“But, the good news is,” he rushed to add, “we have a way to solve the stalemate.”
And then he let out a god-awful grin that made bile rise in my throat. Zack could be devious.
“A rematch?” I hoped.
“Kind of.” His smile widened. “If you boys want to settle this, then your cars will race again, but…you won’t be the drivers.”
My eyes burned. I couldn’t blink.
What the fuck?
“Excuse me?” Roman blurted out, inching into Zack’s space.
“We know you’re exceptional drivers,” Zack assured. “The race was close enough to prove that. Let’s see who has the better machine.”
Enough already.
“So who’s going to drive the cars?” I shouted.
Zack’s lips thinned out. “Your girlfriends.”
WHAT?
“Oh, yeah!” some idiot in the crowd laughed like it would be great entertainment.
No one, and I mean no one, was fucking driving my car!
The spectators gathered closer to hear the fall-out, and yes, there was going to be a fall-out. Roman and I would agree that this idea sucked, while most of the crowd would gladly lose money to see a couple of girls race.
“Dude! That’s not happening!” Roman scowled and looked over at his girlfriend. She was cute as hell, but the petite brunette looked like she had just enough muscle to drive a moped and nothing more.
I smiled to myself, thinking about how Tate would do against her.
Nope. Don’t go there.
“Zack,” I sighed. “I don’t have a girlfriend. I never have a girlfriend.”
“What about the pretty little thing you arrived with?”
I twisted my head and gave K.C. an aggravated look. I assumed he was talking about her.
Her eyes about popped out of her head when she saw our attention focused on her.
“He’s just my rebound,” she held up her hands and joked. The crowd covered their mouths and laughed, taunting me like I should be hurt.
K.C. couldn’t help but smile at her cleverness, and I raised my eyebrows at Zack, hoping he understood.
“No one drives my car,” I stated.
“I agree with the Princess here,” Roman piped up. “This is stupid.”
“The crowd’s already seen you two race. They want to be entertained. If you two have any interest in settling this score so people can get paid, then you’ll play it my way. Be on the starting line in five minutes or leave.” He turned to walk away but stopped. “Oh, and you can ride shotgun if you like…you know, for moral support.” The last words broke up as they left his lips.
The dickhead was laughing at us.
“This is bullshit.” I combed my fingers through my hair and walked back towards Madoc and K.C. as Roman stalked over to his crowd.
I straightened and fisted my fingers over and over again. If Zack weren’t a friend, I might have to cut him.
Even if it weren’t for the money I needed, I still couldn’t get out of this. A challenge was a challenge. If Roman wasn’t bowing out, neither was I.
“Hey, man. I could drive for you,” Madoc spoke up. “We’d just have to tell them about our secret relationship.”
He was trying to cheer me up, but he’d be more helpful shoving his foot in his mouth.
I knew girls who could drive. I’d met a good crowd at the garage where I worked and had run into a few in the scene here and there, but the only girls I knew here tonight were the ones I’d slept with or had classes with.
And I didn’t trust any of them.
“Jared, I can’t race for you,” K.C. pointed out as if I didn’t know. “There’s got to be someone else.”
There was.
And the idea of asking her made me want to gag. Not only would she say no, but she’d probably spit in my face for asking.
Don’t act like you have a choice.
Shit.
This was when I wanted to hop in the car and drive away. Making hard decisions and accepting when others’ needs came before my own hurt, but…I didn’t have a choice.
And then I heard another father—a better father—in my head.
A man knows what needs to be done and just fucking does it.
My brother deserved someone looking out for him, and I had it in my power to make his life better.
I tilted my head back and sighed.
This was going to hurt.
“There’s only one other person who I’d even slightly trust driving my car.” I turned and locked eyes with Tate.
Her eyes widened. “Me?” she asked, surprised.
“Her?” Madoc, K.C., and fucking Ben followed in short order.
I crossed my arms over my chest and walked towards her. “Yeah, you.”
“Me?” Her voice lowered, sounding like I just asked something stupid. She wasn’t surprised anymore.
“I’m looking at you, aren’t I?” I snarled slightly.
Her face fell flat, and her eyes narrowed in defiance as she looked to her date, ignoring me. “Ben, can we get an early start to that bonfire? I’m bored here.”
She didn’t wait for an answer before she spun around and headed out of the crowd.
There was no way I was going to pick anyone else, and I wasn’t forfeiting to Derek Fucking Roman.
I stalked after her and hooked her elbow. “Can I talk to you?”
I could barely even look at her, and I kept my voice to a mumble. This was as close to begging to anyone as I’d come in over three years.
“No,” she spat out.
Spiteful, little…
I put my shoulders back, knowing that she had every right not to help me, but her attitude still pissed me off. “You know how hard this is for me,” I whispered. “I need you.”
I saw her suck in a little breath, and she looked down for a moment. Well, I’d made her pause at least.
“And tomorrow when you don’t need me?” she challenged. “Will I be shit under your boot again?”
My heart thumped, and my chest ached.
You were never shit.
“She’ll do it,” K.C. spoke up loudly from behind me.
“K.C.!” Tate’s teeth were bared. “You don’t speak for me. And I’m not doing it!” she yelled directly at me, and heat pumped through me at her anger.
It reminded me of the kitchen counter, and I wanted to shut her up again just like I’d done that night.
“You want to,” K.C. argued with Tate.