CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
this is looking like a crime scene
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𝐓he first thing that Josephine did when she arrived back at the garage hideout was to check what the hell was so important with the GT40. Really. Because it didn't look much to her. Just a hunk of millions that costs more than the mortgage of their house back in LA. There was nobody back there when she reached her destination. Not even Vince. Her stomach bubbled with uncertainty, suddenly feeling a lot more worried than usual.
Waiting was unbearable for the Toretto girl who never the the patience for it. She waited and waited and anxiously paced around for what seemed like hours, bit her nails down to the skin, and almost contemplated going out there to look for Brian and her brother.
The radio that Josephine turned on spewed news about the recent train robbery in the Brazil channels, the extent of their actions coming to the surface. Apparently, everybody thinks they had killed those three DEA agents. Now they were twice as wanted as they were before, the police warning the people that they were armed and extremely dangerous.
Josephine almost scoffed. She was dangerous. But she doubted holding a piece of metal pole could be called armed. Hell, she wished she had a gun. The thought of putting a bullet through the radio seemed like a pretty good idea right now, just to satisfy the simmering annoyance going through her at the moment.
The second she heard a movement somewhere in the warehouse, Josephine was quick to slam the off button and grabbed the nearest thing to her for defense. Much to her luck, it was the metal pole she was talking about earlier. Her forehead creased, hearing the faint sound of footsteps getting closer. She put her back against the wall of a pillar in the middle of the spacious room, her grip around the pole tightening.
She'd beat the hell out of anybody before she let them touch her. At some point, Josephine had a really funny thought. Maybe it was her maternal instincts finally showing up. For some reason, that didn't scare her. She never thought something like this would actually make her feel stronger and more determined than she already was.
Motherhood was going to make her formidable.
The sound of the metal gate closing echoed throughout the empty warehouse and Josephine prepared herself for the worse. She tried to sneak a glance, waiting for whoever it was with a sense of caution. Then she heard somebody call her name, all her walls melting down instantly at the sound of the familiar voice she'd been wanting to hear.
"Jo?" He repeated, a hint of worry in his tone, and Josephine couldn't help but smile in relief when she saw Brian O'Conner walk through the warehouse seemingly unharmed.
"Brian." Josephine stepped out of her hiding spot, immediately throwing her arms around his neck, the man supported her with his own as they wrapped around her waist. He let out a sigh of relief, burying his nose on her shoulder, his eyes briefly closing as he hugged her. "Are you okay?"
"It's okay. We're okay," Brian reassured softly, not wanting to let her go. He didn't open his eyes until they broke off from the hug. Josephine caressed the back of his neck for comfort, sharing a wordless moment with him to make sure they were fine as their gazes stayed on one another.
Then Dominic appeared and Josephine sighed deeply, finally feeling at ease to see her boys back around her. There was one missing though. Her brother smiled ever so slightly, his eyes falling to her hand which still held a metal pole. His brow lifted in amusement, stepping forward to take the makeshift weapon from his sister.
"Hey, yeah." Dom chuckled as he inspected the pole. Josephine shrugged coolly. "Just like a Toretto."
That earned a faint scoff of amusement from Brian who slightly nodded his head in agreement. He was glad that Josephine had never forgotten her roots, her fire, the stubbornness that drew him to the girl. Hell, she could do anything in the world and he would always worship the ground she walks on.
"Vince's not with you?" Josephine finally broke the question, and she did not like the way their faces fell at her words. They didn't know either.
Brian stared at Dom. "That's a good question."
Josephine sent him a look, knowing he always held doubts for the man. But that man was family, always had been, and she was not going to doubt him now when all those years ago, Vince had been right about Brian. Of course, she had forgiven him already but she never forgets. Forgetting would strip away the shell of what she had become and Josephine quite liked who she was right now.
"He will be here," Dom said before walking away, leaving no room for arguments.
Josephine sighed. "I hate to break it to you, boys, but we're all over the news."
Brian looked at her, a deep furrow between his brows. They followed Dom further into the garage, and the sight of the Ford GT40 they had stolen sat in the middle of the room. The couple stood back a few feet, letting the oldest Toretto inspect the vehicle clothed with dust from going through the rough desert.
"I assume somebody shot somebody while I was gone, and now they're blaming us for the killing of those DEA agents in the train," Josephine breathed, a little frustrated from the lack of reaction she was receiving from her brother.
Brian was the only one paying attention. His gaze stayed on her the whole time. "Which means we just jumped to the top of the wanted list."
"Delightful," Josephine deadpanned.
"The Feds have got to show everyone their agents are off limits." Brian looked at Dom, frustration clear on his features. "And they're going to send their best guys. We got to get out of here."
Dom stood before the GT40. "One thing we know for sure... is that they wanted this car."
Brian quickly put it together, glancing over at the vehicle. "Because something is in it."
"If we find out what it is, we'll know what we're up against."
"Um, yeah." Josephine nodded unconvincingly, sending a small grimace at her brother's way. She briefly patted Brian's shoulder and began to walk to the side where she could see a chair meant to be seated━meant for her. "I'll leave the searching to you, guys."
She let the men do the work as she watched from the sideline. Tearing apart cars was not on her resume. Josephine puts them together, to build a masterpiece from scratch, not tear them apart to find something that didn't fit in a car. It's almost like murder to pull apart something so beautiful without a great purpose (like running it into a wall or crashing into a cop car).
Dominic stood by the table, doing his dismantling a couple of feet away from Brian. The latter was working on the wheel, slashing it apart to see if something was hidden in there. The GT40 barely looked like a car. Its skeletal remains left to be marvelled at with its blue shell strewn all over the floor. Truthfully, Josephine was more focused on the blond disassembling the vehicle in front of her.
She took her time admiring him, the corner of her unpainted lips lifting ever so slightly as she stared at him. Everything about Brian O'Conner never fails to make her smile. His skin, tawny and blemished, glowed in the dim light of the garage. Suddenly, she hoped her baby would have his nose. A completely random thought that made her smile grow. God, twenty-one-year-old Jo would be horrified by her own thoughts now.
His hair, now a cropped haircut, courtesy of Josephine, was now a darker shade. She wasn't sure how that happened but I guess as he got older, the lightness in his hair faded. Josephine still adored the look on him anyway. Despite the grime and dust mixing with sweat coating his cheeks, his scruff of beard, and the dirt on his calloused hands as he worked on the car━Brian O'Conner had never been so beautiful in her eyes.
Deep inside, she was trying to find a way to tell Brian about the baby but wasn't sure how to begin, and it was killing her.
Josephine pursed her lips, finally calling his name in a whisper: "Brian."
"Hm?" Brian quickly looked up, warm blue eyes searching. He waited patiently for her to say more, never tearing his gaze off her pretty, pretty face. He wasn't sure what it was but Josephine looked different in a good way. She was glowing beautifully the moon would be jealous if it saw her right now.
"There's something I have to tell you," Josephine murmured, finally coming to a decision that would set the rest of the path of their future. He had to know. It wouldn't be fair if she kept it to herself. Besides, there was no way her baby was not going to have a father. Not a chance.
Before she could continue, the faint sound of Vince's voice echoed throughout the vacant warehouse along with the gate slamming shut. "God damn. What a mess."
Josephine cautiously stood up, recognizing the look on Brian's face. The way his face fell, his eyes turning cold and his body becoming rigid━she knew him too well. The man was not thrilled to see Vince. Even Dom seemed unhappy at his late presence but he remained calm. She leaned against the skeletal frame of the car, watching closely with a narrowed gaze for whatever happened next.
"Where you been, man?" Brian demanded through gritted teeth. His glare remained on Vince who stopped and laughed dryly at his accusatory tone.
"You better check that tone," Vince warned.
Brian rose to his feet, pocketing his Swiss knife as he approached him with a certain threat. "And you just better answer the goddamn question, man."
"Hey," Josephine snapped, slightly raising her voice as she went around the car. Brian stopped in his tracks, briefly glancing at her then back at Vince who kept his glare on him. They all froze in places. She pointed a warning finger at each man. "Don't start."
Dom decided to intervene. He seemed grim, not wanting to believe what Brian had been accusing him of. He looked at his old friend. "Where were you, Vince?"
"Guys all over the favelas asking about you. Couldn't get out of there without leading them straight to you. Had to wait them out."
"That is such horseshit," Brian growled and launched at him. Josephine ran her fingers through her hair in disbelief as she watched the scene unfold before her. "That was your job, and those were your guys━"
"Hey! Enough, O'Conner." Vince went to retaliate but Dom got between them before a brawl ensured. The minute her brother raised his voice, the two other men stopped trying to get at each other. "If he said he didn't do it, he didn't do it." He pointed a finger at the blond and then gestured at the exit. "Go walk it off."
Brian hesitated, full-on convinced that Vince had just put their lives into jeopardy, but with Dominic's hard glare and the deep frown on his girlfriend's face, he decided to go without as much of a complaint. He glanced between the two men one last time, his eyes lingering on Vince with a certain spite before storming off. Josephine sighed under her breath, shaking her head at her brother and their childhood friend. With a small purse of her lips, she went after Brian outside the garage.
The moon shone over the cracked pavement of the narrow walkway of the favelas. Strangely, there weren't so many people around the area. Brian had his back turned to the wall, spitting out on the concrete and stomping over the ground as he paced around. Josephine licked her lips uneasily, the desire to tell him the truth now fading in the distance as the calamity of their situation crashed around her.
"Jo," Brian said, his frown lines disappearing when he noticed her standing idly away from him. His heart churned. Years ago, Josephine would've laughed at his face because of his bursting temper for Vince. Now, she just looked tired. He wasn't sure what was worse. "Jo, baby..."
He walked toward her, Josephine putting on a tight-lipped smile. "I'm sick of the fighting, Brian."
"I'm sorry," Brian apologized, his hand touching her arms as he looked into her eyes. He was frowning again, only because he realized how much the small outbursts affected her. He pulled her into his chest, Josephine letting him. "I'm so sorry, baby."
Josephine sighed. "Let's just finish whatever this is that we started and then maybe find a way back home."
"Yeah. I'd like that," Brian agreed, running his fingers through her long dark hair. Then his brows furrowed ever so slightly, his voice turning octaves lower as he asked, "What is it you were going to tell me?"
"I..." Suddenly the words were stuck in her throat. Josephine looked up at him, forcing a faint smile on her lips that made her heart twinge. This wasn't how she wanted to tell him. "I love you."
Brian tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I love you, too."
God, she should've just spit it out right there but fear took over her again. It was a stupid fear. To see his reaction and hear what he has to say. Josephine wanted to smack her head on a wall. She should've told him. She should've just damned hell and told him that she was possibly, probably, well, pregnant with his child. They were going to have a baby, and for some reason, that was more scary than having a gun to her head.
It was barely dawn when the couple was awoken by the sound of yelling and something getting thrown around. The makeshift bed in the storage room of the garage had become their temporary sleeping quarters, but right now, sleep was just a faraway dream as shouts of anger and apprehension sounded outside the door that broke through the night.
Josephine marched outside the room, Brian trailing behind her as he slipped on his shirt. Both of them were fully awake now. She glared at both men who were making the ruckus, Vince and Dom sinking under her stare. "What the hell is up with you two? Somebody's trying to sleep for God's sake!"
"Nothing," Dom quickly said, earning a suspicious look from her.
"That didn't sound like nothing," Josephine retorted.
"Please, Dom, just let me have the chip. I can take this to them," Vince said desperately as he followed the man who kept his back turned to him. Brian and Josephine watched with confusion but the realization was setting in. "They will give it to Reyes and set things right."
Dom shook his head. "Get out."
"What?" Vince blinked in disbelief, staring at his childhood friend who'd gone through hell and back with him since they were young.
"Get out!" Dom yelled angrily.
Vince barely flinched but as he decided to walk away, his hard gaze fell on none other than Brian O'Conner standing by the doorway. He stopped in his tracks, turning back to face Dominic. "You never listen to me. Now when I told you he was a cop, and not now. You never trust me and look where it's gotten us."
"Look at our family now. I can't go home. Your sister is stuck in this life. Mia's back home waiting for something that will never happen." Then he said it. Something that hadn't gone through Jo's mind for some time now. Dom was livid, but everything Vince was saying━it was true. "Where's Letty, Dom? Where's Letty?" Then he walked away, his words hanging heavily in the atmosphere.
Josephine barely slept so when the next morning arrived, she was not in the mood for cryptic exchanges or sudden outbursts from men. She was sick of men. There she said it. She missed her sister. She missed their banters, gossip, and short conversations that admittedly sometimes made her crazy. She hated small talk, but she loved teasing her little sister about the most random things.
Brian was gone from her side, already figuring out what was so important with the tiny chip that Vince had stripped away from the car radio. Something that small had cost lives and endangered theirs. One thing is for sure, there was no way they were letting this Reyes guy have it.
Josephine found her partner hunched over the table, inserting the chip where it was originally found. He pressed a button, which made the small screen on it slide out and turned on. She raised her brows as she stood behind him, hands inside her pockets. "What do you think?"
"Hey." Brian briefly glanced at her, a ghost of a smile on his face. Then he cleared his throat quietly, looking back at the device. "Well, it's definitely a custom chip. Look at all these side menus here for data entry."
"Check that one," Josephine suggested, pointing at one of the menus that said 'last locations' in Portuguese. Brian clicked it and the screen loaded a list of familiar locations. Her eyes twinkled, noticing the word Cargo Peso in the corner of the screen. "You wanna bet what those are?"
Brian shook his head, a little amused. His furrowed gaze returned to the tablet. "Look at that. Same building, same order every week."
"It's a delivery schedule," Dom stated behind them.
"What's this?" Josephine hastily clicked on the Cargo Peso, and another set of lists appeared on the screen. Her brows furrowed, skimming over the words written in Portuguese along with the numbers. "Drugs?"
"No. That's a dealer pack," Brian stated, glancing at her. "See, most major players, they weigh their money so they don't have to constantly count it. Right there, that's forty-nine kilos. Forty-nine kilos is a million in twenties."
"You're saying each one of these shipments is worth ten million dollars?" Josephine asked in disbelief.
"Yeah." Brian nodded as he looked up at her.
A wry smile played on her lips. "Well, that's a shit ton of dinheiro."
Little did they know, their situation was about to get a whole lot more complicated in just a few minutes. Despite the newfound knowledge from the chip, several things will soon become a nuance to their future endeavors. Josephine Toretto hoped they would survive the end of this before she lost the chance to tell Brian the truth that she had been too scared to spill.