CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
my broken bones are mending
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𝐁rian O'Conner made another deal. Dominic helps him to catch Braga and for that, the FBI has to let him walk (he also made sure they wouldn't put abetting a criminal on Jo's file). It was a futile attempt but it was the thought that counts, I suppose. Josephine knew he just wanted the best for her family and that was for Dom to stop being a wanted criminal. A part of her hoped the FBI would follow his negotiation but it was a stretch to believe that they would actually let him go as a free man.
They think Dominic Toretto was too dangerous to let him walk around freely.
As for Braga, they had one last plan to attempt to catch him. Dominic managed to get ahold of Campos through Gisele Yashar━whom Josephine was beginning to like━and convinced him to meet up with them to get the rest of his money. A trade of some sort. Despite the strangeness of it all and the bad feeling she had, Josephine prepared to come with them even through their constant warnings for her not to go. There was no way she was going to miss this opportunity.
The port looked empty at this time of night, the city lights overseeing the waters lit up the scenery. Josephine, Brian, and Dominic stood under an isolated highway bridge where they would meet Braga himself. The three stood along the truck with the four big cases of millions of money laid out next to them in a row. Impatience hung in the air and the anticipation of seeing the respected leader of the drug cartel.
Josephine was well aware of the cops hiding somewhere in the cargo holds around them. They were watching through cameras, waiting to strike whenever Brian gave them a signal. It was slightly unnerving to know that they could easily change their mind and catch her brother instead. Dom was just right beside her. The choices were there but it seemed like Brian managed to convince his superiors for this moment to commence.
"Well, the good news is, when we get this guy, you walk out of here a free man," Brian told Dom, breaking the tense silence between them. A bittersweet smile slipped on Josephine's lips when she glanced at them, Brian noticed.
Dom seemed amused. "Is that what they told you?"
"Yeah, that's the deal." Brian nodded, but there was an underlying tone in his voice that told them he also thought it was too good to be true.
"You still put milk and cookies out for Santa Claus?" Dom said sarcastically, his arms crossed to his chest. His words earned a quiet laugh from his sister and the undercover agent who muttered an unsure and yet joking, Yeah.
Tires screeched, signaling the arrival of somebody else in the port. Her gaze hardened upon seeing the green Torino stopped along with three other black vehicles. Of course, the drug lord brought backup. And Fenix was there. That enough fueled her need for revenge. Josephine shifted slightly, watching as multiple men stepped out of the cars, all of them armed with guns.
"Here." Brian grabbed something out of his pocket, handing Dom what looked like a key. "In case things go shitty."
Dom took the car key with a small sigh. Then he seemed to find it funny as he looked at it. "Just like old times?"
"Yeah," Brian muttered.
"Oye." Fenix marched toward them, reloading a pistol with a big threatening grin on his face. He taunted them. "You dropped something. That's what you wanted, right?"
Her brother took a step forward, preparing to beat his face to a pulp and Brian tried to calm him down. Campos did the same with his man. Josephine gritted her teeth, wanting to wring the man's neck with her hands, but she stayed put. Her eyes surveyed the threats. They were outnumbered. And she particularly did not want to get caught in a crossfire right now no matter how much she wanted to hurt Fenix for killing Letty.
Fenix backed away, blending into the group of armed men who stood around their vehicles. Gisele Yashar was there, too. Her arms crossed as she looked at the three of them. Campos went to greet them, the same unnerving grin on his face that made him look calm and outgoing: "He's harmless. Don't worry about him."
"We're not," Josephine deadpanned, noticing the prolonged death stare Dom and Fenix were giving each other from across the port.
"And he's really sorry about Letty," Campos said but they sensed the ungenuine underneath his words. He looked at each of them, probably thinking about how they had been allying under his nose the whole time. "Where's our stuff?"
"You mean the stuff that used to be in here, right?" Brian moved toward the large crates and opened one of them. Campos almost looked incredulous. He probably didn't think they would do this. "Well, you'll see it when we see Braga." He shut the crate loudly, walking back toward the Torettos. "That was the deal."
"No worries." Campos nodded, keeping that certain cool he had. His gaze turned to Dominic. "Braga keeps his word." Then he turned his back on them, signaling with his hand and one of his men opened the door to the sedan in the middle of the SUVs.
A middle-aged man stepped out of the car. He wore a gray suit over a white polo with a pale pink necktie around the collar. He had graying hair but a certain hardness on his face that didn't blend with the way his throat subtly bobbed up and down with unease. Immediately, something didn't feel right to her. The way Gisele was watching them felt like she knew something about it, too. Dominic seemed to have noticed it as the liaison looked at him.
Braga walked forward, the silence from his men echoed with respect as they lightly bowed their heads when he walked past them. Even Ramon Campos and Fenix Calderon. Something was off. This man looked at them with a hard frown, and he had a slight limp that pushed her curiosity, remembering Campos's words about the man who brought himself up the food chain. He dropped a duffel bag he held on the ground, containing the six million they wanted in exchange for the sixty they had hidden.
"Two million," Braga spoke, earning a deeper frown from the Torettos. He didn't have an accent. I mean, Josephine thought he should at least have one for being Mexican and all, but who was she to judge? She scowled at her thoughts. "You get the rest when I get my property."
For a second, the three just looked at him. Like really looked. They shared the same doubts and uneasiness with the situation. It was almost too easy. They would've expected more guns and a rougher approach for someone like Braga who has a reputation to uphold. This man in front of them━Braga━did not look like the man they were expecting. The way his voice trembled the slightest and his pupils wavered with anxiousness━this man was not who they said he was.
"I got a question for you," Brian asked incredulously, his narrowed gaze flickering to the man's choice of necktie. "You wearing pink when you were clawing your way out of el barrio?"
"I don't know, Brian," Josephine said out loud, adding fuel to the fire as the old man became even more nervous. It was clear from how he was darting his eyes everywhere and shifting on his feet now and then. "Maybe he just wanted to claw out of it in style?"
"You're thinking what I'm thinking, right?" Brian mused, the Toretto siblings straightening up in response to his words.
Dom clenched his jaw. "He ain't Braga."
Just like that, the cops ruined everything again. SWAT came rushing toward them, totally uninvited as they raised their rifles and began firing blindly at them. Obviously, Braga's men retaliated. Guns firing everywhere. They all dropped to the ground, trying to evade the bullets. Brian made sure to take down fake Braga with him, shielding the nervous old man from the crossfire.
"Get out of here!" Brian yelled at the siblings who looked like they weren't going anywhere any time soon. They contemplated, furiously fighting the urge to run after them and satisfy their thirst for revenge. He stayed on the ground, shielding the old man with his body. "Get out of here, Dom! Josephine, go!"
"Campos," Josephine mumbled in realization after the man made eye contact with her brother. Fenix even had the nerve to smirk at her before he got in his green Torino with Campos━or should I say, the real Braga. Her eyes snapped to Dominic with urgency. "Dom."
She looked at Brian with a warning and he immediately realized the same thing just as Dominic ran toward the green Torino speeding through the SWAT team. The undercover cop pointed at the man inside the vehicle and yelled out: "Campos is Braga!"
Her breath caught, watching as Gisele almost got hit by the car but Dominic managed to push her out of the way. They landed on top of the Subaru Impreza. She looked at Brian, breathing heavily as two options weighed her chest. He looked back at her and realized the situation. She needed to go, too. Brian sent her a firm nod and Josephine rose to her feet, remaining vigilance to keep herself from getting hit by stray bullets. Behind her, Dom was already staring at her from across the port.
"Go!" Brian shouted.
The Toretto girl pursed his lips and bolted toward her brother and Gisele who just entered the car. She picked up a discarded pistol on the ground before she jumped in the backseat of the Subaru. As soon as she was in, Dominic jumped in the driver's seat, turned the engine, and then practically made the car fly out of the scene. Her worried eyes stayed on Brian the whole time as the agent watched them leave amid the chaos. The only thing on his mind was that she was safe.
After Dom dropped Gisele somewhere, Josephine had a brief argument with her brother. They both knew what lies ahead, and Josephine had wanted to be a part of it. She left no room for discussion as she turned her back on him before he could say any more excuses and why she shouldn't go with him. She won't. Well, at least Josephine wasn't going with him. Because she was going after Braga and Fenix either way.
She was just exiting her house to greet Mia halfway on the front porch when she heard voices coming from the garage. Josephine knew Dom was there fixing up the Dodge Charger. But she stopped in her tracks, hearing somebody familiar talking to him. She urged Mia to get inside first with a baggage of groceries in her arms as she went to check the Toretto garage. The night breeze gave a peaceful feeling to the neighborhood streets that Josephine grew up in as she walked with a heavy feeling in her chest.
Brian. Her expression softened. She watched from afar as he and her brother worked on the Charger. Just like old times. It made her heartstrings twist at the familiarity of it. Sometimes, she missed the old times. But time had passed, and in the middle of it, Josephine had been torn between her former self and the one she'd turned into now.
The angry sister who seemed to still be half in love with the man who betrayed her, and tremendously sorry that she turned away all those years ago.
She pursed her lips wistfully, biting the skin on them as she decided to leave them alone for now. The moment was too precious to break. But little did she know as she disappeared back into the house, Brian had seen her. He didn't even say anything to Dom as he urgently sprung up to his feet and rushed after her. Dominic watched him walk away, knowing all too well why. His brows furrowed when he thought about his sister who had tried her best to stay strong for them for years.
Josephine and Brian deserved something good for once. Dominic knew it was each other that was good for them.
Her hands gripped the edge of the sink, inhaling a deep breath that Josephine had been holding inside when she saw that bittersweet moment between Brian and her older brother. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes when she remembered how it was before. When Vince, Leon, Letty, and Jesse were still around. A quiet sob escaped her lips. Every corner of this house made her remember. Remembering feels like torture nowadays.
It was awful to remember things that will never come back.
She didn't hear footsteps enter the kitchen. Then suddenly, somebody was holding her wrist and pulling her around. Her head lifted, meeting a pair of blue eyes that sent countless emotions course through her. She almost wanted to tear her gaze off him. Brian looked like he would've fought the demons in her head that made her cry when he noticed the tears staining her cheeks. His thumb ran across her skin, seeking her eyes.
Then he closed the distance between them, pressing a gentle kiss on her lips. He stopped to stare at her, waiting patiently. Then she leaned in, lips pressing against lips with a sense of urgency like she had been craving the taste of them. Brian kissed her and he forgot to breathe. It just didn't seem as important at that time. They grasped each other desperately as if the distance wasn't enough. They wanted each other in the way of flesh wanting to knit itself together over a wound.
They didn't need words. The touch, the gentleness of it, and the eyes alone were enough. It's always in the eyes.
Josephine laid her head on the crook of his neck as she sat on the kitchen counter with Brian standing between her legs. Her warm breaths sent shivers down his spine. His arms were wrapped around her and his chin was atop her head. Their eyes were closed. The intensity and yearning of their kiss made their heartbeats twice the speed. Despite the mess they'd made, the groceries scattered everywhere, they merely held each other in silence. As if they were afraid somebody would take them away from each other again.
No. Brian wouldn't let that happen. If they tried to take her from him, he'd rip the world apart with his bare hands. And for some reason, that didn't terrify him when his dazed eyes landed on her face when she lifted her head from his shoulder. A lazy smile slipped on her swollen lips, cheeks twice as red, and her lashes fluttered from the way he softly ran his thumb underneath her eyes.
"What?" Josephine whispered, noticing the way he was looking at her.
"Nothing," Brian mumbled, admiring her quietly. Then he seemed to remember the mission that lay ahead of them and then realized something. "You're coming with Dom."
She averted her eyes from him. "No."
"But you're still going either way."
"You can't stop me."
"I won't," Brian sighed, a little defeated but he knew her. No way was that going to happen, but he trusted her. Then he began taking off the gray string around his wrist, Josephine watching his actions with a furrow between her brows. "Here."
Josephine let him raise her arm and he put it around her wrist. Her gaze softened as he gently fit the string around her. "You never take this off."
"It's yours now," Brian murmured, a gentle curve formed on his lips.
"Why?"
"Good luck."
Josephine let out an airy chuckle, slightly inspecting the flimsy gray string. "Is it?"
"So you still have a piece of me even when I'm not there," Brian admitted, tucking a piece of hair that had fallen on her face.
Her heart warmed at his words. She grabbed his hand and led it to her chest where her heart lies beneath. Her eyes held the intensity of what she felt for him all this time. They had never left. Just remained dormant. Now they were stronger than ever. She merely smiled softly, and he pressed another kiss on her temple, knowing all too well this was probably the last tranquility they'd get before they drove themselves into war with Braga's cartel and the stubborn need for revenge.
Parting is such a sweet sorrow. Now as they stood in the same driveway that took the life of their friend, the Torettos realized leaving each other was always the hardest part. Mia was standing idly on the sidewalk, and Josephine removed herself from Brian's arms to join her sister. He stood next to his Impreza, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. Something heavy hung in the air like there was something Josephine wasn't saying but Dominic already knew.
"How do you say goodbye to your only brother?" Mia said with a sad smile.
Dom pursed his lips, looking at the two strongest women he'd ever known. "You don't."
Mia shared a tight hug with their brother before she stepped back to give Josephine some space. Dominic recognized that look on her face too well. He wore the same one whenever he set his mind on things. Nothing was going to change her mind now. He didn't say anything and merely took his other sister into a hug that said thousands of words. The oldest Toretto just wanted his family to be safe and sound and happy.
She shared one last look with Brian before they stepped inside their respective cars and left them on the driveway.
Josephine waited until Mia was sound asleep in her room. She didn't want to tell her that she was leaving, too. It was wrong, but she had no choice. Mia wouldn't have let her go if she knew. It was bad enough that their brother had gone off with Brian. What more if she knew that Josephine was off to the same dangerous route? Mia wasn't built for the road they were aiming for and the older siblings left it at that.
Her car keys felt heavy in her hand as she crept out of the house. Her jacket hung loosely around her frame and she stopped by the front porch momentarily, looking up at Mia's closed windows. She gulped slightly, pursing her lips as she made her decision. Mia was going to be fine. She tried to convince herself. She was better here than with them. And Josephine wasn't going to let her brother walk into danger alone. Someone needed to watch after him.
The 1999 custom Subaru Impreza parked across the street was waiting for her in the glow of the moonlight, the new blue wrap around the body glinting at the slightest light. Her light feet led her to the car and Josephine slipped into the driver's seat with a sigh. For a moment, she just touched the rough exterior of the steering wheel with a tense grip as her gaze stayed ahead. The hard decisions she had to make still hang around her.
With a purse of her lips, she put the key on the engine and drove out of the familiar streets to do what had to be done.
The consequences of Josephine's actions were there, lingering beneath her hard exterior and the same hardness on her face. The sun had risen over the horizon when she drove past the end route of the US-Mexican border. The road was empty and vast lands and hills stretched for miles and miles around her. Everything looked calm and normal, completely different from what lies ahead of her journey where she has to make even more difficult choices.
Her cell phone hadn't stopped ringing since early in the morning. The screen lit up, showing Mia's name and her contact photo showed her younger sister smiling from ear to ear. The device lied uncomfortably on the passenger seat which Josephine tried to ignore. She couldn't talk to Mia. Not now. No matter how hard it was, Josephine pursed her lips and decided to turn her phone off instead.
Dominic and Brian were waiting at the edge of a hill that overlooked the city by their cars when she pulled up in her own behind them. The gravel crunched under the weight of the vehicle as the wheels rolled over them. Brian was the first to look her way and he approached her as she exited her car. Her squinted eyes flickered to Dominic. Her brother was clenching his fists around the familiar necklace of a cross that held so much more than it was. It holds a significant place in his heart.
"Hey," Brian mumbled, his hand hovering behind her as they walked to the front of the cars where Dominic finally looked at his sister with a deep crease on his forehead. "How's Mia?"
Josephine gulped slightly, her gaze falling on the city below them. "She's fine."
"You're not late," Dominic stated, but there was an underlying tone in his voice that told her he wasn't too happy that she was there.
"Nope," Josephine muttered, stepping forward just as another car drove up the hill. They shifted uneasily from where they stood, and Dom walked up to greet the newcomer in her white Porsche Cayman.
Gisele Yashar stepped out of the car, instantly smiling warmly at the sight of the Toretto siblings. She seemed happier to see Dominic, which made Josephine shake her head inwardly at her brother's effect on people. She remained on the hood of Brian's car, the latter's fingers gently drawing shapes and stars on her waist as they watched the interaction. Gisele had agreed to help them. (After Dom saved her life, this was her way of thanking him).
She gave Dominic a piece of folded paper that contained something that would help them get to Braga. Her expression showed a hint of concern for the man as she shook her head lightly. "Dom... Going in there is suicide."
Dominic was silent for a moment, her words sinking in his mind. But he already made his decision. "I have no choice."
"You must have loved her very much."
Josephine knew Gisele was talking about Letty. Her face twisted a little, remembering the woman who used to teach her how to live in the streets without letting anyone bring her down. Letty Ortiz had a part in turning Josephine into the person she was now. Then again, every person she'd ever loved and had left has a piece of them inside of her that will never go away. I guess it is a little sad but it was the only thing she had left of them.
Gisele pressed a gentle kiss on Dominic's cheeks, but something about it felt like a goodbye or a silent understanding on Gisele's part. Because in Dom's heart, there was no room for somebody else other than Letty Ortiz, and Gisele respected that a lot. In fact, she envied that about him. There aren't a lot of men out there who showed the same loyalty and devotion to a woman, let alone even if that person was gone permanently in this world.
"Vaya con Dios." Then Gisele went to leave. Her Porsche disappeared in the distance, which left the three of them together again.
"So this is where my jurisdiction ends," Brian said half-heartedly.
Dominic raised the folded paper between his fingers, sharing a subtle look with his sister. "And this is where mine begins."