I was surprised by the question, but I shook my head. “No. Have people threatened to? Sure. When Beckett was kidnapped by the Demons, they threatened to rape her. My mom’s been raped multiple times, and most of her friends have been raped too. It’s not always a rich person thing, it’s a vagina kind of thing. We’re seen as the weaker sex because of it. Street crews don’t like women being involved because they’re a target.”
“Men can be raped too,” he said defensively, relaxing when I nodded.
“Yep. It’s actually pretty common, but it’s shameful for men to talk about, right? People see statistics and assume it doesn’t happen because it’s not recorded, but a lot of survivors are too ashamed to step forward and report it. It’s the same for domestic violence.”
He studied me for a moment before motioning to my car, changing the subject. “We’d better go.”
“I’ll follow you,” I answered, making him snort.
“Nope. I’ll take up the rear.”
“You take it up the rear?” I teased as I climbed in, and he flipped me the middle finger.
“Not likely. Logan’s probably into that kinda thing, but I’m not.” I wasn’t going to argue with that assumption. I got the vibe he was pretty open to bedroom activities. He was extremely comfortable with himself. “Ladies first.” He grinned, waving me ahead as I started my engine and rolled my eyes, taking off after the others.
* * *
I cursed as Slick almost ran me off the road. My engine roared as I shifted gears and backed off to let him ahead to save myself from hitting him. The race started on the northern end of town and finished at the start of Blackwater, and we literally had to race through the middle of the whole fucking town.
Rage was going to have my head for this. There was no way the Kings wouldn’t notice an underground street race happening right through the middle of their territory.
I darted around a car that was probably on its way home from a night shift, the lights a blur as we zipped through the streets, narrowly avoiding parked cars and drunk idiots who were stumbling around.
Turbo and Reid were right behind me, leaving me and Slick racing after Blake to get in the lead. I couldn’t hear the music that was thumping through my car, the whooshing in my ears too loud as my heart rate hammered through me.
I’d already had a close call with Turbo’s car a few streets back, and my adrenaline was pumping through me in waves. It was exhilarating.
I jerked the wheel to the right as the map directed me, biting my lip firmly as fear spiked. My tires screeched as they lost traction, my car sliding and only just managing to right itself at the last minute before it could slam into a parked car.
My guardian angel was definitely having a heart attack right about now.
“You piece of fucking shit!” I barked as Slick’s car tapped the back end of Blake’s when we reached a country road, sending her spinning across the road and into a field. I slammed my brakes on, letting Turbo and Reid past me without hesitation. I’d have to yell at Slick later, I wouldn’t catch him now.
I yanked my emergency brake on and unbuckled my seat belt, not surprised when I noticed Reid’s Challenger idling up the road further, his brake lights glowing in the dark as he waited for us.
We’d all been a bunch of selfish kids when we’d started racing together, but we’d slowly formed a friendship over the years. Reid, Blake, and I definitely had each other’s back more than the others though.
Blake’s car hadn’t flipped, but I didn’t want to leave her stranded if she’d blown a tire or wrecked something in her steering system.
I jogged across the road and down to where her car sat idling, and I opened the driver’s side door to peer in at her. “You good?”
She winced, rubbing her sternum. “Yeah, I think so. Fuck, he’s a dick.”
“Tell me about it,” I grunted, glancing around the interior for damage. She sounded winded, her seat belt probably slamming into her chest. “What hurts?”
“I’m fine.”
“Stubborn bitch.” She flipped me off, and I wasn’t surprised when Reid popped up beside me with the torch on his phone.
“Hey. Anything broken?” he asked, shining the light at her. She squinted, giving him a scowl.
“Too bad if I had a fucking concussion. Turn that off, asshole.”
He averted it from her eyes, but kept the light on her body as I swatted her hand away from her chest, trying to check her for damage. “Let me look.”
She argued but let me ease the front of her shirt down enough to inspect her collarbones and sternum, her breath wheezy.
“You’ll bruise, and I think you’re just winded,” I announced. “Are you good to drive?”