That is All I Ask For: Chapter 4: Astral's Intervention
In the week leading up to Micah
and Dante's race, Micah noticed something different. Dante's gaze lingered a
little longer, watching his every move. It wasn't just Dante, either. Daniel,
Juno, and Silas seemed to be observing him as though he were an enigma they
hadn't yet solved.
Only Meredith offered him peace.
Her friendship had become his shield.
But that night—the night before
the mock race with Dante—Micah couldn't sit still. Anxiety curled inside him
like smoke. He needed to burn it out.
He hailed a cab from his usual
pickup point and gave the driver a location he hadn't visited in months: the
underbelly of the city, where racers like him once ruled the road without
rules.
When he arrived, he stepped out
into a world buzzing with engine roars, tire screeches, and people brimming
with reckless adrenaline. He scanned the crowd and didn't have to wait long
before a familiar voice reached his ears.
"I thought Blade wasn't
going to race today." Meera greeted, her smirk unmistakable.
"I need to blow off some
steam is all." Micah said, his tone cold as he walked past her.
He didn't have time for her
games. Meera had always hovered, trying to claim his attention—and maybe more.
But Micah had already given his heart away, silently, without asking for
anything in return.
He had almost reached his
preferred car when something made him stop. Across the pit, near the tents
where VIPs and potential investors gathered, he spotted a tall man with a
charming grin and dangerously calculated eyes. Astral Blade. And he wasn't alone.
Standing with him, deeply
engrossed in conversation, were Dante and Daniel.
Micah froze.
Panic flooded his system.
If Astral sees me, my entire
cover is gone.
He pulled out his phone and
dialed Leo without hesitation.
"Leo." Micah said,
barely able to keep the fury from his voice. "What is Astral doing in an
underground race and why is that idiot talking to Dante and Daniel?"
"I don't know." Leo
replied calmly. "I'll find out. Give me twenty minutes."
Micah clenched his fists and took
several long breaths. His mind raced with possibilities, each worse than the
last. Astral was a meddler—ambitious, manipulative, and charming enough to
disarm anyone who didn't know him.
When Leo called back, Micah
picked up on the first ring.
"Astral wants to invest in
Zero Eclipse." Leo said.
"Why now?"
"According to my source,
he's found out you're smitten with someone in the team. He wants that man to
himself. I don't think he knows you're part of the team, but he's definitely
sniffing around."
Micah could feel his blood
boiling. Of all the people—Astral?
"Keep tabs on him."
Micah ordered. "I want every move logged."
He ended the call and immediately
dialed Meredith.
Her voice was thick with sleep.
"What is it? It's late."
"Astral is talking to Dante
and Daniel." Micah said simply.
There was a pause.
Then an eruption.
"WHAT?!" Meredith shot
upright, already moving to grab her jacket. "What is that idiot doing with
my man? Send me your location. Now."
Micah smirked. "Yes,
ma'am."
He knew Meredith would go
nuclear. That's why he called her and not Astral's so-called lover—a man who
pretended to care but only cared for Astral's money.
Meredith arrived in thirty
minutes, dressed in workout clothes, her fury barely contained.
"Where are they?" She
asked.
Micah pointed. "Over there.
Still talking."
She didn't waste another breath.
Storming toward the trio, her
footsteps were as sharp as her rage. Daniel noticed her first and paled
instantly.
"Meredith..." He said,
nudging Dante and pulling him slightly away from Astral.
Micah, masked and half-hidden
behind a crowd, crept closer, enough to hear but not be seen.
"ASTRAL BLADE!"
Meredith's voice cracked like a whip.
Even Daniel jumped. Dante raised
his brows.
Astral turned with a practiced
smile. "Meredith. Long time."
"Too short, if you ask
me." She snapped. "What are you doing with my man?"
"Just talking." Astral
replied smoothly, already shifting his weight to step away.
But Meredith followed,
unrelenting.
"Talking, or trying to
seduce them like you always do? Should I remind you how many of my friends I
had to rescue from your little 'charm'?"
"I'm only here to offer
sponsorship." He said with a shrug.
"They already have a
sponsor. One who gives them everything they need. They don't need your dirty
money or your slimy motives."
Astral narrowed his eyes.
"That sounds personal."
"It is personal. Because I
know you, Astral. And if you think I'll let you ruin this team, think
again."
Astral stepped back. The threat
was real. Meredith and Micah had once destroyed the careers of two men who
tried to sabotage their crew. Astral had seen it firsthand. He knew better than
to test her.
Without another word, he turned
and disappeared into the shadows of the pit.
Meredith turned on her heel, fire
in her eyes, and faced Dante and Daniel.
"What the hell were you two
thinking?" She hissed.
"He said he was our
sponsor's cousin and wanted to invest more." Daniel replied quickly.
"Don't take a single penny
from him." Meredith said firmly. "That man doesn't care about racing.
He cares about power. He plays with people like they're pieces in a game. And
if he even suspects who your current sponsor is, he'll try to take you apart
from the inside out."
Dante, usually calm and
unreadable, actually looked rattled.
"He seemed...
generous." He said slowly.
"He's generous only when he
wants control." Meredith snapped. "You let him in, even a little, and
you'll end up in chains you won't see until it's too late."
Daniel frowned. "Why does he
hate his cousin so much?"
"Because he can't be
him." Meredith replied. "He's jealous. Always has been. He destroys
what he can't own. That's his game."
Micah, still listening from a
distance, felt a strange warmth in his chest. Meredith was protecting him, even
without saying his name. She was risking everything for his safety.
"If I ever see you two talk
to him again." Meredith continued, her tone soft but deadly, "I won't
just yell. I'll make sure Astral thinks you hate him. Because if he thinks you
care, even a little, he'll twist that. And then we'll all be in danger."
Dante looked thoughtful.
"Understood."
Meredith's gaze softened only
slightly. "I know you didn't mean any harm. But please... just trust me on
this. I'm asking as someone who cares about this team. And about both of
you."
Daniel reached out and took her
hand. "We trust you."
Dante nodded. "We won't talk
to him again."
Satisfied, Meredith turned and
walked back toward the alley where Micah waited.
"You heard all that?"
She asked.
Micah pulled down his mask.
"Every word."
She punched his shoulder.
"You owe me."
"Dinner. Wine. The
works."
"Good." She said,
smiling. "Because if you ever think of confronting Astral yourself, I
swear I'll lock you in a garage with no lights."
Micah laughed, but his eyes were
serious. "Thanks, Mer. Really."
She linked arms with him.
"Come on, mystery man. You've got a race tomorrow. Better rest that pretty
head of yours."
As they disappeared down the
alley, Dante stood under the dim pit lights, brows furrowed, heart uneasy.
He didn't know who the team's
sponsor really was.
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