Chapter 14. Feelings
Rio De Janeiro, Abandon Wearhouse
Severa stood next to Dom, wrapped up in a sweater, back at the warehouse.
While they were gone, Tej had set up a makeshift track with the same camera system that was used at the police station. Now all Brian had to do was navigate the track without the cameras seeing him.
"Okay, O'Conner. Give it your best shot." Severa watched as Brian made his way through the track, her eyes going from him to the cameras. When he finally came to a stop, he looked hopeful.
"How was that one?" he asked, catching his breath.
Han walked forward, shaking his head. "Camera caught you."
Brian's face shifted into shock at Han's words. "What? Man, I was milking the hell out of that thing too."
He made his way over to Tej to look at the camera footage as Dom spoke up. "We're gonna need a faster car." Severa bit her lip, glancing at Dom before making her way over to Tej to look at the camera footage.
They spent the next two hours getting cars and testing them out one by one. Each one of them tried a new car. First, it was Rico, then Tej, and Roman... Each time, a camera caught them. Gisele was by far the best, almost missing every camera, 'almost,' as Roman loved to point out.
"Solid work, but I think camera three still caught you." Roman pointed out with a small smirk as Gisele nodded before making her way back into the car. "Let's do it again."
Before she could close the door, Tej called out. "Wait," everyone paused and looked at him. "We all did it except for Severa. Give her a chance." All eyes shifted from Tej to her, all waiting for a response.
Severa just froze. She had given up street racing when Dom left and hadn't even touched a wheel in over 10 years. There was no way in hell she could do this, but how was she supposed to say that in a room of drivers far better than her? She couldn't. The feeling of being the runt of the litter was something she never wanted to feel again, so she let the words fly out of her mouth before she could stop them.
"Ok."
The team looked at her with surprise, all kinda excepting her to just sit the driving out. Dom stepped forward, giving her a small smirk. "Guess some things never change, huh?."
Severa nodded, taking a deep breath as she approached the car. She slid into the driver's seat, the familiar feel of the steering wheel sparking a rush of old memories. She took another deep breath, steadying her nerves.
"Ready when you are," Tej called out, the tension in the air palpable.
Severa nodded, gripping the wheel tighter. She revved the engine, the roar echoing through the warehouse. "Let's do this," she whispered to herself. She had driven a car multiple times, even if that was when she was 10 and stole her uncle's old Mustang, but if she could beat 7th years in academics as a 1st year, this should be easy.
She took a deep breath and launched forward, the car accelerating smoothly. She remembered the feel of the car beneath her, the way the engine responded to her touch. Navigating through the obstacles, she felt the thrill of racing return, her senses heightened and her focus sharp.
The first turn came up quickly. Severa executed it with precision, hugging the curve tightly and accelerating out of it with a controlled burst of speed. She moved fluidly through the course, her mind and body working in perfect harmony.
As she approached the next set of cameras, she adjusted her speed, timing her movements to avoid detection. She weaved through the track, her confidence growing with each successful maneuver.
The final stretch loomed ahead, and Severa knew this was the most crucial part. She recalled the times' Dom would be in the passenger seat, calming her down, focusing on her breathing, and maintaining her composure. She executed a almost perfect drift, the car sliding effortlessly past the last camera.
She brought the car to a smooth stop, her heart pounding in her chest. Tej quickly reviewed the footage, his face breaking into a grin. "Clean, but camera three still caught you."
Severa sighed, not even caring about the camera and more about the fact she just drove for the first time in Merlin knows how long. "I just fucking did that," she muttered, stepping out of the car and feeling the rush of adrenaline slowly ebb away.
Dom walked over, placing a hand on the small of her back. "As I said before, some things never change."
She smiled weakly, feeling her legs wobble slightly from the adrenaline. "Thanks, but it's gonna take me a minute to get used to... that again."
"That's ok," Dom reassured her. "You still look amazing behind the wheel, it's like we're kids all over again."
Severa chuckled before shaking her head. "Yeah, just missing Mia hiding in the truck 'cause you wouldn't let her tag along."
Dom laughed, a nostalgic glint in his eyes. "She still is a pain in the ass."
Severa couldn't help but chuckle, this man was...wow. As a girl, whenever she was around Dom, she would laugh a bit too loudly or stare at his lips whenever he talked. But now, it was still the same; she still stared when he spoke, and her smiles hurt her cheeks whenever he was around.
They stood there for a moment, the shared memories and unspoken feelings hanging in the air. Dom's gaze met hers, his eyes softening as he looked at her. "It's good to have you back, Sev."
Her heart skipped a beat, and she managed a small smile. "It's good to be back, Dom."
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Rio De Janeiro, Abandon Wearhouse, Next Day
Dom stood and watched as Han and Rico opened a huge crate to reveal a vault, the same model Reyes had all the money in.
Tego laughed and turned to Tej. "There's the piggy bank you ordered." Tej just stared in shock before scoffing. "You're kidding me, Where in the hell did y'all get one of these?" Han came to stand next to him.
"Well, we had a life before you met us," he smirked as Tej rolled his eyes and walked toward the vault.
"Alright, I'll get to work on the electronic tumbler, But there's still another problem," he pointed to the screen on the vault. "Palm scanner. And without Reyes's handprint, Houdini himself couldn't open this bitch."
Tego piped up. "how do you know it's Reyes's handprint?" Tej just looked at him like he was dumb. "You got a hundred million dollars in a safe, you gonna put somebody else's handprint on it?"
Tego and Rico started arguing in Spanish while Roman looked back at Tej. "How we gonna get Reyes's handprint?" Before Tej could answer, Dom spoke up.
"Han, you're up," Han smirked And started walking towards his car. "Sure, nothing like the easy stuff." as Gisele quickly followed Han to his car, everyone else went off to do their own thing "Where's Severa?" Mia asked, folding her arms.
Dom glanced up at his sister before replying. "She's at home." Mia raised a brow as she uncrossed her arms. "You know where she's staying?"
Dom nodded, paying more attention to wiping down his car.
Mia sighed, glancing around before looking back at Dom with a serious face. "Are you trying to replace Letty with Severa?" Dom's head shot up in shock, ready to refute her claim, but she beat him to it.
"I know you, Dom. I can tell when something's real or just a game to you, and right now, it seems like Severa is just a game to you." Dom stared at her speechless, his thoughts racing.
Mia held his gaze, her expression firm. "Just know what you're doing before you start something. I don't want to lose her just because you broke her heart."
Dom swallowed hard, his chest tightening with guilt and uncertainty. He hadn't fully understood his own feelings for Severa until recently, and Mia's words hit him with the weight of truth. He cared about Severa deeply, but was he ready to commit to something real after all they had been through?
"I... Mia, I didn't mean to..." Dom struggled to find the right words, his voice strained.
Mia sighed softly, her gaze softening with understanding. "Just be honest with yourself, Dom. And with her. Severa's been through enough, and she deserves someone who's all in."
Dom nodded slowly, the weight of Mia's words sinking in. He knew Mia was right. Severa deserved honesty and clarity, especially from him. He couldn't afford to let his unresolved feelings or uncertainties jeopardize their friendship or their mission.
"I'll talk to her," Dom finally said, his voice determined. "Thanks, Mia. Appreciate it."
Mia nodded, her expression softening as her eyes started to water. "Just....she means a lot to me too, not just you."
Dom's chest tightened with empathy as he looked at Mia, understanding the depth of her feelings for Severa. "I know, Mia. And I promise I'll do right by her."
Mia managed a small smile through her emotions. "I know you will."
With a nod, Dom turned and started down at his car, Severa.....he cleared his thoughts and focused on wiping down his car and the mission, Severa could wait.
At least he thought so....