An:Thank you fornall the reviews on the last chapter! I hope im not disappointingyou guys! Let me know what you think!
One Year Later…
It had been a year since Gabriella's life was turned upside down. She had watched her father burned to death in his car that was rebuilt by Dom and the rest of the team. She also watched her only brother be taken away by the court and sentenced ten years in prison. Her life stopped that year. She didn't really care about anything after that point. Dom missed her seventeenth birthday and her graduation from high school. She felt her world crashing around her but she wasn't going to let anyone see her break down. Her boyfriend…ex boyfriend kissed her best friend. It was unforgiveable. She sat at the diner eating her sandwich staring out at her car. Since the beginning of the year she was allowed to work at the diner instead of the garage. She liked it better since she didn't have someone watching her every move. She was alone here and she liked it that way. The sound of an engine caught her attention knocking her out of her trance. She stood up quickly just as a family friend, Hector walked in.
"Hey Hector!" Gabriella smiled.
"Me and you need to talk." He replied sitting down at the bar.
"Can I get you anything first?"
"Just a coke."
"Coming right up…" Gabriella moved away from him. "So what do I owe this pleasure?"
"How long has it been going on Gab?"
"What are you talking about?"
He slammed his hand down on the counter. "I have known Dom for a very long time now. Me and him, we go way back. I saw you at Harry's the other day, so it made me wonder why you were there. Maybe for Vince or Jess, but then I've been hearing about a teenage girl giving the guys a run for their money. So I went down there on Tuesday and what do I find? You. Racing. Now would you like to explain or would you like me to call Vince and you can explain it to him?"
Gabriella just stared at him. She thought she was being careful. She wasn't racing on weekends in fear that someone she knew would see her, she even went out of the way to go down to San Fran to race. No one knew her name. She wasn't giving that out. She wasn't stupid. She continued to look at him as he sipped on his coke.
"What do you want me to say Hector?" She finally asked.
"Is it you?"
She sighed. "Yes."
"What the hell are you thinking? You are just seventeen years old."
"I did it once last year, it was right after graduation. I was so angry, I wasn't thinking. Then I won. I beat two guys Hector and it felt good."
"You need to stop."
"I'm good Hector. I am really good. I haven't lost yet."
"You are racing with a bunch of little kids, what happens when you find someone who doesn't like to lose Gab? What are you going to do then when he puts you in the wall?"
"You can't touch someone those are the rules."
"The rules?" He yelled. "No one gives a shit about the rules Gab. You are going to get yourself killed. The street racing life isn't for you, so you need to stop."
"This is something that I can do for me okay. I can be free doing this. I don't have anyone down my back or yelling at me for a change. Please do not take this from me. It's all I have left of myself. Nothing has happened and I have been really careful."
"Gabriella…" He had a warning tone in his voice.
"Please." She begged.
"Give it up or the next time you see me I will have Vince with me." He slammed down the money before walking away. She sighed as she jerked the coke can off the counter and threw it into the trashcan. She was in deep trouble if she didn't stop racing. There was something that had to be done. She pulled her cell phone out and dialed a number.
"Franko, Tenemos un problema. Necesito que me ayudes."
The sun began to go down as Gabriella began closing up the diner. She looked behind her as she heard a motorcycle approach. She smiled and waved before bringing the door down.
"What's up? You kind of had the worried on the phone." Franko walked up. Franko was the guy who first saw her racing last year. He was the one who didn't think she could race. He was the only one who knew who she really was. She smiled at him.
"It's Hector. He saw me at Harry's last week then heard about me racing across town."
"Hey you are becoming famous."
"Focus please."
"So what if someone saw you?"
"I will be murdered, dead. Cold blood killing. They would never find my body."
"So what are you going to quit?"
"No, I don't want to but he is threatening to tell Vince."
"So what should we do?"
"Let's lay low for a couple of weeks, let him think that I stopped. Then I will start again. Maybe San Diego. Not the same places though."
He nodded his head. "So do you have a secret admirer?" He pointed to her car. There were flowers on her car. She shrugged her shoulders walking over to it. "Well hey let me know when you want to start back up. I need to head back. I'll talk to you later."
"Thanks Franko." She replied not taking her eyes off the flowers. She removed them from the window. There wasn't a note or anything, just the flowers. She shook her head as she removed them and threw them in the seat next to her. She started the car and spun the tires out of the parking lot. She arrived home just as everyone else was getting home from the garage.
"Leon, my car sounds weird. Will you look at it for me?" She replied shutting the car door behind her. She opened the hood. "It's just making a ringing sound."
"What did you do to it?" He asked walking over to her.
"I didn't do anything." She defended herself.
"Start it up for me." She nodded her head moving back over to the car and starting it. "Ok I see the problem. It's your fuel line, you need to bring it by the garage tomorrow."
"How long is it going to take for it to be fixed?"
"Well hopefully we won't be super busy tomorrow and I can work on all day and it will be done by tomorrow night."
"Thanks Leon!" She replied wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Whoa what is going on here?" Vince asked walking over to them. "There will be none of that."
Gabriella laughed punching him in the stomach. "You wish." She replied walking away.
"That really hurt!" Vince yelled after her.
"Hey girl, what's going on?" Letty asked opening the door.
"I got flowers today. I think they might be from Johnny."
She rolled her eyes. "Was there a note?"
"No, but he knows how much I like lilies."
"Just let it go, he will give up eventually."
Gabriella nodded her head.
"Will you just listen to what I have to say?" Johnny was trying to keep up with Gabriella as she walked through the store.
"Why are you following me? I don't care anymore Johnny."
"Because I still do. It was one stupid kiss Gab, it hasn't happened again."
"Really? So you want to explain why you had your arms wrapped around her at the party?" She stopped in her tracks.
"She was hurt, she lost everyone that day."
"I'm sorry but I don't feel a little bit of remorse for her."
"She is your best friend."
"Who kissed my boyfriend! Really Johnny? Of all people…"
"We were drinking, you weren't around anymore. It just happened."
"I can't do this anymore…please just leave me alone." She turned to walk away.
"No!" He grabbed her arm.
"Stop!" She yelled back at him. He squeezed her arm. "You are hurting me!"
"Hey!" Vince was at her side shoving Johnny away. "You need to back up."
"We were just talking." Johnny replied.
"Her screaming out in pain doesn't sound like talking to me, you need to take a walk now." He pointed to the door. Johnny looked over at Gabriella who had turned away from him. She was breathing in and out. Her heart was breaking, but she knew it was for the best.
"You okay?" Vince had turned back to her.
"Yeah, he gone?"
"Yeah."
"You actually staying in tonight?" Vince asked sipping a beer as he sat on the couch. Gabriella smiled at him as she walked over plopping down beside him.
"You miss me or something?" She smirked.
"Of course not."
"Right."
Gabriella went to say something more but he cell phone went off. She looked down, it was text message from Franko. "Huge race next week, be there. I got your back." She closed the phone and looked over at Vince who was eying her. "Just some party tonight, but I think I am going to stay in."
"Look at miss popular, I'm glad you made time for us common folk."
"I will slap you."
He began to laugh. "I was thinking about grilling tonight, you want some?"
"Yeah, maybe we can watch a movie too."
He nodded his head. "Maybe."
"Hey Gab, can you come here for a second?" Leon appeared around the corner.
"Sure."
She patted Vince on the leg before getting up. "Is it my car?"
"Yep." His voice was monotone.
"Is something else wrong with it?"
"There isn't anything wrong with it, you know I've been around cars pretty much all my life and I know what a car looks like when it's been in one too many races."
Gabriella's heart stopped. "I don't know what you are talking about."
"Now would be a very good time that you don't lie to me. I'm not going to tell Vince."
She stood there staring at him. "Are you racing?"
"Yes."
He sighed running his hands through his hair. "Why on earth are you doing that?"
"I am good at it."
"You are seventeen years old."
"I've already got this lecture."
"Do you really think that Vince isn't going to find out about it?"
"No, I don't think he will. I have been careful."
"Gabriella…"
"It's something that I wanted to do Leon. Okay, I did it for me. I am good, I am really good."
"It doesn't matter how good you are Gab."
"Yes it does, my father did it. Dom did it."
"Your father died doing it!" Leon yelled.
She didn't move, she just stared at him. "Please, I am begging you before you get yourself killed, stop racing."
She nodded her head crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine."
"I don't believe you."
"Then don't, there is nothing I can say or do that will make you believe me."
"Gabby…"
"Leon, I am fine. I'm done racing."
Tuesday rolled around the corner. Gabriella stood in her normal spot at the diner as she looked outside. It was a hot day. She was already sweating and it was only ten thirty. Franko had been calling her all night and day, but she had told Leon she was done and she had to keep that. She ignored the phone call as she put her phone to the side. Tire skidding across the dirt caught her attention as she moved from around the counter and outside.
"You can't answer your phone?" Franko asked slamming the car door.
"I've been busy."
"What's going on Gabriella?"
"I can't race anymore; too many people know and are threatening to tell."
"This race tonight is for ten grand."
Gabriella shook her head. "I don't know what to do."
"Do you want this or not?"
"Of course I do, that's a lot of money,"
"Then figure it out Gabriella. I will wait for you tonight, if you don't show then don't worry about racing ever again." He walked away.
"Franko!"
"Call me!"
She scoffed as she walked back into the diner. People were starting to show up for the lunch hour, maybe they could take her mind off the racing thing for a while.
As she was pulling down the door of the diner her mind wondered to the race. Maybe this could her last race for a while. If she just did one last one then she could be done. She locked the door, it was decided she was going tonight. She pulled out her cell phone dialing Franko's number. "Hey, I'm in."
She didn't bother going home, she called Mia telling her she was going to the movies with some friends and would be home later. Her hands were shaking, she hadn't been this nervous since the first time she raced. The adrenaline was still there but she wasn't scared anymore. It felt right to her. She put her foot down on the gas speeding through town arriving at the destination. Franko was waiting for her as she pulled into a spot. "Couldn't stay away?"
"It's in my blood what can I say?" She smirked.
"Sorry if I was rude earlier." He smiled at her. She took his hand squeezing it letting him know he was forgiven. "Let's get you ready. Did you bring the money?"
"Yep, it's in the car."
"Okay, so I only know about two of the guys. The other one I don't know too much about."
"Okay, fill me in."
"One is from San Francisco, he is good. I would watch out for him. He is driving a Honda 2000, the second guy is from Los Angeles, I wouldn't worry too much about him. He isn't too good, he just has a lot of money and doesn't know how to spend it so he chooses racing."
"What do you think that third guy is running?"
"There is enough nitrous in there to blow this whole town up, so please please be careful."
"You asked me to race with someone who can kill us all?"
"He's not going to use it unless he knows he is losing. Just give him a run and then at the end, you slam down on that gas like it's the last thing in life for you to do."
She nodded her head. "You feeling okay?"
"I don't know, I just have a bad feeling."
"Don't do that, you are going to do fine."
She nodded her head. "You're right."
"Okay, let's go! You prepare yourself, you are going to be fine. You are going to win this."
She nodded her head taking in a deep breath as she walked back over to her car. She climbed in looking around at the crowd. There were people everywhere, a larger number than usual. She looked to the side having to do a double take. It couldn't be. She swore she saw Leon. She shook her head of the thought before starting the car. She took another deep breath as her hands began to shake. NOS. The very thing that could have killed her father. She was scared. She was scared the death. "You can do this." She told herself. She put the car in drive and pulled it to the starting line. She was breathing in and out trying to calm her heart rate. "GO!" It was happening so fast. It was like she couldn't keep up. She hit the gas as the car shot forward. Her heart was racing as she put in it in second, then third. She looked beside her. It was the mysterious guy. She turned her head, the finish line was coming up. She pressed hard on the gas. Things began going in slow motion, what was happening? She felt a jerk as everything began to spin. She hit her head on the window, then her world went black.