Chapter Sixty-Eight

**

�You gonna stick by me?�

�Maybe�.�

**

Letty was asleep by the time we got to Thomas�s office. I left her in the car while I went in to take care of the details - just a few things I needed to sign. I think I practically skipped into the building, I was so happy� I couldn�t keep the grin off my face. Everything was finally settled, and our lives could get back to normal.

My good mood lasted through all the bureaucracy, signing my name a million different times as Thomas watched to make sure it was all right. Finally, after what seemed like hours, I was done.

�Thanks, Thomas,� I said, shaking his hand. �I really appreciate your help�don�t know what I would�ve done without you.�

�Eh, it was no problem, Dom,� he replied, grinning at me. �If you ever need a lawyer again, you just let me know. It�s good to be able to help regular people for a change, instead of giant corporations� I enjoyed it.�

�Yeah, well, if your car ever needs working on�� I laughed, turning to walk out the door.

I accidentally bumped into someone as I was walking through the lobby, turned to apologize, and my good mood crashed.

It was Julie.

�Hey,� I said slowly. �How�re you doing, Julie?�

�Fine,� she snapped, �no thanks to you.�

I nodded, and went to walk past her, but she reached out and grabbed my arm.

�Dom�please�� she said softly, �why couldn�t you just do this one thing for me? If you ever cared anything for me at all� There�s still time!�

�Julie�� I tried to stop her, but she just kept talking.

�We could�we could tell them it was all a mistake� That they messed up at the hospital, with the specimens� My baby girl needs a daddy, Dom��

�You�re right, Jules,� I sighed. �She does. But I�m not it. I just got done signing all the papers�it�s over.�

�You fucking asshole�� she hissed, swinging her fists at me.

�Julie�� I said, grabbing her arms, trying to get her to stop. �Jules�calm down!�

�Toretto!� someone yelled.

It was Johnny, walking into the lobby.

�What the fuck do you think you�re doing with my sister?� he said, walking up to us. �Take your fucking hands off of her��

I dropped my hands, stepped back from Julie, not wanting to aggravate Johnny any more.

�I don�t believe you�� Johnny growled, getting right up in my face. �First you fuck her, knock her up, then you humiliate her, get someone to fake the paternity tests� Leave her alone! And don�t ever expect to see your daughter�I�ll get a restraining order against you if I have to.�

I couldn�t help it, I just started laughing. I couldn�t believe that Johnny still thought the kid was mine.

�What the fuck is your problem?� Johnny screamed.

I got serious then�it looked like he was just barely hanging onto his control.

�You all are my problem, Johnny,� I said lowly. �You know�it�s funny. I haven�t touched your sister in years, let alone fucked her� Even at the races, when she was begging me to. See, I have a girl�a girl I love. A girl I�m gonna be with for the rest of my life. There�s no reason I would go anywhere near Julie. Not voluntarily. And yet��

�What!�

�Well�it�s just a little strange, don�t you think?� I asked. �I mean�your family never liked me, right? You all hate me�hated that Julie and me were together back in high school� Cubans are only good for making cigars, right? Not for fucking your sister��

�Would you get to the fucking point already!� Johnny demanded.

�Think about it�� I said slowly. �You all hate me, and Julie knows that. But she keeps insisting I�m her baby�s daddy, even when she knows it�s not true�even when medical tests have proven I�m not. So�what�s she hiding? Why in the world would she say it�s my kid? Who could your family possibly think was worse than me?�

Johnny just stood there for a minute, thinking. Then he turned on Julie.

�He�s right! Who the fuck is the father, Julie?� he screamed at her.

�I�I�� she stuttered.

�I�ve had enough of your bullshit, Jules! You are going to tell me, and you�re going to tell me now.�

�I�� she started, tears rolling down her face, streaking her mascara. �I don�t know��

�What!� Johnny said, his voice filled with disbelief. �What the fuck is that supposed to mean? You were there, weren�t you? How could you not know?�

�It was�� she whispered, �it was at a party. A frat party. I got drunk, and well�I think maybe someone put something in my drink. I just went upstairs with any guy who showed any interest. I don�t even know who all of them were��

�You fucking whore�� Johnny sneered, before slapping her across the face.

�Johnny�� I warned. I didn�t want to get involved�wanted to get myself as far away from Julie as possible. But I wasn�t just going to stand there and watch him smack her around, either.

�So�� he said, turning back to me. �We�re done, huh, Toretto?�

�Looks that way,� I answered, turning to leave.

�One thing, though�� he said slowly, stepping in front of me. �My sister�s been humiliated enough�don�t you think? This doesn�t need to get out. We�ll deal with the disrespect she�s brought onto the family name ourselves��

�Long as she stops telling people the kid is mine�� I said, �I don�t see why I�d ever mention any of this again.�

�Good,� Johnny nodded. �We have an understanding then. Right?�

�Right,� I nodded back. �But Johnny�� I continued, �if you should happen to change your mind about this little discussion�mistakenly decide that things went down differently than what�s actually happened here� If you even think about taking this further�if I hear even a rumor that you or Lance or anyone else is coming after Letty, or Mia, or anyone else on my team� Well, it wouldn�t be good for your health.�

�Hey, Toretto, I hear you�� Johnny said, laughing a little to himself. �We stay away, you stay away, everyone�s happy.�

�Exactly,� I said. And with that, I walked outside and back to Letty.