Sorry for the wait! Going through some personal issues and writing hasn't been the release that I needed. Hopefully this chapter satisfies!
Letty burst through the hotel room door after retrieving a second duffle bag from her trunk. She dumped the bag filled with heels, wedges, and flats over onto the king-sized bed.
"Take your pick," Letty said before heading back to the bathroom to finish getting herself together. "You wanna go for something comfortable, a lot of standing and walking. And preferably something you can run in."
"There's running involved?" Brooke asked.
"If there's cops involved, yes, running will be necessary," Letty said bitingly.
"Letty, we are two different type of women. You choose comfort, I choose style. Sometimes you can't have both," Brooke said with a smirk as she checked herself over in the mirror one last time. She yanked her tight black skirt down, and smoothed out her white crop-top that was tight across her large breasts and showed off her toned, tan stomach. A few gold accents and light make-up set the outfit off, but she couldn't decide on the right shoes for the occasion.
"Whatever. Pick some damn shoes, Leon should be here soon," said Letty.
"I look so damn good, and I'm gonna ruin the entire outfit if I pick the wrong shoes," she griped while standing over the bed. Her eyes dashed to the black box at the bottom of the bag, and pulled them out. Her gasp of admiration caught Letty's attention.
"Holy shit!" Brooke said while holding up one of the Giuseppe Zanotti cheetah-print wedges. Letty quickly snatched them from her hands. "I have to have them, Letty!"
"No way, B. These are already spoken for."
Brooke pouted and settle for a pair of black spiked Christian Louboutin heels.
"Where'd you say you were going?" Brooke asked as while slipping on the heels.
"I didn't," Letty returned with a smile. "Just for a little drive. I'll take G with me."
A knock came from their room door and Brooke and Ginger both rushed over eagerly. Leon stood on the other side, dressed down in dark jeans and a black and white plaid shirt over a wife beater. His beaming smile was his best accessory.
He let out an impressed whistle at the sight of the gorgeous women standing in the room, "Damn, girls. Y'all look hot."
Ginger frightened them all by letting out a loud bark, followed by a simmering growl. Leon apprehensively took a step back as the dog stood between him and the girls.
"Whoa, girl. Letty, call her off," he panicked.
"Ginger, come here," Letty said sweetly with a snap of her finger, and the puppy's eccentric mood was back once again. "She's overprotective. She can smell your over-excited libido," Letty teased with a smirk.
"I can't wait for her to meet Dom then," Leon grinned and turned to Brooke, "You ready to go, shorty?"
"Yes," she grabbed her leather jacket from the bed and slid it on, "How do I look?"
"You look damn good," he replied.
"Don't encourage her," Letty murmured as she tossed on her own jacket. "I told her you're gonna have a hard time fighting guys off her tonight. They love fresh meat."
"Don't worry, girl. I'll look after her," he said honestly.
"You better. She tends to go for sleazy guys," Letty grabbed the box and her keys.
"You sure you don't wanna go with us? It might be nice to be on the scene again."
"Nah," she declined, "I have something else I need to do, and this might be the only opportunity I can."
"You might need this then," he pulled the pistol from the front of his waistband.
Letty took the weapon from his hands and stared at it for a long while. Though she hadn't been back long, she didn't feel the immediate need for the gun, so she tucked it away under the mattress.
"I won't need it tonight," she said confidently.
Leon accepted that and they wished her luck before heading down to the elevator.
"You nervous?" he asked her once inside.
"What's there to be nervous about?" Brooke asked with a smile. "This ain't my first race, sweetie. My father was kind of a big shot in Miami back in the day, so racers were always around. And hanging with Letty, you learn a thing or two."
They headed out to Leon's waiting Nissan and headed off toward Los Angeles. While riding, Brooke couldn't help but worry about Letty. She knew Letty could handle herself, that was never a question. Brooke just didn't like the thought of Letty being alone, though she knew if anything, Ginger would keep her safe.
"Where do you think she could be going?" Brooke asked during the drive. "She took a box of really nice shoes with her. Said they belonged to someone."
"I'm not sure. I don't think she wants to see Dom, that's why she turned down the races. So my next guess would be Mia. Especially if it has anything to do with shoes."
"You think he'll be there?" The thought never crossed her mind that she might run into Dominic Toretto, the man who broke her best friend's heart. Now she was nervous.
"Oh, he'll be there. Hector already texted to let me know they were in-route," Brooke picked up on the tension in his voice while mentioning Dom.
"You don't seem happy about that. I thought you and Dominic were friends?"
"We were. Then I realized he's like this monstrous tornado, that just destroys every and anything in his path. Just when you think it's over, it comes back with twice as much vengeance... without a care in the world for the people hurt or left behind. He's lost so much running from his mistakes. So have I."
"I know you were really close with Vince and Jesse but you haven't completely lost Letty."
"Are you telling me I lost Vince?" Leon asked, his eyes inquisitive and sad.
Brooke kicked herself hard, "Oh my god, Leon, I'm sorry. I thought you knew about him." A sadness washed over his demeanor and tears welled up in his eyes. His mouth gaped open, unsure of what to say next. "I'm so sorry, Leon. I never know how to keep my mouth shut," Brooke said frustratingly.
"Don't sweat it, kid. You didn't know," Leon managed after a few sniffles. "In a way, I kind of knew. Vince always called, no matter where he was. Once a week, he called to let me know he was alive. Last time I spoke to him was four years ago. He called to let me know Dom and the others were coming to help on this job he was working on. I tried calling after not hearing from him for a week, but the number was disconnected. Never heard from him again. I guess I didn't want to admit that he wouldn't be coming back."
Brooke felt bad for killing the mood with bad news that shouldn't have been spilled from her lips.
"Look at it this way - Jesse's not up there alone anymore. Vince is keeping him company, probably talking about cars and women."
This brought a smile to Leon's face, and Brooke felt a little better. He looked over and gave a thankful smile.
Minutes later, Brooke noticed that they were speeding in the same direction of several colorful, low-riding cars and her anxiety spiked. She knew that they were closing in on their destination, and she was getting excited. Reggaeton music grew louder as they drove further into the Warehouse District. A few stragglers at the entrance turned into dozens milling about. Half-naked women and ice-out racers cleared a path for their arrival, clapping and cheering at their presence.
"This is incredible."
Leon and Brooke shared keen smiles. She was undoubtedly good looking, and she couldn't have been all bad if Letty was willing to take her under her wing, but he wasn't interested in making a move on her. At least not yet.
"Things might move pretty fast, so stay in the car until we get to the race site. Once we're there, stay close. We need to be alert in case cops show."
"You ready for this?" Brooke asked as she followed his line of vision to the bulky men standing a few feet away. She immediately recognized the man known as Dominic Toretto even without knowing him. His presence was commanding as he leaned against his muscle car (which looked as threatening as he), arms crossed and his face stoic. He stood with confidence as he, along with the others, strained to see who was occupying Leon's Nissan.
Leon took a quick deep breath before turning to her with a grin, "Yeah, I'm good. Stay here."
Brooke nodded and watched as Leon greeted the cheering fans waiting outside of the car. The people seemed genuinely happy to see him, all but Dominic. He seemed unsure, and his body language read as tense.
While waiting, Brooke decided to shoot Letty a quick text.
"Hope everything's OK. Leon is great, and I F'N love LA!"
Brooke looked up as men began handing over cash to buy into the first race. As most of the crowd headed off, Leon and the others stood around talking. It was then that Brooke finally noticed the ruggedly beautiful man standing on Dom's left. While she deemed Dom 'cute', his friend was more her type. He didn't speak, but instead watched on intently, his face cautious as he scanned the crowd of people. From her place in the car, he looked sexy, but she needed a better look, so she stood out of the passenger door.
"I thought we came to watch a race?"
When all the boys turned her way, Brooke was able to get a more in-depth look at the beefy blonde. He removed his dark sunglasses and eyed her up and down. Curiosity finally got the best of him when she heard him ask...
"Who is that?"
"No one. Brooke, get in the car."
She ignored Leon's ordered as she continued her staring contest with the blonde brute. She felt other eyes on her and turned to Dominic, who was watching her suspiciously. Brooke was certain she had never met him, but he stared as if he was trying to recall how he knew her. His intense glare became too much and she turned back to his friend, a playful smirk spreading across his lips. The dimples on either side of his lips swooned Brooke and she grew determined to meet the bad boy.
Just as she was ready to make her move, Leon turned and headed her way. He slid in the car without speaking, and she threw the Blonde one last grin before following suit. She was thankful for the tint that hid her staring as they rode by. "I fucking love L.A," Brooke said. "What was all that about?"
"Getting reacquainted is all," he said through clenched teeth.
"Men," she sighed, "If you're upset, tell him he was being a dick and get over it. Life's too short to lose out on genuine friends because of pride. Besides, you have the upper-hand. At the moment, you have Letty in your corner."
Leon mused over Brooke's logic, but kept quiet as they closed in on the race site. Four cars lined up at the starting line and a scantily clad woman stood in front of them, ready to send them off. Leon parked next to Hector's Honda, where on the other side of him stood Toretto and his crew.
"Remember what I-"
"Uh-huh," Brooke cut him off and quickly shot out of the car before he could stop her. The roaring engines a few feet away were harsh on her ears but Brooke kept her cool as she sauntered over, ignoring the catcalls and whistles aimed at her. She followed Leon over to Hector, where the hyper Latino was taking side-bets.
"What's up, chica?" Hector grinned as showed no trepidation for checking her out. "Leon, you didn't say your date would be this fine."
Her eyes scanned him right back, taking in his shining bald head, his sleazy smile, and his chubby belly before zooming in on his wedding band, "Now, would Mrs. Hector be happy to know you're ogling young girls?"
"What she doesn't know won't hurt her," he replied with a corrupt grin, getting a rile from his crew and surrounding partiers.
"Bullshit," Mr. Manbun's silky voice entered the conversation as he strutted over, "Yvette would have you hung up by your balls if she knew you were trying to spit game."
The crowd seemingly agreed, egging on the playful banter. Hector's delight faltered.
"Look at his face," Brian pointed with an infectious smile that Brooke couldn't help but admire. She hadn't had much of an opinion of him before, but that smile... it was beautiful. "He's bummed because he knows it's true."
Leon cut in with a chuckle, "All right, leave Hector alone. Let's get going."
Hector waved his hand at the race mediator, and she readied the racers. Though they all turned to face the racers, watching as smoke kicked up as the four bullets sped down the road, Brooke couldn't help stealing glances at Mr. Manbun. He was even better looking up close; his eyes a dreamy blue and his perfect white teeth appeared behind a cute smile.
"What's your name?" she asked straight-forwardly.
"Oz. Oz Daniels," he said while holding out his hand, "And you're Brooke..."
"Jackson," she smiled, allowing her smaller hand to be swallowed by his much larger one. They stayed that way for a long while, staring and smiling as they held hands. The sudden 'Ooh' of the crowd startled her back to reality and she and Oz turned to the race. Thick, white smoke billowed up from a collision on the track into the black skies above.
Dozens of racers scattered to their cars and hightailed it down the road, along with Hector's cousin who owned a tow truck.
"This bring back any memories, O'Conner?" she heard Dom ask in his deep, baritone voice as he looked at Brian with a grin.
The last name sent ringing through Brooke's head as if she was immersed in water. She knew of a man named Brian O'Conner, but could he be the same man who caused the downfall of her family? What were the chances?
"You okay? You look pale," Oz asked, his fingertips grazing her hand.
"Yeah," she lied through a smile, "I'm good. Just a little tired, didn't sleep much last night."
Leon excused himself to mingle, leaving Brooke to stand with Oz alone. She kept quiet and watched as the racers returned, one car hooked to the back of the tow with serious front-end damage and another with a crushed tail-end. Hector's boy Ruiz happily took his eight-thousand dollar winnings, while Hector began setting up the next race.
She watched as the young racers flocked to Dominic, some for advice, some welcoming him home, and some just to shake his hand, and Brooke could see why Letty was attracted to him. He was influential to these young men living the fast lifestyle. Some would even call him legendary - a kid from the streets who hustled his way to the top and took his friends with him. But then she remembered her best friend's hellish life, and knew that Dom's prolific rise had come with costs.
When Dom looked over, catching her staring, she turned away. In no way did she want him to believe she was interested.
"So I take it you're not his date tonight?" Oz asked, looking down at her with blasé grin. That was another reason she liked him; being only 5'6", she always loved a taller man.
"And why do you assume that?" Brooke taunted back, leaning on the hood of the Nissan. Letty was right - the heels were already kicking her ass, but she stayed cool.
"No man brings a date to a street race, then leaves to talk to someone else. Not with all these horny racers around with their pockets filled with thousands."
Brooke gave a nod, "That is true. Friend of a friend."
"A friend of a male friend?" he pushed, his grin sexy and coy.
"What man would be okay with his girlfriend going to a street race with just his friend?" she threw back at him, and he nodded in amusement.
"That's also true. Especially dressed like that," Oz's eyes scanned her thick thighs quickly before meeting her flirtatious blue eyes again, a smile spreading across her lips.
"What's wrong with my clothes?" she asked.
Oz shook his head with a chuckle and she playfully slapped his arm, both turning back to the track, where everyone awaited the start of the next race.
"What do you say, Toretto? For old times sake?" Edwin asked as he pulled a stash a cash from his pocket and held it up.
A wide grin spread across Dom's face, and he turned to Brian with an eager grin.
"We're in. We need a fourth.." Brian turned to to Leon, "What about you, Diaz?"
"Nah," Leon declined, "Not on this bum leg. I'm just spectating tonight."
"I'll take that bet," a woman's voice came from the crowd. The men watched as a beautiful, caramel-skinned girl pushed her way to the front. Brooke watched the nonverbal exchange between Dom and the woman, and wondered just what their relation was. She wasn't flirting like the other women, but she didn't look happy with him either.
"I thought you were busy tonight?" Oz called her out.
"I was, and now I'm not," she quipped back before turning back to Dom, whose eyes were dragging over the woman's tight jeans and dark tank-top. "What's the buy-in?"
"Five grand buy-in, winner takes all," Dom announced, challenging her back.
The racers put up their cash and retreated to their cars.
"Who the hell is that? And what's her deal with Dom?" Brooke asked Oz, who kept his position next to her.
"Billie Ramsey. She's a member of our crew, and a hell of a mechanic. They have a strange back and forth thing."
"How so? Are they an item?"
"No. She adores him, and he can't get over his ex. They've messed around a few times, but the timing is never right."
"She's gorgeous. Can't believe he'd turn her down," Brooke admitted.
"That she is. But his heart belongs to Letty. He knows it and she knows it. But Billie's been known to hold a grudge, especially when her heart is broken."
"Nothing like a woman scorned," Brooke said knowingly, and Oz agreed.
The four cars lined up and the mediator readied them for battle. At the drop of the bandana, the cars shot off the line. The crowd erupted in cheers as Dom's front-end kissed the sky, his Charger speeding off on two-wheels.
The race was over in seconds and the cars sped back to the start. Edwin stepped out first, his face twisted up in frustration, giving away his loss. Billie stepped out next, a shit-eating grin directed towards Brian in the white Charger.
"I can't compete with that thing. Damn American muscle," he cursed Mia's prized car.
"You're losing your touch, O'Conner. Third place?" Dom teased as he approached, a victorious smile on his face.
"Shut up," Brian pouted as he watched Dom collect his winnings. "Mia's gonna kick my ass."
"Can I talk to you?" Billie directed to Dom. He nodded and the two stepped out of earshot, but Brooke kept her eyes on them. She watched as they exchanged a few words before Billie showed him something on her phone. Dom's face went from calm to furious, and he turned to look directly at Brooke.
Alarms went off in her head. Something wasn't right.
"Leon!" Brooke hollered, interrupting his conversation with a blonde bimbo. His head whipped around, "Time to go."
Leon turned to Dom as he was sliding in his Charger, slamming it in reverse and peeling off.
"What's going on?" Oz asked, finally picking up on Brooke's uneasiness.
"I have to go," she pulled a pen from her clutch and grabbed his hand, scribbling down her number. "Call me, sometime."
Brooke hustled to the passenger side of the car and waited for Leon to make his way through the crowd. Not even seconds later, someone in the crowd warned that cops were headed their way, and it didn't take long for the congregation to break up. Leon precisely manuevered around cars and people, careful not to take out any bystanders during their get-away.
"What happened?" Leon asked as they finally broke from of the tangled mess of cars. "Where's Dom going?"
"I don't know. Billie pulled him to the side and showed him something on her phone. Next thing I know he's staring me down with daggers before he took off. Something tells me it has to do with Letty."
"You're probably right. Get in touch with her, tell her to get back to the hotel. And put your seat-belt on."
"Wow, so you mean Leon was married to a blonde version of you?" Mia asked with a laugh from her seat on the lounge chairs on the porch deck. Letty occupied the accompanying chair, while Ginger chased Jack eagerly through the spacious home.
"Hell no," Letty replied, grinning herself, "I can be a bitch, but this woman was an ice queen. I wanted to slap the taste from her mouth."
"How was her style? Was she at least well-dressed?" Of course, Letty thought. Only Mia would be concerned about her fashion sense.
"Incredibly," Letty admitted. "She could be pretty if her attitude wasn't so disgusting."
"Isn't that always the case," Mia agreed. "Wow, I can't believe you ran into Leon. I haven't seen him in... years."
"Since my funeral," Letty pushed and Mia closed up. It was still a touchy subject for Mia, but it wasn't any better for Letty either. "What happened?"
"I was completely shocked when he showed up to your funeral after being a ghost for so long, but I wasn't surprised. That boy loved you, he was just as distraught as I. He came by the house a few hours later to get details on what happened, and I just couldn't keep it all in anymore. Being on my own for so long, I needed someone to vent to. Dom showed up a few hours later, and Leon decided to give him a piece of his mind."
"Oh shit," Letty said, "Did they fight?"
"Not really. Leon only got one good punch in. Dom wanted to crush him, but instead he pulled Leon in and consoled him. Then Leon took off. Never came back."
"He's holding a hell of a grudge against Toretto."
"Probably me, too. I told him that it wasn't Dom that forced you on the Feds, that nobody could make you do something you didn't want to. He took it as me blaming you for your death."
"I can see that," Mia's eyed downcast to the deck floor, "but you were right. I make my own choices, and therefore, I have to deal with the consequences on my own. No matter how shitty they are."
"You don't have to deal on your own, you just choose to. You've always been stubborn that way."
"You call it stubborn, I call it responsibility," Letty shrugged. "Anyway, how's the married life? Has Brian lost his charm yet? You know they say the first year is the hardest."
"It's not exactly a cake-walk, but Brian still has plenty charm," Mia smiled brightly. "Sometimes I feel like I've trapped him, though. New wife and kid, the fast life and fast cars behind him. And with work at the hospital being as hectic as it is, he's stepped up a lot to take care of Jack, but sometimes I feel like he's not completely happy."
"I mean he and Dom still have the garage, right? I'm sure he gets his fix then."
"Considering we live in Seattle, Washington, no, he's not getting his adrenaline fix," Mia said earnestly.
Letty was shocked, "He let Brian take you out of the state? Wow. When?"
"About six months after you left. He took it pretty hard."
Letty almost felt bad for Dom. He had been dealt two crushing blows, one heart-break after the other. She downed her guilt with a swig from her water bottle.
"Just because the Buster turned into Mr. Mom doesn't mean he's not happy. It just means he's mature enough to settle down when he sees fit, I.E with you and Jack in Seattle. He wouldn't do it if he didn't love you. Trust me - you shoulda seen the look on his face when he found out Owen had you kidnapped. I've never seen such pain like that in a man's eyes before."
"Then you haven't seen Dominic lately," Mia said. Her face was apologetic, but Letty waved it away. She checked her phone for the first time since leaving the hotel, noting that it was almost two in the morning, and the races would be over soon if they weren't already. She needed to get a head start away from the beach before the boys came back. "Mia, it's getting late. I gotta take off."
Mia started to protest, but stopped herself, putting on a small smile instead, "I know. I'll see you soon?"
"Maybe sooner than you think," Letty insinuated. They stood to their feet and hugged, neither anxious to let go of the other. Letty felt so at home in Mia's arms that she found it hard to leave, but she knew she had too. "Jacky!"
The tot came hurtling toward the open sliding doors, with a smile that was identical to his father's and Ginger hot on his feet. Letty caught him just in time, grabbing him before he could take out her legs. Ginger skidded to a stop a few feet away, nearly falling off the porch. This sent Jack into a fit of giggles, his arms clinging around Letty's neck. Her heart warmed at his affection, she knew she would hate herself not being around to see him flourish.
"When are you leaving for Seattle again?"
"Next Sunday after the barbecue."
"Well, I'll check in before you go," Letty kissed Jack's cheek and sat him back down. "You be good for Mommy and Daddy, okay? And do me a favor - don't tell Uncle Dommie I was here, okay? We're playing a really hard game of hide-and-seek, and I don't want him to find me yet, okay? He's really good."
Jack seemed to understand and gave a silly nod. Letty and Mia embraced next, both satisfied with how well the secret meeting went. They promised once again to see the other soon. They pulled away when Mia's phone began ringing. As Mia answered, Letty's text alert's starting buzzing.
"Something's up with DT. He took off. I think he knows you're in LA. Wherever you are, be safe!"
"Thanks for the heads-up. Taking off now," she wrote back.
"That was Brian. Something happened, they're on the way," Mia said panicked.
"I heard. Ginger, let's go!"
Letty and her pup rushed to the Camaro and she hightailed it back up the coast. She remained calm as she put the pedal to the floor, weaving between light traffic on her way to the highway. A red light stopped her at the highway entrance, and her nerves quickly rushed back. She could hear the faint roars of high-priced modified engines in the distance and stared down the red stoplight, anxious for the go-ahead. A loud rumble coming from her left caught her attention, and Letty looked over to the ramp exit, where an intimidating charcoal-black Charger sat waiting.
For the first time in two years, Letty locked eyes with her ex-boyfriend of fifteen years. The walls felt like they were closing in on her as he stared her down. She wasn't sure if it was relief or melancholy on his face, but he didn't break the glare. The moment was short-lived as a massive 18-wheeler rolled by, blocking their view. Letty took the opportunity and risked the ticket as she floored it through the red-light, taking the sharp left onto the ramp and hauling ass onto the freeway. Ginger whined and crawled into the back floorboard as Letty reached speeds of ninety miles per hours, effortlessly zig-zagging through the weekend traffic to put distance between herself and Dom.
Letty peered in her rear-view and gave herself the all-clear, so she kicked it down to seventy while anxiously digging for her smokes. She needed one now more than ever, with her hand trembling on the gear stick. After taking a hard, much-needed drag, Letty relaxed back into her seat as she settled her car between two trucks. They cloaked her dark car and she felt pacified about the showdown.
That was until she glanced into her rear-view again, and saw those familiar headlights beaming down on her.