Page 297 of Rogue Riders Duet

Something inside my chest cracks open at his gentle sincerity.

“I am,” I whisper, and it’s mostly true.

“Okay,” he says, straightening his shoulders. “If you want me to help Payne, I’ll do it, but he has to actually let me.”

“He will. I’m sure of it.” I offer him a small, grateful smile. “Thank you.”

“Of course, baby girl.”

The endearment echoes between us, dredging up all the things we haven’t said. I take a deep breath, holding his gaze just a moment longer, wishing things could’ve been different, and the what-ifs between us hadn’t cracked into a thousand sharp edges.

But the world isn’t that kind.

“Come on.” Finn nudges me lightly, the gesture familiar enough to break my heart just a little more. “We have a track walk to survive.”

My heart aches as we rejoin the others, not because I don’t want Mason or Luc, but because I know Finn will always hold a piece of me I can’t take back.

Dane has Piper tucked close to his side, but when he sees Finn, his smile drops away, replaced by a cold glare.

“You two done with your secret little chitchat?” he snaps, more cutting than necessary. “Some of us are here for track walk.”

“Dane,” I warn, putting myself squarely between them. “Drop it.”

His eyes flicker down to mine, and when he sees the conviction there, he huffs and turns his attention toward Piper again.

Finn gives me another sad smile, and it hits me right in the chest.

All of this, his bruised-up face, the broken friendship, the pain, the fractured silence between us, it’s on me.

My fault.

“What a beautiful day for a fucking useless walk down a mountain, don’t you think, Petite?” Luc breaks the tension, his arm slipping easily around my shoulders, tugging me against him.

Mason steps up to my other side, and together we make our way down the track.

After a few feet, I lean toward Mason and whisper, “Finn’s really good at what he does, you know.”

His brows furrow in question, but before I can say more, Finn crouches near a difficult half-camber section, gesturing at the rocks and roots littering the line. “Here, see this? You want to come in a little higher, keep your weight farther back. Let the bike float over this section, then dive low into the next turn to carry your speed out.”

Mason shoots me another quick look, trying to puzzle out what’s changed, before he crouches down beside Finn. “You sure it’ll hold speed better?”

Finn nods confidently, tracing the line with his finger. “Yeah, you’re losing time with sections like this because you’re fighting the bike. Flow here, don’t battle it.”

I smile softly to myself, glancing sideways at Luc. He raises an eyebrow, curious, and I nudge him gently.

“You should probably listen to Finn, too, you know. Might learn something, or Mason will overtake you, and we’ll both end up eating his dust.”

“Funnily enough, since winning isn’t the only nice thing in my life anymore, Petite, it’s not quite as important as it used to be.” Luc tightens his arm around me, pulling me close enough that I feel his breath ghost across my temple as we walk past the others. “I’m not saying I’m done winning, or that I’ll stop racing for the top spot. I’m just saying my life’s a whole lot fuller now. And if you win, or if he does? It’s like I’m winning too.”

My throat closes a little, emotion tightening in my chest, but then Luc tips his head down, nipping my neck. I push his face away, eyes darting around in panic. “Luc, not here.”

Racers and their teams are scattered along the track, but there are also girlfriends, coaches, and trail dogs. Track walks are open to anyone a rider wants to bring along, so it’s packed.

Luc smirks, mischievous and completely unbothered. “Yes, here,” he insists, leaning in and stealing a lightning-fast kiss from my lips.

I glance around again in alarm, my heart hammering as I look for anyone who might’ve seen us, but relax when I see no one is paying us any attention. Luc’s triumphant grin stays in place even as I shove him away with a smile of my own.

“You good, Bambi?” Mason asks as he and Finn overtake us again, pausing their conversation about line choice and braking zones.