Chapter 10-Risky Business

San Andres, Colombia

"What's up with Red? She's been unusually quiet today," Jerry said as he and Leon loaded up their rides.

"I dunno. She's been acting weird like that all day. I'll try to talk to her," Leon replied, shutting the trunk to his car before walking over to the female loading up her muscle car. He leaned against the driver side while she packed her ride with personal belongings and clothes; there was a good chance they weren't returning back to Colombia.

"Everything good? You're quiet for once."

"Erm … yeah," she shrugged, "I'm fine."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" he pushed the subject, but she gave him a look that told him she wasn't in the mood.

"I'm fine, Leo. Just a little anxious is all. Ready to meet this hot chick already," she smiled with a twinkle in her eye that said she was partially lying, but Leon decided to let it go for now.

"Don't get too excited. Letty is strictly dickly."

"That's what they all say, Pretty Boy," she winked and fired up her ride.

"Alright guys," Leon started but was interrupted by a roar of cars zooming towards the shop. He recognized the first one, a blue Mitsubishi Lancer, as James' car. Two Honda Civics pulled in behind him.

Leon stood with his hands shoved in his pockets, watching as James and the guys approached him.

"Road trip?" James looked at the cars surrounding him.

"Just going to handle some business. You here to bust my balls again?"

"No. But I figured you could use some extra help, so I'm in. We're in."

Leon watched James closely. He had known the dysfunctional young man for a few years, but Leon was already able to read his body language. James never apologized for anything, but the way he stood with his shoulders slouched and his hands nervously picking at his blue Mohawk, Leon could tell he was regretful. The two stood in silence and it was starting to irritate Red.

"Listen, either make out or shake on it and let's get going!" she hollered from her car. Her nerves were shot and the only thing that'd calm her edginess was speed – she needed to get on the road.

James rolled his eyes at the woman but followed her demand, holding his hand out for Leon to shake.

"Before I shake your hand, I need to know you're gonna back me up. I can't have my own teammates turning on me."

A flash of hurt shone through James' icy blue eyes, but he blinked it away quickly.

"I got your back," was his stern reply, keeping eye contact to reiterate his point. Leon believed him; he had no other reason not to, and took James' hand, giving it a strong squeeze.

"We found my brother. He's with Letty in Honduras. We're gonna meet them in Costa Rica then fly out to the safe house. I just want everyone to be together, and then we'll go from there."

"But wait," James stopped Leon in his tracks, "The safe house is in Germany, right? Where Alvaro Koenig lives?"

"Yep. He'll never expect us to be right under his nose. And I can keep a close eye on Koenig while we come up with a plan."

"How do we get in the country undetected? You know his goons will be right there with a fucking firing squad waiting for us."

"That's what the baby brother is for. We're gonna charter a private plane to avoid the airport security, so hopefully we can arrive unannounced. Apparently my dad has some friends in Munich who owe him a couple favors and we're going to cash in."

"Let's go get our brother!" James cheered and jumped through his car window, Dukes-of-Hazard style.

The six-man crew led by Leon began the lengthy journey to Costa Rica, each hoping that what Leon was looking for would already be there waiting for him. Leon was an emotional wreck, which didn't help with his sour mood lately. His nerves were shot from not being able to sleep - a result from the heavy cocaine use. He hoped that a few lines before the trip would help ease away his anxiety, but he was dead wrong. His body was clammy and his hands trembled twice as much as he tightened his grip on the wheel.

That was the worst part of using, for him. The tremors. He hated the way his hands shook rapidly when he tried tying his shoes or changing gears in his Supra, but it was a small price he had to pay for the euphoric rush. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before and though it was dangerous and highly addictive, so was everything else Leon did. Racing, sleeping with random chasers sometimes several times a week, it was all risky business. He promised himself that as long as his use didn't interfere with business, he would keep it control.

But now, he was losing control of everything in his life and he had no clue how to rebuild. He had a murderous drug lord with an anger problem on his back, his team was falling apart around him, and now he had the complicated task of finding Dominic Toretto. Hmph, like finding a needle in a fucking haystack, he thought. Not only would he have to explain to Dom that he needed his help in delivering Alvaro Koenig 500 thousand dollars, but that if he didn't Koenig would kill his already-presumed-dead girlfriend, who was actually alive and the brother no one knew he had.

"I might as well let Koenig bury me too," Leon said after buzzing Red's two-way. "Dom's gonna kill me when he finds out she's alive and I knew about it."

It took a few seconds, but the two-way screeched, "No he won't. It's not like you hid her. From what you've told me, she hid herself. She didn't want to be found, Leo. That's not your fault."

"Nah, you don't know Dom, Red. This man would die for that woman, and would kill anyone who tried to come in between them. The longer I keep this hidden from him, the worse the beating he's gonna give me," his heart raced at the image of an enraged Dominic coming at him like an angry bull in a China shop. The wreckage that would be caused when Dom found out about Letty didn't even compare.

"As far as I know, this is his entire fault anyway. Had the Neanderthal stayed with her in the first place, we wouldn't be tracking her down now. I'll make sure to give the bald bastard a piece of my mind when I see him."

Letty furrowed his brows in confusion, "How did you know he's bald?"

Fuck. She slipped up. "Well he is, isn't he? All men are predictable."

"I guess. I have to buzz Jerry. Maybe he can get us a trace for Dom, or at the least a phone number."

Red sighed heavily when the two-way beeped one last time, indicating that the line was dead. She wanted to smash her own head against the steering wheel because of her flub. She couldn't mess up like that again if she wanted to keep a low profile. She had to focus on her own private task at hand, which was currently to make sure that Leon did not find Dom.

"Alright, you crazy kids have fun and stay out of trouble," Brian said from the doorway as Dom opened the passenger door for his date, helping the woman into the car before jogging over to his side.

" Don't wait up," he grinned before ducking into the Challenger and firing it up, revving it a few times just to annoy Brian. He still had that bitter taste in his mouth from his first run-in with Dom's newest ride and Dominic loved rubbing it in his face.

"So where are we going?" Elena asked from the passenger seat to her date.

"There's a nice little Thai place at the end of the strip. I figured we could use some private time," he smiled, reaching for her hand and bringing it to his lips, kissing her knuckles softly.

"Sounds great," Elena replied, relaxing into the soft leather seats. She looked over at her man and thought about how good Dom looked in his black tuxedo. "Sorry for springing Mia and Brian on you. Mia begged to tag along when she heard. She thought it would be a great surprise."

"It's okay. I missed them. And you."

Dominic pulled the Challenger into the packed parking lot and killed the engine. He helped his date out of the car while chancing a glance at her assets that looked damn good in her black, floor-length dress. The couple walked hand-in-hand inside the establishment, stopping at the doorway to greet the server.

"Reservations for Barcelona," Dominic gave the name that appeared on his altered passport. He ignored the questioning look from Elena and followed the waiter to their seats.

Dominic was the perfect gentleman, pulling out the chair for his date and waited for her to be seated before pushing it in slightly. He sat down himself before starting them off with a bottle of champagne.

"So Barcelona, huh?" Elena asked with smiling eyes as she sipped her drink.

"Just a precaution," was his short reply. He didn't think Elena would ever use her badge against him or the others, but that didn't take away that she was still a cop. He made the mistake of trusting a cop completely before and he vowed to never do it again.

"Dominic, I don't know your story. I don't know what kind of life you lived before you showed up in Rio, but I do know that you're a good man. I've seen you risk your life and freedom for your family. Why do you choose to live so dangerously?"

Dom was a little taken aback by her question. No one had ever cared to know why he did the things he did; they usually just wanted to punish him for being a lawless thug. No one cared to know why he refused to live by laws.

"Life is dangerous for anyone. I'm just one of the few people who aren't afraid to push the boundaries. I know the consequences of my actions."

"Exactly! So why continue to risk your freedom and life for some – some idiotic thrill that can completely destroy your livelihood? I mean why even risk getting a jaywalking ticket if you're wanted in so many places? The way I see it, you're rich. You don't have to work or race for anything ever again. If you continue to do it, then you deserve whatever punishment it is that heads your way," The snarl on her face made Dom crinkle his nose.

Who the hell did she think she was ... judging him?!

"Excuse me?" his voice raised slightly, startling some of the patrons and receiving a few nasty looks of his own. Thankfully the server with their appetizers had arrived and the smell of his garlic Thai shrimp helped him relax. He thanked the waiter and decided to dig in before speaking. He wasn't sure he wasn't ready to bite her head off yet.

Dom right away thought of the words the judge that sentenced him to 25-to-life spoke – "One right does not make up for a lifetime worth of wrongs."

Dom chewed his food slowly as he prepared his words carefully, not wanting to set his date off any further. "I never wanted things to get as tangled up as they have. I just wanted my family to have the better things in life. I watched my father struggle my whole life to take care of his family, even harder when my mom got sick. When he was killed, it was on my shoulders to pick up the pieces. I was 17 years old!" Dom tried to keep his voice from cracking when he spoke, but he didn't have much luck. It always choked him up when he thought about his father.

"Looking back on everything that you've been through, and the carnage that you and your friends left in your trail, was it worth it?"

He thought long about the question. The lost lives of his oldest friends told him no. The heartache of losing Letty told him no. The long nights, driving for days just to shake the police's tail, being away from Mia for months at a time ... none of it was worth it. But he then thought about their big break; the mother-load of payoffs that guaranteed them wealth for a lifetime. It was just the break they needed. Mia would never have to struggle again. Brian could stay out of trouble and look after Mia and Brooklyn without getting caught up with anymore trouble. He could finally stay off the FBI's radar and get his life back on track.

Dom just wished his old crew could reap the benefits as well.

"In a way, yeah. It was worth it," he answered, looking straight into her eyes with conviction.

She only smiled and nodded, dropping the topic when the servers arrived with their entrées. The couple enjoyed the time alone, choosing to take the conversation to a happier direction. They wanted to take advantage of it being just them two without the distractions of Dom's loud brood. He found out a lot about Elena, things he should've already known after two years but he didn't. He was surprised to hear that she had only been with the Rio police force a few months before she was recruited by Luke Hobbs. Dom felt a surge of cockiness go through him when she revealed one of the reasons she was chosen personally by Hobbs.

"He said I was the only one in the force who couldn't be corrupted."

"How ironic," Dom chuckled, finishing off the last of his champagne. Elena excused herself to the ladies' room, leaving Dominic to his own vices. He refilled his glass and sat back comfortably, letting his mind wonder aimlessly.

He didn't like the way Elena talked to him, but she had a point. When Dom started racing, it was initially to provide for his family financially, but he couldn't deny that the rush had made him an addict. And it was the adrenaline that led him to taking on bigger thrills, even more difficult heists that just-so-happen to have equally large paydays. Now, money wasn't an issue, so Dom would have to keep a lower profile and put racing in the past.

Glancing out a nearby window Dom noticed a good-looking woman walking with an identical small child, a boy. He watched her face intently and could've sworn that when he blinked, it was Letty looking right back at him. Those deep exotic eyes that read him like a book. That beautifully-tanned skin that tasted as good as it looked. Her curly hair that no matter how messy it was, she always managed to pull it off.

Dominic felt tightness in his chest when he saw the angel's face. He couldn't help returning the small smile she gave him and felt himself standing from the chair, ready to rescue his lost angel and take her home.

As he went to move for the door, Elena's voice stopped him.

"Where are you going, Dominic?"

He looked between Elena and the window, unsure of which direction to choose. Looking back over his shoulder, his angel's face was gone, and the Japanese mothers' face was now staring strangely at him as she hurried her child away from the window. Dom frowned and sat back down at the table, feeling deflated that he had lost her again.

"Dominic, are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost," Elena looked at Dom with concern as he ran his hands over his head.

"Yeah," he shook his head but wasn't entirely sure. "Just thought I recognized someone."

"Let's say we go back to the house and get reacquainted with each other," the gleam in her eyes told him that was she done talking. He gave a cheeky smile and waved the waiter over for the check. He tossed some bills and a generous tip on the table before nearly dragging Elena out to the car.

Dominic sped through the streets towards his loft, undoubtedly showing off for his date. Elena only rolled her eyes; she had told Dom before that she wasn't impressed by his desires to break every traffic law created. Maybe it was the cop in her.

Dom finally brought the car to a normal speed as he slowed down for a red light. He tried to cast his gaze anywhere but on the three Japanese girls prancing across the road. He recognized them from the rooftop races and some of the after-parties.

"Hi Dom," one of them swooned, waving coyly as she passed by his car. Another one blew him a kiss, completely disregarding his date sitting right next to him.

Dom sighed thankfully when the light changed and he flew away from the light, silently praying that by some strange miracle that Elena hadn't noticed. No such luck.

"What the hell was that?!" Elena's voice hit him like a ton of bricks. He was shocked as he had never heard the polite woman raise her voice before.

"What was what?" he tried to play stupid but she wasn't falling for it.

"Those skanks practically begging you to jump them! Do you know them Dom?!" Dom watched Elena carefully; he had never seen her mood change so drastically and he had no clue what to expect next. She never came across to him as the jealous type.

"I've seen them around before," he trailed off, "Elena, are you okay?"

Dom couldn't have been more thankful to be pulling in his driveway.

"I'm just fine. You just make sure to keep those ogling eyes and wandering hands to yourself. You're mine now," her angry face was replaced with a bright smile instantly. Dom sat staring at her as she exited the car, his mouth left gaping open with confusion.

What the hell was that? He asked himself as he waited for her to enter the house before leaving the car himself.

AN: Quick thing to note – I hate Elena. I didn't like them killing Letty off and I hated when Elena popped up out of nowhere and she was Dom's love interest. It's just unlikely for me. So if any of you share my feelings towards her, be happy to know she'll have a nice ass-kicking coming her way eventually. R&R.