CH.17



The day after Anastasia came to Dominic with the money.

"Here it is, 8000$ as promised," she said all satisfied.

"You won," he stated calmly.

"No, you and your sister won. That's the proof that the bar can work," she disagreed.

"You did a good job," he continued.

She smiled a little bitter. "You didn't trust me."

"Never told you so."

"But you thought it," she insisted.

"Ok. I admit it, I wasn't sure if you could do it. I knew nothing about you," said Dom.

"Mia did a big part of the job for I often wasn't there," Annie said changing argument quickly.

Dom nodded: "But it was your idea."

"It's your sister who did everything. She's strong and intelligent," Annie persisted.

"Yeah, I know. That's why I want her to finish her studies rather than to work at the bar,"

"Oh! Come on. That's a good thing. Let her do what she likes, you'll see, she won't stop studying," Annie said.

"What makes you so sure about that?" Dom asked half closing his eyes.

"Because she's like me," Annie said softly lost in her thoughts. She'd always been obliged to do what other people told her and only now, thanks to Torettos she'd discovered that she was able to take decisions by herself.

He observed her face. Her mind was a hundred miles away from there, he would have liked to know where, to know more about her, but said nothing. "You can tell Mia that you'll have the money for the bar," Dom said finally taking Annie back to reality. She shook her head to chase away those thoughts. "Ok," Annie said smiling softly, trying to hide her feelings, "thank you."

"And by the way-" Dom continued, "take this." He threw a small piece of cloth on the table toward her. "You earned it," he added nonchalantly.

"What's that" she asked frowning while taking it in her hands and observing the cloth. It was fully colored. A drawing, no better a symbol. It was strangely familiar. But where had she seen it?

"Sew it on the front seat," he ordered her shortly.

She glanced at him. "Is this what I think it is?" she asked finally realizing what it was.

He nodded. "Our symbol." "Why? Why now?" she inquired.

"Last night was a test. You passed it quite well. Now, you're part of us. Of this team." Dom explained shrugging.

She looked at him astonished and speechless for a moment. "Thank you," she then whispered honored.

He grimaced.

She couldn't help but still observe the small piece of cloth in her hand. "Quite well, uh?" she teased him raising an eyebrow.

"Did I say so?" he grunted.

"Yeah. You did," she repeated amused.

"I had to be drunk," he replied suddenly. "Now go back to work before I change my mind," he ordered her half seriously, half ironically.

She smiled and cheekily sent him a kiss in the air winking at him. "I like you too, sweetie," she told him in the most sweet and teasing tone she could, leaving him groaning.



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Two days later.



Dom was checking his bills in the garage's office, when he stopped and frowned, thinking. He checked the papers again and controlled the bills. "Mia!" he said loudly.

She joined him. "You called me?"

"Yeah . . . When was the last time that you controlled these invoices?" he asked her seriously.

"Let me think. Last month I put them in order and until last week everything was just fine."

"You sure?" Dom asked.

She gave him a warning look.

"Ok," he said thoughtfully.

"Why?"

"We have a loss of 2000$," Dom said worried.

"You sure?" Mia repeated his own question.

"I checked twice and cannot find 'em".

"But how...?" Mia asked confused.

"Dunno," Dom said. "It's never happened before."

"Someone tried to ask Anastasia?" a voice came from the door.

Dom and Mia both turned to see Letty appear.

"Sorry, I was just walking in when I heard you talking," Letty continued.

Mia looked at Dom confused.

"Please Letty," Dom said sincerely, "leave us alone for a while."

Letty nodded and disappeared.

"You don't really think about that, do you?" Mia asked her brother.

"Let me check it once again here. Then I'll figure something out," he told her still not wanting to believe that.

Outside someone smiled and walked fast away just in time, because after a few seconds Mia got out of the office room.



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