I should be writing two term papers, but instead I thought I'd post a chapter... :)

Lots of thanks to: Violet201, xxxlil-miss-mercerxxx, Mrz Letty Ortiz-Toretto, and Lola427 (Alex and Leon are really fun to write! I'm glad you like them!) Ya'll are awesome!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Mickey and Alex

Diamond in the Rough

Chapter 23: Marks

By: LoveInk

Leon heard the Supra's engine and shot a quick look back at the storage closet. Alex and Vince had yet to come out of it. He prayed they would before Dom found them in there. The orange car pulled into the bay next to him. Dom nodded to him in greeting before stepping out of the car. "How's she run?" Leon asked, just to make conversation.

"Seems fine to me," Dom replied, closing the door behind him. "What do you think, Spilner?"

Brian shrugged a shoulder. "I think she's ready for Race Wars."

"V here?" Dom asked, his dark eyes searching the shop.

They settled on Alex who had just walked out of the storage close, looking thoroughly accosted. Leon watched as her eyes met Dom's and a brief look of fright passed through them. She quickly walked over to Leon, smoothing her hair down as she went. "Um. Your part wasn't there," she told him, her voice shaking slightly.

"I bet it wasn't," he mumbled in response, positioning himself between her and Dom.

"What the fuck is she doing here?" Dom growled at him. He had already been irked when Brian had questioned him about what they were doing "on the side", Alex being there was just icing on the cake.

Alex clenched her jaw and grabbed her purse off the ground. "I was just leaving," she stated. Standing on her toes, she pecked Leon's cheek quickly.

"You fucking him too?" Dom's voice asked.

She gave him the sweetest smile she could muster. "Oh yeah. Jess too. Because I'm the town whore, right? Brian-that's your name, isn't it-want a ride?" she asked, acid dripping from her words.

"Lex," Leon warned, watching as Dom stiffened. The bald man did not like to be mocked.

She didn't heed his warning as her eyes fell back on Dominic, alight with anger. "You're an asshole," she stated, her voice deathly calm. "Listen to the way you talk to me. I bet if someone disrespected Mia or Letty like that, you'd beat the crap out of them."

Dom nodded, his fists clenched at his sides. "So?"

"What gives you the right to disrespect me, when you would never allow someone to disrespect them? A bit hypocritical, don't you think?" she challenged, trying to keep her voice from shaking. She was terrified of the man in front of her, but she would not let it show. When he didn't answer, she shook her head. "Exactly. Karma's a bitch, Dom."

"So are you," he shot back.

Alex blinked back the hurt, refusing to let his snide comment get to her. It was useless to fight fire with fire. "You don't know me," she said with a smile. She brushed past Dom, making sure to hit his arm with her shoulder on the way out. "See you later, Lee."

Vince caught the tail end of their conversation as he left the storage room. Dom's angered gaze fell on him, daring him to say something. He clenched his jaw, resisting the urge. Alex had made him promise not to hit Dominic again, insisting that it wouldn't do him any good; Dominic wasn't going to change and if anything, it would just make things more difficult.

Even Leon was quiet in response. He gently closed the hood of his car before chasing after Alex. He found her sitting in her Jeep, her forehead pressed against the steering wheel. Her knuckles were white where they gripped the wheel. He heard her sniffle delicately and frowned. "Please don't tell me you're crying over that," he said, walking around the car to the passenger's side. He reached over the windowless door and unlocked it before climbing in next to her. "You're not a bitch, Lex."

"I'm not crying," she insisted scowling as she leant back in the seat. Her cheeks were dry, eyes clear; she was telling the truth.

"What are you doing then?"

"Trying to calm the fuck down." Alex held out her hand, showing him how it was still shaking. "I can't drive with my nerves like this. I'll crash into a freakin' tree."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Shorty's got some fire in her," he teased, mussing her hair affectionately.

"Fuck off," she muttered, flipping him off.

"Next time hit him. Just do it. One good slap. I know you want to."

Alex's eyes widened at the mere thought of hitting Dom. "Oh my God no!"

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not entirely sure he won't hit me back!"

Leon chuckled, his eyes falling back towards the garage where he could hear yelling. "Sounds like someone's defending your honor."

"I told him to stop doing that," she muttered before she could stop herself. She was entirely too comfortable with Leon. It was hard to keep anything from him.

"I knew it!" he shouted in pumping his fist in triumph. He shook his head at her. "Alex and Vince sittin' in a storage closet F-U-C…"

"Stop that!" she shouted, cutting off Leon's little song. "No one can know! Not even Mickey! Okay?"

His eyes grew serious as he contemplated what she said. "I'm not going to lie to her, Lex."

"I know," she said on a sigh. She ran her fingers through her hair; she'd royally messed up when she let Leon in on their secret. He wasn't the type to lie to his girlfriend, ever. "But you can't tell her either."

"But if she asks I will."

"She's not going to ask," Alex said, rolling her eyes at him. "Why would she ask?"

Leon rolled his eyes. "Because you two are obvious as hell! I knew it from the second he walked into the freakin' garage, Lex! Surf rash? Really? You are the world's worst liar!"

"It's a real thing!" she defended, a smile on her face.

"Yeah, I know, but you can't get it there!"

"Who says?"

"I do!" he stated confidently.

"You're an idiot."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!" he shouted back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Vince approaching. "Look, Ole Coyote himself decided to show up! She's all right, you can go back to work now."

Vince ignored him and approached Alex's side. "You all right, Tiny?"

She gave him a smile. "Yep."

"Except for the surf rash, of course," Leon stated, a devilish smirk on his face. "Looks like you got more here," he said pointing to her neck. "Funny, that wasn't there before you went to the storage closet."

"Get out of here, stupid," Alex said, pushing on his shoulder as though to push him out of her car.

With a chuckle, he jumped down from the car and headed back towards the garage. "Be safe, Lex. Careful with the beard—I mean, surf-rash," he teased with a wink.

She stuck her tongue out at him as he left. "Stupid asshole," she muttered under her breath.

"He knows?" Vince asked. At her nod, he sighed and shook his head at her, a grin pulling up the corners of his mouth. "Tiny I thought I told you not to say anything to him."

She glared at him, not at all amused by his teasing smile. This was all his fault. If he hadn't left her with that huge red mark for everyone to see, Leon wouldn't have even been suspicious! "And I thought I told you not to mark me!"

Okay so Dom's an ass in this one...but next chapter you'll get a little peek into his head and some Dotty ;)

What'd you think? As always reviews are much loved and appreciated!

~Love Ink