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The team had finished stealing the car parts imported from Japan. They'd done it clean - no witnesses, no complications, and now they were supposed to regroup at the meeting point where the guy who'd hired them would show up with their payment. Dom parked his car near the warehouse and got out, stretching his arms over his head and feeling the pull in his shoulders. It had been a long night, but a good one.
Han and Gisele pulled up a few minutes later, parking next to him. Gisele got out first, brushing dust off her jacket, and Han followed, looking as relaxed as always. Mia arrived after them, pulling up in the van they'd used to transport the parts. She killed the engine and climbed out, nodding at Dom.
"Everyone good?" Dom asked.
"Yeah, we're fine," Han said. "No problems on our end."
"Same here," Mia said.
Dom checked his phone. No messages from Brian. He frowned and looked around, expecting to see Brian's car pulling up any second now, but the street was empty except for them.
"Where's Brian?" Gisele asked.
"Don't know," Dom said. "He should've been here by now."
They waited.
Dom was counting the seconds in his head, the way he always did when Brian wasn't where he was supposed to be. It was a habit he'd developed without meaning to, this internal timer that started ticking the moment Brian left his sight during a job. Two minutes meant Brian was being careful. Five minutes meant complications. Ten minutes meant-
A car approached - but it was the guy they were supposed to meet, followed by a white van. He got out of his car and walked over to them. Dom handed over the parts, the guy checked them quickly, and then he handed Dom a wallet full of cash. The whole transaction took maybe five minutes, parts were loaded into the white van, and then the guy got back in his car and drove away.
Dom pulled out his phone and sent Brian a message. 'Where are you?'
The message stayed unread. Dom stared at his phone, willing it to change, but nothing happened. Fifteen minutes then turned into twenty-five, and he still wasn't there.
He looked up at the others. "Anyone heard from Bri?"
They all shook their heads.
"He's probably just running late," Han said. "You know how he is - probably spotted a car he liked and got distracted."
Dom didn't answer. Brian would do that - had done that, more than once, shown up twenty minutes late with some story about a '71 Skyline he'd seen parked outside a cafe and just had to wait for the owner to check the engine. But Brian also answered his phone when it was a text from Dom. Always. Even when he was mid-sentence with someone else, even when he was driving, even when he was half-asleep and cranky about it.
Radio silence didn't make sense.
His chest was starting to feel tight, that familiar worry creeping in, the kind that made his hands clench into fists without him meaning to.
"Whatever is happening, he always lands on his feet," Gisele said, trying to sound reassuring. "You know that."
Dom nodded, because it was true. Brian had a way of making things work out, even when they shouldn't. Had gotten out of more jams than Dom could count, half of them by sheer luck and the other half by doing something so reckless it circled back around to genius. But that didn't make the silence easier to sit with, and didn't stop the knot in his stomach from tightening.
Why wasn't he answering?
Mia stepped closer and took his hand. She didn't say anything, didn't try to tell him it was fine or that Brian would show up any minute. She just held his hand, and Dom could feel the tension in her grip. She was worried too.
Dom squeezed back.
Han looked at his watch and said, "We're gonna head out. Send us a message when you know Brian's safe, okay?"
"Yeah," Dom said. "I will."
He and Gisele left, driving off down the street, and Dom stood there with Mia, staring at his phone like it was going to suddenly give him answers - which it should, as soon as Brian finally answered. Ten more minutes passed. Mia finally let go of his hand and said, "I'm going back to the house, in case his battery died and he went straight home."
Dom nodded. "Yeah. Good idea."
She left, and Dom stayed, pacing back and forth in the empty street, checking his phone every thirty seconds. The message was still unread. Dom wanted to throw his phone against the wall, wanted to get in his car and drive around the city until he found Brian, wanted to do something other than just stand here and wait.
Finally, after what felt like hours but was only ten more minutes, his phone buzzed.
Dom pulled it out so fast he almost dropped it.
'On my way. Ran into a thing.'
Dom stared at the message. A thing. With Brian, a thing could mean anything from traffic to almost dying, because Brian's idea of what constituted a problem worth mentioning had always been badly calibrated. Dom had seen him shrug off broken ribs like they were a scraped knee, had seen him downplay concussions and knife wounds and god knows what else.
Dom typed back quickly. "Still at the meeting point."
He waited, pacing again, and five minutes later Brian's car pulled up. Dom felt a wave of relief wash over him, but it only lasted a second, because when Brian got out of the car, Dom could see the black eye blooming across his left side, the scratch on his cheek, and the way his right hand was bloodied across the knuckles.
Not a traffic jam, then. Or a nasty one.
Brian walked over to him, moving a little stiffly, and Dom reached out and grabbed his arm. "What the hell happened?"
"Ran into some trouble," Brian said, trying to smile like it was no big deal. "I'm fine."
"You're not fine," Dom said, his voice coming out harsher than he meant it to. "Look at you."
"It's just a black eye," Brian said, waving it off. "I've had worse."
Dom wanted to argue, but Brian looked exhausted, and Dom didn't want to have this conversation in the middle of the street. He let go of Brian's arm, his fingers twitching, wanting to touch Brian's cheek where he was hurt.
"Let's get you home," he said, his voice quieter now. "So I can patch you up."
Brian nodded, and they got into their cars and drove back to the house.
When they got inside, Dom headed straight for the bathroom to grab the first aid kit. Brian followed him and sat down on the edge of the tub without being asked, which told Dom more than anything else how tired he was. Usually Brian would insist he could do it himself, would try to brush it off and disappear into his room before Dom could fuss over him.
Dom knelt down in front of him and opened the kit, pulling out antiseptic and cotton pads. He started with the cut on Brian's cheek, dabbing at it gently. Brian winced but didn't pull away.
"So what happened?" Dom asked, trying to keep his voice casual.
"Some asshole ran a red light," Brian said. He was looking at the wall behind Dom's shoulder, not meeting his eyes. "I swerved to avoid him and clipped the curb. Got out to check the damage and the guy came back, started yelling at me like it was my fault. Things got heated."
Dom paused, holding the cotton pad against Brian's cheek. "He hit you?"
"I may have deserved that, said some words to him he didn't like," Brian said, and there was a hint of a smile on his face, but it didn't reach his eyes.
Dom wanted to believe it. Wanted to believe that Brian had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, that some angry driver had taken a swing at him and that was all there was to it. But Brian still wasn't looking at him, and his hands were clenched tight on his knees, and Dom had seen Brian lie enough times to know what it looked like.
He wanted to make Brian tell him what was really going on so he could fix it, but if he pushed too hard, Brian would shut down, would put up walls, so he didn't call him on it. He just finished cleaning the cut on Brian's cheek and moved to the one on his knuckles, taking Brian's hand in his and turning it over carefully. The skin was split across three knuckles, still bleeding a little, and Dom pressed a clean pad against it.
"You should ice that eye," Dom said.
"It's fine," Brian said.
"It's gonna swell up if you don't," Dom said gently. "Just... let me take care of you, okay?"
Brian finally looked at him, and there was something vulnerable in his expression, something that made Dom's chest ache. "Okay," Brian said quietly.
Dom finished bandaging Brian's hand, holding it for a moment longer before standing up and putting the first aid kit away. He grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and wrapped it in a towel, then handed it to Brian. Brian pressed it against his eye with his good hand, and Dom sat down next to him on the edge of the tub.
"Thanks," Brian said, his voice soft, but cracking a bit. He leaned into Dom, just a little, and Dom put his arm around his waist and held him close. He could feel Brian trembling, just slightly, and he tightened his grip.
After a few minutes, Brian pulled away and stood up. "I'm gonna go lie down," he said.
"Okay," Dom said. "Call me if you need anything."
Brian nodded and left the bathroom. Dom stayed seated on the edge of the tub, staring at the first aid kit and the bloody cotton pads in the trash, worry still knotting in his stomach.
:::
Two days later, Han and Gisele came over with a case of beer and a bottle of something Han claimed was 'the good stuff after a clean job'. Mia had made pasta and chicken for dinner.
They ate around the kitchen table, the five of them squeezed in even though the table was only really meant for four, and the conversation was easy. Gisele was telling a story about a guy they'd run into in Miami who'd tried to sell her a stolen Ferrari.
"Turned out, it was a rental with the plates swapped," Han finished.
"People have no shame," Mia said, laughing so hard she had to put her fork down.
"Back when I was a cop," Brian began, and Dom loved how the fact that Brian had been a cop didn't bring shame or bad memories anymore, "stuff like that happened so often. You wouldn't believe the crazy stuff I had to deal with."
"I definitely want to know!" Han said, eager for the stories Brian was beginning to tell.
Dom let himself relax. Brian was happy, Brian was laughing, Brian was acting like his usual self - maybe Dom had been wrong. Maybe Brian had really gotten into trouble over a red‑light incident and had just been a little ashamed because he'd actually been the asshole - lost his temper and all - and didn't want to disappoint Dom with the truth.
Dom had learned a long time ago that his opinion mattered a lot to Brian, and how it was easy for him to think he wasn't competent or good enough. They'd been there before - and Dom never wanted to end up there again.
After dinner, they moved to the living room. Han opened the bottle he'd brought, which turned out to be some kind of whiskey that burned all the way down, and they passed it around while Gisele found a deck of cards and dealt out hands.
Brian was sitting next to him on the couch, close enough that their arms were touching. Brian had always run hot, like he had a furnace inside him that never quite shut off, and Dom had gotten used to it over the years. Had gotten used to Brian being the one who never needed a jacket, who always complained when Dom turned the heat up in the winter, who would naturally press his warm hands against Dom's cold ones after he saw Dom rubbing them.
Brian was drinking faster than usual. Not enough that anyone else would notice, but Dom noticed. He always noticed when it was Brian. And by the time they were an hour into the card game, Brian was leaning more heavily against Dom's shoulder, and his words were starting to slur just a little at the edges.
"You're cheating," Brian said, pointing an unsteady finger at Gisele.
"I'm not cheating," Gisele said, looking offended. "You're just bad at this game."
"I'm great at this game," Brian said. "You're just a cheater."
Han laughed. "You are bad at this game," he said, before smirking. "And she's also definitely cheating."
"I am not!" Gisele said, but she was grinning, and Dom was pretty sure she was absolutely cheating.
Mia won the next round, and everybody knew it was actually just Gisele trying to prove she wasn't cheating by letting someone else win. They were all arguing about the rules and whether or not anyone was actually following them, and Brian was laughing so hard he moved his leg too quickly and bumped his shin against the coffee table and what came out of his mouth was a half‑hiss, half‑laugh.
Dom caught him, wrapping an arm around his waist to hold him upright, and Brian just leaned into him, trying to catch his breath. His head ended up tucked against Dom's shoulder, and Dom could feel his breath against his neck, warm and uneven, and his chest felt tight with how much he cared about this idiot.
"You okay?" Dom asked quietly, because everyone else was still arguing about the card game and wouldn't hear.
"'m fine," Brian mumbled, not lifting his head. "Just tired."
"You sure?"
Brian nodded, and then he yawned, and Dom felt him relax even more, his weight settling heavier against Dom's side.
The game went on for another half hour, but Brian didn't participate. He just stayed curled against Dom, his eyes half-closed, occasionally making sleepy comments that didn't quite make sense. At some point, he grabbed Dom's hand and laced their fingers together, holding on like he was afraid Dom might disappear if he let go.
Dom didn't pull away and kept playing one‑handed.
Eventually, Han stretched and said, "We should probably head out. It's getting late."
Gisele nodded and started gathering up the cards. Mia walked them to the door, thanking them for coming over, and Dom stayed on the couch with Brian, who had fully fallen asleep by now, his head still resting on Dom's shoulder and his hand still holding Dom's.
Mia came back into the living room and looked at them, and there was something soft in her expression, something that made Dom feel self-conscious. Everybody who knew them was aware of the easy affection they showed each other.
But Dom knew what this affection meant to him. He knew what Brian was to him.
"You should get him to bed," Mia said.
"Yeah," Dom said.
He tried to pull his hand free, but Brian's grip tightened, and he made a small, unhappy sound without waking up.
Dom sighed. "Brian. Come on. Let's get you to bed."
Brian's eyes opened, just barely, and he blinked up at Dom with a confused, sleepy expression. "Evening's over?"
"Yeah," Dom said. "Come on. You're not sleeping on the couch."
Brian nodded, but he didn't move. He just closed his eyes again and pressed his face against Dom's shoulder.
Dom waited a moment, and then he realized Brian wasn't going to move on his own, so he carefully maneuvered Brian's weight, and then scooped him up in his arms. Brian made a startled sound and wrapped his arms around Dom's neck, holding on tight.
"I can walk," Brian mumbled.
"Sure you can," Dom said, but he didn't put Brian down.
He carried Brian through the house and down the hall to Brian's room. Dom laid him down as gently as he could. Brian immediately grabbed Dom's shirt and pulled, trying to drag him down with him.
"Stay," Brian said, his voice slurred and quiet.
"You sure? I have to wake up early tomorrow," Dom said.
"Stay," Brian said again, more insistent this time, and his eyes opened just enough for Dom to see the look in them. Not just drunk. Not just tired. But something else. Something that looked like fear.
Dom's chest tightened. "Okay," he said. "I'll stay."
He pulled off his shoes and climbed into the bed next to Brian, and Brian immediately curled into him, pressing close and tucking his head under Dom's chin. His arms wrapped around Dom's waist, holding on like Dom was the only solid thing in the world.
Dom wrapped his arms around Brian in return, holding him close, and he could feel the tension in Brian's body, the way he was holding on just a little too tight. Like something bad would happen if he let go.
"You're safe," Dom said quietly, because he didn't know what else to say. "You're safe, Bri. I've got you."
Brian didn't answer. He just pressed closer, his face buried against Dom's chest, and after a moment, Dom felt him relax. His breathing evened out, slow and steady, and his grip on Dom loosened just a little.
Dom stayed awake for a long time after that, staring at the ceiling and listening to Brian breathe. He wanted to believe everything was fine, but the fear he had seen in Brian's eyes was nagging at his mind. A little voice was telling him that Brian was in trouble and didn't know how to ask for help.
He pressed a kiss to the top of Brian's head and tightened his arms around him, holding him as close as he could.
I'll keep you safe, Dom thought. I don't care what it takes. I'll keep you safe.
Brian shifted in his sleep, making a small, contented sound, and Dom closed his eyes.
:::
The red light incident could have been an isolated one - Brian had a bad encounter, and that was it.
But over the next few days, he disappeared. Not for long - just a few hours here and there, and it could have been normal: once he said he was going for a run, another time, going to pick up groceries.
Which should have been okay, but then he'd come back a little bit hurt. A limp one day. A bruise on his ribs the next.
Dom noticed, of course. Even when the injuries weren't obvious, even when Brian was trying to hide them, Dom could see it in the way he moved, the way he held himself.
And he was twitchy. Not in his usual way, the way he got when he was bored or restless, but in a different way. He kept checking his phone, kept looking over his shoulder.
Dom asked. Of course he asked, because okay, once could happen. Twice was possible. But three times? That wasn't bad luck. That wasn't coincidence. That was something else.
But Brian just shrugged it off when Dom asked and smiled like nothing was wrong.
"Didn't see the bike coming. My leg took the hit."
"Ran into a guy who wanted my wallet. He didn't get it of course, but he caught me by surprise so he managed to kick me in the ribs."
Mia asked, too, because she may not have been watching as carefully as Dom was, but the black eye had been hard to miss, and she'd heard the hiss Brian let out when he made a bad move in the kitchen and held his ribs.
Brian told her the same things he told Dom, and Mia had a hard time not worrying.
The next time it happened, Dom was in the garage working on his Charger when Brian wandered in, coming back from the beach.
"What are you doing?" Brian asked.
"Checking the timing belt," Dom said. "Thought I heard something weird the other day."
Brian walked over and leaned against the car, peering at the engine. "You probably just imagined it. This car's in better shape than most people's brand-new ones."
"That's because I take care of it," Dom said.
"You baby it," Brian corrected, grinning.
Dom rolled his eyes and wanted to argue, but he ended up smiling. "Okay, I do baby it."
Dom was always intense about the things and people he loved. He babied them. He babied his car, he babied Brian- though it was easier to baby his car, because at least the car didn't lie.
Brian grabbed the wrench from the toolbox and passed it over, and it should have been normal, but Dom noticed the cut on his arm. He had seen enough cuts from blades to recognize one. He took the wrench and looked at Brian. Now that he was paying attention... there was no sand on his clothes. Not that it meant he hadn't gone to the beach, but usually sand was part of the trip back.
So the questions were: had he really gone to the beach? And what about the cut?
The more Dom looked at him, the more tension was creeping into Brian's shoulders. Dom could see his smile fading, and his eyes were intense, more than usual. They looked at Dom as if Dom might disappear, and that was the confusing thing. Brian was getting home hurt, but he didn't seem worried about himself. Dom knew what it was like to have a Brian ready to run away in front of him. He could recognize the signs, and right now, there were none.
But the hurt was real.
"Brian," Dom said carefully.
"I'm fine," Brian said quickly, voice tense, before Dom could finish.
Dom paused. "I didn't ask if you were fine."
He had planned to, but Brian's reaction was answer enough.
Brian was quiet for a moment, and then he said, his tone falsely light, "What were you going to ask?"
Dom clenched his fingers. "You know you can talk to me, right? About anything."
Brian looked at him, and there was something raw in his expression, something that made Dom's chest ache. "I know," Brian said quietly, closing the distance and taking his hand.
Dom squeezed his hand, trying to pour all his worry and reassurance into the gesture. Brian only smiled, like he was simply glad Dom was there. He leaned in and gently bumped his forehead against Dom's temple - an almost amused gesture, as if to say Dom was silly to worry - and Dom slipped an arm around him, wanting to keep him there.
Brian relaxed into the embrace, still holding Dom's hand. Dom closed his eyes.
He couldn't force Brian to talk if Brian didn't want to. He couldn't lock him in the house and keep him safe if Brian was determined to go out; it would only push him further away.
All he could do was worry, and that wasn't enough. He needed a solution. Something simple, something that didn't require Brian to talk. Something like-
No. He couldn't put a tracker on Brian's car or his phone. He just couldn't. Brian would be furious if he found out. Mia would be, too.
He couldn't.
... Or maybe he could?
Maybe, if Brian wasn't talking, a tracker would?
Brian leaned back. "I'll let you baby that car," he said, his smile amused, even if Dom could still see an edge to it. "Gonna go help Mia in the kitchen."
"Okay," Dom said, his voice tight, watching Brian leave.
It would be easy to slip the tracker under Brian's seat; it wasn't a place he checked regularly.
Dom hated himself for it. He wanted to respect Brian's privacy, wanted to trust that Brian would come to him if he needed help.
But he also couldn't just stand by and watch Brian get hurt over and over again, and right now, he didn't feel like he had any other choices.
:::
Brian woke up feeling tired. He'd barely slept, too busy checking his phone every hour to make sure he hadn't missed a message. But there was nothing. No new instructions. No threats. Just silence, and somehow that was just as stressful.
He got out of bed and went through his usual routine. Shower, clothes, breakfast. Dom and Mia were already in the kitchen when he got there, and they both looked up at him with worried expressions - especially Dom - that they tried to hide behind smiles and good mornings. Brian hated that. Hated that they were worried about him. Hated that he couldn't tell them why.
He was about to sit with them, when his phone buzzed.
He pulled it out and looked at the message. Just a time, a place, and a name. Nothing else.
He felt his stomach twist. He didn't want to do this. Didn't want to keep playing along with this asshole's games. But he didn't have a choice. He'd seen the pictures. Dom and Mia, going about their day, completely unaware that someone was watching them. Completely unaware that someone was threatening to kill them if Brian didn't obey.
He typed back quickly. 'I'll be there.'
The response came a few seconds later. 'Don't mess up.'
Brian put his phone away and forced himself to smile. No breakfast for him. "I'm gonna go buy a new pair of slippers. Just tore one apart." Then he added, to make it more natural, "You need something?"
Mia huffed softly, clearly amused. "I'm good. I told you to stop dragging your feet like a zombie. Poor slippers were suffering."
"I'm good too," Dom said absently, without really thinking about it. He just looked at Brian, and Brian knew he was running out of plausible excuses to slip away. Dom was growing more and more suspicious, and a sudden urge to buy slippers at nine in the morning wasn't much of a cover.
But Dom didn't say anything. He just waved Brian goodbye, and Brian left, walking out to his car and driving away from the house.
He didn't go buy slippers, obviously.
He drove to the address he'd been given, a rundown part of town where the buildings were old and the streets were mostly empty. He parked his car and got out.
He sighed. He didn't want to do this, but he didn't have a choice.
He started walking toward the building. Make the guy pay the money he was owing - enforce the payment if necessary. Unfortunately, it often was.
:::
Dom finished eating and then sat there for a moment, staring at his empty plate.
Brian's excuse about the slippers could have sounded reasonable enough, and it was true that he tended to tear through shoes and slippers. But there had been something off about the way he'd said it. Too sudden. And who went out to buy them so early in the morning? It wasn't like it was vital to keep his day going, not without even having a coffee first.
Dom's instincts screamed that Brian was lying. Again.
He got up and walked to Brian's room. He felt a little guilty about stepping into his space without asking, but it wasn't like he wasn't allowed to. He'd done it plenty of times before - especially when Brian was drunk or sick and turned clingy and needy. Those days often ended with them falling asleep together, either in Brian's bed or Dom's.
Just like a few days ago. The memory made Dom smile. Brian liked to handle things on his own, to be secretive, to pretend he didn't need help - but when he was drunk or sick, he clung to Dom like a koala.
Though even when he was fine, they still tended to orbit each other anyway.
The memory faded when Dom saw Brian's slippers sitting by the bed. Scuffed, sure - but not torn.
So Brian had lied. And now he was gone, who knew where, and Dom had a sinking feeling that he was going to come back hurt again.
He felt his chest tighten. Whatever was going on, Brian was trying to handle it alone. It had to stop.
He pulled out his phone and rushed back downstairs, opening the app that tracked the GPS device he had put in Brian's car. Yes, he still felt guilty about it - but right now, he mostly felt grateful.
Mia appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, looking alert. "Dom? Why are you in such a hurry?"
A second of watching the worry in her brother's eyes was enough to know exactly what was happening - or rather exactly who it was about.
"He lied," Dom said, pulling up the GPS location on his phone. "He's nowhere near any shops. He's not buying slippers."
"How do you-" Mia's expression shifted, face torn between hard judgment and deep worry. "Wait... You put a tracker on him?"
"You can give me a lecture about it later," Dom said quickly. "Right now I need to find him."
"Then I'm coming with you."
He shook his head. "No. It might be dangerous."
"Oh, but I'm not giving you a choice," Mia said, already moving to put her shoes on. "The whole family is stubborn, in case you hadn't noticed."
The whole family - because it had long been decided that Brian was part of it. And stubborn, they definitely were, the three of them.
Dom hesitated, just for a second, but they didn't have time to argue. He got in his car, and Mia got in the passenger seat, and they drove off, following the GPS coordinates.
They arrived at a big parking lot near an empty area. There were buildings around, and a basketball court. Dom spotted Brian's car quickly, parked at the far end of the lot.
He parked next to it and got out. There was nobody around, and now he was regretting not putting the thing on Brian's phone directly. But it would have required more knowledge than Dom had - and would have had more chances that Brian found out.
They waited while Dom checked the area. After ten minutes without any sign Brian was coming back, he tried calling him, but Brian didn't answer. He tried again, in the vain hope that maybe he could hear the ring. He didn't. So he sent a message, and it stayed unread.
He could feel the frustration building, and he wanted to scream. What if Brian was in danger? What if he was hurt? What if he was dea-
Dom's stomach twisted. No.
He looked around, ready to go start knocking on every door, when the buzz of his phone startled him.
A text. From Brian.
But it wasn't Brian. Well- it was Brian's number, but it wasn't Brian.
The message said, 'Your friend was looking for trouble - he found it.'
Dom's blood ran cold. 'Where is he?' he typed back immediately.
'Six feet under, if he doesn't talk.'
Dom felt like he couldn't breathe. He stared at the message, reading it over and over, trying to make sense of it. Brian was in trouble. Real trouble. But talk about what? What was Brian supposed to know? And why, God, why hadn't he told Dom, so he could help-
Mia grabbed his arm, reading the message, and only then Dom noticed he was trembling. "Don't panic. We need to think."
But Dom didn't know how not to panic right now. "They're going to kill him," he said, his voice coming out strangled.
"They won't if we can figure out what they want," Mia said. "They want Brian to talk about something - that's our way in. They don't know you, so you just have to pretend you know more than you do."
Dom looked at her and saw the fear in her eyes - and he also saw the determination. She was right. They needed to stay calm. They needed to figure this out, and this was the best plan they had right now - and thank God Mia was here, because Dom's brain was an absolute mess. It always was when Brian was in danger, which was infuriating, because that was exactly when he needed to focus the most.
Dom typed back: 'I can talk, but I need him alive for that.'
He waited, his heart pounding in his chest, and then the response came.
A picture - Brian, tied to a chair. His face was bruised, his lip split, his head hanging forward like he was barely conscious.
'We want Verone's head,' the text said. 'But that asshole is always hiding behind others and sending guys to scare us. Tell us where he is, and your friend walks out free.'
Dom stared at the picture. He read the words, but they blurred together. Brian was alive. That was all his brain managed to register.
He forced himself to focus and read again. Verone? He had no idea who that was. But whoever these people were, they thought Brian had been sent to scare them. Maybe they were right, but it had to be part of something else. There was no way Brian would just go out and threaten people like that.
Mia was already on her phone, calling Tej. "I need you to find information about someone named Verone, it's urgent," she said. "In Brazil. Could be Brazilian, could be a foreigner. Though it might not even be his real name..."
"Well, I always liked complicated," Tej's voice came through the speaker.
The picture wasn't helping him locate Brian. Dom typed back: 'I need to see him alive - with my own eyes. Then I'll get you to Verone.'
The response came quickly. 'You think this is a negotiation? We don't care if your friend dies.'
Dom felt his chest tighten again, and his fingers went still. Maybe they didn't care, but he did - a lot. And a lot wasn't even enough to convey how much he cared.
He was ready to beg at this point. Or to threaten them - to promise that whatever this Verone guy would do to them, Dom would make it look merciful if they so much as touched another hair on Brian's head.
Mia took Dom's phone. "Let me try something."
She typed: 'You want Verone gone. I can make that happen. All I need is my friend back. Letting him go costs you nothing - and gets you what you want. Or you can make an enemy out of me, too. Your choice.'
Dom looked at her. "That's bold."
"It's a reality check," she said firmly. "They don't know who you are, but we just promised to take down Verone. That implies we're dangerous, too. That alone should make them think twice."
"And if they don't cooperate?"
The phone buzzed before she could answer. An address. Two minutes away, on foot.
"I'll go," Dom said.
Mia caught his arm. "Be careful. It could be a trap."
Dom nodded. "I will."
The address led to an old building - definitely not one that was occupied. Dom pushed the door open and stepped inside. He walked through the corridor and climbed the stairs - second floor, they had said.
He found them. Three guys and one girl - unless more were hidden.
And Brian. Exactly like in the picture.
A man with a beard and a hard look in his eyes noticed him, and pointed his gun at him. He squinted at Dom, clicking his tongue. "So you're the guy."
The girl raised her gun as well. "Too bad for you, we checked your friend's phone while you were on your way. And guess what? We figured something out."
Dom gulped. If they discovered that he had no idea who Verone was-
"You have no idea who Verone is," the bearded man said.
Dom closed his eyes, and felt panic rise in his chest. That could have been funny if Brian's life wasn't on the line.
He decided to be honest. "No," he said. "I don't. But I know Brian, and I know he wouldn't go along with something like this without a reason."
A twitchy guy, skinnier than the others, lifted Brian's phone, showing what looked like a conversation. "And you'd be right. Verone's using you and a girl as leverage. Been doing it for almost two weeks."
"Leverage?" Dom snapped, his blood boiling. "What do you mean, 'leverage'? What did that piece of shit tell tell him?"
Was Brian hurt because of Dom? To protect them?
The girl exchanged a look with the bearded man, and she lowered her weapon. "Look. We're not killers. The threats were empty. My gun doesn't even have ammo."
The bearded man clicked his tongue again. "Letty-"
"Shut up, Vince," she told him. "Blondie here isn't the problem. He's just as much a victim as we are. We're not getting Verone's head this way."
"She's right," said a tall, lanky guy - the one who'd stayed silent until now. He looked at Dom. "I'm Leon. Verone told your friend he would kill you and the girl if he didn't comply. It scared him enough that he agreed."
"But your friend does know who Verone is," the twitchy guy added. "In one message, Verone said he owed him after putting him in jail years ago."
Shit. So Verone was someone from Brian's FBI days. Someone who'd gone to prison and come out looking for revenge. And what better revenge than forcing Brian to obey while threatening the people he cared about? Worse than killing him outright.
That piece of shit.
"Okay, so I'll get that guy's head," Dom said, his tone so cold and his anger so barely controlled that if anyone had doubted him until then, they wouldn't anymore.
"That's all we want, and we will help you," Leon said. "Verone has been threatening us for different reasons. I went bankrupt because of my parents' debts, Verone bailed me out. Jesse here hacked the wrong people's business because they were trafficking organs. Verone saved him from getting killed."
Letty raised her hand. "I cheated in a casino and needed to disappear, Verone made that happen. And grumpy here," she said, pointing at Vince, "got someone dangerous very angry - which, honestly, is a given. Vince is a real charmer, as you can tell," she said with a smirk, and Vince grimaced at her.
"We're not the best people, or the most law‑abiding citizens," Jesse said, his voice stuttering slightly. "But we're not bad guys either. And we're not the only ones. Verone lends money and provides escape routes to people who are desperate - people who don't realize they're signing their lives away. He makes it sound like help. Now we owe him more money than we can pay back. The amount grows every damn day, and… it's exhausting."
"Some of his victims get killed because they can't pay," Vince added. "Verone uses people like your friend to threaten us. Then, when that stops working, he sends them to kill us."
Kill.
Dom looked at Brian. Brian would never have forgiven himself for that - but he also would never have risked Dom's or Mia's lives. He would have complied.
And it would have destroyed him.
The more Dom learned about Verone, the more he hated him.
"Can I- Can I get close to him?" Dom asked, and they shifted aside to let him approach Brian.
"Sure," Letty said. "We punched him up pretty bad. Sorry about that. We were kind of desperate to get any information we could."
Dom walked over to Brian and crouched in front of him. He reached out and brushed his cheek gently, pushing his hair back, checking where the injuries were. Brian's face was a mess, bruised and swollen, but he didn't look like he had any broken bones.
"Bri...?" Dom said, his voice barely above a whisper. He saw Brian's eyelids flutter a bit.
"We knew Verone would come for Vince next," Leon explained. "So we decided to trap Verone's guy. Turned out it was your friend."
Vince approached and cut Brian loose. Dom cradled him against his chest.
"Bri, do you hear me?" he asked, and he felt Brian's hands clenching at his shirt, felt him move, and this time his eyes fluttered open.
"Dom...?"
Dom felt some of the tension drain out of him, and a relieved smile broke across his face. "Hey. Yeah, it's me. You're fine," he said with a soft voice, cupping Brian's face with his hand. Brian closed his eyes again and nuzzled his face against Dom's neck, tightening his hold around him as if he was afraid Dom could disappear - or that maybe it was all just a dream.
"I'm sorry," Brian said, his voice shaken.
"You don't have to be," Dom told him, before his voice changed to cold anger. "The only one who's gonna be sorry is Verone."
He felt Brian's fingers twitch, and blue eyes looked at him, guilty and ashamed. "I should have told you. But I was so scared he would kill you and Mia-"
"It's okay," Dom said, leaning in to kiss the corner of Brian's mouth. Brian's eyes fluttered closed, his breath catching. "I'm not mad at you. I get why you did it. I'm only mad that he put you in this situation. But it's over now."
"It's not. Verone is still out there," Brian said.
"Not for long," Dom replied. "I met four people who are just as done with that piece of shit as we are. And we're all pretty motivated to put a stop to his reign."
Brian looked anxious. "Dom… he doesn't stop. Ever."
"Neither will we," Dom said with certainty, and Brian settled back against his chest.
Letty stretched. "Well, now we need a plan. Because we still have no idea where that guy is."
Dom turned his face toward her. "Got a friend looking for him right now. With all the info both you and Brian can give about him, we'll find him in no time."
Jesse looked relieved. "No more looking behind our shoulders, no more debts that keep climbing!"
Leon put his arm around Jesse's shoulders, squeezing.
"We're still not killers," Vince said, his grumpy voice warmer now. "But we could make an exception for that guy. He helped us, sure. But only so he could kill us slowly later. That's not saving anyone."
"Time to end his dictatorship," Dom said quietly.
Vince handed Dom a piece of paper with a phone number on it. "Stay in contact," Vince said.
Dom nodded and took the paper, tucking it into his pocket. Then he helped Brian outside.
Mia was waiting in the car, and when she saw them, she jumped out and ran over, grabbing Brian and pulling him into a hug. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine," Brian said, hugging her back.
"We got more info for Tej," Dom said to Mia. "I'll explain on the way home. We're going to find Verone and end this. The guy's a threat to too many people's lives. Those guys who held Brian were just victims too."
Mia nodded. "Alright, let's do it."
Dom helped Brian into the back, climbing in after him, while Mia got in the driver's seat. He pulled Brian close, letting him lean against his chest, and wrapped his arms around him. Brian relaxed into him, his head resting on Dom's shoulder, and Dom pressed a kiss to the top of his head.
Mia started the car, and something clicked for Brian.
"By the way... How did you find me?"
Dom made a noise and looked away. "You were acting weird, disappearing and getting back hurt, and I just... put a tracker on your car. No big deal. I mean- it was only because I was scared for you. I'll take it away. Or not. You know. Just in case."
Brian huffed a laugh. "Well, I'm glad you did," he said, his eyes honest. "You've always watched over me."
Okay. Brian wasn't angry. Dom let himself breathe.
Then he pushed his luck. "So... am I allowed to be the most annoying protective guy ever now?"
Brian let out a wet laugh. "You're allowed to be the most annoying protective guy ever."
"And what about the most annoying protective boyfriend ever...?"
Brian lifted his face and looked at Dom, half-surprised, half-not surprised at all. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to Dom's mouth. "That too," he whispered against Dom's lips.
The warmth of Brian's lips against his felt absolutely perfect, and Dom kissed him back gently, mindful of Brian's split lip.
When Dom leaned back, the smile on Brian's face was the brightest he'd seen.
Mia drove them home, and he held Brian the whole way, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing. Brian was safe now. And Dom was going to make sure Verone never threatened him again.
:::
THE END