Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 169: Under the Tree

On the other side.

The roar of the crowd was deafening as Lucas crossed the finish line. He felt the heat of the engine through the floorboards. He had won the race.

As he pulled into the pit area, his girlfriend and his friends ran toward the car, cheering and shouting his name.

Lucas climbed out, a wide grin on his face. He laughed, accepting the pats on the back and the quick kiss from his girlfriend.

The high of victory lasted exactly thirty seconds. It ended when his phone began to vibrate violently in his pocket.

Lucas pulled it out and looked at the screen.

Alexander.

"Shit," Lucas muttered. "I forgot."

He had been so focused on the race that he had completely forgotten the risk he was taking. Alexander had explicitly told him to stop racing. Not only had Lucas ignored that order, but he had also brought Nathan—the family’s most cherished member right now—into this illegal event.

Lucas clicked his tongue in frustration. He stared at the vibrating phone, his thumb hovering over the decline button. He knew what was coming. Alexander was going to be cold, logical, and very angry.

But Lucas also knew that if he didn’t answer, the consequences would be even worse. Alexander didn’t like being ignored.

Lucas took a deep breath, stepped away from the noisy crowd, and pressed the green icon.

"Hello, Alex," Lucas said, trying to sound casual.

"Where are you?" Alexander’s voice was flat. There was no emotion in it, which made it far more intimidating than a shout.

Lucas knew Alexander already knew the answer. The question was a test of Lucas’s honesty. He looked around the track, his eyes searching for the source of Alexander’s information.

"Mm... I’m... I’m just watching some racing today," Lucas said. He gulped, his throat feeling dry as he told the lie.

"Don’t you know I can see you?" Alexander asked.

Lucas let out a frustrated sound. "Ah, seriously? I’m just messing around today, Alex. It’s nothing serious. And please, stop spying on me!"

Lucas scanned the area. He looked for Ronald, the guard who usually followed him, or any of the other Salazar security team members.

But he couldn’t find anyone in a black suit. Damn it, he thought. They’re getting better at hiding.

"Where is Nathan?" Alexander asked.

Lucas felt his pulse quicken. He knew Nathan was somewhere with Zane, but he didn’t want to tell Alexander that. If Alexander knew Nathan was meeting Zane and hanging out there, Lucas would be blamed.

"He just went out to get some drinks," Lucas lied.

"Why?" Alexander’s voice grew sharper. "Why did you bring that kid there? Did I tell you never to come to that track again?"

Lucas pouted, kicking a small rock on the ground. "I’ll take him home safely. Don’t worry about it."

"Home. Now," Alexander said.

Lucas opened his mouth to protest, wanting to stay longer, but the line went dead. Alexander had hung up.

Lucas let out a loud, annoyed groan and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

Now, where was Nathan? He hadn’t seen either of them since the incident earlier. Could they still be there?

He made a quick call to his friends and his girlfriend, then headed toward the tree Zane had nearly crashed into earlier.

He saw Zane’s car was still parked in the same spot.

He approached the spot and saw the black car, but the seats were empty. He looked around, his eyes adjusting to the darkness among the trees.

About fifty yards away, he saw the shapes of two people sitting on the branches.

Lucas grinned. He couldn’t help himself. He enjoyed being the annoying older brother. He was sure they were up to no good in the darkness.

He walked quietly toward them, his boots making soft crunching sounds on the melting snow.

As he got closer, he saw Zane and Nathan. They weren’t doing anything provocative; they were just talking. Nathan was looking at Zane, his hand gently rubbing the back of Zane’s hand. They looked peaceful.

Lucas waited until he was only ten feet away before letting out a loud, exaggerated cough.

"Ahem!!"

Nathan jumped, his head snapping around. Zane immediately turned toward the source of the sound, his eyes alert and defensive. When they realized it was just Lucas, Nathan narrowed his eyes and frowned.

"Damn, are you two doing naughty things here?" Lucas asked, walking around them with a smirk. "Why didn’t you just go back to the mansion if you wanted to be alone?"

Nathan felt his face grow hot with irritation. He hated when Lucas made assumptions about his private life.

"Why are you here?"

"Well, I need to take you back home. Orders from Alex," Lucas said, gesturing toward the parking lot.

He looked at Zane and then back at Nathan. "Are you two really in a relationship? Seriously? Are you actually a couple now?"

He still couldn’t believe it. Both of them were cold and harsh, hard to get close to. It seemed like an impossible match.

"What’s the problem with it?" Nathan asked, annoyed.

"Nothing," Lucas said, his smirk widening. "Just... don’t do anything stupid yet. Alexander won’t like it. He’s already in a bad mood."

Nathan pouted. "It’s none of your business what we do."

"What? Did you really do naughty things here?" Lucas teased. "Should I tell him?"

Zane looked at Lucas with pure annoyance. He remembered that Lucas had helped him by clearing up the rumors about him, but his patience was reaching its limit. He wanted to tell Lucas to leave them alone, but Nathan beat him to it.

Nathan took a step closer to Zane, deliberately pressing his body against Zane’s side. He looked at Lucas with a defiant expression.

"Go ahead and tell him," Nathan said. "Tell him he’s my boyfriend. Tell him I’ll do whatever I want with him."

Zane froze. He stared at Nathan, his mouth hanging open slightly. He was completely speechless at Nathan’s sudden boldness.

Lucas stopped laughing. His expression turned to one of surprise. "Wow!"

"I’ll kiss him! I’ll do a lot of things with him!" Nathan challenged, pressing closer to Zane. "Tell Alex whatever you like! I don’t care!"

Zane swallowed hard. He could feel the warmth of Nathan’s body against his.

"You’re going to get into a lot of trouble, Nath," Lucas said, though he looked impressed by Nathan’s rebellion.

"I don’t care," Nathan repeated. He turned his head and gave Zane a quick, firm kiss on the cheek.

Lucas made a face and shuddered. "Eww!! Gross!! Stop that!"

Nathan kept his gaze on Lucas, his eyes daring his brother to do something about it. Lucas wasn’t the type to back down from a challenge. He pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial for Alexander.

Zane felt a surge of panic. "Wait, Lucas—"

Lucas ignored him. He put the phone to his ear, and as soon as Alexander answered, Lucas began to shout.

"Alex! Nathan is having sex with Zane! Under the tree! Oh my gosh!"

Lucas started walking away as he spoke, glancing over his shoulder to watch Nathan’s reaction.

Nathan’s eyes went wide. His jaw dropped. "What? No!! Bastard, stop it!!"

"Oh, Alex, they’re naked! It’s terrible! I can’t look! My innocent eyes!" Lucas continued, his voice full of fake horror.

"Damn you! Don’t lie! You stupid idiot!" Nathan yelled.

Nathan broke into a sprint, chasing after Lucas. He wanted to grab the phone and tell Alexander the truth before his older brother called a SWAT team to the woods. Lucas started running, laughing loudly as he ran farther away.

Nathan was fast, but Lucas was faster. They weaved through the crowd of racers and mechanics. Nathan was cursing at him the whole way. But eventually, he gave up.

Nathan stopped, breathing heavily. He rested his hands on his knees, his face flushed from the exertion and frustration.

He checked his own phone. A message from Alexander appeared on the screen.

Alexander: Home. Now.

Nathan let out a frustrated groan. He knew it was pointless to try to explain via text. Alexander was a man who needed to see the truth in person. He had to go back.

Zane arrived a few seconds later, looking concerned. He tried to steady his breathing.

"I’ll drive you back," Zane said.

"I think that’s better," Nathan muttered. "That damn Lucas... I’m going to kill him when we get home. I swear!"

Zane looked at Nathan, then let out a small, genuine chuckle. He reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair away from Nathan’s forehead.

He felt a deep sense of relief. Just a few hours ago, he had been at the lowest point of his life. Now, Nathan was here, standing close to him.

Nathan looked up at him. "Why are you laughing?"

"Just hours ago, I was so sad," Zane whispered. "I’m just happy to see you here. I can’t help myself."

Zane pulled Nathan into his arms, wrapping his hands around Nathan’s waist and pulling him into a very tight hug. He buried his face in Nathan’s neck. "I missed you so much, Nath." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Nathan let out a long breath. The anger toward Lucas faded for a moment. He felt the warmth of Zane’s jacket and the steady beat of Zane’s heart.

He closed his eyes and hugged Zane back, his arms wrapped around Zane’s shoulders. He felt so calm, his heart growing warmer.

Then, he heard the sound of a cell phone camera.

Nathan snapped his eyes open and turned his head. Lucas was standing ten feet away, holding his phone up. He had just taken a photo of the embrace.

Nathan let go of Zane immediately. "Hey! Give me that! Get back here! I’ll kill you for real this time!"

Nathan lunged at him. Lucas turned and ran toward the parking lot, cackling like a madman. Nathan was right behind him. They reached a patch of soft, muddy ground, and Nathan managed to tackle him. They tumbled into the dirt, rolling over each other. Nathan was trying to grab the phone, while Lucas was trying to protect it.

Zane walked toward them with a small smile on his face, but he was also worried. "Nathan, stop!"

Lucas was panting, laughing even though Nathan had managed to land a few kicks to his legs. Nathan was much wilder than Nael; he didn’t hold back.

"Ouch! My tummy! Stop, Nath! I can’t breathe!" Lucas yelled between laughs.

As they wrestled on the ground, a man in a black suit and a heavy coat approached from the direction of the parking lot.

It was Ronald. He watched the two Salazar brothers rolling in the mud with an expression of weary patience.

"Are you okay?" Ronald asked, looking down at them.

Nathan sat up, his face smudged with dirt. He pouted and looked at him. Lucas remained on the ground, gasping for air and clutching his stomach.

"Take him home, Ronald," Lucas said, pointing at Nathan.

Ronald looked at Lucas. "I need to take you home too, Lucas. The Boss was very clear. Both of you."

Lucas clicked his tongue. "I have my own car."

"I need to make sure you get home now," Ronald said firmly.

Nathan stood up and brushed the dirt off his jeans. He looked at Zane, who was standing nearby. "I want to go to his house first," Nathan said, pointing at Zane.

He wanted to make sure Zane got home safely.

Ronald looked at Nathan, then at Zane. He nodded slowly. "I’ll follow you. I have to keep you in my sight, Nathan. Those are the orders."

Nathan sighed but didn’t argue. At least he got to ride in Zane’s car. He walked over to Zane, took his hand, and they headed toward the sports car. Lucas stayed on the ground for a moment longer, watching them go with a smirk.

"Tell Alex I’m on my way!" Lucas shouted after them.

Nathan didn’t look back. He climbed into the passenger seat of Zane’s car, and as Zane started the engine, Nathan felt the familiar roar of the motor. He glanced at Zane several times and smiled.

But now he was heading back to the mansion, and he knew a lecture was waiting for him.