She giggled again, and her fingers traced a doodle on my chest. “And the rest of it?”
“That part doesn’t change much,” I murmured, my mouth brushing her ear. “Eres míaworks everywhere. Spain, Mexico, anywhere—you’d understand exactly what I meant.” My hand tightened on her hip. “When I tell youeres mía, there’s no translation problem. Means exactly what it sounds like. You’re mine.”
15
TYRE
Ifound Kane in his office in the clubhouse, leaning back in his oversized leather chair, his eyes locked on his monitor with a scowl deep enough to carve granite. He glanced up when I knocked once and stepped inside, closing the door behind me with a firm click.
“You look like someone just kicked your bike over,” he observed dryly, easing away from the screen and folding his arms over his broad chest. “What’s got you twisted up, brother?”
I took the chair across from him and stretched out my legs, exhaling slowly as I met his gaze. “It’s Cecily.”
Kane rarely reacted visibly, but I’d known him long enough to catch the subtle shifts of his mood, the way his attention narrowed at her name.
“Go on,” he suggested, giving me his unwavering focus.
I leaned forward, resting my forearms on my knees, choosing my words carefully but leaving no doubt about their meaning. “She’s close, Kane. If the call comes—and it probably will—she’ll have to move to California for Olympic training.”
Kane’s expression didn’t change, his eyes steady and unreadable as he waited patiently, just listening.
“Not gonna let her go alone,” I told him bluntly. “Cecily moves to California, there’s no fucking question—I’ll be going with her.”
Kane would never hold me back from following my woman, but I still wasn’t sure how he was gonna react to this. We’d worked together a long time, made a fuck ton of money, and were brothers in every way but blood.
For a moment, he studied me quietly, assessing the weight of my words and the intensity behind my tone. Then surprisingly, his mouth curved slightly in something dangerously close to a smile.
“Figured this conversation was coming sooner rather than later.” He leaned back again, running his thumb slowly along his jaw. “Knew you were all-in on her the second I saw you at the pool that day. Which meant if Cecily was heading for the Olympics, you’d follow wherever she went.”
His acknowledgment eased the tension in my chest just slightly. Then he shocked the shit out of me.
“I’ve actually been considering options,” he admitted. “Not just about supporting your decision. I already knew that was a given. But about how we can work this to our advantage.”
I straightened in my chair, genuinely startled. “You’ve been thinking about options?”
He raised a brow, amusement flickering faintly in his eyes. “You’re surprised?”
“Maybe a little.” I shook my head, my mouth quirking slightly. “Didn’t expect you to let me go without giving me shit about all the money you were gonna lose but…”
Kane rolled his eyes. “I have no intention of losing a damn cent. You think I’m gonna let some other asshole exploit your Midas touch?” He leaned forward again, his powerful frame radiating steady authority. “You’ve helped me build every track and racing team in our empire, Tyre. I have no intention ofletting you walk away completely. I knew we’d figure something out if it came down to this.”
My chest tightened fiercely with gratitude at his unspoken loyalty. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
He braced his forearms on the desk. “I’m thinking it’s time to expand west. We’ve got Florida and the surrounding states locked down, and the East Coast presence is in the works. But California—that’s new territory, untapped for us. If Cecily’s going there anyway, it’s the perfect opportunity to set up a new track and pro racing team out in LA.”
Excitement started to kindle in my chest. “A new track and pro team?”
“Yeah.” The corner of his mouth kicked up again. “I want you heading it up—managing operations, hiring staff, coaches, and recruiting drivers. You’ve had a hand in every damn track and team we’ve built, and your fingerprints should be all over this one too. But it’ll be pretty much all on you this time, brother. I can’t be there for the amount of time it’s going to take to get this off the ground.”
My mind was already spinning through the logistics. The challenge, potential, and idea of building something fresh from the ground up again. But beneath all of that exhilaration was something else, deeper and far more personal. Kane wasn’t just giving me a task. He was giving me a way to follow Cecily without losing what I’d helped build.
My throat tightened as I leaned back in my chair, my eyes locked onto his steady gaze. “You really think this is the right move?”
“Do you?” Kane tossed back, arching a brow. “Because this isn’t about whether we can pull it off. We can. This is about you. And her. About you making sure she doesn’t have to give up what she wants in a way where you don’t have to give up who you are.”
I swallowed roughly, nodding once. “Then it’s right.”
His voice carried an edge of dry humor. “Then I suppose you’d better start looking into real estate. And figure out how the hell we’re going to manage you running an entire West Coast operation for Redline Holdings from across the country without everything going to shit. We’ll find someone to help run things here, but they’ll be working under you.”