Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to read and review. I really appreciate the feedback. Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter. School started back this week and I had to go through that whole registration crap, so I didn't have the extra time or energy to put into the story. Oh well, here's the next installment.

Chapter 9

Team Torreto pulled up outside of Tej's at approximately 10:30 that night. They had gone back to the motel to chill and change for that night's race and had told Tej that they'd meet them at the garage so they could all roll together. After parking along the curb, they got out of their cars. Letty was carrying an overnight bag. Dom pushed the buzzer on the door and they waited for someone to let them in.

"Sup?" Rome said, five minutes later when he opened the door. He had a towel wrapped around his waist and was dripping water all over the floor.

"I really didn't need that image bro," Vince said, frowning as he walked past Rome.

"Well that's what you get. I was taking a shower," Rome said relocking the door when everyone was in and leading them further into the garage. "We got games and stuff over here and there's beer in the fridge over there" he said. "Make your selves at home." He heads back to his room in the back of the garage.

"I'm'a take this stuff to Mia," said Letty, who was dressed in a pair of low riding black hip hugging pants, red beater, and black flame boots. She headed towards the back of the garage carrying the bag. Two minutes later she was knocking on Brian's door. When no one answered she opened the door and entered. She smiled when she saw Mia lying with her head on Brian's chest and his arm wrapped around her shoulder. "Awww, ain't that sweet. Wake the fuck up!"

"What?! Huh?!" Brian sat straight up in the bed, looking sleepy and disoriented.

"What do you want, Letty?" Mia asked grumpily, rolling over about to go back to sleep.

"I brought you some clothes. We got races tonight." Letty said, tossing the bag on the bed. "You'd know that if you two hadn't spent all evening 'talking'."

"Like you and Dom have been watching TV all evening," Mia said, pulling the pillow over her head.

"We don't have to leave 'til 1. Why are you here so early?" Brian said, scratching his head and yawning.

"You know how long it takes her to get ready," Letty said. "She has a little over two hours to get ready and I bet we'll still have to wait on her." Letty turns and heads out the door and goes back to the garage.

Letty enters the garage to find that Tej and Jimmy had arrived. Jimmy, who was wearing a gray buttoned work shirt with a white crew neck T- shirt underneath, baggy jeans and a pair of white shell toe Adidas, was playing Midnight Club 2 on the PS2 with Jesse. Tej, who was wearing a green and white throw back jersey, baggy jeans, green and white Air Force Ones, with a matching hat covering his cornrows, was taking bets from Vince, Leon, and Rome on who would win.

"Get ready to hand over that money, cuz," Rome was telling Vince, when the screen showed Jimmy leading the race. He was dressed in white T- shirt, baggy faded jeans, and Construction Timberlands.

"Game ain't over yet." Vince said. He was sitting slightly behind Rome, dressed in faded blue jeans, a black beater with a white beater underneath, and boots.

"Damn, Tej. Is there anything you can't get anybody to bet on?" Letty said straddling one of Dom's khaki clad thighs and leaning back to rest against his chest, which was covered in a navy blue unbuttoned shirt with a white beater underneath.

"If it can be done, it can be bet on," Tej said.

"Pay up cuz!" Rome said to Vince, laughing.

"Damn, Jesse!" Vince said, as he and Leon handed over the money they'd lost to Rome and Tej. "You cost me $50."

"Sorry Vince," Jesse said, passing the controller to Leon, who had called next. Leon was dress in a blue plaid unbuttoned shirt with a white beater on underneath, baggy dark denim jeans, and boots and Jesse had on a white muscle T-shirt, a pair of old jeans, and boots.

"Where's Suki?" Letty asked, looking around for Tej's girl.

"Still at the crib getting ready." Looking at his watch, Tej said, "She'll probably show up sometime just before it's time to go."

"Not another Mia..." Dom said, shaking his head

"It takes that girl forever to get ready," Jesse said, lighting up a cigarette.

"For real. Like she's getting ready for a beauty contest or some shit," Letty said.

"Yeah baby girl, she should be more like you. It only takes you 20 minutes to get ready, cause you don't give a damn what you look like," Leon said, eyes on the big screen. Everybody laughed.

"Fuck you Leon," Letty said.

"Baby he was just playing," Dom said, attempting to mollify her, but Letty was having none of that. She took off one of her boots and threw it at Leon, hitting him on the shoulder.

"Shit! I was just bullshitting!" He said, rubbing his shoulder. "Baby girl, you know you look good." The guys laughed at his attempt to get his foot out of his mouth.

"Damn cuz. She fucked you up," Rome said, tossing the boot to Dom, who gave it back to Letty.

"You racing tonight Tej?" Dom asked.

"Naw, cuz. I let that racing shit go," Tej said getting a haunted look on his face.

"What happened?" Dom asked.

"I was racing one night a while back. Took a turn two wide doing a buck 20 and couldn't control it. Next thing I know I'm spinning out, but this nice wall decided to stop me." Tej had a far off look in his eye, as if he were reliving the crash all over again in his mind. Snapping out of it, he gave a small laugh and went to the refrigerator. "You guys want a beer?" he asked, pulling out a Heineken.

"What else you got bro?" Vince asked, eyeing the Heineken as if it had two heads.

"Nothing but Heinies cuz," Tej said, noticing that Brian didn't have any more Coronas left.

"No thanks bro," Vince and the rest of the Torretos declined.

"Didn't you know? Torretos only drink Coronas," Brian said, entering the room carrying two six packs of Coronas. He was dressed in a plain blue T-shirt, low riding jeans, and his Chuck Taylor's.

"Thanks bro," Vince said as he took the beer Brian passed to him.

"So that's where you picked up that nasty habit," Tej said, shaking his head as he watched the rest of the Torretos take a Corona.

"I hope you ain't planning on racing tonight, Bri," Jimmy said after he looked up from the game and saw Brian's purple and swollen eye.

"Dom, you didn't have to hit him that hard," Letty said as she frowned at Brian's swollen eye.

"What?" Dom said, trying to sound innocent.

"It's alright, I needed to take a break anyway," Brian said taking a seat.

"So what's the scene like down here?" Leon asked, cause other than Dom, they had pretty much only hung around the motel since they got to Miami. Rome and Jimmy began describing the Miami race scene.

About 30 minutes later, Letty looked at her watch. Looking at Brian she said, "Told you she'd be late." It was time to go and there still was no sign of Mia.

"The front door buzzed and Tej went to answer it, a smile on his face. "Baby, I'm loving yo' outfit," Tej said after he opened the door.

"Thanks baby. I wore it just for you." Suki wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a passionate kiss.

Everyone turned around to see what Suki was wearing. "Damn...," all the guys said when they saw her. Suki was wearing a white button shirt that was tied below her breasts, a green and blue plaid school uniform type skirt, white knee socks, and black Mary Jane's.

"Ow!" Dom said, when Letty elbowed him in the stomach. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight bear hug. "I love what you won't be wearing later on."

"We'll see." Letty said.

"Hey guys," Mia said, entering the garage. She walked over to her brother and kissed him on the top of his bald head.

"Sup Mia?" the guy greeted her as she went to stand behind Brian, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing him in the crook of his neck.

"Every body ready?" Tej asked, still standing at the door with his arm around Suki's waist.

"Yeah," was the answer he got as everybody stood. Jimmy shut down the game and turned off the big screen.

"Then let's roll," Dom said. They exited the garage, with Rome locking the door and activating the alarm. They got into their cars, Tej into his truck. Brian gave Mia the keys to his car and got in the passenger seat cause of his eye. They all filed out with Tej leading the way.