Thanks for the love! These trailers have me so anxious for the new movie, I've already started thinking of plots for a new story after the release. But I am determined to give you guys this story completed first! Keep reading and reviewing please!
Chapter 35-Family Bonding
"Wakey, wakey," a gruff voice startled Luke from his slumber. He was disoriented and clueless as to where he was, but the memories of the previous day quickly came rushing back to him. He was chained and locked inside a room… without anyway of escaping… with murderous drug dealers on the other side of the door.
No Letty. No Leon. No one to help him.
The sound of the plate hitting the concrete floor jolted him back to the present, where a bearded man in all black stood over him.
"Found some breakfast in the basement for you. We're not use to having guests. Enjoy," he grumbled. Luke looked down at the nearly-green slice of bread and rotted cheese that lay meekly on the dish. Luke pushed the disgusting food away, not daring to touch the meal. He'd rather starve. "That's rude, you little shit. But suit yourself," the brute laughed and retrieved the plate. He stood and took one gulp to down the rest of his beer.
Luke silently wondered what time it was if he was drinking a beer during breakfast time.
He let out a sigh of relief when the man disappeared behind the door. Luke's body was sore from the hard floor and the heavy chains around his ankles and wrists didn't help with comfort, but he was alive, and for that he was grateful. He was startled again when the rusted metal door crept open, only this time it was the young boy, Erik, from the night before with a large paper bag dangling from his fingertips.
"Hey, how're you feeling?" he asked as he used a brick to hold the door open. He couldn't afford to get locked in with the prisoner whom he was forbidden to speak with.
"Like I slept on a concrete floor," Luke groaned as his eyes remained fixated on the paper bag. "What's in the bag?"
"I made a run to the convenience store. Got you some things."
"How am I supposed to keep this stuff? I have nowhere to hide it. They'll know you were here," Luke said as he watched Erik pull out a pair of socks, a plain t-shirt, and pair of basketball shorts.
"Don't worry; I paid Jacque off to keep me out of it. The shorts might be a little small, they're mine," the young boy said while handing the things over. He turned away as Luke hurriedly dressed in the clothes. The shorts were entirely too short, but it was better than his ass freezing out the back of the hospital gown. "Here's a ham sandwich and a few bottles of water. Eat it fast."
Erik didn't have to tell Luke twice as he gobbled the food down with three bites. He barely had the food down before gulping half of the first bottled water down. "You're due for your first injection in forty-five minutes. There is nothing I can do about that but prepare you."
Luke was terrified now. He had never done any hard drugs, a little pot here and there, but nothing serious. Being slammed with a dose of pure crystal meth was never on his bucket list, but being a captive, he had no choice. His fear skyrocketed as he thought of his future in this place.
"How many injections?" he asked once he had the food down.
Erik's eyes downcast somberly, "Frankly, as many as you can survive. I just pray your friends make it before it's too late."
Luke thought about his "friends", the ones who left him here. They weren't his friends at all, they were Leon's. The only one who he could've considered a friend was Letty, but where was she but back with Dominic?
"They aren't coming back," Erik looked at Luke with questioning eyes.
"What do you mean? They have to."
"They don't know me. Hell, they didn't even know I existed until a few days ago. They aren't gonna risk their lives for me."
"I don't think that's true. What about your brother? He wouldn't leave you behind, would he?"
"It's all he's ever done. All he's talked about was being back with them. He has them now, why come back?"
"That's harsh," Erik said while placing an comforting hand on his shoulder. "I have to be going now. Just try to stay calm and relaxed… it'll be a lot less painful."
Dom and Letty toured the city of Freising for another hour before deciding to call it a day. Julian fell fast asleep on the ride home, giving the adults time to talk privately. The two talked like old friends about everything from the safe debacle in Rio, to the cars won and lost on the road. They managed to keep the conversation light, staying away from topics such as Elena and Luke, but when Letty's thoughts drifted to an old friend, she had questions to ask.
"Dom, what happened to Vince?" Letty's voice was soft and cautious, unsure how he would react to the topic.
Dom immediately tensed up in the driver's seat, but his face remained stoic.
"After we were captured in Rio by the police, Reyes sent his men after us. They attacked the truck we were riding in. Vince caught a stray bullet in the aftermath. Died twenty minutes later right in front of my eyes. "
"Damn," Letty muttered under her breath. Tears began to fill her eyes, but she didn't let them fall, "I didn't get to say goodbye. He didn't get to meet his nephew, or his niece."
"During the train job, we found the chip that belonged to Hernan Reyes money laundering ring. I caught V trying to take the chip for himself. I kicked him out. I made him leave," Dom's voice was raspier than normal, which led Letty to believe that the big man was close to tears.
Letty could count on one hand that amount of times she saw Dominic cry, but each time was just as hard to watch as before. Dom was never much of a griever. He kept his emotions bottled in for ages. Normally, they were released in violent fits of rage, but rarely did he cry.
She could only place a comforting hand on his thigh, "You were doing what you thought was best."
"Vince was family. He was my best friend since third grade. You never make family leave," Dom parked at the bottom of the gravel road from the clubhouse and hurried out the car. Letty followed him but kept a safe distance between them. She watched the giant roam solemnly around the field.
"He named his son after me, Lett. Little Nico. And I let them down. Jess too."
"Dominic," Letty went to him and took his face in her hands, "Do not beat yourself up over this. Vince was a damn good man, and I hate that he's gone too, but we all knew what we were getting into when we chose this life for ourselves. Vince wouldn't blame you for his being gone, and neither would Jesse, so you shouldn't either."
Letty knew he needed to console in her, so she didn't mind when Dom wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her flush against his.
"I miss him. We shouldn't be doing this without him," Dom hummed in her ear. Letty moved to look in his eyes, which were sorrowful and heartbroken.
"Oh no, you do not get to do that. We didn't get to back out of the trucks, and you don't get to back out of this. We are gonna do this job, in honor of V and Jesse. We are gonna get that money, and get out of this shit. Nico is without a father, but I'll be damned if I leave that little boy without parents because of that asshole Alvaro," she said, pointing back to the car where Julian rested soundly. "After this job, Dom, we are done risking our lives for the rush. No more jobs, no more racing, no more running."
Dom gave an agreeing nod, "Never thought I'd hear you say you didn't want to race anymore. You live for the rush."
"It's time to grow up," she shrugged, finally pulling out of the embrace, "He needs me more than I need that rush. He gives me that rush."
"What about me?" he asked with a goofy grin, sniffling away any left over tears.
"You give me a headache, Dominic," she smirked before nodding to the car. "Let's go."
As they pulled up to the clubhouse, Dom and Letty were shocked at the scene in front of them. Clothes were sprawled out on the gravel lot, along with other personal items. The boys stood watch as Leon hurled more clothes and shoes into the lot against the protests of James, his good friend.
"Leon! Come on, brother!" James begged as he scooped his things up from the ground.
"I'm not your brother! Because of you, I dug myself into this shit, along with my real brother!"
Dom lifted Julian from the backseat and handed him over to Letty before moving over to the commotion.
"Get the hell off of this lot!" Leon barked at James from the doorway before disappearing back inside.
"What's going on? Lovers quarrel?" Dom asked Twinkie jokingly.
"I don't know, man. We've been working all day. We finally took a break to eat about an hour ago. When we came back, Leon blew up on James, screaming at him to get his shit and go. Leon's been on edge all day, we have no clue what made him snap."
Leon sprung from the house again, this time without anymore of James' things. This time he had a baseball bat, and he was handed straight for James.
"Whoa!" Dom exclaimed before jumping between the two men. He pushed Leon away while Sean grabbed James, saving him from a major league swing. "What's the problem, Leo?"
"I want this motherfucker gone!" Leon yelled as he lunged for James again.
"Get your things and go," Dom said calmly to James without another question.
"You aren't even going to ask why? I have nowhere to go!" James scoffed. "This is bullshit."
"Leon is my brother. More valuable to this team and this family than you are. If he wants you gone, I don't need to know why," Dom replied, stepping in James' face.
At this time, the Lancer came roaring up the hill. Brian sensed the tension and quickly slammed the car in park. Brian noticed Leon's bat and made a bee-line for the turmoil, while Mia hurried in the home with her sleeping child.
"What's going on? Brian asked worriedly.
"This," Leon reached into his pocket and tossed something at James' feet. They recognized it as one of the drug packets. "You are the reason I'm hooked on this shit in the first place. I was a fucking idiot for letting you get in my head, you piece of shit!" Leon raged at a man he considered a best friend.
Dom had to use a lot of his strength to keep Leon away from James. He never remembered Leon being so powerful, but he figured some of it was attributed to the drugs.
"I can't believe you're coming at me like this. I've done everything you ever asked of me. You asked me to get us this connection after you tasted that shit. You knew it was a gem and you knew we could make money!"
"But I didn't know it would ruin my fucking life," Leon cracked, shrugging violently out of Dom's arms. "He better be gone when I get back."
James stood broken and angry as Leon stormed back into the clubhouse. Leon had become a brother to James in the past three years, and the hostility was frightening.
"You heard the man. It's time to go," Dom said while pointing to the Lancer.
"What about my car? I won it fair and square," James asked, "And the race... you need me. You don't have another driver who can drive like me. Who's gonna be your fifth? Twink?" James scoffed with a laugh.
"Don't worry about that. Now leave while you still have legs to move on," Dom growled while taking a step toward him. "And the car stays… unless you want to try to take it from me…" Dom waited for a reaction, but instead James gathered his things and walked backwards to his car. "Good choice. Leave the country. If I find out that you've even tried to contact Leon, Jerry, or any of us, I will hunt you down."
Brian noticed a wallet on the ground and picked it up, taking a look inside, "And if I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut for my own safety. I'd hate to see what those dangerous business men would do if they found out James Robert Conrad of Reno, Nevada ran his mouth," Brian looked to Dom with a smile and a sense of déjà vu. "Sounds like a serial killer name."
James caught the wallet that Brian tossed at him and launched his things in the car. He stopped at the driver's side before turning back to them, just as Leon was coming to the doorway. "He ruined your life, Nardo! Not me! He's the reason you can't go back home! He's the reason Jesse and Vince are dead! And he's going to be the reason you end up behind bars for the rest of your life. All of you!" James' words were harsh and cutting as he slid into his car and spun up the wheels out of the lot.
The tension was high as everyone turned to Leon. He stood with tears running down his face and the bat hanging loosely from his fingertips, anxiety oozing from him. Dom made his way over slowly and cautiously – he didn't know what mental state Leon was in.
"What'd I tell you, Le? I said we were gonna get you some help, as long as you want it," Dom said softly as he approached the troubled man. "What you just did shows me that you want it. We're going kick this thing together and I promise brother, when this is all over and we have Luke back, we won't have any more problems. No more jobs, no more racing."
"How can I believe you, Dom? You know how many times that I've heard that from you?" Leon asked while pointing the bat, stopping Dom in his tracks. "I can't do much more of this shit, Dom. It's killing me, dawg."
Letty and Mia found themselves holding hands during the tender moment. The group of friends had been through a lot together, and slowly, they were all reaching their breaking points.
"I know, Le, but this is real. We hop on a plane to wherever you want and we live, for once. We stop running and doing crazy shit and we become a family again," Dom was only a few feet away from Leon now, and he couldn't say that he wasn't nervous. But when the bat slipped from Leon's fingers and his legs gave way, Dom was there to catch him.
He helped Leon inside and the others followed and made their way to lounge.
"Everyone have a seat," Dom grumbled while helping Leon down in the recliner.
"Mia, get some beers, would ya?" Brian asked as he went to check on the sleeping children.
Letty joined her behind the bar to gather the drinks. Mia turned to Letty quietly, "How'd the date go? Are you guys getting closer?"
Letty smiled; only Mia could think about a date at a time like this. Letty realized that a little girl time with Mia wouldn't hurt. It'd give the guys a chance to talk without the mother hen in the room. "How about we drop these off and go talk about it?"
Mia nodded and the two carried the brews over to the men. Letty leaned over Dom on the sofa and whispered in his ear, "Getting nosey out of your hair for a while. I'll see you tonight."
Dom gave a small smile that grew when Letty planted a kiss on his cheek before leading Mia out the front door.
Dom's POV
I couldn't stop the grin from stretching across my face as she told me she would see me tonight. I wasn't sure what it meant, but I was keeping all options open. My smile grew as her soft lips lingered on my cheek before she sauntered away. I watched Letty's ass sway as she headed for the door.
"I see you two are getting cozy again," Leon remarked after she was out the door.
"It's a work in progress," I replied with a smile. "But that's not why we need to talk. We have to get Luke out. We have seven days until the competition, but he needs to be back with us before then. We have to come up with a plan to get the kid out."
"He's not a kid, Dom. And say we do get him out; how is this little three-way love triangle gonna work with you and Lett?" the hostility was still evident in Leon's voice, but I let it slide.
"That's not important. The mission right now is get inside that plant and get Lucas back. I think after that, we should head straight for Berlin to avoid any backlash from Alvaro."
"You heard Slythe, Dom. If we go ahead of schedule, we might miss a clue," Sean said adamantly.
"It's a risk we're going to have to take. We know where we are headed and we know what we are after. We should be able to figure it out from there," Brian added in.
"I'm going with you guys… to get Luke. I need to be there," Leon begged while staring inside his bottle dazedly. "He needs to know I haven't abandoned him again."
Leon's current health issue made me reluctant, "Can you handle this? Going back into that place is like throwing yourself to the wolves."
"He's my brother. If anything, I should be the one rescuing him, not you. You didn't get him stuck in there."
"OK. We'll move in two days. That'll give us time to stake out the plant and make moving preparations."
"Dom, how do we move the cars with the trackers?" Twinkie brought up a good point. "He'll know we've jumped ahead, and then he'll think something is up."
"Back when I was on the Force, we saw a lot of DRFM systems with crooks that had their own techies," said Brian. His law enforcement background might prove useful for once.
"What's a DRFM system?" I asked curiously.
"Digital radio frequency memory," Jerry spoke up, "I guess I'm techie in the group of crooks?"
"It's an electronic method of jamming the transmitters or redirecting the signals. We can make this happen," Brian said confidently.
I turned to Leon, who looked defeated as he slumped in his chair. "Le, if you can get yourself together and help us pull this off, I'll need you as my fifth man."
Leon looked up at me with a new spark in his eyes, "Seriously D?" I gave him a sure nod with a smile. "Then let's get planning."
Letty's POV
I could feel Dom's eyes on my back as I headed for the door behind Mia. We sat at picnic tables near the garage and enjoyed our beers as the sun began descending. I was surprised to see Mia drinking; she hardly ever drank back in L.A.
"You like beer now? What did the Buster do to sweet little ol' Mia?" I teased as I tipped my drink up.
"Trust me – I was corrupted long before Brian came around. No thanks to you talking me into sneaking in to parties and racing behind Dom's back," Mia replied with a laugh while nudging me. "I quickly realized a nice, cold beer after chasing around younger, female version of Vince wasn't such a bad idea."
I laughed at the comparison, "Makes me wonder if ol' Coyote got to you before O'Connor did. Wouldn't that be a twist," I cracked.
Mia turned back at me with a shocked grin, "Shut up! Though I kind of regret not sleeping with him now. Poor guy."
"And why is that?" I asked with a cocked brow.
She shrugged, taking a sip of her drink, "I was always curious. He had that caveman thing going, but it worked for him as he got older. I just always wondered what it would be like, though I was terrified to do it. Vince, rest his soul, was a pig."
I couldn't help but to break out into laughter, "Mia, you thought about sleeping with V? Coyote V? The same V who could burp the specifications of his car after inhaling two large pizzas by himself?" I howled with laughter at her admission. I looked up to the sky, "Jesse, you hearing this, man?"
"Oh shut up, Lett," Mia punched her playfully again. "What about you, sleeping with Leon's brother. That's almost just as gross."
"Hey now, he wasn't all that bad," I disclaimed.
"Oh really?" Mia stood from the table to face me. "Well here's a question, Leticia. Who was better? Lucas or Dominic?"
I thought long about the question that was tough to answer. They both were great lovers.
"Your brother has always been the best lover," I goaded, grossing Mia out.
We talked for another hour about the past and the future, marriage, and motherhood. As much as I hated Brian O'Connor, Mia was head over heels for the guy, and he was a good father to their daughter and for that I was happy. He managed to take care of she and Brooklyn for this long, so I figured that he would make an alright fixture in the family.
"I'm glad you're back, Lett. Dom wasn't the same after everything happened. He had this big piece of himself missing. He was depressing. I haven't seen him smile this much since we were back home in L.A," I gave a small smile as I thought about the good times in L.A. What I wouldn't give to go back to it. "I know you care for Luke, but whatever you decide, don't take Julian away from Dom. I don't think he could handle losing you two again."
"Don't worry, Mia," I said as I finished off my drink. "I know where home is. I just need to know that Dominic does."