Chapter 79 (3)
They went again, and again, and again, until the track was empty and the lights were the only things still shining and the man at the rental booth was giving them looks that suggested he wanted to go home.
Elijah parked the bike near the booth and helped Lisa and Amy climb off, and the three of them stood there for a moment with their faces flushed and their hearts still racing and their bodies humming with adrenaline.
A man approached them from the edge of the track, his footsteps crunching on the dirt and his shadow stretching long in the orange light.
He was young, maybe twenty-two or twenty-three, with dark hair that fell across his forehead and brown eyes that sparkled with something that might have been admiration.
His clothes were casual but expensive, and his body moved with the easy confidence of someone who had never had to worry about where his next meal was coming from.
"Nice riding," the man said, his eyes on Elijah. "I've been coming here for years, and I've never seen anyone handle a bike like that."
Elijah studied the man for a moment, his Ki sense reaching out and brushing against the other man's aura.
The response that came back made his eyes widen slightly because the man was at the Advanced Knight Stage, Initial level, which meant he was as strong as Daniel Blackwater and far stronger than anyone Elijah had faced in the lower underground.
But his Ki was calm and steady, without the aggressive edge that Elijah had come to associate with fighters and gang members.
"Thanks," Elijah said. "I've had some practice."
The man introduced himself as Trevor, and he talked about bikes and cars and the thrill of speed with a passion that matched Elijah's own.
He lived in the 6th District, he said, and he worked for his family's business, though he didn't specify what kind of business or why his family had chosen to live in such a dangerous part of the city.
They talked for nearly an hour while Lisa and Amy sat on a nearby bench and watched the stars appear in the darkening sky.
Trevor knew about engines and transmissions and the kind of modifications that could make a good bike great, and Elijah found himself enjoying the conversation more.
Just two young men who loved the feel of a machine moving fast beneath them.
By the time they said goodbye, Elijah had a new phone number in his contacts and a promise to meet up again sometime, and Trevor had a smile on his face that suggested he was just as happy with the exchange as Elijah was.
Lisa and Amy sat on the bench with their legs stretched out in front of them and their heads tilted back to look at the stars. Lisa's red nails caught the light from the nearby lamp, and Amy's pink nails shimmered in the darkness.
"He seems nice," Lisa said as Elijah sat down beside them.
"He is nice," Elijah agreed.
Amy nodded thoughtfully, her purple hair falling across her face. "It's good to have friends."
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, the sounds of the city drifting toward them from a distance.
"He's handsome too," Lisa added with a teasing glance at Elijah. "Not as handsome as you, but handsome."
Elijah shook his head, but he was smiling.
The drive back to the 7th District was quiet, with Amy leaning against the window and Lisa resting her head on Elijah's shoulder from the back seat.
The streets were empty at this hour, the shops closed and the sidewalks deserted, and the only sounds were the hum of the engine and the soft breathing of the two women who had somehow become the most important people in his life.
They stopped in front of the house where Elijah had grown up, and Amy climbed out of the car with her bags in her hands and a tired smile on her face.
"Thank you for today," Amy said, leaning through the window to kiss Elijah on the cheek. "I had fun."
"Me too," Elijah said.
Amy looked at Lisa in the back seat, her purple eyes serious. "Take care of him, okay? He doesn't take care of himself very well."
Lisa reached forward and squeezed Amy's hand. "I know, and I will."
Amy nodded, and then she turned and walked toward the front door without looking back. The door opened and closed behind her, and a light flickered on in her bedroom window a moment later.
Elijah sat in the car for a moment, staring at the house where his mother was probably already asleep and his sister was probably already texting her friends about the day she had just had.
Then he put the car in gear and drove toward the apartment he had rented for the night.
The apartment was on the top floor of a building in the center of the 7th District, a small space with large windows and a bed that took up most of the bedroom and a kitchen that was barely large enough for one person to stand in.
Elijah had rented it earlier in the week, thinking that he and Lisa might need somewhere private to spend time together.
Lisa walked through the door and looked around, her eyes taking in the space with an expression that was somewhere between surprise and approval.
"You rented an apartment for us?" she asked.
"For tonight," Elijah said as he closed the door behind them. "I thought we could use some time alone."
Lisa turned to face him, her dark eyes soft in the dim light. "That's very romantic."
"I try."
She stepped closer to him, her hands reaching up to rest on his chest, her fingers playing with the fabric of his jacket. "Amy told me to take care of you," she said. "And I intend to."
Then she kissed him, and Elijah forgot about the gang and the territory.
There was only Lisa, and the warmth of her body against his, and the quiet promise of a night that belonged to no one but the two of them.