Free Swish by Marian Tee

thinks you’re my secret crush.” MJ was able to say it out loud since she and Yuri were alone in the garage. The rest of the club was out racing.
    “You should have told him the truth.”
    “No way! Can you just imagine how he’d react?” She mimicked Helios’ perfectly clipped tone as she said in a gruff voice, “Who the fuck do you think you are? I. Am. Helios. Andreadis. The President. El Presidente. Shachou. Zong Tong. Il Presi—” 
    Yuri shook his head and said severely, “You are making fun of him now. Are you truly sure he is your secret crush?”
    She couldn’t help but laugh. Whenever Yuri allowed his guard to be completely down, his English would go from casual to formal, his accent thickening. It was quite cute, really.
    Yuri frowned. “And now you are laughing at me.” He gave her a gentle nudge on the shoulder. “Enough wasting time. Go practice.”
    “Tyrant,” she mumbled even though she was already heading back to Yuri’s bike. She had woken up early this morning with a brilliant idea: she would conquer her fear of bikes and this would be her big love confession to Helios.
    But now that she was here, having to actually ride a bike, it didn’t seem that brilliant of an idea.
    “Whatever you are thinking right now, stop it,” he commanded firmly. “You are the master of this beast, not the other way around.” He forced her hands to grip the handlebars. “Keep your hands there until you are used to all the sounds and vibrations this beast is making.”
    Looking at MJ tremble as she tried to stay calm on an unmoving bike, Yuri acknowledged the fact that she was not, at first glance, what would seem like the perfect companion for Helios. He knew that by letting her into their club, he had taken a huge risk. If she ended up hurting Helios for whatever reason, Yuri would never forgive himself.
    But what if it was the other way around? The chance of MJ healing the wounds in Helios’ heart was a risk worth taking, surely?
    “I want to puke,” MJ whispered.
    “Control it.” He knew he was being too tough on her, but he had a feeling it was the only way to help her get past her fears. She looked terrified now. Vulnerable. At that moment, it struck him that he was also taking a risk with her. What if Helios ended up hurting MJ? Was he doing the right thing, pairing someone so innocent with someone made dark and bitter by the past?
    Did MJ even know who Helios Andreadis really was ? Yuri wondered. Did she truly understand what kind of man Helios was, even when he was still a boy, to have found the courage to move halfway across the world and build a billion-dollar empire all on his own? 
    Looking at MJ, Yuri knew that it didn’t really matter. MJ understood Helios in a way that none of them did, and she had a connection with the president that none of them could ever have. The only thing they had to work on was making Helios accept that MJ would not weaken him. Rather, she would be his greatest strength.
    Easier said than done, Yuri thought a moment later when a customized silver Icon Sheene came roaring in, with a cold-looking Helios at the helm. A moment later, a bright pink Hubless Harley Davidson shot inside the garage, its driver expertly showing off as she made a 360-degree twist in the air before parking next to Helios’ bike.
    Yuri slowly released his hold on MJ’s hands. 
    This…was not going to be good.
    Three days later, and MJ was of the same mind. 
    “Horrible flirt,” she seethed out loud as she banged Helios’ pillows against each other, pretending it was Helios and Astrid Vergara’s heads she was knocking together. She hated them. She really hated them!
    Unable to help it, MJ peered outside Helios’ bedroom window. All the officers were there, including Helios, and they were still practicing their routine with everyone’s favorite biker chick, Astrid.
    Her teeth snapped together as she stalked away from the window. Astrid was so full of it! Did she really think she