Leon and Jesse started on the racing game they'd been challenging against each other on for over a year now. Vince ignited his electric guitar to which he played well enough. Dom and Brian did the dishes alone. It wasn't that Leon and Vince weren't willing to help; Vince just said they could handle it and Dom and Brian hadn't complained. Vince had a view of the kitchen from his place in the living room. Over the course of the cleanup project, Dom glanced out to see Vince watching quietly. Dom turned his head away each time he met his friend's gaze, knowing Vince left the two of them together through design. There was something like a wingman in the behavior.
Brian had fallen into silence, eyes not really looking at his meticulous use of the sponge and soap. The bubbles went clean up to his elbows and big round ones were actually floating off to pop on the cabinets and window. Dom enjoyed the sparkling plates that came his way to be dried and put away where only he, Vince, and Mia knew where. Whenever Leon or Jesse helped with dishes they'd pile them on the counter to be put away later by someone who knew.
He looked like he was in somewhat worrisome thought, Dom observed.
"How's your arms?" he asked quietly, looking to bring him back from wherever he was.
"Sore and tired," Brian replied without any color or tone.
When he looked up it took a moment for his blue eyes to totally focus on Dom. Wherever he'd hidden that smile Dom was sorry it was missing. But maybe it was right to be hidden a little…considering what Dom was about to do.
"When we're done here there's something I want to show you," Dom said.
Brian only nodded that he'd heard and went back to the soap explosion. Dishes were soon done so Dom took Brian out the kitchen side door. Vince watched them leave but didn't make a move to ask where. He turned back to his guitar and kept strumming, feeling the weight of their missing presences.
Dom took Brian through the dark night, down the steps and around the side of the house.
"The garage?" Brian asked when it became clear.
"Something inside to show you."
He had the key in his pocket. The only other copy was upstairs in Mia's jewelry box. If anyone ever broke into their house and stole it without opening that garage up, they'd have missed out on the best thing the Toretto house had to offer. The single eight foot barn door slid open and the room beyond was darker than the night behind them. The garage wasn't closed in - the upper few inches were open to let the heat come and go from the place, a few lights from the outside letting silhouettes show. Dom reached to his right and hit the lights. Fluorescent ballasts first buzzed to life then flickered on the tubes overhead, lighting up the pride of Dom's dad's life and career.
Brian needed a moment to understand what he was looking at. He stepped into the room only two meager steps, then his body seemed to lose function as his eyes and mind were processing the car before him.
"Wow," his voice was breathless. Some of his spark returned in that moment at the sight of the chrome and metallic beast before him. It was a muscle car. It was all forms of manly mixed with flash and American style. Rich clean steel that slumbered in this old garage.
"Me and my dad built her," Dom said at last, lost for words himself for a time.
He maybe told this story only a thousand times in his head. The words weren't his, they were his father's. They were the echoes in Dom's memories he heard as a child, listening to his dad go on and on. She was the wild west, the outlaw, and the beautiful heroine all rolled into one. She was the car that did Palmdale in nine seconds flat.
For the rest of the story…the part that Dom's father didn't know, Dom hadn't told anyone that. If someone knew the story it was because they read it in the papers when he was sentenced to Lompoc, or they were there that day when it happened. But his crew didn't talk about it. Dom didn't talk about it. He was talking about it now, though. To this cop who hadn't looked up his file but instead stuck around to get to know the real him.
Dom wanted Brian to know. The cop part of Brian didn't matter right now as he told the whole story. He just wanted the man to know.
"I didn't mean to keep hitting him," Dom confessed, a slow shake of his head as he came to this conclusion. "I didn't mean to…but by the time I was done I couldn't lift my arm. He's a janitor at a high school. Has to take the bus to work every day. And they banned me from the tracks for life."
Dom had walked full circle around the black Dodge Charger that slumbered in this garage, never driven since its rebuild. It was in stasis, just like Brian's Supra was right now. This car was another of those that felt like the real owner of it hadn't passed Dom the set of keys yet, even though they were due.
Over where he had found himself sitting after checking out the scores of tools and trophies, memorabilia, but had landed on a seat once Dom's story took an explosive turn and described his father's death, Brian stood up cautiously and came over.
It shouldn't have felt so good to have Brian staring at him this intently. It made him confused, it made his whole stomach tingle. In the car ride back from the batting cages, Brian had stroked his hand over Dom's head half the ride home and Dom still didn't know what to think about that. How was it Brian felt so right being in his space? Mia, Letty, the others - all but Vince, anyway - would have looked at Brian standing this close now and have thought something violent was about to happen. Any other person would be a threat this close, but this cop was entirely calculated upon his approach and fit right alongside him.
The few quarter inches of height Brian had on him was more obvious when he stood right in front of him. This close, Brian could see Dom's emotions were even more raw than from six paces away, too. Dom hadn't called him forward, but somehow Brian knew where to be, where he was needed.
"I live my life a quarter mile at a time," he said, tilting his head, really focusing on those icy blue eyes that focused so intently back at him. It forced the honest truth out of him and Dom knew it wasn't falling onto deaf ears, so to speak. "Nothing else matters. Not the mortgage, not the store…not my team and all their bullshit. For those ten seconds or less…I'm free."
Brian couldn't help feeling the heat rising within him. Dom probably wasn't meaning to lure him in like this, corner him, let himself be vulnerable like this if he knew what it did to Brian; it wasn't so that Brian would have a go at him. Dom needed comfort, that sad look in his eyes sobbed for it. It just so happened everything he offered were Brian's weaknesses.
He felt Brian's hand start on his arm then slide up to his shoulder. Dom didn't even try to brush him off. It struck Dom then that he'd seen a moment like this play out before, when Brian was in the market with all of them that first time asking a question to Mia: When someone's fallen out of your good graces, is there ever a way back in? Because, I don't think I want to let it end this way. And I really want to make it up to you.
Dom was feeling a likeness to that moment right now. He'd told the truth about himself. It was a terrible and dirty truth that ran the risk of ruining everything. Now he knew the fear that Brian had felt.
"Can someone like me make it back into your good graces, Officer O'Conner?" Dom wondered, pleading with his brown eyes to hear a favorable answer.
Brian pushed forward, gathering Dom in his arms and softly pressing Dom back against the wooden support beam that happened to be right by Dom's side a second before. The old dry wood held strong even with their added weights combined. Dom went willingly, wrapping his muscled arms around Brian's center and pulling him flush against himself. It was meant to be for comfort, to wait out the emotions coursing through him. It wasn't meant to feel this perfect. Brian's presence had engulfed him.
It was no longer the memory of his crime consuming him. It was Brian's gentle voice right by his ear, "You're already redeemed. Redemption came from those who stuck with you. Your family that believed in you."
His touch ghosted over his senses and pressed against his heart. He could feel Brian's beating back. For Brian, seeing Dom this wrecked troubled him to the bone. It was no wonder he only served two years in lockup and not a lifetime; the judge gave the minimum sentence because of the remorse that Brian was getting to see now. It was punishment enough to have to live with what he'd done…paying for it afterwards was just semantics.
Dom's deep voice swam up and replied, "If that's what you think…then you're redeeming me, too."
Dom wished he could see his face, but having him this close was better. Brian's hair was soft against his cheek and that body was everything stabile in his world.
Then Brian pulled a little.
"Dom?"
But Dom gave him no leeway, too lost to allow him to leave.
Brian tried to shift but again made it nowhere.
He said more urgently, "Dom, gotta let me go, man."
"Why?" The spectrum of calm and comfort Dom was feeling right now was musical. He hardly cared what the reason for Brian's request was, really.
Brian's grip shifted to his biceps and his hands wrapped around the large mounds. Those arms made his hands feel small.
"Because…ah!"
No more explanation needed when Dom pulled tighter around Brian's narrow waist and Brian's swollen dick pressed against Dom's pelvis through his jeans. And there was no way he didn't notice. The minor scale notes that played in Dom's head had a sudden electric guitar solo. Dom's grip also tightened even more and his head bowed into Brian's shoulder further. Like an animal he dig his teeth into Brian's shoulder over the material of his shirt.
"Uh - ah! Ng - !" Words were impossible.
There was such a rush of sound in Dom's ears that he totally missed the next embarrassedly lewd moan that escaped Brian. The hard bite was painful and went straight from stinging only his neck to twisting the muscles in his side, then the resulting feeling traveled further down and made his ass tingle and his legs fatigue. Honestly, the fact that Dom could hold the weight of him up only made Brian lose more brain cells.
"Dom! Ung - " His voice was empty and he didn't try at all to stop the relentless painful bite on his neck. A full minute passed while Dom's lips and mouth swallowed and sucked. A hot, wet tongue finished over the red and raw hickey that was left behind. Brian was nearly spent. He fiercely wanted more, though!
From start to finish - from showing up and giving Dom a thirty second lap dance, to messing with Leon and Jesse in front of him, to getting in his space on the ride back home - Brian hadn't thought Dom would ever go for it like this. He felt it may have always been there: that Dom appreciated Brian's attention, but he wouldn't have suspected Dom might act on it. Brian wasn't thinking too much right now, though. Dom had let his hands go under the hem of Brian's shirt and was feeling his bare flesh along his waist and back.
His body was overly sensitive against the solid muscles in Dom's chest, of his shoulders that Brian's arms encircled. Brian was folded in and nuzzled Dom's neck, took one deep breath of him, savoring being this close to something this good. If Dom had any leftover doubts about reciprocated feelings they were gone now. He felt himself be scented and knew it was a match when that whole side of his body shot like lightning.
Brian licked his lips, knowing his feelings shown in his eyes but showed his face anyway. Dom looked something fierce himself when Brian saw him.
Brian asked, "Would you hate me if I tried to kiss you?"
The way he knew it sounded…husky and wanting, already nearly incapable of moving away on his own, let Dom know he'd have to push him off before he left without that kiss.
"Wouldn't knock your teeth in," Dom whispered, unable to lie.
He only lingered there, though. Waiting, making sure Dom was sure, too. Giving him a chance to change his mind. It was Brian's move, but when Brian didn't make a move to do anything, Dom pushed him a little. Moving was painful for his constrained maleness in his jeans, but the workbench wasn't far. It wrapped around nearly the whole garage and wasn't cluttered, nothing sharp out, and Brian wasn't resistant to being walked backwards and pressed into it at hip level. Dom returned their pelvises back together, feeling Brian shudder when he felt the matching heat between them. Dom grinded into him, proving what he felt was just as urgent a problem.
Brian took hold of the back of Dom's head, going in for that kiss he should have already given by now. Lips first, as if still hesitating to give Dom everything he wants to give. Dom's okay with the press of his mouth, okay with the easy movement.
It immediately wasn't what he thought kissing Dom would be like. Brian imagined Dom had a lot of practice against a woman who took no prisoners, that Dom would want teeth and control. But while Dom's tongue was kinetic and ready to enter his mouth when he first parted his lips, he was gentle.
It opened Brian up. He was usually so careful with new things, cool with whatever scraps of care he got. He was going to go slow, not grind, not scratch that itch. But Dom felt so good, filled his mouth so much, went along with where ever Brian turned his head to get the kiss deeper; let Brian lead a little and speed things up. And that little give of his control was what made Brian get greedy. He dropped his hands and grabbed handfuls of Dom's ass, then flipped and leveraged him up on the counter in one berserker move. His animal had come out and was strong. He shoved between Dom's spread legs, taking their kiss to that next level that brought stars to the eyes.
But then his nightmare.
Was why he never tried this on Rome. Was why he knew to always be careful. Was why he shouldn't have taken what he wanted.
Dom freaked out and shoved him away. Brian wasn't expecting it. He stumbled back, grappling with the air to stay standing but falling to the floor, to his back, hitting his head with a sound that was louder in his ears than Dom's, but Dom had still heard it. It wasn't pain that he felt, it was just recognition: he had this coming. His next breath was of sober oxygen.
And in Dom's eyes this was like some slow-motion return of the blazing crash that changed his life forever. Brian was down, dazed for a second but then looking up at Dom with the barest flash in his eyes. For half a moment Brian was refocusing back to reality. When he saw it was Dom, neither could believe it.
Dom was still holding out his hands with his palms open, the same way they were when he'd shoved Brian away. Dom had freaked, blindly reacted to Brian taking over. Brian showing his interest, showing his power, brought back all those concrete places Dom had been - and Dom just lost it.
It was the closed in room. It was this place, this car, this ghost room where Dom never felt at ease. It was just a mistake he let his fears get the best of him. Brian had lifted him, grabbed his body and lifted him into the place he wanted Dom to be. It was Brian opening up doors and it was Dom shutting them again. Now, he was breathing hard as he stared down where Brian had fallen, where Brian was looking up at him and turning into a grim-faced mannequin.
Dominic would have spoken, but his mouth still felt Brian's kiss and his throat was numb. That was a wild moment. Kissing a guy for the first time probably was for a lot of people. And yeah, it vaguely occurred to Dom that what probably followed a lot of first kisses between guys was one of them winding up being shoved away…stupid that he now was part of that statistic.
But not really. He liked the kiss. He just freaked about other things.
"I'm sorry," Brian said solemnly, adverting his eyes from Dom and sinking them to the floor. And damn it, but Dom really hated how Brian looked right now.
He didn't stay down. He pulled himself up and took the steps he needed to be standing in the open doorway. However painful it was for Dom to move it was twice as painful for Brian; that crash would see him some bruises in the morning.
Dom realized just then that the night and the freedom had never left. It stood behind Brian outside those doors. And if Dom had realized he had no need to feel cooped up at all then none of this would have happened.
"I didn't mean - " Dom's voice caught in his own throat.
Brian blinked hard and shook his head. Those were redder eyes than before. More moist.
"No, my fault," Brian said like he was sure. He had every right to look that way. Dom had fucked up.
"Brian - " Dom tried again, reaching out to stop him because Brian was moving, pulling back, staring at the concrete ground and marching away into the dark over to where his car was.
"S'okay!" Brian repeated and he tried to sound more sure but his voice was flat, tone chipped. "Went too far again. I fucked up. I'll go."
Dom's insides twisted, fear beating within him where pleasure had once laid.
"No. You didn't - " But Dom's voice didn't carry far, not far enough to reach even his own ears. His legs didn't walk fast enough and Brian's long strides got him to his vehicle. He wanted to run over, stop him and hold him. His legs just wouldn't move right.
He looked back at Dom from across the hood of his car when he got there and those were tired to death eyes he looked at Dom with. Dom stopped halfway down the drive altogether, too shaky to keep his balance on the slope.
"I'm sorry, Dom," Brian said. "It's my fault. I'm sorry. We'll finish your car. I'll drive this weekend for you. I'll give you the keys. I'm sorry."
Dom lost count of how many times Brian apologized in that one breath.
The cop got in his car and started the engine and Dom's body still didn't fucking move.
"What's up?!" Vince hollered from the house. He jumped the steps down, marching over.
Brian was gone by the time he got to Dom's side.
It took Dom's breath away.
Dom never meant at any time to lure Brian in, but he'd done it. Then gone and undone it, too. He felt raw and sick of his own life. Brian's car was eaten up by the darkness while the back of Dom and the side of Vince were bathed in the florescent light from the open garage door. Vince's brow was furrowed, his brown eyes gazing into the night and back to Dom, back again. He was distressed.
"What happened? Why'd the cop bail so quick? Why'd he leave?"
"I fucked up," Dom said miserably, visibly shaking.
Vince saw it all over him. He was freaking out. Calmly, yeah. Not tossing stuff. That wasn't how Dom freaked out.
"You told him about the trucks?" Vince hissed, grabbing his arm and making him face up to what was going on. Dom shook his head, pushed Vince off. The tone of Vince's voice sparked some life back into Dom's body again.
"No! Not the trucks! Fuck! I listened to you, dumbass! I took your advice!"
Vince needed a second to process that. He looked after Brian. The fact he ran away didn't make any sense unless…
Vince looked back at Dom and saw the unmistakable usedness of his lips. Dom saw Vince looking at him in that suddenly understanding way and felt even worse. Now embarrassment was added to the mix.
"I thought he'd be alright with you, D. What? How tactless were you being?"
Dom pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes and had to breathe deeply a few times.
"I threw him on the ground. Fucking panicked right in the middle of it."
Vince snorted, looking all over like there was an answer to why his friend was this stupid.
"Threw him…? Right in the middle of what?" And that was where Vince cringed, because maybe he didn't want to know.
Dom looked away, saw the other two by the open door to the house. He was glad Letty and Mia were still out of the house. The light from the garage caught his attention, too. He went back to close it, Vince trailed behind him and ready to keep him company until this smoothed itself out. The one major facet of the moment was that Dom's hard-on hadn't faded completely. The fear was still too prominent and kept it lively.
"Vince? Leave it alone," Dom said with warning, turning the light off and closing the door. He took the lock and set it back in place.
"If you don't tell me what really happened then what do you expect me to think?" Vince said quietly.
Dom raked a hand over his head and then dropped it over his face, raking it over his eyes then.
"You kiss?" Vince wondered.
Did they kiss? Hell yes, they did. Wasn't anything like kissing Letty. Wasn't anything like anything and was better for it that way. Dom looked up and eased up a little when he saw the nonjudgmental look Vince was passing over to him. He felt like the concrete was trying to eat him up, but his friend being there was helpful.
"You put these thoughts in my head," Dom accused.
Vince scoffed, belligerent now. Where this side of Vince had been hiding all day was - no - yeah - it was hiding since he drove Brian away around lunch time. Vince had come back different, quiet, brooding on something. Brooding on the idea that Dom get with Brian. Well, he got his wish…for all of a minute. Looks like he was back to being belligerent.
"No I didn't," Vince states. "You put it in your own head. I just hated you lying to yourself and denying yourself something you wanted. You get fucking prickly when that happens and take your mood out on me. And I hate when you get bossy!"
Dom was thinking a lot of things. He was thinking he either had the best or worst friend on the planet. Then he was thinking that he'd just kissed a guy and liked it. Then he was thinking that probably made him at least half a gay man now. Then he was remembering that Vince had already promised not to call him a faggot, so it was probably okay. Hell, he liked when dudes looked him over and appreciated what they saw. Liked it a little more than when women did it, if he was honest. It was more…complimentary when guys did it. He wasn't toned to hell and back for no reason.
Dom would have been pulling on hair if he had any. He balled his hands into fists by his sides.
"Now what?" Dom asked, needing to know.
Vince shook his head. "You need someone to tell you? You apologize, stupid. Better do it tomorrow, though."
Dom looked all around again, expecting to see assassins come out with guns or throwing stars, because he sure felt like he was going to die if he had to wait that long to clear the air.
Vince took pity. "Come on. Let's get a drink inside. Tell the others or don't. I won't spill."
Dom followed Vince inside. The others had a drink, too, and didn't mind hanging out with Dom being miserable. They were kinda use to it, anyway.
Dom awoke the next morning with a hangover. The blankets were twisted around his body in a bed he didn't remember crawling into. This happened a lot in the past and he instinctively looked at the nightstand. Sometimes in the past he was lucky and one of the crew would have left him some vitamins and a cup of water, but when he looked over the little table was just dusty and only held the lamp, the alarm, and his cell phone. He got his legs over the edge of the bed and he was ready to accept that he'd be wadding like a toddler over to the bathroom, but he was ready for the warm LA water system to bathe away his sins.
That's when his cell rang and he briefly thought to leave it, except it was Hector's name on the screen.
"Dominic? Whoa, man! Have you heard what's come down the pipeline?!"
Dom groaned long and pained, letting Hector know right then that Dom was sleepy, hangover, and not going to be on the line long. Hector kept speaking in a pitched up tone, something clearly bothering him and needing to be shared.
"The Tran's got hit by a SWAT team yesterday, man! Looking for evidence from those trucks jackings! I didn't hear about it until they let Johnny out this morning. He's pissed. Some of his guys have already been seen shooting around on their bikes looking for people. They got to Harry's first thing to check the place out for that new guy Rome. I had some guys in there picking up some parts and they got the gist."
Dropping slowly back onto the pillow really was Dom's statement to the world: not today.
Because - and this was what came to Dom's mind first - if it was SWAT, then it was Brian. That's where he'd gone during lunch: to bust Johnny Tran for the truck hijackings. So Brian would be in the know on some level about it…but he'd come to their barbecue, gone to the batting cages, did the dishes right next to Dom. Went into his garage…
Dom's hand went to his crotch and tugged on the material that was bunched up around his hard-on. The longer it had been stiff the more tender it was. Right now it ached.
"Slow down," Dom asked into his little metal receiver, the words in his head echoing louder than the ones coming out of his mouth. "What did you say? They got Tran for our job?"
Hector's turn to groan. "No. They couldn't hold him. The cops came up with nothing. Johnny's looking for who did it now, though. Looking for who narced on him and tried to frame him. His Asian biker squad has the word out to find Harry and that new guy Roman Spliner. They're both nowhere, man. If neither of them doesn't turn up soon then that's it. It was both those guys. It was Harry and it was him."
Dom didn't have to make a sound for Hector to know he was thinking hard.
"Good thing no one got too close to him. Good thing your boy Vince has a sixth sense about cops. And Dom…you think we should still be up for Race Wars?" Hector was keeping his voice cool, open to discussion.
"Hector, man…we're already thinking that was going to be our last ride. Never was going to do this forever. Maybe we'll set it up and play it by ear."
Dom heard how stupid his words were, but his mind was elsewhere. Brian's a cop. Would he have known there was a narc? Would he have been looking at them for the hijackings?
Vince said he's never off duty even when he's out of uniform.
"Let me talk to the others," Dom said at last. "We have six days. Things might cool off."
He could hear Hector nodding along, it was in his tone of voice. "Alright. Cool, Dom. But with Tran poking around now along with the cops we'll have to stay low. Tran got hit because of what we're doing. If he finds out it was us he'll not play nice."
"Yeah…" Dom realized it was the truth. "We'll stop after Race Wars. Even if the pay is good. It's about time."
And if he was looking closely then he'd see that there was a cop working in his garage. Until now Brian had kept his profile low. He'd come in out of uniform as just a new mechanic. Shit…Tran knew about him. Knew he was new, too. He'd want to get a closer look now.
As if he heard Dom's thoughts, "What about that new boy of yours? Any reason to suspect him also?"
Dom clenched the phone, keeping his voice steady, but his chest tightened.
"Not him, man. Leave him out of it. I'll call you later. Thanks for telling me this."
"See ya on the weekend, man."
Dom hung up.
He pressed his forearm over his eyes to blot out the sun coming through the edges of his dark curtains. He couldn't blot out his life so he pulled his arm away.
Looking at the little cell in his hand now, he traced numbers 1-4 on his speed dial. They were all Brian. He'd had weeks to reprogram it but had only redone the other numbers, made his own sister and the only close blood he had in this world fifth in the sequence. Dom felt ashamed. He'd been running circles around the cop, letting him circle them even though the risks weren't…what? Worth it?
But that kiss was probably the most high octane moment of his life. When Brian had taken over for that split second, everything in Dom's mind blanked and he was driving on pure instinct. So what if that instinct was to lash out? If Brian hadn't fallen to the floor - if he'd fallen into a bed instead - Dom was pretty sure he'd have pounced back onto him.
If his head wasn't nearly splitting down the center, Dom was pretty sure he'd have grown hard at the memory. But as it was, Dom got out of bed and headed for the bathroom sink. He needed to flush out his disgusting mouth and get a gallon of water into his belly. He splashed water over his face, too, then hit the first key on his cell and let it ring, starting the countdown to determine whether this would be the time Brian would miss his call…even though he'd told Dom he'd always pick up.
The second ring was interrupted. It instantly eased Dom's mind.
"O'Conner. Dom?" Brian's voice was weaker than he'd ever heard it before. Dom briefly wondered where Brian was. At home? Probably. It was his day off.
"Don't come in today," Dom said, cringing at the sound of his own strained voice.
"Dom, I - "
"Not because of what you think," Dom said quickly, rolling a towel over his face to dry it. His head spun and he shut his eyes. He sighed. "I get that you couldn't tell me yesterday…that you went after Tran. Hector called…told me about SWAT busting Johnny. He says he's looking for a narc and thinks he found him at Harry's."
Those words hung between them. If his head wasn't so sensitive right now he wouldn't have been able to hear him breathing, but right now he could.
"It's an ongoing case. It's not something I could talk about."
"That the excuse you're going with?" Dom let the hurt show in his voice because he felt it so strongly in his heart. "Did you know, Brian? Did you know Harry and that asshole who worked for him were working for the cops? Or are you really just a beat cop they keep out of the loop? Really as blonde as you look?"
Brian's breathing turned more uneven and shallow. Dom had the phone pressed so hard against his ear that he could hear those subtle changes. If Dom's words made him angry and hurt, then good. Dom wasn't making this easy because he couldn't let his family be hurt by the cops…not even Brian.
Especially not Brian! Who was Dom kidding?! If Brian hurt them then it was all Dom's fault for letting him get close.
It was so hard to think right now. On one hand his body shook at the memory of touching the blonde, and on the other his veins pumped fear through him because of the danger therein. Was that partly the answer as to why Dom was so attracted to him? A man, a cop…
"It's ongoing, Dom. I wasn't in the loop. I didn't have any involvement in their plans. And…about last night - "
Dom forced his voice to be stronger, holding onto his temper but letting it out at the edges.
"You can't be seen around here for awhile," Dom didn't know what he was doing. Just that he was needing to protect his family and keeping Brian away was…also accomplishing that. Tran was a psychopath not afraid to go after Dom's family if he found out they had a cop in the running so he had to be firm. "Tran's not the sort of guy who will take this laying down. He's going to look for who narced on him as will take the easiest target. We have a cop working in our garage…he doesn't know you're on the level, but…" whether that was true or not, Dom didn't know anymore. But he could figure it out later. "He'll find some way to get eyes down here. Finding a cop…even one like you…is exactly the reason he needs to fuck with my family."
Silence. Brian was still there, but he was thinking. What are you think about, Brian? Don't you hear me? Stay away.
There were a few people in town other than his crew who could pull this whole thing off. They'd be looking at Hector for sure. Whatever reason SWAT had to go in for Johnny was not beyond the scope of the imagination. Johnny was fucked up. He was dangerous and cagy. Tran's crew were probably the most well funded and well armed, too. Whoever tried to frame it on them was a real dumbass who hadn't done his research or they would have known Tran was careful and would be hard to catch. Then he'd be out for revenge when it all went his way.
Maybe they didn't care.
That was the deciding factor that made Dom truly believe that it wasn't Brian sending any signals. Brian talked about keeping causalities down. He'd never have risked it all on Tran knowing the repercussions would be violent.
Brian was quiet so long that it drew out the ache in Dom's gut again.
Finally, he said in a quiet sort of way, "You don't sound so good, Dom."
He didn't. He sounded like someone was squeezing his heart with an ice cold grip. He closed his eyes and bowed his head.
"Just stay away for now," Dom spoke softly. "Just until Tran cools down. We'll finish the car."
"And then what?" Brian's voice was picking up that edge again. "Dom, last night - "
Dom cringed.
"I can't - just don't!" God, why did he have to sound so angry?
"I'm sorry."
"Don't say that," Dom didn't want to hear it. He vaguely remembered that he was going to have to apologize, too, but not right now.
He hung up.
Dom immediately closed his eyes and pressed his damp soft towel between his hips and his counter, pressing his aching and renewed boner in the soft cotton. He grinded against it until it was too much, then finished his large member off with the flat of his palm and a firm grip.
When next it was over and he checked his phone there was a text from Brian.
'Tell me what to do when there's something I can do.'
It made him sigh and ache from deep within.
Dom was not a guy who quaked easily, but when family was in danger he got this prickling up his spine that was probably the reason his hair grew so crazily; why he kept it all cut off. In Lompoc, he'd seen someone with hair enough to grip have that used against him, so even a dull razor that burned his skin he still took to his skull in there. Dom looked at himself now in the mirror and hated the iron grip fear had on him; it showed in the marks under his eyes.
He opened the mirror to rid himself of his face and was presented with a question. Shaving cream or an electric razor? He chose the electric shaver for speed. His face got a close shave but his head didn't. He liked the shadow to remain to show he wasn't balding or anything.
He'd go downstairs and tell his family everything soon. Well, not everything. Only Vince would know everything. For now he could hide in his bathroom and pretend he hadn't fucked them all over. For now, he could still breathe a little.
The takedown yesterday of Johnny Tran, Lance, and the rest of them turned out to be a colossal fuckup. Brian's cell was ringing for him to come into the safe house at seven in the morning. Tanner was pissed, taking heat along with Bilkins, but Rome still had it the worse. Someone on the other end of Bilkins' line was making the guy sweat. Brian was on his second cup of coffee, taking it all in and feeling the heat on his own shoulders start to rise. They wanted to know if his cover was blown. They'd already pulled Rome and Harry off the street. Harry was put across town in a different safe house, hiding him away because he was freaking out about Tran going after him like they'd gone after the fence, Ted. Rome was sitting at the same breakfast table Brian was, glaring at him like he'd been a part of the reason Rome fucked up.
"Stop looking at me like that, man," Brian said.
Rome lifted his chin. "That a hickey on your neck?"
Brian rolled his eyes. It would never change with Rome. But that hickey Dom left him with was right above where his shirt could cover. It was so fresh there were still teeth marks.
"Where are those guys from yesterday?" Brian asked trying to change the topic.
"In for a day. Some FBI team needing to evaluate us, probably to see that we hadn't gone all native on them and took a piece of the pie."
Brian read the subtext. "The case was taking too long for them?"
Rome only shrugged and went back to being moody and quiet. When Rome lost at something, like a race or a game, he was pissy. Brian couldn't say he was any different, especially when the loss was clearly the result of him not trying hard enough. But even when all was lost, if Brian had done his best, he knew that counted for something.
Bilkins got off the phone and came over.
"Well, it's official. Officer Pierce you're under lock and key until the case clears. Then you're headed back to San Francisco."
"Just like that?" Roman sounded offended. "Nothing else to show for it? I worked for you for a month and this is how you thank me?"
Bilkins leaned on the table, leaned right into Rome's space. His voice was cold as he said, "You think giving false intelligence that Johnny had the stolen goods from the truck hijackings in his garage earns you any thanks from the FBI?"
Rome's face scrunched up this way and that. He wanted to retort, but knew how bad it was.
It was then that Brian's cell rang. A look at the caller ID and he told Bilkins, "Dom."
Bilkins called throughout the room, "Trace!"
It wasn't that they needed the trace, it was that they wanted to record it. A tech from farther across the room came running over and plugged Brian's cell in. He immediately gave the thumbs up. Brian connected the call, feeling the pit of his stomach open at having to have it this way. But he understood. He was getting a call from the lead suspect. Had to be this way.
"O'Conner. Dom?" Brian said immediately
"Don't come in today." Dom sounded serious, upset.
Brian cringed because he knew why Dom sounded this way and he wanted to apologize again.
Dom's voice came out of the speaker connected to the tech's equipment. Brian looked away from everyone staring at him. He tried to ignore the echo of Dom's voice in the room, too. He was trying to focus.
"Dom, I - "
"Not because of what you think," Dom said fast.
Brian glanced around the room. God, but he wanted to speak openly. He didn't want it to go on record that he'd started something up with Dom, though. Especially not in front of Rome, who was always going on about him getting his mark because he would spread his legs. Shit, but was it true? Was that just Brian's instincts to do that? He had said before it was a way to touch someone, something he was missing in his life.
But Dom wasn't an undercover assignment. Wasn't a mark. And Brian was himself. He was a cop. This wasn't work. Now…right now it was, though.
Brian looked straight ahead and made his eyes vacant. He didn't want the agents and cops around him to read anything from his gaze.
Dom kept speaking, which Brian was glad for.
"I get that you couldn't tell me yesterday…that you went after Tran. Hector called…told me about SWAT busting Johnny. He says he's looking for a narc, and thinks he found him at Harry's."
Now Brian did look up at Rome, seeing him scrunch his face again at being mentioned. This was confirmation that his cover had been blown. The others stared intently at the speaker, studying the situation. They couldn't offer him advice…that was something to be thankful for, anyway.
Brian took a breath, then said what he would always say, "It's an ongoing case. It's not something I could talk about."
He could lie to Dom, that was a given. Bilkins flashed him a look that said he was clearly uncomfortable with this situation anyway.
"That the excuse you're going with?" Brian could hear the hurt in Dom's voice. He felt it pierce a bit of himself. "Did you know, Brian? Did you know Harry and that asshole who worked for him were working for the cops? Or are you really just a beat cop they keep out of the loop? Really as blonde as you look?"
That stung. Brian rolled his shoulders back and took the hit. Just like last night he knew none of this would be happening if it wasn't for him. He didn't want Dom to feel this way about him. He tried again.
"It's ongoing, Dom. I wasn't in the loop. I didn't have any involvement in their plans. And…about last night - "
Dom wasn't having it. Maybe Brian knew that. He knew Dom didn't want to talk about it. Brian felt sick with this knowledge. He showed none of this emotion in his face.
"You can't be seen around here for awhile, Brian! Tran's not the sort of guy who will take this laying down. He's going to look for who narced on him as will take the easiest target. We have a cop working in our garage…he doesn't know you're on the level. He'll find some way to get eyes down here. Finding a cop…even one like you…is exactly the reason he needs to fuck with my family."
That was a three-sixty to what he'd just said. First, calling Brian a dumb blonde, then saying he's on the level. Dom was clearly rattled and he was sounding defeated, too. He was sounding desperate. Dom was taking this seriously, seeking answers but…no. He wasn't. He was just telling Brian to stay away. Tell him what needed to happen now so his family would stay safe.
Maybe he didn't want the answer? This was a great position to be in: a possible criminal not wanting to know the truth of why a cop was hanging around him, and his bosses standing around hearing that exact thing. How 'on the level' were they thinking Dom thought Brian was?
Brian wanted to say so much more, but only could muster a little. So he said what he really wanted to say, "You don't sound so good, Dom."
"Just stay away for now. Just until Tran cools down. We'll finish the car."
Finish without him. That made sense.
"And then what? " Brian still wanted to know what happened last night. He should have known this would be the result, but he thought Johnny would stay in lockdown longer; not be out that morning. He thought he'd have more time to figure it out after both of them could cool down.
"Dom, last night - "
Dom still wasn't having it. "I can't - just don't!"
Okay. So Brian wouldn't.
"I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say again. Like last night, it was the only thing that felt right to say.
Dom sighed into the receiver, his voice picking up static. He sounded defeated when he said, "Don't say that."
Then the line went dead.
The room was quiet as everyone looked at him, asking the question 'sorry about what?' with their faces.
"What happened last night?" Rome was the one to ask.
Brian stood up and made to walk away. He walked right into Tanner's path because he wasn't focused. Sometime during it all Tanner had come in and had overheard the conversation. Brian looked eye to eye with Tanner and he knew his sergeant read something there. He tilted his head, maybe a bit disappointed, gaze going down to Brian's neck. Brian wanted to cover the hickey with makeup or something suddenly. Put a scarf on even in this temperature. Tanner's brow pinched after a moment of study.
Bilkins came up behind Brian and took his arm, sitting him back down in his chair.
"What happened last night?" Bilkins demanded.
Brian wiped a hand over his eyes, making sure not to look at Rome. But like Brian could read Rome, sometimes it worked the opposite way, too.
"Oh, fuck!" He shouted, leaning in and staring. "You didn't?!"
Brian dropped his hands, glaring at his old childhood friend like he was the asshole he'd grown into being.
"You did!" Rome answered his own question.
It was there in Brian's eyes. The hurt. The burn.
Rome stood up and threw his arms into the air.
"Explain to the group?" Bilkins demanded.
It was Tanner who replied. "Brian started a relationship with the mark."
Brian stared back resolutely. What he had to feel sorry for…well, everything. How did they all know, anyway? Were they just waiting for it? Was he so predictable?
But how could he show weakness now? He couldn't.
"Mia?" Bilkins asked.
And that got Rome laughing loudly. He sounded like he was a dying man staring at the world go by, laughing at the joke played on him.
"Not the sister!" He accused, then pointed a big finger at Brian in that way he hated. "The mark! Toretto! You got in bed with Dominic Toretto!"
"Shut the fuck up, Rome!" Brian lashed out at last, hating how Rome was tossing it all back at him.
"Spreading your legs again, Brian?!" Rome blasted him with. "This is what I keep telling you! You really do solve all your cases on your back!"
Brian shot for him, but there were enough bodies between them to stop the fight before it started.
Bilkins stood in front of Brian, staring at him with a new level of ownership. That was a bit frightening for Brian. He was their link to the case, the one cop on the inside. And now this. Now he was in bed - as far as they knew - with the lead suspect.
"You have any idea what you're doing?" Bilkins asked firmly.
He didn't, but he had something to defend himself with. "Dom kissed me first."
Rome snorted and threw his arms into the air, completely done with how constantly Brian pissed him off.
Bilkins closed his eyes and shook his head, just processing that. Cops usually had problems with gay relationships, but it was all over Brian's file that he'd gone undercover as a hooker, picking up men who paid for sex, drugs, and looked especially for someone with a young pretty face. Not so pretty sometimes, when the marks got a few hits in before they could make the bust legitimate and stick. The cops Brian kept on tap knew to wait for his signal, even if that meant waiting out and watching him get worked over. Sometimes, Brian had this sixth sense about how to draw out the worst in someone. But he didn't mean to do it with Dom.
Bilkins brought his gaze back on Brian, taking in his solid gaze back at him. He was nice enough not to look at Brian's neck.
Brian asked, "You going to say something, man?"
Bilkins thought for a moment. "I want to know why you're apologizing, if he's the one who kissed you first."
And wasn't that a surprise. A calm conversation. That's what Bilkins wanted?
The mirth wasn't lost on any of them.
"What else am I suppose to say?" Brian shrugged. "Didn't like it in the end, I guess. But he still seems willing to let me drive for him at Race Wars."
Bilkins narrowed his gaze, still seeing something wrong with this whole picture. But he allowed it to rest for now. "And now you have to stay away, because a cop hanging around his place would attract Johnny Tran? Tell me again how that punk got set free?"
He turned now to Tanner.
"No evidence on his properties to indicate any conviction," the sergeant said.
"Doesn't mean he's innocent," Brian pointed out.
Bilkins repeated in agreement, "Doesn't mean he's innocent. What are we going to do with you now?"
The lot of them grew silent. Brian sat down again and got on his phone, shooting out a text to Dom. 'Tell me what to do when there's something I can do.'
After not long, Tanner said to Rome, "If you and Harry would have opened the store and faced Johnny and his crew, we might have still had you on the floor."
Other thoughts were put out there, but it was that one that festered in Brian's mind.
At long last, an idea struck him.
"You know, Tanner? You have a point." He got everyone looking at him. He met their eyes, purposing his idea with confidence. "Put me undercover."
"What are you talking about?" Tanner asked.
"Put me undercover. I'm not right now, am I? But easy fix. Bring back Brian Early. Set me up somewhere that will cross Johnny's guys in a day or two. I'll prove Dom didn't hire a cop to throw Johnny off. It'll get me back in with Toretto and I might even find something on Tran to get him put away."
There was a collectiveness about the room. Silence, too.
Brian filled it a little more. "Look. SWAT came up with nothing. You're bosses are breathing down your necks. You want something on Tran. You suspect there's drugs and guns. It's not the street racing life that Johnny's tied to. He shot my GT-R to pieces and filled Ted up with gasoline. We know he's a psychotic shit, we just need evidence."
"Fuck, Brian," Rome muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and looking pissed.
Brian turned his eyes on Rome. "What? You got something to say?"
He didn't. It was stupid, but it was doable. Brian had time on his hands, after all. Dom wouldn't let him back in until Race Wars and he needed something to fill the long hours.
The crew was all ready to put the paint on the Supra. They'd closed for the day and had the garage all sheeted off, Leon and Letty suited up, and the exhaust fans blaring. It'd been days since Dom had run Brian off and they already had the primer on and ready for the main coat. This also meant that Dom had been in a funk for two days. He didn't like that Brian was missing this, but they all knew they had to keep the cop out of sight because of Johnny.
"Just call him," Vince said for the dozenth time.
Dom shook his head.
"You're putting it off too long," Vince declared.
Dom was saved from another talking-to when the light flashed in the corner, the one hooked up to the phone lines when it was too loud in here to hear the line ringing. The garage was closed for the evening, but Dom took the opportunity to get out of the room with Vince. He went back into the office, getting some walls between him and the motors. It didn't do a terrible lot, but at least back here he could hear the person speaking through the receiver.
"DT's Garage, Dominic speaking," Dom greeted the customer, ready to book an appointment.
"Dom, long time, man. How have you been?"
Johnny's voice was unmistakable and tossed a heavy stone in Dom's stomach. Dom had been expecting to hear from Johnny about Brian, but it didn't make it any less uncomfortable.
"Johnny Tran, that you?" Dom asked anyway.
"That's me. Hey, remember how you introduced me to your new mechanic? You couldn't pass along his phone number, could you?"
Hell, but Dom didn't know if this was some cultural politeness or some psychopathic mind games. With Johnny, both probably.
"What do you want with him?" Dom had to ask.
He heard that unmistakable laugh. Johnny had an asshole's laugh, too.
"Just his number. Not for me! My cousin Lance asked me to get it. Your mechanic wouldn't give it up, apparently. He told me it was like love at first sight. For him, at least. I know Lance often gets into one-sided relationships. He tends to have a fleeting heart, bless him."
The fuck? Dom's gut clenched. Lance wanted his number? Lance had a thing for Brian? A building fire started low in Dom's chest and was spreading.
"The last time you met? You mean when you shot up his Skyline? You really think my mechanic wants to hear from you or Lance or any of your team after that?"
Johnny laughed again. "That's in the distant pass, Dominic! No, man. And Lance saw him just today, so this isn't about that time in the parking lot. In fact, Lance is with him right now. He says he's sitting down to watch him perform at a club on the boulevard. Not my kind of scene, but you know Lance; he likes everything LA has to offer."
Dom had to pull the receiver away from his ear and take a good hard look at it. He was sure the damn thing wasn't broken, but what was he hearing from it?
"What?" He asked, hating that he didn't know what Johnny was talking about.
Johnny chuckled again.
"I didn't know your mechanic was a stripper. You can guess Lance's surprise, too. And maybe you didn't know, either?" He let that hang in the air. "I kept my distance, Dom. I figured you had nothing to do with SWAT coming to my house, but I had to look at all the new guys in town. Brian Early was one of them. I kept my guys out of your neighborhood, tried to do this without breaking our agreement. Lucky me, someone saw him on the side of the road with car trouble an hour ago and gave him a lift to work. Lance swung by to get the rest of the story, but says it'll take some time because your boy needs to do his thing on stage. Lance is patient. Says he'll even give him a ride home after work."
Dom had to take a seat. Brian Early wasn't Brian's name, it was his hooker name back when he was in SF undercover. What the fuck had Brian done? Gone undercover and bumped into Tran? Dom was really regretting not calling Brian, now.
He rumbled, "What are you playing at?"
"Don't be worried, Dominic. I have a feeling this will all blow over. I bet that's what Lance is hoping for, too. He also asked me to ask you how much he charges for blowjobs. I'll tell Lance to double it, whatever it is."
Dom slapped his hand onto the table, gritting his teeth. Johnny must have heard the sound, because he cracked up.
"You hired a hooker mechanic? I never would have guessed! I was half tempted to break our truce, because your mechanic was on my list to look in on. Couldn't have worked out better this way. I even paid for the tow truck to take his broken down car over to your place. Not exactly the sort of ride a mechanic of yours should be driving…but then again, it's probably only temporary until he gets that Supra in your garage fixed up."
"Nice of you to help," Dom droned, trying to keep things civil and lose his temper.
"Might want to consider paying him more if he's having to strip at night to pay the bills."
Dom's fists clenched. He couldn't let Johnny get away with saying that.
"I pay him plenty. He says he likes the stage." It hurt to lie like this. He did it for Brian.
Johnny laughed loudly, raising Dom's blood pressure higher.
"So you do know about it?! I had to wonder. What a guy, huh? He drove a good race the night he lost that GT-R, and he moved in quick on you, Dom. Who's he fucking, by the way? Vince? Leon? Not Jesse, right?"
"Better watch it, Johnny," Dom growled out.
"I can't rule out you, Dominic. Not if Letty is in the bed at the same time."
He took in a deep breath and let it out. He hated Johnny Tran.
"I'm not passing Brian's number on to you. Not to give to Lance. Not for any reason. And your cousin better not ask for any favors!"
"Where's the harm in asking? Oh - " Johnny seemed distracted for a second, coming back on the line with a different tone of voice. "I just got a message from the tow truck driver. He's around the corner from your place and didn't want to turn into your road. I'm afraid he left the car on the corner."
Dom drug a hand over his head. "You've got some lazy driver there, Johnny."
"And Brian had some piece of shit car. You might even thank him for not leaving it in front of your place. Not worth the hassle of fixing, as far as I hear."
"You done?" Dom wondered.
"Yeah. Bye Dom. See you in three days at Race Wars."
Dom hung up and stayed in the back for a time, just piecing the story together in full. Brian was stripping? He was with Lance, somewhere in LA, somewhere doing something stupid. Lance was a piece of work. He would ask Brian for a blowjob. It stung Dom something fierce.
When Vince came bursting into his office, he wasn't expecting it.
"Dom! Fire trucks are down the street. Some car is on fire just up the road!"
Dom was up and out. He ran into the deserted road and saw the smoke and flashing lights. They were so close to the blazing vehicle that he could hear the gushing water and the calls of the firemen. It didn't take a genius to figure out this was the car Johnny had brought over.
"Oh, fuck," Dom said.
This was going to be another headache.