Fast and Furious: Future (editing and adding to)

Chapter 4: In Debt

'Whatdo you want?' I asked strongly.

'Yourboyfriend owes my friend a car or money. Either one, as long as hepays up.'

'He'smy friend,' I answered defensively. 'And by the sound of it, it'syour friend that owes mine. Jack's a great driver and your enginesdon't sound in top condition. Ahhh!' I screamed as he grabbed myneck.

'Whatwould a girl know about cars? My dad is the best mechanic round here,he fixed them up himself.' I tried to laugh but the slight grip hehad on my neck began to make my head twinge.

'Letme go,' I said almost breathlessly. I could just about see him,although the edges of my vision began to grow fuzzy. He was smirkingand his eyes held something that I had seen before in a friend butright now, I couldn't put a name to it. My lungs began to ache andI realised I needed air; my body needed air. I opened my mouth andtried to draw in a breath, there was very little I managed to getinto my lungs before he squeezed tighter. Shooting my hands up, Iscratched down his cheek and down his wrist. I knew I didn't havevery long nails but it seemed to be enough as he let go. With theshort lack of oxygen I had, my knees gave way and I dropped down tothe ground, gasping hard and croaking.

'Hey!Get off him!' That was another voice I just about knew. There wasanother bout of shouting and then a bang of a body into a car.

'Oi!Let me go!' This shouting was a lot closer. Right in front of me tobe exact as my attacker's feet were replaced by someone else's.

Stilldizzy and my arms shaking around my chest, I heard Brian's voice.'You alright?' I didn't answer, my throat hurt too much to makea sound. 'Come on, I'll help you up.' And indeed he did,keeping me propped up against his side. The shouting over where Jackhad been fighting was no longer between him and his opponent. Theonly person shouting was Dom and Jack was being looked over by Mia.Dom looked very red with anger and the muscles in his arms seemedtaught as though they might just pop out of his skin. The boys doveinto the two cars and sped off.

Tryingto push his mum off, he saw me looking over. He looked pretty beat upwith one red cheek and grasping a hand in the other. I tried to smilebut instead my eyebrows furrowed slightly and hot tears rolled downmy flustered cheeks. 'What happened?' Brian asked though I wasn'tsure who he was talking to.

Reachingmy hand out, I balanced myself against Brian and my car. He must havedecided I was alright to stand on my own as he let me go and walkedover to Mia just as Jack came over to me. Whatever they spoke to eachother, I did not hear as Jack had a bit to say to me. 'Um, are youok?' he asked hesitantly, still holding his own hand.

Ishook my head then attempted to speak. 'Not really.' I was stilla bit croaky.

'It'smy fault.'

'No,it's mine. I should have stayed in my garage. What was that aboutexactly? I heard bits of what you said to each other but noteverything.'

'Dependswhat you heard. Ah,' he complained, clutching his hand tighter.

'Youshould get that seen too and your head,' I pointed out whilsttouching his temple.

Hechuckled. 'I'll be ok though I don't think I'll be drivinganytime soon.' He smiled, more to himself than me and a smile ofslight self-pity.

'You'vealways got me.' It sounded far too cheery and friendly for myliking. 'How did your mum, dad and uncle know you were here andthat you were in trouble?' I asked sceptically.

'Itold them I was coming to see you and they find things out way tooeffectively than I like to admit. Those idiots must have tried tofind me at my place first and then did a run around looking for me.Seriously, I don't know myself.' He shrugged.

DecidingI needed a drink, I disappeared leaving Toretto and the O'Connersoutside.

*****

Ittook awhile and an hour sat on my sofa, settling my head. I was stillrather shook up with being strangled until I could no longer breathe.I had had about three glasses of water when, looking into the bottomof my now empty glass, I realised I had left my hose and polishingstuff outside. I absentmindedly made my way downstairs and found mywork had already been done for me.

Mythroat and voice felt much more natural now. 'Er, what are youdoing?' I asked Jack as I saw him rolling up my hose thoughstruggling with his left hand.

'Helpingout. It's the least I could do but I owe you much more.'

'Isaid I don't blame you.' I stepped over and finished dealing withthe hose. 'What happened then?'

'Oh,we had a race about three weeks ago. I had someone cut me up early inthe race and near the end I had finally caught up with that moronthat hit me. Anyway, it was the last corner and I was on the outsideline so I had to go wide myself. Of course, he tried to wait 'tilthe last second and that meant he had to steer harder and that didn'thappen so he went wider than I'd judged. His rear flank hit my carin the back passenger door. He rolled backwards as he skidded andcrashed into the steel leg of a billboard frame. I managed to controlmy car. I didn't win but he clearly blames me for him losing. So,apparently, I owe him a car or the money for him to get a new one.'

'Hmmm,'I mused. 'Seems you've got a problem on your hands.'

'Yehand it doesn't help that my dad and uncle will be asking questions.No doubt they'll pay him off on my behalf.' At saying that, hegrimaced and screwed his face up. 'I hate it when they do that.'

'Hmm.'I didn't know what to say to that but I felt I should make him feelbetter. 'Do you want to stay for dinner?'

'Eh?'

'Ohyou can say no,' I said very quickly. 'It was just an offer. Ithought since you took me to yours last week I should, maybe, returnthe gesture.' I went to shut the garage door, feeling prettyfoolish. I didn't know what it was about him but half the time Iwanted to hold him and the other half I wanted to tell him to leaveme alone. I was so confused inside my mind that everything seemed toblurt out of my mouth before I had a chance to tell it what toactually say.

'Sure,I'll stay for dinner. What were you thinking of making?'

'Indianor Chinese?'

'Haveyou ever tried Cuban?' he asked, his eyes widening and lipsspreading into an admiring smile.