"I would have understood, Ali," Mia Toretto said after her best friend, Aliana Sanchez, spilled her guts to her about the beating that her boyfriend had given her this morning. Apparently after Aliana had caught her steady, Steven, in the parking lot of their apartment with some other girl, Aliana had gone down and smacked the girl around a little before Steven went after her. Aliana said that she had taken at least six or seven solid shots to the stomach before the neighbors broke them up. "You didn't have to bring the book back today."
"Yeah," she sighed, "but I needed…I promised."
"You're better than this, Ali. I don't know why you ever gave that prick the time of day."
"Maybe because he's the only prick that was giving me the time of day."
"You don't need a man, Aliana, you are a strong independent woman and that means you can make it on your own."
"I have no argument with that, Mia, but I need sex. Now I don't own a vibrator and unless your brother is interested in a mercy fuck then I have a problem."
"Aliana," Dominic said from behind her, as Aliana closed her eyes, in embarrassment.
What was it about being around this man that just made her a babbling idiot? Ever since high school. She really didn't need this today, though. With her belly black and blue she really wanted to avoid Dominic. If not for her sake then, at least, for Steven's because if Dom saw her bruises, chances were they would be returned ten-fold onto Steven. She opened her eyes and gave Mia a piercing look, before attempting to answer him. She exhaled deeply, trying to remain cool. "Dom," she said surprisingly steady as she turned to face him. "What's up?"
"Was wondering the same thing," Dom said leaning on the counter.
"Not much. Just returning a book to Mia," she said stepping away from the counter, trying her best to downplay her pain. "And now I gotta go," she said, starting for the door. "Later, Mia."
"You know," Dom said as he followed her out the door. "You're idling a little fast."
"No, I'm not," Ali protested. He still liked to think of her as the kid who wasn't sure where the coolant went in her car, but the reality was that she had learned a lot in the last four or five years.
"Yes, you are," he replied, calmly.
"I am not," she replied with an edge.
Dom stared over at her smiling, "Fine, Ali. Always have to have the last word. Guess some things never change, huh?" he asked, elbowing her playfully in the side. Ali's face contorted as pain shot through her midsection and despite her best efforts she inhaled sharply. Shit, she thought to herself, as she watched the look of realization cross Dom's features. For a split second, it was replaced by rage, then it was gone, hidden skillfully behind a cool façade. Then he smiled. "You got a minute?"
"Well, I…um," Ali stuttered and she swore at herself for faltering in front of him.
"I need an extra ear on this engine. Only take a couple of minutes."
"Well, you see, the thing is-" she was cut off by his very muscled arm wrapped, insistently, around her shoulder, "Ok, sure, glad to help," she said quickly as he pulled her into the garage.
"Ali," Letty said, never moving from under the car.
"Letty," Ali replied coolly. Letty was pretty cool, but imagining that she was a bitch made her having Dominic somewhat easier for Ali to swallow.
"Hey, kid," Vince said looking up, and eyeing her carefully. Ali often thought that this man was constantly looking for a hole. Preferably a hole connected to a woman that had no interest in him. Before he had developed this school boyish crush on Mia, it had been Letty. Luckily, being a little on the wide-assed side, Aliana never had to worry about it, but the way he looked at her still made her uncomfortable.
"Vince," she replied.
"You wanna look at this for me, Ali," Dom said, catching her attention.
"I thought you said 'listen'."
"Meant look," he said as he leaned over the car, and then looked back up at her. "Nice shirt, Aliana."
Oh shit, she thought to herself, here it comes.
"You don't want to get that full of oil, do ya'?"
"Don't have anything to change into, Dom," she replied quickly.
"I'm sure I've got something."
I was afraid of that, she thought to herself. "Let me worry about my own clothes."
"Oh come on," he said, straightening up and moving towards her.
She wrapped her arms protectively around her pudgy middle. "You know?" she began, backing up, "I gotta get going." He continued towards her, as she continued to retreat. Stepping back, she bumped into the front quarter panel of a car, and for the second that she couldn't move back, Dom closed the distance between them. Moving her hands down she grabbed the hem of her shirt, as Dom made the same move. "Dom!" she cried, as he tried to pull up. "Dom!" she repeated, still holding it down. "Letty, your man is trying to grope me." That brought her out from under the car, and Vince chanced a few steps closer, but Dom was relentless.
"What the hell are you doin', Dom?" Letty demanded. Ali began to thank God that Letty was the jealous type, but then Dom shot a look at Letty that froze her in her tracks.
Shit! Ali thought to herself, as she felt the hem of her shirt slip from her grasp. Dom took advantage pulling up one last time, exposing her black and blue belly. Exhaling deeply, still holding her shirt up, Dom asked quietly, "What is that?" Ali remained quiet, looking everywhere to avoid meeting Dom's eyes. "Aliana, I said 'what is-"
"I heard what you said, Dominic," she began, finally meeting his glare. She yanked back on her shirt and Dom let it go. "I got mugged," she paused, and watched a look of disbelief cross Dom's face. "I was in a car wreck." He stared her down, and she even surprised herself by meeting his gaze as she continued, "My boyfriend beat the shit out of me," she paused again, then continued. "I got bored this morning and wanted to see exactly how much pressure I could apply to my ribs before one fractured. Now why don't you pick whichever explanation makes you the happiest, Dom. Or you could just accept the fact that you already know what happened and let me go home."
"What so he can beat the shit out of you, again? I don't think so. Vince, go to her apartment and bring that sack of shit here."
"Wait just a goddamned minute, here," Ali said in a voice approaching a shout. "I don't seem to recall asking for your help in this Dom. I'm handling this problem."
"Yeah," Dom replied, "You look like you've been handling it real well. Vince, go."
"Vince, wait. Look Dom this isn't any of your fucking business."
"You show up at my garage with a belly looking like a Canadian sunrise, and you tell me it's none of my business? Vince, go, now. And don't come back without him."
"Goddammit, Dominic!" Ali shouted, reaching into her back pocket, she started walking towards Vince's car. Producing her switchblade, the four-inch blade flicked out as she approached the driver's side front tire, and jammed the blade in, causing the car to lurch downward, she then walked calmly to the back tire and flattened it too.
"Son of a bitch!" Vince shouted as he approached her. She folded up her blade and reached into her bra for her cash. She tossed three fifties at Vince it was all of her money but worth it.
"Sorry, Vince. If it's more, let me know." She stormed back to Dominic. "No, Dom, it isn't any of your fucking business. I didn't show up here to ask for your help. I didn't even show up here to see you. You're the one butting in, and taking over. You can't keep doing this shit, Dom. I'm not a kid anymore. I'm 23. Now Steven is my problem and I will handle it. Because I control my life, Dominic…not you." That said she turned on her heel, and stomped to her car. Tumbling into it, she disregarded her protesting ribs as she revved the engine, slammed the car into reverse and squealed out of the lot.
Ali circled her apartment complex several times before she could remember which building was hers. Jesus, she was pissed. She couldn't believe that he was doing it again. He always did this to her. She might as well still be the scared fifteen-year-old kid that he stopped the older boys from picking on. When was he going to realize that she wasn't a kid anymore, and let her make her own mistakes and clean up her own messes? If Mia wanted to put up with it that was her business, but Ali had had enough.
She screeched into her parking space in front of the building she finally recognized as hers. Dammit, she thought to herself as she noticed Steven's Dodge still parked in his spot, I don't need this now. I just wanted to get in and grab some stuff and go get a room for the night. She paused for a few seconds trying to decide what to do, Fuck him, she decided to herself, it's my apartment too. I have as much right to be there as he does. She nodded to herself, got out of the car, and headed up the stairs to her apartment.
