Word Count: 1,057/27,373
Chapter 14
Brian spent a restless night on the floor in the main part of the trailer, unable to sleep. Just before dawn, he got up and left. He sat down on the grass, leaning back against the wall to watch the sunrise. He didn't know what to do. He felt horrible withholding the truth from Dom and Mia, but he had to weigh that against Letty's safety.
He couldn't risk it until after they had taken Braga down. He refused to put Letty in any more danger than she already was, even though it was killing him to hurt Dom like this. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there when the door of the trailer opened. Dom didn't say anything as he came over and stood next to Brian, staring down at him.
Brian remained seated, refusing to tense up. He had said his piece last night. If Dom still wanted to kill him after sleeping on it, and now that Mia had left, then he wasn't going to stop him. He'd let it happen.
To his surprise, Dom merely sighed and sat down next to him, one leg stretched out and the other bent, with his arm resting on his knee. "That's what you were talking about in the truck," Dom said, making it a statement rather than a question.
Brian nodded. "Yeah," he said. "And I am so sorry. She called me when she was running from Fenix and I got there as soon as I could. I swear to you, Dom, I had no idea. If I had known that they were killing the drivers, I never would have let her make the run alone, if I even let her make it at all."
"Why didn't you know?"
"FBI doesn't trust me anymore than you do around your crew. They let me in, but they didn't want me within five hundred miles of LA. I wouldn't be here if Letty hadn't come to me for help. She refused to run for anyone else and even then, I had to do a lot of groveling before they agreed to let me come back. I got thrown into the case after the first two UCs had already been killed and I didn't have all the information."
"Everything else you told me?"
"Everything I told you in the truck was the truth. I just left it ambiguous enough that you heard what you wanted to hear, instead of what I was actually saying."
Dom nodded slowly. "Were you ever going to tell me?"
"After. Once it was over. I couldn't afford to have you distracted. It's too dangerous. You could have gotten hurt. I don't like lying to you, Dom. I hate it; I always have. But if keeping you safe means I have to lie, then I will and I won't lose a second's sleep over it. I won't apologize for it. Though I will apologize for helping to tear your family apart again. It wasn't supposed to happen."
"You didn't tear my family apart, Bri. I did. Yeah, you lied to me, but you did your level best to protect us. I'm aware of what would have happened to Vince if you hadn't been there. You got him off that truck when I couldn't. The fact that you were a cop was the only thing that saved his life. You avenged Jesse when I couldn't and then you let me go when you had every right to take me in. I couldn't have stopped you. And I would have deserved it."
"I couldn't," Brian said. "I would have hated myself even more than I already did if I had taken you in."
They sat in silence for a long while before Dom spoke again. "You know, I was mad. I was absolutely furious for a good long while. But I was more angry with myself than with you. I knew. I knew that night at Hector's. I knew Vince was right. But then you went and opened your mouth and I just couldn't believe that a cop could be that stupid."
Brian gave a self-deprecating smirk. "Yeah," he said. "When I was younger, I got used to playing up the dumb blond stereotype. Blond hair, blue eyes, pretty face. 's all anyone ever saw anyway. They never took me seriously. So I stopped trying. It gave me an edge because no one suspected it. Not for very long."
Dom snorted. "That's for damn sure."
They went silent again, watching the rest of the sunrise.
"Do you have a plan?" Dom finally asked.
"Yeah," Brian said, nodding. "A hand to hand with Braga. His product for cash. He gets what he wants, we get an ID. The FBI takes him down. And you walk."
"I walk?" Dom asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Your help at the meet in exchange for your freedom."
"You think they'll go for it?"
"Who? Braga or the FBI?"
"Either. Both."
"Braga can't afford not to. And the FBI won't get the product without your help."
"They could get it from you."
Brian shook his head. "Nah," he said. "I don't know where you hid it."
He could feel Dom studying him intently, but he didn't turn. He couldn't risk Dom seeing anything in his eyes.
"Just what did I do to earn this kind of loyalty?" Dom wondered.
It was low, though, and Brian ignored it, knowing it was more rhetorical than a question Dom wanted an answer for.
"When are we going to to do this?"
"You still have Yashar's number?"
"Yeah."
"Good. I have to go into the office in an hour. I'll arrange things with Penning then you can call Yashar and set up a meet. After the clusterfuck last night, chances are she's with Campos. At the very least, she can get a hold of him for you."
"I arrange the meet, then go sit, surrounded by Feds, and hope that Braga shows?"
"I didn't let them have you before, Dom. I won't let them get you this time, either."
He could feel Dom's stare on the side of his face again and this time he turned, meeting the other man's gaze head on, letting Dom see his determination. Dom searched his face for several long moments before nodding.
"All right," he said. "I trust you."
