You ride. I ride.

43. Survive

<Dom's POV>

"Don't tell me he's the father?" I asked Letty accusatorily. And that's when a fist met my face. To my surprise it wasn't Letty but Leon standing over me, holding his hand in pain. 

"Fuck, ugh that hurt," he was yelling now. 

"We got a runner!" Vince interrupted the fight when the little girl started running around the garden, smoothly escaping from Vince who was failing miserably at catching up to her. Letty resolved the issue quickly as she picked up the girl as she was running by. She just glared at me one last time before going inside the house. 

"Are you alright?" Elena asked as she examined my eye which was going to bruise at some point. 

"Yeah, I'm good. What the fuck was that, Leon?" And then everyone started yelling. I lost track of what I was saying but it was a bunch of insulting and defending my actions. 

"Everyone enough!" Mia yelled loudly, causing everyone to shut up. Even when we were little she had possessed the ability to make people do what she said. "Can we please just have lunch on this Sunday like any other." 

"I don't think Letty's gonna agree to this," Leon piped in. Why was he being so protective over Letty all of a sudden? 

"What about me?" She asked still carrying the girl with her. 

"Do you mind if Dom stays here for lunch." 

She didn't blink as she answered: "As long as he doesn't punch anyone." 

"Good, so everyone, sit down now," Mia ordered. Everyone slowly started taking their seats. Elena and me next to Mia, Letty all the way on the other side of the table next to her daughter. It was weird to say that. Letty had a daughter. I never pictured Letty as a mother. At least not without me in the equation. 

"So, Dom what are you actually doing here? You know tell us everything that happened!" Mia tried to start a conversation. Was I really supposed to ignore the fact that Letty was cutting the chicken for her freaking daughter? She is a mother. What the hell? I still didn't know whose it was. She might have gotten back together with Owen? Or was it someone from this table? It was pretty likely. Everyone seemed to be really close. 

"Dom?" Elena nudged me in the side. 

"Oh, yeah. Well, I made a deal with the FBI and now I'm free." I wanted to keep things short. 

"Mommy, who is she?" The little girl pointed at Elena. "You're pretty," she said to her. I could see the whole table, including Letty tense up.

"I don't really know sweetheart," Letty answered. 

"I don't think this party has ever been so quiet," a British voice emerged. So it was Owen. To my surprise, it was his older brother, Stephen, or something. What the hell was he doing here?

"DADDY!" Letty's girl jumped up and ran towards him, hugging him. Daddy? That dude was her father? 

"Hey princess," he picked her up from the ground, seating her on his shoulders. What the hell?

"I see that we have visitors. Hi, I'm Deckard," he introduced himself to Elena and shook her hand. His expression didn't falter for a second when he patted me on the back. "Dom."

I, on the other hand, must have looked like I had seen a ghost. 

"I'm so sorry for being late, I was so busy at work," Deckard pecked Letty on the lips and sat down next to her, with his daughter on his lap. 

Mia looked at me full of pity. Why hadn't she told me? We talked to each other every few months. 

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"Deckard, really?" The statement slipped out of my mouth as soon as Letty and I were alone. Everyone had gone inside to watch a movie. 

"You're one to judge Dom." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"You disappeared for five years, what was I supposed to do?" 

"Not get pregnant by the next guy that comes your way?" 

Letty slapped me. Fuck. She was still feisty. 

"You have a girlfriend as well so don't pretend like I should have waited for you." 

"That's not what I was saying."

"But that's what you were thinking, right?" 

She wasn't wrong. I had always assumed that Letty wouldn't date anyone after me. Maybe for a few months. But as serious as this? 

"How does that even work? I am gone for a few months and you just get knocked up by the ex-boyfriends older brother? Did I somehow break you that bad?" I knew that I was pushing her buttons but I was so angry at her. How could she have a daughter? 

"Listen to me, Dom. I don't know why you're back but I'm telling you one thing. Stay away from my daughter," she quickly rushed inside. 

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"What was I supposed to do Dom?" Mia yelled back at me. Letty, Deckard, and their daughter had left a few minutes ago, giving me the opportunity to talk to Mia. 

"Tell me that she has a daughter! For god's sake, you should have told me!" 

"I tried to tell you, Dom. She tried to even tell you herself. Remember? But you didn't listen. You hung up the phone as soon as she started talking. So don't you dare put the blame on me. The position you're in right now is your fault."

I remember that day. It had been a few months since I had left the US. I had just gotten settled in brazil and was working at a mechanics store. I called Mia every few months to check up on her. The first few times I had asked about Letty as well. But soon it became unbearable for me to hear about her. I felt guilty every time she spoke her name. After all, she had warned me about what would happen. 

So I told Mia that I didn't want to hear about her anymore. I didn't mean to push her away. I just had did what I had to do in order to survive.