Chapter 42 - Racing to prove he's still got it
Dom lined it up and Torrie stood up gracefully from the car after she'd leaned over and gave him a kiss that hinted at a very good reason he had to come back to her quickly. Torrie went to stand between Letty and Mia. Mia was just as worried as Torrie. Letty'd seen Dom race so many times she just figured he'd win like he always did. She didn't think that Tran would dare try anything again. Torrie looked for Vince. She knew Leon was off somewhere along the route listening to the police frequencies.
Leon squealed to a stop, blocking a side street that let onto Hawthorn. A pizza delivery car squealed to a stop to avoid hitting him.
"Not you again, what's goin' on here?" The irate driver asked.
"Street's still closed Pizzaboy, you still need ta find another way home." Leon waved him off.
"God Damn street racers." The man squealed off.
"V?"
"Yeah Torrie?"
"Go wait for Dominic at the finish? Please? I'll feel better if one of you guys is near the end of this race."
"Good idea Princess. I'll go wait for him there." Vince headed for the Maxima.
"Thanks V. You're the best." Torrie called after him.
"I told you before I'd do anything for you girl. I meant it. Plus it was a good idea. Just in case." Vince punched his own open palm to show what he meant then squealed off in his car.
"I still can't believe Dom let's you two get off talking to each other like that." Letty said, shaking her head. "He'da killed me if I was that familiar with another guy, even if it was just Vince."
"Yeah, well you heard what happened. Vince was stable in my life long before Dom was. I mean, why did Dom and Vince stay such good friends do ya think?" Torrie answered her own question. "Cause Vince is a stable influence. He's crazy, but he's always crazy. And loyal."
"I guess." Letty answered. "But Dom's jealous of you two too you know. I saw it on his face as you walked over with Vince's arm around you."
"I know." Torrie answered her. "I could tell when he grabbed me in front of Edwin. He wanted to make his claim. But if Vince ever gets a girlfriend she'll be the same way. I wouldn't want anyone all over Dom, no matter how long they'd just been friends. I mean, it'd be different with you. Of course I wouldn't want to see you hangin' on him, you use to be wit' him. I've never been wit Vince. He's always just been a friend. But any girl he dates isn't gonna see it that way."
"No kidden'." Mia broke in.
Hector raised his arms. Leon had just informed him of a homicide. With a flick of his arms Hector had them barrelling into a speed frenzy.
Dom popped his clutch and his car took off with a squeal. He checked the reverse glow gages and everything was within specs. He hit 7500rpm and hit second. He was off to an early lead, Hectors cousin was nowhere to be seen. He figured that Rome was in his blind spot since he couldn't see the man anywhere else and in that Spyder with that horrid paint job he should be easy to see. He could see Tran out his driver side window but the other man was keeping his distance. Dom shifted again at 7500 into third. He could see Rome now, this was the best race he'd had to run in awhile. Brian's boy wasn't half bad, even if he did drive the gayest Spyder Dom had ever seen.
Tran glanced at Dom with such hatred had anyone seen it they would have felt scared. He was pacing Dom pretty well. He was going to put Toretto in his place and take over as the ruler of the streets. If it wasn't for Torreto Johnny would have that title now. Not this Italian bastard Torreto.
Rome hit third and looked at the flying RX-8 beside him. Damn Dom was fast, Brian wasn't kidding. Dom had too much talent to be wasting it here in the streets. Rome didn't kid himself. Most people that street raced did it for a hobby or cause they simply got off on the thrill. This Dom guy did it cause he was good at it and cause it was in his blood like Brian said. Didn't mean Rome couldn't try to kick his ass but apparently Dom hadn't lost his edge when he fell in love with his girl. He was still fast as wind. It was like he wasn't driving too fast, Dom was flying low.
Dom hit fourth, Tran and Rome were still with him. They were gonna make him work for it. Good. He'd waited a long time for this race. He watched as Rome got ahead of him with his first NOS charge. "You're good but novice homeboy, you did that too early." Dom laughed as he gave his new baby more gas and felt her growl and run it harder, felt the turbo spool up and his car shot forward. Tran used his NOS and caught Rome. Dom gave his engine another second to peak and hit his NOS. He flew ahead of the two other men and over the line.
He laughed and turned his car around. He drove back to his team and collected his money. Tran walked up to them.
"Torreto. You're gonna pay for what you did to my brother."
"I didn't do anything to your brother he didn't have comin' Rickey. He tried to kill Jesse and Brian, lead him on a chase through town sprayin' bullits, coulda killed any number of innocent people. But Johnny didn't give a fuck. He was just an asshole. And Brian only did what he had to do."
"My brother was a faster racer then you, that's why he'd dead. You knew he'd beat you some day and you couldn't handle it." Ricky shouted at Dom.
"I said this to Johnny and I'ma say it to you. We're not on your block right now. We're on mine and you better watch who you talk to like that."
"I'm talking to the coward who killed my brother." Ricky was in a frenzy of anger. Torrie was scared he was going to come at Dom, or say something that drove Dom over the edge to the point where he couldn't not hit Ricky. Dom's temper was still legendary.
"I didn't kill Johnny. Look, I'm sorry he's dead ok, I would rather he just went to jail and got to be somebody's bitch for 20 years for tryin' to kill Jesse, but he's dead. I can't undo dead, and I didn't pull the fuckin' trigger ok. Damn."
"I'm going to avenge my brother Torreto, so watch your back." With that Ricky Tran stalked away and tore off in his car.
"You believe this guy?" Dom asked the crowd with that famous Torreto grin.
"Naw Dom."
"Who's he think he is?"
Came the chorus of answers. The crowd would have been all over Ricky if he'd tried anything.
"Party at my house!" Dom shouted and there was a resounding hell yeah from the crowd.
Dom lined it up and Torrie stood up gracefully from the car after she'd leaned over and gave him a kiss that hinted at a very good reason he had to come back to her quickly. Torrie went to stand between Letty and Mia. Mia was just as worried as Torrie. Letty'd seen Dom race so many times she just figured he'd win like he always did. She didn't think that Tran would dare try anything again. Torrie looked for Vince. She knew Leon was off somewhere along the route listening to the police frequencies.
Leon squealed to a stop, blocking a side street that let onto Hawthorn. A pizza delivery car squealed to a stop to avoid hitting him.
"Not you again, what's goin' on here?" The irate driver asked.
"Street's still closed Pizzaboy, you still need ta find another way home." Leon waved him off.
"God Damn street racers." The man squealed off.
"V?"
"Yeah Torrie?"
"Go wait for Dominic at the finish? Please? I'll feel better if one of you guys is near the end of this race."
"Good idea Princess. I'll go wait for him there." Vince headed for the Maxima.
"Thanks V. You're the best." Torrie called after him.
"I told you before I'd do anything for you girl. I meant it. Plus it was a good idea. Just in case." Vince punched his own open palm to show what he meant then squealed off in his car.
"I still can't believe Dom let's you two get off talking to each other like that." Letty said, shaking her head. "He'da killed me if I was that familiar with another guy, even if it was just Vince."
"Yeah, well you heard what happened. Vince was stable in my life long before Dom was. I mean, why did Dom and Vince stay such good friends do ya think?" Torrie answered her own question. "Cause Vince is a stable influence. He's crazy, but he's always crazy. And loyal."
"I guess." Letty answered. "But Dom's jealous of you two too you know. I saw it on his face as you walked over with Vince's arm around you."
"I know." Torrie answered her. "I could tell when he grabbed me in front of Edwin. He wanted to make his claim. But if Vince ever gets a girlfriend she'll be the same way. I wouldn't want anyone all over Dom, no matter how long they'd just been friends. I mean, it'd be different with you. Of course I wouldn't want to see you hangin' on him, you use to be wit' him. I've never been wit Vince. He's always just been a friend. But any girl he dates isn't gonna see it that way."
"No kidden'." Mia broke in.
Hector raised his arms. Leon had just informed him of a homicide. With a flick of his arms Hector had them barrelling into a speed frenzy.
Dom popped his clutch and his car took off with a squeal. He checked the reverse glow gages and everything was within specs. He hit 7500rpm and hit second. He was off to an early lead, Hectors cousin was nowhere to be seen. He figured that Rome was in his blind spot since he couldn't see the man anywhere else and in that Spyder with that horrid paint job he should be easy to see. He could see Tran out his driver side window but the other man was keeping his distance. Dom shifted again at 7500 into third. He could see Rome now, this was the best race he'd had to run in awhile. Brian's boy wasn't half bad, even if he did drive the gayest Spyder Dom had ever seen.
Tran glanced at Dom with such hatred had anyone seen it they would have felt scared. He was pacing Dom pretty well. He was going to put Toretto in his place and take over as the ruler of the streets. If it wasn't for Torreto Johnny would have that title now. Not this Italian bastard Torreto.
Rome hit third and looked at the flying RX-8 beside him. Damn Dom was fast, Brian wasn't kidding. Dom had too much talent to be wasting it here in the streets. Rome didn't kid himself. Most people that street raced did it for a hobby or cause they simply got off on the thrill. This Dom guy did it cause he was good at it and cause it was in his blood like Brian said. Didn't mean Rome couldn't try to kick his ass but apparently Dom hadn't lost his edge when he fell in love with his girl. He was still fast as wind. It was like he wasn't driving too fast, Dom was flying low.
Dom hit fourth, Tran and Rome were still with him. They were gonna make him work for it. Good. He'd waited a long time for this race. He watched as Rome got ahead of him with his first NOS charge. "You're good but novice homeboy, you did that too early." Dom laughed as he gave his new baby more gas and felt her growl and run it harder, felt the turbo spool up and his car shot forward. Tran used his NOS and caught Rome. Dom gave his engine another second to peak and hit his NOS. He flew ahead of the two other men and over the line.
He laughed and turned his car around. He drove back to his team and collected his money. Tran walked up to them.
"Torreto. You're gonna pay for what you did to my brother."
"I didn't do anything to your brother he didn't have comin' Rickey. He tried to kill Jesse and Brian, lead him on a chase through town sprayin' bullits, coulda killed any number of innocent people. But Johnny didn't give a fuck. He was just an asshole. And Brian only did what he had to do."
"My brother was a faster racer then you, that's why he'd dead. You knew he'd beat you some day and you couldn't handle it." Ricky shouted at Dom.
"I said this to Johnny and I'ma say it to you. We're not on your block right now. We're on mine and you better watch who you talk to like that."
"I'm talking to the coward who killed my brother." Ricky was in a frenzy of anger. Torrie was scared he was going to come at Dom, or say something that drove Dom over the edge to the point where he couldn't not hit Ricky. Dom's temper was still legendary.
"I didn't kill Johnny. Look, I'm sorry he's dead ok, I would rather he just went to jail and got to be somebody's bitch for 20 years for tryin' to kill Jesse, but he's dead. I can't undo dead, and I didn't pull the fuckin' trigger ok. Damn."
"I'm going to avenge my brother Torreto, so watch your back." With that Ricky Tran stalked away and tore off in his car.
"You believe this guy?" Dom asked the crowd with that famous Torreto grin.
"Naw Dom."
"Who's he think he is?"
Came the chorus of answers. The crowd would have been all over Ricky if he'd tried anything.
"Party at my house!" Dom shouted and there was a resounding hell yeah from the crowd.