So I've started a new fic although there are some other stories I need to finish writing and a few I need to update but oh well. I had to do something different after seeing so many Dotty fics. I hope you guys like it. R&R! :)
The streets of Rio were alive with sounds of laughter and music as Ronnie walked down the busy sidewalk. People were rushing through the city and she deftly weaved and bobbed through the crowd of people. She was leaving in a week, two tops, and she knew that she'd miss Brazil. She'd grown used to the rush of the city in the last few months, loved the vibrations it caused under her skin. It was nothing like the adrenaline rush she was used to but at least the vibrant city always kept her on her toes.
There were little boys running around with a soccer ball, playing and calling to each other. The littlest one caught her eye as he chased after the bigger boys. He was probably no older than four or five and dirt from the road covered his tan skin. The tattered soccer ball rolled her way and she placed her sandaled foot on top of it to stop it from traveling farther into the street. The older boys halted but the little one ran forward. She crouched down and picked up the ball, handing it to him as he ran right up to her. A tiny little pregnant woman on the sidewalk yelled out in Portuguese and the little boy ran back to her. Ronnie's heart clenched and she smiled sadly. She wanted that, had wanted it badly enough that it was all she dreamt about; had always envisioned herself with a family of her own. It was funny how fate had turned that dream upside down, had ripped it from her clutches.
The gang of boys in her neighborhood didn't bother her anymore as she walked up the steps to her temporary home. They'd grown used to the sight of the ballsy woman that hadn't backed down that first day when they'd cocked their guns menacingly at her. She'd just pulled out her one of her own and yelled for Vince to get his lazy ass out there before she blew a hole in one of his buddies.
It was Vince who greeted her now with a large grin and a bear hug. "Where have you been, woman? I've been calling your ass all day!" Ronnie shook her head as they passed through the doorway of his house.
"You're not my keeper Vince. I've just been in town getting some last minute things before I head out."
Both Brian and Mia looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. They froze as they watched the woman before them. She pulled the fedora off of her head and let her long brown hair fall down her back in its usual mass of unruly curls. She looked very much the same, albeit a little older. Brian couldn't believe his eyes. He looked at Mia and watched as her eyes fogged with tears.
"Oh my god," whispered Mia as she covered her mouth in shock.
Ronnie turned to the table and her eyes widened in surprise. She stared as Brian stood up from the table. Mia, it seemed, was too shocked to stand. Ronnie hadn't seen her brother in over five years. Sure the pair weren't actually related but they were family nonetheless and the bond they had was next to unbreakable. He'd taken her in when she hadn't had a place to stay, had saved her life in more ways than he probably knew. He'd been the one to care for her when it seemed like no one else did.
Before Brian could engulf her in his arms though, she turned on Vince with a dark glare.
"You fucking asshole!" She shoved him and he actually stumbled back a step or two. "You did this on purpose! You knew I was leaving and you invited them here?" Brian wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back before she could attack Vince anymore. Ronnie struggled but she missed the comfort of her brother's arms too much to fight hard enough for him to let her go.
"Let's just talk about this," Vince tried to reason with her as he slowly approached, eyeing Brian to make sure he had a good grip on her. There were too many things she could pick up to throw at him and that girl had always had an arm.
"Talk about what Vince? You're not convincing me to stay, not after this." Ronnie knew she now had even less time to get out of dodge before shit hit the fan. She'd been good at dodging, at laying low. The last three years she'd been under the radar and she wasn't about to let Vince pull her back in.
"There's a job coming up." Brian looked up in surprise but Ronnie didn't. She knew it was coming.
"Which is exactly why you know I can't stay," she mumbled as she took a seat at the table. "I've been out for years now Vince and I am not getting back into that life."
"You sure it has nothing to do with Dom? Nothing to do with you running from him the last three and a half years?"
"It has nothing to do with him," she yelled and slammed her fist on the table. She was lying and he knew it. Her running had everything to do with Dom, had been that way since day one. She knew that when his breakout had been all over the news that she was about to start running again. She'd been in Rio for over a year, the longest time she'd stayed in anyone place since she'd left almost four years agohim. She knew it was a matter of time before he showed up and she needed to be long gone by then.
"Then stay for this job. I was hoping Dom was gonna be here by now but this one's clean enough; we can do it without him. It's an easy gig. Coupl'a high-end cars, easy targets. Guy I know is putting together a team to swipe 'em. Just need a few more willing bodies."
"I don't know," said Brian. She could already see the wheels turning in his head though, wondering how it would go down, if the gig was really as legit as Vince said. He didn't have to say anything, everyone at the table knew he already had one foot in.
"Look, the way the car scene is down here, we can unload 'em quick and get top dollar." Ronnie snorted sarcastically at that. There was no way it was that easy, boosting cars with Vince always turned sour, something always went wrong. Always.
"It's easy money," he continued on as if Ronnie hadn't made a sound. "From where I'm sitting, it looks like all three of you could use a payday." And Ronnie knew it was done. Brian had jumped in full sail. He always did when it came to anything having the slightest to do with Mia and Vince knew that. "Come on Ronnie. Just one more time. For family."
Ronnie had turn away from him; she could feel her resolve wavering. Vince was playing dirty, bringing up family like that. It wasn't fair.
Ronnie shook her head and stood from the table. "You don't need me for this one Vince. You guys wanna go 'head with this one, then fine. I'm not stopping you. But I sure as hell ain't getting dragged into it." With that she stomped off leaving the rest of them to wonder what had happened to the girl who'd lived with reckless abandon, not caring if she made it past the next quarter mile.
It wasn't long before Mia found her in the back room. The two girls stared at each other for a moment before wordlessly wrapping each other up in hugs.
"God, I've missed you Ronnie. I've missed you so much."
Ronnie squeezed Mia tightly. "I've missed you too Mia. You have no idea how much." It had been hard to leave Mia behind and she'd only managed to do it part of the way. She'd called her once every blue moon during the time she was gone. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't leave behind her best friend.
"Were you leaving Rio because of my bother?"
Ronnie pulled away and sat on the bed. "You know he's missed you too, right? We all have."
Ronnie shook her head ruefully. "He had Letty. He didn't miss me. I was just a detour that stopped them from getting together sooner."
"You know that's not true, right? You guys were together for five years. He loved you. You can't lie to yourself about that." When Ronnie didn't reply Mia let out a sigh and sat down next to her "I shouldn't have told you about the two of them. Maybe if I hadn't you wouldn't have stayed away as long as you did."
"I would have stayed away anyway Mia. I couldn't go back. I needed out of that life." It was at least part of the truth. She'd never told anyone the other part and she didn't plan on telling her best friend either. Mia didn't need to know. No one did.