The air was stiff with the smell of sweat mixed with raging hormones. Just five seconds before, the restaurant's loud clatters could still be heard above all else. Lenora winced at the cut of tension; all she could focus on was the back of Johnny's head.

A blur of black flashed before her vision. Tran grabbed Samson from behind, placing himself right in front of the blonde between him and Lenora. She flinched away at the way he glared at Samson from

Johnny growled. His fists clenched, popping the knuckles with fierce snaps. "You haven't answered me. Why are you here?"

Samson sighed and gave a slight roll of his eyes, his demeanor hinting he was used to getting that kind of reaction from him. "Just chillin' with the gang, Johnny. No need to get all anal over it."

"I meant it when I told you to keep your distance," Johnny said. "Roll back to Chinatown."

On the side, Lenora resisted the urge to facepalm herself. Mia wasn't shitting when she said Johnny was possessive as fuck. At this rate, he might as well just separate this part of LA from the country and become president himself.

"Hey, man, I ain't the one who pissed you off," Samson drawled. A raised brow from him conveyed another message as his lips tugged into a lopsided grin. "You should be barking at Toretto."

Johnny snapped his head to the side and sneered. "What do you want?"

"Easy there." A cold glint flashed across Samson's gaze as he pushed Johnny's hand off him. "Don't wanna piss off the hand that feeds you, Johnny. I'm just trying to help you grow your business." The sugar-coated threat was not missed by Lenora, who swallowed as she eyed the interaction with a racing heart.

Oh god, please don't fight…

The warning seemed to still her territorial companion, because Johnny was oddly quiet after that. He tensed his shoulders while he kept his gaze to Samson's, and the two of them engaged in a size-up. A few of the men scowled whilst they talked amongst themselves behind Samson.

"操他妈的! 以为自个儿是哈啊? 死杂种!"

Lenora stiffened as she heard the insults hurled behind Johnny's back. They were far from pretty, and had he understood the meaning, there'd be no doubt the young man would've punched a hole into their skulls. The cowardice somehow sickened her, despite her recognizing that she was defending someone whom she hated with passion.

"狗仔子咋还不实相?!"

If Johnny was affected by the foreign language in the side conversations before him, he failed to show it. His sole attention was on the equally rigid Samson. Another snide comment came from the nearest member from Samson's left, this time calling Johnny an inbred. The other customers have long since cleared out of their way, leaving a circle of empty seats around them.

Time felt like an irrelevant concept as Lenora tried to assess the situation. The two men were in their own bubble, not giving a fuck given to the rest of the population. She didn't know how long it was going to last, and anxiety began its way up to her chest, curling its fingers around her lungs in a tight squeeze. If they weren't going to stop, then the owner was going to throw them out.

"Johnny," she whispered. But the subject of her ire didn't even bother to answer. Gingerly, as if afraid he would turn his head to bite her fingers off, she inched up to his form and gently placed a hand on his biceps. She was trying her hardest not to give in to her urges and yank him away. When Johnny failed to respond to that as well, her forehead wrinkled in panic.

"Johnny, relax. Everything's fine." Lenora repeated, her voice louder. She gave another small tug at his jacket, winning her a turn of his head. He eyed her from the side, mouth parted just a visible amount. She knew from experience to never incur his wrath, and she wasn't sure if her interception would be taken lightly. But with the way the current issue was going, she didn't want to be caught in the crossfire.

Relieved at the slightest success of her efforts, she placed another soothing hand on his back. The method had helped her when she was agitated, and she could only pray that this was going to work on him, too. It felt strange doing it to him, since they were spitting fire at one another just minutes before. But then again, nothing here made sense anymore.

At the second attempt, Johnny's eyes widened a fraction. He turned his face fully to look at her, and Lenora put on a desperate attempt to appear pleading. She was at a loss for what to do next, and cooling him down seemed to be the best bet for everyone else's survival. Life took her on another surprise when he actually loosened his shoulders, and the scowl dissipated from his face. The drop in animosity relieved her, but her hands continued their stiff circling of his back.

Before them, Samson cocked his head, his brow tugging on the ends. Lenora didn't have the time to pay him any heed. Her hand was still on Johnny, trying to reel him back from his overly-charged emotion. It was working, to her surprise, because his breathing turned shallow in no time and the fists followed suit.

It was at this distance she noticed just how imposing he was up close. Even at her full height with him hunched forward, she barely hit above his shoulders. A pleasant scent caught her attention and she blinked. His cologne gave off the aroma of rich cinnamon with a hint of allspice, and if she was closer, she would think she could taste the fragrances themselves. It was hard to turn away once she'd gotten a good whiff. She could describe it as almost intoxicating; the more she had it, the more she wanted to envelope it.

She frowned in confusion when his face turned to look above her. Following his gaze, she was met by the approaching figures of Kaya and Marie. All color drained from her roommate's cheeks, while Marie stiffened on the side.

"What's goin on?!" Kaya was on them in an instant. And it was then Lenora realized she was still gripping onto Johnny like her life depended on it. His sister stared at her hands, prompting her to yelp and jumped back like someone had told her he was infected with some deadly virus. Her face burned with humiliation as Marie glanced at her and then her brother. Lenora peered up towards him, but Johnny's attention on her was long gone, he was facing the other two women, with her completely forgotten.

"I was trying to help," she mumbled. She mentally kicked herself for explaining; not that it would make a difference. To everyone else, she looked like a scared weirdo nonetheless.

Marie met the eyes of Samson and her hands trembled. She quickly avoided eye contact as she stood to the side behind the taller sibling. Kaya's face fell, and she joined in with the rest of the women. Lenora had the sudden notion that Johnny was now the shield of the group. She was guilty in feeling secure behind his towering body.

What in heaven's sake am I doing?! How can I feel safe with him?! Her mind whirled from the dubiety of the situation. But she knew now wasn't the time to set her head straight, because it appeared that Samson had changed targets.

"Marie." His greeting was pleasant. "Haven't heard from you in a hot minute."

Marie sucked in a breath. "I've been really busy, Sam. School and all." She shifted from side to side, biting her lips.

Samson chuckled. "Y'know my offer still stands. I'm sure I can find someone who can help you." His lips pursed slightly as he looked down at her in bemusement.

Oh shit, is he flirting with her? Lenora gaped at the man smirking at Marie's squirming form.

"I told you I have a boyfriend." The younger Tran looked away. Lenora put two and two together, and came to the conclusion that they had a run in before. From the way Johnny was glaring holes into Samson's skull, it seemed like he knew of it, too.

"Oh well, didn't hurt to try." Samson held up his hands in defeat. He turned his head to Lenora, eyes sparkling like he just rediscovered her. "I must say you are a fresh face."

It took her a moment to register the fact he was speaking to her. Lenora held her head high, and she jutted her chin, hoping he wouldn't sense the panic overtaking her.

"I am," she replied. "Moved here a month ago."

He nodded, appearing to be deep in contemplation. "Thought so, too. Never been to LA?"

The bombardment of questions disoriented her. She was starting to feel on edge as he stared at her; his dark eyes were like a quizzical duo of probes prodding her for information. Lying to him appeared to be a good idea, but she wasn't sure if he'd take it too kindly if she was caught.

What the fuck, sis?! You were so tough with Tran just now! Are you just gonna shrink from this?!

"No?" She had meant to say it with more force, but her voice box bailed last minute and she quacked like a duck. It didn't help that Samson was one of the hottest guys she'd ever laid eyes on. She wanted to tear her hair out at the reasoning; she had no problem with Johnny, thus there were no excuses with Samson. But as always, her brain wasn't linear with anything, and now she was back to being a blubbering mess.

Samson snorted with good humor. His pals sniggered along with him, which only exacerbated her mortified state.

"If you ever have time, I could show you around," he proposed. Throwing her another wink, he jerked a thumb to the door. "I know some places that's got it going. You'd like it."

Lenora's fingers twitched at the invitation. Did he just skip to me after being rejected? The sudden feeling of being second place irked her and she huffed. "It's fine. I've got friends to meet up with."

Her courage came back at full speed and it wasn't hard rejecting him. The remark after Marie left a bitter taste in her mouth; Lenora was no desert flower, but she wasn't about to be a man's second choice either. Had she not felt any fear towards the man earlier, she would've rolled her eyes for added effect.

The curt response seemed to stop Samson in his tracks, his mouth opened a mere bit and his brows rose up. But it didn't faze him enough as he let out a low chuckle.

"Guess today isn't my lucky day," he mused. Lenora eyed Marie on the side, who was inching closer to her by the second. Her body moved on its own accord, sandwiching herself between her and Samson. It was a futile attempt to appear tough, but it had worked with Mia, so it wouldn't hurt to try it again.

Johnny narrowed his eyes. "If there isn't anything else, we've got places to be." He was in Samson's face again, this time completely blocking his view of his sister. The blonde sighed and waved his hand like it was no matter.

"Yeah, yeah. You're always bouncin' around and I ain't wanna be in your way." Samson landed a hard pat of Johnny's shoulder, eyes hardening into dark holes. A slight scowl settled onto his face as he turned away. "I'll see ya next week."

The crowd he brought with him migrated with his retreating form. A few of them spared glares at the older Tran as they left. Tension in the room dissolved as the last one of them exited the building, bringing stares from other customers. Lenora let loose of the breath she had been holding, and the trembling in her hands came to a stop.

Glancing at Johnny from the corner of her eyes, she saw his shoulders rising, and then fall down heavily. The incident left him just as exhausted as she had. She wondered if he was okay after the face off, if he was in a better mood now that Samson was gone. But her mind put a crowbar on that train of thought.

Don't pity him. This ain't none of your business.

It was bizarre to even consider asking if he was alright. After all, none of this would've happened had he kept his business clean. Lenora refused to be dragged into the mess with him, and that was least, that was how she justified it. However, a part of her was still compelled to at least make sure he was stable. If not for him, then for the others.

But fortunately for her, Kaya beat her to the punch. Running up to him, her roommate huffed. "Did you get into a fight again?"

Johnny grimaced. "No, Kaya. We go way back, but it's fine now." He breathed out and ran a hand through his hair. "It's not the best relationship, but I'm ok."

Kaya wasn't pacified with that answer, and she continued her barrage of questions like a mother hen. Lenora, on the other hand, had tuned out everything around her. It wasn't clear whether or not Marie and Kaya were aware of Johnny's endeavors. Kaya, albeit frightened, was oblivious to the threat Samson had made earlier. With Marie, she knew that Dom was her ex, thus she found it impossible for her not to know anything about Johnny's black business.

The main concern that bugged her to no end was if these people were even trustworthy. It was clear that Johnny was embroiled in sketchy activity, he reeked of it. But second thoughts clouded Lenora's mind as she stared at Kaya.

Maybe I should get another place.

It wasn't an overreaction entirely. At this point, she was focused on surviving her two years in LA. And the situation wouldn't serve her if her roommate had ties with one of the gangsters there. She'd much rather choose life. Lenora blinked as she came to the realization that she needed an excuse to just up and leave. The landlord would be pissed as fuck, but it beats having greasers storming her place.

Stupid! Just say you switched from online to in person! That'll do the trick, genius!

Lenora wanted to clap her own back for the brilliant idea.

The rest of lunch happened in a blur, with Kaya disgruntled, Marie dazed, and Johnny annoyed. It was a comical sight had it been different circumstances. Lenora held her composure as the group finished up their meal. It wouldn't do her any good to just go off at him in the middle of a cafe.

She had been so embroiled in the drama that she'd completely forgotten the barbeque. Glancing at her phone, her brows rose in surprise. Time had moved faster than she expected, which was the total opposite. At this rate, Lenora would think that she might as well be stuck to the trio for the rest of her life.

Johnny didn't say much for the rest of the duration, and she was happy with that. His eyes seemed to glaze over, deep in thought. The scowl never left his face after the confrontation, and she had every right to believe that this was going to be his norm for the rest of the afternoon.

The food was decent at best, but then again, Lenora wasn't paying much attention to her meal. That could've been the culprit. Instead, she found herself spiraling down a dark hole of conspiracies regarding gangs and secret societies.

What if the Illuminati had a branch here? Is there a syndicate of sorts?! And how does Dom come to play in all this? I bet he kicks ass, too.

The useless imaginations would've done her good if she was an author, but in reality, she may as well be in lalaland. Johnny caught her off guard when he offered to pay the full tab; Kaya had argued about covering it, as she was the one who suggested the outing. Lenora stared in awe as the man's stony expression betrayed nothing. He simply took out his card and slipped it to the waitress, bantering back and forth with his friend.

Lenora felt an uncomfortable pit settle within her. She couldn't put a finger on it, but she wasn't entirely ok with having her friend's arch nemesis paying for everything. There was no way she wanted to come across as taking advantage of them, especially since she had spewed her fair share of insults to him earlier.

"It's ok, Kaya," she spoke, "I'll cover half." It felt like an attempt to mend the cracks between them, but she told herself otherwise.

Kaya gaped as she felt her card being pressed back into her hands. "No, no! You can't do that!"

Lenora sighed and gave an exasperated smile. "It's for the great time. I really liked the food here and I loved meeting all of you." She couldn't wait to get back home and cringe at her words. To the side, Johnny stiffened but remained silent. That was the best course of action, as Lenora didn't need another smarmy comment for the day.

She wanted to facepalm when they ended up arguing like any other Asian family over the bill, with poor Marie stuck in the middle like a helpless child. It took another bout of convincing to get Kaya off her back.

"You can cover my grocery rides for a month," Lenora teased.

Kaya snorted, nodding dramatically. "Fine, you win!"

The group relocated back to the car, with Lenora and Kaya bumbling about the latest Star Wars movie, and a comment from Marie about Ewan Mcgregor every once in a while. The girls swooned over the mere mention of him, earning a grumble from their irritated driver.

At first Lenora was grateful for the silence from him, it gave her room to breath around the pissy dragon. But as time dragged on, she began to fear that maybe he was just waiting to let it all out on her once they've gotten some private time. Her stomach churned at the thought, so she made the decision to stick by Kaya like superglue.

Johnny appeared to not care after the confrontation with Samson, completely acting as if she didn't exist. And if Kaya was the shield between them, then no matter how guilty Lenora felt by that, she was okay with it.

Grocery shopping went on smoothly, and she made an effort to bag twice the sweets she was craving. If she was going to ask for rides, she might as well take advantage of it. With her goodies in hand, she joined the rest of the women by the car.

"Holy shit! They're showing the Phantom Menace today!" Kaya squealed. She waved a magazine in Marie's face. "Quick! We need to get the tickets!"

Lenora was reminded that she herself had an event to get to. She crossed her fingers that Kaya wasn't going to ask her again, because she just wasn't in the mood to explain Dom's barbeque in front of Johnny's presence.

It took a moment for Kaya to realize the woman standing next to them, and she chuckled nervously. "Ah! Sorry! I just got ahead of myself. Didn't you say you have a gathering later, Lenora?"

The addressee cleared her throat. "Yeah, it's a bbq, so I'll pass on the movies. But raincheck it for me." Lenora refused to look Johnny's way, but she could feel his gaze boring into her. The sooner she got back home, the better for all of them.

Marie seemed to come to a conclusion. "Ok, so we'll stay and walk to the theaters for tickets. Johnny will drop you off." She patted her brother's back loudly, but was oblivious to the gawking Lenora.

She had to repeat what Marie said in her head three times to understand the grave danger she put herself in. If Kaya was going to stay behind, then that meant she had to deal with him for another fifteen minutes...alone. Lenora began to panic; a flash of thoughts dashed past her head. She could call Mia and have her pick her up, or maybe she could ring Letty. But then she remembered they were banned from Johnny's turf.

The urge to slump onto the ground was strong. Lenora had to bite her tongue to keep from begging Kaya to stay. But to no avail, as the other two had already made their way to the other side of the road, waving back at her and her driver.

Lenora snapped her vision back to Johnny, who she caught heading back to the car without sparing a glance at her. Her legs shook as she took a step, and then another. The robotic movements carried her to the passenger seat; she dreaded going shotgun, but she didn't want to be anal and further bother him to move the seats again.

Cursing the gods, Lenora grabbed the handles and pulled herself in.

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A/N: "操他妈的! 以为自个儿是哈啊? 死杂种!"= Fuck him! Who the hell does this halfbreed fucker think he is?

"狗仔子咋还不实相?!" = Bitch not gonna stand down huh?