

The roaring engine of Kai’s matte-black Koenigsegg slammed through the concrete walls of the abandoned underground tunnel. Neon lights stretched into blurred lines of pink and blue across the slick asphalt.

I sat in the passenger seat, my fingers white-knuckling the leather armrest. I had swapped my silk camisole for a tight black leather jacket and ripped jeans, but my skin still felt hypersensitive from the strange spark that had flared between Kai’s fingers and the crescent birthmark on my collarbone earlier.

Beside me, Kai was a picture of deadly calm. His long, gloved hands gripped the steering wheel with effortless precision as he shifted gears, his muscle-bound body moving in sync with the violent power of the machine.

"You don't have to do this, Kai," I said over the engine's deafening roar. "Archer is just trying to draw you out."

"Archer is a pathetic dog barking for attention," Kai replied, his voice smooth and ice-cold. He didn't turn his head, but his golden eyes flickered toward me in the rearview mirror. "He brought the entire underground syndicate to watch him make a fool of himself. It would be rude not to give them a show."

We rounded the final subterranean curve, bursting into the massive underground parking arena known as the Midnight Circuit.

Hundreds of spectators, tuned-up street cars, and high-stakes gamblers filled the space. Cheering echoed off the damp walls, but the moment Kai’s car rolled to a halt at the starting line, a heavy hush fell over the crowd.

Across the grid sat a neon-red Ferrari. Archer West was leaning against the hood, holding a bottle of champagne, surrounded by his wealthy sycophants and my stepsister, Bella.

Kai turned off the engine, unbuckled his harness, and looked across the center console at me. The space inside the dark cockpit felt suffocatingly small.

"Stay close to me," Kai murmured, reaching out. His gloved thumb lightly hooked beneath my jaw, forcing my eyes to meet his. "The men in this arena are bloodthirsty. Keep your eyes on me and no one else."

"I'm not a helpless trophy, Kai," I whispered, my pulse hammering against his fingertips.

"You're not a trophy, Sienna," he growled softly, leaning in until his dark aura filled my entire vision. "You're the prize. And I don't lose what's mine."

He released my jaw, pushed his door open, and stepped out into the roaring arena. I took a deep breath, pushing back the shiver that ran down my spine, and followed him.

The crowd parted like the Red Sea as Kai walked toward the center line. Archer sneered, stepping forward with his chest puffed out, though his bandaged, broken wrist from earlier tonight was heavily wrapped under his jacket.

"Look who decided to show up!" Archer laughed, his breath reeking of expensive liquor. "The great Don of Bel-Air, bringing his stolen little step-sister along."

Archer’s greasy eyes locked onto me, scanning my leather jacket and bare throat. "You look stunning tonight, Sienna. A real upgrade from the fat loser you used to be. Too bad everyone here already knows how easy you were for me."

Before I could step forward to break Archer's nose myself, Kai moved.

He didn't draw a weapon. He simply closed the distance in half a second, his broad hand shooting out to grab Archer by the throat, slamming him hard against the hood of his own Ferrari. The champagne bottle shattered against the concrete.

Bella screamed, and Archer’s cronies reached for their waistbands, but Marcus and dozens of armed King syndicate guards instantly stepped out from the shadows, training red laser sights on every single one of Archer's men.

"Say another word about her," Kai whispered, his voice dangerously low as he pressed his forearm against Archer's windpipe, forcing the quarterback to gasp for air, "and I’ll rip your tongue out right here in front of your audience."

"Kai... wait!" Archer choked out, his face turning red. "We... we came to race! Winner takes all! A five-million-dollar stake... and... and rights to the northern docks!"

Kai smirked—a terrifying, predatory curve of his lips. He leaned down, whispering into Archer’s ear so only a few of us could hear.

"Five million is pocket change, West. If you want a real race, let's make it interesting." Kai straightened up, looking down at Archer with absolute disdain. "If I win, you surrender all West family shipping routes to the King empire, and you leave Bel-Air forever."

The crowd gasped. It was a wager that would utterly destroy the West family's power base.

"And if I win?" Archer panted, rubbing his bruised throat as Kai let him go.

Kai glanced back at me, his golden eyes burning with a dark, possessive flame under the neon lights.

"If you win," Kai said softly, "you get my seat at the council."

My heart dropped into my stomach. "Kai, are you insane?!" I yelled, grabbing his arm. "You're risking your entire empire!"

Kai didn't even flinch. He wrapped his gloved hand over mine, squeezing my fingers tightly.

"I don't lose, Sienna," he whispered, stepping closer until his body blocked out the crowd, his chest pressing lightly against mine. "Now get back in the car. You're riding shotgun."