Fighting For Light: A Dark Sports Romance (The Coldwell Brothers)

4. Kai

Thirteen Years Ago

“Are you sure you want to try motocross, Kai? You can’t find something else, maybe…a little safer?” Mom asks loudly. She said Liam and I need to get involved in a sport so we can meet other kids. She wants us to be more sociable. We never had the chance until now.

I shrug, watching the guys on dirt bikes race each other around the dirt track. One of them guns it up a hill and lifts into the air. My heart pounds as he kicks his legs out, then sets them back on the bike right before he lands. I want to do that.

“No, Mom, I want to do this.”

She sighs as a man walks up to us.

“Hi, I’m Reece Quinn. Are you Esmarie Coldwell?” he asks, holding out his hand to Mom. Reece is tall, tan, and lean. His hair is almost buzzed, and there are a few tattoos on his arms. He seems like a cool guy and around Mom’s age.

She plasters on a smile and shakes his hand gingerly. She’s been weary of most men since we left Dad a little more than a year ago. We’ve been moving around every couple of months. But she said it’s time to settle, so Steel Creek, California it is. We got a house with a ton of land around it. I think it’s so we can see anything coming from miles away. I don’t really like California, but there’s lots to do. Liam has enjoyed learning to rock climb, so I guess it’s okay. And Emerson has calmed down since moving here. I don’t wake up hearing him pace anymore, and he’s not as angry as he was. So that’s probably a good sign. He trains a lot, though. He picked up boxing and told Mom it was for exercise, but I’m not stupid. I’m fifteen. He’s doing it so he can be stronger to protect us. After coming here, Mom finally sat us down and gave us the bare bones truth that leaving wasn’t just to keep him from beating us. Leaving was to save our lives because Dad is involved with people who could kill us without hesitation. The only reason it took so long to get away was because my father took everything Grandpa gave her when he died, so she had to take it back carefully. She told us it was a lot of money, so she had to be patient before she could use it to get us a house to live in.

Mom and Reece talk, and I tune them out, still watching the race go on. Dirt flies everywhere, and other guys keep doing jumps. I turn to ask Mom if she’s going to get me a bike so I can start practicing. Then I see a girl my age, maybe a little younger, with long brown hair and the bluest eyes I have ever seen, bluer than Em’s.

“Dad, can you give me some money so I can get something to eat?” she asks Reece. She’s wearing jean shorts with a long-sleeve motocross shirt. She looks at me, and our eyes lock. I stop hearing the engines in the background.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, Cordi,” he says and fishes his wallet out of his pocket.

Her eyes widen, and she glances back at me. “Dad,” she grits out. “Don’t call me that.”

He smiles and hands her a twenty. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Esmarie, Kai, this is my daughter, Cordelia,” he says, emphasizing the last bit of her name.

I wave to her, and she blushes, making my skin feel hot. She’s beautiful.

“Hi, Cordelia. It’s lovely to meet you. Do you ride dirt bikes?” Mom asks.

She shrugs and nervously shifts on her feet. “Not really, but I’ve been around them my whole life. Dad used to compete and stuff like that.”

I glance at my mom, and she has a soft smile on her face. I look back at Cordelia and find her staring back at me.

“My dad is a good coach, even though he doesn’t ride anymore.”

Reece chuckles and puts his arm around her shoulders. “Cordi stays with me during the summers. I’m uh, divorced so…” She elbows him in the ribs, and he grins at her with love in his eyes for his daughter. My father never looked at me or my brothers that way. All I could see as I got older was anger and evil. Reece is obviously a good man.

“Well, Cordelia, we were hoping your father could coach my Kai,” Mom says, putting her hand on my shoulder. I look up at Reece, and he’s studying me. I puff my chest out and pull my shoulders back. Even though I want to look down, I don’t. I learned that lesson the hard way.

“I think we can work something out,” Reece says, holding out his hand to Mom, and she takes it. “He will need quite a bit of gear, though, unless you’ve already done that.”

I smile. I can’t wait to pick out a bike.

“Well, we were hoping you could help us with finding the right bike for him,” Mom says. “I’ll make sure he has the proper uniform.”

“Great. I have some ideas I can email to you.”

Mom nods and looks at the racing bikes.

“This is a dangerous sport, no question about it, but your son seems up to the challenge.” Reece holds out his hand to me, and I startle for a second before taking it, shaking it as firmly as a fifteen-year-old can.

“We will start as soon as your bike comes in. I’ll get you a schedule, Esmarie, and then we can work things out from there.”

“Great, thank you, Reece.” He nods, and I glance at Cordelia one more time before Mom leads me away. My heart thumps in my chest, and my lungs squeeze. I don’t really know what that means, but maybe I found my first friend.

***

Later that night, after a shower and dinner, I grab two beers before leaving the trailer to look for Cordi to hang out for a little bit. The weather has finally cooled off, and there is a nice breeze. Cracking a cold one with my friend sounds pretty nice.

I expected Cordi to be outside, but I don’t see her. Then I hear laughter across the campground road and turn, spotting the guys with Cordi gathered around a table next to Deacon’s trailer. I saunter over, and they all raise their can in greeting.

“Hey, what are you guys up to,” I ask.

“Hey, Kai. We were talking about the race tomorrow,” Casey says.

Nodding, I pop the top of the beer off on the wooden picnic table and hand it to Cordi. She takes it silently, and I take a swig of mine. “The track looks like it will be a bit gnarly on a couple of those rollers. I know you just love those Deacon.” I grin and lift my bottle to him.

He rolls his eyes and flips me off. “Screw you, Coldwell. I’m going to tear through them tomorrow.”

“Yeah, or you’ll choke like you always do,” Rafe says.

I laugh, and Cordi smiles. “How do you think we’re going to do, Cordi?” I ask her.

She grins. “I think it’s going to be quite the race, and I’m going to keep my opinions to myself. I don’t want to jinx it.”

“Thank you,” Deacon grumbles.

“I told you, bitch! You didn’t listen!” A man yells across the campground.

We all look in the direction of the yelling, and I spot a tall man, almost my height, pushing around a petite woman.

“I don’t need to listen to you, you sonna bitch! I should have never agreed to any of this!” she spits.

“I wonder what that’s all about,” Cordi says quietly. We all watch as they keep yelling, and every muscle in my body gets more and more tense because I know what’s about to happen. I can see it coming from a mile away.

I take off running towards them, and he punches her in the face before I have the chance to shield her. I help her off the ground, trying to also keep her back.

“Who the hell are you? Stay outta my business!” he yells, and I notice the slight slur in his voice.

“You made it my business the moment you put your hands on her. Walk it off.”

He chuckles and fists his hands. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you should piss off. Me and my bitch have some words to exchange.”

“Fine, I’ll call the police,” I say, keeping my eyes trained on him.

“No, you won’t,” he grits out.

“That’s where you’re wrong. I will unless you walk away now.”

His eyes turn angry, and I can see the intent flashing across his face. I learned that look well. “Why am I even listening to you? Get the hell out of my way,” he grumbles, trying to push past me. I hold my ground, giving him one last chance.

I see his fist coming. He’s drunk and a lot slower and not nearly as strong as me. I hit him with a right hook, then put him on the ground with his wrist twisted behind his back, holding his arm up in the air. “Move wrong, and I’ll break it,” I threaten.

“Come on, man, let go,” he grumbles into the dirt.

Cordi is next to the woman, consoling her. “Call the police, tell them it’s a domestic dispute and there are witnesses.” She nods and pulls her phone out as the poor woman cries.

I dig the heel of my shoe into his back, hoping he moves wrong. I’d love to leave him with a broken arm because he deserves worse. But while we wait, he remains still, realizing he shouldn’t test me.

When the police arrive, they handcuff him and put him in the back of a cruiser. They collect our statements, and by the time they finish, it’s already midnight. We all need to get some shut-eye before the race.

Cordi and I walk back towards our trailers, and she grabs my wrist.

“What—“ I start to ask her, but she throws her arms around my waist, tucking her head into my chest. I drop my arms around her, hugging her close and inhaling her honey scent she’s had since we met.

“You’re a good guy, Kai. I hope you know that.”

I dodge her words and rub her back. “I’m just glad we could help that woman,” I tell her.

“Me, too. Hopefully, she leaves him.”

“I hope so too, Cordi. No woman deserves to be treated like that—ever.”