Need Him (BxB)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

-•NATHAN•-

The facility buzzed with excitement. It was the morning of the gang race and everyone was talking animatedly.

"You got this, Nate," one of the members said as I passed them in the hall.

"Give them hell tonight, Nate," said another as I turned the corner to get to the dining hall.

I simply nodded to them in acknowledgement.

"Do you know where Kyle is?," I asked my sister. She sat in between Ally and Presley as they ate their breakfast.

Presley looked up at me but I refused to face him. One thing was clear, I had to focus today. I didn't quite know exactly when the small boy had become a distraction for me, but now that I had established that, I knew I couldn't allow myself to look at him.

If I looked at him, it would remind me of the things that the K Blades might do to him if I didn't win tonight. My stomach turned just thinking of it.

"How am I supposed to know?," Haley asked. "He's not my best friend is he?," she pointed out.

I resisted the urge to pour her orange juice over her head.

"Thanks for the help," I grumbled sarcastically, and turned to walk away.

Haley scoffed. "Nate, don't be so moody, I'm pretty sure I saw him in the garage with Kevin."

"No," Presley spoke up quietly. "He told me he was working on weapons with Red."

"In the armory?," I questioned.

Presley nodded.

I didn't miss the flash of hurt that littered Presley's small features as I walked away without a response to him.

Focus, Nathan.

I took the long way to the armory to avoid words of encouragement from excited members in the hallway. If the stakes were lower, the encouragement would probably be welcomed, but now the situation was entirely different.

I had to win. For him.

When I entered the armory, Kyle, Red and my father were conversing lowly. Red was loading weapons onto a belt that he tucked under his shirt.

"Son, come here. We have things to discuss," my father called.

"What are the starting bets for the race?," I asked as I made my way over.

"Ten thousand dollars," my dad whistled. "Double of what it was last time."

Kyle and Red grinned.

"That's the starting bid?," I asked incredulously.

My dad nodded. "As of this morning, son."

Not bad.

"Now," he pointed at Kyle and I. "You two are choosing engines last," my father said bitterly. "But never mind that, all I want is the win. I don't give a rat's ass how you get it, understand?"

"We don't need to cheat," I crossed my arms. "We'll win with the engines we have, there's no other option," I said, casting a quick, stern look at Kyle.

Kyle nodded his head, he was ready. He was as good a driver as I was, there was no one I trusted more to win this race with.

My dad pursed his lips. "Make me look good, boys. Don't forget your guns," he said as his departing statement.

Once my father left the armory, Red burst out laughing. "Nate," he shook my arm. "You're too fucking serious, man. You got this in the bag, lighten up a little bit."

Kyle let out a breath and grinned. "I can't wait to see the look on Raymond's face when we beat him...again."

Red laughed harder. I couldn't help but smile.

"Greg shouldn't be a problem right?," Red asked as an after thought.

That was when we all burst out laughing.

Greg, from the Tyrants. Beating me in a race? Not even in his most glamorous dreams.

The split second amusement had taken my mind off of Presley. It was refreshing for a moment, but when the reality of tonight sunk in again, I wanted to smash something against a wall.

                               ••••••••••••••••••••

We were preparing to load the trucks with weapons and ammo. It was starting to get dark which meant the race was only four hours away. To get to the track, it normally was a two hour drive. We needed to get on the road soon.

Before I could start the route to the track, there was something I needed to do first. I tucked my favorite pistol into my belt and started my search for Red in the sea of excited Creeds. Luckily, the tall blonde wasn't hard to locate.

"Red," I called out when I had spotted him.

He turned his head towards me and dismissed himself from the group of members he was talking to.

"Kyle is already packing the explosives, don't worry, boss," he grinned.

I shook my head. "No, it's not that."

He rose a brow. "Then what's up?"

I huffed out a breath. "I need a favor."

Red shrugged. "Anything."

"I can't keep watch on Presley while I'm racing, he can't be by himself, ever," my voice was low as I held eye-contact with him.

"Yeah, your sis and Ally are watching him," he said simply.

I laughed. "No, you don't get it. The other gangs...you know how they are, they underestimate girls, they won't take them seriously, that's just the truth. I can't take any chances."

"So what exactly are you saying, Nate? I'm going to need a clear command."

I caught a glimpse ahead of Presley giggling along to whatever nonsense Alvin was saying. I forced myself to look away and match Red's gaze.

"No one touches him. No one talks to him. No one looks at him. Don't let him out of your sight, that's an order not as your friend, but as your boss."

"No mercy, Nate. Got it," Red said before departing.