Chapter 7

Ashley didn't get much sleep that night, and she bet Brian probably didn't either. She couldn't sleep any longer so she got up and took a shower. She dressed in low rise jeans with a white wife beater tank top that said PUNK on the front in black gothic letters, black flip flops, and she left her hair down with a black bandana on over it. When she was done, she went down to get something to eat when she noticed beavis and butt head snooping around outside. She ran towards the houseboat and walked in.

"Hey Bri, Verone's boy's are outside," the word died on her lips when she saw who was inside with Brian. She felt jealousy overflow her, but she let it go. "Oh, I see what they lookin for, your little girlfriend here."

Brian saw the hurt in her eyes but decided to put it off till later. They got up and went to look.

"They don't know I'm here. I snuck out."

"What are they doin here then?" asked Ashley bitterly.

"I don't know maybe there guessing."

"Hey, go stall them. Stall them for like two minutes." Brian said to Ashley.

"You better check her Bri. Check her." Ashley walked outside to face the two men.

"Find what you were looking for? Hey, buddy, hey guys. What's up how ya doin? Oh, man ya'll still mad about your car? Come on man, can't take a joke? Verone pay ya'll to keep a straight face like that? Cause if I was makin money I'd get that mole removed off my damn nose. How much he pay ya'll anyway? Every time I see ya, you got the silk shirts on jewelry, lookin real Miami, ya know?" Finally Brian decided to grace them with his presence.

"Donde esta?"

"Quien?"

They started comin onto the boat when Ashley stepped in the way. "You aint comin on this boat," she was cut off by a hand to the throat and a gun pointed at her head. The guy walked into the boat and Ashley and Brian waited for him to return. He finally walked out and Ashley decided to get one last hit in.

"Stay your ass off this boat." The guy punched her in the gut and she retaliated. She didn't get very far when she was grabbed by the throat and was looking down the barrel of a gun. Verone showed up and the guys let them go.

"I'm glad to see you guys are getting along so well. Because tomorrow, Roberto and Enrique, are gonna be ridin along with you. Just so we don't have any problems. I'll see you guys in a bit." He took a look at Ashley and turned and walked away.

"What the hell was she doin in there man?" she asked.

They went to see Bilkins and to tell them what was going down.

"Nice shirt Bilkins."

"It's my day off."

Ashley laughed. "Yeah."

"Well, anyhow, this is the deal. Last night Verone threatened a cop into giving us a window. We're driving to an airstrip, in the keys, off of Nallwood Avenue. Verone has a plane there and he's taking off for good."

"Wait a minute. How do you know this?"

"Monica."

"She's doin her job. She warned us." Said Ashley.

"She warned you about what?"

"Verone plans to kill us after we give him the money."

"Driving into an ambush was never part of the deal. I'm calling this off."

"Like hell you are. This is a customs case Bilkins. No one's calling this off unless I do. Look. This is real simple. You make the run. You get Verone and his cash together so I can move in for the bust. All right? You don't I will find enough charges on both of you to make you disappear. Take these. We're gonna have G.P.S. on you the whole time to make sure you don't get any cute ideas."

"And to make sure nothing happens to them, right?"

"Yeah, right."

Ashley and Brian looked at each other and left.

"The guy's a dick man." Said Ashley.

"Yep."

"Let me get this right. If we don't do this, then we go to jail. But if we do it, then Verone's gonna kill us."

"It's a hell of a deal, huh?"

"Yeah, maybe it is. But I know this guy's got an ass full of loot that he's ready to dump in our cars. And I can think of two reasons, why Verone doesn't need that money anymore."

"Ah, here we go."

"You and me. Just like the old days. What do you think?" asked Ashley with a smile.

"I think they messed with the wrong two people that's what I think." Brian got out his cell phone and called Tej.

The next day they met with Tej at a warehouse. It was big and perfect for there plan. They started working on the cars that they had stole and souped them up to be able to outrun almost anything. When they were finished, Brian and Ashley went for a walk on the pier.

"Ash, when did you start eating so much?"

"I was in jail, Bri. I know how shitty the grub is on the inside. With the way things is shaping up out here right now. It's just a matter of time before I'm back in there or dead. So I'm tryin to eat all I can while I can. Plus the doctor tells me I got a high metabolism." She laughed.

Brian just laughed and looked over to her. "Man, you remember us growing up? You know playing football in the dirt. You know, getting in trouble all the stupid things we did. When you got busted, you know, whether I was a cop or not, you know, if there was anything I could've done, I would've done it, and I just want you to know that."

"Is that why you let that dude go in LA?" asked Ashley.

"Yeah, I think that had a lot to do with it."

"When I got busted, it wasn't your fault. It was all on me, Ms. Ashley Johnson. Wild an out crazy girl. No one can tell me nothing, ridin solo."

"Yeah, well not anymore. Not anymore." Said Brian as he looked over to her. She smiled and they hugged each other. When they pulled apart, Brian did something unexpected. He kissed Ashley. Ashley was surprised at first, but she left all caution to the wind, and enjoyed this event with the man she loved.

"I love you." She said. Brian looked at her and smiled.

"I love you too."

"I tried making myself not fall in love with you again, but the truth is, I was always in love with you. Ever since we were kids. And no matter how hard I tried letting you go, it never worked. I couldn't let you go. And when I think about losing you, I now that I would probably die." Ashley just looked into Brian's eyes. "If it's not too much to ask, I want to know, if it wouldn't be any trouble, if, um, you wanted to come back home with me and Anna."

"I'd love too." He kissed her once more.

They went back to Tej's and spent the whole night together, rekindling the love that they had both denied for so many years.