Chapter 26

Who's my trophy?

Brian couldn't believe Dominic had won again. He was able to still get into Braga's organization but he felt like a loser. He knew he was being childish but he had promised to himself he'd still win a race against Dom.

The text message he got from Monica only made him more upset. However, he needed to let it go and focus on the case. Monica was able to get the cooperation of an important witness and that was great. Letty was their main witness, and if he could get the FBI to guarantee that Dom would have his profiled cleaned, Brian was sure she wouldn't object to testify as well.

After the race, he had gone to the night club to participate on a celebration in tribute to the new cartel drivers, accepting Campos invitation with Dom. That race had been the last one to complete Braga's new team and the organization was distributing free alcohol, drugs and sex.

Dominic didn't want to be there. He was looking forward to go home for Letty, however he had to continue pretending. He saw Brian sitting at the bar, drinking a Corona beer.

O'Connor was right, the only safe thing to drink there was beer. Dom was still asking himself what Brian was thinking when he decided to compete with him at the race and what was that scene that tantrum he had when they got to the finish line? If that was part of the plan, Brian certainly had forgotten to let him know.

Brian saw Dominic walking towards him at the bar but kept his cover. It wasn't that hard anymore because he was upset for real that his friend won from him again on the road.

"I almost beat you!"- Brian remembered telling that to Dom the first time they raced. Since then the reality was still the same, he "almost" won but he actually never did. It was becoming hard to live with that.

Dom could see how much his friend was upset for losing a race to him again. He though that was cute and decided to provoke him:

"Crying your loss?"- He asked Brian right after ordering a Corona to the barman."

"Loss?"- Brian said. "It depends on the point of view. I made it to the team, didn't I?"

"Yes, thanks to that girl's intervention. But what the hell were you thinking?"- Dom calmly asked having a long sip of his beer. "I thought the goal here was different."

"Things change. You should know better."- Brian said.

"I'd know if somebody had told me."- Dom gave back to him.

"We're still on the same side, man."- Brian quietly whispered to him before drinking one more sip of his beer.

At that moment, Campos showed up at the bar. He was in a good mood. He placed his hands on their shoulders and called them to his table to drink with him. They sat in a small group of armchairs that were hiding in a corner, obviously a reserved place to VIP customers.

A brunet waitress, very attractive with long hair and wearing a tiny dress approached them with a tray containing three shots of tequila. Campos signed to the girl and when she approached, he took a glass. Dom and Brian did the same.

"Are you guys enjoying the party?"- Campos asked them.

"It is great!"- only Brian said. Dom remained quiet watching the people around them. The waitress left the bottle over their tabl but she stayed nearby in case Campos needed her.

"I've been looking up a few things about you, amigos.- Campos informed them. "You!"- He pointed to Dominic. "FBI is after you! Heavy stuff. And you!"- This time he pointed to Brian. "You served two years sentence for stealing cars. You two are very interesting fellows. But what I really want to know is if you would be able to do anything for Braga."

"Would you do anything for Braga?'- Dom asked him.

"Of course I would, hombre.- Campos said with a wide smile on his face. He became serious then when he said, making a gesture with his hands, including everyone around them: "Not just me, everybody here would give their lives for Braga because Braga is faithful to this community.

"Fidelity is very important."- Dom commented. "It is hard to trust somebody these days."- He added looking at Brian from the corner of his eye.

Brian gave back the look to him. Campos looked from one to another and asked:

"Do you know each other?"

"I used to date his sister."- Brian answered.

"You're lucky then."- Campos said. "You're still breathing."

Dom giggled.

"Let's toast!"- Campos suggested and the three of them raised their tequila shots.

"To the women we loved…and to the women we lost."- Campos said. Dominic felt a sharp pain in his chest; because of Braga he almost lost Letty and his daughter.

He felt like strangling him with the Phoenix but he needed to be patient and wait for the right moment to act.

"Well, my friends, that's your party! I must go now. Get whatever you want, drinks, drugs, women. Mi casa es su casa!"

"See ya!"- Brian said. Dom only nodded.

When Campos left, Brian told Dom:

"I'm going to look around/."

"You're not going to find anything interesting. Not tonight!"

"We never know!"- Brian said.

"You know…for a cop…"- Dom whispered the last word. "You sometimes are slow, O'Conner."

Brian ignored his comment and left, blending with the people on the dance floor. He wanted to see if he could find something interesting to help with the investigation. Two women approached Dom. They're obviously hitting on him. He smiled and said:

"I'm sorry, girls. I am leaving.

"ohhhhhhh!"- The girls did in disappointment.

"Maybe next time."- Dom said leaving his tequila glass empty on the table.

When he was leaving the club, he saw Gisele near the bar having a drink. She sensually smiled to him but Dom just looked serious to her. He wanted to go back to Roman's house and see Letty.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Letty was finally able to calm down Nina again after the mess with Roman's girlfriend and now the little girl was quietly, sleeping in her arms after her mommy had sang her a lullaby.

She was still very upset with what happened and if that girl wasn't Roman's girlfriend, Letty would go back inside the house and show her with who she was dealing with, however, it was better for her to calm down.

Roman was helping them, and even if they had to leave after that incident, she had to wait for Dom to come back. She looked at the clock. It was almost 1:30 in the morning and he wasn't back yet. She hoped he'd be back soon.

Letty carefully nested her daughter in her arms, the baby girl was involved in a white baby blanket, sleeping comfortably, sucking on her pacifier. Letty looked at the sky and saw lightening cutting through the darkness.

She missed the time when they didn't have to live like that. Her life before resumed to Mr. Toretto's old garage, fixing cars with Dom or racing on the streets with her boosted car, and when it was dark and the moon raised majestically in the sky, Dom would drive her to the beach. They would make out and drink until the sunset. Everything was perfect. She didn't even remember when living turned out to be so dangerous.

The entrance door of Roman's house creaked and Pitty came out, taking the two steps that led to the flowerbed. When Letty saw her, she stepped away, instinctively protecting Nina on her arms. Her eyes were furious. Pitty tried to smile and said:

"May I speak with you for a moment, Leticia? I'd like to apologize. Roman has told me everything."

Letty eyed the other woman with suspicious but didn't get closer to her. Pitty felt terrible. This time her jealousy of Roman had gone too far, however, which woman would not be jealous arriving at her boyfriend's house in the middle of the night and finding another woman in his bed with a baby? Any woman would think the worst.

"Look, I really want to apologize. I had no intention to harm you or scare your baby."

"You didn't have the intention to harm me?"- Letty enquired raising one eyebrow.

Pitty blushed.

"Ok, right. I had the intention to hurt you."- She honestly said. "But only because I thought you were Roman's lover, that's it!"

Roman came out of that house.

"Roman's lover?"- Letty asked loud. "So, does he give you reason to think like that?"

Pitty looked at her boyfriend. He made a panic face and went back inside the house.

"Well, he's no saint."- Pitty answered. "But I know I overreacted today. He wouldn't go that far of knocking up another woman and bringing her and the baby here."- She paused, like if she was thinking about what else to say, then she apologized again the best way she could: "I'm really sorry. It must be hard for you to live like that.

Letty said nothing. She only nodded and turned her eyes to the sky again. The soft breeze transformed into a strong and cold wind. Pitty invited her back in the house:

"A storm is coming soon, why don't we get back in the house, Leticia?"

"You can call me Letty."- She said following Pitty inside the house.

It wouldn't make sense to stay outside with Nina exposing the baby to the wind and rain when the girl had already apologized and Letty thought she seemed sincere.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?"- She asked when Pitty closed the door behind them, referring to the blow that immobilized her in Roman's room.

"I practiced Kung Fu for a long time when I was in high school."- Pitty proudly said.

"Looking at you I couldn't tell."- Letty teased talking about the looks of Roman's girlfriend. She was the real stereotype of the nerd school girl but also stylish wearing black boots, red chess skirt, dark coat and white buttoned shirt.

"Was that a compliment?"- Pitty teased her back. Letty smiled. "Your baby is so cute. Roman told me her name is Nina."

"Actually, her name is Anna Caterina. Nina is a nickname."

"It's a beautiful name."- Pitty commented. "Roman also told me about tonight's race. I hope your boyfriend will win."

"He did it already."- Letty spoke with confidence.

"Is everything alright here now?"- Roman asked with a yellow smile, coming in the living room and taking a seat beside Pitty on the sofa. He looked at Letty and reassured: "Look, Letty, we can trust Pitty. She understands everything now.

Pitty smiled and offered:

"You and Dom can count on me for anything you need, Letty. I'm really sorry about what happened."

Letty smiled to her, accepting her apologies. It was always good to make new allies, especially in a difficult time like that. Outside the thin rain turned into thick water drops until stomping into a storm.

Dom was finally back to Roman's house in the exact moment the storm started. He saw through the front windows that all lights inside were on. Despite the lateness, Letty was still awake, waiting for him. That realization filled him with expectations.

He had won the race and Letty had promised him they would be together again for real. Everything would happen naturally, once they start it, they wouldn't be able to stop. Then why he felt so nervous in face of the perspective of making love again to the woman he loved?

Things hadn't change that much in a year. Or did they? Dom took a deep breath, resigning himself in case Letty had changed her mind. She had changed. Definitely. He could try but he wouldn't ever be able to understand for real what she had gone through becoming pregnant and having to take care of a baby by herself, away from all and everyone she knew.

That night he wanted her more than anything, and she had promised him she would be his. But if Letty wanted to give a step back, he'd respect it until she was ready to be with him again.

The rain hit hard the windows and the water spread abundantly over the car's windshield but Dom didn't bother with it. He opened the door and came out of the car in the rain, letting it wash his body and soul. He had won the race, but the game was just starting. There were a lot of obstacles on the way, but he'd conquer them all for his family, specially Letty and Nina.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Roman, Pitty and Letty heard when Dom parked the car in front of the house. Letty felt her heart jumping inside her chest. That was the moment she had been waiting for a long time, but she found herself a little nervous about it.

Should she wait for him to take the initiative? Or should she provoke him until he couldn't handle it anymore and grab her like he used to do in the past? She had no doubts he had won the race. She knew that by instinct.

"It seems your boyfriend is back."- Pitty said looking outside through the window curtains. "Wow! He is hot!"

"Behave yourself, woman!"- Roman reprehended her.

"But he really is..."- Pitty insisted.

Letty gave a half smile. Roman opened the door and held Pitty's hand. She smiled to Dom.

"What's up, my man? Is everything alright?"

Dom just silently nodded.

"That's right then!"- Roman said. "Hey, this is my baby, Pitty! We were just leaving to my trailer, right bunny?"

Roman continuing speaking but Dom wasn't listening to him. He exchanged a gaze with Letty that was still sitting on the sofa, holding a sleepy Nina on her arms.

"Let's go, Pitty, there's no place for us here right now!"

"But I wanted to know how was the race…"

"Good night, guys!"- Roman said ignoring his girlfriend's protest, taking her with him through the back doors to his trailer.

"Good night."- Letty said getting up from the sofa, carefully rearranging Nina in her arms. Dom approached her with a smile She retributed him with a lazy one, softly nibbling on her inferior lips, watching him. "You're wet!"

"It seems like it."- He said. His clothes were sticking to his body, molding his strong muscles. Letty appreciated the vision. "Did bambina (little one) give you a hard time tonight?"

Letty shook her head.

"So so. How's the race?"- She asked like if she didn't know.

"I won."- Dom simply said. He thought it would be better not to mention the part when Brian showed up there to race with him for now. "Where's my trophy?"- He asked, presumptuous, running his eyes all over Letty's body.

She was wearing a t-shirt and short denim shorts; in her feet she wore flip flops. Her dark hair was loose, framing her face.

"It depends on what kind of trophy you're looking for."- She said giving it back to him. "Are you hungry?"

Dom had many answers for that same question.

"Roman and I ate pizza. I saved some for you. I can warm up on the microwave."

"Well, I..."

"Oh..."- She said turning hr back to him. "You should take off these wet clothes and have a hot shower before you catch a cold."

Dominic frowned.

"When did you become so maternal?"

Letty lowered her eyes to her baby on her arms.

"When this little thing came to this world."- Letty said with an undeciphered expression in her eyes.

Now Dom was confused. Did she want it or not? There was some sort of familiar sparkle in her yes that was telling him, that she was expecting him to grab her and show what he got, but at the same time there was something saying "stay away because I haven't forgotten you yet, specially because Letty was still holding Nina. What now? What was he going to do?

"There's clean towels in the bathroom."- She said. "I'll put Nina to bed and warm up the pizza for you."

Dom nodded. He didn't know what else to say. He went to the bathroom, undressed from his wet clothes and took a hot shower. He wrapped a fluffy white towel around his waist and left the bathroom. His wet clothes stayed on the ground. He would deal with them later.

He walked towards the bedroom and smiled when he saw Nina sleeping in her little chair. The bag with his clean clothes was on the floor beside the bed. He took off the towel and placed it on the bed.

He didn't notice when Letty got in the room and closed the door behind her. Her eyes shined with desire when she saw him naked in the shadow, with his back to her.

"Papí..."- She whispered but it was enough for Dom to listen. His body reacted immediately to the raspy sound of her voice, causing his skin to shiver.

Letty came closer to him and involved her arms around the man she loved so much.

To be continued...