{"id":5344,"date":"2016-07-04T08:00:55","date_gmt":"2016-07-04T15:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/?p=5344"},"modified":"2016-10-20T10:20:49","modified_gmt":"2016-10-20T17:20:49","slug":"seven-days-of-summer-2016-july-4th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/seven-days-of-summer-2016-july-4th\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven Days of Summer &#8211; 2016: July 4th"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/bar-banner_sevendays2016.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5323\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/seven-days-of-summer-july-1st\/bar-banner_sevendays2016\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/bar-banner_sevendays2016.jpg?fit=500%2C150&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"500,150\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"bar-banner_sevendays2016\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/bar-banner_sevendays2016.jpg?fit=500%2C150&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5323\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/bar-banner_sevendays2016.jpg?resize=500%2C150\" alt=\"bar-banner_sevendays2016\" width=\"500\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/bar-banner_sevendays2016.jpg?w=500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/bar-banner_sevendays2016.jpg?resize=150%2C45&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/bar-banner_sevendays2016.jpg?resize=400%2C120&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"wordpress-post-tabs tabs_5344_0_wrap wordpress-post-tabs-skin-default\"\"><div id=\"tabs_5344_0\"><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5344#tabs-5344-0-0\" ><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5344#tabs-5344-0-1\" >Watchdog - Snippet<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5344#tabs-5344-0-2\" >Shifting Tides - Rework Snippet<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"wpts_cl\"><\/div><div id=\"tabs-5344-0-0\"><\/div><div id=\"tabs-5344-0-1\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/banner_Watchdog-final.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5319\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/seven-days-of-summer-2016-july-4th\/banner_watchdog-final\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/banner_Watchdog-final.jpg?fit=500%2C208&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"500,208\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"banner_Watchdog-final\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/banner_Watchdog-final.jpg?fit=500%2C208&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5319\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/banner_Watchdog-final.jpg?resize=500%2C208\" alt=\"banner_Watchdog-final\" width=\"500\" height=\"208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/banner_Watchdog-final.jpg?w=500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/banner_Watchdog-final.jpg?resize=150%2C62&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/banner_Watchdog-final.jpg?resize=400%2C166&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/banner_Watchdog-final.jpg?resize=387%2C160&amp;ssl=1 387w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Title:<\/strong> Watchdog<br \/>\n<strong>Author:<\/strong> Bj Jones<br \/>\n<strong>Rating:<\/strong> R<br \/>\n<strong>Summary:<\/strong> Birth of Aiden Pierce &#8230;<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p>Nico was surprised there weren&#8217;t any Hunters in his room, when he woke up.\u00a0 He dug out his phone from the drawer put it back together, and scrolled through the few dozen text messages.<\/p>\n<p>He dialed Warrick&#8217;s number.<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8216;So you&#8217;re talking to us again?&#8217;\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Well at least Ernesto isn&#8217;t on his way,&#8221; Nick paused, &#8220;tell me he&#8217;s not on his way.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8216;It would serve you right, but no I got the message.&#8217;<\/em>\u00a0 Warrick sighed, he could hear him shifting around in their bed.\u00a0 With a glance to the clock, he realized it was likely 5am in New Orleans<em>.\u00a0 &#8216;I worry.&#8217;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I know, but I didn&#8217;t need Hunters in my hotel room.&#8221;\u00a0 He lay back down on the bed.\u00a0 &#8220;Whatever this is, trust me to deal with it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8216;I will.\u00a0\u00a0 So what do you think this is?&#8217;<\/em>\u00a0 He asked curiously.\u00a0 <em>&#8216;It seems a bit odd.&#8217;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A meeting.&#8221;\u00a0 He looked over to the closet where the suit was still hung up.\u00a0 It was a well-crafted garment, definitely not off the rack, tailored made to fit Nick.\u00a0 Just the Nick from a few years ago.<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8216;About what?&#8217;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;No idea.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8216;Think this could be Galileo?&#8217;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;No, this is way too sophisticated.&#8221;\u00a0 He sat up in the bed.\u00a0 &#8220;And if I had thought for a moment this was Galileo I would&#8217;ve called Ernesto the moment I got off the plane.&#8221;\u00a0 And requested he bring his kid.<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8216;Fucking hell.&#8217;<\/em>\u00a0 Nick&#8217;s eyebrows shot up at his Mate&#8217;s exclamation.\u00a0 <em>&#8216;I just got a text message that I&#8217;m needed at the lab.\u00a0 Seriously we were never this stupid on night shift, and the lab rats weren&#8217;t this needy.&#8217;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was Grissom.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8216;Think I can get him back into the lab?&#8217;<\/em>\u00a0 Warrick asked.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;No.&#8221;\u00a0 He chuckled.\u00a0 &#8220;Gil&#8217;s enjoying teaching.\u00a0 He&#8217;s good at it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8216;Horatio got me into this shit, I&#8217;m waking the proud papa up.&#8217;<\/em>\u00a0 He paused for a moment on the other line.\u00a0 <em>&#8216;Keep me posted.\u00a0 I don&#8217;t care if you contact Van Helsing or any other Hunter, just keep me posted.&#8217;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I will.\u00a0 I promise.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Nick hung up the phone, and went for a shower.<\/p>\n<p>When he got out, there was breakfast waiting.\u00a0 He had heard the waiter come into the suite, but hadn&#8217;t sensed any threats.\u00a0 When he emerged, there was eggs benedict waiting for him, and a note tucked under the plate.<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8216;Mr. Stokes.\u00a0 A Taxi will be waiting downstairs at 9am.&#8217;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Ten minutes before 9, Nico stood in front of the mirror soothing down the tie.\u00a0 He couldn&#8217;t button the jacket, without seriously constricting the movement of his arms.\u00a0 He hadn&#8217;t realized how much muscle mass he had put on, in the past year.<\/p>\n<p>With a sigh, he grabbed his phone and wallet, tucked them into his pocket and made his way downstairs.<\/p>\n<p>Exactly at 9am, there was a taxi waiting for him.<\/p>\n<p>Nico looked up the street to see Hannibal sitting on the Harley he inherited from Blade.\u00a0 He rolled his eyes, and flipped off the Hunter before settling into the backseat.\u00a0 &#8220;See the Harley?&#8221;\u00a0 He asked the driver, who nodded.\u00a0 &#8220;Loss him before you take me to my destination.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll make it worth your while.&#8221;\u00a0 He held up a hundred dollar bills.<\/p>\n<p>The driver chuckled, not putting on the meter.\u00a0 &#8220;I&#8217;ve worked in New York for twenty years now, never got to do this.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He got double the tip, when he lost the Hunter three blocks from the hotel.\u00a0 Nico texted Van Helsing to tell him, his Hunters sucked.\u00a0 The rude text he got back only made him chuckle.<\/p>\n<p>The park he was dropped off was busy, but not over crowded.\u00a0 Owners walked their dogs, kids ran around playing, a few teenagers pushed past him on their skateboards.\u00a0 It was typical New York, and one of the reasons he didn&#8217;t like the city.\u00a0 He got to the middle, looking around to see if anything or anyone would catch his notice.<\/p>\n<p>His phone buzzed in his pocket.<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8216;Third bench at the water front.&#8217;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>He slipped his phone back into his pocket, and walked down the path towards the water.\u00a0 Without hesitation he made his way to the third bench and sat down.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Do I owe you money?&#8221;\u00a0 He asked, taking every detail he could from the man sitting next to him.\u00a0 He was smaller, and held himself stiffly. \u00a0Nico was sure there were injuries he wasn&#8217;t seeing.\u00a0 The suit was high end, even more than the one he was wearing.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You don&#8217;t owe me anything, Mr. Stokes.&#8221;\u00a0 He answered, stiffly moving to look at his guest.\u00a0 &#8220;That&#8217;s the latest name you&#8217;ve used.\u00a0 I know you&#8217;ve had several.\u00a0 Don&#8217;t worry, I&#8217;m not going to tell anyone about you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You don&#8217;t know anything about me.&#8221;\u00a0 Nick replied eyes narrowing, but he was intrigued enough to stay and listen.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I know exactly everything about you, Mr. Stokes.&#8221;\u00a0 He turned to look back out to the water.\u00a0 &#8220;I know about the work you used to do in Vegas.\u00a0 I know about the doubts you had about that work.\u00a0 I know that Nicky Stokes is dead, and that you&#8217;ve not found yourself a new ID or Job yet.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And how would you know this?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Knowledge is not my problem.\u00a0 Doing something with that knowledge\u2026 That&#8217;s where you&#8217;d come in.&#8221;\u00a0 He turned back to Nick.\u00a0 &#8220;And you can call me, Mr. Finch.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div><div id=\"tabs-5344-0-2\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/shiftingtides.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5334\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/seven-days-of-summer-2016-july-4th\/shiftingtides\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/shiftingtides.jpg?fit=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"600,400\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"shiftingtides\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/shiftingtides.jpg?fit=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5334\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/shiftingtides.jpg?resize=600%2C400\" alt=\"shiftingtides\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/shiftingtides.jpg?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/shiftingtides.jpg?resize=150%2C100&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/shiftingtides.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Title<\/strong>: Shifting Tides<br \/>\n<strong>Authors<\/strong>: Gil Grissom and John Sheppard<br \/>\n<strong>Pairings<\/strong>: Dominic Toretto\/Han Lue; eventual Dom\/Brian<br \/>\n<strong>Side Pairings<\/strong>: Various &#8211; will be added when relevant<br \/>\n<strong>Rating<\/strong>: Explicit\/FRAO<br \/>\n<strong>Summary<\/strong>: When Johnny Tran begins stealing from some of Border&#8217;s Chosen Ones, Dom, with their Clan Leader&#8217;s permission, takes matters into his own hands. What he doesn&#8217;t expect is to come face to face with someone who will change his life forever,<br \/>\n<strong>Author\u2019s Note 1<\/strong>: Although I am doing the rewrite on my own, I want everyone to know and remember that our John Sheppard helped me write this originally, and plot it out. While a lot has changed, the spirit of the plotline has stayed the same, and I have kept some of the original work when it fit.<br \/>\n<strong>Author\u2019s Note 2<\/strong>: This is a PREVIEW of the upcoming full story, which will be available during Sylum Advent. This is the first draft of the story, so some details are subject to change, and plotholes filled as I run into them. But this is what I\u2019m working on. In addition, Crossroads will end up being absorbed by Shifting Tides, as it is essentially the part 2 of Shifting Tides anyway. In other words, this will be very long by advent, as it\u2019s already 27 pages, and I\u2019m not all that far into the rewrite of the original, which was 84-ish pages long.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">***<\/p>\n\n<p>Prologue<\/p>\n<p>Dom zipped up his bag just as a soft knock sounded on his open bedroom door. He glanced up and sent Josiah Scurlock a brief smile. &#8220;Did you need something?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;No, I was just checking to see if you were ready,&#8221; Josiah said, walking into the bedroom and sitting on one of the plush chairs in a little nook in the corner. &#8220;Are you sure you want to do this, especially this way?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Dom nodded as he sat on the bed. &#8220;Yeah. It&#8217;s costing Han&#8217;s family a lot of money, and it&#8217;s Tran. This has to stop. I know not being affiliated with a Clan doesn&#8217;t automatically make someone an Enemy or an evil Vampire that needs to die, but we all know Tran isn&#8217;t one of them. I may not have proof, but I know what he did, and I know that he&#8217;s responsible for what&#8217;s been happening. I refuse to tolerate it, and Han even more so.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;d feel better if you&#8217;d wait for Boone, Crockett, and Belle to get back from Florida,&#8221; Josiah said. &#8220;It&#8217; would mean more backup for you. Tran&#8217;s affiliations with the Yakuza have me worried.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Shaking his head, Dom replied, &#8220;They won&#8217;t be back until just before Race Wars. I have Mia and Han. I also know Nathan and Adam are both in Los Angeles right now, if I need them. I think humans are better utilized in this, at least for now. I don&#8217;t know if there are Vampires driving those trucks or not, and we both know the authorities aren&#8217;t going to do a damned thing about it. Tran&#8217;s got them all snowed. He&#8217;s that good, I&#8217;ll give him that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;No, he&#8217;s not stupid.&#8221; Josiah sighed and rubbed his hands over his jean-clad thighs. &#8220;Just be careful. He&#8217;s managed to stay just this side of not having the Council come down on him, but I don&#8217;t know what lengths he&#8217;ll go to if backed into a corner, especially by you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ll see. I have no doubt we&#8217;ll run into him, since we tend to run in the same circles in that aspect of my life.&#8221; Dom tugged over the briefcase that lay on the bed and opened it, revealing a thick stack of papers within. &#8220;I have all the documentation from the Lues as to what&#8217;s missing, and I have the maps of the areas where the merchandise was stolen, where we&#8217;re certain it&#8217;s being kept and awaiting transport, and general and detailed maps of the southern part of California. We&#8217;re as set as we&#8217;re going to be.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Who is going to be watching the warehouse?&#8221; Josiah asked.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Adela, Orozco, Joaquin, and Emil are going to be taking shifts. They&#8217;re already set up. As far as we can tell, there are several unknown Vampires working as security there, in addition to their usual thugs with very large guns. Which is why it&#8217;ll be easier to take back the merchandise on the back roads. That way, we&#8217;ll be cutting them off at the beginning and the end, without risking casualties. The Mexican government isn&#8217;t going to do shit about them. They never have.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve already talked with Lucas, and he&#8217;s going to work on the Lue&#8217;s security at all their places so this won&#8217;t happen again. He&#8217;s just gotta get back into port, and he&#8217;ll be headed out to deal with it. He cackled. I almost feel sorry for Tran. <em>Almost.<\/em>&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m sure that they&#8217;ll appreciate it,&#8221; Josiah said, laughing. &#8220;Look, if you need help, don&#8217;t hesitate to call. I mean that. Don&#8217;t take unnecessary risks. That&#8217;s an order.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We won&#8217;t, provided we don&#8217;t end up in a complete shitshow suddenly,&#8221; Dom replied. &#8220;I can&#8217;t make any promises if the shit hits the fan.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Wouldn&#8217;t expect you to,&#8221; Josiah replied, standing up. &#8220;Good luck, and keep me posted.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I will,&#8221; Dom said, accepting the hug from Josiah and watching him walk out of the room, only for Han to come stumbling through a second later.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Damn, Josiah has one hell of a back clap,&#8221; Han said, rolling his shoulders and grimacing. &#8220;You almost ready? Everyone else is waiting outside.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m ready,&#8221; Dom said, shouldering his bag and handing off the briefcase to Han so he could grab his suitcase. He glanced around the bedroom one last time and then followed Han out the door.<\/p>\n<p>Chapter One<\/p>\n<p>Dom walked into the small store that was off the side of their garage business to find Han sitting there alone, flipping through a magazine. &#8220;Where is everyone else?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Han closed the magazine and swiveled the stool so he could look at him. &#8220;Mia had to go to a study group for a couple of her classes, and I&#8230;really have no idea where those other losers wandered off to. They were talking amongst themselves \u2013 I had no interest in listening to whatever they were talking about because they get weird \u2013 and then said goodbye and took off.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Grinning, Dom strode over and leaned forward, resting his hands on the counter on either side of Han, pinning him in place. &#8220;So it&#8217;s just you and me, then,&#8221; he murmured, brushing his nose down Han&#8217;s cheek and nipping at his jaw.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You, me, and anyone who decides to come up and buy shit,&#8221; Han said, tilting his head back. &#8220;Why do we keep this business? Not like any of us need the money.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Because it&#8217;s expected of our family in this neighborhood,&#8221; Dom murmured. &#8220;And it gives us a reason to keep tabs on everyone when we&#8217;re up here. We also sell things cheaper here than in the convenience stores around here. It helps out the community and it endears us to them and they give us information in return. Win-win for everyone.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Sighing softly, Han looked around and cocked his head, as if listening for something. Then he smirked up at him and pushed him back, sliding off the chair and then dropping to his knees.<\/p>\n<p>Dom&#8217;s eyebrows shot up as Han reached for the fly of his jeans. &#8220;And just what do you think you&#8217;re doing?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;What does it look like?&#8221; Han asked as he flicked the button open and dragged down the zipper slowly.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It looks like you&#8217;re going to pull my dick out in front of the whole world,&#8221; Dom said dryly as he glanced around. There was no one about, but that could change at any minute.<\/p>\n<p>Han slid back until he was under the high counter and tugged Dom forward. &#8220;If you&#8217;re a good boy and keep yourself quiet, no one will never know,&#8221; he murmured as he freed Dom&#8217;s cock from his jeans. &#8220;Commando. Nice.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I need to do laundry and we both know you stole my last pair of underwear, asshole,&#8221; Dom said, reaching down and running his fingers through Han&#8217;s hair.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I have no idea what you&#8217;re talking about,&#8221; Han said with an innocence Dom didn&#8217;t buy for a second.<\/p>\n<p>Dom shuddered as Han stroked him until he was hard as a rock. &#8220;You&#8217;re evil, you know that?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So you&#8217;ve said before. Many times.&#8221; Han&#8217;s mouth wrapped around the head of his cock and he sucked lightly while his tongue ran over his slit.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Christ, your mouth is lethal,&#8221; Dom rasped out, breath hitching when Han swallowed him down.<\/p>\n<p>Han proceeded to spend the next few minutes trying to suck his brains out through his dick before Dom heard the familiar growl of Harry\u2019s business truck, and he automatically knew\u00a0 who was heading in their direction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe hot blond is about to make an appearance,\u201d Dom murmured. \u201cWanna finish up there?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Han hummed and sucked more intensely, and just as he heard the truck engine die and the door open, he came with a shudder. He pulled the magazine on the counter toward him and started flipping pages without really looking at it as \u2018hot blond\u2019 sidled up and sat directly across from him. Below the counter, Han took his time licking him clean and overall just driving him nuts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMia not here today?\u201d hot blond asked when Dom didn\u2019t look up. He sighed with a bit of relief as he felt Han finally tuck him back in, zip him up, and give his now-clothed dick a little pat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, she had a study group today. Can I help you with something?\u201d he asked the guy, glancing up and looking into amused, piercing blue eyes, and something inside him shifted, and he knew this man. For a moment he thought it was just a past-life recognition, but he quickly realized it was more than that. And then it hit him with all the finesse of a runaway freight train.<\/p>\n<p>This man, the one who had been seemingly panting after Mia, was his Mate.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, this was going to be fun to deal with, he thought to himself.<\/p>\n<p>The guy looked back down and chuckled. \u201c\u2018Fifty ways to keep your man interested?\u2019 I see you\u2019re a Cosmo guy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom gave the magazine he had a good look and then rolled his eyes. \u201cI don\u2019t need a magazine to tell me how to keep men interested,\u201d he replied dryly. Then he smirked and gave Brian a long once-over. \u201cOnce a guy is interested in me, they stay that way.\u201d He ignored the way Han\u2019s shoulders shook where he was pressed against his legs, or the light pinch he gave to his thigh.<\/p>\n<p>Hot blond blushed charmingly. \u201cYou got a name?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWould have been really awkward growing up if I didn\u2019t.\u201d Dom grinned when the guy rolled his eyes. \u201cDominic Toretto. Mia\u2019s older brother.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hot blond smiled back and held out his hand. \u201cBrian Earl Spilner. My parents apparently thought I was going to be a serial killer when I grew up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom really liked this guy, and it had nothing to do with the Mate thing. \u201cI\u2019d have to agree with that. So, what can I do for you, or are you just here to take up one of my stools all afternoon and look pretty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, I do dress a place up if I do say so myself, but I have the rest of the day off now that I finished my deliveries, and I was looking for some lunch and maybe a little conversation. I was bored, and I knew Mia\u2019s into cars.\u201d Brian tilted his head. \u201cYou into cars?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom snorted. \u201cWhere do you think she got it from?\u201d he asked. \u201cWhat do you want to eat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian smirked. \u201cTuna on white, no crust.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rolling his eyes, Dom wandered over to the grill and fired it up. \u201cYou aren\u2019t five. You\u2019re getting a burger and fries, and you\u2019re going to like it.\u201d He glanced over and saw that Han had made himself comfortable on the ground and was peering at him, amused.<\/p>\n<p>His attention moved to Brian, who was thumbing through the Cosmo issue. \u201cYou do realize that eating as much tuna as you consume can be a health hazard, right?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian\u2019s nose scrunched up adorably as he looked up. \u201cI know, but your sister\u2019s not very good with the cooking thing, and she\u2019s always manning the lunch counter when I get here. The tuna is just canned fish and mayo. Not much she can do to that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom laughed and dumped some fries into the fryer. \u201cNo, she\u2019s not, but unfortunately you started showing up right after our normal cook took off for an extended vacation. She\u2019s not due back for another three weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian snorted and got up, rounding the counter and heading toward the refrigeration unit. Dom watched as he grabbed a soda from it and then turned around, stopping mid-stride when he caught sight of Han.<\/p>\n<p>He tilted his head. \u201cWhy is there a guy laying underneath the counter?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I was blowing him when you drove up,\u201d Han said helpfully as he waved.<\/p>\n<p>Blushing and bursting into laughter, Brian shook his head and walked back to his seat as Han climbed out from under the counter.<\/p>\n<p>Han waved. \u201cI\u2019m Han, Dom\u2019s partner. I\u2019d offer my hand, but I\u2019m not sure you want to touch the hand that was touching his junk before you eat.\u201d Then Han looked him over and leered at him. \u201cThough if you want to bump uglies with either of us at any point in the near future, I\u2019m not opposed <em>at all<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian grinned at him, clearly amused and not at all offended. \u201cI\u2019ll keep that in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Smirking, Han walked over and traded out the Cosmo for a car magazine. \u201cThis might be more up your alley. I have a feeling you don\u2019t have any trouble keeping a guy or a girl interested when you want them to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI haven\u2019t had any complaints,\u201d Brian said idly.<\/p>\n<p>Shaking his head at the two and their bantering, Dom waved the box of hamburger patties at Han. \u201cWant one?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMay as well. Gives me an excuse to keep this one company,\u201d Han said, walking over to the sink and washing his hands.<\/p>\n<p>Amused that his lover of nearly sixty years was doing some heavy flirting with his Mate, Dom threw three burgers on the grill and only listened with half an ear as Han sat next to Brian and they talked about NOS systems. Most of his attention was focused on the fact that his Mate was before him, and he really knew nothing about him.<\/p>\n<p>Because of his sudden appearance in their lives, he wondered if the guy wasn\u2019t undercover PD. He idly wondered if Nathan could find any information on the guy. If he was undercover, he doubted that the guy\u2019s name was Spilner. But he seemed far too comfortable with \u2018Brian\u2019 for it to not be his name.<\/p>\n<p>Not that his being undercover mattered much to Dom at all. The guy was his Mate, and seemed to be hitting it off with Han, so he didn\u2019t think getting Brian sympathetic to their cause was going to be too much of an issue. They just had to be careful not to spook the guy and scare him off completely.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you want on your burger?\u201d Dom asked him as he pulled the cheese out of the fridge. \u201cCheese?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah. And I like mustard. Lettuce, tomato, and pickles are good too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom nodded and made quick work of putting together everything while the cheese melted. Then he dumped the fries into the drainer and sprinkled them with salt and pepper.<\/p>\n<p>He divided everything up and, balancing the plates with both hands, walked back to the counter and dispersed them in front of the other two. He grabbed three sodas, exchanged out the two-thirds finished one Brian had, and sat down on the stool.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow long have you guys lived around here?\u201d Brian asked curiously, looking surprised when he bit into the burger. \u201cThis is really good,\u201d he said around his mouthful.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThanks,\u201d Dom said, plucking up a fry and popping it into his mouth. \u201cI grew up in this area, though I don\u2019t always stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSame here,\u201d Han said. \u201cMy folks moved in down the street from Dom\u2019s family when I was little.\u201d He jerked his head toward Dom. \u201cGrew up with this loser here, but since he\u2019s hot, I tolerate him fairly well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Laughing, Brian stuffed a fry into his mouth. \u201cAnd I\u2019m sure you\u2019re all sunshine and rainbows, right?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe likes to think so,\u201d Dom said dryly. \u201cHe has a mouth like a Hoover so I don\u2019t mind his stalkerish ways.\u201d He smirked at Han when Brian rested his head on the counter and laughed, even as his face turned red.<\/p>\n<p>Brian wiped his eyes and shook his head when he got himself together, and he picked up his burger. \u201cHow does Mia even put up with you two?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think she might be worse than the both of us combined when she really gets going,\u201d Han said thoughtfully. \u201cRemember that time we had to give Daniel the Heimlich because Mia said her favorite Christmas gift that year was Alma\u2019s head between her legs?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh my God. You two are going to kill me,\u201d Brian said between laughs as he leaned against Han, and Dom figured that was the only thing keeping Brian off the floor. \u201cSeriously, my death is imminent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay, we\u2019ll behave,\u201d Han said, patting him on the back.<\/p>\n<p>Brian snickered for a few minutes off and on as he ate, before he sighed. \u201cSo, anything interesting going on tonight? I\u2019m off, and I\u2019d like to check out some races if there are any planned. I\u2019m still working on my car, but I\u2019d like to watch. It gets boring hanging out with Harry or being alone after hours, let me tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom eyed him for a few minutes before pulling the pad and paper closer and writing down a location and a time. \u201cDon\u2019t give it out to anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI won\u2019t,\u201d Brian said, pocketing the paper. \u201cWhat do I owe you?\u201d he asked after finishing the last of his soda.<\/p>\n<p>Dom shook his head. \u201cIt\u2019s on the house. Watching Han torment you was payment enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian snorted as he stood. \u201cThanks, man. I\u2019ll see you around. Maybe you can feed me next time. You know, keep me from dying of mercury poisoning?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ll hide the tuna,\u201d Han said, watching him get into his truck just as the rest of their people drove up. \u201cHe\u2019s gorgeous,\u201d he murmured and brought his soda up to his mouth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s my Mate,\u201d Dom responded dryly, laughing as Han spewed soda everywhere.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeriously?\u201d he asked as he coughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, but keep that to yourself for now,\u201d Dom murmured, knowing none of the others would hear him.<\/p>\n<p>Vince nearly ran into the counter while he watched Brian drive away. \u201cWho the hell is that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBrian Earl Spilner. He works for Harry, obviously. You know he doesn\u2019t let just anyone drive his truck around,\u201d Dom said as he took the three plates, dumped the trash, and put them in the sink.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHey, Dom, did I leave my pack of gum under the counter?\u201d Han asked as he stood and felt around his pockets.<\/p>\n<p>Dom looked underneath and grabbed the package, tossing it to Han, who caught it deftly and pulled a piece out.<\/p>\n<p>Vince looked between the two, making a face. \u201cWhy the hell was your gum under the counter?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI left it there while I was underneath it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, don\u2019t tell me you two were\u2026\u201d Vince said, his pinched expression turning outright constipated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYep!\u201d Han said with a grin, pointedly picking up a napkin and dabbing the corners of his mouth with it.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You know, between the two of you, I&#8217;m going to be traumatized for life,&#8221; Vince said with a grumble as he stalked over to the units and pulled out a Coke.<\/p>\n<p>Dom watched him pop it open and take a quick swig. &#8220;You know you love it when we give you details.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Traumatized. For <em>life<\/em>,&#8221; Vince said with a glare. &#8220;You know, if I decide to get Turned and I Claim my Mate, whoever that might end up being, we&#8217;re gonna be all up in your face making out. See how you like it then, you assholes.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Dom just looked at Han and smirked. &#8220;Yeah, yeah,&#8221; he said, going into the back.<\/p>\n<p>~*~<\/p>\n<p>A couple of hours before the races, Han walked into their bedroom and locked the door behind him. Dom watched with amusement as his partner stalked him like prey, crawling across the bed and straddling his hips.<\/p>\n<p>Dom slid his hands over Han\u2019s thighs and rested them on his hips. \u201cYou want something?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen it comes to you, I always want whatever I can get,\u201d Han said, leaning down and pressing a kiss to his mouth. \u201cBut right now, I want to talk about what you said earlier. The others are downstairs, and Mia isn\u2019t home yet, so no one will hear us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not going to keep it from her,\u201d Dom said with a laugh. \u201cThat would be stupid. You know if he shows enough interest, she\u2019d do the sexual equivalent of chewing him up and spitting him out, and that would end up being awkward all around.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot to mention she\u2019d kill you for letting her treat your Mate that way,\u201d Han said as he ran his hands over Dom\u2019s bare torso.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll tell her tonight before we leave. I don\u2019t want to tell the others, though. You know Jesse has a tendency to let things slip, and Vince is such a hothead he\u2019d end up saying something to Brian himself about it. Especially if he thinks Brian is interested in Mia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of these days, Mia is going to wipe the floor with him,\u201d Han said with a laugh. \u201cHe treats her like she\u2019s his kid sister rather than a Vampire who has tripped over the century mark in age.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery true. She\u2019s already down to her last nerve where he\u2019s concerned. If she didn\u2019t adore the kid so much, she\u2019d have smacked him down some time ago,\u201d Dom said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you going to do about Brian?\u201d Han asked him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot sure yet. I want to see what he\u2019s about first. I think he might be an undercover cop. You know we\u2019ve generated some attention with the PD around here, and probably the FBI at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Han sighed. \u201cWell, that complicates things if you\u2019re right. He\u2019s young.\u201d He frowned and slid off Dom, flopping down on his back next to him. \u201cToo young really for the kind of undercover work they\u2019ve put him on, I\u2019d think. He\u2019s got to be twenty-five at the <em>most<\/em>. If he is a cop and he\u2019d been investigating anyone other than us, it could be extremely dangerous for him. He doesn\u2019t strike me as an awesome liar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, and his reaction to us today was genuine,\u201d Dom said as he turned onto his side and slid his hand under Han\u2019s shirt. \u201cHe was at ease with us and seemed to be having a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Han lifted his upper body up and removed his shirt before dropping back down. \u201cUnfortunately it means this is going to change at some point in the near future,\u201d he said as he tilted his head so Dom could kiss his neck. \u201cMaybe I\u2019ll get lucky and he likes to share.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSharing is caring,\u201d Dom said with a little laugh. \u201cAnd I\u2019m not giving this up until I have to. I\u2019ve loved you for far too long to just kick you to the curb.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot your style, honey bunny,\u201d Han said, laughing when Dom growled and bit him, fangs and all.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t call me \u2018honey bunny\u2019, asshole,\u201d Dom grumbled as he reached for the fly of Han\u2019s jeans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLove muffin?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another growl erupted from Dom and he snickered. \u201cSnuggleupagus?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will <em>bite<\/em> you and make it hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, like <em>that\u2019s<\/em> ever a deterrent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chapter Two<\/p>\n<p>Brian thanked the guy who gave him a ride from Harry\u2019s store and went in search of the group he was supposed to be watching. Agent Bilkens and Sergeant Tanner were both thrilled that he\u2019d managed to make contact with and \u2018befriend\u2019 Dominic Toretto so early into the operation.<\/p>\n<p>He conveniently left out exactly what they\u2019d been bonding over, letting them think it was about the cars. He also left out that just being in Dom\u2019s &#8211; and Han\u2019s if he were being completely honest &#8211; presence and the sheer intensity surrounding the man had him half hard the rest of the day. When he finally couldn\u2019t stand it anymore he\u2019d gone into his private bathroom and jerked off just to get some relief.<\/p>\n<p>Now, he wound his way around the area, searching until he saw Mia\u2019s familiar form. He strode up to her and smiled. \u201cHey, Mia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her eyes lit up with good humor. \u201cHey, Brian. Heard you had a rather enlightening conversation with Dom and Han this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Blushing, Brian rubbed the back of his neck as he laughed. \u201cThat\u2019s one way to put it.\u201d He looked around and saw Dom\u2019s car, but he wasn\u2019t anywhere to be seen. \u201cWhere are they, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWent down that way,\u201d she said, motioning to the left as she hopped onto the hood of her car. \u201cSome guy wanted him to take a look at his engine real quick. Some problem I wasn\u2019t even paying attention to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian nodded and hopped up next to her. \u201cHe going to race tonight?\u201d Brian asked curiously. While he\u2019d seen Dom\u2019s car before, he had yet to see him race.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably not. I think he\u2019s more here to make sure a bigger race is set up in a few days,\u201d Mia told him. \u201cThe payoff for this one isn\u2019t that big. Mostly the more amateur racers of the group are out tonight. He does like to come out and make sure the newbies aren\u2019t going to blow themselves up because they managed to screw their shit up when installing it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHence him going off and staring at some dude\u2019s engine,\u201d Brian said with a laugh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExactly. So, did you drive here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNah. My car isn\u2019t done yet, and I wasn\u2019t comfortable bringing Harry\u2019s truck. One of the guys who comes into the store often offered to pick me up when he realized I was coming here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mia nodded. \u201cOne of us can give you a ride back if you need one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d appreciate it. Is the rest of your gang here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Laughing, Mia shook her head. \u201cNah, not a gang. Dom would never tolerate us being called that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen what do you guys call yourselves?\u201d he asked curiously.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou mean besides a family? If you\u2019re talking about the racing aspects, a team. He calls us a team, his team to be more specific. He leads us in almost all things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSounds like there\u2019s a story there,\u201d Brian said, hearing something more behind her words.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is,\u201d Mia admitted. \u201cAnd maybe someday, if you play your cards right, Dom might tell you about it.\u201d She winked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo how did the <em>team<\/em> come to be?\u201d he asked as he looked around. Everyone else was busy staring at car engines and paying as little attention to them as possible.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLong story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian snorted. \u201cWe seem to have time. Doesn\u2019t look like they\u2019re planning on starting any time soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Glancing around, Mia nodded. \u201cYeah, I don\u2019t even see Dom and Han. But to answer your earlier question, the rest aren\u2019t here today. Vince had a date, Leon was already asleep. He\u2019s allergic to bananas and accidentally ingested some. He\u2019s spending quality time sleeping and dashing to the bathroom. He\u2019ll be good in a few days. Jesse was playing video games and didn\u2019t seem to be interested in coming tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs to the team, well, I\u2019ll give you the highlights. Everyone grew up together. Han is actually about six years younger than Dom, and he had a crush on my brother since he basically hit puberty. I think Han might have been twenty before Dom laid a hand on him,\u201d Mia said with a laugh. \u201cVince grew up with us too. Well, if you want to call him a grown up. I\u2019m not sure how good he is at being an adult, really.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian snickered. \u201cYeah, I noticed he\u2019s a little volatile.\u201d He\u2019d seen him at Racer\u2019s Edge before and the guy really seemed to have a problem with him. Brian wasn\u2019t sure why, as he\u2019d never actually talked with the guy. He\u2019d dealt with Jesse or Leon those times.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJesse and Leon&#8230;well, they just kind of showed up in our lives one day and never left. Their stories really are their own to tell.\u201d Mia smirked at him. \u201cSo, I heard Han was flirting pretty heavily with you today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI get the feeling that\u2019s his default setting,\u201d Brian said and laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes and no. He only flirts initially to throw people off. If he continues after the first five minutes, he likes you enough to give you his attention. It honestly doesn\u2019t happen often,\u201d Mia told him.<\/p>\n<p>He wasn\u2019t sure what to think of that, but he was flattered. \u201cDom doesn\u2019t care? I mean, I know they\u2019re together and everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTheir relationship is&#8230;complicated,\u201d Mia said, laughing a little. \u201cLet\u2019s just say that they have been known to engage others on their own and togther when the mood strikes them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHuh. Whatever turns their crank,\u201d he said, grinning when she laughed again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s so funny?\u201d Dom asked as he walked up to them and basically planted himself between Brian\u2019s legs and all up in his personal space. Brian found he didn\u2019t mind.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing,\u201d Mia singsonged as she hopped off the hood. \u201cWhere\u2019s Han?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGot caught up talking to Hector. He\u2019ll find his way back eventually. Sabrina\u2019s a few cars down. I know you wanted to talk to her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat I did,\u201d Mia said. \u201cOh, one of us needs to give Brian a ride back to Racer\u2019s Edge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll take care of it,\u201d Dom said, waving his sister off.<\/p>\n<p>Dom leaned forward, placing his hands on either side of Brian, so they were practically nose to nose, and Brian went a little cross-eyed. \u201cYou got a thing for Mia?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian pulled back a little so he could see Dom without feeling like an idiot. \u201cNope. I think she\u2019s beautiful and smart, and sassy in a totally awesome way, but I think she could be a great <em>friend<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom smiled at him. \u201cGood to know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Before he could voice the question he had, someone shouted for the drivers to find their positions and place their bets, and Han found them shortly thereafter, winding his way through the bustling crowd.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI see you made it,\u201d Han said, tugging him off the hood of the car and pulling him toward the crowd. \u201cLet\u2019s go and find a spot where we can actually see what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian exchanged an amused glance with Dom and let the other man drag him where he would. Soon enough he found himself on the outer edge of the crowd with Han next to him and Dom behind both of them, an arm thrown around each of their shoulders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou ever race before?\u201d Han asked him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. I\u2019m still working on my car. Pretty much got it done. Just gotta test some things out,\u201d Brian admitted honestly. \u201cThe car and the shit that goes on them to make them raceable costs money, and I\u2019m definitely not made of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI heard that,\u201d Han replied.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou should bring the car by the garage, let us check it out before you think about racing it. Hell, we should probably teach you how to drive it,\u201d Dom said, laughing when Brian shot him a glare.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just might take you up on that.\u00a0 The checking it out part, at least,\u201d Brian told him, turning his attention back to the \u2018race track\u2019. It was actually a deserted area on the outskirts of the city, and since this was a race more for the newer drivers, Brian could see why it was being held away from inhabited areas. A couple of the drivers lining up looked more than a little wet behind the ears.<\/p>\n<p>He leaned over closer to Han. \u201cAre those two over there even eighteen?\u201d he asked him with a frown.<\/p>\n<p>Han snorted. \u201cYeah. We checked their IDs&#8230;their legit IDs. If someone wants to be a dumbass, we check to make sure that they\u2019re at least responsible for themselves being a dumbass. We don\u2019t want the wrath of parents coming down on us because we let their underage morons do shit they have no business doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian looked at him. \u201cYou do realize you just called everyone here, including us, dumbasses and morons, don\u2019t you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHey, if the shoe fits, man. I\u2019ll own up to the fact that we do some dumbass shit, but at least we\u2019re careful about it. We pick and choose where we participate, and who we race against. Not everyone here can say the same thing,\u201d Han told him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf there\u2019s someone we don\u2019t want to race against because they\u2019re extreme risk takers or just plain horrible drivers, we either get them booted out of the race or we just don\u2019t race,\u201d Dom murmured into his ear. \u201cWe\u2019re not looking to get someone hurt, dumbass or not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccidents do happen,\u201d Han said with a shrug. \u201cBut we do what we can to prevent them as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHence us wanting to make sure you know what the fuck you\u2019re doing,\u201d Dom told him. \u201cDon\u2019t want to be scraping you up with a shovel or anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian made a face. \u201cThere\u2019s a pleasant thought. Fine, fine, you two can be my racing gurus, if it\u2019ll get your underwear out of the knot you\u2019ve tied it into over this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom snorted. \u201cNeither of us are wearing underwear to tie into a knot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA fact I didn\u2019t need to know,\u201d Mia said with a grimace as she strolled up to them. \u201cHonestly, Dom. Look at him. You made him go all tomato-red.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCould be worse. Could have that constipated look Vince had earlier when he figured out what we\u2019d been doing before he got back,\u201d Han said, smirking at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want to know,\u201d Mia said, holding up her hands. \u201cIgnorance is bliss, especially when it comes to you two losers. Brian, you really should find better people to make friends with. These two will corrupt you with their evil ways.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think I\u2019ll be okay,\u201d Brian said, laughing lightly. \u201cMy best friend, Rome, is about as bad when he gets going.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow come he isn\u2019t here with you?\u201d Dom asked him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s in the Air Force. Signed up not too long ago. He did four years at a university on a football scholarship, but had no idea what the hell he wanted to do with himself even after getting his degree. Decided on the military. Air Force won out, since his mom was really nervous about him going into the Marines.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom hummed near his ear. \u201cCan understand that. What was his degree in?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSports science,\u201d Brian told him. \u201cWent well with his focus in sports, but he just wasn\u2019t feeling it when he left school.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd what about you?\u201d Mia asked him curiously. \u201cYou graduate, or you drop out like a dumbass?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian laughed. \u201cNah, I got my degree. BS in Mechanical Engineering. Just don\u2019t have the money yet to work on my Masters. Kind of why I\u2019m trying to work my way up into racing. Need the money if I want to continue not being a dumbass.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The degree part was at least true, since he\u2019d doubled majored, along with Criminal Justice. He hadn\u2019t decided what he\u2019d wanted to do until he graduated, and his gut told him to go with being a police officer. He\u2019d felt it would give him a better understanding at least, in case he decided to take his education further.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, we have a smarty-pants in the house,\u201d Han singsonged, laughing when Brian elbowed him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShut up,\u201d Brian muttered as he felt his face heat up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt least there\u2019s some hope now you haven\u2019t done something to that car that might blow you up,\u201d Dom said, dodging the small kickback Brian aimed at his shin.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think you\u2019re right, Mia. I need better friends,\u201d he said, making as to walk away and rolling his eyes when Dom actually growled at him and pulled him back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStay,\u201d Dom rumbled into his ear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot a dog,\u201d Brian retorted, but he settled back into his former position once it was apparent the race was starting.<\/p>\n<p>The track itself was illuminated with several lighting towers that were brought in just for the occasion. Brian didn\u2019t even know who organized that kind of shit, and he really didn\u2019t care. He did, however, watch as the cars took off with a sort of nervous trepidation, hoping that those idiots didn\u2019t get themselves hurt or killed since on the first turn, it was clear they didn\u2019t have the best control of their vehicles.<\/p>\n<p>Han hummed next to him as at the second turn, they saw one of the drivers spin out into the desert. \u201cMaybe we should move away from the actual lanes before they get here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood idea,\u201d Dom, Mia and Brian said, as they and everyone else around them moved a significant distance away from the track, which proved wise as when the two frontrunners sped through the finish line and one of them skidded as they braked and ended up sliding to a halt where they\u2019d been standing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDumbasses,\u201d Han said, and Brian burst out laughing.<\/p>\n<p>~*~<\/p>\n<p>The digital clock on his dash turned to three in the morning by the time Dom stopped outside the back of Racer\u2019s Edge to drop Brian off.<\/p>\n<p>He turned to look at Brian and smiled to himself as the man continued to sleep. He\u2019d fallen asleep a few minutes after he\u2019d piled into the car, and Dom had been content to let him. The dark smudges under Brian\u2019s eyes told him the man hadn\u2019t been sleeping all that well lately. Probably spending far too much time on that car of his.<\/p>\n<p>When staring at his Mate while he was sleeping went from sappy to creepy on his part, he reached over and shook Brian awake. \u201cWakey-wakey, Sleeping Beauty. We\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes and then blinking blearily. \u201cWe\u2019re here already?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom laughed softly. \u201cYou slept the entire time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShould have woke me up. Couldn\u2019t have been fun for you,\u201d Brian said, running his hands through his hair.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou look like you needed it. Go on. Get some rest. Come by whenever you want, and bring that car of yours when you\u2019re ready let us check it over.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian nodded. \u201cLater, Dom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom watched, amused, as Brian got out of the car and half stumbled to the door, attempting a few times to unlock it before succeeding. Shaking his head, he put the car into gear and headed back toward the house.<\/p>\n<p>Chapter Three<\/p>\n<p>Brian pulled the 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse he finally finished upgrading into the empty parking lot of an abandoned box store, intent on testing it out before he decided to embarrass himself in front of the guys he was supposed to be getting close to. Looking like a complete idiot in front of them wasn\u2019t going to endear him to them.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019d gone to the little market they ran the last two days. Han had been there with Mia the first day and had served him fajita tacos, which they usually didn\u2019t serve, but he had taken over the kitchen to make food for everyone, since Dom had been craving fajita tacos. Dom hadn\u2019t shown up yet by the time he\u2019d had to leave.<\/p>\n<p>Dom had been there the second afternoon, and he\u2019d cooked Brian another hamburger and fries, while Mia feigned hurt that Brian no longer liked her \u2018cooking\u2019, even as she worked on her homework at the counter. The others in their team hadn\u2019t been there either day.<\/p>\n<p>Shaking off thoughts of the previous days, Brian took a deep breath and floored it. He weaved here and there through the fading lines of the parking spaces, attempting to see how well he did at taking sharper turns while the speedometer crept higher and higher. The car hit 140 before it was too much and he spun out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShit!\u201d Brian hissed as he fought to get the car back under control. He rolled his eyes at himself and huffed. \u201cMaybe I do need their help,\u201d he muttered, laughing at himself as he put his car back into gear and tried again.<\/p>\n<p>He spent the better part of an hour working on his ability to control the car at high speeds. He spun out the second time as well, but after the fifth round, he felt more in control of the car.<\/p>\n<p>Looking down at his watch, Brian realized he needed to be at Harry\u2019s soon. Part of his deal with Harry was that he would work for the man, delivering parts, in exchange for his help with maintaining his undercover persona. Of course, it helped they had proof of his criminal acts, to keep him in line. If he didn\u2019t blow it, Harry would get his slate wiped clean instead of going to jail for several months at the least.<\/p>\n<p>He gave the car a gentle pat and headed back in the direction of Racer\u2019s Edge and picked up the truck. Deliveries didn\u2019t take long, and soon enough he found himself outside the familiar storefront, smiling at Mia as he slid into his seat. He noticed that Dom was in the back. It looked like he was going over paperwork.<\/p>\n<p>Scrunching up his nose, he asked, \u201cAre you going to make me eat tuna today?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mia laughed and shook her head. \u201cNo, I\u2019m not. Dom\u2019s already lectured me on the evils of giving people too much tuna,\u201d she said, heading toward the fridge. \u201cHowever, Han did drop this off for you earlier, and he told me to tell you to be a good boy and eat it all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She slid a platter in front of him, which held a thick roast beef sandwich cut into two &#8211; not from the deli but from an actual roast Brian presumed Han cooked himself &#8211; and a heaping pile of some kind of pasta salad that looked really good. There were also pickles and a variety of olives.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know, if you guys keep feeding me like this, eventually I\u2019m going to follow you home to stay,\u201d Brian said, picking up a sandwich half and bit into the soft, poppyseed-sprinkled bun. At the burst of flavor in his mouth, he groaned loud enough that he saw Dom turn around.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh my God, this is awesome,\u201d Brian said when he swallowed. \u201cWho made the roast beef?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDom,\u201d Mia said with obvious amusement.<\/p>\n<p>Brian groaned again and looked at Dom. \u201cGive me ten minutes and I\u2019m gonna be all over you like a two-dollar whore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mia\u2019s laughter pealed around the room and Dom snorted and facepalmed as Brian took another bite.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo good,\u201d Brian moaned through his food.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cChrist,\u201d he heard Dom grumble, but he paid him little heed, because the food was awesome. At least until Dom plopped his ass into a chair across from him on the other side of the counter and slid over a root beer. \u201cHere, in case you choke with the way you\u2019re wolfing that down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThanks,\u201d Brian said.<\/p>\n<p>Behind him, he heard the rumbling of several cars, and he figured Han and the others had returned from wherever they\u2019d gone. The sounds of cars cutting off and doors slamming closed filled the near silence &#8211; Mia was still snickering across the room as she went through one of her many notebooks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, well, well. Looks like the eye candy decided to grace us with his presence again,\u201d Han said, tugging on a few strands of hair at the nape of Brian\u2019s neck as he walked by.<\/p>\n<p>Brian turned too look at him. \u201cThanks for the food, man. It\u2019s awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAwesome enough that Brian has promised to be all over me like a two-dollar whore as soon as he\u2019s done,\u201d Dom told Han dryly.<\/p>\n<p>Han snorted and grabbed a soda from the cooler. \u201cOnly if I get to watch,\u201d Han said, winking at Brian.<\/p>\n<p>Brian smirked at him and then sighed, barely refraining from rolling his eyes, as Vince plopped down in the seat next to him and stared at him. After a minute of it, Brian finally said, \u201cTake a picture. It lasts longer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would,\u201d Jesse said to Leon on the other side of the store, not that it was a great distance from him. \u201cHe is <em>beautiful.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like his haircut,\u201d Leon piped in. \u201cWhere\u2019s the camera?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian\u2019s amusement subsided when he felt a flick on his arm, and he turned to stare at Vince. \u201cYou know, you keep this up, and I\u2019m going to start thinking you\u2019re sweet on me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mia snorted and slapped her notebook down on the counter. \u201cCan I get you something, Vince, or are you just going to be an asshole today?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought he was an asshole every day,\u201d Jesse said to Leon. \u201cWhat\u2019s so special about today that we have to bring it up?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian pressed his lips together to try to keep the laughter at bay, while Dom dropped his head and pinched the bridge of his nose while his shoulders shook. When he felt under control, he slid a ten over. \u201cThanks for the food, man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom slid the ten back over. \u201cOn the house. Consider that a contribution to your Masters\u2019 fund.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nodding, Brian pocketed the cash and slid off the stool, sending Jesse and Leon a wink as he strode away. \u201cSee you guys tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTomorrow?\u201d Vince growled, and Brian heard the stool scrape back and thump like it\u2019s righting itself. \u201cWhy you coming back tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVince,\u201d came Dom\u2019s warning growl, but it seemed to be ignored, because he could hear the thud of Vince\u2019s stomp coming closer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah. I like eating lunch here. The food is good,\u201d Brian said, turning around and throwing his brightest and most insincere smile Vince\u2019s direction. \u201cEven the tuna.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBullshit. No one likes the damned tuna.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGuess I just made a liar out of you, then,\u201d Brian said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy don\u2019t you try Fatburger for a change? You can get a burger, fries and a drink for $2.95, and it comes with the added bonus of you leaving us the fuck alone,\u201d Vince said, striding up into his space.<\/p>\n<p>Brian stared him down and snorted. \u201cYou do realize that this is a business that serves food for people to eat, right? And that while you may be friends with the proprietors, you don\u2019t actually own the place? I\u2019ll eat here as often as I damn well please, until Mia or Dom tell me otherwise. You have a good day, now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He knew the moment he turned around that Vince was going to take the cheap shot.The guy was such a hot head, so he was ready when Vince went for it. Then Brian turned around and landed a punch that dropped Vince to the ground. \u201cKnock it off, man! I don\u2019t know what the fuck your problem is, but it sure as hell ain\u2019t mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Vince managed to get to his feet and glared, making a move as if he was going to charge him, but Dom got there first and hauled Vince back, glaring at him. \u201cDo not embarrass this family with all the drama that goes on inside your head, Vince. Get in the damn store, get a drink, and cool the fuck off!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut he\u2026\u201d Vince said, pointing at Brian.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe didn\u2019t do a damn thing. You took a cheap shot at his back. I taught you better than that! Now get out of here!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian watched as Vince headed toward the counter, his body swaying slightly as he held a hand to his face. Then he looked at Dom, who was looking at Han.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat else did you put in that sandwich?\u201d Dom asked Han. \u201cI haven\u2019t seen anyone clean Vince\u2019s clock like that since he was a teenager.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Han snorted and started walking away. \u201cMaybe we should ask what you put in that roast beef.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat the hell is Vince\u2019s problem? Did I black out at some point and piss in his Cheerios or something?\u201d Brian asked Dom, who was inspecting the back of his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s got a bad case of older brother superhero complex,\u201d Dom told him as they leaned against Harry\u2019s truck. \u201cWhen he thinks someone is interested in Mia, he gets all weird big brother on her. What he doesn\u2019t realize is that one of these days, she\u2019s going to rip his arm off and beat him to death with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian laughed a little as he rubbed the sore spot on his head. \u201cBut I\u2019m not interested in Mia that way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s not the most observant guy,\u201d Dom said wryly. \u201cBut he\u2019s family, so we try to tolerate his flaws.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know, one of these days, he\u2019s going to pull that shit on someone he can\u2019t handle, and they\u2019re going to pound him into the ground like a nail,\u201d Brian said as he pushed off the fender. \u201cI\u2019ve gotta go. Harry\u2019ll be expecting me soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom nodded and he moved away from the truck, watching Brian as he got in and started the engine. As soon as he pulled out and took off down the street, Dom huffed and stalked toward the store, where Vince was sitting on a stool with an ice pack to his face. \u201cServes you right. What the hell, Vince? You have no idea what kind of training this guy has. His best friend is military, for Christ\u2019s sake. Are you trying to get yourself killed?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Vince glared at him. \u201cThat\u2019s the fucking point, Dom! We know jack shit about this guy, and you\u2019re being all friendly with him and letting him sniff around Mia. He could be a serial killer or a cop for all we know!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause those two things are the same,\u201d Mia said with a roll of her eyes. Then she pointed a finger right in Dom\u2019s face, making him jerk back in surprise. \u201cI am sick of this bullshit. I am not some fucking damsel in distress that needs this asshole\u2019s help in vetting my guys for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She pointed her finger at Vince as she spoke. \u201cEither you get him in line, or I\u2019m going to show his stupid ass just which of the Toretto children really takes after Riddick, you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d Dom said, holding his hands up in surrender. He reached over and shut Vince\u2019s mouth with a finger to his chin. \u201cThere\u2019s a reason she\u2019d never be in the command structure of Border or any Clan for that matter, Vince. She\u2019s slow to anger, but when you\u2019ve pushed her to that limit, she has Riddick\u2019s viciousness. I\u2019d back the fuck off if I were you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, I think I need to do that,\u201d Vince said hoarsely. \u201cJeez. I saw that maniacal gleam, dude. And she\u2019s even got the silver eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYep. Family trait,\u201d Dom said with a sigh. \u201cLook, will you feel better if I call Nathan in and see what he can dig up on Mr. Brian Earl Spilner?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Vince snorted. \u201cTotally a serial killer. Would be a waste of that name otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom chuckled. \u201cWould it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, man.\u201d Vince groaned as he lowered his ice pack and touched his face. \u201cDude has a wicked ass punch.\u201d His tone was one of grudging respect.<\/p>\n<p>Looking at his face, Dom reached out and gently turned his head. He laughed. \u201cYeah, he does. He really cleaned your clock. I wouldn\u2019t take the cheap shot again if I were you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWon\u2019t make that same mistake twice.\u201d Vince sighed. \u201cWhat if he\u2019s a cop?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen he\u2019s a cop. Look, we knew going into this that eventually we would probably get on their radar. Feds too. We know what we\u2019re doing. Trust me when I say that he\u2019s not going to be a problem, and that I have reason for keeping him around.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d feel better if I knew what it was,\u201d Vince muttered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I would tell you, but you have a habit of mouthing off when you\u2019re pissed and Brian pushes your buttons. You\u2019ll just have to wait until it\u2019s time for you to know. And I need to be the one to talk to him first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFine. You know I trust you. I just don\u2019t trust him,\u201d Vince told him.<\/p>\n<p>Dom and Han exchanged a look and Dom pulled out the phone he\u2019d received from Lucas as a Christmas present, that was unlike anything on the market, and called Nathan, stepping away as the others began to talk amongst themselves.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDom, to what do I owe this pleasure?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHey, Adam. Could have sworn I called Nathan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s in the shower at the moment. Is there something I can do for you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI need a deep background check on someone. I think he might be a cop that\u2019s trying to infiltrate the racing scene because of what we\u2019re doing. I need to know for reasons I don\u2019t want to get into right this second. Think you guys can spare some time to come on over to the Market?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course. Just let us get dressed and we\u2019ll be right over,\u201d Adam told him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKind of late for you to be just getting up, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Dom asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLate night. An officer was shot, a friend of Nathan\u2019s. Hospital gave me privileges because it was my specialty, and the surgeon there didn\u2019t trust himself to work alone. I got out of surgery five hours ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom winced. \u201cCop okay?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, provided he doesn\u2019t have unforeseen complications, he should make a full recovery,\u201d Adam told him. \u201cWe\u2019ll be there in about an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSee you then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom hung up the phone and sat back down next to Vince. \u201cThey\u2019ll be here in an hour. Happy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEcstatic. Now will you come and take a look at my car. There\u2019s something hinky going on, and I can\u2019t figure out what the hell it is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSure. We may need to take it to the garage later.\u201d They walked over to his car and began searching for the problem.<\/p>\n<p>~*~<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLucy, I\u2019m hoooome!\u201d Adam called out as they entered the store, nodding to Mia, who nodded back distractedly as she had her face in a textbook. Not an unusual sight when she was around.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBack here!\u201d Dom called out, and they wound their way through the back office and into the air conditioned storage area, where part of it had been converted into a sitting area.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere is everyone?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLeon and Jesse took Vince back to the house to rest. He got hit for being an asshole, and it threw him for a loop. Needed to lie down for awhile,\u201d Dom told him. \u201cBesides, this is a situation where Vince doesn\u2019t need to be part of the conversation, as he\u2019s a complete hothead without any sense of discretion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat, and Mia will probably kill him dead before the day is over if she has to keep looking at him. He irritated her beyond what she\u2019ll normally tolerate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nathan snorted as he sat down next to Dom on the sofa. \u201cAdam said you wanted to see me about a possible undercover cop?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom handed over his phone, where he had an image pulled up. Nathan got a better look at the guy as Dom said, \u201cSays his name is Brian Earl Spilner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Adam snorted as he flopped down in a chair and swung a leg over the arm, making an attractive sprawl that would have Nathan put out if he weren\u2019t his Mate. The man didn\u2019t even have to try to be sexy. Adam just <em>was<\/em> simply by existing. \u201cSerial killer?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t get that vibe, in spite of the name,\u201d Han said with a laugh.<\/p>\n<p>Nathan laughed outright. \u201cHe\u2019s a cop. Young, and hasn\u2019t been with LAPD that long. I\u2019m a little surprised he said yes to an undercover op. Doesn\u2019t seem like his kind of thing. They must be offering something pretty damn good if he was willing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He handed the phone back to Dom. \u201cName is actually Brian O\u2019Conner. I helped him out some when he was a rookie. Good kid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo they sent a still-wet-behind-the-ears officer undercover in this kind of environment?\u201d Han said. \u201cThat\u2019s ballsy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHonestly? If you two weren\u2019t who you were, and I didn\u2019t know who he is, I think he probably would have pulled it off, at least to the point where he\u2019d have had to blow his cover, considering the volatile situation they\u2019ve thrust him into,\u201d Nathan told them. \u201cLook at him. He\u2019s adorable, and he\u2019s good at the whole being earnest thing. He\u2019s naturally that way, and it makes him believable when he has to lie through his teeth. He doesn\u2019t like lying, though, which is why I\u2019m surprised he decided to do something where his entire life is a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat can you tell me about him?\u201d Dom asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe should be about twenty-six now, but I\u2019d have to check his file. He started with the LAPD at the age of twenty-three, after getting his degrees in Criminal Justice and Mechanical Engineering. He has a best friend in the Air Force. I remember that because he was just so tickled at the idea of his friend being military, it was adroable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Adam snorted. \u201cI have a feeling that word\u2019s going to come up a lot concerning this Brian guy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s definitely got a \u2018boy next door\u2019 thing going on there,\u201d Nathan said. \u201cHe comes from a good home, his parents are both alive and kicking. I think his dad was a police officer, though he\u2019s retired now. His great-grandfather was Joseph Gazelle, who was an officer who apparently went undercover with the Mob in New York earlier this century. He\u2019s rather enamored of that bit of family history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom nodded and tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. \u201cSo the question becomes, what do we do about Mr. O\u2019Conner?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, offing him or locking him in a closet are out of the question,\u201d Han said with a grin.<\/p>\n<p>Nathan watched, amused, as Dom and Han proceeded to have an entire conversation heavy in eyebrow sparring and facial ticks, before Dom finally huffed and rolled his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBrian is Dom\u2019s Mate,\u201d Han told them, an expression of almost maniacal glee plastered all over his face.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d have thought you might regret one of your Mates showing up,\u201d Adam murmured, sounding half asleep.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe knew the score going into this relationship in the \u201840s,\u201d Han said with a shrug. \u201cNot saying I\u2019m not going to miss it or it\u2019s not going to hurt, but it is what it is, and I\u2019m going to be happy for Dom that he found the one that\u2019s meant for him, even if it hurts, because I love him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nathan rolled his head to the side and locked eyes with his Mate, and then both turned back to Han. \u201cAwwww,\u201d they said in unison.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShut the fuck up,\u201d Han said, his glare signifying just how unimpressed he was with both of them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, your Mate. As if things aren\u2019t complicated enough as it is,\u201d Nathan said as he turned his attention back to Dom.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, and I have no fucking clue how I\u2019m going to even begin approaching this one,\u201d Dom said, rubbing his face. \u201cWe have a cop, who is my Mate, who is looking for the culprits in hijackings of what look to be legit trucks for the Tran family. We are doing the hijacking of the goods that actually belong to the Han family, so he\u2019s in the right damn place.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVince hates him, I think both Jesse and Leon have man-crushes on him, though I think for Leon it just might be his hair &#8211; he\u2019s always been odd &#8211; and I have my sister who I think is waiting for Vince to make one more wrong move before she attacks, and we have to truss her up and ship her back to Josiah before she beats him to death with his own severed appendage&#8230;his arm, if he\u2019s really lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s because of all the stress of studying for a medical degree. She\u2019s busy and doesn\u2019t have time for his shit,\u201d Han told them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I still haven\u2019t heard from the rest of my damn people who are on the other side of the fucking country, because none of them seem to remember to charge their fucking phones,\u201d Dom finished before slumping further on the sofa.<\/p>\n<p>Adam chose that moment to offer his own bit of wisdom. \u201cSucks to be you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nathan laughed while Han and Dom glared at his Mate. \u201cHelpful, sweetheart. Really helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat? It\u2019s not like I have any kind of reference for this level of complicated when it comes to dealing with a Mate. We weren\u2019t complicated. You got shot, rushed into surgery with me, I patched your ass up, told you you were my Mate and I was a Vampire, and I Turned you and we Mated. Wham, bam, thank you, ma\u2019am; it was easy as pie.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He pointed at Dom. \u201cThis&#8230;this is complicated. \u2018I have no idea what the hell you\u2019re going to do\u2019 level of complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe we should call Captain Jack. He seems to glide through these kinds of sticky situations,\u201d Han said.<\/p>\n<p>Dom sighed. \u201cWhich Captain Jack would you be referring to?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSparrow,\u201d Han replied. \u201cWho else. For all that he can confused the ever loving fuck out of me by breathing, the guy\u2019s as smart as a whip, as Earp would say. Are we sure Lucas isn\u2019t his biological child? Because he has an uncanny knack for understanding Sparrow logic, and he had to get all that genius from somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dom laughed. \u201cWe\u2019re sure. We\u2019ll figure it out. Just&#8230;not right now. I need to think, and the synapses just aren\u2019t firing rigt now. I haven\u2019t been sleeping much lately. I think Vince\u2019s car is going to have to wait until tomorrow. He\u2019s not in any condition to look at it today anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll come over tonight and make sure there\u2019s nothing serious going on with his injury. Dumbass,\u201d Adam muttered.<\/p>\n<p>Dom snorted and turned back to Nathan to discuss the latest with the Tran situation.<\/p>\n<p>~*~<\/p>\n<p>Brian had the next two days off, so after he finished his morning shift for Harry, he hopped into his Eclipse and drove toward the store. He had no idea if Han or Dom were there, but whoever was would at least know where to find them.<\/p>\n<p>To his surprise, an older Mexican woman he\u2019d never seen before was behind the counter. He slid onto the stool and smiled at the woman. \u201cHi. Are Mia, Dom, or Han around by any chance?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, they\u2019re not around much usually. I was on vacation and came back early,\u201d she replied, eying him. \u201cYou Brian with the serial killer name?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian laughed loudly. \u201cYeah, that would be me,\u201d he said, shaking his head.<\/p>\n<p>The woman looked at him, amused. \u201cThey left this note for you, in case you stopped by.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian took the note and opened it up.<\/p>\n<p>Hey, Loser,<\/p>\n<p>Christina came home early and was sick of being with her husband 24\/7, so she decided to come back to work before her vacation was done. We\u2019re over at the house. Address is below. Come by whenever you want. I\u2019m sure Han and Dom will be more than happy to feed you if you ask nicely.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>The address was listed below, as were various phone numbers. As he knew where the street was, he picked up a soda and a bag of chips, paid for them, and smiled. \u201cThanks, Christina.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She nodded at him and then turned to the next customer, and he jogged back to his car, opening up his chips at the same time.<\/p>\n<p>The trip to Dom\u2019s house wasn\u2019t long as he only lived a few miles from the actual store. As he pulled into the driveway, Dom walked out of the garage via the side door, shirtless, and Brian\u2019s mouth went a little dry at the sight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSee you got the note from Christina,\u201d Dom said when Brian slid out of the car.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYep! Finally got the car done, and I have the next two days off, so I figured I\u2019d come and let you pick it apart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nodding, Dom motioned toward the car. \u201cGet in and drive it into the garage. We\u2019ve got the air conditioner going in there, so cut it off as soon as you\u2019re in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian did as Dom told him, driving in and cutting it off once Dom raised one of the doors. The door closed behind him as he slid out. \u201cJust you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHan is inside, dealing with the meat for dinner tonight. Got a steak for you, if you want to hang around.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, I\u2019d like that,\u201d Brian said, reaching back into the car and popping the hood. \u201cThe only thing I haven\u2019t put in this is a NOS system. I didn\u2019t know if I could do that correctly, without blowing my ass up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can get you one, once I know you can handle this thing. Have you tried it out?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTops off around 140. Practiced in a big vacant lot. Mostly practicing being able to handle her without skidding out too badly,\u201d Brian told him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ll work with you on that, and we\u2019ll get Han to teach you to drift in one of his cars. He has one specificially designed for it.\u201d Dom motioned to the Eclipse. \u201cThis one isn\u2019t, but it\u2019s a technique that can help you keep control of this one in case you oversteer at some point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, I\u2019d appreciate that,\u201d Brian said, as he watched Dom lift the hood and inspect the engine.<\/p>\n<p>Dom hummed and Brian leaned against the fender, waiting for Dom\u2019s initial assessment. It came after several minutes of him poking and prodding at various engine parts, even jacking up the front end, grabbing a creeper and sliding under the car.<\/p>\n<p>Sliding back out, Dom looked up at him from where he was laying on the creeper. \u201cIt looks good. You did a great job putting it together. A NOS system should be easy to put in once we know you can handle the car as it is. Then we\u2019ll teach you to handle it with the NOS.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen do you think I\u2019ll be race ready?\u201d he asked curiously. He wasn\u2019t determined to get into one the way he had been when he first started, since he already had an in, it seemed, with the Toretto family and their friends. He didn\u2019t have to worry about trying to get Dom\u2019s attention, since he already had it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we work at it, we can probably get you ready by Race Wars,\u201d Dom said, hopping up and walking over to the sink and washing his hands. \u201cUntil then, you can come with us to the races. Watch, listen, and learn. They\u2019ll know you enough to be comfortable with you racing there, and because you know us. Plus, they won\u2019t know what to expect from you. May be able to make a dent in the funds you need for your schooling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat would be awesome,\u201d Brian said, already trying to figure out a way to squirrel away some of that cash to pay for his Masters\u2019 degrees at a later date. He did like the thought of continuing his education without ending up eyeball deep in debt, which had also been a deciding factor in becoming a police officer right out of college.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s go bug Han for something for you to eat for lunch, It\u2019ll be awhile and I\u2019m guessing you haven\u2019t eaten yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust a bag of chips and a soda I got from the store,\u201d Brian admitted. \u201cI could use food, if you don\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWouldn\u2019t have offered it if I did,\u201d Dom said, and Brian followed him into the house.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"wpts_cl\"><\/div><div class=\"wpts_cr\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\t\t\t\t\t\tjQuery(function() {jQuery( \"#tabs_5344_0\" ).posttabs({ tabname : \"tabs_5344_0\",\t\t\t\t\tfade \t: \"0\",\t\t\t\t\tactive\t: \"\",\t\t\t\t\treload\t: \"0\",\t\t\t\t\tnav\t: \"1\",\t\t\t\t\tnexttext: \"Next \u00bb\",\t\t\t\t\tprevtext: \"\u00ab Prev\",\t\t\t\t\tenablecookie:\"1\"\t\t\t\t});})<\/script> \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[578,137],"tags":[569,50,577,86],"class_list":["post-5344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-seven-days-of-summer-2016","category-sylum-events","tag-artist-danny-williams","tag-bj-jones","tag-seven-days-of-summer-2016","tag-writer-gil-grissom"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Da1M-1oc","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5382,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/seven-days-of-summer-july-5th\/","url_meta":{"origin":5344,"position":0},"title":"Seven Days of Summer &#8211; 2016: July 5th","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"July 5, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Seven Days of Summer: 2016&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Seven Days of Summer: 2016","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/sylum-events\/seven-days-of-summer-2016\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"bar-banner_sevendays2016","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/bar-banner_sevendays2016.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11164,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/seven-days-of-summer-2018-artwork-by-gil-grissom\/","url_meta":{"origin":5344,"position":1},"title":"Seven Days of Summer 2018: Artwork by Gil Grissom","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"July 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Artwork by Gil Grissom *** Gil has done a series of Artwork that leads up to The Russian Spy which will be posted at the end of the week!","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Seven Days of Summer: 2018&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Seven Days of Summer: 2018","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/sylum-events\/seven-days-of-summer-2018\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/bar-banner_sevendays2018.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11173,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/seven-days-of-summer-2018-aesthetics-by-bayye-belle\/","url_meta":{"origin":5344,"position":2},"title":"Seven Days of Summer 2018: Aesthetics by Bayye Belle","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"July 4, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Sylum Aesthetics by Bayye Bell","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Seven Days of Summer: 2018&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Seven Days of Summer: 2018","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/sylum-events\/seven-days-of-summer-2018\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/bar-banner_sevendays2018.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11177,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/seven-days-of-summer-2018\/","url_meta":{"origin":5344,"position":3},"title":"Seven Days of Summer 2018: Two Stories by Ladyjax","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"July 5, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Two great stories from Ghost\/Darkness Clan by Ladyjax Title: Two People Characters: Dell Parker\/Naomi Bennett, Addison Montgomery Clan: Ghost\/Darkness Clan Summary: With Dell's secret exposed, Namoi can no longer deny the attraction that's between them. 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