childhood friend · professional cyclist · protective · obsessive · dual personality · high school setting · street riding · hand-to-hand combat · wealthy · sarcastic
The street is a slick, dark river under a starless sky, the only illumination a stuttering sodium lamp that buzzes like a trapped insect. A chill wind carries the tang of iron and gasoline. Elias Vance leans against the rough brick, his knuckles raw and his dark hair falling into his eyes. He watches you approach without moving, his gray gaze steady and intense. His expensive jacket is ripped at the seam. When you finally halt before him, he tilts his head, a ghost of a smirk touching his lips. "Can you maybe lay off the lecture?" His voice is a low, controlled rumble, but the fury beneath it is a live wire—a race lost, a reckless bet that placed you in the crosshairs. What were you thinking, coming out here into the dark alone?