Chapter Thirteen
"How long has this shit been going on?" Dom asked curiously.
"I've been checkin it out for about two weeks now. Can't tell if it's Feds or if the locals were tipped off, but some shit's going on," Vince answered.
"Damn. You need to get out of there, bro. Leave all that shit behind. Did you change the plates on the car?"
That was another thing Dom had told them to do. The Feds had to have known they would split up after Los Angeles, so Dom made sure the plates were switched.
"Yeah. First thing I did when I got to Arizona. Nothing suspicious happened until this shit. I dunno, man, something's fucked up here. I don't like the feel of this," Vince commented.
"I hear ya. Look, we're in Boston and I might need your help with O'Connor. I think something else might be goin' down here too. Steele's lookin' to pull a job, but I haven't a clue when of what," Dom mentioned.
"Do you really want to get pulled back into this shit again, man? Especially after how fucked up it got in LA? What if she's just there to trap you?"
"I considered the possibility, but I trust her a little more..."Vince cut him off.
"After all the shit that happened with O'Connor, you trust this bitch? C'mon, Dom, you know better than this shit."
"Just get your ass to Boston. Call when you get here. You don't know where Leon and Letty are, do you?"
"Naw, I told 'em not to tell me. That way I don't know where anyone is. Just like we discussed."
"Good. So I'll see you in a couple of days?"
"Aight. Lay low until then, just to be safe."
Dom had to smile. It was almost as if Vince was trying to reverse their roles. Ironically enough, though, he knew Vince was right.
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It was about 12 o'clock when she pulled into the parking lot of the shop to check out the cars. She knew eventually she would need another one.
That was when she saw him. He was wearing navy blue work pants and a black muscle shirt. He was bent over the engine of Christian's car, which she had recognized immediately.
He looked up at her and paused with what he was doing. What was it this time?
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So, she had found him. She had actually come to him. It was about damn time. They needed to talk.
She walked up to him, wearing blue camoflauge pants and a semi-sparkly tank that came right above her navel. She had fit abs, which only added to her allure. Her hair lay on her shoulders, which were incredibly tan. It lay in a bundle of curls, pushed back behind her ears. This time, however, she had her sunglasses on, not allowing him to see the emotion in her eyes.
"Car problems?" he asked casually.
She shook her head.
"Even if I did," she began, "I could fix it myself,"
He smiled. It never failed. Madison Steele would always be fiesty. Just like Letty. Shit, everytime he saw Madison, he was reminded more and more of Letty.
"So, why'd you come by? And don't give me this shit about the cars," he added.
"Actually, Dom, it was because of the cars. I didn't know you owned the shop. But since I'm here, there's something I need to talk to you about," she replied calmly.
"Now the truth comes out," Dom said, sarcastically.
She had hoped it would be easier than this. Of course, she was wrong a lot when it came to Dom.
"What are you really doing here, Madison?" he asked. "Wait, let me guess."
She tried to jump in, but he refused to let her.
"Let's see. Maybe it's about why you defended O'Connor last night. Or, or better yet, maybe this should be about decking me. What the hell was that shit about?" Dom was getting more and more pissed by just having Madison there.
"You know what, Dom? Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I shouldn't have come here. I'm out," she turned on her heel and began to walk away.
He ran his hand over his shaved head, hating her for what she was doing to him, yet loving her for the same reasons. She was pushing all of his buttons once again.
He headed after her and grabbed her hand before she could get into her car. He pulled her to him, her back against his chest. He could feel her heart beating against him.
She didn't move, but rather waited to see what Dom was going to do. When he did nothing, she slowly turned around to face him.
He held her arms in his hand for a few moments before she pulled away. He didn't go after her right away, but rather gave her a few moments to herself.
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She took a deep breath to regain her composure. It had felt so comfortable and safe to be in his arms. She had never felt that way in any other guy's arms. But then again, Dominic Toretto wasn't just any other guy. He was king of the road. And he knew it, as did everyone else.
He approached her again and rested his hand lightly on her shoulder. She stiffened, putting up a front to hide her feelings. When she turned around, he was still there.
"So," she began. "You have some free time?"
"How much do you need?" he questioned.
"About two or three hours," she replied.
"How does lunch sound?"
She paused. Lunch. It sounded like a date. Was he offering, or was he just giving her an opportunity?
'Cut this shit out', she thought to herself. 'It's just a guy.' But in the back of her mind, she was thinking, it's not just a guy, it's Dominic Toretto. Dominic Toretto who was six-two, 180 pounds, nicely built, and happened to be a racing god.
"You still there?" he laughed, waving a hand in front of her face.
She looked at him to see he had a big, goofy, retarded-looking grin on her face.
"Lunch sounds great," she answered.
"Perfect."
She watched as he walked over to a bench in the shop and picked up his red leather jacket. He had had it on last night too. It looked good on him.
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He walked over to his car and looked at her. She hadn't moved since he had gotten his jacket.
"Still coming?" he asked.
She looked at Christian and Kyra and saw they were watching her. She looked back at Dom, who had raised his eyebrows in a questioning look.
She walked over to his car and got in. As Kyra watched, she became more and more pissed. It seemed to her that every time Dom spent time with Madison, he always walked away pissed. She was tired of Madison pressing Dom's buttons.
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He took her to a nice restaurant about thirty minutes from the shop. When she walked in, she felt a little underdressed, then realized what Dom was wearing. She smiled to herself. She could only imagine what the other people thought.
The hostess brought them to a table, where they sat. It was off to the side, with a view of the street, so Dom could watch for Feds. Since Vince had tipped him off, he was a little more cautious.
A younger man walked up to them and took their drink orders. Madison noted that his nametag read "Kyle". Again, she smiled. It felt nice to be able to go out and enjoy herself.
Kyle disappeared to get their drinks and Madison looked out the window. Dom studied her face. He noted her high cheekbones, her concentrated eyes that held a twinkle, and made sure that he caught the smile that played at the corner of her lips.
After a few minutes, Kyle returned carrying a Corona and Madison's iced tea. Kyle placed the Corona in front of Dom, to which Madison raised her eyebrows.
"It's a little early to start drinking, isn't it?" she asked after Kyle had left.
"It's never too early," Dom explained and raised the bottle to her.
She shook her head and smiled. Dom was constantly surprising her.
"And, tell me, why do you guys only drink Corona? I thought Budweiser was the 'King of Beers'." she laughed.
She had a beautiful smile and an amazing laugh. She actually seemed more calm. It was nice to enjoy her company without them being pissed off at one another. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.