Chapter 3: Make Good of the Promise

Pakin’s P.O.V

My heart was still pounding in my chest as I gripped the wheel of my Valkyrie, the echoes of the race still fresh in my mind and in the way I breathed deeply.

After that performance, I should’ve stayed at the track to soak in the crowd’s awe, to let my ego bask in that glory and solidify my name.

But none of that mattered. Not now. Not ever. I wasn’t here for the glory. I was here for something else.

Something about that man—Sean—gnawed at every fiber of my being.

As his Porsche sped off into the night, I made my choice.

I didn’t bother telling Tew my plan; he would handle the loose ends without needing to be told. That was Tew’s strength, after all, and  the reason why I liked having him around.

Plus, I had other priorities. I switched off my headlights and followed, keeping my distance, my focus on the other car razor-sharp. Sean hadn’t noticed me yet, and I intended to keep it that way.

The streets grew quieter as we left the city behind, the chaos of the tracks giving way to a desolate stretch of road. I kept my car steady, blending into the darkness, my eyes locked on the Porsche’s tail lights.

The man was fast, skilled, and—most frustrating of all—enigmatic. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something about that race hadn’t been real.

That final turn, the way Sean had let up just enough for me to close the gap—it didn’t sit right with me. Sean was a pro, and I knew it. No pro racer made a mistake like that.

So the answer to that was clear—he had made a deliberate decision. This win…wasn’t a win at all.

When Sean took a turn down a deserted stretch, my patience snapped. Where the fuck was this guy heading? I pressed my foot down, my car surging forward, its rotary engine growling as it overtook Sean.

I swerved sharply in front of Sean and slammed the brakes, his tires screeching against the asphalt. The car skidded, its headlights blinding for a moment before it stopped, mere inches from my bumper.

For a moment, nothing happened. But them, I saw Sean climb out of his car, his expression turning from shock to anger within seconds as he slammed the car door shut.

I watched Sean storm toward me. I didn’t realize how tightly I was gripping my fists until I unclenched them.

“What’s your problem, kid?” Sean snapped through the window, his voice echoing in the stillness. “If you wanted a rematch, you could’ve just asked, not played chicken on an open road.”

Oh, no way in hell was I letting him talk to me like that.

Without thinking, I got out of my car in a rush, and lunged forward, my fist swinging with all the frustration bottled up from the race. How dare he? How dare Sean toy with me like that, the same way he toyed with May?

But before my punch could land, Sean’s hand shot up, catching my wrist mid-swing with startling precision. The impact jarred through my arm, but Sean didn’t budge. He held my fist steady, his grip firm and unyielding.

"Careful, kid," Sean said, his voice calm but laced with a warning. His eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, there was no sound except our breathing and the low hum of the idling cars. “The race was a tie. You punch me, and I’ve got every right to fuck you. Those were the terms, weren’t they?”

I clenched my jaw, ticked off, teeth grinding. I yanked my arm back, but Sean didn’t let go right away. Instead, he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “So, what’s it gonna be? You wanna settle this with me, or are you just another sore loser?”

I wrenched my wrist free, stepping back and glaring at Sean, my chest heaving. I hated the way Sean stayed so composed, as if this was all just a game to him.

“This isn’t about being a sore loser,” I growled, trying to keep my voice from sounding taut with anger, but failing miserably. “You held back. You could’ve won, but you didn’t. Why?”

Sean tilted his head, a small smirk playing on his lips. “So that’s what this is about?” He crossed his arms, leaning casually against his car as though we weren’t in the middle of nowhere with the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a butter knife. “You’re good, kid. Damn good. But you’re reckless. I saw it in that last turn—you were pushing too hard. You’d have spun out if I didn’t give you room.”

My breath caught, my fists still trembling at my sides. I wanted to argue, to shout that Sean was wrong, but deep down, I couldn’t. The memory of that turn replayed in my mind—the way my car had nearly slipped before Sean had eased up.

“I didn’t need your pity,” I spat, hoping the venom in my voice had masked the faint crack of doubt. “This was about a fair race!”

Sean shrugged. “It wasn’t pity. It was respect. But if you’d rather I left you in the dust next time…” He pushed off the car, standing tall and leveling me with a steady gaze. “Then drive better.”

He was about to turn around, about to leave this conversation here and now, knowing full well that the race wouldn’t have been a tie if he hadn't given me a chance…and I couldn’t have that.

I had never played unfair in my life, and I despised those who did. And this wasn’t any exception, no matter what was on the line.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself with my arms wide open as I said, “Get it over with, then. I lost. You and I both know it.”

He looked at me like I had just grown two heads. “Are you an idiot? Did you not hear the results correctly? It was a tie; neither of us lost.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You knew you were going to win, but you purposely made it a tie,” I countered. “Which one of us was the scaredy cat now?”

The challenge hung in the air, thick and charged. Sean’s smirk returned, slow and deliberate, as he pushed off the side of his car. “Scared?” he drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. “Kid, you seem a little too eager. If that’s the case, let me ask you this—are you ready to keep your promise?”

Sean’s words were laced with a subtle threat, his smug face daring me to back down. But instead of responding, I closed the distance between us in a heartbeat.

Before Sean could react, my hands shot up, cupping Sean’s face with a gentleness that surprised even myself.

And then I kissed him.

The moment his lips met mine…I all but blanked out. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing or what the hell was happening. All I knew was this: even the cold evening breeze could not dispel the warmth of his tongue in my mouth.

His hands came up to hold me steady, his grip strong and firm as he pressed my back against my car. His lips got more demanding, the kiss deepening as our breaths mingled, desire churning in my gut even as my chest tightened in realization as to what was about to happen.

I barely noticed his hands traveling all over my body, his fingers finding their way to the buttons of my shirt, slowly taking one off after the other until the shirt fell open and his hand rested on my abdomen, moving lower…

He pushed me harder against the car, fiddling with the zipper of my pants. “Fuck,” he hissed under his breath as he broke the kiss, managing to pull my boxers down, exposing my dick.

“What are y—?” But I couldn't even finish my sentence because the intensity in his eyes had my throat drying up. His dark eyes bore into mine, filled with mischief as his lips tilted into a smirk…and he lowered himself onto his knees in front of me.

At first, I was confused, disoriented from the kiss itself…until I felt something wet down there, and when I looked over, I realized that he had his warm mouth around my cock, while his hand caressed the base, squeezing my testes as he did.

A rush of pleasure shot through me, making a lewd sound escape my lips before I could stop myself. I felt my knees go wobbly as he bobbed his head, in and out, taking as much length as he could to the point where I distinctly felt the back of his throat.

My hands grasped at the metal of my car, hoping that it could keep me steady. Blood rushed to my nether, the hum of it filling my ears. Nothing else mattered to me in that moment, only his mouth on my throbbing cock.

He was skillful with his hands, too, applying the right amounts of pressure and knowing when to stroke, when to squeeze. I hadn't expected his when I had challenged him, and now, I was too far gone in the ecstasy of his mouth on mine, to even think back to the foolishness.

When the release came, needless to say, it was explosive. I came right in his throat, and he held my gaze as he swallowed every single drop, while my legs all but gave out from under me.

But Sean caught me in his arms easily, rising up so he could whisper into my ears. “This…is just the beginning of the night, kid. Don’t give up just yet. You’re yet to ride me.”