Chapter 14 - Stubborn Man.
They had been hijacking trucks with high priced merchandise for about 3 months now. This would be the fourth job for them and because of it they all had a lot of money in the bank. It was easy money too. They had a contact at the shippers who told them what truck and when and where. He got what was really a small share of the money then the team split the rest 5 ways. Dom, Letty, Leon, Jesse and Vince. Dom and Vince took one car and it was their job to get in front of the truck. Then Vince used a spear gun to pop out the window of the truck, then another one to repel up to the cab. Once there he put the drive out with a tranquilizer dart and drove the truck. Leon and Jesse ran inference and manned the scanner and Letty also ran interference to keep the truck going their way. Each job netted them about 2 million split 5 ways. Letty wanted to stop. She said they had enough for a lifetime of easy living now. The guys got off on the rush and the money. There was a big one on the horizon and getting Dom to stop before then was just not going to happen.
They drove 3 Honda Civics for the jobs. Dom kept them stashed outside of Thermal. Mia knew he was up to something. She was a smart girl and might even have figured out what by now. She knew about the Civics. Dom was concerned by times she might tell Brian something about it. He liked Brian but he didn't trust him yet. He knew Vince had never told Nyssa anything. The day would come when she would have to know but till her and Vince were officially a couple she didn't need to know.
He was proud of the way his Letty could drive. She was the most daring driver among them for sure. She pulled stunts that the guys wouldn't dream of. Like driving under the trailers of the trucks when she had to.
Vince went to bed and set his alarm. He hoped the alarm didn't wake Nyssa. He was quick at turning it off so it should be ok. He went to sleep. The alarm went off and he turned it off right away. Nyssa made a murmur but she didn't wake up. He slid out of bed and put on the outfit he wore for this. Blue jeans and a black tee shirt with a black mesh tank top over it. His flack jacket and repelling gear were stashed in the civics along with the spear gun. He looked down at Nyssa sleeping in his bed and hoped everything went well with more feeling this time. He didn't want to think of what would happen to her if he never came home.
Would the team still accept her? Would Dom or Leon get to finish teaching her to drive her car? Would she get over him and fall for Leon or Jesse? He didn't want to think about it. He quietly let himself out of the room and the team took off. He hoped to be back in bed by 7am, long before her alarm went off. They drove to their cars and headed after the truck in the darkness. Vince's hand hurt like hell but he didn't want to tell anyone in case they thought he could not do his job.
Nyssa woke up and looked at the clock. It was only 5 am. She had no idea why she was awake. She realized she was all alone in the room. Where the hell was Vince? She always had to go to the bathroom when she woke up or she couldn't go back to sleep. She wandered to the bathroom and on the way she saw that Jesse's door was cracked open. She could swear his bed looked empty but she didn't want to be nosy in case he was in there so she just used the bathroom and headed back to bed. She was sure Vince would have a good reason for being missing at 5am. She fell back asleep quickly and deeply.
When the alarm went off at 7:15am, Vince shut it off like he always did. She was awake this time though; he didn't have to wake her up like he normally did. If it pissed him off to wake up this early every day even though he didn't have to, he never let on to her. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and went and took her morning shower. She came back and just got dressed. She was pretty well beyond caring if Vince watched her or not. She always took clean underwear to the bathroom with her so it was not like he ever saw her naked or anything. She picked out an outfit and started to get ready. When she was ready she sat on the bed beside him.
"You go back to sleep V?" She asked softly.
"Not yet." He said in that deep, gravely, I'm so not awake, morning voice she loved.
"So am I to take it that I am taking your car to school again today?"
"Sure, I'm gonna sleep in today."
"Where were you last night baby?"
"Couldn't sleep so I went for a drive from about 4:30-6:00am. Some times I just can't sleep. But I am tired out now."
"Oh, poor baby. You sleep now and I'll see you this afternoon. Just let me see that hand before I go."
He showed her and there was some blood on the bandage now. She told him that he should have watched TV instead of going for a drive because he opened the cut some. He grunted. She laughed softly at his expressive nature, and kissed his forehead then his hand and stood up. He mumbled good bye and she let herself out.
Dom was sitting at the kitchen table. He could never go back to sleep after a job. No matter what he did. Letty was sleeping like a baby upstairs. Dom asked her where Vince was and she told him he was not feeling well and hadn't slept last night so he was staying in bed for the morning. Dom asked what was wrong. Nyssa told Dom about the cut and told him she hoped it was not infected even though she had washed it well for him and that Dom might want to remind him to use more alcohol if he saw him later. Dom nodded. He asked if Nyssa needed a ride to school. She told him she was taking Vince's car again, Vince told her to and he had the keys to her car to use. Dom nodded again. She said bye and headed out.
Dom liked that she worried about Vince. Lord knew Vince hadn't even mentioned he had cut himself let alone that it was that bad. Dom was glad the job went off without a hitch, since Vince was kind of the most important player. Vince would never admit he was sick or injured. The time he had been hurt as a kid he kept saying it was fine then it turned out he had a broken wrist. He was always the tough guy. Nyssa hit McDonald's for breakfast on her way to school. She almost turned the car around and went back to bed with Vince but she reminded herself less then a month and she was done. Then she had nothing to do all day but drive her car and Dom was going to put her to work part time in the garage as an errant girl and working the desk. Booking appointments and answering the phone. She was cool with that. She hoped Vince was ok with it though. They spent a lot of time together as it was and she didn't know if he would be all that thrilled that he would now be working with her too.
She was listening to the local radio station when the news came on. She figured she was a bit out of touch and turned the news up. The story of the day a daring robbery of a transport truck. It seemed that three Honda Civics had swarmed the driver, knocked him out and hijacked the truck. They took the truck somewhere and unloaded the cargo onto what police assumed was their own truck and when the driver came too he was left with his truck in a strange place with no cargo. It was the fourth such robbery in the last few months and it was the same group of people for sure. Same precision driving and black Civics with green underbody neon kits.
In that second Nyssa knew it was Vince and his team. It had happened last night right in the time Vince claimed he couldn't sleep. Wow, that was crazy. Not that she really cared when she thought about it. She had known Vince was some sort of criminal but nothing like this. But she couldn't let on she knew or Dom might think that Vince had told her and get angry with him and maybe even kick her out. Now she knew why Vince was so worried that Brian was a cop.
She decided to go visit her dad that evening and tell him what happened in reguards to her living situation. As far as he knew she still lived with Ed. She missed him and she figured he should know where his only child was living. Plus she had a few favours to ask him.
She got to school and ran into class. Manda was already there. She sat down just under the late bell. The morning classes seemed to fly by. She and Manda decided to take Vince's car out to lunch. They took two other girls with them and hit the Wendy's that was close to the school. They laughed and talked girl stuff over lunch and the other two girls Marie and Kelly, had to know all about Vince since he had such a nice car and he let Nyssa borrow it. Nyssa said he was awesome and so good looking, and very nice. Manda rolled her eyes.
They got back to school and Nyssa groaned. There was Ed, waiting by the door to the school. She turned to get back in the car and just bounce but she really didn't want to miss school. She asked Manda to stick around as Ed walked up.
"Hello Nyssandre."
"It's Nyssa, you ass, and what do you want."
"I just want to tell you that you can move home if you want. I miss you."
"Sure you do. You just want to try to get your hands on my car."
"That's not true. Where is your car? This is not the car you told me was yours."
"No, it's not. It belongs to my friend Vince. You know him. The guy you were so scared of you nearly shit your pants when he just looked at you. The guy you told the cops was a pimp and a drug dealer, and that he kidnapped you poor underage step daughter."
"Well I was just worried."
"No need Ed. I am happy and safe with Dom and his family."
"I thought the guy was Vince."
"He is. I live with his friend Dom and Dom's sister. And well Dom's girlfriend and Vince and Leon and Jesse. So don't start shit. There are always big guys around to look out for me. And Letty would kick your ass. Plus I am going to see daddy tonight and tell him all about what you did."
"You bitch." Ed made a move to hit her.
"Ah ah ah Ed. I have a witness and I will send Vince after you."
"You win this time but you better watch your back."
Nyssa only laughed.
"That guy is creepy." Manda said.
"You got that right. Let's get to class before we are late again." Nyssa armed the car and they headed in to class.
After school she headed back to Dom's and straight down the stairs to what she was fast thinking of as 'their' room. She found Vince still in bed. She crawled across her side and peered down at him. He looked like he was asleep. She put a hand on his forehead and he felt overly warm. She shook him by the shoulder. "Vince." He didn't respond. "Vince. Baby. Vince sweetie, wake up." He looked up at her and his eyes looked kind of glassy. "You ok baby? You don't look good."
"I don't feel good either Nys. My head hurts and I am so hot."
She peeled the covers off him and he had all his clothes on, shirt, jeans, etc. She asked him how he came to be fully clothed in bed and he told her he tried to get up that afternoon and it just hadn't worked out that way. She peeled the cloths off him and checked his hand. It was definitely infected. Damn. She might have to try to get him dressed again and take him to the hospital. "Well babe, your hand is infected. You need to see a doctor and get put on antibiotics for it."
"No way, no doctors." He barely croaked out.
"Vince, you are burning up, the cut looks awful and you are a total space cadet. You need to go to the hospital."
"No, I hate the hospital. I won't go."
"Yes you will. I am going to try to get your fever down first but if you are still this feverish and out of it in 30 minutes that's it. I get Dom to help me get you to the car then we go."
"No." He said but it came out as a deep moan. He was really out of it and in pain. She shook her head. Stubborn man. He overdid it with the injury then got mad when he got sick. She got a bowl of ice water and a cloth and wiped him down with the cold water. The fever never came down but the chills set in. She knew then that he had to go to the hospital or he was in danger of ending up really sick. She ran upstairs looking for Dom or Leon. She found Dom.
"Dom did you check on Vince at all today?"
"No, I just figured he was tired. Why?"
"Cause he is really sick and we need to take him to the hospital I think. He has a bad fever and I can't get it down and now he has chills. He is hardly coherent and I don't think he can get to the car on his own and I can't move him for sure. I need your help to move him to the car then I will take him to the hospital."
"Come on, I'll come with you."
She was glad for the company. Dom was shocked to see the state Vince was in. He had thought Nyssa was over reacting but she wasn't. Vince was burning up. Dom helped her put a clean tank and jeans on him and they started up to the car. On the way up the stairs Vince was still protesting that he did not want to go. They told him too bad. They took Vince's car cause it still had a full back seat. She got in the back with Vince and Dom drove. He drove at the speed of light but they never saw a cop anywhere.
They had been hijacking trucks with high priced merchandise for about 3 months now. This would be the fourth job for them and because of it they all had a lot of money in the bank. It was easy money too. They had a contact at the shippers who told them what truck and when and where. He got what was really a small share of the money then the team split the rest 5 ways. Dom, Letty, Leon, Jesse and Vince. Dom and Vince took one car and it was their job to get in front of the truck. Then Vince used a spear gun to pop out the window of the truck, then another one to repel up to the cab. Once there he put the drive out with a tranquilizer dart and drove the truck. Leon and Jesse ran inference and manned the scanner and Letty also ran interference to keep the truck going their way. Each job netted them about 2 million split 5 ways. Letty wanted to stop. She said they had enough for a lifetime of easy living now. The guys got off on the rush and the money. There was a big one on the horizon and getting Dom to stop before then was just not going to happen.
They drove 3 Honda Civics for the jobs. Dom kept them stashed outside of Thermal. Mia knew he was up to something. She was a smart girl and might even have figured out what by now. She knew about the Civics. Dom was concerned by times she might tell Brian something about it. He liked Brian but he didn't trust him yet. He knew Vince had never told Nyssa anything. The day would come when she would have to know but till her and Vince were officially a couple she didn't need to know.
He was proud of the way his Letty could drive. She was the most daring driver among them for sure. She pulled stunts that the guys wouldn't dream of. Like driving under the trailers of the trucks when she had to.
Vince went to bed and set his alarm. He hoped the alarm didn't wake Nyssa. He was quick at turning it off so it should be ok. He went to sleep. The alarm went off and he turned it off right away. Nyssa made a murmur but she didn't wake up. He slid out of bed and put on the outfit he wore for this. Blue jeans and a black tee shirt with a black mesh tank top over it. His flack jacket and repelling gear were stashed in the civics along with the spear gun. He looked down at Nyssa sleeping in his bed and hoped everything went well with more feeling this time. He didn't want to think of what would happen to her if he never came home.
Would the team still accept her? Would Dom or Leon get to finish teaching her to drive her car? Would she get over him and fall for Leon or Jesse? He didn't want to think about it. He quietly let himself out of the room and the team took off. He hoped to be back in bed by 7am, long before her alarm went off. They drove to their cars and headed after the truck in the darkness. Vince's hand hurt like hell but he didn't want to tell anyone in case they thought he could not do his job.
Nyssa woke up and looked at the clock. It was only 5 am. She had no idea why she was awake. She realized she was all alone in the room. Where the hell was Vince? She always had to go to the bathroom when she woke up or she couldn't go back to sleep. She wandered to the bathroom and on the way she saw that Jesse's door was cracked open. She could swear his bed looked empty but she didn't want to be nosy in case he was in there so she just used the bathroom and headed back to bed. She was sure Vince would have a good reason for being missing at 5am. She fell back asleep quickly and deeply.
When the alarm went off at 7:15am, Vince shut it off like he always did. She was awake this time though; he didn't have to wake her up like he normally did. If it pissed him off to wake up this early every day even though he didn't have to, he never let on to her. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and went and took her morning shower. She came back and just got dressed. She was pretty well beyond caring if Vince watched her or not. She always took clean underwear to the bathroom with her so it was not like he ever saw her naked or anything. She picked out an outfit and started to get ready. When she was ready she sat on the bed beside him.
"You go back to sleep V?" She asked softly.
"Not yet." He said in that deep, gravely, I'm so not awake, morning voice she loved.
"So am I to take it that I am taking your car to school again today?"
"Sure, I'm gonna sleep in today."
"Where were you last night baby?"
"Couldn't sleep so I went for a drive from about 4:30-6:00am. Some times I just can't sleep. But I am tired out now."
"Oh, poor baby. You sleep now and I'll see you this afternoon. Just let me see that hand before I go."
He showed her and there was some blood on the bandage now. She told him that he should have watched TV instead of going for a drive because he opened the cut some. He grunted. She laughed softly at his expressive nature, and kissed his forehead then his hand and stood up. He mumbled good bye and she let herself out.
Dom was sitting at the kitchen table. He could never go back to sleep after a job. No matter what he did. Letty was sleeping like a baby upstairs. Dom asked her where Vince was and she told him he was not feeling well and hadn't slept last night so he was staying in bed for the morning. Dom asked what was wrong. Nyssa told Dom about the cut and told him she hoped it was not infected even though she had washed it well for him and that Dom might want to remind him to use more alcohol if he saw him later. Dom nodded. He asked if Nyssa needed a ride to school. She told him she was taking Vince's car again, Vince told her to and he had the keys to her car to use. Dom nodded again. She said bye and headed out.
Dom liked that she worried about Vince. Lord knew Vince hadn't even mentioned he had cut himself let alone that it was that bad. Dom was glad the job went off without a hitch, since Vince was kind of the most important player. Vince would never admit he was sick or injured. The time he had been hurt as a kid he kept saying it was fine then it turned out he had a broken wrist. He was always the tough guy. Nyssa hit McDonald's for breakfast on her way to school. She almost turned the car around and went back to bed with Vince but she reminded herself less then a month and she was done. Then she had nothing to do all day but drive her car and Dom was going to put her to work part time in the garage as an errant girl and working the desk. Booking appointments and answering the phone. She was cool with that. She hoped Vince was ok with it though. They spent a lot of time together as it was and she didn't know if he would be all that thrilled that he would now be working with her too.
She was listening to the local radio station when the news came on. She figured she was a bit out of touch and turned the news up. The story of the day a daring robbery of a transport truck. It seemed that three Honda Civics had swarmed the driver, knocked him out and hijacked the truck. They took the truck somewhere and unloaded the cargo onto what police assumed was their own truck and when the driver came too he was left with his truck in a strange place with no cargo. It was the fourth such robbery in the last few months and it was the same group of people for sure. Same precision driving and black Civics with green underbody neon kits.
In that second Nyssa knew it was Vince and his team. It had happened last night right in the time Vince claimed he couldn't sleep. Wow, that was crazy. Not that she really cared when she thought about it. She had known Vince was some sort of criminal but nothing like this. But she couldn't let on she knew or Dom might think that Vince had told her and get angry with him and maybe even kick her out. Now she knew why Vince was so worried that Brian was a cop.
She decided to go visit her dad that evening and tell him what happened in reguards to her living situation. As far as he knew she still lived with Ed. She missed him and she figured he should know where his only child was living. Plus she had a few favours to ask him.
She got to school and ran into class. Manda was already there. She sat down just under the late bell. The morning classes seemed to fly by. She and Manda decided to take Vince's car out to lunch. They took two other girls with them and hit the Wendy's that was close to the school. They laughed and talked girl stuff over lunch and the other two girls Marie and Kelly, had to know all about Vince since he had such a nice car and he let Nyssa borrow it. Nyssa said he was awesome and so good looking, and very nice. Manda rolled her eyes.
They got back to school and Nyssa groaned. There was Ed, waiting by the door to the school. She turned to get back in the car and just bounce but she really didn't want to miss school. She asked Manda to stick around as Ed walked up.
"Hello Nyssandre."
"It's Nyssa, you ass, and what do you want."
"I just want to tell you that you can move home if you want. I miss you."
"Sure you do. You just want to try to get your hands on my car."
"That's not true. Where is your car? This is not the car you told me was yours."
"No, it's not. It belongs to my friend Vince. You know him. The guy you were so scared of you nearly shit your pants when he just looked at you. The guy you told the cops was a pimp and a drug dealer, and that he kidnapped you poor underage step daughter."
"Well I was just worried."
"No need Ed. I am happy and safe with Dom and his family."
"I thought the guy was Vince."
"He is. I live with his friend Dom and Dom's sister. And well Dom's girlfriend and Vince and Leon and Jesse. So don't start shit. There are always big guys around to look out for me. And Letty would kick your ass. Plus I am going to see daddy tonight and tell him all about what you did."
"You bitch." Ed made a move to hit her.
"Ah ah ah Ed. I have a witness and I will send Vince after you."
"You win this time but you better watch your back."
Nyssa only laughed.
"That guy is creepy." Manda said.
"You got that right. Let's get to class before we are late again." Nyssa armed the car and they headed in to class.
After school she headed back to Dom's and straight down the stairs to what she was fast thinking of as 'their' room. She found Vince still in bed. She crawled across her side and peered down at him. He looked like he was asleep. She put a hand on his forehead and he felt overly warm. She shook him by the shoulder. "Vince." He didn't respond. "Vince. Baby. Vince sweetie, wake up." He looked up at her and his eyes looked kind of glassy. "You ok baby? You don't look good."
"I don't feel good either Nys. My head hurts and I am so hot."
She peeled the covers off him and he had all his clothes on, shirt, jeans, etc. She asked him how he came to be fully clothed in bed and he told her he tried to get up that afternoon and it just hadn't worked out that way. She peeled the cloths off him and checked his hand. It was definitely infected. Damn. She might have to try to get him dressed again and take him to the hospital. "Well babe, your hand is infected. You need to see a doctor and get put on antibiotics for it."
"No way, no doctors." He barely croaked out.
"Vince, you are burning up, the cut looks awful and you are a total space cadet. You need to go to the hospital."
"No, I hate the hospital. I won't go."
"Yes you will. I am going to try to get your fever down first but if you are still this feverish and out of it in 30 minutes that's it. I get Dom to help me get you to the car then we go."
"No." He said but it came out as a deep moan. He was really out of it and in pain. She shook her head. Stubborn man. He overdid it with the injury then got mad when he got sick. She got a bowl of ice water and a cloth and wiped him down with the cold water. The fever never came down but the chills set in. She knew then that he had to go to the hospital or he was in danger of ending up really sick. She ran upstairs looking for Dom or Leon. She found Dom.
"Dom did you check on Vince at all today?"
"No, I just figured he was tired. Why?"
"Cause he is really sick and we need to take him to the hospital I think. He has a bad fever and I can't get it down and now he has chills. He is hardly coherent and I don't think he can get to the car on his own and I can't move him for sure. I need your help to move him to the car then I will take him to the hospital."
"Come on, I'll come with you."
She was glad for the company. Dom was shocked to see the state Vince was in. He had thought Nyssa was over reacting but she wasn't. Vince was burning up. Dom helped her put a clean tank and jeans on him and they started up to the car. On the way up the stairs Vince was still protesting that he did not want to go. They told him too bad. They took Vince's car cause it still had a full back seat. She got in the back with Vince and Dom drove. He drove at the speed of light but they never saw a cop anywhere.