Page 83 of Steel

“That’s loud.” Austin’s eyes are wide as he watches me climb off my bike.

“You get used to it.” I shrug.

“I like it.”

“Me too, kid. I always found the rumble of the motorcycle calming.”

“Someday, I’m gonna learn to ride a bike.” He swishes his cape around. “No training wheels.”

“You got one back home?”

Austin shakes his head. “Bikes cost lots of monies. Tempe said maybe for my birthday.”

A knot forms in my throat, and I get the sudden urge to drive him to the store to pick out a bike. Before he has a chance to notice, I turn, setting my rag aside and moving to the sink to wash my hands.

Austin follows, stepping up on a bucket to wash his hands beside me. “If I get a bike for my birthday, will you show me how to ride it?”

I should tell him I don’t know if he’ll still be here. And if he’s not, I doubt his sister is going to want to be around me after what a dick I’ve been to her. But I don’t have the heart when he blinks up at me with such innocence.

Planting a hand on his head, I shake his hair around. “For sure, kid.”

“You’re the best, Jameson.” Austin smiles, jumping up and down beside me, landing in a different superhero pose each time he does. “What’s next?”

“The most important part,” I tell him. “Cleaning up.”

Austin frowns, his shoulders deflating. “That’s no fun.”

“It’s not all about fun, big man. But if you take pride in something, you take care of it. From the oil change to the cleanup. Isn’t that right, Havoc?”

Havoc pops his head up in the adjoining bay. “That’s right.”

“I guess.” Austin frowns, but he doesn’t argue as we start cleaning up.

“He must be superstrong,” Austin says, looking at Havoc, who is carrying a box of parts over to Soul.

“One of the strongest.”

Austin looks up at me. “Does your cape make you strong?”

“Cape?”

He reaches up and touches my cut. “It’s a cape, right? You’re always wearing it.”

I look down at where his fingers graze over the stitching. “I guess you could call it that.”

“My cape makes me feel strong.” He grabs it again and swishes it around. “Does your cape do that?”

Austin hugs the blue fabric around his body, curling into it as he watches me.

“Honestly? I’ve never thought about it like that.” I squat down, bringing myself to his level. “I guess it makes me strong, even if not for the reasons you might think.”

His eyebrows pinch.

“The cape isn’t what gives you your superpowers, Austin.” I brush my hands down the front of my cut. “It shows your loyalty. Your commitment. Your cape tells people what you represent and who you’re willing to protect. But at the end of the day, the cape is just the symbol. What really matters is what you do when it comes down to it. The people at your side when you’re fighting your way through. You’re only as strong as the people you’re willing to protect and the people who care about protecting you.”

“Like family?”

“Yeah.” I nod. “Like family.”

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