Cars joined us, and Reid cursed loudly as he bailed out of the driver’s seat. “Jesus, Donovan. What are you doing?”
“We’re just playing, right, Turbo?” I said dryly, lowering the gun to my side.
“I’d hate to see what your foreplay’s like,” Turbo grumbled, but he didn't seem fazed by me throwing authority at him. I knew he was humoring me but part of me wished he’d challenge me so I could have it out with him. I was in the mood to hit someone repetitively.
“If you want foreplay, you’ll have to bend over for my bat.” I chuckled, glancing at Reid. “Where’s your boyfriend?”
He snorted. “Pretty sure he’syourboyfriend. You were the one snuggling with him last week. He still won’t shut up about having you in his bed.”
Slick slammed the door to his Mustang and stalked towards us, joining the conversation. “You were snuggling with that skinny little fuck? I thought you were a dyke?”
I turned to Turbo, lifting my gun up to remind him I had it. “Unless you want to be left to peel your buddy off the parking lot after I spread his brainmatter across it, I’d make sure he stops with the homophobic shit and the gay slurs.”
Slick went to argue, but Turbo cut him a glare. “I’ve already fucking warned you, asshole.”
“You won’t let her shoot me.” He laughed, his face turning thunderous as Turbo aimed his own gun at him that I hadn’t known was tucked into his pants. “Seriously? You’re siding withher?”
“I don’t give a fuck what you do in your spare time, but here? Respect everyone,” Turbo said flatly, only lowering the gun when Slick snarled and stomped back to his car, shutting himself inside to wait for further race instructions.
Turbo tucked the gun down the back of his pants, lifting an eyebrow at me in question. “Happy?”
“Immensely,” I deadpanned, putting my own gun away and turning to Reid. “So, Logan?”
He crossed his arms, giving me a one-armed shrug. “He’s at home. Raven flipped out so Logan and Zav are distracting her for me by continuing the argument.”
“You know she’s going to strangle you, right? She’d know exactly what they’re doing.”
“If she’s safely at home, she can be as mad at me as she likes,” he said firmly, growing irritated. “Are we racing? Or can I leave?”
“If you all stopped fucking around, we could get started,” Blake said dryly as she put her window down to lean on the doorframe. “Lavaro, where’s the starting point?”
“We’re starting in Stoneleigh,” he replied, his eyes on me as he awaited my reaction, knowing it was the Kings’ territory.
I groaned, scrubbing a hand over my face and glancing at my car, wishing I’d just brought the Supra. “Really? I’m literally the only person who has a graffiti-painted Corvette. They’ll see me and report back to my parents. Hell, Rage will probably chase us down himself and put bullets in everyone. He doesn’t like street racing in his town.”
“Cops are everywhere in Rawson tonight, and unless you want to end up in Ashburn Valley, this is the only other option,” he said on a sigh. “I promised to keep it out of your town, but I can’t keep it out of anywhere else.”
I frowned. “What’s happening in Rawson?”
“Field party ended with someone getting hit in the face with a glass bottle, and some rich girl from Kingslake got raped. This is why we don’t hang out with rich kids,” he grumbled, giving me the side eye. “The Donovans being the exception to that rule.”
“Why do all the rich kids get assaulted?” Reid asked, rolling his shoulders to loosen his muscles. “Is it because they don’t grow up learning to defend themselves?”
“No,” I answered easily. “Mostly it’s because it causes the most ruckus. The Tabloids get their hands on it and it blows up. Destroys reputations, causes gossip within inner circles, and a lot of the time those rich girls have been saving their virginities for arranged marriages or social status. No one likes a whore. If someone’s promised to a man in a business deal as a virgin, the deal is ruined by the rape. She’s no longer a virgin, and her name’s tarnished by the pompous pricks of society.”
Turbo nodded in silent agreement, but Reid stared at me. “That’s a thing? Raping rich girls to ruin business deals? And arranged marriages?”
“The life of the rich and famous isn’t all diamonds and champagne,” I said as he gaped at me. “Why do you think so many famous people overdose? They spend a lot of time wishing they were someone else, in another reality.”
“You’re not like that.”
I held his gaze, lifting my shoulder in a half shrug. “You can take the criminal away from the street, but you can’t take the street away from the criminal, if you know what I mean. We might be rich, but my family is based on the underground and the rough side of town. We don’t care for fancy parties or the social standard of appearances. You give me money, and I’ll put it under my hood before I spend it on something for my closet.”
“As much as this is entertaining,” Turbo drawled, opening his car door and sliding inside. “Let’s go. We’ve got a bit of a drive ahead of us.”
He started his car and eased out of the parking lot, Slick following him with Blake close behind, but Reid hung back with me. He looked uncomfortable, his voice rough.
“Has someone ever assaulted you to make a point to your family?”