Gabriella sat in the living room with her hands in her lap when she heard the door open. Vince was the first one in with Dom and Leon right behind him. Leon looked up at Dom then over at Gabriella. "Why do I feel like I just walked into some shit?" He replied.
"Let's give them some space." Vince shoved Leon away as Dom walked over to his sister.
"What's going on?" Dom asked. "Do I want to know?"
"Probably not." She shook her head. "I saw the news today."
He nodded his head. "Yeah me too."
"I need you tell me that you are being careful. I need you to tell me that this is the right thing to do right now because I am starting to think it was a mistake."
"It's not a mistake. We are going to be okay. We aren't going to get caught. We don't do it enough for anyone to think it's us. Now tell me what has you so quiet."
"I was getting parts ready at the store today for some new buyer. It was a lot of stuff for a car Dom. I looked up and Johnny was standing at the counter. The parts were for him. He said that Harry's is equal ground. He was allowed there."
"What—"
"He didn't do anything stupid. He wanted to make sure that I was okay from Friday. He said he had no idea that I worked there but he wasn't there to cause problems. I just wanted to tell you just in case someone saw something and it got back to you."
Dom nodded his head again. "I don't think at kid is ever going to give up on you."
Gabriella frowned as she looked down at the ground. "You want to talk about what happened on Friday?" She asked picking at some fuzz on the couch.
"No. I do not. I want to forget that even happened…Gab, look at me."
Gabriella slowly lifted her head. "We are going to be alright. Everything is going to work out. The trucks, the garage, the diner, everything, okay. It's going to be okay. I need you to stop worrying about everything and live. I am so tired of coming into this house and seeing you upset about something. Go live your life. Just…" He sighed. "Get the hell out of this house before I go fucking crazy."
Gabriella began to laugh as she stood up. "Are you kicking me out?"
"Right now…yes!" He pointed to the door. "Get out!"
She nodded her head as she smiled him. "Just don't get arrested or kidnapped please, I am really not in the mood for this tonight."
"I'll try my hardest." She smirked.
"So you know those truckers that are getting robbed?" Brian lifted a box and pushed it over to Gabriella. She didn't look at him.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"It's been happening for a while now. They think its racers."
"Racers? As in street racers?" She stopped what she was doing.
"Yeah."
"What street racer has time to rob trucks? That is ridiculous."
"Don't you race?" Brian eyed her. She looked up at him with a smile on her face.
"You caught me. Where do I turn myself in?"
Brian began to laugh as he shook his head. "Oh this is definitely men doing this. I can't see a girl taking down a truck all by herself."
"Whoa, calm down now before you offend someone. It could quite possibly be a girl. Why not? Have you even seen me drive?"
"No, I haven't actually."
"Well before you start judging on who can do what, you should come to a race and watch."
"Sure, I will come."
"Brian can you come in here for a second please?" Harry poked his head through the office door. "Gab, you can take a lunch if you want."
"Who is going to watch the store?" Gabriella asked.
"We got it. You can go. Tell Mia I said hello." Harry disappeared back in the office with Brian. She was confused but she said as she was told and left. The diner was just down the street from Harry's so she could eat there whenever she wanted. She pulled up just to see the rest of the team leave.
"You could of told us when you were going to lunch we would have ate with you." Vince replied.
"I was helping Brian out with some things at the shop." Gabriella responded.
Vince nodded his head but didn't reply. "Don't worry V, you are still my favorite person in the world."
"Hey!" Jesse yelled.
"Shh!" She put finger to her lips. "He needs his ego stroked right now."
"I am standing right here!" Vince yelled shoving her aside. She grabbed his arm pulling her towards him. "He needs to stop coming here every day."
"What?" Gabriella asked.
"He comes to eat here almost every day. It's pathetic. We know why he does it."
Gabriella looked over at Jesse with a smirk on her face. "He is pretty hot." She replied. She ran away as Vince swatted at her. She began to laugh as she wrapped her arms around Jesse's waist.
"Can we go?" Vince was annoyed.
"Hey, can you guys be careful please. Brian was talking about the truckers identified racers as the people who are robbing them. I don't need this shit blowing up so can we please just calm down with it."
"Nothing is going to happen with it Gab. You are the one who needs to calm down." Vince replied. "We need to get back, we will see you at home."
She kissed Jesse goodbye before going into the diner. She slapped her hand on the counter scaring Mia. "What the hell Gab?" Mia yelled.
"So, you have a crush on the new guy Brian?" Gabriella bluntly asked.
Mia shook her head. "He just eats here. There is nothing going on."
"Oh I doubt that. I really do. Just be careful Mia. With everything going on, I wouldn't trust anyone in this town."
Mia didn't respond, instead she walked away to go fix Gabriella something to eat. "Gab, you haven't said anything to anyone about the trucks have you?"
Gabriella shook her head. "I'm not stupid Mia. I know the consequences if I say something. They already think its street racers that are doing this. If Dom gets caught…"
"He won't!"
"We are done. This family is done if anything happens. You remember that Mia."
"If you didn't want them to do this why didn't you speak up? I know for a fact this was brought to your attention and you said you were okay with it. So why now Gab? Why are you freaking out now? We all know the consequences. We all know what could happen if they get caught but you were still okay with it."
She shook her head as she ran her hands over her hair. "They know its street racers Mia. It's just a matter of time before they get caught. And what are we going to do then huh? We going to just let them take our entire family to jail? I can't go through that again Mia. I won't!"
"I'll talk to Dom. I will tell him to lay off for a little bit. We will make it through this I know we will."
"I have to go. I told Harry I would be back in time to close." Gabriella sighed as she hoped off the stool.
"Gab!" Mia called after her. "Stop worrying so much."
"You see that's your problem Mia, you don't worry at all." With that she turned around and walked away.
She walked into the house later that night exhausted. Her body ached from picking up parts all day. Brian had left early for some reason causing her to wonder what exactly Harry said to him. She shook her head of the thought as she walked into the kitchen to get something to drink. Dom was standing next to the counter with his arms crossed over his chest.
"I am so not in the mood right now." She replied opening the refrigerator and grabbing a drink. "Mia needs to learn to keep her mouth shut."
"My question is why didn't you say anything to me?"
"Would you have cared?" She eyed him before nodding her head. "I know you Dom, you would have found some way to not tell me leaving me in the dark. You are going to do what you feel like is right for this family."
"You don't think its right?"
"I think I would have much rather you rob a bank then taking on tracker trailers."
"It crossed my mind."
"Then why didn't you do it? Why risk your lives for this?"
"You don't think robbing a bank is risking our lives? We are drivers Gab that is what we do. We have this all under control. Now what I need from you is to stop freaking out. You are going to freak out one too many times and tell someone and then we are going to be in some shit."
Gabriella stood there stunned at her brother. "You think I would tell on you?" She whispered. He moved forward reaching for her arm. "No!" She yelled. "You think that I would actually rat you out?"
"I didn't mean…"
"No Dom, please by all means let's just get this out in the open. If you thought I was going to tell then why did you tell me? Huh? I am worried about your safety and God forbid you go back to jail. I wouldn't make it Dom. I would not make it!"
"I didn't mean to say it like that…"
"No you did or you wouldn't have said it period."
"Can we please not do this? Not right now." He begged. She nodded her head slamming the drink down on the counter.
"Sure Dom, let's not do this." She stormed out of the kitchen and up the stairs slamming the door making sure everyone heard it. She shook her head as she slide down the door. He thought she was going to tell on them. She would never tell on them. She would forever take that to the grave. Her heart skipped a beat she tried to calm her breathing down. Tears sprung to her eyes as she hit her head the door. She wasn't going to cry. She wasn't going to let this get to her. There was a knock on the door. She sniffed back the tears as she sat in the same position ignoring whoever was on the other side. The knock came again. She wasn't answering it. She knew whoever was on the other side was going to get the wrath of us. She closed her eyes as she let her mind wonder. It had been a long time since she thought about her father. It wasn't because she didn't want to. Time just snuck on by to the point where she hadn't thought about him in awhile. She was fourteen and he had just closed the shop for the night. It was the dead of summer and Dom had yelled at her earlier for spilling water on the paperwork. She was silent as he pulled the door down. She wasn't in the mood for anyone that night. She was mad and he father knew that.
"Here." He threw the keys in the air causing her to catch them.
"What is this?" Gabriella asked.
"Get in the car." He demanded.
"Do you want me to drive? I don't know how to drive."
"Gab, just get in the car please." She handed him the keys as she slowly climbed into the car. "I know what Dom did and I know that it made you mad. I am sorry for that."
"Where are we going?" She turned her head not wanting to talk about Dom.
"Just wait and see." He smiled at her patting her on the leg.
The tap came again on the door as Gabriella laid her body down on the floor and closing her eyes.
"Get over here if you are going to do Gab." He laughed. She couldn't help but laugh with him. What he was asking was ridiculous. She couldn't do it. "Get over here!"
"You want me to drive this thing?"
"Yes, now come on before I change my mind." He smiled at her. She shook her head as she climbed over the seat and into his lap. "Now listen, I will work the gas you just steer. Keep it straight on the road. We aren't going to turn just go straight."
"Is this really about to happen?"
He laughed. "Just stay calm okay."
"This is crazy!" He pressed down on the gas as she began steering the car on the road. She was driving. She was literally driving her father's car. The car he never let anyone drive. She began to laugh as they went down the road together.
She felt fingers touching her hand causing her to open her eyes. The tears ran down her face as she looked at the familiar hand that was coming from under the door. "I am so sorry." Dom explained. "I didn't mean what I said. It came out wrong. I know you would never tell anyone about what goes on in this family. I know you are worried about us. But you have nothing to worry about Gab. We are good at what we do if we weren't we wouldn't be doing it. Please just open the door for me so I can get off this floor because Letty is looking at me really weird right now."
Gabriella let out a laugh as she let go of his hand and opened the door for him. He was laying on the floor looking up at her. "Thank you." He replied standing up. "Can I come in?"
She nodded her head opening the door wider. "I am surprised this door is still standing with all the slamming you do to it."
"What can I say I like the dramatic effect." She smirked. He closed the door behind him as she went to sit on the bed.
"You've been crying."
"I was just remembering dad. You remember that time you yelled at me for spilling water all over the paperwork at the garage?"
"Yeah, you didn't talk to me for days."
"Did dad ever tell you what we did that night before we came home?"
Dom shook his head. "I was fourteen years old, I think I was more dramatic then than I am now…" She smirked up at him. "He knew how upset I was. I wouldn't even talk to him. He took me down an old back road and let me drive for the first time. I was in his lap. The windows down. Just me and him. I drove for an hour like that. I would give anything to go back to that time Dom. Everything seemed to be right you know. Like nothing could ever go wrong in that moment with him. It was like he was superman or something and he just took life away from us."
"I know what you mean Gab. He has been gone a long time."
She nodded her head. "I think I was starting to forget about him. I don't want to forget him Dom."
"Then don't forget him baby, he will never leave you."
She nodded her head as she moved over to him wrapping her arms around his waist and digging her head into his stomach. "I trust you on this Dom. You said you would do whatever it took to save the garage and the diner. I trust you."
"Thank you for that." He leaned down kissing her on top of the head. "I love you Gab. I really do love you so much."
"I love you too."