I woke up feeling a blanket being pulled over me. “We need to get this son of a bitch.” Hobbs said, and started to run his hand over my hair.

“You telling me I have permission to kill the bastard?” I heard Dom reply.

“I’m saying subdue him by any means necessary, but you have to let him make the first move.”

“And I’m guessing I couldn’t provoke him into making the first move and get away with it.”

“You’re guessing right.”

“So want do we do?”

“Use me as bait.” I said interrupting their conversation. “You take me to drop me off at the garage while the others are there and leave. Sneak in the back and wait in the office. When the others go to lunch I’ll stay behind. Since he’ll think I’m alone he’ll take the chance to punish me.”

“And what’s to say he just take you somewhere else?” Dom asked. I could hear the anger in his voice at the thought of putting me in that kind of danger.

“It’s not the way he works. He’s got to make a statement first. He’s got to say “See she’s not even safe here.” He’s got to hurt you to, because you kept me from him for so long, because you’re the one I ran to when I was him at my house.”

“It’s a good plan. You have control there. Set up a camera in the garage so you can watch it from the office. After the first hit take him out. Call me when it’s done, and I’ll take care of everything else.” Hobbs said to Dom leaving the room. A few minutes later I heard my Challenger start and drive away.

“Hobbs is going to take it, and clean it out for you, and then to get professionally cleaned.” Dom said when I sat up to look at the window. “Mia wanted me to ask if you want her to stay with you tonight, Letty has offered to as well.”

“I’d like that.” I said rolling onto my back to look at Dom.

“We should probably get you into some pajamas then.” Dom said helping me to sit up. Once I sat up on the edge of the bed it revealed the mess that my feet were. “What did you do?”

“I kind of broke your bathroom mirror.” I said staring at the floor.

“I’m going to go get Mia. Don’t move.” He said and then walked out of the room.

Once the door was shut behind him I grabbed the ashtray that was sitting on the bedside table. I put it on the bed beside me, and started pulling the larger pieces of glass out of feet. When Mia and Dom walked back into the room with a medical kit my feet were dripping blood all over the floor. I had been so entranced by the blood that just kept dripping onto the floor that I didn’t hear them come in. “I’m going to get Letty. I think you’re going to need some help.” Dom said before walking back out the door.

She walked over to me and knelt down by my feet. After studying it for a minute she set it down and looked at the other one. “Lay down on your stomach.” She said standing back up, and walked over to turn on the light.

When she turned around I hadn’t moved, I looked at her hands that were now covered in my blood before looking up at her. “What did I do wrong?” I whispered. That was the question that had plagued my mind from the day my parents died. “What did I do to deserve this?” I saw the tears well up in her eyes before Letty walked into the bedroom.

“Lay down on your stomach.” Letty said walking over to where I was sitting. I nodded my head before turning to lay down on my stomach. I heard a gasp from Mia and I heard Letty’s sharp intake of breath before I heard someone run out the door slamming it behind them. “It’ll be ok.” Letty said before she knelt down and started cleaning the mess I had made of my feet.

I knew what had made Mia run out of the room. My back was covered in scars, some from the foster care system, but most were from Jared.

By the time Letty finished with my feet the sun was coming up. When Letty finished she helped me into a pair of sweats, and one of Dom’s shirts. I had come to a decision while she was helping me, and I knew I had to take the chance. “Fight with me.” I said to Letty standing up onto my feet. I winced as a bit of pain tore through them, but I knew they looked worse than they were.

“Are you insane?” Letty asked looking at me like I was crazy. I shook my head no, and got into the fighter stance I had been taught in prison. “Whatever, but if I get yelled at I’m telling them this was all your idea.”

“That’s fine.” I said as we started to circle each other. “Nothing above the neck, everything else is fair game.”

She nodded once just before throwing the first punch. It hit me in the shoulder, and really ticked me off. She was going easy on me. “I said fight with me, not fuck around with me.” I said lashing out on her and hitting her hard in the stomach. That pissed her off enough to truly fight with me. We traded blows back and forth until I struck out and when she turned to dodge I hit her in the back of the legs instead causing her to crash to the floor. I pinned her down just as I heard multiple sets of feet running up the steps.

The door burst open just as I started to laugh. On the way down she had cause me in the mouth with her fist busting my lip open. “What the hell is going on in here?” Dom asked looking around the room, and then at me where I pinned Letty down.

“I give.” Letty finally spit out.

“About damn time.” I said standing up, and then offering my hand to her.

“What the hell is going on in here?” Dom repeated taking in my busted lip, and the bruises that were starting to form on both of us.

“Just practicing.” I said before walking out of the bedroom. I walked into the kitchen, and got myself a bowl of cereal and a coffee, then sat down at the kitchen table to eat. The next thing I knew Dom went storming out the back door and into the garage out back.

Brian made his way out shortly after that followed by Mia. I suddenly remembered something I had come across in the background checks. “Hey Brian, didn’t you use to be a cop?”

“Yes.” Brian said looking at me strangely.

“I know what you’re thinking and the answer is no. Him and Dom have enough they can fight about without you adding to it.” Mia said looking at me as if her word was final.

“Oh come on Mia, please. Please, please, please, please, please.” I begged giving her my best puppy dog eyes.

She let out a sign and I thought for sure I had her until she spoke. “Fine, but . . . you have to get Dom to agree to it.”

“But.”

“No buts.” She said causing me to pout.

“Don’t I get a say in this? Whatever this is.” Brian asked.

“No.” Mia said at the same time I said yes.

“Fine. I’ll show you how this works. I’ll even make him think it was his own idea.” I said standing up and walking out to where Dom was. I stood in the doorway for a moment watching his muscles move as he worked on the car. “Want some help?” I asked walking over to him.

“Not at the moment.”

“I hope you didn’t go too hard on Letty. I hit her first.” I said leaning my head against his back, and rubbing my hands across his chest. He set down the tool he was using and turned to face me. He brought my face up to look at him, and rubbed his thumb across my lip.

“She should have known better.”

“I would have kept going at her until she swung back, and she knew that. I want to learn to protect myself Dom. I need to know I can protect myself if I have to. I don’t want to have to keep looking over my shoulder everywhere I go.” I said letting tears build up in my eyes.

He looked away from me thinking over what I said, and I could tell the exact moment I had won. “Alright, but no more provoking people.” Dom said looking me in the eye. “If you want to learn how to fight, and have the advantage over people that are bigger than you then me and Brian will teach you.”

I smiled up at him and kissed him on the lips. “Thank you so much.” I said and gave him one more kiss. After that I left him to work on the car, and went back inside. I laughed at the look on Mia’s face when I smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up.

“There is no way you got him to agree to let you fight with Brian that quick.” Mia said shaking her head.

“Oh, but I did. I even got him to agree to teach me a few things himself.” I smiled and watched Brian walk out the back door. Mia followed my gaze before looking back at me.

“You have to teach me how to do that.” She said, and we both started laughing.