Chapter Seven #2
Relief didn’t come. Not yet. Not until this was done.
Keanu nodded once. “Deal.”
Alexios shifted with a quiet exhale as they helped him out, his weight settling between them.
“Easy,” Rangi murmured.
“I’m fine,” Alexios replied, voice dry despite the strain.
“You’re not fine.”
“I’m functional.”
“That’s not the same fucking thing.”
Keanu couldn’t help it—the huff of quiet amusement slipped out before he could catch it.
Alexios’s gaze flicked to him, sharp even through pain. “You see what I deal with?”
Keanu’s mouth twitched. “Yeah. Tragic.”
Rangi shot them both a look that promised consequences later. “You two can compare notes when he’s not bleeding.”
“Looking forward to it,” Keanu muttered, already moving toward the bus.
They got him inside.
And for a moment—just a moment—Keanu forgot how to breathe.
Because he saw it the way they did.
Not the late nights. Not the frustration. Not the countless hours he’d spent turning metal and wiring into something that could move and still feel like a place to stay.
He saw their reactions.
Rangi stepped inside first, his pace slowing as his gaze swept the space—taking in the wide-open living area, the clean lines, the subtle luxury hidden beneath practical design.
“Shit,” he murmured.
Alexios, even half-supported between them, looked once—quick, assessing—then again, slower this time. “This is beautiful,” he said. “Functional, with hidden elements of luxury, but also efficient.”
Something in Keanu’s chest loosened.
“Yeah,” he replied quietly. “That was the idea.”
They moved through to the back bedroom, the space opening into something softer—warmer lighting, a large bed built for comfort without sacrificing structure, everything secured but nothing feeling confined.
They settled Alexios carefully.
Keanu shifted immediately into motion, instinct taking over—clearing space, grabbing supplies, setting everything out before Drew even stepped through the door.
Drew didn’t waste time. “Let’s have a look.”
The assessment was fast, precise. Bandages came off. Pressure applied. Quiet observations murmured under his breath.
“Hold still.”
“I am still.”
“You’re about to not be.”
The needle slid in clean.
Alexios’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t make a sound.
“Antibiotics,” Drew said. “And something for the pain.”
“I don’t need—”
“You do,” Rangi cut in.
Drew nodded once. “He does.”
The second injection followed.
This time, Alexios exhaled slowly, tension easing out of him in increments as the medication began to take hold.
“Good,” Drew said, stepping back. “He’ll sleep.”
Keanu hovered. He didn’t mean to. But he did. Watching. Tracking. Making sure—
Rangi noticed. Of course he did.
“Hey,” he said softly. “He’s okay.”
Keanu nodded once, forcing himself to step back, to unclench his hands. “Yeah.”
Drew packed up. “Keep him here. Quiet. I’ll check him again in the morning.”
“Thanks,” Keanu said.
He left, the door closing behind him with a soft, final click.
Silence followed.
Keanu dragged a hand through his hair, grounding himself in something practical. “You’ll stay here,” he said, gesturing to the space. “It’s easier. I’ll move it out to one of the outer sites tomorrow. More privacy.”
Rangi lifted a brow, considering the space again, then nodded. “Works for us.”
Kael’s voice cut in from the doorway. “Upstairs.”
Keanu felt the shift before it happened.
Rangi didn’t even look at him. “No.”
Kael’s gaze sharpened. “We need to—”
“We will,” Rangi said, calm but immovable. He gestured toward the back room. “But we will do it here. I’m not leaving him.”
Alexios, already drifting, let out a soft breath. “I appreciate the dedication.”
Rangi shot a look in his direction. “Don’t fucking start with me, Alexios.”
“I’m not starting, lover. I’m observing.”
“Go to sleep.”
“I am.”
Keanu’s quiet laugh slipped out again, softer this time. And he realized that there was no jealousy in it. None.
Just something warmer. Stranger.
Kael studied them, then nodded once. “Then we debrief here.”
They gathered in the main space.
Rangi leaned against the counter, arms folded, expression shifting from personal to tactical with seamless precision.
“Crucible isn’t just running races,” he said.
“We know,” Kael replied.
“They’re taking drivers,” Rangi continued. “Specific ones. Skilled. Fast. And they’re not just using them to move product.”
From the bedroom, Alexios’s voice drifted, quieter now. “They’re conditioning them.” A pause. “Breaking them.”
Keanu’s jaw tightened.
Rangi nodded once. “Yeah.”
He pushed off the counter, pacing once, restless energy contained but visible.
“I think they’re building something bigger,” he said. “Controlled assets. Drivers who don’t say no.”
Kael’s expression darkened. “Blackmail?”
“Part of it,” Rangi said. “But not all. We need to find the head of the snake and shut it down permanently.”
Silence stretched.
“We’ll dig into it,” Kael said. “See what we can find.”
Rangi shook his head. “There is nothing there to find. That’s the problem. They need to step into the light.” Then his gaze flicked to Keanu. “I’ve thought of a way to make them.”
Keanu stilled.
Rangi nodded once. “Ahi.”
The name settled into the space like a challenge.
“You want to use me as bait,” Keanu said.
“I want leadership exposed,” Rangi corrected. “You’re the hook.”
Kael looked over at him and spoke in their native language. “You are not bait, brother.”
“No,” Keanu responded similarly, “I am not. Nor am I the type of man who walks away from shit like this. These assholes need to be taken down.”
Kael looked at him for a long time, and Keanu felt the eyes of his brothers and their partners all looking between him and Kael, but he held his leader’s gaze.
Kael took a deep breath, then nodded before standing up from the couch. “Let’s start the planning portion of this tomorrow.” He said in English. “We’ll need to plan the hell out of it and make sure Torch comes back in one piece.”
Rangi inclined his head. “Tomorrow.”
The meeting dissolved, and one by one, Black Tide filtered out.