Chapter 23
Raven
I downshifted smoothly as we approached the Mulholland lookout, Cole's modified Nissan responding to my touch like it was built for me. The engine growled appreciatively beneath the hood while Zack groaned beside me.
"This is fucking suicide," he muttered for the twentieth time, white-knuckling the dashboard as I accelerated through a curve. "I can't believe I'm delivering Cole's sister to the slaughter."
"Nobody forced you to come," I reminded him, expertly weaving past a slow-moving SUV.
"Right. And let Cole's little sister drive to her death alone? Like I had a choice." Zack flinched as we narrowly missed a guardrail. "We both know how this ends—you humiliated, Cole's reputation shredded, and Jax standing over whatever's left of this car laughing."
I ignored his complaints, focusing instead on the cluster of modified cars and the crowd of racers ahead. The night air vibrated with bass-heavy music and the distinctive growl of high-performance engines as I pulled into the makeshift parking area.
"Last chance," Zack tried one last time, turning to face me after I killed the engine. "I can tell Cole they wouldn't let a substitute race. He'll never know the difference."
"Are you done?" I asked coolly, already reaching for the door handle.
Zack's shoulders slumped in defeat. "God help us both," he muttered, climbing out of the car.
The makeshift racing headquarters was housed in a large semi-enclosed garage with rolling doors open on two sides. Inside, mechanics fine-tuned engines while racers exchanged cash and trash talk in equal measure. As Zack and I approached, conversations died, replaced by curious stares and dismissive smirks.
"Only racers and crew allowed inside," Zack explained unnecessarily. "I'm your crew tonight, may heaven have mercy on my soul."
A bald man covered in tattoos broke away from a group and strode toward us. Behind him loomed a mountain of a man - easily 6'3", with muscles bulging beneath his Thunder Racing jacket.
"Zack." The bald man nodded curtly. "Where's Cole?"
"Razor," Zack greeted him, shifting nervously. "Cole's in the hospital. Crashed during the semi-finals earlier tonight."
The mountain man behind Razor stepped forward, his massive presence commanding immediate attention. "Then what the hell are you doing here?" he demanded, voice slicing through the garage. "No driver, no race. That's the rule."
"Actually," Zack cleared his throat, "family substitutions are allowed. It's in the bylaws." He gestured reluctantly toward me. "This is Raven. Cole's sister. She's racing in his place."
The silence lasted three seconds before the mountain man - Jax Crowe himself - erupted in laughter so loud it echoed off the metal walls. Others joined in, pointing and snickering.
"His baby sister?" Jax wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Is this a fucking joke? What's next, his pet hamster taking the wheel?"
I stood perfectly still, my face expressionless as I cataloged his weaknesses: the slight limp favoring his left side, the barely noticeable tremor in his right hand, the dilated pupils suggesting performance enhancers.
"Listen, princess," Jax continued, stepping closer until he towered over me. "This isn't some high school parking lot. This is Mulholland. I've put three drivers in the ICU this month alone." His breath reeked of energy drinks and cigarettes. "Run home to daddy before I turn you into roadkill."
The garage had gone completely silent. Everyone was waiting for me to break down, to turn tail and flee.
Instead, I felt a familiar coldness settle over me - the same detached calculation that had preceded dozens of assassinations.
"Are you done performing for your fans?" I asked, my voice dropping to that deadly register that had made war criminals beg for mercy. "Because all I see is a washed-up has-been who's so afraid of losing to a girl that he's trying to scare her away before the race even starts."
Jax's face froze, his expression morphing from mocking amusement to stunned disbelief.
"What the fuck did you just say to me?" he growled.
"I said," I took a step closer, invading his space with such sudden confidence that he actually backed up half a step, "that all that trash talk is just smoke to hide your fear. After tonight, everyone will remember you as the champion who got destroyed by Cole Martinez's little sister."
A mechanic in oil-stained coveralls stepped forward. "Girl, do you have any idea who you're talking to? That's Jax Crowe - California Street Racing Legend, undefeated for three years, the Mountain King!"
"Never even seen her drive before!" someone else called out.
"Bet she can't even handle a real transmission!" another voice mocked.
I turned slowly, taking in the entire room with a gaze so cold it silenced several jeers mid-sentence.
"I don't need to know who he is," I replied, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Legends die. And after tonight, he'll just be another name I left in the dust."
Jax's face had turned from red to purple. He stepped forward, fists clenched at his sides.
"You mouthy little bitch," he snarled. "I was going to take it easy on you, but now? I'm going to run you off the mountain. They'll be finding pieces of you and that car for weeks."
I smiled - the kind of smile that had preceded some of my most brutal kills.
"That's adorable," I said softly. "But threats only work when they're credible. I'll see you at the starting line... if you're not too scared to show up."
With that final barb, I turned my back on him - the ultimate insult in a room full of predators - and walked toward Cole's car to begin my inspection.
Behind me, Jax exploded in a stream of profanities so creative they almost impressed me. Razor had to physically restrain him from coming after me, which only added to his humiliation.
Zack caught up to me, his face pale with shock.
"Have you completely lost your mind?" he hissed, gripping my arm. "Do you have any idea what you just did? Jax doesn't just beat people on the track - he destroys them! He has connections! People who cross him end up in ditches!"
I shrugged out of his grip. "Perfect."
"Perfect?" Zack looked ready to faint. "How is any of this perfect?"
I popped the hood of Cole's car, methodically checking the engine components. "Because now he's angry. And angry drivers make mistakes."
Zack stared at me like I'd grown a second head. "Who are you? The Raven I knew would never..."
"The Raven you knew is gone," I cut him off, not bothering to look up from the engine.
"Now either help me prep this car, or get out of my way."