Sam had a very weird night. At least he'd slept, but it had been plagued by weird nightmares about Christine being pregnant and running away from him at their wedding. After he woke up, it took him a few seconds to realize none of that had happened and that Rosario was the pregnant one and Christine was gone.
For once, reality was the better option. He couldn't even imagine what it could've been like if Christine were pregnant. Of course, that would've implied actually having sex which would've nixed the issue all together. Or would it? Sam liked to believe it would. That she really wouldn't have gone to Harry if he would have given her everything. Then again, maybe he would've sucked at it like he sucked at everything involving romance.
"Shush, stupid brain."
Great, now he was talking to himself. He took another shower and headed down the stairs. The house was oddly quiet and he wondered where everyone was. On cue, Kay stepped out of the kitchen, a cup in her hand.
"Glad to see you're finally up, sleepy head," she said with a smile.
"Are you making fun of me?"
"No, I'm actually glad you managed to get some sleep."
"What time is it anyway?" The question was empty since he could check his own watch. He took in a sharp breath when he realized it was almost noon. "Wow, I really did sleep."
"You needed it."
Sam took a closer look and realized Kay looked a little tired. "You seem to need it, too."
Her smile widened. "I'll be fine. Ready for the day?"
"Can I say no?"
She let out a laugh. "Of course not. Come on, let's get you something to eat and some coffee or something and I'll show you around."
Sam let her, asking about everyone else as they made their way into the kitchen. Kyle had left for band practice and Max was hard at work, so Kay and Rosario were home alone along with the stable staff. He only managed to grab a sandwich and drink half of his cup of coffee before Kay pulled him out into the grounds and started the tour.
First, it was to the gym, then the shooting range, and finally, outside into the grounds where Kay proudly displayed the obstacle course Kyle use to run as a teenager. As Sam took in all the nets, ropes and platforms, a lot of stuff started making sense. No wonder Kyle had been so well-trained for their first mission. According to Kay, he ran the dangerous looking course every day, under the threat of getting shot by Max.
When Kay challenged him to race her around it, he couldn't say no. His muscles still ached from all the running, but he enjoyed the exercise all the same. The course was not easy, so it took a lot of focus not to fall, especially since there didn't seem to be any harnesses or safety nets.
Kay was doing remarkably well, a huge smile on her face, obviously relieving simpler times. Sam took advantage and bypassed her, sliding down the final rope. He didn't even feel a sting in his palms and his feet touched the ground flawlessly.
"Well done," Kay said, panting slightly as she reached the ground, too. "I'm very impressed."
He didn't know if he should take it as an insult or a compliment. "Why?"
"Because I keep thinking you would've been so hesitant a few years back. You've grown so much."
"Um... thanks?" He wasn't sure what Kay was trying to do, but it felt nice to see that the passage of time hadn't ruined everything.
"Christine is such a moron," she mumbled, her voice so low Sam was convinced she hadn't meant for him to hear.
His heart tightened again as her name plagued the air around him, but it was much easier to drive the thought back and lock it away when he focused on the desert surrounding him. The pain was still there, but it was easier to pretend it wasn't.
"So, um... What are our plans for the day?"
"Have fun until tonight when we'll go to the concert. Joey said he booked the band solid every day this week." Kay clapped her hands together. "It's going to be awesome."
Sam nodded, though he wasn't exactly sure about that. But a part of him, the one that wasn't roadkill under a rock, was curious to see Kyle perform. Sam had heard him sing and knew how good he was, but doing it with full instrumental had to be different.
Kay's idea of fun wasn't exactly that, but it was enough to keep him busy. Max came home for lunch and then showed Sam around the stables and even somehow managed to convince him to climb on a horse. The focus it took to not become real roadkill was enough to draw his mind off anything else. By the time they were supposed to leave, he'd completely lost track of time. For once, it had moved fast instead of unnaturally slow.
Riding in the Ferrar with Kay driving was also an adventure. They stopped to pick up Kay's friend Kelly from her house, and the three of them reached the club where the band would be performing just as the sun was starting to set. A huge line had already formed outside.
"What's the line for?" Sam asked as they got out of the car and headed for the back entrance.
Kelly laughed for some reason. "You have no idea how big they were around here. And the fact that new material was announced made their comeback even more anticipated."
Sam just shrugged because Kelly was right. He had no idea how big Kyle's band had ever been because he was a terrible brother and never cared enough to ask. Yes, Kyle was in a band, but it was a high school band that practiced in the garage. Or so he'd thought.
The stage was fit to accommodate a real, famous band, which he guessed Uncaged was. Kay led him in front of the stage and Kelly went to the bar to get them drinks.
"You know," Kay said casually, though her eyes had a watery quality, "this is where I saw Kyle for the first time."
"Really?" He glanced around, but it looked like any normal venue obviously meant for shows, dancing and drinking.
"Yeah." She grinned. "He was up there and I was down here."
"Are you ready to party?" Kelly called out handing drinks in red plastic cups to both Sam and Kay.
The place had filled up and Sam and the girls had to squeeze together as everyone tried to get as close to the stage as possible. Sam wasn't ready to party and he sure as hell wasn't ready to be out in a crowd that buzzed with excitement, so he downed his drink in one go. He wasn't even sure what it was, but knew it had alcohol in it and he wished it was the knock-you-ofd-your-feet kind. Before he could ask, every light in the place turned off.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Joey's voice called into the darkness. "Give it up for... Uncaged!"
Everyone started screaming, including Kay and Kelly, and Sam had to cover his ears to avoid going deaf.
"Sonia Martinez, drums!" Joey called.
A light turned on and shone on a girl with short chestnut hair and earlobes covered in rings. She wore a bride's veil, even if the rest of her outfit was a normal t-shirt and probably jeans.
"Dustin Berk, keyboard!"
Another light shone over a blond guy with a round, boyish face who also had a bride's veil on his head, making him the obvious groom. The crowd laughed with good humor.
"Vincent Prat, rhythm guitar!"
The light shone on a tall, thin guy with spiky black hair who waved at the crowd and fortunately had no veil on.
"Joey Wilkes, bass!" The light shone on Joey who reached out his hands and grinned at the crowd. "And, ladies and gentlemen, for the first time in five years, give it up the original lead of Uncaged, Kyle Grant!"
Kyle appeared too in a shower of lights and crazed screams, and Sam had never felt like he didn't know him more than then. There was an air of power around him, a sort of shine that justified all the gushing and swooning around them.
"Ah, it's good to be back," Joey said, wiping away a huge fake tear. "Especially when it's for a joyous occasion. Everyone, give a huge hand to Dustin and Sonia, the future Mr. and Mrs. Berk!"
Sam could clap to that, but was shocked at how excited everyone else around him seemed to be. Just how big was this band? Once they started playing, he sort of figured it out. They were insanely good, so they deserved to be much bigger than they were.
And Kyle... Sam had always known his brother was very talented, but seeing him perform was different. He seemed to be born for the stage. The way he moved, the ease with which he played and sang, it was like he was a different person. One who didn't deal with death threats and bombs. One who was born to entertain.
The music, the lyrics, the presentation, it all screamed professional, spoke of passion and dedication. There was so much chemistry between the band member it was hard to believe they hadn't performed together in five years.
Sam's bewilderment lasted for the entire performance. It was hard to wrap his mind around this new reality so he just went through the motions as they headed back stage, as he met the band, as they drove back home.
"Did you like it?" Kyle asked, watching Sam in the rearview mirror of his Ferrari.
He just nodded. Because he had, even if like wasn't the right word.
"I have another surprise waiting for you tomorrow, so you'd better get some sleep."
Sam nodded again, vaguely aware that Kyle had noticed how surprised he was. Though surprised wasn't the right word either. He wasn't very sure how he actually felt. But what he did realize was that it felt like he'd been drenched in frosting. He knew it wasn't real, and yet a sweet, hard shell had encompassed his heart, shielding it from harm.
♠️
"You're joking!" Sam looked from the Ferrari to Kyle and Kay.
Kyle had already climbed on his Ducati, dressed in full motorcycle gear and passed another helmet to Kay who wore some really unsafe looking torn up jeans and a leather jacket.
"I'm not," Kyle said with a shrug. "You'll need it."
"You're letting me drive the Ferrari."
Kyle just rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm letting you drive the Ferrari. You're a grownass man, Sam, not a shaky sixteen-year-old with a new permit. You have thousands of miles under your belt."
Good point. But sometimes it was so easy to forget. So he nodded and got in the car and managed to drive it out of the ranch without ramming it into the gate. It was a little temperamental, but nothing he couldn't handle. Still, it felt so weird. His family had always had money, but they'd never spent it on luxury items like this.
To be honest, he liked it. He liked the Ferrari a lot. And Kyle had been right. He needed it to keep up with them as they flew through the small, sleepy town, and into a neighborhood where the building were smaller and shabbier, finally reaching what looked like a warehouse district.
Kyle and Kay slowed down, so Sam followed their lead and parked in front of one of many identical warehouses. Once the engine died and the music turned off, he could hear the roar of other engines. Angry revving meant to prove something.
"What's this place?" he asked the moment he got out.
Kyle and Kay were still on the motorcycle, both of them grinning like maniacs.
"Welcome to Santa Venusia, Sam," Kay said with a flourish of her hand. "The place for all your street racing and illegal alien needs."
"You're kidding!"
He didn't get an answer. Kyle pulled down the visor of his helmet again and eased the motorcycle between two metal walls. Sam hurried after them, but the moment his feet cleared the corner of the nearest building and he realized he'd stepped into open space, a firm hand blocked his progress.
"Que asses aqui, esse?" the burly guy blocking him asked.
"He's with me," Kyle called back before Sam could answer.
Sam didn't really see that as an advantage since the increasing crowd didn't seem to like Kyle either and gathered around him and Kay, cracking their knuckles.
"And who exactly are you?"
The crowd shifted to make room for a short Mexican guy wearing sandy cargos and a white wifebeater. He froze once his eyes landed on Kyle's motorcycle as if the brand was more important than the people riding it.
"No way," he said.
Right on cue and in very dramatic fashion, Kyle took his helmet off. There was a collective intake of breath and the menacing air of the crowd fades in an instant.
The short guy who appeared to be the boss grinned, revealing a golden tooth. "Cage! Where have you been, boy?"
"Around, Chucho. Everywhere," Kyle answered with a grin.
"And Kay," the Chucho guy said. "I knew it was built to last the moment I saw you. And Chucho is never wrong in matters of the heart."
"I'll give you that one," Kay said with a laugh.
Chucho next turned to Sam, but he was more curious than belligerent, because apparently being with Kyle actually meant something. Or Cage, it seemed.
"Who's this?"
"My brother, Sam," Kyle said, motioning for Sam to come to them.
Even if the crowd no longer seemed ready to gut him, Sam was glad to move next to them. "Hi."
"Hi there." The man grinned wider, showing another gold tooth on his other side. But Sam was apparently not fascinating enough because he turned back to Kyle. "I was hoping you got my message and would turn up. I have some guy who thinks he can play chicken better than you."
"No way," Kyle said with a laugh, but Sam saw Kay tightening her grip around his arm.
"Kyle..." she whispered as a warning.
"Great!" Chucho either didn't hear her or ignored her as he clapped his hands together. "Wait here, we have something for you." And he disappeared into the crowd.
Sam followed him with his gaze, taking in more of the place he'd ended up in. There were colorful cars everywhere, motorcycles and people who were obviously street racers. A low beat had Sam convinced that regetton music was playing somewhere close. He was suddenly overcome by a desire to laugh. This looked like a movie, and Kyle was apparently the main character policeman under cover. For real. He wondered if the people there had any idea what Kyle has ended up doing with his life.
"So..." he said with a grin. "Cage, huh?"
"Nah," Kyle said, grinning back. "He calls me KG, but his accent sucks."
Oh. That made more sense. Except when Chucho returned, he passed Kyle a brand new red and black helmet with an acid green Cage written all over it.
"Or not, apparently," Kyle said, honestly surprised. "Wow, this is really cool."
"We thought you'd like a little souvenir when you head back north," Chucho said. "Now get me that motorcycle! I've had my eyes on it for months. Plus, you're long overdue on your payment."
"Alright, alright." Kyle passed Sam his helmet and put on the new one. He revved up the engine of his motorcycle, but didn't do whatever he was supposed to because Kay was still on. "Uh, sweetheart, I kinda need you off."
"You're not doing this," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I've done it a million times before."
"Not in five years, and not while dating me."
But Kyle just laughed and nudged Kay off. Sam caught her as she unbalanced off the seat and Kyle dashed off before anyone knew what was going on.
"Oh, he's so dead," she said between her teeth.
Sam agreed, but was too fascinated to see what was going on. The crowd cheered madly and someone turned up the music. Kyle stopped on the edge of a large stretch of pavement that looked like a runway and revved up his engine some more. On the other side of the runway was another tiny motorcycle.
A girl in dasy dukes and a neon green tube top raised an actual racing flag. The moment she dropped it, Kyle shot off.
"I hate this," Kay whispered, digging her fingers into Sam's arm.
He winced, but didn't look away from his brother, watching him and the other driver heading towards each other for a full frontal collision. Adrenaline started pumping through Sam as his mind went over all the possible ways he could stop this, save his brother from certain death.
Kay gritted her teeth together so hard, he actually heard it. And then, all of a sudden, just as they were inches from hitting each other, the other driver swerved and Kyle kept speeding to the other end of the runway.
The crowd cheered and Sam could finally breathe again. A part of him was exhilarated, the other part was freaking out when he realized Kyle had probably been doing this as a teenager.
"Why's he doing this?" he asked.
"Adrenaline. And Chucho guards Max's warehouses," she answered, her voice weak and breathy. "I forgot how scary this is."
Sam wasn't paying attention anymore. Santa Venusia suddenly made sense. And it looked like the perfect place to do something stupid to make himself feel better. If only he'd bothered learning how to drive a motorcycle, he could play chicken, too. Crash and not care.
But as it was, he stood no chance. Especially not with Kyle there. Though he was so busy having a stunt war with every other rider there, he might not notice. But Kay would and alert him and then he'd be on house arrest for the rest of the trip.
As fun as spreading his brains on the asphalt sounded, the chances were slim and definitely not worth it. So he chose to lose himself to the world of street racing and pretend his life wasn't real.
♠️♠️♠️
So I managed to produce this. I'm not at all happy with it but the show must go on.
I really wanted to do this part of the story because it made so much sense for them to return to Texas. Unfortunately my stubborn brain doesn't want to write this right now and wants to return to drama. So it's half assing it instead.
Oh well. The next part will have some interesting developments. Hope you had fun with this too.
Vote and comment for much needed support. ❤
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