Page 26 of Hyperspeed
Rev flicked some hair over his shoulder with his delicate fingers. “And yet, here I am, suffering through this event just like you.”
Zylo roared with laughter. “He’s got you there, Mercer.”
“I’m here to support the league’s newest sponsor. And it was mandatory.” The last part was muttered, but Zylo heard well enough.
“Savannah threatened you again, didn’t she?”
I waved him off before turning back to the rookie. “That’s neither here nor there. I’m here for my team, not to make small talk with people who think they know everything about racing.”
Rev narrowed his eyes, gaze sharp. This little fucker knew he was getting to me. “You sure about that? You seem pretty engaged.” He rested his elbow on the tall table, appearing relaxed as ever. The lines on his body flickered sunshine yellow.
“Only because you keep running your mouth,” I shot back.
“Oh, please. You love it.” He tilted his head, his void-like eyes calculating. “Probably get off on it.”
My jaw tightened, and heat crept up my neck. The worst part was that he wasn’t even wrong. The back and forth between us, the constant challenge he presented . . . it was infuriating, but it made my pulse quicken.
If he were anyone else, I’d have dragged him to the bathroom and ravaged him in a cubicle like the classy fellow I was. The fact that my dick was twitching right now was nothing more than a biological reaction to his sass—the need to tame a brat and have them begging on their knees.
My treacherous appendage had to get with the programme, because Rev wasnotsomeone I wanted to fuck until he cried. He was a snarky little shit whose neck I wanted to wring.
Repeatedly.
Jax returned to the table, a drink in each hand. He passed one to the rookie, who thanked him before taking a sip, then Rev circled around me, starting a conversation with my best friend.
Saelix leaned across the table, humming in amusement. “He’s getting under your skin, Kai.”
I stepped away from the table. “You know what? I need a drink.” I turned on my heel, ignoring the amused looks from my friends—and the knowing smirk on Rev’s face—and headed to the bar.
Point to you, rookie, I thought.But just you wait. The game is on.
Beam Me Up, Hottie
Rev
Nebula got busier and busier as the night went on, filling to the brim with guests in designer clothes. We listened to speeches from CosmoCharge’s CEO, and servers drifted through the crowd with trays of finger foods. Drinks flowed, and I knocked them back like I was dehydrated.
Zylo was right; they were strong as fuck.
Nebula was fancier than any place I’d been to. It catered to the elite, and until Zenith swooped me up, I was used to being broke as shit. Thankfully, CosmoCharge had gone all out on the infinite bar tab.
I begrudgingly made small talk with important people, and even exchanged words with Dray. Jax sent him glares from across the room the entire time—so fiery I half expected Dray to burst into flames. His hostility was palpable, and even drunk, I knew better than to ask.
Nina, Zenith’s publicist, had checked on me a few times, and Tavoris praised Zylo and me for our performances so far. Given the rosy tint to his cheeks, it seemed like even the team principal was letting loose tonight.
I mainly stayed at the table with Zylo and Saelix, doing my best to ignore Kai as he spoke with Jax nearby. But his voice was just a little too loud, and his handsgestured a bit too wildly. The cocky smile he wore so often, the one that always pissed me off, never left his face.
Now and then, I’d hear his obnoxious laugh from across the room, only to get more annoyed when the sound sent a shiver down my spine. He was just so . . . carefree. Like nothing could bring him down. Even in an overcrowded room surrounded by strangers, he looked at ease.
Oh, to enjoy the privilege.
Kai revelled in all the shoulder slaps from people he didn’t know, the congratulations from everyone he spoke to. He was a commodity to everyone here, and he knew it. A natural at holding court with his admirers, he ensured everyone felt the weight of his attention, leaving no one out, while his harem hung on his every word. They laughed at his jokes—which weren’t funny—and complimented him for existing.
Meanwhile, I was content being a wallflower, fading into the background. But occasionally, I’d feel a prickle of awareness, and looking around the room, I’d find Kai’s eyes already on me.
Each time, the frown he wore would fade away, replaced with a smug grin. I’d hold his stare for a moment, letting him know he wouldn’t get to me. That I refused to let him bother me. Then I’d sip at drink one hundred and whatever, and return to my previous conversation with Zylo.
I was grateful when the bar got busier and I lost track of Kai in the crowd. I was listening to Saelix and Zylo chat about their holiday plans for the off-season when someone approached my back.
