Han walked into the kitchen just as Casey was putting the final touches on dinner. It smelled great whatever it was that she was making. He leaned against the counter beside her and waited a second before speaking.
"So, I have to go to the race tonight"
"Oh alright, Super is almost finished" She smiled and he sighed.
"I thought maybe you'd want to come with me" He offered and she froze.
She didn't move for a few minutes then finally she shook her head and went back to stirring something.
"No, I can't...I'm sorry" She picked up a plate and moved into the dinning room and he let it drop for the time being.
After dinner she was finishing the dishes when he came into the kitchen and she couldn't help staring for a second.
He was wearing loose fitting jeans the kind that looked dirt but weren't and a dark gray t-shirt that showed off the muscle he was hiding. His black hair shiny and falling slightly in his eyes.
"You know... We can walk to the race tonight...nobody says I have to race" She looked at him and he shrugged.
He figured just getting her around cars was a start.
"I don't know...You see I have this problem...I can't...be around cars" She looked emberassed.
"Oh? I hadn't really noticed...come on...I promise you'll like it"
She waited a minute then nodded.
"Alright...I guess I can try...may I change first?" He nodded and watched her slip past.
Well, It was a start first he'd bring her around cars and then around his car. Maybe sit in it when it wasn't running and just get her moving in the right direction.
She came out of her room a few minutes later. Light blue jeans that were hip huggers and loose fitting with a black t-shirt her hair brushed off to one side hiding her scar. She had on black high heeled boots.
"Do I look alright?" She asked and he nodded then reached out tucking her hair behind her eat showing the scar she winced and he smiled.
"That's better. I promise nobody will notice"
They had walked two or three blocks in silence when he spoke.
"So, Why are you afraid of cars?"
"I...was in an accident...a few years ago"
"Really? So was I" She looked at him surprised.
"You? How?"
"Well I was living in tokyo I made some mistakes and the people came after me I could have outran them but there was a young man in trouble I went back to help and I wrecked. The car rolled and blew up. I barely made it out alive I crawled out seconds before the explosion. I figured I better let them believe I'm dead and I haven't gone back"
"You still race though?"
"Yeah I do" He smiled and she looked and the ground.
"Doesn't it scare you?"
"I realized that I could either control the car or it could control me...I love to race it's who I am"
She followed him a few more blocks until they came to the old train yard where there were cars of all styles and colors parked. Music played loudly and there were girl in mini skirts and dresses crowding around the drivers. She felt out of place she slowed and he reached over taking her arm.
"Hey, Relax you're with me you couldn't be safer" She nodded and a car started nearby she jumped.
"It's alright...come on" Han led the way towards the back of the crowd and she noticed all the girls watching him with lustful eyes.
They were walking when a skinny blond ran up towards them. She had on a bright blue mini skirt that barely covered the top of her thighs. Bright red boots that went well past the knee and a bright red tube top. She headed straight to Han.
"Han...Baby where's your car tonight?" Han stopped walking.
"I'm not racing tonight...I walker" The girl wrapped her arms around his neck bringing her body close.
"Oh...and I bragged to everyone that I was going to get a ride tonight...I thought maybe you might want to take me home" Casey looked away and Han cleared his throat.
"Sorry Giselle...not tonight...I want you to meet someone this is Casey...a friend..she's going to stay with me for awhile" He said and Giselle glared at her.
"Oh...I didn't see you there" Casey forced a smile.
"It's nice to meet you" Giselle looked her over and then rolled her eyes.
"I'm sure it is...Well Han I guess I'll see you around" He nodded and Giselle strode off.
"I'm sorry if I caused a problem between you and your girlfriend" Casey offered and he looked at her then at where Giselle had gone.
"Who? Giselle? She's not my girlfriend she's just race girl she likes racers she's been with all of them at least twice"
"Oh, So you all share women?" She sounded shocked and he knew what she was thinking.
"Don't worry nobody will dare touch you. I'm the best there is they respect that"
She followed him a little further and as they went at least eight more barely dressed girl rubbed against him begging him for attention. He laughed and was nice to all of them before sending them on their way.
He led her to a spot on the tracks where they could watch the races and as they began she felt nervous. He stood behind her and he leaned around her once to offer her food and she shook her head.
He noticed how pale she became. He noticed the shaking and of course the way she gripped the rope barrier in front of her.
"Casey, Are you alright?"
"No, I don't fell well...really I...can't breathe" A car sped around the corner and his tires caught he spun out before colliding with a cement barrier.
Casey was some where else. She closed her eyes and a tidal wave hit.
Her head hurt so bad and she could feel the blood running down her face. She was upside down and her arms ached with the broken glass that had rained in on her. She looked to her right her mom hung limp upside down. "Mom?" She knew it was too late and she tried to move her seatbelt held her in place.
She tried move her legs and she screamed at the pain in her right leg. Looking at it she saw the dash cutting her leg almost off and she started to cry. "CASEY?" She heard the crying in the back and she turned the best she could Trevor.
"Trevor? It's alright hang on..I'll get you out" She tried to free her leg but it didn't work and she moved as much as she could to face her brother.
"Trevor. Are you hurt? Can you get out?"
"I'm not hurt...I can't get out Casey...Help me" She looked around and grabbed a large piece of glass cutting her hand she pulled her leg a little looser and cried turning around in her seat reaching for her brother.
"Trevor I'm going to cut you loose get out and get away from the car" She started to pull and saw his seatbelt when he screamed.
"CASEY CASEY! THERE'S A TRUCK!" She looked and saw the lights.
"TREVOR!" The smashing hurt her ears and then everything went dark.
"CASEY!" Han shook her and she snapped back to reality.
"I want to go home" She told him softly and he nodded seeing the change in her.
"Alright, I have to go over there for one second I'll be right back and then we can go home. I just have to tell my friend I'm cutting out" She nodded and he rubbed her arms briefly before leaving.
She was facing the smashed car as the driver climbed out holding onto the rope in front of her when two strong arms wrapped around her from behind.
"Are you ready to go back to my place?" The voice was not Hans.
She turned and saw Raizo she pushed at his chest but he was immovable.
"Let me alone...Please...I just want left alone"
"Alone with me?" He turned her in the opposite direction Han had went and began pushing her.
Already unsteady and incredibly weak she stumbled under the pressure of his hand guiding her.
"NO!..NO!" She began fighting and he pushed her into a group of people dancing.
"Just one dance" He told her pulling her as close as was humanly possible.
She fought him but among all the bodies crammed together dancing she could barely move. She shoved at him and he leaned in to kiss her. His lip crushing against hers so hard it hurt and she bit him.
When he pulled back there was blood running from his bottom lip he shoved her and she almost fell.
"You scarred up piece of white trash whore" He punched her knocking her to the ground in the mud.
The music picked up and the people around oblivious to what was going on continued jumping up and down in closer proximity to her body. She tried to get up but her head hurt way to bad just staying awake was a fight.
The crowd continued to dance until someone yelled and they all began slowly moving to the side. Han stepped up next to her and he looked at Raizo. Raizo wiped his bleeding lip and backed up the crowd quit dancing turning to watch them.
"What did you do?" Han asked and Raizo pointed at her.
"Geez Han she's just a racing whore...who cares...looks like someone beat her to begin with" He motioned at her arms and scarred face.
Han grabbed him by his shirt front pulling him close and lifting his feet off the ground.
"You listen...and listen good...you touch her again I will make sure you regret it" He said through gritted teeth before shoving Raizo into the mud. Raizo ran off. Han looked at the people in the crowd.
"Listen I want you all to know. She is not a racing whore and I don't want any of you to touch her. I expect her treated with as much respect as you show me" The others nodded.
He moved towards Casey and she forced her vision to try and clear enough to focus on knelt down long enough to lift her into his arms and everyone moved to let him pass. Her entire world seemed to be growing dim and she place her head against his strong shoulder.
She was vaguely aware of a red haired man running up beside him.
"Hey, let me give you a lift Han. You can't carry her the whole way" Han kept walking.
"No, She can't ride in cars...thanks though Ray" Ray smiled then left.
Han made it back to his apartment in record time kicking the door open and setting Casey on the couch. She was asleep and he brought ice placing it against her face.
She moved slightly and made a noise but didn't wake up.
"It's going to be alright...I won't take you back there again I promise" He told her and she slept.
This was going to be harder then he thought. Not only did hearing the cars frighten her but the wrecks seemed to cause some sort of flashback. That aside he had to worry about the men chasing her like some side show whore and the women treating her like the enemy.
Han liked his women everyone knew that. He was a player and all the women would do anything for just one shot in his bed. Casey wasn't competition to them and he wished they could see that.
She wasn't competition he told himself again. He wasn't interested in her, But if that was true why didn't he want the other men to be interested either?