Page 12 of Knot So Fast (Speedverse #1)

brEAKING POINT AS THE SIDEKICK

~ L UKE~

The sound of the shower turning on gives me permission to finally let out the nervous breath I've been holding since this whole encounter started.

The moment Auren is safely behind her bathroom door, I turn to face Kieran with the kind of serious expression that usually means someone's about to get their ass handed to them.

"How long are you going to keep watching our morning runs like some kind of stalker?" I ask, cutting straight to the point because dancing around subjects has never been my strong suit. "Because I've got to tell you, it's getting pretty fucking obvious."

Kieran has the decency to look slightly embarrassed as he leans against my kitchen counter, but he doesn't try to deny it.

"As long as I need to," he admits with a shrug. "Though these early morning surveillance sessions are brutal when I'm staying up until three AM most nights."

I roll my eyes and cross my arms, fighting the urge to reach for the pack of cigarettes hidden in the back of the junk drawer. Auren doesn't know I've been trying to quit smoking— again— or that I promised her and vowed never to hold another cigarette between my fingers.

But that was before the accident, when my stress levels weren't constantly through the fucking roof.

Now I deal with anxiety every single day, worrying about my sweet Omega roommate who's fighting amnesia while still being a force to be reckoned with in a world that doesn't want her to succeed.

The cigarettes used to help take the edge off, but I made that stupid promise, and even though she doesn't remember it, I'm trying like hell to keep it.

Kieran must notice my internal struggle because he sighs and waves a hand toward the kitchen.

"If you need a smoke, just take it. I won't tell her."

"I'm trying to quit," I mutter, hating how pathetic that sounds even to my own ears.

Kieran smirks, and there's something almost sympathetic in his expression.

"You've got a better shot at success than Lucius does."

The mention of that name makes me growl low in my throat, all my protective instincts flaring to life.

"Don't bring that fucker up. If it wasn't for you and Caspian holding him back, he could have been fucking paralyzed in Budapest all over those stupid fucking bets."

"The bet was valid," Kieran says carefully, his voice taking on the kind of measured tone that suggests we're treading into dangerous territory. "But the shit you two pulled afterward wasn't exactly fair play either. All in the name of love, right?"

I sigh heavily and lean back against the opposite counter, suddenly feeling every one of my twenty-six years.

"Well, the Omega I confessed my feelings to doesn't remember any of it now, does she?"

Kieran whistles low under his breath and settles more comfortably against the kitchen island, crossing his arms as he studies me.

"Yeah, I don't know how you do it, man. I'd be stroking my cock every fucking night if I had to share living space with her like roommates. At least you two actually fucked before the accident."

"It doesn't make it any fucking better," I grumble, hating the reminder of what I've lost. "But thanks for bringing up painful memories."

Kieran sighs deeply, his gaze dropping to study his feet with the kind of intensity that suggests he's struggling with his own demons.

"It's for her own good," he mutters finally. "You know that."

I swallow hard around the lump forming in my throat, automatically tuning my ears to make sure the shower is still running upstairs. The last thing we need is for Auren to overhear this conversation and start asking questions we're not prepared to answer.

"For her own good?" I repeat, unable to keep the bitter edge out of my voice. "Really? That she doesn't know about the empire she built in the racing world but still gets all the fucking hate that leaves her feeling more confused and isolated than ever?"

Kieran doesn't say anything, just looks at me with those dark eyes that seem to see too much. I can feel my frustration building, all the resentment and worry I've been carrying for months finally bubbling to the surface.

"She thinks she's merely banned from the sport because she's an Omega," I continue, my voice getting louder despite my efforts to keep it down.

"An abomination in a male-only sport because she's too fucking good and it scared those old geezers to the point of making it fucking illegal for Omegas to compete.

So she has to continue living here in this luxury penthouse suite that she thinks we're sharing and splitting rent for, when she actually owns this place and earned every square foot of it. "

I gesture around the expensive apartment with its floor-to-ceiling windows and custom fixtures, thinking about all the things Auren doesn't know about her own life.

"Not to mention the garage full of cars we still haven't told her about," I add, my frustration reaching dangerous levels. "All those speed-wrapped bad boys sitting in the private basement level that she bought with prize money she doesn't remember earning."

"She just got her license back," Kieran mutters, and there's something defensive in his tone that makes me want to punch him.

"Should I wonder how you know that?" I ask sarcastically. "No, let me guess—you've been keeping tabs on every aspect of her recovery."

Kieran smirks but doesn't deny it.

"If we show her all those cars right now, she's going to wonder how she made enough money to afford them.

That leads to questions about her racing career, which leads to stress we shouldn't be putting on her while she's still recovering.

I also don't want to deal with Wolfe lecturing us about pushing too hard too fast, so fuck that noise. "

I laugh, but there's no humor in it. "Wolfe Senior or Wolfe Junior?"

Kieran pinches the bridge of his nose like he's fighting off a headache. "Yeah, yeah, we both know which Wolfe I'm talking about."

"So when are we telling her about that?" I ask, referring to the complicated relationship between Auren and the Wolfe twins that she's completely forgotten. "When are we going to stop pretending that half her life didn't happen?"

Kieran doesn't reply, just stares at the expensive marble countertop like it holds the answers to all our problems.

I roll my eyes in disgust.

"Not surprised. Sure, do whatever you guys want. You clearly know what's best for her."

"That's not what I'm trying to project here," Kieran says, but his voice lacks conviction.

"Yeah, I get it," I snap, finally letting my resentment show.

"I'm just the Beta with very little money or power in this situation.

I love her just as hard as you lot of fucking bastards, but I don't get a say in anything important.

I'm just the sidekick who keeps her sane while you guys live your luxury lives, right? "

Kieran tries to argue, opening his mouth to object, but I shake my head and cut him off.

"Nope. You know I'm fucking right, because at the end of the day, while you guys pursue those miserable careers that are so far from what you love and thrive on like crack addicts, I'm here trying to put the pieces back together for the woman WE love."

My voice cracks slightly on the word 'love,' but I push through, determined to get this out.

"When she has panic attacks from virtual racing games that trigger her PTSD, I'm the one there holding her while she hyperventilates.

When she wakes up screaming from nightmares about burning cars and broken glass, I'm there.

When she's struggling to make things feel normal while smiling at a world that only wants to see her fail, where are you guys? "

Kieran opens his mouth but can't seem to find words to argue with what I'm saying.

The silence stretches between us, heavy with all the guilt and frustration we've been carrying.

"Let's just drop it," I huff finally, knowing this conversation isn't going anywhere productive.

But Kieran surprises me by staying silent for a long moment before whispering something that makes my blood run cold.

"We want to try again."

I open my mouth to respond, then pause as the full meaning of his words registers.

"Are you guys fucking mad?" I ask incredulously. "No, wait—I already know you all have loose screws bordering on insanity, but you're really pushing it now."

Kieran straightens up and turns to look directly at me, his expression more serious than I've ever seen it.

"You of all people know we're not afraid of her parents."

"You should be!" I explode, my voice rising despite my efforts to keep quiet.

"Her parents, plus her two best friends' parents who are just as diabolically psychotic and overprotective!

Power couples who try to tone down their billionaire statuses and how dangerously lethal their children actually are! "

Kieran immediately puts his finger to his lips, signaling us both to listen for the sound of the shower. We stay quiet for what feels like an eternity, straining our ears to make sure Auren hasn't finished her shower and overheard any of this conversation.

When he's satisfied that we're still safe, Kieran answers in a lower voice.

"We know. We know that her parents will literally have us murdered if we fall for her again and fuck up her recovery. But if I have to continue teaching those stuck-up, bratty-ass spoiled fuckers for one more semester, I'll kill myself. Literally."

I try to speak, but he shakes his head and continues before I can object.

"We're unhappy, Luke. We're fucking tearing apart at the seams. I barely talk to Dex or Caspian anymore, and the twins? They're going to self-destruct if we keep going like this. Even Senior, who puts on this show of being the perfect champion for the whole world to see."

"It... it can't be that bad," I stammer, though I'm starting to get a sick feeling in my stomach.

"He started drinking again," Kieran says quietly.

The words hit harder than I like to admit.

"Fuck."

"Yeah. It's bad. Really bad."

We hear the shower finally stop, and we share a look that's equal parts panic and resignation.

The conversation we've been having is exactly the kind that could destroy the fragile peace we've all been trying to maintain.

"So what's the plan?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Kieran shrugs, but there's something calculated about the gesture.

"They won't know until three PM."

I frown, my brain automatically trying to work out the logistics.

"EST?"

It's Kieran's turn to look confused, and I realize he's not thinking about time zones.

"If you're suggesting some kind of global announcement," I explain, "it's going to be broadcast during evening prime time, which means if it's at three PM somewhere, it's going to show up at nine PM our time. You remember how time zones work, right?"

Kieran pauses, looking uncertain for the first time since this conversation started.

"What if it's AM?"

I shrug and glance at the clock on the microwave.

"Then the announcement is in..." I pause to do the mental math. "Three minutes."

"Fuck," Kieran curses under his breath. "Put on the news."

The urgency in his voice makes my stomach drop even further. Whatever announcement he's talking about, it's clearly something that's going to change everything for all of us.

I grab the remote and flip on the large screen TV mounted on the kitchen wall, quickly navigating to one of the major news networks.

The morning anchors are in the middle of discussing some political scandal, but there's a ticker at the bottom of the screen that reads "brEAKING: Major Sports Announcement Expected."

"What exactly are we watching for?" I ask, though I have a sinking feeling I already know.

Before Kieran can answer, the news program cuts to a special bulletin.

A serious-looking anchor appears on screen with the kind of expression that usually precedes life-changing announcements.

"We're going to our sports desk now for a major breaking news story that's expected to shake up the world of Formula One racing..."

My heart starts pounding as I realize we're about to witness something that's going to affect not just the racing world, but Auren's life specifically. Whatever the pack has been planning, whatever announcement Kieran was referencing, it's about to happen.

And Auren has no idea what's coming.

Since the shower stopped, that means she'll be down here any minute, probably expecting a normal breakfast with two men who are clearly keeping massive secrets from her.

Instead, she's about to walk into a situation that could change everything she thinks she knows about her life, her past, and her future.

"Kieran," I whisper urgently, "what the hell have you guys done?"

But he's staring at the TV screen with the kind of intensity that suggests even he's not entirely sure what's about to happen.

Whatever announcement is coming, it's apparently big enough to make even the man who's been orchestrating things look nervous.

The anchor on screen shuffles his papers and looks directly into the camera.

"In just moments, we'll be bringing you live coverage of what sources are calling the most significant rule change in Formula One history..."

My blood runs cold as the implications hit me.

Rule changes in Formula One don't just affect current drivers— they affect who's eligible to be a driver in the first place.

And if the pack is planning what I think they're planning, Auren's about to discover that her racing career might not be as over as she thinks it is.

The question is whether that's going to be the best news she's ever received — or the thing that finally breaks her completely.