CH. 2

It was 11.00 pm when she arrived at the Toretto's bar. When later, that night, she'd discovered who was the man she'd crash with, she'd been shocked. Good Annie! First day you crash against the most powerful guy of the place. Great record! She thought shacking her head sadly. You're a true mess, she said to herself. She stopped her car just in front of their bar. She breathed deeply preparing herself to his fury, then she took all her courage and got off.

"Hy" said Anastasia walking inside the empty bar. "Hy" was simple Mia's answer. She was back to the counter and when she raised her eyes up, she was surprised: "you here!" said Mia smiling friendly.

"I'm looking for.-" was saying Annie.

"You're looking for me , blondie" an husky voice came from the dark. Dominic Toretto came from the back of the bar, a beer in his hand. At the daylight he looked even bigger than the night before. He wore a sleeveless beige t-shirt and jeans.

She swallowed. Come on! He cannot kill you! Said Annie to herself but she wasn't too sure about that.

"You here" he simply established taking a swallow from his Corona.

"I had no choice" she said with an almost ironical smile. She didn't want to let him intimidate her. His lips bent in an ironical grin and approached.

"Let me present you: I'm Anastasia Walker" she said giving her hand to Dom. He slowly shook her hand and nodded.

"Mia told me about you" he said studying her a little. She'd tied up in a pony tail her long blond hair. She wore low riders jeans and a small tight fitting white t-shirt with "Barbie" written on, and a chain belt. She looked almost younger than the night before. So pure . . . .and tempting. Very tempting, thought Dom, giving her one more malicious look and then lifting his stare to meet her eyes again.

Anastasia felt nervous under his attentive gaze, she didn't know what to say so she bit her lip, showing a little of her nervousness.

He smiled, he liked to feel in a dominant position. "Your accent..is weird" said Dom: "Where are you from"

"I'm half Italian" said Annie evasive.

All this formal discussion made her feel more and more worried and impatient. Because of his way to look at her, or to undress her, since this was what he was doing, his curiosity about her and most because once he'd had discovered the truth he would have been much less friendly than now. So she didn't want to waste more time but deal with him immediately. He seemed reading her thoughts.

"Let's talk about yesterday" suddenly said Dom with a business tone.

She breathed and took all her courage: "Listen, it's been an accident, really-" she'd started to say but he shut her up with a gesture of his hand.

"It doesn't matter now. I want only my money back. We made an assessment of damages, you owe me 4000$." Said Dom very calmly.

"What?" she almost shouted in astonishment. It was much more than she'd expected. "It cannot be possible" she said shacking her head in disbelief. She was really worried now. It was a fortune! Where she would have found all that money?

He seemed not surprised at all of her reaction and started to list all the damages she'd done to his car. She opened her mouth and widened her eyes astonished. "You're cheating me!" she said still not believing in what he was saying. He didn't like her reply and grabbing not too gently her arm, he pulled her outside, to his car, showing her personally the damages. At the daylight, things were different and his car was seriously damaged.

"Listen, I know what I'm talking about. It's my business. You're free to ask to any other garage about an advice. They'll tell you the same, and maybe even more" he simply said.

Then he looked at her car calming himself a little: " Even your car took a turn to the worse" he said looking ironically at her. She watched her car and sighed. Anyway she couldn't do anything for it now.

"Nice car" he added interested: "Original?" he asked her.

"Yeah, fully" she said thoughtfully, her mind running fast to find a solution.

She stood there for a while silently. She had no solution, except for telling him the truth. She shook her head and finally looked back at him. "Ok" she whispered taking a deep breath and preparing herself.

"So if you want to give me your insurance" he was saying.

"I don't have one. Well it isn't exactly because I do have one, but it's of my country and not valid here" she said in one go.

It was his turn now to widen his eyes, this time. "YOU WHAT?" he asked astonished half closing his eyes and staring her tilting his head on one side. "I don't have-" she started to repeat with a little voice. "I HEARD YOU!" he shouted angry looking menacingly at her.

"Dom!" Mia called him to calm down.

"Ok . . . Ok . . . " he breathed calming himself and passing his hand on his bald head thoughtfully. "You gonna pay me so . . ." he continued looking more quiet now.

She breathed deeply and with a soft voice, looking down to her feet she dared to say: " I . . . I can't, I haven't all that money".

"You mean here, with you" he tried to give her a chance to justify her.

"No, I mean I don't have it at all" she underlined. Still head down, closing her eyes and holding her breath, preparing for the worst.

Now he was definitely angry she thought daring to watch his face. She knew he would have reacted badly only she hadn't imagined he could have scared her so much. Now she realized why everybody respected him so much, she thought. He was so imposing and he got that way to do, a magnetism that all the people had to follow him. Inside the bar, Mia smiled amused shacking her head. Brave girl. No one would have had the same courage as she was showing. She started to like her.

"You're crazy or just silly? I mean, I could call the police for this, you know?" he angrily said his eyebrow furrowed.

She felt so little and stupid in that moment. "I'm . . . I'm sorry, It's because I'm arrived a few days ago,.. and my car still don't have insurance, and also I don't have money for it and - " she realised she was babbling.

All her determination seemed having abandoned her. He looked at her for a while not knowing exactly what to do and sighed. "C'mon, let's sit down and talk" he finally said.

She followed him inside, they sit and she explained him all. Also Mia listened interested to her story. When she ended, he looked at her thoughtfully. "So you arrived from Italy one week ago" he said summarizing.

"Yes" she nodded.

"And you have no more money" he continued.

"Yes"

"You speak English pretty good" said Mia from the back of the counter.

"It's because my dad is English" she simply explained avoiding other details.

"What will you do now?" Mia asked her. Anastasia shrugged. "Find a job. Some work in a pub or a night-club, it's not what I've planned to do, but it will allow me to pay you" She explained .

Dom seated in front of her leaned back, arms crossed on his chest, studying her thoughtfully.

"Listen, I'll find a work and pay you all!" she said convinced.

Meanwhile fiver racing cars joined the bar. She turned to see who it was. Dom didn't look interesting. He was still thinking. Four guys and a girl got out of those cars talking loudly about engines. One of them was. yes Bryan! Maybe he could have helped her .

"Oh Shit!" said one of them: " A Subaru Impreza! Can't believe it!" and all the guys observed the car. Annie smiled a little, she loved her car. The girl said something and Annie recognised her voice, it was the same she'd heard the night before, while she was leaving. All the guys entered.

"Hy Mia!" said the girl.

"Hy Letty" replied Mia. So this was her name. "Dom" she greeted him. Dom waved his head, but didn't leave his thoughtful look from Anastasia. Letty immediately noticed Annie and frowned giving her an hostile gaze.

"Who's that skank?" She asked suspiciously to Dom.

"Letty don't push it! You embarrass me!" said Dom irritated. "Bring me a beer" he ordered her. Letty looked bothered by his tone. She didn't like when he diminished her authority but didn't reply, and did what he said.

"So, what this snowman does here?" Letty asked toughly to Dom, like if Annie never existed. Dom gave her a warning look. He hadn't like her words, but Letty seemed ignore it. "But I do know you" she continued quietly observing Anastasia: "You're the chick who made the crash yesterday! Better learn how to drive first. You owe him a lot of money" she ended sarcastic.

"Anastasia!" said Bryan in a friendly tone finally noticing her, coming inside the bar and saving her from Letty. She smiled back at him. Maybe the only who wasn't angry with her now. She literally felt like a fish out of water there. What am I doing here? Why I didn't run away when I could? She thought to herself.

"So? What are you going to do skank?" insisted Letty hostile. "She will work for me" suddenly said Dom, staring Anastasia.

"WHAT?????" said all together Anastasia, Letty and Mia all looking astonished, each one for a different reason. Dom nodded as it was already decided.

"Here is the deal: You need a work to pay me. I need the money back and some help here, since this, you'll work for me until you'll have refund me of all the amount" he paused for a while taking a swallow of his beer. "In the morning you'll work at the bar, since Mia needed an help, then you'll work in the afternoon to the garage" he ended. "NO!" again all together said Annie and Letty. "You shut up!" said Dom to both the girls.

Than he glanced to Letty to let him alone with Anastasia. She looked fed up, but obeyed.

"I'll pay you, don't worry. You'll have a little money for you and by the way, you'll refund me the money you owe me" said Dom. "You looked for a work: Here it is" he simply said grinning provoking. He wasn't asking for her advice. It was already decided. She couldn't do anything.

"Where do you live now?" Bryan asked her.

"To an hotel since Friday, when I'll have finished all my money" she said frankly.

"And then?" Bryan wanted to know.

"Then I'll have to find another place." She said thoughtfully. Her future looked really dark now. "You'll come live with us" said Mia after a while.

"No!" said Letty immediately. Dom gave a warning look to Letty and came back looking at her.

"I don't think this is a good idea" said Annie embarrassed.

"You don't have choice since you don't have money. You'll come live with us." He simply said.

In what mess am I getting? She thought. But after all, even if weird, this looked to be a solution. She breathed deeply.

"You sure?" asked Annie checking for Dom reaction. Dom nodded. He was satisfied of himself. Now he could have had her under his control for all the day.

"Ok" Annie finally said and shook Dom's hand sealing the deal under the contrary look of Letty and the amused one of Bryan and Mia.

"Looks interesting" whispered Mia to Bryan and he nodded in agreement.



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