Author's Note: Just a little note to first thank my reviewers, Angel, Krikett, BlueBrie, Pinky, and anyone else I may have missed. Second, Panama, Edwin, and any of the supporting cast in this part are based on people I actually know. Names were changed but other than that they're the same. Justin and Beth are actually based on my boyfriend and his twin sister, again names were changed to protect the innocent, but the attitudes and beliefs are real.
"From the light to the bank?" Justin asked, making sure the track hadn't changed over the years.
"Of course, how are we gonna do this?" Edwin threw back, as they set up the betting for the night.
"Thousand Dollar buy in a race, any side betting can be done at your discretion," Dom replied, leaning up against the mustang.
"Thousand, hell dude that leaves most of us out," Jay, a local racer complained bitterly.
"I know, this keeps the pros on the road, and you amateurs off. Beth, you're holding for the night," Dom ordered.
"Why do I have to hold?"
"You'll get to race babe, don't worry about that, I just want someone I trust holding the money," Dom informed her, "Plus you've got ties to all of us, so you're less likely to run."
"Who's in for the night?" A random racer asked, throwing down a thousand dollars as if it were nothing.
Beth, Justin, Dom, and Brian all pulled money out of their various cars and threw down, as well as Edwin, and Panama.
"Wait a second, let me do something really quick," A guy none of them knew called out before digging in the glovebox of his car. "I'll throw in my pinks."
"Just who the hell are you?" Beth demanded, a little leery of any new comer to the race scene.
"Greg Vaughn, just moved to Kentucky, I don't have any cash on me, but I'll throw in the pinks to my car," The guy stomped up to the car and threw the papers onto the pile of money.
"Last time we had a guy do that Dom, he almost got us locked up," Jesse warned, from somewhere in back.
"Shut up Jesse, what makes you think you're worthy? And how can you prove you're not a cop?" Dom growled stepping protectively in front of Beth.
"You want to search me?" Greg asked, holding out his arms.
"Justin, pat him down, if there's a wire on him, kick him to the curb. Jesse, check out the car and make sure he's not gonna kill us with it, like Spilner tried to," Dom ordered.
While they were patting down the newcomer, and checking out his car Beth turned to Dom and muttered "I don't trust him Dom, it doesn't matter if he's a narc or not, there's just something odd about him."
"Listen, we let him race you, you take his car, we send it down to Mexico with Justin," Dom smirked, he knew this guy didn't have what it took to be a real racer, for one he left his keys in the ignition, what the hell kind of idiot left the keys in the ignition of his car.
"Dom, he's clean," Justin called, out shoving the other guy away from him.
"His car's not the best thing to roll out of a garage, but it'll do," Jesse pronounced, "Only thing it's got going for it is standalone fuel management."
"Okay, since we're racing for his slips, they go last. I got Edwin, Justin you and Panama, and that leaves Brian with the guy who's name I don't know," Dom was once again in his element king of the streets, his word unquestioned.
"Cool, we'll run first," Brian smirked, pulling the keys to his car out of his pocket.
*** Thirty minutes later after every race was over, and they were all just hanging out in the bank lot celebrating, Greg handed the slips over to Beth.
"I can't believe I lost, I can't believe I lost to a girl," He sputtered.
"Don't feel bad, there's only a handful of people in this lot who haven't lost to her at one time or another," Justin smiled proudly.
"What is she, your fucking girlfriend?" Greg growled, popping his knuckles.
"Oh good god that's just gross, she's my twin sister dude!" Justin looked like he wanted nothing more than to puke his guts up.
"Like he said gross, and I'll follow that with an EWWWWW!" Beth shuddered at the very thought before she felt a welcome weight around her shoulders.
"She might not be his woman, but she is mine you asshole," Dom warned menacingly.
"Well you should teach your woman that her place is in the kitchen," Greg muttered before whipping around to stalk away.
"You try telling this firecracker that," Dom laughed, his voice deceptively jovial as he walked up behind the smaller man, put a hand on his shoulder, swung him around and decked him. "That's for insulting my woman." A shot to the gut followed "that's for insulting a member of my team." Finally he dropped him down to the ground and kicked him a couple of times "And that my friend was for being a true dick head."
"Damn it DOM!" Beth screamed as she grabbed his arm and jerked him towards the cars. "Are you trying to get us arrested?"
"This guy was being an asshole," Dom shrugged as they made their way to the hotel.
"Shit Dom couldn't you have just decked him and been done with it?" Beth shook her head. She was glad Dom cared enough about her to fight for her, but that didn't make her want to see him in jail for it.
"Decking was too good for that asshole," Dom grumbled as he lead the way back to the hotel. "Look at it this way we're up a car. It might take us a couple of decades to get it in decent running order, but an extra car's always a good thing."
"I knew the idiot was gonna lose, I mean who the hell tries to trick out a Neon?" Beth muttered.
"Well if you actually know what you're doing when it comes to cars, then it's not all that hard," Dom explained steering them back towards the hotel. "So how much did we clear tonight?"
"Well Bri won, Justin lost, I won, you won, so 5 large and a new car," Beth ticked off counting out the winnings.
"Not bad for one night, we'll split back at the hotel. You sure you don't wanna go get the kids tonight?" Dom asked as he pulled into traffic.
"No, 'cause we're only gonna be able to hang around for an hour or so before we leave, and you need to get some sleep," Beth sighed as she tucked the money back into her purse.
"What time you want to get started tomorrow?"
"Right at midnight yet again, it's best if we go in late, get the kids while they're asleep and get out. Mom already knows we're coming. We'll leave Brian, Mia, and Jesse back here in order to keep it from looking too suspicious," Beth decided.
"I understand why we're taking Justin, he deserves to see your mother as much as you do. But why are we taking Leon?" Dom was worried, maybe Leon and Beth really had gotten closer when they were driving through Mexico.
"I want him to meet Marli," Beth said simply.
"You want to hook your sister up with a criminal?"
"Why not? Leon's a good guy, besides, she's dating this real asshole right now, kind of Vince with a seriously rotten attitude," Beth explained.
"Since when has Vince had a good attitude?" Dom laughed.
"Okay, let me put it this way, from what Mom told me Scott makes Lance and Johnny Tran look like real sweethearts," Beth spit vehimately, she'd never met Scott White personally, but she knew his type. From what her mother said he ordered her sister around like she was his servant, and what really blew everyone's mind was Marli let him get away with it.
Justin had been wanting to go back to the states and kick his ass for the last three months, but Barbara had begged him not too, pleading that it wasn't worth losing her son over.
"Oh," Dom mumbled before turning his attention back to the road.
"Yeah oh's right Dom. I want this asshole away from my sister and as soon as possible. If I have to drag her ass down to Mexico, then yes that's what I'll do," Beth looked out the window trying to calm herself down. The warm weight of Dom's hand squeezing hers went a long way towards cooling her temper as did his next words.
"If he's that bad, then we'll make sure to take care of it before we leave, even if it sets us back another day."
"Dom, this isn't your fight," Beth sighed. She'd already had to save his ass from one sticky situation tonight, she really didn't feel like doing it a second time.
"It's your fight isn't it?" Beth nodded not quite sure where he was going "Well then it's mine.
"Dom..."
"Don't fight with me about this, it's my fight Beth," Dom ordered as he pulled into the parking lot of the hotel.
"Yeah, sure. Okay, Bri and Mia already checked us all in, we just have to pick the keys up from the desk clerk," Beth informed him giving his hand a last squeeze in thanks, before opening the door.
"Do you trust this guy?"
"Yeah, I used to work with Josiah, he's a friend. He helped us get out of town the last time."
"Hey girlie good to see ya," The geeky looking desk clerk smiled handing them a set of keys.
"Hey Joe, how's life treating you?" Beth asked, well aware that Dom was standing behind her trying not to appear jealous.
"Not too bad, Connie's in-house tonight, right next door to some of your buddies, so if ya plan to party take it somewhere else so I don't get chewed out," Josiah pleaded.
"Joe, this is me you're talking to. Remember Evening with Santa night, when I stayed so the kids could have dinner with Santa? I ended up next door to Arno Flynn? He was in a partying mood and tried to keep the entire third floor up all night?" Beth stopped for a minute to let Josiah catch up to where she was "Only reason I didn't demand a refund that night was because I had to go rescue Justin. I promise no wild parties. You should come on up and have a beer with us after you're done running audit."
"I'll try," Josiah smiled.
"Well that was certainly chummy," Dom hissed as they walked towards the elevator.
"Dude, I worked with him for three years, dated him for maybe a month a long time before I met you. We're still friends," Beth shrugged as the doors closed behind them.
***
"From the light to the bank?" Justin asked, making sure the track hadn't changed over the years.
"Of course, how are we gonna do this?" Edwin threw back, as they set up the betting for the night.
"Thousand Dollar buy in a race, any side betting can be done at your discretion," Dom replied, leaning up against the mustang.
"Thousand, hell dude that leaves most of us out," Jay, a local racer complained bitterly.
"I know, this keeps the pros on the road, and you amateurs off. Beth, you're holding for the night," Dom ordered.
"Why do I have to hold?"
"You'll get to race babe, don't worry about that, I just want someone I trust holding the money," Dom informed her, "Plus you've got ties to all of us, so you're less likely to run."
"Who's in for the night?" A random racer asked, throwing down a thousand dollars as if it were nothing.
Beth, Justin, Dom, and Brian all pulled money out of their various cars and threw down, as well as Edwin, and Panama.
"Wait a second, let me do something really quick," A guy none of them knew called out before digging in the glovebox of his car. "I'll throw in my pinks."
"Just who the hell are you?" Beth demanded, a little leery of any new comer to the race scene.
"Greg Vaughn, just moved to Kentucky, I don't have any cash on me, but I'll throw in the pinks to my car," The guy stomped up to the car and threw the papers onto the pile of money.
"Last time we had a guy do that Dom, he almost got us locked up," Jesse warned, from somewhere in back.
"Shut up Jesse, what makes you think you're worthy? And how can you prove you're not a cop?" Dom growled stepping protectively in front of Beth.
"You want to search me?" Greg asked, holding out his arms.
"Justin, pat him down, if there's a wire on him, kick him to the curb. Jesse, check out the car and make sure he's not gonna kill us with it, like Spilner tried to," Dom ordered.
While they were patting down the newcomer, and checking out his car Beth turned to Dom and muttered "I don't trust him Dom, it doesn't matter if he's a narc or not, there's just something odd about him."
"Listen, we let him race you, you take his car, we send it down to Mexico with Justin," Dom smirked, he knew this guy didn't have what it took to be a real racer, for one he left his keys in the ignition, what the hell kind of idiot left the keys in the ignition of his car.
"Dom, he's clean," Justin called, out shoving the other guy away from him.
"His car's not the best thing to roll out of a garage, but it'll do," Jesse pronounced, "Only thing it's got going for it is standalone fuel management."
"Okay, since we're racing for his slips, they go last. I got Edwin, Justin you and Panama, and that leaves Brian with the guy who's name I don't know," Dom was once again in his element king of the streets, his word unquestioned.
"Cool, we'll run first," Brian smirked, pulling the keys to his car out of his pocket.
*** Thirty minutes later after every race was over, and they were all just hanging out in the bank lot celebrating, Greg handed the slips over to Beth.
"I can't believe I lost, I can't believe I lost to a girl," He sputtered.
"Don't feel bad, there's only a handful of people in this lot who haven't lost to her at one time or another," Justin smiled proudly.
"What is she, your fucking girlfriend?" Greg growled, popping his knuckles.
"Oh good god that's just gross, she's my twin sister dude!" Justin looked like he wanted nothing more than to puke his guts up.
"Like he said gross, and I'll follow that with an EWWWWW!" Beth shuddered at the very thought before she felt a welcome weight around her shoulders.
"She might not be his woman, but she is mine you asshole," Dom warned menacingly.
"Well you should teach your woman that her place is in the kitchen," Greg muttered before whipping around to stalk away.
"You try telling this firecracker that," Dom laughed, his voice deceptively jovial as he walked up behind the smaller man, put a hand on his shoulder, swung him around and decked him. "That's for insulting my woman." A shot to the gut followed "that's for insulting a member of my team." Finally he dropped him down to the ground and kicked him a couple of times "And that my friend was for being a true dick head."
"Damn it DOM!" Beth screamed as she grabbed his arm and jerked him towards the cars. "Are you trying to get us arrested?"
"This guy was being an asshole," Dom shrugged as they made their way to the hotel.
"Shit Dom couldn't you have just decked him and been done with it?" Beth shook her head. She was glad Dom cared enough about her to fight for her, but that didn't make her want to see him in jail for it.
"Decking was too good for that asshole," Dom grumbled as he lead the way back to the hotel. "Look at it this way we're up a car. It might take us a couple of decades to get it in decent running order, but an extra car's always a good thing."
"I knew the idiot was gonna lose, I mean who the hell tries to trick out a Neon?" Beth muttered.
"Well if you actually know what you're doing when it comes to cars, then it's not all that hard," Dom explained steering them back towards the hotel. "So how much did we clear tonight?"
"Well Bri won, Justin lost, I won, you won, so 5 large and a new car," Beth ticked off counting out the winnings.
"Not bad for one night, we'll split back at the hotel. You sure you don't wanna go get the kids tonight?" Dom asked as he pulled into traffic.
"No, 'cause we're only gonna be able to hang around for an hour or so before we leave, and you need to get some sleep," Beth sighed as she tucked the money back into her purse.
"What time you want to get started tomorrow?"
"Right at midnight yet again, it's best if we go in late, get the kids while they're asleep and get out. Mom already knows we're coming. We'll leave Brian, Mia, and Jesse back here in order to keep it from looking too suspicious," Beth decided.
"I understand why we're taking Justin, he deserves to see your mother as much as you do. But why are we taking Leon?" Dom was worried, maybe Leon and Beth really had gotten closer when they were driving through Mexico.
"I want him to meet Marli," Beth said simply.
"You want to hook your sister up with a criminal?"
"Why not? Leon's a good guy, besides, she's dating this real asshole right now, kind of Vince with a seriously rotten attitude," Beth explained.
"Since when has Vince had a good attitude?" Dom laughed.
"Okay, let me put it this way, from what Mom told me Scott makes Lance and Johnny Tran look like real sweethearts," Beth spit vehimately, she'd never met Scott White personally, but she knew his type. From what her mother said he ordered her sister around like she was his servant, and what really blew everyone's mind was Marli let him get away with it.
Justin had been wanting to go back to the states and kick his ass for the last three months, but Barbara had begged him not too, pleading that it wasn't worth losing her son over.
"Oh," Dom mumbled before turning his attention back to the road.
"Yeah oh's right Dom. I want this asshole away from my sister and as soon as possible. If I have to drag her ass down to Mexico, then yes that's what I'll do," Beth looked out the window trying to calm herself down. The warm weight of Dom's hand squeezing hers went a long way towards cooling her temper as did his next words.
"If he's that bad, then we'll make sure to take care of it before we leave, even if it sets us back another day."
"Dom, this isn't your fight," Beth sighed. She'd already had to save his ass from one sticky situation tonight, she really didn't feel like doing it a second time.
"It's your fight isn't it?" Beth nodded not quite sure where he was going "Well then it's mine.
"Dom..."
"Don't fight with me about this, it's my fight Beth," Dom ordered as he pulled into the parking lot of the hotel.
"Yeah, sure. Okay, Bri and Mia already checked us all in, we just have to pick the keys up from the desk clerk," Beth informed him giving his hand a last squeeze in thanks, before opening the door.
"Do you trust this guy?"
"Yeah, I used to work with Josiah, he's a friend. He helped us get out of town the last time."
"Hey girlie good to see ya," The geeky looking desk clerk smiled handing them a set of keys.
"Hey Joe, how's life treating you?" Beth asked, well aware that Dom was standing behind her trying not to appear jealous.
"Not too bad, Connie's in-house tonight, right next door to some of your buddies, so if ya plan to party take it somewhere else so I don't get chewed out," Josiah pleaded.
"Joe, this is me you're talking to. Remember Evening with Santa night, when I stayed so the kids could have dinner with Santa? I ended up next door to Arno Flynn? He was in a partying mood and tried to keep the entire third floor up all night?" Beth stopped for a minute to let Josiah catch up to where she was "Only reason I didn't demand a refund that night was because I had to go rescue Justin. I promise no wild parties. You should come on up and have a beer with us after you're done running audit."
"I'll try," Josiah smiled.
"Well that was certainly chummy," Dom hissed as they walked towards the elevator.
"Dude, I worked with him for three years, dated him for maybe a month a long time before I met you. We're still friends," Beth shrugged as the doors closed behind them.
***