Thank you for all your compliments on the prologue of my story. Sorry it took me so long to update. Between my college finals, moving back home to New Hampshire from New York and starting my internship for my senior year, it's been busy as hell. Anyway, here all you patience readers are. Please feel free to comment.
"Letty, no!" Dom yelled as he bolted up. Gasping, he looked wildly around at his surroundings.
After Brian, Mia and the others pulled him from the wreck of the prison bus, they quickly fled the scene in their appointed cars and didn't let off the gas until they were well across the Mexican border. It was after three in the morning when they finally arrived in Tijuana and took refuge inside an abandoned motel on the outskirts of the city. Tego and Santos had seen the building on a previous trip to the area and remembered it when Brian had called for their help. It wasn't the Hilton, but it was a good place to lie low.
After dragging in left behind mattresses and furniture, the group managed to set up in the lobby before crashing where they sat. Mia and Brian were asleep together on a mattress thrown across the floor, covered by a thick sleeping bag while the two Dominicans were out cold on separate sofas. Luckily, everyone was exhausted from the day's events and hadn't been awoken by his screams. Dom was extremely grateful for this because he didn't think he could live with embarrassment. But, after remembering why he had woken up screaming, he wondered if he wanted to live at all.
Still trying to calm his breathing, he moved quietly to the edge of his couch, rubbing his face. The windstorm that had blown in prior to their arrival continued to rage outside, but he was oblivious to its howls. All he noticed was the cold sweat clinging to his skin and his trembling hands.
He got up, grabbed his jacket and walked slowly towards the front door. As he moved past his sister and Brian, he noticed that the buster's arm was wrapped protectively around Mia while her head was nestled in the crook of his neck. Giving a faint smile at the couple, Dom headed outside. However, as soon as he left, Mia gently raised her head off of Brian's chest, looking sadly at her brother's retreating back.
The motel's entrance was mostly blocked from the wind, but the cool air still swept over Dom as he sat down on the sidewalk. Sighing, he leaned his back against the wall. Being outside calmed him, but it did nothing remove the shearing pain that was ripping him apart inside. He pulled his jacket closer to him. It had belonged to his father and even after all these years, Dom swore he could still smell Tony's colon in the leather. To some, it might have been childish wishing, but to him, it offered comfort where nothing else could. Nothing except… "Letty," he whispered. The words fell from his lips like a dying rose's petals.
Since Brian and he had taken down Braga over a month ago, Letty's face during her final moments haunted him constantly. Closing his eyes was becoming almost impossible. Whenever he finally managed to, the nightmare came flooding back, the sounds and smells more vivid each time. But what tormented Dom the most were her eyes. Those fiery brown eyes that he could always lose himself in hadn't shown fear, just sadness. The sadness of knowing that they would never be together like she had been dreaming. Even when she knew she was about to die, Letty still had only been thinking of him.
The ice-cold knife that had been in his heart since that day suddenly twisted violently. Dom actually clenched his chest, remembering Mia sob out the words that had shattered his world. He tried to fight the memories, but they kept playing in his head like a broken record: the first day they met, getting their first cars, wining their first races, the good times at the garage and the store, their first kiss, the first time they made love…
Gritting his teeth, he slammed the back of his head against the wall, completely ignoring the pain that shot up his scalp. He'd never hold Letty in his arms again. Never hear her beautiful voice or her gorgeous laugh. He'd never feel the warmth of her skin or the sweet taste of her lips. She was gone. His angel was gone. "God, Letty," he croaked, his body starting to shake again. "Why? Why'd you do it?" You know why she did it, moron! A voice inside him yelled. She did because she loved you! She wanted you to come home! She gave up everything for you and where were you? Hiding like a coward in Panama!
Dom couldn't hold the tears back anymore. They started to fall as the voice continued. It's your fault she's dead. You as good as murdered her yourself! You killed her! Dom finally cracked. He started to sob uncontrollably as he leaned his head upon his knees.