Ride Home To Me

Epilogue

Race Wars offers comfort and familiarity as I step out of the car and get hit by the smell of grilled food and gasoline. All kinds of hip hop music blasts through different speakers on different cars, each one unique, each one beautiful, and each one waiting in line to do the quarter mile race.

"Any bets going?" I ask Letty.

"Vince is going up against this punk that decided to talk big at him. Dom and I got 500 bucks going. Want in?"

"Kid's mouth is probably bigger than his dick," Vince growls. "I'll show the motherfucker."

"I'll put my money on the kid," I smirk. Vince's nostrils flare and he runs at me. "I'm kidding! Vince I'm kidding!"

Dom comes over with Leon as I get chased around the trailer.

"We got trouble," he says. Vince and I immediately stop and run back over to join the team. I turn to see who it is and roll my eyes.

"Come on man."

"Look who decided to join us again!" Johnny Tran sneers, referring to me.

I push past Dom. "It's been a good couple months Tran. You gotta keep up. Or... have you just been scared now that you're gonna be losing to both me and Dom again?"

My team chuckles. I smirk as Tran's eyes narrow.

"My brother's in prison 'cause of your shitty driving, Hernandez," he growls.

I grit my teeth. "Your brother's in prison 'cause he couldn't tell that there was a snitch in his circle. Not my problem."

"You really think you can come crawling back into Toretto's little boy band and reclaim the title just like that?" he sneers.

"Yeah. I do. I could easily show you why."

He scoffs. "Like you'd be able to beat me after all that time sulking."

"Bet."

He eyes me, but my resolve doesn't budge.

"Unless of course... I was right. And you're scared," I grin. His jaw tightens.

"Alright. What're your terms?"

I turn back to my team, silently asking if I should go through with this. I get a nod from Dom, and turn back to Tran.

"You win, and I'm out of Race Wars the whole season. I won't race, won't bet, won't even come," I say.

"You count us in on that deal. No Gabi, no us," Dom speaks up.

Tran's eyes fill with glee upon hearing that.

"That'll cost me a lot of money Tran. What you offering?"

The realization that he'll have to think of something with the same type of value makes him sink ever so slightly before he hardens and straightens up again.

"I been involved in these jobs," he says. "All I can say is it's difficult but if you pull it off you're leaving comfy with the money. You win, the jobs are yours."

I raise an eyebrow. "How do I know you're not full of shit?"

"I make good on my word, Hernandez," Tran says.

I reach a hand out. "Get my whole team in on it and you got a deal."

He shakes it, and we separate immediately.

"You didn't have to do that Dom," I say, stalking over to my car. "We can't afford to lose that much cash, man. It's been a long time since I raced any of the guys here. What if he doesn't drive like I expect him to?"

"Don't matter," Letty grins. "Long as you don't lose. You got this baby."

I smirk and get into my car, lining it up next to Tran's and looking out at the track in front of me. We finally pull up to the starting line and I tune everything out, training my focus on only the man standing in the middle lane with orange flags in his hands. He points at Tran, then points at me, raises his arms up, and whips them down.

In a flash we're off. My anxiety tries telling me that I'm done for. Tran's gotta have 100 grand under his hood, I haven't raced anyone my level in too long, my car probably shoulda had more NOS hooked up, and more. But when I see Tran in my peripheral view my eyes narrow I floor the gas pedal.

With my back up against the seat, my hands steadying the wheel, I'm both hyper aware of everything going on and in a completely different world. At the last second I kick up the NOS and fly past Tran, zooming across the finish line a whole car length away from Tran.

I get out of the car and go to greet my team, whooping and pumping my fist. I hear Mia cheering for me as I get jostled by Vince and Letty.

I turn to see Tran yell and throw his jacket on the ground by his crew and I grin.

"Never fucking lost my crown hijueputa," I smile at him. "Now what's up with this job you offered me?"

•-•-•-•-•

"So what the hell is it that we're doing again?" Jessie asks, jumping onto the kitchen counter.

I chew on my lip. "We're hijacking shipping trucks," I sigh. "Listen, nobody's gotta do anything they don't wanna do, you hear?"

"Cut it, Hernandez. You know we got your back. Either we do this together, or not at all," Vince says. 

I nod and head outside for a moment.

"You know there's really no going back after this, right?" Letty says, coming up behind me and wrapping her arms around my waist.

I turn against the railing to face her. "It's gonna be dangerous, but... I'm not scared anymore," I admit. "I think we can do this."

She looks at me for a moment and then leans forward and captures my lips in a hungry kiss. My stomach erupts with butterflies and I immediately respond, pulling her closer, tangling a hand in her hair, sliding an arm around her waist to keep her against me.

We pull apart, keeping our foreheads together.

"So are you with me?" I ask quietly, looking up at her. She smiles.

"Ride or die."