The Fast and the Furious: Redline
Chapter Six
Oh God
Taylor snapped out of her mini-day dream and watched as Jesse popped the hood to Brian's Eclipse.
"I see a cool-air intake. It's got a NOS-fogger system and a T-Four turbo, Dominic. I see an AIC controller. It has direct port injection…"
"Yeah, and a stand-alone fuel management system," Dominic said, interrupting Jesse. "Not a bad way to spend ten thousand dollars."
"You see that shit?" Edwin exclaimed. "He's got enough NOS in there to blow himself up, period."
"Yeah," Dom replied.
"So, what do you say?" Brian asked. His excitement was evident through the way he moved. "Am I worthy?"
"We don't know yet," Dom said with a smile. "But you're in. Let's go."
The crowd cheered before dispersing to their cars.
"You wanna watch the race or go with me?" Leon whispered into Taylor's ear as they headed back to the Skyline.
"I'll go with you," she replied without missing a beat.
"You sure?" he asked. "You could ride over with V."
"I'm fine," Taylor said with a smile. "Besides I have a feeling Dom's already won."
Leon laughed as they continued toward his car. They climbed into it and a comfortable silence filled the car as they headed over to Hawthorne Street. Leon parked his car to where he was blocking off part of the intersection. Taylor nudged him softly as she saw another car approaching them.
"What the hell's goin' on around here?" a pizza guy asked as he could partially out of his car.
"Street's closed, pizza boy. Find another way home," Leon replied, motioning for the pizza boy to get back on his way.
"Damn street racers," pizza boy said before he climbed back into his car and drove off.
A small giggle emitted from Taylor as Leon began to pay attention to the police scanner.
"What?" he asked.
Taylor shook her head and peered out the passenger's side window. People all around her were exiting their cars and heading toward the sides of the street. There was a feeling of excitement in the air. Taylor didn't quite understand it. Why would people get excited if they already knew who was going to win? Maybe it was the thought that Dom was king for one more day. Oh how she wished that she could be at the race in which he was finally dethroned. What a sight that would be.
"Log on 22, code three. Tension is high. They've blocked the streets." The sound of the police scanner filled the car and Taylor turned her body to where she was facing Leon. She studied his features as he turned the volume up on the scanner. There was a sense of seriousness on his features that she found incredibly attractive.
"You sure you don't want to watch?" Leon asked.
Taylor smiled and ran a hand through her hair. "Leon, I'm fine."
"Okay," he replied as he put a hand on her knee.
Chills ran up and down her spine, but Leon didn't seem to notice. The police scanner was speaking once again.
"…in a public place. We had a reported homicide, 187, at Barbarian Liquors."
Leon reached for the walkie-talkie that sat in between the driver and passenger's seat. He pressed the button down and began to talk into it.
"I've got a 187 in Glendale. Cops are all over it, man. We're good to roll."
"All right," a man replied.
"Let's race!" Leon said before putting the walkie-talkie down.
The Skyline was parked pretty close to the finish line so Taylor kept her eyes on the road. The sound of cars firing up filled the air. Taylor drummed her fingers on the passenger's side door and she watched everyone on the side of the street. Never before had she seen such a mixture of people. The sound of the cars seemed to get closer and closer until finally four cars whizzed past the Skyline. Dom's RX-7 ran across the finish line with Brian's Eclipse close behind it.
"Damn that was close," Leon remarked. There was a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Yeah it was," she replied. Taylor sat back in her seat and turned toward Leon. "So let me get this straight. Letty and Dom are a couple?"
"Right."
"V likes Mia, but she doesn't like him."
"Correct."
"What about you?" Taylor asked with a smile lugging at her lips.
Leon opened his mouth to respond but his police scanner began to blare.
"All available units, we have reported street racing along Hawthorne…"
Leon dove for the walkie-talkie and screamed into it, "Oh, shit! We got cops, cops, cops! Go!"
The crowd immediately began to thin out. It was as if someone had disturbed a flock of pigeons in Central Park. Leon started up his car and began to pull out.
"This happen every time?" Taylor asked as she pulled her harness across her.
Leon smiled and accelerated down a small alleyway. "You just happen to come on a good day…"
Taylor laughed and shifted in her seat. The thought that the car was going at a higher speed that she would normally go in hers, made her a little uncomfortable, but she hoped it didn't show.
"I seem to be doing that a lot," she replied as she watched the buildings whiz by.
By the time Leon and Taylor arrived at the fort, the party was just starting. Cars lined both sides of the street and the driveway was completely full.
"I have to use the restroom," Taylor stated as they climbed out of the car. Leon chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist. They walked up to the house slowly. Once they entered the house, music assaulted their ears. Leon leaned in and said to Taylor, "It's upstairs. First door on the right."
"Okay," Taylor said as she began to walk up the stairs.
As she neared the top of the stairs she saw that there was a long line to the bathroom. Several guys and girls were line up against the wall doing the "bathroom dance." Taylor shook her head and headed back down stairs. There was no way she was going to wait. She could hold it. The second Taylor walked into the living room, she wished that she hadn't. Leon was sitting in a chair with a beer in one hand and a skank placed happily upon his lap. Before he could see her, Taylor bolted back upstairs. The door to the bathroom was open and someone was about to head into, but Taylor cut in front of them.
"Hey!" the girl behind her screamed as the door was slammed into her face.
"Go piss somewhere else," Taylor mumbled as she turned the lock.
As she placed her hands on either side of the sink, she looked up at the mirror. Her brown hair hung down in her face and the area around her eyes were beginning to turn red.
How could I be so stupid? she asked herself silently.
She should have known getting involved with a racer would be trouble, but her heart wouldn't listen. Her brain on the other hand was laughing at her now.
Two failed relationships within a week. Grrreeeeaaatttt…
Taylor turned the water on and held her hands underneath the water coming from the spout. A sad sigh escaped her lips as she bent her head slightly and splashed some water onto her face. When she realized that horrible feeling in her stomach wouldn't go away, no matter how many times she splashed water on her face, she dried her face off and walked over to the door. Her hand shakily turned the lock and she opened the door. Taylor squeaked as she ran smack into the chest of Brian.
"Whoa," Brian said, backing up so as to stabilize Taylor.
"Sorry," she mumbled before attempting to brush past him.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, bending his head to get a better look at her face.
"Yeah, I'm cool," she said with a forced smile, but Brian saw straight through it.
"I'm Brian," he said as he extended a hand.
"I know I was there when…" Taylor replied as she shook his hand.
"Oh you were," he said, his face turning a little red with embarrassment.
"Yeah. I'm Taylor by the way."
A silence developed over the two of them. Tears attacked the edges of Taylor's eyes and she tried her best not cry.
"What's wrong?" Brian asked.
A small part of Brian thought that Taylor was Leon's girl, but he remembered the girl in Leon's lap. Confusion overwhelmed his brain, so he merely shook it and waited for her answer.
"I was just stupid, that's all," Taylor replied.
Everything clicked in Brian's head. Taylor was Leon's girl. Was being the key word.
"I'm sorry," he replied. "But it does seem as though Leon was the stupid one, not you."
Taylor wiped at the tears that were running down her cheeks. She was slightly embarrassed at the thought of her crying in front of a complete stranger.
"Thanks," she whispered with a forced smile.
"You're welcome. Look, I hate to do this, but I gotta get back downstairs, but if you need anything, just come get me."
"All right."
Brian nodded and walked downstairs.
I've got to get home, Taylor thought. But that means I have to go downstairs…
Taylor took a deep breath and started to walk down the stairs. Dom and Letty were heading up to stairs toward their room.
"Hey Taylor," Dom called out to her as she walked past them.
Taylor halfway waved before descending down the rest of the stairs.
"Oh, would you cut this shit already? Come on!" Mia screamed as Taylor reached the base of the stairs. She watched the scene unfold in front of her. Mia ran up to Vince, who was standing in front of Brian, and pushed him out the way before taking her place next to Brian.
"Come on. Let's go get a drink," Mia said to Brian.
"Aw, come on, Mia," Leon said. "We were just about to get along."
"Yeah," Jesse replied hoping to get back on Mia's good side.
Taylor slipped past the stairs and started to head toward the kitchen, but was intercepted by Leon.
"Hey Taylor," he said attempting to wrap his hands around her waist.
She shrugged out of his grasp and continued walking toward the kitchen.
"What the hell?" Leon said, mystified.
Vince silently pointed over to the skank who had been on Leon's lap earlier.
"You don't think she…" Leon started to say.
Vince nodded in reply. Leon ran a hand through his hair as he walked toward the kitchen. When he didn't find Taylor, he walked outside, where he found Taylor sitting on top of the picnic table, sipping a beer. Sheepishly, Leon walked up to her.
"I'm sorry," he said, hoping that she would take his apology.
"Not good enough," she said before taking another sip of the Corona.
Leon sat on the table next to her and looked at her side profile.
"Aw, come on, Taylor. What else do you want me to say?" he asked, a bit baffled at her response.
Taylor turned her head and glared at Leon. She was highly pissed and her heart was aching. So badly had she wanted Leon to be the guy that would treat her right. But oh how wrong she was. The ache in her heart now was worse than the ache in her heart when Jarrett had left her.
"I don't know. I really don't," she said softly. "I was gone for five minutes. Five minutes, Leon. And yet that small amount of time was enough time for you to forget all about me and attached yourself to some blonde bimbo."
"That was harsh," was all the Leon could think to say in return.
"But it's the truth," Taylor whispered. "I told you, Leon. My heart's been broken once. I can't have it broken a second time. And what you don't seem to understand is that you were wrong. I was your date. I was the one who was supposed to be in your lap, not her. But you don't seem to grasp that concept. I think you have gone too long just screwing whoever that you've forgotten how to stay loyal. That's something that you need to work on, and until then…well, let's just see if you can get your issue worked out first."
"Taylor…"
"Leon, just go. Please," she said as she placed her head in her hands.
Leon growled and got off the table, knocking the chair in front of him over in the process. Taylor sighed before taking another sip from her beer. As Leon walked into the house, Vince walked out. Taylor sat her beer down on the table and put her head in her hands. She looked up when Vince knocked her beer over.
"I was gonna drink that," she said as she picked it up, thankful that none had spilt on her.
Vince jumped slightly. "Didn't see you there," he mumbled as an excuse.
"S'okay. What's wrong?"
Vince sat down in the chair that was closest to Taylor.
"The punk, that's all."
"Why don't you like him?" she asked.
"Cause he likes Mia," he confessed.
Taylor giggled slightly, but stopped when she saw Vince glaring over at her.
"Do you realize how childish you sound? You sound like a third grader arguing over a crayon. You and Brian are the third graders and Mia is the crayon. Doesn't that make you feel kind of stupid?"
Vince shrugged his shoulders.
"It's not just that. I don't trust him."
They sat in silence for a moment or two before Taylor spoke.
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes…no…I don't know."
Taylor smiled and laid a hand on Vince's shoulder. "You just don't trust people quickly, that's all. Give Brian a week or two. Everything will blow over, you'll see."
"I hope so," Vince replied, sounding very sincere. So sincere that it slightly shocked Taylor. "Why are you out here?"
Taylor sighed before answering. "I trusted someone that I shouldn't have?"
"Leon?"
"Yep."
"Is that why he stormed in?"
"Yeah."
Vince laughed whole-heartedly and Taylor gave him a questioning look.
"Leon's the calm one of the team," he explained. "It takes a lot to get him riled up, ya know?"
Taylor smiled slightly.
"I think he likes you."
"Really?" she asked.
"Yeah, he wouldn't have gotten so pissed off if he didn't."
"I hope you're right, V," Taylor replied. She really hoped that things between her and Leon would work about, but then again there was that nagging reminder of Leon's sense of loyalty. His loyalty for the team was unbreakable. His loyalty for a girl? A girl that he liked? Well, that loyalty seemed as if it had a little leeway.
"I hope I am too," Vince said, placing his hand on hers.
"You've got a lot of scars on your knuckles," she commented, taking his hand in hers and examining his knuckles. "How'd you get them?" Taylor was truly intrigued.
"I got into a huge ass fight at a bar. I ended up winnin', but I almost killed one of the guys. I then was arrested and sentenced to a year at Lompoc."
"When was this?" she asked, letting go of Vince's hand.
"'Bout a year ago," Vince replied.
Taylor scooted back on the picnic table and sighed. "You know Vince, you don't trust people enough and I trust people too easily. I think we would make a fine couple," she said jokingly.
"Nah, I can't do that."
"And why not?" she asked with a smile.
"Leon would kill me for takin' his girl."
"Oh…"
Silence floated over them. They both sat there listening to the music from the house.
"I think I need another beer," Taylor said with a heavy sigh. She stood up from the picnic table and stood next to Vince, who was also standing up from his seat.
"Me too. After we get one, I'll drive ya home," Vince offered.
"Nah, that's okay. I'll take a cab."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, V. I'm sure, but thanks anyways."
"No prob," Vince replied as they walked into the kitchen.
Taylor opened the door to the fridge door and leaned in to get two beers. When she had them in her hands, she heard someone enter the kitchen. She peeked over the fridge door and found a pair of green eyes staring at her.
"I'm sorry."
"Hey, V, could you call me a cab?" Taylor asked, looking around Leon.
"Sure," Vince replied.
"Don't," Leon stated. "I'll take her."
Taylor sighed and placed the beers back in the fridge.
"No, you've had too much to drink. Call me a cab, V…"
"Don't do it."
"My God, Leon, I'm taking a cab home."
"I'll leave you two alone," Vince said as he placed the phone on the counter. He slipped out of the kitchen quietly and left them by their selves.
"I'm sorry," Leon said, steeping forward and placing his hands on Taylor's hips.
"I know you are."
"You still need a ride home?" he asked.
"Maybe." She was finding it harder and harder to stay mad at Leon. The look in Leon's eyes was killing her. It was one of pleading.
With a sigh, Taylor shut the fridge door. "No," she replied as she ran her hand through her hair. "Just don't do it again."
Immediately, she knew that she was letting him off too easily, but for some reason she really didn't care.
Leon raised his hands in the air and said, "I promise."
"Yeah, yeah. You said that last time, remember?" she said, taking a step toward him.
Leon smiled and wrapped his arms around Taylor's neck. He placed a soft kiss on her lips.
"Wanna go back to the party?" he asked once he stopped the kiss.
"If you want to," Taylor replied.
"Actually…" A devious smile crossed onto Leon's face and he moved his hands down to Taylor's hips. "I had other plans in mind."
"Oh, really?"
"Really," he said as he took Taylor's hands and walked out of the kitchen with her, heading toward his room.
Taylor rolled over onto her stomach and squinted her eyes. The alarm clock on the stand next to her said one o'clock in the afternoon. A groan escaped from her lips as she forced herself to sit up on the bed. Her whole body was tired, even though the most strenuous activity that she had done the day before was lift a beer bottle to her lips.
"'Bout time you woke up," Leon said with a chuckle as he entered the room. The light from the hallway entered Leon's pitch-black room and caused Taylor to squeeze her eyes shut. Her head was throbbing and the light wasn't helping all that much.
Her eyes began to slowly get used to the amount of light in the room. A small smile came onto her face. "You could have woken me earlier." Her voice was raspy and low.
"Yeah, but you looked so beautiful sleeping."
Taylor rolled her eyes, but could not help the blush that was creeping onto her cheeks. She watched as Leon dug around in the drawers in his dresser. He seemed to be searching for something, but wasn't finding what he wanted. Once he found what he wanted, he pulled the clothes from the dresser and handed them to her.
"Here, put these on and I'll take you over to your place."
Taylor's eyes skimmed over the articles of clothing in her hands. There was a white wife beater and blue pair of basketball shorts. She slipped out of the bed wearing only her bra and underwear. Despite Leon's advances, Taylor just couldn't do the deed. She was shaking slightly as she felt Leon watching her. He was standing in the doorway with a mysterious look on his face. Taylor tried her best to figure out what it was, but it was useless. As soon as he realized that she was watching him, it disappeared.
"Ya mind?" she asked as she began to slip her shorts on. Now that she was out of the bed, she was feeling a little modest standing in the middle of the room in a skimpy bra and underwear.
"I like that tattoo," Leon commented, ignoring her previous statement.
Taylor smiled as she slipped the shorts on and reached for the shirt, which sat on the edge of the bed. The tattoo, a black dragon curled around a silver blade, was situated on her left hip
"Why'd you pick a dragon?"
She slipped on the wife beater before pulling her hair up into a messy ponytail. "I don't know. I thought it was cute."
Taylor ran a hand over her the tattoo absentmindedly before bending down and picking up her clothes from the night before.
"I like it," Leon said. A flicker of something ran through his eyes, but she couldn't tell what it was.
"Thanks." A smile spread onto her face.
"Ready to go?" he asked as Taylor walked up to him.
"Yeppers."
The two walked up the stairs and into the living room.
"So, why do you live downstairs?" Taylor asked as they entered the living room.
Leon shrugged. "Just not enough room up stairs, I guess. Plus, when I'm down there, I have to hear Dom and Letty making up after a fight."
"I heard that," Dom said as he walked into the room and sat down on the couch.
Leon laughed and walked out of the house with Taylor right behind him.
Taylor climbed out of Leon's car and walked to the mailbox so that she could grab the mail.
"You got your keys?" Leon asked as they both walked up to the front of the house.
"They're in my boots," she commented before reaching into the boots, which were in her hands, to grab the keys. Taylor was bare foot and the concrete was a little hot, seeing as it was mid summer. She heard Leon laugh because she was skipping slightly so that her toes wouldn't burn to death. Once Taylor was inside, she knew that there was something wrong. She sensed that someone was in the house.
"Hello?" she called out.
"Kinda late to just be getting in, don't ya think," a man called out from the living room.
"Shit," Taylor hissed.
"Who's here?" Leon asked, a bit alarmed.
Taylor sat her mail and clothes down on the table nearest her.
"What in the hell are you doing here?" she spat as she charged into the living room.
"What can I say?" a guy said from his position on the couch. "I missed you."
"Get. Out."
"Touchy, touchy. Actually darlin', I need you to get out. My name is on the lease, as you know, and I have decided to kick you out."
Taylor's jaw dropped and she felt Leon tense up next to her. He had no idea who the man in the living room, but Taylor could tell that he already didn't like the man.
"What?" she asked in disbelief.
"You heard me," the man said in pseudo-kind tone.
"Jarrett, there's no way in hell that you can kick me out."
"I beg to differ, sweetheart," Jarrett said, walking up to Taylor. He placed a hand on her hip and whispered into her ear, "You've got twenty-four hours to pack your stuff and get out."
He placed a lingering kiss on her cheek while staring at Leon. There was so much tension in the air, Taylor felt like she couldn't breathe.
"Remember twenty-four hours," Jarrett called over his shoulder as he walked out of the condo.
"Who was that?" Leon asked. There was a sense of anger in his voice.
"Old boyfriend," Taylor said as she looked around the condo. Her shoulders were shrunk in defeat.
"He the one that hurt you?" Leon asked.
"Yeah," Taylor replied as she headed toward her bedroom. "I was hoping that it wouldn't come down to this." She began to gather belongings that she wanted to keep and placed them on the bed.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I knew that once Jarrett and I broke up that there was a chance that he would kick me out." She sighed and looked around the room. "I just didn't think he had the balls to do it."
"Where you gonna stay?"
Taylor shrugged and walked into her closet. "I'll find somewhere," she called out.
"Stay at the fort," Leon suggested.
"What?" she asked, coming out of the closet with clothes in her arms.
"Come stay with me at the fort."
"Leon, I can't." Taylor sat the clothes on the bed and ran a shaky hand through her hair. She let out a deep sigh and chewed on the bottom corner of her lip.
"Why not? You've got nowhere else to stay."
"I've only known you for three days, Leon. That's why."
"You can stay in the guest room upstairs," Leon said. It was apparent that he wasn't going to give in, no matter what she said.
Taylor sat down on the corner of her bed and placed her elbows on her knees. "You wouldn't mind?" Her voice sounded forced. Leon was worried that she would start crying at any minute.
"No. I'd like it if you'd stay in my room; that way I wouldn't have to sneak upstairs to see you."
Taylor felt her cheeks turn red and she placed her head in her hands.
"All right, all right," she said as she lifted her head. "But the second there is a problem, I'm moving out. Got it?"
"Got it," Leon said with a smile that could only be described as one a four-year-old would have on Christmas day.
"Will you help me pack my stuff?" she asked as she stood up from the bed.
"Sure."
Leon pulled up into the driveway and saw that Dom and Letty were playing basketball.
"Hey Dom," Leon called out as he stepped out of the Skyline.
"Yeah," Dom said as he shot the ball toward the net. He laughed as Letty cursed when the ball went through the hoop. "Ten to four."
Letty flipped him off as he walked over to Leon.
"Can I talk to you for a sec?" Leon asked when Dom got closer.
"Yeah. What's up, man?"
Taylor slipped out of the Skyline and headed over toward Letty, where they started talking about something.
"It's about Taylor. She got kicked out of her place and I told her that she could stay here. That cool with you?"
Dom seemed to think about it for a while before finally nodding. "Yeah, she can stay in the guest room upstairs."
"Actually, dog, I was thinking about her staying downstairs with me."
Dom smiled. "That always works."
"Well, I'm gonna help her take her stuff inside now," Leon said to Dom before turning in Taylor's direction. "Taylor, come on. Let's take your stuff inside."
Taylor finished her conversation with Letty and then walked over to Leon. He laughed as Dom walked over to Letty and stole the ball from her. He could tell that a fight was in the workings for that night.
"So, I take it Dom said yes?" she asked wringing her hands on the bottom of her shirt.
"Yeah, I told you not to worry about it," he replied as he opened the trunk to his car.
An hour later, Leon and Taylor had managed to get all of Taylor's stuff into her room.
"I didn't think I had packed this much stuff," Taylor said as she sat the last box by the foot of the bed.
"The hard part is going to be getting all of your clothes into my closet."
"Why's that?" Taylor asked with a slight laugh.
"This is why," Leon said as he opened his closet doors.
The closet was very small. In fact, it barely held the clothes that Leon had in it.
"Yeah, that is going to be a problem. I can leave my clothes in the boxes for now," Taylor offered. "Or I can always go up to the guest room."
"That's not an option," Leon said as he moved closer to Taylor. She felt her heart speed up.
"What are you doing?" she asked when Leon placed his hands on her hips.
"Looking at you."
"Oh, really?"
Leon nodded and walked with her over toward the bed. He collapsed onto it, pulling her with him.
"I'm tired," he mumbled into his pillow.
"Tired? It's only three o'clock."
"Yeah, well I've got to head over to the garage to check on some stuff."
"Aw, poor baby," Taylor said with a soft giggle.
Leon growled and rolled over on top of her.
"Whatca going to do now?" she asked, teasing him.
"This," Leon said as he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her deeply.
Taylor rolled out of the bed around six o'clock. Leon had left around three thirty to head over to the garage and she had fallen asleep almost immediately afterwards. Her whole body hummed as she walked out of his room.
Well, she thought, I guess it's our room now.
She was so happy that she was actually happy. Her relationship with Jarrett had been nothing but shitty since day one, but she never had the heart to leave him. She loved him. Or at least she had convinced herself that she was. The feeling that ran through her whenever she saw Leon was completely different from what she had felt with Jarrett.
Her legs carried her up the stairs though her mind was somewhere completely different. Taylor was snapped from her thoughts as she ran into someone in front of her.
"Oh, sorry!" she said as she backed up slightly.
"Nah, it's my fault," Vince replied.
Taylor ran a hand through her hair and peaked around Vince's large frame.
"Where's everybody else?"
"They're at the garage. I was just about to head over there," Vince said. "You want me to take you?"
"Sure."
"All right," he said as he scooped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his keys. "Let's go."
Taylor followed Vince out to his Maxima. Part of the ride over to the garage was a silent one, but it was a comfortable silence. Taylor finally broke the silence after a little while.
"So, uh, are you and Brian still fighting?"
A scowl immediately covered his face and Taylor couldn't help but smile.
"So I take that as a no."
Vince gave no reply, but then again she needed none. His facial expression made it clear his feelings toward Brian. Taylor sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. For some reason she had been really tired over the last few days. She had finally decided that it was stress causing her drowsiness.
Taylor felt herself slipping into the hands of unconsciousness when the sound of screeching tires filled the air. The last thing she heard before being knocked out was, "Oh God."