AUTHOR NOTES: WARNINGS: In this chapter there is violence and bad language. Hope you enjoy it happy reading!
Chapter#6
Brian knew something was up the moment he saw the same kid for the fifth time in the last five days. It wasn't often he watched his surroundings so much that he would notice him, but since he was so on edge seeing the guy at all the same places had the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He wouldn't normally confront anyone like this, but he was pissed, sleep deprived and on his last leg of patients. As he walked, he took a random turn down an ally, if the guy was following him for some sinister plan, it was the perfect place to do it. Brian was good at watching others out of the corner of his eye so when he made the turn and the guy followed a few moments later Brian whirled around, grabbed the guy by the shirt collar and slammed him against the building wall
"Why the fuck are you following me?!" Brian snarled.
Arms came up to block the kids face as soon as his back hit the wall, a sharp yell and jerk like the guy was expecting to be hit gave Brian pause. This didn't seem like the reaction the person writing the letters would give if confronted
"Dom sent me man!" the guy yelled "look homes, it's not just me Dom's been having you followed for the past week and a half man"
Brian dropped the guy like he was on fire. What the hell did he mean Dom was having him followed? Why the hell would he do such a thing, unless. Fuck, Brian pushes away from the wall and stomps out of the alley. Brian moves towards the SUV the police force gave him as a lone and high tails it to DT's. He was pissed, pissed Dom would have him followed. Pissed because of the most likely reason the bigger man was having it done and more then furious with the fact Dom thought so little of him. When the shop comes into view Brian slams on the breaks and jumps out of the car. The shop is empty besides Dom and Letty but the bigger man takes one look at the fury on the blonde's face and tells him to go to the office. As soon as the door closes Brian explodes
"What's this shit with having me followed!" Brian screams moving forward "do you not trust me to keep this shit away from Vince? Do you think I would allow him to be hurt in any way because of this fucker stalking me?" Dom stands their arms crossed and face impassive with each word that falls out of Brian's mouth. He wasn't giving anything away and with Brian's mood that just pissed him off more "what the fuck Dom!" Brian yells "you should know better than that shit. I love him and if you fucking think I would let this asshole touch him then you're fucking wrong. I'd die before I let anything happen to Vince" while Brian is huffing to catch his breath Dom shifts the slightest bit
"You done yelling now?" Dom asked. The bigger man's calm voice has Brian nodding dumbly. What the hell did it take to make Dominic Toretto react? Did Brian really want to know the answer to that question? "now, sit your ass down because I think I need to correct a few things you just said" one word Brian always associated with Dom was intimidating, his deep voice and big ass arms were not really something Brian wanted on his bad side. Which was saying something when he just threw a damn tantrum. So, Brian did the smart thing, he sat his ass down in the computer chair "one, I did not have you followed to keep Vince safe" when Brian went to open his mouth Dom cut a look his way that had him feeling like a kid who just pissed off his mama "I'm not worried about you dragging Vince into anything, he's a big boy he can take care of himself. I did this because Vince was worried and so was I" Brian blinks, he wants to talk but he really didn't think Dom would like that very much if the glare was anything to go by "I know you love Vince, my issue with this is your ass is going to do something stupid to protect him"
Brian tenses, and he knows from the look on Dom's face the bigger man sees that shit too. It was really fucking hard to get anything past the big bastard
"Vince knows about this?" Brian asked.
He wanted to be pissed he really did, but he was getting that warm feeling again that kept him from doing so
"Yes, Vince is actually with Hector right now, he called Vince and told him he noticed a car that kept popping up when you're out so if you are done with your fit, we are going to go see them" Dom said
And again Brian nodded. Jesus he was twenty-five years old and was currently feeling like a child getting punished by his parents. Which was saying something because he didn't have any of those
(Time Skip/Page Brake)*
Vince glanced up from the table as soon as Brian and Dom entered the store. He raised a brow at the embarrassed look on Brian's face but figured he would wait till later to find out what happened
"Hey baby" Vince called out when Brian slid into the seat next to him
"Hey killer" Brian said in a small voice, his eyes tracking swiftly around the room. Vince was glad Brian was so watchful when he was out and around other people lately but Vince hated how tense the man was these days "Dom said you got something?" Brian said towards Hector getting down to business
"Yeah, a car. It keeps popping up everywhere you are. Work, stores even close to your place and Dom's. Wouldn't think much of it any other time but what are the odds the same car has been everywhere you have gone all week?" Hector said, Brian's eyes narrowed.
He felt like an idiot he was so busy watching the people and their faces he didn't think about looking at the cars
"What kind of car?" Brain asked
"Ford Fairlane Crown Vic, a classic but the things rusted to hell and has no plates. Haven't spotted it recently but I think your man made one of my guys" Hector said.
Brian frowned; the model of the car had a memory tingling in the back of his mind but it just wouldn't come forward
"Where's the last place you seen it? I'm going to go to the station and follow it on the traffic cams" Brian said
"Sitting outside the pawn shop on Elm" Hector said and Brian nodded and stood
"Thanks for the information man" Brian said
"No problem, man, just glad we can help" Hector said.
As Brian turned to leave Vince quickly got up and followed him out of the store
"I'm coming with you" Vince said in a tone that warned Brian not to argue.
With a shrug Brian agreed. Vince was glad the blonde didn't put up a fight but it was telling on how worried he was by how easy the blue eye man agreed to it
(Time Skip/Page Brake)*
It took Brian two hours and three cans of NOS to finally pin down where the car was going every night. Vince was worried about his caffeine intake but he wisely kept his mouth shut. He knew Brian hadn't been sleeping well so if he needed a bit of a boost to keep himself awake so be it. Now Vince was following after Brian as they walked into the office of the storage facility and moved towards the girl behind the desk
"Can I help you gentlemen?" the girl (named Izzy according to her name tag) asked with a sweet smile and a flutter of the eyelashes towards Brian.
Vince wanted to roll his eyes but he really could understand the girl's goo, goo eyes. Brian was in a suit right now. A fine tailored Italian one that hugged his toned body in all the right places
"I'm Detective O'Connor. I'm looking for the storage space for the person driving a classic Crown Vic" Brian said
And Vince couldn't help notice every time Brian spoke of the car his face tightened like he was thinking hard on something
"Oh, I know who you're talking about. Guys pretty creepy but he pays on time and doesn't cause trouble" Izzy said and moved towards the computer and started typing away "let's see, storage space 250 rented out to Axl Rose" Vince snorted while Brian glared at the girl. She frowned at the men in front of her "is there a problem?"
"You rented out a storage space to Axl Rose?" Brian asked with a disappointed shake of his head
"Well yeah, why wouldn't I? He asked for a space and he was paying" Izzy said and tilted her head to the side confused
"Axl Rose is the vocalist of Guns N' Roses" Brian said slowly like he was talking to a toddler. The girl frowned
"Who's that?" Izzy asked and Brian opened his mouth then snapped it back shut
"Do you not do checks on clients? Get pictures of ID's anything?" Brian asked
"Um no, why? Who's Guns N' Roses?" Izzy asked
And Vince was trying really hard not to smack himself in the face. Had this girl been living under a rock? How the hell did she not know who they were? Vince honestly wasn't aware someone could not know a rock band legend like Guns N' Roses
"Just never mind, can I have the key to the storage unit?" Brian asked. Still with a confused frown Izzy dug around under the desk before pulling out the key and handing it over. Brian had a look on his face like he wanted to bitch at the girl and for a moment he thought the blonde would let it go but he turned then stopped "do me a favor from now on, run checks on your renters, get ID's photo copied and the next time someone comes in and says they are the cops ask to see their badge"
With that Brian turned on his heels and moved on Vince kept pace with the blonde, still marveling over the fact the girl was as dumb as a box of rocks. When they reached the storage unit Vince was suddenly worried about what they would find. Brian didn't hesitate though; he leaned down unlocked the pad lock and slid the door up
"Oh fuck!" Vince hissed out when the car sitting in front of him registered "why the fuck did he help put out the fire if he was trying to kill you!"
There sitting in the center of the storage space was the black mustang from the race. The man had been so fucking close to Brian that night. So damn close, and for the life of Vince he couldn't remember what the fuckers face looked like. He had been so distracted by the flames and Brian he hadn't really worried about the guy battling the fire
"It was an act; if he would have fled it would have drawn eyes to him" Brian said in a quiet voice.
The blonde wasn't looking at the car though, so Vince followed his line of sight and froze
"Oh God" Vince whispers as he looks around.
Jesus Christ! Every inch of the walls in the place was cover in photos. All of Brian, all different times and places. Vince moved slowly around the room not touching anything, his eyes moving over the many faces of Brian Matthew O'Connor. Some from the race the night Vince had met Brian. Some from the BBQ at the house. Brian entering his home, some while he sat at his desk at work. He froze then cursed a wild streak. There in a huge eight by ten was one of Vince and Brian together, both clearly in the thaws of love making Brian pressed against a wall with his legs wrapped around Vince's waist. It took everything in his power not to rip the thing off the wall
"This is O'Connor" Vince heard Brian say into his phone "I need a team down at the McCall storage units"
While Brian called it in Vince scanned a few more pictures, some of them were old. Years old in one if Vince had to guess Brian was no older the sixteen and in handcuffs. Probably the day he had been arrested for boosting cars. This guy had been following him since he was a fucking kid
(Time Skip/Page Brake)*
"Hey Brian" a voice rang out
Vince's head snaps up towards the small girl who walks into the storage unit. Her hair was dark cherry red and had shocking green eyes. If Vince didn't have only eyes for Brian this girl was right up his ally with those full lips and pretty dark red hair
"Hey Lynn!" Brian calls out with an easy smile towards the girl.
She carrying a large metal case and is already wearing gloves
"Hot damn buddy" Lynn said with a whistle "this guy is your number one fan" Brian rolls his eyes
"So it would seem" Brian said
"Well, let me get to work and see if I can't get some good finger prints and DNA yeah?" Lynn said,
The girl is smiling like a manic as she whips out a camera and starts flashing away. Brian smiles at her fondly with a chuckle
"Who's the chick?" Vince asked as he steps out of the room to follow Brian who has picture in his hand
"Lynn Summers. She's CSI, she's scary good and can get into the mind of a killer and pick it apart by just looking at the evidence" Brian said
"She looks awful innocent to be doing a job like this" Vince said with a frown. Brian gives a barked laugh
"Don't let that pretty face fool you, she'll gut your ass and get away scott free if she wanted too" Brian said chuckling
"Noted" Vince said. He watches as Brian stares down at a photo with a frown. It was a picture of a car, a Crown Vic to be exact but there was a man in the photo and two kids. One was Brian, Vince glances up to read the emotions on his face and flinches. The guy looks murderous "Bri?"
"Andy Wright" Brian hissed
"What baby?" Vince asked
"Andy Wright, he was the son of one of the foster families I was placed with for a while. He uses to terrorize he hell out of me. Would follow me around, steal my food, pull my damn hair. I was only there for a few months, but I was moved and placed in another home because his mom didn't like me. Why the fuck has he been following me around all these years? I was eleven when I was at his house, he was four years older than me" Brain said
"I don't really want to be that guy but the picking on you was probably his shitty way of flirting" Vince said grimacing.
Why the hell a fifteen-year-old would have been flirting with a child of Brian's age at the time was beyond him, but Vince was suddenly glad Brian had been removed from that house
"He's been following me for thirteen years V" Brian said in an almost lost tone "how the fuck could I not notice that?" Vince kissed his forehead
"Contrary to what you believe you can't notice everything" Vince said
(Time Skip/Page Brake)*
"The guys a ghost Brian" Jordan said after four hours of searching every data base possible "he isn't in any fucking system after he turns eighteen. No speeding tickets, no job records fucking nothing" Brian leans back in his chair and sighs
"He did get the storage space with the fucking name Axl Rose! There's no telling how many false names he's used" Brian said sighing
"Just keep a look out man. We have enough evidence to put him away but we can't do shit if we don't find him" Jordan warns. Brain stands and cracks his back
"Will do man, I'm going to head home for the night" Brian said
He was fucking tired. After the hours they had spent in the storage unit looking at his life in fucking millions of photo's Brian was feeling a bit sick to his stomach
"Let me know when you get home man!" Jordan calls out
Brian pushes his way out the door, he raises his hand to let his friend and partner know he had heard him. When Brian gets to his borrowed SUV he freezes, there's something taped to his window. Eyes scanning his surroundings he moves forward and pulls the envelope off and tears it open. A photo falls out, picking it up Brian's hands shake with rage. It's a picture of him and Vince; his lovers face clearly scratched out. It was the day Vince had carried him into the house when he had been tired from a week's long endless shift at work. There was no letter in the envelope so he flips the picture written in dark red where the words 'His blood won't be as sweet as yours but lovely all the same' with a snarl Brian jumps into the car and speeds towards his house. Vince was supposed to be meeting him there, he wasn't sure if Vince was there yet but he needed to make sure Andy wasn't. There was no way in hell he was letting that fucker lay a hand on Vince he would fucking die first. Brian slams on the breaks fifteen minutes later and only relaxes when he see's he beat Vince here. He relaxes and moves from the car and heads for the door, it's still locked tight but he's still cautions as he enters his hand on his gun. When nothing jumps out at him in the living room, he checks the bathroom then his bedroom and closet. He slowly makes his way to the kitchen and once he realizes it was clear too does, he finally relaxes. With a sigh he removes his gun and places it on the kitchen table. Hands resting on the table top he closes his eyes for a moment to calm himself. The photo had worked him up, the thought of Andy being close to Vince had set him on edge and made his blood boil. He really didn't understand the guy's obsession with him. Brian is so far in his head he doesn't hear the pantry door open, or the silent footsteps of the person behind him. Not till something connects with the back of his head knocking him away from his gun