CH.9 - The Party -



That night they all went again to race. Dom had told her to watch attentively, to what could have happened, trying to study for every single movement and had put Leon nearby her to explain all. So she stayed on one side looking at Dom which was setting the rules for the race placing the money. "Ok guys, as usual, 2Gi's by in winner takes all" said Dom. They all agreed and gave the money. That night also Bryan did race.

"Hy" said Hector to Annie after he'd taken the money of the bet.

"Hy" replied Annie.

"So you here again" he said approaching to her.

"Annie, gotta go to Dom but I'll be here in a while" said Leon leaving her alone with Hector.

"I work for Toretto"

"Yeah, I know" said Hector looking her up and down. He liked what he saw.

She recognised his look and was pleased. He sure wasn't Dom, but at least he was a free man and she couldn't cause any damages talking with him. "You come to the party later?" asked Annie.

"Which one?"

"The one at the Toretto's bar" she paused: "the main event of the season" she added in a fake magniloquent tone ending it with a smile. But, after all, it was true: it was the first night, they opened even if for a private party.

The other guys started to move, because of the race. He stared at her for a while: "Ok, I'll be there". Then someone called him and he went away. Why had she invited him? She thought. She didn't know, maybe just to be free to talk to a guy without feeling guilty as she always felt with Dom. Hector looked like a quiet and polite guy, maybe a good one with which to talk at the party. Yes, it was a good decision thought Annie satisfied with herself. Everyone was starting to move, to join the race so she fast jumped on Mia's car.

They raced and even if Bryan was a very good driver, Dom won as usual. The crowd welcomed him ecstatically like always. He took the money and gave it to Mia. Then looked at Annie as to check for her reaction. She was astonished by his skill. He was really a good one. She had to look like truly impressed by him because when he glanced at her, he raised and eyebrow and smiled at her in such a way that she felt her knees bending, her heart melting and for a while she forgot everything. They were just him and her. Then, Letty arrived throwing herself in his arms and the magical moment finished. Annie suddenly felt sad and angry with herself. All the good proposals she'd done before, had been broken in fragments. Rogue! He knew what she was feeling and took advantage of that!

She looked around for Leon finding him. "So? I come with you?" she asked him lightly with a smile. Mia wasn't there and she needed a lift to go to the party.

"Are you kidding me or what?" replied Leon.

"Why?" asked Annie frowning.

" I don't want to be killed" replied Leon ironically.

"I don't understand, I'm only asking you for a lift" said Annie a bit lost. What the heck was he talking about?

"Listen. I don't want to have problem. I got nothing against you in particular, but you're private property and I shouldn't even look at you. So you have to be kind enough to find someone else to go to the bar" simply explained Leon in his most gentle tone then without waiting he enlightened the engine and squealed away.

Annie remained there, opened mouth, speechless watching the car going away, incredulous for what she'd just heard. "Private property?" she didn't know if she had to laugh or what. Property of whom? She didn't know.

She looked around lost. That night she hadn't her car because she'd left it to the garage. She'd arrived there with Mia, but now she'd lost her and she didn't know how to come back. Suddenly a car stopped just in front of her. It was Dom's one. He looked at her up and down to her thigh-fitting jeans, her chain belt full of small medals, the small black brilliant top that barely covered her breast underlining her shapes, which gave her a more sexy look. "You get in?" he asked her from the window.

"Have I choice?" she teased him ironically.

"Yes, you could walk until the bar" he replied using the same tone. Annie grinned shaking her head. What a rogue! She thought and jumped in.

The car was small and Dom filled all with his powerful body. The air was a mix of his perfume and the scent of the leather furnished. "Hey? I'm on the boss car. I'm flattered" she ironically said.

He grinned but didn't reply. No one talked for a long moment and the atmosphere, little by little, became electric. Annie felt more and more uneasy. Maybe it should have been really better to walk until the bar, she started to think.

"I saw you talking with Hector before" suddenly Dom said breaking that heavy silence.

"We were just cheat chatting" she found herself explaining.

"You don't know him" he made her notice quietly.

"Yeah, like you at the beginning" she quietly replied smiling, like if she hadn't understood what he meant to say.

"You know, you're walking on a thin edge line" he paused: " Beware" he simply told her softly, not keeping his eyes off the street. He looked upset, and Annie didn't understand the reason.

"How is the work at the bar" he suddenly said dropping subject.

She glanced at him a bit surprised: why was it so important for him to look gentle with her now? "It's good. We're getting well" said Annie.

"Need more time?" he teased her, giving her a glance.

"You'll have your money in time, as promised" she sharply said. She was tough as him and she would have proved it. Her honour was into play.

"Ok" he replied looking satisfied by her answer. What he wanted? To test her out?

They arrived at the bar and stopped the car. "You're doing a good job" he softly said suddenly

She swiftly turned to look at him astonished. Has he said what she'd heard?

He slowly turned to look at her. His eyes were deep and dark. His look mysterious. She couldn't move, feeling like a prey enchanted by the predator. She felt the beat of her heart accelerate and her mouth become dry.

Suddenly someone opened the door of Dom's car. It was one of his friends. "So you're here finally!" a young guy said to Dom happily.

He looked at her still for a while, with a kind of promise in his eyes, than regained his usual arrogant tough look and got off the car.

Annie quick did the same trying to join Mia inside the bar, where the party had already started, while Letty crossed her way. She said nothing but her eyes were flaming of anger. She'd seen Annie arriving in Dom's car and she was naturally furious by that. But this time, Annie didn't feel guilty, she wouldn't have wanted to go with Dom. They exchanged a long defiant look, then both of them went for their way. She shook her head: stay away from Dom and Letty, she repeated to herself, they are cause of troubles. She looked around. People seemed amusing themselves . . . finally she saw Mia. "Hey? You left me there alone!" protested Annie to her friend.

" Oh, you wouldn't have been for no more longer!" said Mia ironic keeping a beer.

"Hey?!?!" said resentful Annie.

"Dom told me, he would have taken you here" finally explained Mia. Looked like everybody knew everything already except for her. Bryan joined them and after a while the couple left Annie alone.

The party was a success and all the people were amusing themselves. Mia and Annie had worked a lot to prepare the bar for that evening and now seemed that all their work was a success. She scanned the people. Leon and Jesse had found both a girl and so did Vince, things that made Annie happy, because she was safe, at least for that night. She looked at Dom, he was talking with some guys. Letty was nearby him like a glue. Notwithstanding this, Dom suddenly turned to smile at her. Annie replied shyly. Letty saw it and glued more to Dom, and he didn't seem too bothered by it. Annie gave herself the stupid. She was drooling over a man who wasn't free and which liked to play with her. She shook her head. Feeling anger growing insider her. Want to play? I'll show you Mr. Toretto that I can have fun as well as you thought Annie to herself determined. I want to have fun tonight.

In that moment arrived Hector and after having greeted all, saw her and came. "So you here" noticed Annie smiling.

"Told you" he replied smiling back: "want a beer?" he offered her.

"No thanks. I almost don't drink alcohols"

"C'mon try!" insisted Hector and gave her a Corona.

She took it and drank a swallow: "Bleagh! It's disgusting!"

He laughed: "Yeah, all the beers at the beginning. It's because you're not accustomed!" he explained amused. She looked at him doubtfully and nodded.

"Some people mix beer and orange juice, they say it has a better taste like that" continued Hector.

She followed his advice and drank it: "A bit better but still disgusting" said Annie kindly in a low tone.

He grinned amused.

She liked Hector; he was nice, sure a bit more comprehensive then Dom and with a quiet sense of humour. Without even perceiving it, she passed all the rest of the evening talking with him. Sometimes she glanced at Dom discovering him always talking with some people and having fun. She didn't know why, but she felt upset. Something inside told her that she had to be happy about this: No Dom around her, no problems. But she felt however upset.

Maybe because she was drunk, but suddenly, she felt all this energy charging inside her and she would have detonated soon, if she didn't do something. So when she recognised a music that she liked, she decided it was time to dance. "Want to dance?" suddenly proposed Annie with a seducing smile to Hector.

"No, no. Hector never dances. But I like to watch. Go. I'll watch you." replied Hector smiling charming at her.

She looked at him still not convinced. "C'mon, I'll be here watching you! Dance for me baby!" insisted Hector with a smile.

She didn't want to give a show but she was going to explode if she didn't do something to discharge that electricity. "Ok" she said in a low tone not too convinced and with an uncertain walk, went to the middle of what had to be a dance floor.

A new music started in that moment and Annie smiled; it was "Lady Marmalade" one of her favourites. She stood there for a while feeling a bit uneasy looking around her to the other girls dancing, then she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Forgetting all the world around her, slowly she began to move, at first just a little then, more and more following the rhythm of the music, relaxing and letting the music invading her body and her mind. Little by little she took familiarity and in a while all the eyes in the room were on her. She danced for Hector, and, for Dom. Some guys started to clap and other cried: "Way to go girl!" but Annie simply didn't care. She got the rhythm. Following the beat of the music she lifted her arms up, her small black top raised up as well and now barely covered her breast, she moved her hips wide, and her belt full of small medals, jingled.

She looked at the crowd, searching for Dom. She caught him watching her body moving, his stare darkened of desire, slowly lifted up; his caramel eyes looked at her shamelessly sensual and when she took her time passing her tongue deliberately slowly on her lips, he grinned at that. He was definitely liking her game of seduction and this gave her a strange and inexplicable sense of euphoria. She has never felt as woman as she was feeling now. Letty noticed that secret exchange of look between them and started to rub her body against that of Dom, which nonchalantly placed his hands on her waist but didn't get his eyes out of Annie. He liked what he saw. Annie smiled and encouraged by this, continued her sensual dance.

She turned to look at Hector. His eyes wide opened were eating her alive. He slowly swallowed. She smiled and ran her hands on her body. She danced for him, moving perfectly with the music. Other girls joined her at the dance floor and this made her feel more at her ease. The music changed and she joined Hector.

"Wow" he said breathing deeply: "You are someone. I've never seen dancing as sexy as you just did" he ended looking visibly astonished. She smiled satisfied, this was to prove that she could be as sexy as Letty was. Hector grabbed her by her hips and slammed against him. People took it as the end of the show and got back to what they were doing earlier.

She looked at him blushing a little. "But you're too demanding" he suddenly said with a grin.

"What?" said Annie, blinking her eyes. She didn't understand.

"You're too much for me" he quietly replied with a friendly smile, like if it was obvious.

"I've seen certain people looking at you and I don't want problems" he paused. "I know that look. It's the same I got with my chicks".

"What are you talking about?" asked Annie.

"You are property of someone else" simply explained Hector

She snorted. She was fed up of hearing this. "I'm property of no one except for myself" she said tough.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever" said Hector in a kidding tone grinning, like someone who knew more than what he said, he didn't insist and dropped the subject with something else. They remained on one side all the evening talking, but it was no more the same thing as before she'd danced and Annie discovered herself thinking of what mistake she could have done. What was wrong with her?

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One hour later, Hector left her and went away with his team. She looked around. The air was full of smoke and hot but the party was definitely a success: lot of people had come and were having fun. Good: this was a good publicity for Mia's bar. She looked around once more feeling hot now. She needed to breathe. Inside the bar there was no more oxygen she realised. She took a Corona and went outside.

The soft fresh evening breeze made her shiver a little, but she liked it. That's what I really needed, she thought. She seated on a stair and just stayed there, with the music coming softer from the bar, her beer in a hand and that delicious breeze. Maybe she was a little bit drunk but it didn't matter now. She closed her eyes delighted and leaned back her head as to relax herself more: Perfect. "Oh, oh, oh" suddenly a male voice said. "what my eyes can see: the bitch of my lost good affair". She knew that voice. But who was he? Annie frowned raising her head up. She slowly opened her eyes to watch from where the voice came. Henry!!! The man who had wanted to cheat Dom with the French guy, but had failed.

"You here" said calmly Anastasia, giving him a cold glance. She didn't like that man, she'd never liked since the beginning, and now he was staring her in a way that scared her. What he wanted?

"Yeah" Henry replied with a slimy smile approaching with a beer in his hand.

"Dom invited you?" Annie asked him raising an eyebrow, remaining still. He didn't have to know that she was afraid, and the best way of hiding it, was to talk.

"No" the man replied approaching more. "He didn't invite me." He paused. "You know we were great friends before you came" the man said menacingly.

Doubt it! Thought Annie.

"Then you came, and spoiled everything, bitch" he ended angry underlining the last word.

"And what you want from him now" she asked sharply half closing her eyes and tilting her head a little on one side.

" I want vengeance . . . I want it from you!" Henry said lowering his tone. Now she was completely scared!

She stood up, preparing herself for the worst, when a voice came from her shoulder: "Is everything fine, Annie?" It was Bryan!! Bryan!!! Her rescuer!!!! She turned to look at him. He was watching at the scene a beer in a hand, very calm leaning nonchalantly against the wall.

"But - do I know you?" said Bryan frowning.

And it was in that moment that all happened. In a while, Annie heard something like a sound of broken glass from her back and Henry grabbed her and put the broken bottleneck menacingly near her neck. She held her breath scared. "I wanted to take my vengeance only on her, but since you came, son of a bitch, I'll have to change my plans!" said angry Henry. "Don't shout or make any sign or I swear you, that I kill this bitch!" continued Henry.

Bryan posed his beer. "Ok, ok. I'll do nothing but you calm down. Let's talk." said Bryan accentuating his words with the gesture of his hands.

"Come on! Let's make a little walk" said Henry. He grabbed Annie in that position, still under the menace of the broken bottleneck and pushed her in a secondary dark blind alley, preceded by Bryan. Once there, Henry left Annie pushing her violently toward Bryan who suddenly grabbed her in his arms, to protect her.

"You fine?" asked Bryan with apprehensive look. Annie nodded.

"So? What do you want?" asked Bryan to Henry.

Henry smiled, a ugly smile. "You know, thanks to that bitch, I lost a lot of money in the Toretto's affair." started to say the man.

"Shall this interest me?" said Bryan tough.

Annie looked at him, now she realised why Dom trusted so much in him. He was as strong and tough as Dom was. And not stupid.

"Definitely yes." Said Henry. "Here is the deal: In two days a truck with a big media equipments cargo gonna pass. I need that cargo to be hijacked." He finally explained.

"What do you want?" insisted Bryan wanting to know all and clear.

"I want you and that bitch to steal that cargo for me. And we'll be equal." Said Henry.

"And if we don't do it" said Bryan.

"Let's say like this: if you don't do it, I have enough ways to set Dom and his team up. I'll report to the police as him as the unique responsible of all this" ended Henry, grinning satisfied. "And I grant you that they will trust me". "Noo!" said Annie worried.

"You can't do it!" said Bryan still calm not wanting to believe him.

"Wanna see?" said defiantly Henry with a evil grin.

"You work for me, in this affair. You do what I say, when I say and we'll all be happy" ended Henry.

"Let Anastasia out of this" said Bryan "she's a chick, she knows nothing about all that".

"She caused all my problems. Now she'll have to solve 'em" said Henry firmly. "You two, you'll do the job. No one else. Report it to anyone and I promise I'll all set you up!" Continued Henry.

"Don't accept! We have to do something!" whispered Annie to Bryan.

"We have no choice" he replied angry.

"So? We make the deal?" said Henry smiling satisfied, knowing he was winning. Bryan sighed. Looked at Annie for a while as to search for an answer, then back to the man: "Yeah" he finally answered in a low defeated tone.

"Perfect!" said Henry." I'll call you"

Than he looked at Annie and he bowed ironically "My lady" then waved to Bryan: "see you".

Once Henry was far, Annie turned to face Bryan. "Why you accepted? Are you silly or what?" she angry attacked him, her hands on her waist.

"Because he can ruin Dom" sighed Bryan.

"He has nothing, he can't do that, why shall the cops trust him?" said Annie not understanding.

"Because once Dom did some extra cash with this" finally admitted Bryan.

"You're kidding me" said Annie. Bryan looked at her in a way like Look, am I kidding you?

Annie leaned against the wall and sighed: " Can't believe it . . . . " shaking her head.

"It's time for you to know everything" said Bryan and started to tell her all. She heard him, in disbelief. Once he ended, she was speechless.

"And that's why even today they continue to call me Spilner" ended Bryan with an half smile.

"Now you know all the story. So, you see why we have no choice" he told her, watching for her reaction.

"Shit! Who could imagine?" said Annie thoughtfully: "But I've never done something like that" she tried to say a bit scared to the idea of going against the law.

"I'll drive you. Just one thing: no one will have to know" said Bryan giving her a warning look. She knew he was thinking about Dom and Mia especially.

She sighed and nodded. "Ok" she whispered.

"Let's come back to the party, before they'll notice our absence" said Bryan and both of them came back.



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