Chapter 25
"He got shot down." Dominic said quietly to Ice as he watched Brian walk in, his head down.
"What'd I do to deserve all this?" Brian looked at Ice miserably. "Don't answer that one, Dom." He shook his head, knowing that Dominic would say being a cop.
"Your job as a loving brother. Sit down and relax." Ice said. "I told ya it was a long shot." He said, almost apologetically. "Give her some time." Ice advised. Brian nodded, rubbing his strained eyes.
"Anything from the doctors yet?" He asked, his eyes closed.
"No." Dominic replied, rather snippily.
"Ice, why me?" Brian asked, discouraged.
"Brian, let's go outside and sit in my car." Ice put an arm around him. "Call me on my cell if the doctors come out, Guys." He nodded at the guys. Dominic waved his acknowledgement.
"Ice, where…" Brian stammered, his nerves shot.
"Get in." Ice ordered. "Ok, I'm gonna lay this down one time and one time only. Got it?" Ice asked, staring intently at Brian. He nodded, although confused. "You can't tell anyone, not even Dom or the crew this shit, you understand?" He asked.
"Yeah, I got it." Brian assured him. He felt like Ice wasn't buying it.
"Ok, I am gonna tell you the story and it will probably blow your mind. If Tiff and Dom trust you, then I guess I can too. You were a cop, right?" He asked. Brian nodded, his dread showing. "Not anymore. But there is a lot of things you wanna know about Tiff, so I am going to help you out." Ice promised.
"As in how? She won't talk to me, she had me thrown out of her own club, which I didn't even know she owned." Brian sighed.
"Exactly. You're lucky to even be with her." Ice said. "None of us even thought it would last 2 weeks. Tempest had her money on a month and we all said she was wrong." Ice laughed, but then noticed Brian didn't see that as funny. "Tiff has only been in one other relationship in her life. It ruined her for life. Until she met you. She would never settle down. I used to worry and I have been where you're at. You're exact spot." Ice lit up a cigarette.
"How is that? What does this have to do with what she does?" Brian asked, scratching his head.
"OK, I am a …let's say in a powerful position. Tiffany hasn't even told the crew what she does cause she doesn't want to involve them. She didn't want you to know because you were a cop and took down Verone. By the way, thanks." Ice grinned, loving the shock on Brian's face.
"You're telling me Tiff? No, be serious. This is a setup again, isn't it?" Brian asked, not believing anything. "This is not the time to test me." He warned.
"I'm not. So, you know where she has been running off to. She owns clubs, businesses, all kind of things. She is a powerful girl, trust me." Ice said. "But you gave her something no one else could, Brian. She is pissed because she actually trusted you not to break her heart and you guys saying that shit pretty much broke it all for her." Ice explained.
"How does she know Johnny, then?" Brian asked, remembering his sister had said they knew each other.
"Brian, I can tell you're tired. But put two and two together, Man. He used to be my right hand man until he got into the drugs and wanted more power and money. Then he got even." Ice frowned.
"With Tiff?" Brian's mouth fell open. Ice nodded.
"I was dating Tempest and she was with Johnny. How do you think he knows how to cover his ass and his tracks so well? Did you ever hear of my empire? Tiff's name ever come up in the FBI?" Ice asked curiously. Brian shook his head no.
"Exactly. Yeah, Tran is getting back at Tiff, you, Dom, and me. Not to mention Jordan." He scowled. Brian was sitting there in shock.
"Wow. He …Ice, I don't know what to say." Brian was at a loss for words.
"Don't say anything. Or I will have to kill you." He laughed. He was loving Brian's reaction. He turned serious. "I am not playing. Tell anyone and you die." He looked Brian in the eyes.
"I won't. So, that is how you guys found her. Wow, thanks, Man. I…Dom was right. I am a jackass." Brian sat there.
"Boy, you better check yourself before ya wreck yourself." Tempest warned the bartender who was still trying to pick her up. Tiffany was out of drinks and she was dead set on having some more.
"You need to loosen up, Girl." He scowled. Tempest motioned for the bouncer and had him thrown out. "Tiff, let's go. You've had enough." She told her friend.
"Back to the hospital, right?" Tiffany slurred, hanging onto Tempest.
"Sure, if that is where you wanna go. You know Brian will be there and you have to behave or they will kick you out." She warned.
"I am straight, don't trip." Tiffany lied. She was quiet on the drive to the hospital. Tempest looked over to find her passed out. Probably for the best, she thought. She called Ice's cell phone.
"What sup, Tempest?" He asked, a smile detectable in his voice.
"Hi, Ice." She smiled. Her and Ice had been involved for a long time until they had felt it wouldn't work. She still loved the sound of his voice. It made her smile like no one else could.
"You ok? Tiff ok?" He asked.
"Can you come get her? She has had so much to drink, she just passed out. Might need to check her for alcohol poisoning." She joked. "I was gonna have her sleep it off up in the waiting room, but I need your help." She added, dropping Tiffany's limp arm. This girl wasn't going anywhere.
"Drunk, huh? Interesting. I have a hard time imagining that." Ice laughed as he was headed to the parking lot.
"How are things?" Tempest asked, once Ice was carrying his sister from the dark underground parking lot.
"They would be better if you were around." Ice replied, in his playa voice. Tempest rolled her eyes.
"Boy, you are so wrong for that." Tempest retorted, with a smile.
"You know you want me back, Babe." Ice said, sounding playfully arrogant.
"In your dreams. Couldn't handle me before, ya can't handle me now." She shook her head as he laid Tiffany on a couch in the waiting room. The guys looked at each other, not sure if they had heard right. Vince kicked Leon, who was frowning.
"You think?" Ice grabbed her around the waist and tickled her. She laughed until she realized it was a hospital and why there were there.
"I know." Tempest assured him confidently. She sat down by Brian, who was lightly dozing.
"Whoa, how much did this chick have to drink?" Dominic asked, smelling the alcohol potency. Tempest stifled a laugh.
"You should have seen the damn table. I have never seen your house have that much alcohol in it at one time." Brian replied, not opening his eyes. They all busted up laughing.
"She had a lot. A lot." Tempest agreed, smiling. She noticed Leon from the corner of her eye, watching her.
"Brian O' Conner?" A nurse called. He jumped out of his seat. "The doctor would like to see you in here, please." The nurse smiled. Brian followed, looking at the guys nervously.
"I'm scared, Vince." Megan whispered, her head buried in Vince's coat, his Drakkar Noir cologne smelling good to her.
"Hey, she is gonna be fine, Meggo." Vince reassured her, stroking her hair as she tried to hold back tears. She smiled at him through her teary eyes. He made her feel so at ease.
"I hope so." Jesse chimed in, trying to sit still.
"Where's my drink?" Tiffany asked, sitting up, still drunk.
"Your ass don't need anymore drinks." Ice said. She glared at him, her head aching. He smiled sweetly.
"We have her out of surgery. She has several things that are crucial. She has a punctured lung, a shattered knee cap, 4 broken ribs, some internal bleeding, a dislocated jaw, some eye trauma, renal damage, and a …" The doctor stopped hesitantly.
"What? As if that is not enough." Brian's fist were clenched.
"Some other things as well that are fixable." The doctor promised.
"So, the other stuff, you can help her, right? She will live?" Brian asked.
"Well, we're not completely out of the woods yet but she survived the four hours of surgery so she is doing better than we expected." The doctor nodded. "We were able to subdue the clot on her brain with some anticoagulants, so she should be resting easily. If she is in pain, please let my nurses know immediately." The doctor nodded.
"Blood clot on the brain?" Brian's chest felt tight. The doctor shook his hand.
"She is in very good hands and we are doing all we can. She needs you and her friends to be positive." He nodded.
"So, did ya wreck my car?" Dominic asked smugly.
"I knew your punk ass was gonna say somethin sooner or later. Ha!" She jumped up and pointing her finger at Dominic. "You're damn lucky she didn't puke in it." Tempest laughed. Dominic shook his head. He was trying to irritate the girl but it wasn't working.
"Who me?" Tiffany yawned, stretching. Ice pulled her up and walked her out of the waiting room. "What'd I do now?" She asked dreadingly.
"I was just going to get you a cup of coffee. So you can sober up." Ice said, putting his two quarters in the vending machine. He handed her the hot black coffee.
"Thanks Bro." She smiled, taking a sip.
"I told Brian everything about us and you. And Johnny." He looked at her. She spit the coffee out of her mouth and accidentally on his legs. He looked at her in shock. She couldn't help but laugh.
"You what?" She asked after she was over the incident. She knew she knew she had heard him wrong.
"I told him cause he was miserable and torn and I know how he feels when your sister is hurt and you're not sure of who to trust. So, I told him and if he talks to anyone, your man is gone and dead." Ice shrugged, as though he was discussing a minor issue instead of death.
"He is not my man. The sorry ass doesn't trust me, Ice. If he loved me, he would have trusted me." Tiffany sighed.
"Tiff, he does love you. I can tell." Ice promised. She walked back into the waiting room, ignoring her obviously insane brother. Dominic didn't even know all what went on. What was her brother thinking?
"Tempest, Dom, cut it out!" Leon frowned, tired of the bickering. They hadn't left one another alone since Dominic had started the whole thing about his car.
"This ain't your conversation, so see your way the hell outta of it." Tempest was quick to retort.
"You act just like her." Vince pointed at Tiffany walking in.
"Thank you. I try my best. And you act just like him." Tempest pointed at Leon. Leon looked at her shocked at her wit. She was just sassy enough to be attractive.
"What are you guys goin on about?" Tiffany asked, wondering who was going to notice Ice's pants first. Her bet was on Tempest.
"Tempest and her attitude." Dominic replied. Tempest walked over to Ice and circled him like a vulture, looking at his pants leg.
"Take a bath without me?" She asked, purposely flirting with him. He threw his head back and laughed.
"No, I was waiting for ya. This was Tiff's drunk ass." Ice said sarcastically.
"Nice." Tempest winked at him, knowing it was getting to him.
"You are so evil." He whispered in her ear. She smiled. Her feelings weren't there for him as a boyfriend, but she was still attracted to him. Ice was just like Dominic. He was hard to resist. He had that magnetic pull.
"Your lucky Dom's car is in one piece and not wrecked the way you were drivin earlier." Leon laughed. Tempest turned around, an eyebrow raised. So, she thought, he wants to get served.
"What about your car? Learn how to drive yours and then we talk about my driving." She folded her arms. Dominic laughed, knowing right where this was headed.
"Oh, I can drive." Leon assured her, his head held high. He was so confident, Tempest thought with an inside laugh.
"Cause you're on team Toretto. Big deal." She shrugged, her voice flat. She knew she was wearing on Dominic and Leon's nerves now. She was loving every minute of it, too.
"Oh, Little Girl, I think that is a challenge." Leon challenged.
"Hold up, what'd we miss?" Roman and Tej walked in.
"Where you guys been?" Dominic asked.
"Eating." They all replied, knowing those boy's stomachs. They all laughed.
"No, hold up, Mr. Leon here, was about to say somethin." Tempest clicked her teeth.
"I was just gonna say you need to put your car next to mine and see who comes in first." Leon said.
"Why, so you can look at how pretty it is?" Tempest smiled sweetly. The boys all oohed. "You'll need that memory when I leave your ass in the dust." She assured him. Tiffany high-fived her.
"We'll see about that, Tempest." Leon promised.
"Hey, bring it. I'm not the one who's worried." She walked out to go get a drink, leaving the guys smiling. Brian walked out, looking sad.