"Die goblin bastard, die!"

Tessa sat in her car, in the dark, tablet in hand as she pounded a goblin in the head on Warhammer Quest. She was parked in the shadows of an isolated freeway overpass and she was waiting. Well, she was playing a game at the moment but that was because she couldn't stand waiting. Patience was not exactly one of Tessa's strong suits. Luckily she had all her little gadgets and toys and her car was kitted out with plenty of things to occupy her for now.

"Yeah. You're mine now. Gimme the gold bitches."

Cackling like a fiend over her triumph her quest was cut short when her phone came to life. Closing down the game she settled the tablet in it's interface mount and picked up her phone. Glancing at the text message she just received and smiling. It was on. Leaning down she reached over and turned up the volume slightly on the portable police scanner that was covertly tucked in a sliding mount under the passenger seat. The radio traffic was normal at the moment and all was good.

Focusing back on her phone she typed in a quick message to Piper. Piper was Tessa's roomate. They had been friends for a long time now.

<ttg. u gt da txt?> (Time to go. You get the text?)

The text she was referring to was the location for tonight's action. Sent in code to a certain select group of people in the know.

<mut  ;-)> (Meet you there)

After sending the second text she set the phone into it's cradle on the console and started the engine. The vehicle in the darkness suddenly came to life, lights flipped on, the motor growled and Tessa put it into gear. Tires spinning, gravel flying as she jumped on the gas and pulled out of her little hiding place onto the street. Pressing a button the sound system came on and Awolnation's, Burn it Down spilled out of the speakers as she cranked it up.

The location wasn't far, she knew exactly where she was going. Her car almost drove itself. Doing her best to drive as sedate as possible so she didn't attract any unwanted attention on the way there.

Taking the last turn she saw others already arriving as she slowed down. Pulling up she parked it in line with one of the other cars that had just got there. Popping the trunk then grabbing her phone she climbed out of the car. Leaving the door open as she went around to the back. Waving and nodding at a few people that she knew. Tessa sat in the well of the trunk, the sound of the music coming from the mounted back speakers wasn't too loud at the moment.

Scanning the crowd she watched for Piper's familiar blue Charger to arrive or someone else she knew to come over and talk to her.

"OH HELL YEAH!"

As soon as the text came in, Piper Blair was more than ready to rock and roll. Dressed in a pair of black leather pants and a white chemise, the dancer was set for a night out on the town. So much so, in fact, that her keys were already on the coffee table and her charger all filled up with gas. For the last hour or so, it had merely been a sit and wait game.

Something that was quickly over at a blast from her phone.

When her roomie sent the message that set off a blast of noise, she smirked, jumped to her feet and was out the door like a flash. After a long week of putting in hours and doing double shifts at work? It was safe to say Piper was looking forward to just kicking back with friends and enjoying company that was.. well, interesting. Maybe if she was lucky, she might even run into another familiar face that would make it even more interesting.

That thought in mind, the blond peeled out of her drive and headed out. Although the Charger was old school muscle, it had been customized with a nitro system, thumping base and everything a girl could possible want for navigating the city. Plugging in the coordinates she was given, fairly easy to make her way to where the "scene" was for the evening and wasn't all that surprised to catch sight of Tessa's car already there and waiting.

Turning the metallic blue charger into the spot next to her roomie's silver Camero, Piper grinned as she took in the crowd. It looked like it might be a lively one tonight and that suited her just fine. Climbing out of the classic, she smirked as she gave the other woman a shake of her head. "When you gonna get rid of that thing and get a real car?" she said snarkily, making it appear as if she were giving the brunette a hard time. "Here I thought you had some taste, biotch!"

Ok, so no matter how much you like someone, there were still friendly rivalries to be observed.

Grinning impishly, the blond gave her friend a wink before moving around to lean on the hood of her car and watch the people. Here and there, she saw a few familiar faces but it seemed to be the usual group of people. "So... Whats the plan tonight? You racing or we just killing time? "

On any other part of the day, this part of the city would be a complete ghost town. But at this time of the night, the place became the new hot spot for all the local drivers to throw down. It's background served as a nice place to set up a course as well. It was all streets of course, but traffic was pretty much none existent out here.

Cole, being his typical self, was in the center of the action. Quite literally actually. He was in the first race of the night, the opener for a small private bracket-style tournament between him and a bunch of other guys. Usually he'd just sooner race from night to night, but this was a unique style of competition, why not give it a try.

What was questionable however, was his choice of car. He just recently stumbled across a ridiculously rare black Koenigsegg CCXR for sale at a supercar dealer in L.A. With his sudden wealth, the temptation was too high, and he bought the damn thing for way too much money...1.8 million to be exact...Normally, people who were smart kept those types of cars in an air conditioned garage, only to be driven...never. Not Cole, he had the nerve to bring the supercar out tonight and race it. At least the consolation was that his chances of losing with that car were slim to none. God forbid he find the slightest rock chip on it when he got home.

It was too late now though, and he found himself at the starting line next to a much more humble Honda NSX, who was probably having the biggest "WTF" moment of his life. Nonetheless, Cole learned to never underestimate anyone, ever. Besides, NSX's were no slouches, and he was probably about to drive the most conservative race of his life.

Fast forward five minutes later, and the night air was pierced by the deafening sound of the Koenigsegg's V8. The driver somewhat forgetting about that whole "conservative" thing he was telling himself earlier. Cole felt like the exotic actually enjoyed being wrung out to it's limit, and the harmonious relationship between man and machine was achieved. The Koenigsegg led the way with the Honda fairly closely behind. It took a few well executed corner apexes and a few more smooth but decisive upshifts from Cole to pull out the gap a little more. The carbon-ceramic brakes would allow him to brake incredibly late for each corner, something he hadn't experienced in that magnitude. Everything else was back to basics though, give the clutch just a short stab on shifts, and revmatch into the corners. The car did it all so beautifully.

The result was inevitable, as the Koenigsegg streaked across the finish line a healthy distance from the Honda. Cole coasted his way back to where the rows of cars were parked and looked for a spot that wasn't crowded, preferably away from the riced out Civics and Accords. He found a few open slots near some nicer American cars, one of the Camaro ZL1's especially caught his eye. He carefully backed the exotic into a spot that was a couple spaces away from any other cars, and once he was satisfied. Pulled himself out of it, remembering that the doors opened all funky. He let out a sigh of content and locked the car...twice. Damn, now he was going to be paranoid about it all night. Whatever.

OOC: I didn't start any interaction with anybody because I'm going to be gone for a few hours. That way others can jump in and talk before I get back.

Home Sweet Home.

It seemed what they said about taking the girl out of a place but not taking the place out of a girl was true. At least, it definitely was in her case. No matter how many times she'd raced in the past, L.A. and these streets would always be home. It was where she'd grown up and where she'd learned what the thrill of a fast car could do to a persons system. It was where she'd live, laughed and fallen in love with a man that she'd never been able to quite forget. Everything about the city made her feel alive in ways she hadn't been in a long time even while the fear that it would all be taken away yet again tore her apart.

Hence her need for this. Tonight.

Having been cooped up in the Toretto house for the last few days, Letty Ortiz had finally had enough. There was only so much sitting around, waiting, that she could do, even for Dom. Feeling like a trapped beast, the raven haired racer had finally had enough and decided to get some air. The need for an adrenaline rush rode her hard even as she'd taken in the city and listened to the scanner, hoping for something more than an easy drive through the scenery.

A hope that was answered in the form of a coded message across an obscure channel.

Not thinking twice, the Latino beauty had followed the directions to the rendezvous point and pulled through a crowd before getting out. Taking time to glance around, she'd quickly come across someone stupid enough to talk smack and a bet was settled on. The dudes old firebird was nice but it had nothing on the car she'd acquired after she and Dom had both agreed that her black and red mustang Cobra was to noticeable. She'd taken his bet without hesitation and gotten back behind the wheel with an excitement she hadn't felt in a long time.

She only hoped he gave her enough challenge to make it worth her time. Here was to hoping anyways.

Letting the engine of the 1970 Oldsmobile 442 rumble, Letty glanced over at her opponent before giving a small shake of her head. The idiotic grin the dude wore was enough to tell her that he had more brain cells in his dick than he did his head. That was all right with her though. Easy money. Money that she could always use. Not to mention, a cheep thrill when she kicked his ass and took his cash. Kid really shouldn't make bets until he knew what he was up against. His loss, her gain.

Slouching down in the seat and getting comfortable, the young woman watched as the scantily clad starter raised her hands. Giving a nod to indicate she was ready, she felt the familiar hum of energy roll through her system as her fingers clenched and unclenched.

Then, there was no more time for thinking.

System almost on autopilot, Letty hit the gas even as her other foot hit the clutch. Hand on the gear shift, the two vehicles bolted off the line but the kids was slower on the upshift. This gave Letty the chance she was looking for and she edge forward, hitting the first corner already a cars length ahead of him. Using the brake to its best advantage, she drifted round the curve and then was off like a bolt, keeping well ahead of the firebird. Every time she saw him weave to go around her, she kicked it up a notch and then smirked when they came around the final twist, knowing she already had this one in the bag.

"SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP." she called out, even though nobody could hear it but her. "Amatuers"

After flying over the finish line, Letty shifted down and then finally eased around to a stop. The kid was swearing as he got out of his car and met her halfway, handing her the $2500 that they'd raced for. A quick flip through the notes though told her he was a couple hundred short and she narrowed her gaze at him. "Come on, man.. If you got the balls to race, at least have enough balls to pay up like a man.. Don't make me make a bitch out of you."

Giving her a fuming look, the not so cocky anymore bastard slapped the last $500 in her hand. "bitch" he muttered under his breath as he walked away. "Pussy" Shaking her head, the raven haired woman stuffed the cash in her pocket even as she glanced around.

The place was starting to get crowded fast. Cars just kept arriving and people were piling out. Everyone one milling about, strolling down the line and checking out all the cars. Tessa waved and had a good stream of greetings going as people passed by. A few stopping by and having a quick conversation before they moved on. There were a few pick up races happening but Tess was content to sit and chill for a bit.

Tessa popped up when she saw Piper's car pull in and park. Grinning as the blonde gave her crap about her car.

"Shut the hell up, Barbie. I won this car fair and square and I happen to like it."

Her tone was obviously filled with good natured teasing. The two girls old hands at bantering back and forth. Piper the blonde bombshell who fit the bill with California surfer girl looks to a tee. Tessa was darker more exotic looking with her dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. Both of them seemed to fit well in the melting pot that was L.A. these days. Finding the street racing scene early upon their arrival and becoming fast friends.

Tessa was just about to answer Piper's query about whether she was racing tonight or not when the roar of a motor pulling up near them distracted her. Her mouth damn near dropped open to the ground when she saw the car that was parking a few spots away. Nodding her head and pointing the beast out to Piper.

"Damn girl. I was thinking about getting in on a race but... shit. See that car right there. That's gotta be over 1.5 mil easy. Waaaaaay outta my league. I think I'm just gonna be a spectator tonight. For reals. You should see if they have some muscle cars willing to go. We could make some cash."

Still watching a bit in awe as the kid got out of the Koenigsegg CCXR. That was one automobile you did not see everyday. Even in Los Angeles, home of the Hollywood movie stars. Damn, it was going to be an interesting night Tessa thought shaking her head.

Things got even more interesting when another throaty growl of an engine caught Tessa's attention. The 1970 Oldsmobile 442, another classic American muscle car prowled by. Tessa blinked a couple times and peered closer to the dark haired Latina that was driving it as the car made it's way by and quick work of lining up a race.

Tessa got a bit excited. Grinning like a fool she slapped Piper on the shoulder while at the same time she dug into the small hand bag she had strapped across her body. Pulling out a good size wad of cash.

"Come on, Piper."

Tilting her head in the direction she wanted to go before she started walking or practically skipping Tessa was almost giddy. Waving her wad of cash she started to shout out to the crowd of people that were gathering around where the race was going to be.

"Hey, I got five large on the 442. Any takers? I'll cover all bets."

That got some attention and a few people came over and asked her some questions. A couple of them took her bet and Tessa smirked knowingly. Five grand was all the money Tessa had brought with her so she was taking a bit of a risk covering two bets. But, it would be worth it. She was good for it anyway. Most people here knew her.

It didn't take long and the race was over. Tessa jumping up and down like a kid at Christmas when the Olds was the clear winner. She collected her winnings, now 10K richer and put the whole wad of 15K into her bag before finding Piper.

"Breakfast is on me later. Damn, you know who that was? Shit. That was Letty Ortiz. Used to run with Toretto's crew. I heard she was dead. Apparently not or a ghost just won me ten grand, bitches."

"Barbie? You who calling Barbie, Princess Jasmine?" the blond tossed back before pushing back up off the hood of her car."See, and thats your problem.. Winning something isn't owning it. When you gonna let me get under the hood. I could make it it run so much better..." she continued to tease even as her gaze caught on the same thing her friends did. "Oh hell no.. Is that what I think it is?" she muttered even as Tessa's voice rang out in excitement.

Evidently, it was if her roommates excited chatter was to be believed.

"God, we must be rolling with some high flyers tonight..." Pip continued, moving forward to take in the vehicle and give it a once over with azure orbs. "Can't say I've ever seen one of those down here. Hell, most people here probably dont even know what it is..."

Before she could say anything more, however, the dancer realized that she was seemingly talking to herself. Tessa, ever the "Dora", was after the next shiney and Piper could only shake her head and follow along. The woman didn't even give her a chance to reply to her suggestion about racing before she seemed to spy her next attraction and then, suddenly, was taking bets on some race going down. A race that had the blonde eyeing up the cars and giving a low whistle at the souped up Oldsmobile. It was a classic example of American Muscle and the power could be heard rumbling under the hood as it pulled up to the starting line. The Firebird was just as classic but didn't quiet have the same feel to it as the 442.

"Has to be some kid.." she said under her breath even as she shook her head at her friend and then settled back to watch the race. "I got two big ones if anyone is interested in a smaller bet." she said with a smirk and was quickly taken up by some of the smaller fish. As Tessa gave her a look, she shrugged. "Mama needs a new set of dancing shoes, dontcha know?" she drawled out with a smirk even as the race took off and everyone began to hoot and hollar. "Shit, what do you think the torque is on that 442?" she called out absently even as the cars disappeared around a bend and the crowd shifted around. No response was needed though and five minutes later, the woman driver flew over the second car by at least five car lengths. Accepting her winnings with a smile, the blond heard Tessa shout out before laughing.

"Yeah, see... you can have those high stakes. What would you have done if you'd lost, woman?" she teased before eying the woman getting out of the Oldsmobile and frowning. "Toretto? Damn, I'm really glad I didn't bet against her then."

Just then the woman seemed to sense them talking about her and met Pipers gaze. The arched look she got for her troubles didn't bother the blond any as she nodded respectfully and then looked at Tessa. "Come on... Lets introduce ourselves... I'm dying for a closer look at that car...."Moving to do just that, the dancer made her way through the crowd and then passed the kid with the expensive taste. "Nice car there, man... Does it run as good as it looks?" she called out, eying the Koenigsegg with interest. "Thats got to be an adrenaline rush..."

His attempt to park the supercar somewhat away from all the action ended up failing, miserably. The action was practically coming to him. Cars filled up spots on either side of him and more than a couple people gave him a long eye as they walked past. He already felt a little bit out of place, but at least it was for the right reason. His eyes carefully scanned the bodywork in the front of the CCXR to make sure for the third time that there were no scratches or chips. The whole body was bare carbon fiber though, maybe that's a consolation to anything that could happen since the car technically didn't have a paint job.

Satisfied that everything looked in line, he turned back to look towards the rest of the action. A nicely done 70's Oldsmobile stole his eye for a second as it cruised past, the obvious high lift cam causing a lope that shook the ground underneath his feet. A 442, nice, Cole thought as the car went on its way. Must be American muscle day or something.

For a lack of anything really better to do. He watched the race between the Olds and yet another American V8, and was rather impressed when the lady in the 442 dusted off the Firebird. He almost thought he heard someone mention "Letty" and "Toretto." He heard tales of Letty from Brian and Dom in the past, and that she was dead. He must've been hearing things.

He made the short walk from the staging area back to where his car was parked. Thankfully, there were no groups of intrigued teenagers hanging out by it like he had feared. He remembered back in the day when he was a young kid he would always walk circles around a rare exotic when he saw one, almost as if he was hanging around a celebrity. Sometimes he had to blink twice to check back into reality. Now he owned one of those cars that he'd idolize as a youngster. Maybe not by the means he imagined, but no less, it was his.

Cole was about ready to put his nerves aside and walk around a bit to see if there was anything worth seeing out, when a couple younger ladies showed up to apparently have their look at it. "Runs better than it looks, if that's possible." He answered with a wide grin. It was true, nothing in the world drove like that Koenigsegg did. It was as if Koenigsegg themselves actually put the effort in the car to nearly justify the price tag. "It's a rush, maybe too much of a rush." He described with a quick laugh, his demeanor gave away his nerves towards the thing. Not that he couldn't handle the car itself, but it carried the responsibility similar to babysitting with it. Call it paranoia. "Don't think I've seen you two here before." He switched his sight between the two of them. "You guys new around here?"

Ever buy a brand new toy and want so badly to show it off? Today was that kind of day for Shawn mostly because he had bought a new toy and and it took most of the afternoon to install it. He'd been saving up especially for this item and his last race in New Mexico pretty much paid for it. But it wasn't something that you could buy at your local parts store. This was special order and could only be purchased in Long Beach at a specialty shop. It was the pride and joy of Shawn's ride and he took special pride in it considering the hefty price tag, but hopefully it would all prove worth it tonight. What was it you ask? That's the simple part, It was a 4.2L Kenne Bell Supercharger that now put the SRT-8 at damn near 700 horses. So practically, Shawn had to take her for a spin tonight to see what this baby could do.  At first, he was disappointed when he started her up. She had the same average rumbling as she did before while he backed it out of the garage. Jack had just walked outside after hearing it start up and wanted to know what a $8,800 Supercharger sounded like and for right now, he wasn't impressed. 

"I hope making my Garage a complete mess was worth that." he said sarcastically. That was until Shawn revved the engine and heard her scream to life. The look on both their faces was priceless. The money wasn't in the idle, but in the acceleration. Shawn placed his foot on the clutch and another on the gas, holding her steady at 6,500 rpm. His foot came up and immediately moved to the break as the car lunged forward slightly and the tires began squeal against the pavement. A thick cloud of smoke soon filled the air with the smell of rubber and racing fuel. That was the smell Shawn wished he could wake up to every morning if he could. It was damn near orgasmic if he could say so himself. He saluted to Jack as he let his foot up of the brake and the car fishtailed to the right and took off like a bat out of hell. Sure she could burn some rubber and sound good, but what would it do for him on the street? He soon found out as the tires squealed on each gear shift. The gentle whistle of the blower sounded as it whined through gears until he was shifting through all six and now hitting damn near 150 mph in less than he would say to be 16 seconds. She was easily pulling 9's and that was his goal. Mission achieved . 

Shawn slowed it down so he didn't get a ticket or a hell of a lot of unwanted attention when he got off the highway. He was sitting at an intersection when he seen several cars pass by him going the other way. Either there was a race tonight or someone was having a very expensive car show in the middle of the night. When the light turned green, he busted a left in front of a car in the turning lane and pulling off to catch up to the other racers. When they finally reached their destination, He flipped a switch on the dash which lit up the several neon green light bars in his car to give it a subtle luminescence through the limo tinted windows. Two under the dash to light up the floor boards, one that wrapped around the dash console and radio, and two in the back to light up the floor. He turned up the stereo, blasting his theme music that got him pumped before every race. Shawn slowed the Challenger down to a crawl as he crept through the crowds of people with a smile on his face. This felt more like home than Home itself. As he crept through, he dropped it into neutral and revved the engine a few times. Shifting back into first, he peeled out the tires, fishtailing it a bit again as he took off for a short burst until he found a spot he could park. He pulled slightly past his spot and backed her in as the low rumble echoed between the cars as he pulled her in.


He grabbed the remote for his stereo and stepped out of his car, turning the music up so that it was louder than before. He bobbed his head to the beat slightly as he walked around to the front of the car and leaned up against it with his arms folded in front of him. He knew absolutely no one here that he could see right off the bat, but he wasn't her for the social aspect of it. He was hear to make some cash. The bad thing was, was that he couldn't afford to lose. He only had ten grand to his name and that was for the search of his own place. He looked to himself and the new attire he had picked up in Long Beach and he had to say, he looked damn good in blue.  He turned back to the races and watched as a 70 Olds was just returning back from a race, apparently the winner as she still had her car and in one piece. Now if he could only get in on the action.......and actually win, he'd be gold. 

Grinning Tessa was practically bouncing on her feet after the thrill of the race and winning all that cash. Shrugging at Piper's question about what she would have done if she'd lost.

"But, I didn't. That's what matters."

Maybe it was a little reckless, but that's just how Tessa rolled. Plus she would have managed it somehow. She always did. She had a knack for landing on her feet. And if worst came to worst there was always her big brother. Which, she'd have to be pretty bad off to go to him for money. In fact, she hadn't taken a cent from him since she graduated college. Not like that was very long ago, but still. It was a matter of proving she could make it on her own. Even if she didn't always make the wisest of choices.

Tessa's little victory dance was interrupted by Piper giving her a tug. She wanted to go introduce themselves to Letty Ortiz. On the way they passed the guy with the million dollar plus ride and Piper stopped for a moment to talk to him. Piper was all about what it looked like and how it ran. Tessa had other questions.

"Hell man. How much did it set you back. Got to have cost some serious ducats, dude."

She paused for a second while she took a moment to circle around the car. Getting a good look at it. The carbon fiber body gave it a kind of space vehicle feel. It was out of this world that was for sure.

When she got back around she smiled a bit.

"Hi, I'm Tessa, this is my friend Piper. We've been around awhile. Maybe you just weren't looking hard enough."

Tessa couldn't help but smirk. She was still looking at the car when something else pulled her attention. Her eyes scanned the area and she spotted a guy dressed in blue that looked familiar. Giving a shout out across the way as only Tessa could do she waved at him.

"HEY, SHAWN! What's up?"

She wasn't sure if he'd come over or not. He seemed cool though when she met him at the club the other night. Frowning a bit as she thought about something she spoke a bit quietly to Piper.

"Shawn's cool, but if they come over. His friend Jack is kind of a dick. Just fair warning. I think I scared him though so we might be safe."

If one was around the racing scene long enough, you quickly figured out who ran things and who not to mess with. There were different classes of racers and lines that, if you were smart, you didn't cross. Although Piper liked to race and prided herself on her skills, she knew that she wasn't in the same league as some of the drivers who drove the fancy imports and had the backers of some pretty high rollers.

Not like this young guy.


For her, when she lined up for a race, it wasn't about the money or the fame, it was simply about the feel of the car underneath her and the adrenaline rush that came with being behind the wheel. Sure, the money definitely helped but it wasn't what lured the blond. Behind the wheel, the dancer could almost hear her father talking to her and feel him beside her in the Charger. For the few minutes that it took to cross the finish line, she was filled with memories of a happier place and a happier time.

She suspected that she was a rare case though and as the young man spoke, she shot him a narrow eyed look. "Oh yeah? I can imagine. A machine like this is a real beauty. One small miscalculation and its all over. A lot of risk to take for a large investment." she returned before Tessa spoke up and gave the car her own brand of looking over. As the brunette spoke of cost, Piper shook her head and wondered if she could con him into popping the hood so she could get up close and personal with the engine. She'd never had the chance before and it was definitely intriguing.

"Yeah, sorry.. I'm Piper Blair." she drawled out, shaking her head at her friend as she spied someone else. "We've been around but I have a Charger. I prefer the old school to cars of this class. Mainly, cause it fits my budget." she continued dryly, grinning impishly. "Not to mention, I know how to work on them.. These beasts are above my paygrade." she finished before arching a brow at Tessa. "Great... Another of your friends. Do I need to worry about them accusing you of cheating them at a poker game or anything? Cause, you know, the last time didn't work out so swell. Pretty sure I still have nightmares about that one...."

For as long as Cole made his living out on the streets, he was always critical of the guys who would show up with super rare, nearly priceless exotics. He simply thought they we were all here for all the wrong reasons, for other people to ogle the car and show just how rich they were. Maybe it was just a bit of jealously, but Cole always looked at them as insecure attention-seekers with too much muthaf'ing money.

Needless to say, his paradigm had to change just a bit. Nonetheless, he promised himself when he bought the car that he would not make a total ass of himself, and that he would try to come off as a decently respectable human being. Oh how easy it was to be filled with pride as two 20-something ladies planted their eyes on the Koenigsegg, even as the light but evident guilt strings of indulging in such a car tugged inside.

Think about what a million dollars could do for the people of Africa...that's what his mom always told him, and certainly would be telling him now. Though it wasn't like the road he took to all this money was a noble one, far from it.

The blonde's piercing look and menacing but accurate words created a subtle smirk on the much shorter-haired blonde's face. "They say that the greater the risk, the higher the reward. If nothing else though, at least I shouldn't have any regrets. Go big or go home I guess." He shrugged with a put-on innocent expression.

"1.8 mil." He answered the brunette who just had to ask the question of questions. "You only live once, right?" He added with a brief chuckle before a matte black Challenger stole his attention with a flamboyant display of horsepower within the crowds of people.

"Yeah, I can relate. I'm still trying to figure out the wiring on this thing. Not that I have the nerve to tinker with it much if I do learn it. Just the rear suspension alone is all funky and difficult to adjust." He raised his eyebrows in confusion. The trouble with cars of this nature was that they're usually so elaborately designed, that they depart from anything conventional. That made it a tuner's nightmare.

"Name's Cole." He reciprocated the introduction, sporting a light-hearted grin. "And I don't need to ask to know you guys are southerners." He laughed, taking full notice of their southern accents. That definitely explained why they were standing next to American muscle before wandering over here. One thing he knew about the true southerners is that most of them wouldn't be caught dead in an import...man were they missing out.

Race finished and cash in hand, Letty found herself at odd ends as she watched the crowd around her. Some of the nervous tick of earlier was gone but not all of it. Part of it still rode her and kept her on guard while everyone else relaxed. No matter how familiar the scene might be, past experience told her that anything could happen in a heart beat and it paid to be prepared.

Especially for her.

Casting a look around, the Latin beauty scanned the crowd on habit and caught sight of two young women looking in her direction. Narrowing her gaze back, the woman studied them even as she took in the cars they drove. The brunette seemed attached to the newer model Camero while the blond leaned on a souped up old charger. When the blond saw her looking in their direction, she gave a respectful nod that wasn't sly or challenging so Letty returned it with a stiff one of her own.

No need to piss off the new natives, right? Not that she cared but she had enough enemies for the moment.

Turning her attention to the fancy imports, Letty was quick to notice the blond with the expensive model. Arching a slim brow, she gave it a looking over. Although young, the kid didn't seem to be flaunting his shit and as the two ladies she'd noticed earlier approached, he didn't puff up like a cocky rooster either. Point in his favor as most of these idiots driving expensive cars were in it for the show and didn't know their head from their ass behind the wheel. It was all for the flash and "my dick is bigger than yours" points. The real game came in the form of the quieter, more confident drivers who didn't need to flaunt their shit and preferred to make their point on the street.

Like she and Dom had used too. Ah, the good ol days. Life had been simple back then.

At the sound of another engine rumbling up and coming to a stop, Letty shifted her gaze from where the two women and the blond were so that she could take in the Challenger. For a long moment, her dark eyes watched as a man climbed out and then she let her gaze take in the car fully. Another American Muscle car. Nice.

"HEY, SHAWN! What's up?"

It wasn't long that he had been standing there watching the scene before a female's voice caught his attention. Truth be told, he wasn't even sure it was him they were calling with the huge crowd, but he looked in the direction of the voice anyways.  Good thing he did too, because it was Tessa, the chick he met at the club last night, that was calling him. He held up a finger to motion to her to hang on a sec as he walked around his car and turned the stereo off and took his keys in hand, then he made his way over, making sure to over look her company and check out any details that stood out. The faces didn't mean much to him as he didn't know who they were, but the expensive CCXR however did. He then looked to the person standing closest to it, most likely being the driver and damn near scoffed to himself at how young the guy was. Was he trying to flaunt the tin can? Sure, it had a twin V-8 with a supercharger, but it was only a 4.7 unless he modified the car somehow. 6 Speed tranny, does 0-60 in 3 seconds, 0-125 in just under 9 seconds. It was an impressive car if you had the room to go all out with it, but the guy would never see 250 mph in the states here. Too many tight turns. And god forbid if he had NOS hooked to thing. One shot of that and he'd be taking off the ground like a jet plane for sure. He might as well weld some wings to it. And how the hell could he afford a 2 million dollar ride like that? Street racing? Shawn highly doubted it. He had to be doing something illegal to make that kind of serious cash and if he was, Shawn wanted in on the piece of the pie.

As Shawn made his way closer, he saw Tessa ogling the car with her blondy girlfriend, which was cute, if he could add, but he didn't get why they liked the car so much. On his way to Tessa, he walked right past the dark haired chick in the Olds that had just won her race. He gave a quick nod, "Congrats on the win." he said as he continued to walk past her. When he finally reached Tessa and her group of friends, his hand waved out to all of them.. "Hi."

He then looked to Tessa, "So, these are the infamous friends you were telling me about last night?'' He then casually reached out to shake their hands and introduced himself. "Howdy, name's Shawn. Nice little party you guys got going on here."  


He then looked to Tess, "Jack sends his apologies for not being able to make it." he laughed a little as he joked with her.

Tessa rolled her eyes again at Piper.

"It's not my fault if someone thinks I cheated. I don't need to cheat, because I'm THAT good."

Shrugging her shoulders she remembered the incident Piper was talking about. How was it her fault if some dumbass guy got his manly feelings hurt getting beat by a girl. They had to make a hasty exit that time. Well, there were a couple times they had to flee quickly. Maybe it wasn't that they got beat by a girl but the fact that the more they grumbled about it the more Tessa had to rub it in. But, if they were going to complain about losing then she should be allowed to gloat over her winning, right? Right!

Letting out a low whistle Tessa shook her head a bit when the young guy told them about the 1.8 million dollar price tag and said his name was Cole.

"Damn, I was close. I thought it was about 2 mil. Yeah, that's way beyond my means. Must be nice."

She made another pass in front of the car, looking at the carbon fiber construction.

"Good to meet you Cole. Yeah, I'm from Texas. Originally."

Turning her attention to Shawn as he strolled over she grinned back at him and let out a laugh.

"Well, this here is my roommate Piper. That's Cole, who owns the fancy car. We just met him. Car like that is a novelty. Just had to come over and see it. Not likely gonna have a lot of chances to see one up close. Unless, you go to some exotic car show."

Tessa bumped her shoulder into Piper and spoke quietly. Nodding a bit in the direction of Letty before she called out.

"Hey Letty, right? Feel free to join us. I'm Tessa, this is my friend, Piper and these guys here are Cole and Shawn. Great race you just had. Just covered my rent money for like the next year."

Little social butterfly that Tessa was. She just couldn't help herself really.

The young mans words about their southern twang brought a smirk to Pipers lips but she simply shrugged. There was no disguising the drawl and the blond liked to think it set them apart in some ways from some of the normal brand of pussy that strolled this street. Well, besides the fact that Piper took her cars seriously and Tessa was always on the look out for guys with bigger pockets than they had brains. Fools and their money were so easily parted after all.

"Yeah, Texas to be exact." she finally said, giving Cole her own grin before being distracted by the new comers words. Jack? Surely not her Jack. The world seriously couldn't be that small could it? Not that he was HER Jack, per say but she hadn't quiet been able to get him out of her mind since the other night either. "Hey Shawn.. Nice to meet you. Your not talking about Jack O'Conner by any chance are you?" she drawled out, straightening from where she'd been giving the foreign model a good looking over.

As she waited for the mans answer, her azure eyes scanned the crowd behind him and saw the Letty chick glance in their direction at Tessa's words. The woman's scowl said she obviously wasnt impressed by the invitation and Piper felt a little frown settle on her features. Tessa might be a bit over the top but she meant well. There was no call for snottiness. However, deciding it wasn't worth getting riled about, the dancer turned back to her companions before glancing at them. "So, at the risk of sounding like a cheap pick up line... Do you gentleman come around here often? Pretty sure I would have noted these two cars in particular."

Tilting her head to the side and pushing a lock of hair back away from her face, the blond was content to chat with new friends even as her eyes scanned the growing crowd. With the size it was getting too, cops would no doubt be called in soon and Piper wasn't of a mind to be left at the starting gate when everyone took off. That was one of the risks that came with this sort of thing.

"Anyone planning on racing tonight or are we all here to take in the sights?"

Cole simply nodded when Tessa commented on how "nice" it was to either have the car or the means to afford one...she probably meant both. Yeah, it was nice while it could last. Time would tell if the strings attached would be worth it. He had to stop thinking about that though, how could he enjoy something if he was going to spend the whole time second guessing his decisions? He wasn't, it was time to chill.

"Pleasure to meet ya'll." He said in his own rough version of a southern accent, a mischievous but playful grin spread across his face.

He shifted his focus along with the girls towards the guy Tessa called out to. Cole realized that was he was same the guy who just lit the place up in that matte black Challenger. He wasn't a huge fan of those cars, but damn, that particular one was very nicely done. He had to wonder if there was some go to that show nonetheless. "Hey man." Cole extended his hand once again as the guy who apparently was called Shawn joined their social gathering. "Nice ride." He added with a genuine smile.

He only vaguely paid attention to the blips of conversation between the group, until a very familiar name came out of the blonde. "You know Jack O'Conner?" He quickly turned to Piper. Oh the memories of just a few days ago. Extracting Jack from gun-happy cops, getting shot at by the mob, Corvette going boom, Jack unconscious, dragging unconscious Jack for what seemed like a marathon to his house, and then eventually the hospital...What a night that was, and what a hell of an introduction to Brian's younger brother. He sincerely hoped Jack had made a recovery and he wasn't in Lompoc. That infamous night was the last he saw of him.

"I'm here more than what's probably good for me." He nodded. "Usually in a Silvia, though." Which he probably should've brought out tonight, but the CCXR seemed like a more entertaining idea...at the time. Her question instilled the race bug in him again, and though he didn't answer directly right away, rolling up to the starting line was definitely in his mind.

(Tessa)

"Well, this here is my roommate Piper. That's Cole, who owns the fancy car. We just met him. Car like that is a novelty. Just had to come over and see it. Not likely gonna have a lot of chances to see one up close. Unless, you go to some exotic car show."

Shawn waved to both the chick and the guy with the expensive ride., that was until the guy known as Cole offered his hand to shake. Shawn took it with a manly firm grip and shook it. "Thanks. I got her in a race a few months back and have been building her up since. Figured it was time to go a little more modern this go around." he replied to Cole and his comment about his ride. He wasn't going to be rude and comment on Cole's ride though but that was because of his own reasons of not wanting to lie and be rude. Most people with those kind of expensive rides were stuck up assholes with too much money, so he'd wait to see if he was right about this Cole first before he made any further comments. He wanted to give the kid the benefit of the doubt first. 

(Piper)

"Hey Shawn.. Nice to meet you. Your not talking about Jack O'Conner by any chance are you?"

Shawn looked to the one known as Blair with a partial confused look on his face. "Not unless Jack O'conner is an asshole and a retired Marine that changed his name to Rowen." He joked.  "Don't get me wrong, Jack's a good guy when you get to know him. He's just a little rough around the edges, but No, it's not the same Jack." he smiled. That was when Cole spoke about Piper knowing this O'Conner guy. Shawn kinda stepped out of the conversation at that moment, but still listened in on certain parts while he scanned the lot and the other racers. He especially paid attention to the conversation Tessa was sparking up with the woman that had just won her race with her Oldsmobile. Just to see if it would pan out anywhere. If push came to shove, he'd go a round with the Olds, maybe not for pinks, but for some straight up cash. He didn't see the chick wanting to part with her ride after he took it from her and she didn't seem like the type he wanted to take her ride from.

(Piper)

"So, at the risk of sounding like a cheap pick up line... Do you gentleman come around here often? Pretty sure I would have noted these two cars in particular."

(Cole)

"I'm here more than what's probably good for me."

Shawn waited his turn before speaking, "Actually, this is my first time here. I Just moved into the neighborhood from Texas myself, but I wouldn't mind making this my normal hang out if I'm allowed too."

(Piper)

"Anyone planning on racing tonight or are we all here to take in the sights?"

He really needed the cash, but maybe taking in the sights and the competition was better for him tonight. As stated before, he only had ten grand in his pocket left. that was his starting money for looking for his own place and there was still the simple fact of eating and surviving left on the menu. Maybe a small race wouldn't do any harm though, "I'd be willing if anyone else was. Depends on how deep the pockets are around here. White boy's gotta eat too, ya know." he smiled.

The last few days had been as close to hell as one could ever get without actually dying. Not only had his little brother almost bit the dust due to a lack of reasonable acting and some cop-mob involvement but also had Brian’s girlfriend decided to run off with their babies. Eventually she allowed him to visit them but decided that staying as far away as possible from the ex-cop was her way of dealing with things. Needless to say Brian was an emotional wreck.
For over a week he did nothing but stick his head in the sand, sleep, drink, walk and think and try not to give in to the urge to go insane.
The only thing he could think off that would take his mind of the mess he was in was a good old race so when Cole dropped a hint that one was on Brian eventually picked his sad ass of the couch, he was currently calling a home and pulled up in one of Cole’s cars.
Whether the generous off to use it had actually meant Brian could use it at a race was still questionable.

The usual crowd of barely dressed ladies, cool guys and much cooler cars didn’t fail to put a smile on his face.
He parked the BMW at the back of the lined up cars and slowly walked up to some people, who had gathered. Just when he approached them he overheard his own last name, which made him listen up.
“Anybody talk about me?”
He greeted Cole with a friendly hug and informed his friend. “Borrowed your German.”
Then he scanned the crowd for familiar faces.

From her spot by her car, Letty heard the sound of the brunettes voice issuing her invitation. Glancing in that direction, she scowled a bit before pocketing her winnings. The raven haired racer had no clue who the woman was and she wasn't exactly interested in making nice. Dom had often told her she didn't play nice with others and that hadn't really ever changed.

About ready to completely blow the whole thing off, Letty pushed up from the hood of her car and headed towards the drivers side door. Before she could reach it, however, the sound of another motor caught her attention and she glanced up to see Brian get out of a German model. Arching a brow, she watched him do the whole meet and greet thing before shrugging.

Maybe she'd stick around for awhile after all.

Ambling towards the small group, the racer's dark gaze took in the details of the group and fitted each individual in nice little squares. Or at least, she tried too. The brunette looked to be another of the social butterfly types that always drove Letty a bit nuts but the blond was a bit different. The charger she drove looked to be in good condition and she seemed to genuinely be taking in the cars while chatting. The two men were obviously there for the races by the looks of their vehicles and Brian.. Well, he didn't need explaining.

Reaching where they all stood, Letty arched a brow as she eyed her old friend. "Now why would anyone be talking about you, O'Conner? You really need to get rid of that big head of yours, man..."

The roar of the engines and smell of exhaust fumes made Brian feel better than in a long time. This place felt like home even though he didn't know a lot of the people there.

To his big surprise a familiar brunette joined the group wearing her rtade mark frown and a cocky remark on her lips.
Brian still wasn't used to the idea of her being alive because he'd only found out a few days ago. To see her walk among the crowd, laugh and talk was a true relieve because her death had weighed him down so much.
Against his usual habit he pulled her into a hug and didn't let go for a moment. "So good to see, ya, Letty."
With a gaze at the other racers he smirked. "Maybe they're all keen to see whether they can beat the legend."