"Something about that girl." Leon said. "She's like smoking hot, but has this hard edge to her."
"That scar is sexy." Jesse stated. The others agreed.
"You guys are gonna get me in trouble." Dom said and looked to make sure Letty wasn't coming. "Everything about that woman is sexy. Still it's like she freaks out around guys."
She bent to pick something up and Vince groaned. "Damn, what an ass."
Brian joined them outside. "What are yall looking at?" When he saw Rina mowing he grabbed a chair. "What did she mean she doesn't form relationships? Everyone has some type of relationship." he muttered.
The door opened one last time admitting Letty and Mia. "What the hell are you guys doin?" Letty asked.
"Look at her." Mia said quietly as she put her arms around Vince's neck. "She's so alone. It makes me feel bad."
"Mia, you can't take in every stray." Dom told her patiently.
"But she is a stray, isn't she Dom?" Mia pointed out.
"She told Brian that she doesn't form relationships." Vince told her. Mia had gone to bed before Brian had gotten back from his trip across the street.
"That's horrible. How can you not have relationships with people?"
She had finished mowing and had cut the engine. Her music was still blasting, and she turned it off to hear complete silence. Looking over at the sound of laughter she saw Toretto's group on his porch. The girl Mia waved at her, so she waved back, and proceeded to put her lawn mower up.
"Hey Rina?" the girl called out. "We're grilling over here this afternoon. Do you wanna come over?"
"No thanks, but I do appreciate the invite." she gave a half smile.
"Oh come over, it'll be fun."
"No really, Mia, I shouldn't. I have stuff I gotta take care of." She looked up to see Leon loping over. These people didn't give up easily.
"We want you to come over for dinner." he told her and followed as she shut the garage door, and headed up her walk.
"I appreciate it really, but I normally stay away from people." she tried to explain.
"Everyone needs friends. Come on over. Not one of us is a serial killer or rapist. Seriously, we're nice people.Fun to hang out with. Incredibly good looking….normally." he saw her blush guiltily. "Nah, I'm playin, but you should come over. You know so I won't be scared of you all the time." he blinked big green eyes at her, and gave her the puppy dog look. Though green they didn't remind her of Heath, asthey were lighter shade. She laughed at the look.
"Fine, what time?"
He graced her with a big grin, and then gave his friends the thumbs up sign. She laughed again as they cheered, and hooted. It really shouldn't be that big of a deal, she thought. "Why don't you go clean up, and then head over? We'll hang out, it'll be fun."
She decided not to argue, and just nodded. Then she headed into her house. She didn't do much to get ready, just took a shower and put some shorts and another tank top. Smiling slightly she walked over to their house with a 24 pack of Corona. They were in the backyard arguing and laughing amongst themselves. The last group of males she'd really hung around with had been Heath and his friends. These people acted nothing like them. His friends had always done exactly what he told them to. They laughed when he laughed, and so on and so forth. Rina could tell that Dom had final say so, he was like their official leader, but it seemed to her that they all argued for what they wanted. Even if it was something as simple as potato salad or chips. They decided on both.
She was surprised to find herself eating and laughing with them. Rina found she did like this group of people. That worried her, but she would make sure that none of her actions impacted them. Mia sat down next to her and looked at her. "What?"
"So where are you from?" Mia asked.
"I grew up in Philadelphia." she told the inquisitive girl.
"What made you leave?"
Something flickered through Rina's eyes but was hidden quickly. "I wanted to see the country. My parents died several years ago, and there was no one at home. I decided to see things before I started living."
"That's sort of funny, saying it that way." Letty added. "Normally you'd think that seeing the country would be the living."
"I meant living in one place. Putting down roots. I can't do that until I finish this thing with the man you call Trust Fund."
"Did you see him last night?" Dom asked.
"I did. And that was definitely him and his friends."
"Were you looking for them too?" Mia asked surprised. "You didn't have their pictures."
She grinned wryly, "Trust me, I don't need them. He wouldn't go anywhere without them, and they wouldn't breathe without his permission. You learn things by looking for people."
"Do they know you're looking?" Brian asked with a frown. Those guys didn't seem like they would appreciate someone tailing them. He could imagine what they would do if they found out.
"No, they don't."
"Glad we didn't say anything then." Dom told her and saw her shoulders relax slightly. "Whatever business you have with them is yours. We won't mess with you on it. That doesn't mean you shouldn't hang with us."
"Because you should. You're new here, don't know anybody, and we'd talk ya into it eventually anyway. " Leon smiled at her charmingly.
"I can try." she told them. "I just can't make any guarantees."
"Can't ask for more than that." Vince grunted.
She was helping to clear the table and she kept getting the evil eye from Letty. She cornered her inside. "Look Letty, you don't want me here, then tell me now. I'll make something up and take off."
Letty looked at her slightly startled. "I just have a problem with girls near Dom. I just get worried." she answered honestly.
"Well, I have no interest in Dom. I have no interest in anyone. I don't date, and I don't see that changing."
"He's been faithful for the past year and a half at least. I'm sorry if I come off rude." she told the girl.
"Well, let's just say that the past year and a half have changed me as well. Look Letty, I'm not the type of girl guys are interested in anyway." she missed the look of disbelief on Letty's face. "Even if I did date, I wouldn't date a guy with a girlfriend. Besides, even for someone who doesn't believe in love…It's obvious that's what he feels for you. The pride on his face as he introduced you last night."
"Thanks."
"It's all golden." she shrugged. "But, if it becomes a problem with me being around. Tell me and I'm gone. I'm not sure I'll be able to pull this off anyway. It's been a long time since I've been friends with anyone."
Rina walked back out to the backyard. Letty turned to see Mia looking at her. "You hear that?" Mia nodded. "There's something seriously wrong with that girl."
"She needs us Letty. She's like you in a lot of ways you know? But it's like she's you and the damage is multiplied by a hundred." Letty nodded in agreement. Yeah, she saw what Mia was saying. She would try to befriend the girl.
"I know one thing Mia. Whatever debt she's collecting from that rich dude, from the hatred burning in her eyes she'll make sure he pays it."
A few days later once they were all home from work Jesse called a 'family' meeting. "Ok, so I entered the name Rina, the fact she was raised in Philadelphia, and that Italian expression on her arm that Brian got us, and found some information."
"You got information from that little bit?" Leon asked. Sometimes Jesse amazed him.
"Yep." He passed Dom a black and white photocopy of several pictures he'd gotten on line. "It was the motto that clinched it. That motto is on her family crest. Seems her parents were from Italy and moved her when she was a baby. Caterina Bella De La Rossi, 23 years old, born to Anthony and Maria De La Rossi. They passed away 7 ½ years ago. She has money. Lots of it. Not a cop either. There are only two more things I was able to pull up." Jesse looked at the group. "There are sealed police records from 18 months ago. About the same time as all of our shit was going down. I can't get into the records yet, and I'm not sure I'll be able to. There are FBI records also. After that I can't find anything for her. Nothing with credit cards or checking accounts."
"You said there was one other thing Jesse?" Brian asked as he looked at the picture taken of a young Rina at her parent's funeral, he guessed she'd have been 15. There was another on the sheet of her at her college graduation.
"Yeah, it's one more picture. Taken two years ago at a charity function. I guess Rina does a lot of charity work." he handed the picture to Dom.
"Fuck." Dom stared at the picture intently, and everyone crowded around him. The picture was a good one of Rina. She was smiling and happy, no scar sliding down her smooth cheek. There with his arm wrapped around her shoulders and a pleased smile on his face was Trust Fund.