Chapter 23 Tracker twist
Alex remained frozen for a moment, still dazed by the disappointment that the guy he had been struggling to meet was not his mystery guy. The resemblance was just the curly brown hair, those eyes weren't close to his piercing blue eyes. The lean, athletic frame that had haunted his thoughts was there, but the sharp jawline he beheld last night as he gazed at him was not there. Then those pinkish lips he kissed that tasted like heaven were not there as well. There were lots of differences.
“Damn it,” Alex cursed angrily as frustration washed over him.
But just as the guy rejoined his group, he suddenly paused, turned around, and gently tapped Alex on the shoulder.
“Hey, are you okay, bro?”
Alex blinked. The voice was calm, friendly… but it wasn’t his mystery guy’s...not even close because he could still hear the voice in his head calling him cutie.
The guy stood waiting to hear from Alex. “Bro, are you alright?” He asked again.
“No, I’m not,” Alex admitted, the words tumbling out before he could stop them. “I’m looking for someone—curly brown hair, sharp blue eyes, kind of your build.”
The guy tilted his head sympathetically. “That’s half the dudes around here,” he said, gesturing to the crowd with a half-smile. “But if it’s urgent, give me his name. I can talk to the announcer and have them call him out for you.”
Alex hesitated. That was the problem—he didn’t even know the guy’s name or last name. There is no contact, nothing but a memory, and the way he made him feel. Was it Lucas? Was it even real?
“I’m not sure of his name,” he muttered, backing off with a forced smile. “But thanks anyway.”
The guy nodded and walked off, leaving Alex with a hollow feeling gnawing at his chest.
Still restless, he made his way toward where his own bike was parked. But something pulled him back—an instinct, a gut feeling he couldn’t shake. He spun around, followed his instinct, and made his way to where the guy had parked his motorcycle earlier.
He crouched near the bike, eyes darting toward the license plate. “D4045UA…” he read aloud. Then his heart skipped.
“What the fuck,” he whispered under his breath. “Wrong bike? Fuck this!” He cursed angrily as he threw a punch in the air.
Disappointment hit him like a headache. Whoever the guy was—he was still out there. And Alex had just missed him… again.
He tried reaching Dan through the earpiece, but the signal wasn’t going through. Frustrated, Alex yanked out his phone and dialed Dan’s number directly. This time, it connected.
“Yes, boss! You've met—”
“Dan,” Alex snapped, cutting him off sharply, his voice dangerously controlled. “What did I tell you was the starting number on the guy’s bike?”
Dan paused. “You said… it starts with R29, boss.”
Alex’s jaw clenched. “Then why the hell have you had me chasing a bike that starts with D40?! Why did you place the tracker on the wrong damn bike?!” His voice rose, fury exploding through the line.
Dan stammered, completely thrown off. “Wha—what? I—I’m confused right now. Are you saying… wrong bike?”
“Yes, Dan! It was a goddamn wrong bike! Alex roared, pacing furiously. “The guy I spoke to wasn’t him. Something felt off, so I checked his plate. D40! Not R29! Do you have any idea how much time you just made me waste? I’ve been riding around like a crazy man. Chasing the guy at the beach like a damn amateur!”
Dan's voice cracked through the speaker, panicked. “Boss, I swear—I tracked the right info, I double-checked! The bike matched and the number started with R29… I don’t know how this happened!”
Alex dragged a hand through his hair, fuming. “Get your act together, Dan. Find the real R29, now. And this time, don’t screw it up.
“But boss, I was…”
“I don't want to hear your fucking excuses,” Alex snapped and ended the call without another word.
With annoyance, he put the phone in his pocket before Dan could respond, his pulse racing. The real mystery guy was still out there. And now, he was steps behind again.
Alex's fury boiled over, his jaw clenched, fists tight as he stormed toward his bike. With a violent twist of the throttle, he sped off, tires screeching as he left the crowded beach behind, heading straight back to the office like a man chasing a ghost.
Meanwhile, Dan sat frozen for a second, staring at his phone, knowing full well the kind of rage Alex was operating under. But deep down, he was absolutely sure that he had planted the tracker on the correct bike. Something didn’t add up.
A cold sweat broke over him as a possibility crept into his mind: What if someone tampered with the tracker?
Without wasting another second, Dan hopped into his car and raced back to the area. When he got there, he scanned the surroundings. The car parked opposite the bike's last known position was still there. He approached it, subtle and careful, and retrieved the dash cam he had seen earlier.
Back at his mobile setup, he loaded the footage and fast-forwarded through the timeline—until bam, there it was. Clear as day. A girl. Slim, black hoodie, confident stride. She leaned over the bike, fiddled briefly under the seat, and within seconds, walked away like nothing happened. A few minutes later another guy packed his bike. She went over and planted it on the bike.
“Damn, smart ass girl, you fucked up the plan hmm.” Dan muttered as he zoomed in on her face. Gotcha. Dan's system quickly identified her: Derby Ashton.
“Damn it,” he muttered, heart racing. “Who the hell is this girl? She looked exactly like the girl someone said was the mystery guy's girlfriend.”
Driven by curiosity and urgency, he pulled up her digital footprint and found her socials, recent movement logs, and even her number. Without hesitation, he made contact.
“Hello, Derby Ashton? I need to ask you something about the bike you tampered with its tracker.”
Her tone was ice. “You’re already too involved for your own good.”
“I just want to know about the guy—”
“Stay away from my boyfriend,” she snapped, cutting him off. “Or I swear, I’ll make sure you’re the one being tracked next.”
Then the line went dead.
Dan's eyes narrowed. Boyfriend? So the mystery guy had a possessive shadow trailing him too. This was getting messy. And way more personal than they ever expected.
Dan quickly compiled the dashcam footage and still images, clearly showing Derby Ashton tampering with the tracker. He attached it to a message with a few typed words: “Proof. It wasn’t my fault.” Then he added a voice note, explaining how Derby had warned him off, claiming the mystery guy was her boyfriend and threatening him if he didn’t back off.
Minutes later, Alex received the files. His jaw tightened as he watched the footage. “Shit,” he growled, fury flaring in his eyes. He clenched his phone, veins pulsing in his neck. “I still need to find him… He looked exactly like my Lucas.”
Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone and dialed Dan. The call connected in one ring.
“Dan,” Alex said, voice sharp, “I don’t care who she is or what she says. Girlfriend or bodyguard, it doesn't matter. My concern is that guy, I need to talk to him. So find him. Whatever it takes.”
“Yes, boss,” Dan replied immediately, tension in his voice. “I’m already on it. I’ll trace Derby if that’s the only link. We’ll get him.”
“Good. Don’t mess this up again.” Alex ended the call and dropped the phone on his desk. This wasn’t just about obsession anymore, this was personal. The resemblance to Lucas wasn’t just a coincidence… and he was going to get answers.
“Damn it, I need to calm down. A good fuck will help my anxiety, but no one does it better than Nathan. How do I go about this? What should I tell him after what transpired this morning?”
Alex was still thinking about his anxiety and how to calm it when his phone buzzed and it was Nathan. His heart picked up at a faster pace.