A week ago...
"Mr. Verone, you are solely responsible for the crime epidemic that has risen in the past twenty years here in southern Florida. Lives have been taken. The influx of cocaine and heroin in the city was your doing, and frankly, I'm not buying this good-guy act you've put on while doing your time here. You were sentenced to twenty-five years to life, and we feel releasing you before you've even put a dent in that sentence would be incredibly irresponsible. Therefore, the courts deny your request for parole."
The gavel slammed on the table, dismissing the courtroom.
Carter Verone's blood boiled as he looked over at his longtime lawyer.
"Plan B. If they won't grant me a release, I'll grant it myself."
Letty and Brooke worked for two more hours before Leon called it an early day. He gave the rest of his employees the evening off, while he, Hector, Letty, and Brooke took off to prepare for the barbecue.
It didn't take the girls long shower and dress after returning home. Letty wanted to hurry to the beach house to help Mia with whatever she needed, and get a little time alone to catch up with her. She wanted to reconnect with Mia just as much as her brother. Before they left for Malibu, Letty checked herself over in the mirror one final time. She approved of her cut-off shorts and a black tank under a white off-the-shoulder blouse, and flip flops. She smiled at the cross dangling around her neck. She hadn't let it out of her sight since the revelation of it's significance, and she didn't plan on it. It had been a symbol of the start of their relationship fifteen years ago, and maybe it would hold the same connotation today.
"How do I look?" Brooke asked, stepping into Letty's room. She was also wearing jean-shorts, though much shorter than Letty's, and a yellow tank top that accentuated her growing tan.
"Like if you bend over, I'll be staring at your labia," Letty replied, "You don't have any longer shorts?"
"No, Mom," Brooke rolled her eyes, "It's hot enough in LA, not to mention we'll be at the beach. I'm dressing for the occasion."
"You know that's a family gathering, right? As in young children will be there?"
"They aren't much shorter than yours! You're making me feel bad!" Brooke tugged on her shorts in the mirror, "Should I change?"
"No time," Letty smirked and headed out to leash Ginger. She grabbed her keys and they headed out to the car. The girls made their way to Malibu toward the beach house. Letty was anxious to be around the family again, and she wanted the night to go smoothly. Upon arrival, several high-priced cars were already scattered around the house. The enticing smell of smoked meat welcomed Letty, Brooke, and Ginger around to the front of the home, where children frolicked in the sand and the adults mingled around the grill with drinks.
"Aunt Letty!" Jack was the first to notice them. His scream got the attention of the others, who all turned to the women standing awkwardly at the side of the house.
Jack ran to Letty and she scooped him up in her arms, "Hi Buddy."
"Can we play with Ginger over there?" he asked, pointing over to a dark-skinned child and Hector's twin boys, one of whom was currently behind buried in the sand.
"Okay, but be gentle Ginger," Letty said sternly to her pup before unleashing her. She eagerly ran over with Jack to the others, where she passed around sloppy kisses.
"We have an audience," Brooke nudged Letty, nodding to the group of men crowded around the grill. Brian, the twins, Tej, Hector, Oz, and Dominic all stared at the women.
Letty and Dom held eye contact and exchanged smiles filled with lust. He looked good in the wife beater that clung to his toned body and white slacks that hung low on his waist. He cradled a longneck Corona in his hand, though he seemed incomplete without his signature necklace. The thought sent Letty's hand to the pendant on her chest.
Dom drooled over her long legs in the jean shorts. He wanted to rush over to her and sweep her into his arms, but he kept his cool, instead shooting her a nod and a flirty smile. Letty returned the gesture, throwing her hand up to the boys.
"Girls!" Mia squealed as she rushed over to the from the house.
"How's it going, Mi?" Letty said as Mia pulled in for a hug.
"As crazy as possible. I'm so glad you're still here," Mia whispered into her ear.
"I'm not going anywhere, girl," Letty said while looking at Dom, who was still watching her like a hawk.
Mia pulled away and turned to Brooke, who looked a bit nervous. "You must be Brooke. Oz mentioned that you were beautiful. I'm Mia," Mia ignored Brooke's outstretched hand and pulled her in for a hug, "I've heard a lot. It's nice to finally meet you."
Brooke relaxed into the hug, sensing Mia's genuine, friendly spirit. She admired Mia's pretty flowing pink dress, "Likewise. You are quite gorgeous, yourself."
Mia blushed with a smile, "You're sweet. Come inside - let's get you a ladies a drink and get acquainted."
They followed Mia over to the beach house, but Letty couldn't help but steal one final glance his way. He had turned to face the grill once again, but he looked over his shoulder to meet her eyes again. He winked in her direction and Letty felt her insides melt. She blushed while tucking her hair behind her ears and headed inside.
Tantalizing smells lured them toward the kitchen, where Billie, Yvette, and Rosa sat around the island with drinks of their own. Massive bowls of different prepared foods filled the island top, and the stove was currently whipping up even more dishes.
"Letty, chica!" Yvette exclaimed, jumping off her stool to rush to her. "Don't you ever take off like that again. And if you do, take me with you!"
Letty laughed and hugged Yvette. She had known Yvette since they were teens, but of course she wasn't as familiar with her now.
"I don't plan on ditching you guys anytime soon," Letty said. Her eyes went over to Billie, who seemed increasingly interested in the bowl of coleslaw she was stirring. She couldn't go through the day with the woman walking on eggshells around her. "Billie, can I talk to you for a sec?"
Billie's eyes shot over to Letty in surprise. She gave a nod and grabbed her beer and one for Letty before following her back out onto the porch.
"What's up?" Billie asked, leaning over the railing.
"I know about you and Dom."
Billie's froze with the bottle to her lips, taking a large gulp before nodding slowly.
"That was a long time ago, Letty."
"Not really," Letty said, "The point is, I don't want things to be awkward between us. What happened, happened. I don't blame him for it, and I'm not mad at you because of it."
"That's good to hear, and no offense, but I'm not really looking for anyone's approval." Letty smiled inwardly at Billie's bite. "Dom's a good friend, always has been. Things might've crossed that threshold a few times, but at the end of the day, that man loves you, and only you. Nothing I or anyone else can do about it."
"I know what it's like to be thrown away by a man who says he cares about you," Letty said, trying to get Billie to look at her. "I know that hurts like hell."
Billie's jaw clenched and unclenched, and her eyes watered for a millisecond before blinking them away, "Dom and I weren't together long enough for me to be heart-broken. We weren't even together, really. All I've ever wanted was for Dominic to be happy. I never pushed him to stop caring about you, or stop looking for you. I just tried to push him to be happy. He just couldn't do it with me."
"I'm sorry you had to get dragged into the middle of us, but I thank you for keeping him company," Billie gave her a confused look, "If you hadn't, Dom probably would've fell off the deep end waiting for me. Probably would've turned the West Coast upside down looking for me, and landed himself back in trouble with the law."
"No shit," Billie cracked a smile, "I'm all for true love, Letty. I think what you and Dom have is real, realer than anything he and I could've had. He's the Alpha and you're Mrs. Alpha. Your connection is vital to this family, and to each other. Fate keeps bringing you together for a reason, even if you don't see it. "
Letty looked up towards the barbecue pit, where Dom gave a concerned look in their direction. Letty passed along a smile that assured him things were fine. Alpha and Mrs. Alpha.
"I think I'm starting to," Letty said with a smirk for Dom. "So, can we squash this beef before it starts?"
Billie smiled and held her beer out to Letty, "I'm cool if you are."
"Cool," Letty clinked her glass with Billie's. "Now, let's get some drinks in us. I'm not ready to deal with Rome and Tej sober."
"Is that Letty?" Tej asked from over at grill with the boys. They all turned to see Letty and Brooke standing near the house. "She's looking damn good. Who's that fine ass girl with her?"
"Chill out, Tej. That's Brooke, Letty's friend. And she's spoken for," Dom murmured, jerking his head over to Oz, who mugged him shortly before turning to Brooke.
"Oh, my bad," Tej smirked, taking a gulp of his beer while continuing to check out the brunette.
Dom watched Letty glow under the LA sun and he couldn't peel his eyes away. He watched Jack run to her. He smiled at their interaction. Jack didn't know about the craziness that Letty had been through with her memory loss, and no one felt the need to tell him. He loved Letty for who she was now, and that was good enough for them. She was just Letty - Mommy's best friend who snuck him candy and chocolate.
Letty sat Jack down and he and the dog took off for the other kids. She finally glanced over in his direction when Brooke got her attention. Even from the distance, he could feel her eyes piercing his own. Staring at her, all he could think about was having her cuddled in his arms the other night. How it felt to have his face smothered in her hair, inhaling her scented conditioner. He knew she wasn't big on PDA, so he threw her a big smile instead.
"It's good to see her, man. I was hurting for you when she took off, dawg," Tej said, placing a hand on Dom's shoulder.
"Well she's back. And I won't be letting her out of my sight again."
Mia came to greet the girls and they headed for the house. Dom shared one last blazing smile with Letty before turning back to the grill.
"Is it a good idea for her to be here?" Brian asked, watching Brooke nervously.
"She's family now, Brian," Dom said, noticing the tenseness in Oz. He put the fact that Brian annoyed the hell out of him to the side for moment, but Dom wouldn't be surprised if it flared up tonight.
"Yeah, well her family tried to kill me ten years ago, and I'd bet money that he'd do it again," Brian replied confidently.
"Have you called Stasiak yet?" Dom asked. Brian shook his head. "Well do that, try to get some clarification."
Brian nodded and walked off with his beer to make the call.
"How long has he been like that?" Tej asked Dom.
"Since he found out her relation to the guy he and Rome took down in for Florida," Dom replied while flipping a few corn stalks on the grill. "Brian's a little wound up, living the domestic life in Seattle. He's not used to being Mr. Mom, so I think he's just anxious for a chase."
"Boy needs a hobby," Tej said.
"He's working on it. We talked to a building owner of this place he likes back in Washington, and it checks out for a good place to open another DTs. I'm flying up a week after they leave to check it out. If it looks good, we move forward," Dom revealed to the boys. They all congratulated him, patting him on back and clanking their beers to his.
"That's awesome brother," Oz said with a smile before the two women on the porch caught his attention. "Now, how do we see this ending?"
Dom followed his line of vision to Letty and Billie standing on the porch alone. Neither looked happy to be in the situation.
"If we're lucky, a catfight," Hector said with a grin.
Dom watched the body language closely. Billie leaned over the railing, avoiding eye contact with Letty. Letty must've hit a nerve when Billie stood to face her slowly. There was only one thing they could've been talking about to have them both so uneasy. Finally Letty glanced back at him to confirm that. Dom gave her a questioning look, to which he gave her a small smile.
"They're fine," Dom said, "Just talking it out."
"You can tell, from over here?" Sonny asked as he and his brother passed a joint.
"Those two share a soul, my friend. All telepathic and shit," said with a laugh, accepting the joint being passed his way. "If he says she's good, she's good."
Brian approached the group again. Dom waited for his news.
"No answer. I left a voicemail. I tried Rome again, he's still not answering," Brian said, running a hand over his head.
"Brian, come here," Dom nodded him over. He tossed an arm around Brian's shoulders, "You need to lighten up, O'Conner. Roman is fine. He's probably just having shitty cell service. Now, take this," Dom passed him a shot Tequila and took one for himself. Brian looked into his eyes, and Dom could tell he was genuinely worried. Brian's eyes were a portal to his soul and he wasn't hard to read. "Look, his plane is scheduled to land in two hours. If he's not here by eight, then we worry, all right?"
Brian sighed but gave a nod. "All right - let's get drunk."
The men cheered and all grabbed glasses from the table and raised them into the air.
"To my familia. I love you, guys," Dom said with a grin, before everyone tossed back their drinks.
"Damn, you guys couldn't wait for me?" Leon asked as he made his way over, a bottle of Jack in one hand and a six-pack of Corona in the other.
"Sorry, bro," Hector slurred, already quite tipsy from several shots of liquor. "Join in."
"How long on the chicken, Dom? We're ready to eat," Mia called from the house.
"A few more minutes. Round everyone up," he replied, pulling the last few pieces of meat from the grill.
Several round tables were spaced out on the sand and prepped for dinner. The team began claiming seats with plates toppled with ribs, burgers and brats, and sides. He smiled proudly as his family settled in for dinner together. He gathered the last load of chicken and carried it over to the buffet table that held all the selections for the night.
Dom panicked a bit when he saw Letty heading in the opposite direction of his table, but when she made a beeline back to sit next to Mia, he grinned wide. He made himself a plate before joining Brian, Mia, Letty, Rosa and Tej at their table.
"Alright, who says grace?" Dom asked aloud.
"It's been a while since I've done it," Mia said, standing at the table with her glass raised. "Dear Heavenly spirit, we thank you for this massive spread the girls and I worked hard on all day. We thank you for allowing our family to come together once again for something that doesn't involve death or destruction. Thank you for blessing Rosa, Nico and Tej with safe flights, and please keep Roman safe and sane on his way. I'm truly blessed to be able to call each one of you my family, and to the precious souls we've lost along the way, watch over us. Amen," Mia smiled as a chorus of 'amens' echoed on the beach.
"Not bad, sis," Dom smiled at her.
An hour into the dinner, things were still as rowdy as they were before more beers and shots were passed around. Loud Spanish music blared from a nearby stereo and everyone cheered as Leon's mother Lucita was now salsa dancing with Tej. He had no clue what he was doing, but the man could move and he made it look good. Mia and Brian also danced to the music, and it was obvious he had been learning some moves. They laughed as he cha-cha'ed circles around Mia, who could only laugh at her husband's expense.
Letty laughed as Oz dragged Brooke out onto the make-shift dance floor to join in the fun. Oz clearly had no coordination when it came to dancing, but that didn't stop Brooke from clinging to him as they swayed together. Soon after, Hector and Yvette, Leon and Billie, and the others joined every in their impromptu dance party. Dom and Letty remained at their seats side by side, watching the catastrophe that was dancing mechanics.
"What - no dancing?" Dom asked her with a smile.
"For one - I might be too buzzed to move, and two - I don't know if I still have it like I used to," she smirked.
Dom stood from the table and held his hand out to her, "Come on. I'll keep you upright."
Letty smirked but took his hand, allowing him to drag her into the center of the dancing crowd. Her arms went around his neck and he kept his promise to hold her upright, keeping a tight grip on her waist. They both grinded their hips to the rhythm, never taking their eyes off the other. They ignored the people surrounding them and fell in love with the music, allowing it to guide their movements. While they moved in sync, Letty felt a rush of emotion coarse through her body. She was happy. Truly happy. She spent the evening with people who just years ago, she bolted away from in fear. Now, she was welcomed back with open arms and without question.
Dom spun her around to hold her from behind, her massive arms wrapping around her waist gently. His head dipped to rest on her shoulder as she swayed against his hips. Letty felt at peace in his arms, as if nothing bad could ever happen to her again. She wanted to stay that way for a while, cuddled comfortably in his arms, but she felt eyes burning into her. Looking up, she looked right into Mia's watery eyes a few feet away.
Mia smiled, gawking at the two former lovers dancing together. Letty smiled with a shrug.
"I love you," Mia mouthed from a distance, placing her hands over her heart.
"I love you Mia," Letty replied with a grin, leaning to rest in Dom's arms.
A few hours later, the sun had set on their party, and night-time welcomed the adult fun. Most of the children had fallen asleep, sans Jack, who was cuddled in his father's arms with his favorite toy car in his hand. Lucita was helping Mia and Rosa put away the food and clean the messy kitchen, while Sonny and Neil were tasked with clearing the outside of cups, paper plates, and beer bottles.
Couples were split up on the shore, each taking the time to talk privately in front of the crashing waves in the ocean. Leon and Billie were sitting in lawn chairs, sharing a joint while getting to know each other. Leon wasn't as fickle-minded as she predicted; he was intellectual and deep. Their conversations ranged anywhere from car designs, to religion, and even politics. Leon enjoyed her open-mindedness and her love of nature. He surely wouldn't mind spending more time with her. Tej and Rosa talked quietly by the water. Well, she talked in her native Portuguese and he listened. He didn't understand her language, but found her accent sexy and intriguing. Even Brooke was cozied up to Oz in the sand, laughing loudly at something he had said.
Letty watched the interactions from the second-floor balcony. She initially came to get some peace when her annoying migraine had returned after dinner, but she got caught up watching the waves crash from the incredible view. The vibe of the entire evening brought Letty a better understanding of the people who came back for her. When Owen spoke of them, he spoke as if their loyalty to each other made them weak. As if caring for each other was the cause for all of their problems. But she saw how they were ready to die for one another, how he was ready to die to save her. Owen would never risk his own life or freedom for another, yet Dom and his friends did it without question. Letty knew, without a doubt, that this was where she was destined to be. She was ready to accept them as life-long friends, but was having trouble accepting the label of 'Dom Toretto's girlfriend' again.
She wasn't ready to run into his arms and accept being his trophy again. Letty had been independent, even being in Owen's ragtag team of drivers. She didn't look to him to be her knight in shining armor, and she wasn't looking for that in Dominic either. She needed to be able to put her life together again, how she wanted it. She had been given a fresh slate, and she refused to allow stories of the past to control how she lived in the present. Letty had to start over. That meant with getting to know the Toretto and company, and getting to know Dominic. He wasn't that bad boy from down the street who drove bad-ass cars and flaunted his muscles. Now, she knew him as an established mechanic with a knack for pulling off incredibly brilliant heists, with great muscles. He was extremely loyal to those he loved, and he expected that loyalty and love in return.
She just couldn't love him just because others said she was supposed to. Just because she loved him in the past. None of that mattered to her now. She wasn't that same Letty, and he wasn't the same Dom. Her 'death' had changed them both forever.
"Hey you," Dom's voice from behind her brought her out of her thoughts. "What're you doing hiding away?"
"Just looking for some quiet to deal with this migraine," she replied.
Dom joined her leaning over the balcony, looking down at his family scattered across the beach. He couldn't fight off the smile.
"You're looking like a proud dad," she said, noticing the admiration in his eyes.
Dom grinned, "I feel like it. It took us a long time to get here. We sacrificed a lot."
"And you gained a lot, too," she said. "Look at this, Dom. An incredible beach house, more money than you count, a bigger and better DTs. Not to mention everyone of those guys down there are willing to jump in front of a bullet for you."
"The money is nice, and the loyalty from them is unmatched, but it's the things that were lost that can't be brought back. Jesse... Vince... your entire life. I would trade every dime for them to be here, and for you to have your life back."
"Dom, you ever think that maybe I don't want that life back?" Dom frowned; the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. "Dom, I was a wanted criminal. I had no stable home, barely any money. Looking over my shoulder every second. Worrying if you would come home at night. Now, I can walk out of my house without worrying if SWAT's gonna ambush me. I have an opportunity to go wherever I want, be whoever I want without that cloud hanging over me. I don't have to worry about you getting locked up, or killed. As crazy as it sounds, my life's better now."
"I guess when you put it like that," Dom said somberly. "I just feel like I'm on the outside looking in."
Letty realized that she might've hit a nerve, and placed her hand comfortingly on his cheek, "I let you in the moment you walked off that burning plane. The moment I thought I was gonna lose you again. Don't you realize this is a test? This whole thing is testing us. Our relationship before was fueled by adrenaline rushes and danger. We've been given an opportunity to try again - this time as normal, law-abiding citizens."
"That sounds boring," he smirked.
"I told you the first night that we met - I'm not much fun."
Dom smiled and moved to pull her close to him, "I'm not either, nowadays. I'm sure if you stick around, we'll learn how to be together without the danger."
"Dom, your middle name should be danger," she smirked. "I'm not a hundred percent sure what happens next, but I'll be sticking around here to figure it out. But only if you promise to stick around, too. No more creeping off in the middle of the night for another country."
"I ain't going anywhere," he murmured. The heat their bodies created clouded his mind with temptation. He jumped at the chance to finally taste the lips that he loved since he was a teen. Letty's tongue darted across her lips in anticipation, but the sound of flip-flops against the linoleum got their attention.
"Sorry," Brooke said apologetically, "Brian's looking for you. It's about Roman."
"Thanks," Dom said before dropping a kiss on Letty's cheek and disappearing down the stairs.
"Great timing, B," Letty said sarcastically, turning back over the balcony. Brooke joined her.
"So, did I tell you it was an awesome idea to come to this barbecue?" she said with a wide grin. "Everyone is super sweet, especially Mia. We already have a playdate scheduled before they go back to Seattle."
"Yeah, they're all pretty great," Letty replied sincerely. "What's going on down there?"
"I heard Brian and Tej talking; they're pretty worried. Brian seems to be keeping his distance from me. I don't think he likes me very much. Can't say that I blame him."
"Nonsense. You just have the disadvantage of being born to a maniac, one Brian has history with. He's just overprotective. He and Roman have been best friends since they were kids. He's worried - we all are."
"They might have a reason to be," Brooke said timidly. Letty looked at her with confusion. "I didn't want to say anything after the party, but ... my dad called the shop earlier."
"What's going on?" Dom asked while entering the kitchen. Brian, Tej, and Oz all sat nervously in the room, stewing from the news Brian just received.
"Stasiak just called. Carter escaped two days ago," Brian said, chucking his cell at the fridge. The device shattered into pieces and crashed to the ground.
"Damnit," Dom muttered. Before he could go on, an unexpected guest entered through the sliding glass door. "Luke? I thought you were on a case today?"
"I am," he dropped a manila folder on the island top. Carter Verone's mugshot was attached to it. "Congrats, Toretto. Third times a charm."
"So he is out," Brian said ominously, staring down at Carter's picture.
"You bet your ass. He had a parole hearing last week, which was denied. Two days ago he walked out the front door dressed like a goddamn guard. And the son-of-a-bitch has already claimed his first victim, found shot to death last night."
Hobbs flipped open the folder, pulling out a photo of another familiar face. One look at the photo sent Brian to tears.
"Who was she?" Dom asked.
"CIA operative Monica Fuentes."
Extremely nervous about this chapter, but I need total honesty! None of this is pre-written, all of it just plays out in my mind as the chapters go. Your feedback helps build this story so don't be afraid to tell me what you think! Thanks to everyone for reading!