T2 - Racer's Heart

Chapter 8

"I wanted to fight it on principle, you would never accept me having a relationship with him. It wasn't the right thing to do but I couldn't fight it any other way. Once I saw what Verone was really capable of I was scared shitless. I did my very best to remain distant from his business side and it was for that exact reason."

"Yeah, I heard about the rat too."

"I don't work with cops, it's not something that I do but suddenly I found myself helping Brian and Monica to take down someone I considered to be like family. After all of that was over we stood in Florida for a while but I missed home, so we came back. Brian got reinstated and went back to work."

"Where does Letty come in?" Dom asked.

"I didn't tell her or Mia that I was with Brian, they thought it was a long-term booty call. Letty came to me one afternoon and said she knew that I was with him. I tried to deflect, tried to make excuses but she said she saw a picture of me and Brian on his desk."

"She went to him."

"Yeah, she wanted to bring you home so she offered her assistance in exchange for wiping your record. Mia wasn't very happy with my information though, we didn't tell her about Letty working with him."

"Why not?"

"There was no need for Mia to be mad at both of us. Then after what we've been through I made Brian promise me that there would be no more undercover work. No more lies."

"He broke that promise when Letty died."

"Yup and he didn't even tell me."

"How did you find out?"

"He came home after the race that he lost fuming mad. Brian, he was pacing in the apartment when I walked in and blurted it out. I made the appropriate deductions that both of you idiots were trying to do what Letty couldn't."

"Charlie . . ."

"Don't even try to explain it because it makes no sense! Look at what you've gotten into, both of you! You keep doing this to us, to our family, aren't the people we've already lost enough?" I asked him.

"Of course it is, you're not gonna lose anyone else."

"Yeah right, by the time this is over . . ."

"Everything will be taken care of. Are you going back to your apartment tonight?" he asked.

"Your "everything will be taken care of" means that I'm gonna lose someone again. I was packing my things to leave when Brian called me. "

"Charlotte, don't do that."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't leave over this, don't break up with him over this. He loves you."

"Don't get involved, this is my private life."

"I'm just trying to help."

"You're not, I'll appreciate that."

"Are you staying here or leaving?" he asked.

"I'm going home, the cops have no reason to suspect if I go there."

"Good night."

"Good night . . . be safe." I added before leaving.

The next two days were literal hell for me. Even though I didn't really want to talk to either of them because I wanted to hit them, not hearing from them was worse. I took a week off from work, stated it as a family emergency because I just can't concentrate on anything.

I've been having this recurring nightmare, two days in a row now, where the police come to my door to give me the notice that they're both dead. I don't know what's going on and I don't know what to do about that. It's not easy for me, knowing what the outcome might be, to not hear from them but now I don't know where to look.

Three days after I left Dom at the old family garage I woke up to find him in the house.

"You idiot! Where have you been?" I cried.

"It's okay, we're okay." he said.

We spent the afternoon in the house quietly. I cleaned up a bit and Dom went to the garage to work on the car. After I was finished with my self imposed household duties I went outside and just watched him.

"God, only my family can make me cry like this. I didn't hear anything from anyone and I thought . . . you're an idiot." I complained, hitting him in the shoulder.

"I'm sorry, we had some things to take care of that didn't work out quite as we had thought."

"When is this gonna be over?" I asked, pulling away.

"Soon, I promise."

"What does that mean?"

"Once this is over, I'm leaving again."

"Of course, I keep losing my family members."

"Don't look at it like that."

"How am I supposed to look at it, Dominic? I'm not trying to be selfish but how am I supposed to see this? Letty's dead, Mia's happy and blissfully unaware with Vince, Jesse's dead, Leon's gone and you're leaving." I argued.

"You're not counting Brian."

"No, I'm not."

"Okay, I won't go there. I have to leave Charlie, it's the only way I won't go to jail but I promise I'll call you as much as I can without getting you into trouble."

"Yeah, whatever, I'm going to go get something to cook because there's nothing here."

"What have you been eating?" he asked.

"Cereal and bagels."

"That's not . . ."

"I'm leaving now." I shouted, walking away.

For the sake of keeping my sanity, I decided to walk to the little grocery store down the block. I got enough food for the two of us for tonight, then decided I would go in the morning to get more food depending on how long he's gonna be here.

When I got back to the house I looked into the garage and saw Brian, who at the same time looked up at me. I felt the tears pooling but I wasn't willing for him to see it. Taking a deep breath I walked into the kitchen, placing the bag on the counter and fighting the traitorous tears that started to fall.

I started to take the things out of the bag knowing that I wasn't alone. Ignoring him seemed like the best idea but he had other plans.

"Hey."

He grabbed my arm and pulled me around to look at him. For a second he just looked at me but quickly enough he slid his hand over my cheeks to wipe the tears away then around my neck and he moved in to kiss me. It feels like it did when we were in Miami; I want to fight it, fight him but I can't and if I'm being honest I don't really want to. Not now, knowing that I might lose him forever. I'm a very contradictory person, just batshit crazy.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. He put his hands on my waist and picked me up to place me on the counter before pulling his sweater off. Grabbing his shirt I pulled him in for another kiss and wrapped my legs around his waist. I don't want there to be an inch of space between us.

As soon as his sweater was off his hands came back to my waist. He pulled my legs off of his waist and scooped me up bridal style, taking off for my bedroom. As soon as he kicked the door shut and laid me on the bed his hands were everywhere. My shirt and shorts were gone in a second and I made sure to repay the favor.

We didn't have a long time and with my cousin in the house, it's not like we've got the privacy that we liked. It didn't matter though, I was thoroughly satisfied and I made sure he was too. I didn't want to let go of him, I didn't want to let him leave the room and he knew it.

"I . . ." I started to say but I couldn't get it out.

"I love you, Charlotte Toretto." he said, tipping my head up for a kiss.

"You're leaving with him aren't you?" I whispered.