Chapter 9
Bella's POV
Leon pulls into the driveway and I jump out of the car before he can shut off the motor. Dom is fast on my heels, but I am too fast for him. I dart up the stairs and slam the bathroom door in his face. He is outside the door threatening to break it down if I don't open it right this second. I ignore him and turn the shower on. My clothes are left in a pile on the floor as I step into the hot steaming water. His voice is drowned out. The heat awakens my senses. I am thinking much clearer now. My hand reaches for the knob and turns off the water. Wrapping a towel around my body, I step out of the shower and head for the door. The hallway is empty. I make for my old bedroom to get dressed.
Vince is sitting in the dining room when I come downstairs. He looks up at me as I enter the room. "Good morning," he says with a smile.
"Good morning, V. Would you like some breakfast?"
"Yeah. You know me I love to eat. Things didn't go so well in Mexico, huh?"
"No not so well. Dom exploded like he always does. He is such an asshole. Oh well enough about him." I move into the kitchen and open the fridge. "How about omelettes?"
Vince follows me into the kitchen and leans up against the door, "With peppers, onions, and cheese. Oh and those hash browns that I love." He has the cheesiest grin on his face. It takes everything I have not to break into laughter.
"Anything for you Vince." I walk over and put my arms around his neck and kiss him gently on his cheek. "I can always count on you V to cheer me up."
I try to teach him how to cook and he is doing a terrible job, so I send him into the dining room to set the table so she can fix the mess. Mia and Brian are coming into the living room. Aria is in Brian's arms. She is calling for me. I take her from Brian and place sweet kisses all over her face. I place Aria into her highchair between Vince and Leon. "How is my favorite niece?" Leon says as he tickles her belly. She giggles loudly. Leon has been a big help with her since I came back. I don't know what I would do without him. I return to the kitchen to start cooking.
Everyone is sitting around the table eating and talking about their plans for the day, but the mood of the room changes when Dom and Letty enter the room. I get up from the table and head for the kitchen gathering some of the dishes to be cleaned. Mia offers to help but I wave her off. I catch Dom's disapproving glare as I leave the room.
The phone begins to ring as I place the dishes into the strainer. "Hello."
"Hello Beautiful."
"Jesse, hey baby, how are you feeling?"
"Great now that I have heard your voice. How did last night go?"
"Terrible, he is being a complete dick." I say loud enough for everyone to hear.
"That good huh? Is he going to kill me?"
"He would have to go through me first."
"Well I have some news for you. They are releasing me today."
"Today? When?" I hope that he doesn't hear the hesitation in my voice.
"As soon as you can get here. I will need some clothes. The ones I wore in here were cut to shreds."
"I am on my way."
"Yessss. I can't wait to be home with you. I love you."
"Love you too baby. Bye." I hang up the phone and try to calm my heart, which is beating so rapidly I feel like I am going to pass out. As if the tension in the house wasn't bad enough, Jesse and Dom will be face to face in a couple of hours from now. Damn it. What in the hell am I going to do now? "Leon can you come here please?"
He runs into the kitchen, "Whatever it is I didn't do it."
I shake my head and roll my eyes, "Are you guilty or what? No that was Jesse on the phone and they are releasing him."
"Now? Today?"
"Yeah great timing don't you think? I did anticipate this happening. I rented an apartment a few blocks away for Jesse and me. We'll go there straight from the hospital."
Leon is shaking his head, "No. If you and Jesse go, I go. Don't even think about arguing with me about it. There's no way you can take care of both Aria and Jesse. Besides how will you make money?"
"The same way I have been making it lately. Leon, I have been racing at night after everyone goes to bed. Vince's new girlfriend has been keeping an eye on the Aria while I go out to the races."
"Racing, you have been racing. It's too dangerous to race alone. Why didn't you ask for help? What car have you been using?"
"The rx-7. I didn't tell you guys because I was afraid that if I told everyone that I was racing you would try to stop me."
"You drove Dom's car."
"The first night I pulled up, the racers thought it was Dom coming back. You should have seen the looks on Hector and Edwin's face. It was priceless. I beat them both easily and walked away with $8,000. Some nights I would race the big boys and other time I would race some newcomer for a few hundred."
"How long have you been racing?"
"A couple of weeks. I have a small fortune saved up."
"Jess will not be happy if he finds out."
"Well he is not going to find out." I look directly into his eyes. "Leon, promise me that you will not tell anyone. Besides I can't race anymore, I have no car."
"I promise I won't tell if you promise not to race again without the team."
"I promise. Now can we go get Jesse?" Leon nods his head and goes to get Aria while I go get Jesse's clothes.
Bella's POV
Leon pulls into the driveway and I jump out of the car before he can shut off the motor. Dom is fast on my heels, but I am too fast for him. I dart up the stairs and slam the bathroom door in his face. He is outside the door threatening to break it down if I don't open it right this second. I ignore him and turn the shower on. My clothes are left in a pile on the floor as I step into the hot steaming water. His voice is drowned out. The heat awakens my senses. I am thinking much clearer now. My hand reaches for the knob and turns off the water. Wrapping a towel around my body, I step out of the shower and head for the door. The hallway is empty. I make for my old bedroom to get dressed.
Vince is sitting in the dining room when I come downstairs. He looks up at me as I enter the room. "Good morning," he says with a smile.
"Good morning, V. Would you like some breakfast?"
"Yeah. You know me I love to eat. Things didn't go so well in Mexico, huh?"
"No not so well. Dom exploded like he always does. He is such an asshole. Oh well enough about him." I move into the kitchen and open the fridge. "How about omelettes?"
Vince follows me into the kitchen and leans up against the door, "With peppers, onions, and cheese. Oh and those hash browns that I love." He has the cheesiest grin on his face. It takes everything I have not to break into laughter.
"Anything for you Vince." I walk over and put my arms around his neck and kiss him gently on his cheek. "I can always count on you V to cheer me up."
I try to teach him how to cook and he is doing a terrible job, so I send him into the dining room to set the table so she can fix the mess. Mia and Brian are coming into the living room. Aria is in Brian's arms. She is calling for me. I take her from Brian and place sweet kisses all over her face. I place Aria into her highchair between Vince and Leon. "How is my favorite niece?" Leon says as he tickles her belly. She giggles loudly. Leon has been a big help with her since I came back. I don't know what I would do without him. I return to the kitchen to start cooking.
Everyone is sitting around the table eating and talking about their plans for the day, but the mood of the room changes when Dom and Letty enter the room. I get up from the table and head for the kitchen gathering some of the dishes to be cleaned. Mia offers to help but I wave her off. I catch Dom's disapproving glare as I leave the room.
The phone begins to ring as I place the dishes into the strainer. "Hello."
"Hello Beautiful."
"Jesse, hey baby, how are you feeling?"
"Great now that I have heard your voice. How did last night go?"
"Terrible, he is being a complete dick." I say loud enough for everyone to hear.
"That good huh? Is he going to kill me?"
"He would have to go through me first."
"Well I have some news for you. They are releasing me today."
"Today? When?" I hope that he doesn't hear the hesitation in my voice.
"As soon as you can get here. I will need some clothes. The ones I wore in here were cut to shreds."
"I am on my way."
"Yessss. I can't wait to be home with you. I love you."
"Love you too baby. Bye." I hang up the phone and try to calm my heart, which is beating so rapidly I feel like I am going to pass out. As if the tension in the house wasn't bad enough, Jesse and Dom will be face to face in a couple of hours from now. Damn it. What in the hell am I going to do now? "Leon can you come here please?"
He runs into the kitchen, "Whatever it is I didn't do it."
I shake my head and roll my eyes, "Are you guilty or what? No that was Jesse on the phone and they are releasing him."
"Now? Today?"
"Yeah great timing don't you think? I did anticipate this happening. I rented an apartment a few blocks away for Jesse and me. We'll go there straight from the hospital."
Leon is shaking his head, "No. If you and Jesse go, I go. Don't even think about arguing with me about it. There's no way you can take care of both Aria and Jesse. Besides how will you make money?"
"The same way I have been making it lately. Leon, I have been racing at night after everyone goes to bed. Vince's new girlfriend has been keeping an eye on the Aria while I go out to the races."
"Racing, you have been racing. It's too dangerous to race alone. Why didn't you ask for help? What car have you been using?"
"The rx-7. I didn't tell you guys because I was afraid that if I told everyone that I was racing you would try to stop me."
"You drove Dom's car."
"The first night I pulled up, the racers thought it was Dom coming back. You should have seen the looks on Hector and Edwin's face. It was priceless. I beat them both easily and walked away with $8,000. Some nights I would race the big boys and other time I would race some newcomer for a few hundred."
"How long have you been racing?"
"A couple of weeks. I have a small fortune saved up."
"Jess will not be happy if he finds out."
"Well he is not going to find out." I look directly into his eyes. "Leon, promise me that you will not tell anyone. Besides I can't race anymore, I have no car."
"I promise I won't tell if you promise not to race again without the team."
"I promise. Now can we go get Jesse?" Leon nods his head and goes to get Aria while I go get Jesse's clothes.