getaway car; fast and furious

chapter 3

Dominic Toretto stared down at the box, his body on edge and his mind cautious.

Last time Deckard Shaw had delivered a box to this house, it hadn't ended well. But this time, he arrived with it, sporting a frown similar to his own.

"What is it?" Roman asked, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned on the wall beside Tej.

Instead of voicing his answer, Deckard reached into the open box and pulled out a metal box, placing it carefully on the table.

It was smooth on all sides except for an engraving of a fingerprint and a small 'L' beneath it.

"I've already tried all my fingerprints." He shrugged, the bags beneath his eyes obvious with his sad gaze.

They could tell he was a mess. He had been searching for her nonstop everyday for the last 5 months. Most nights he didn't sleep and on the off chance he did, it was restless and empty in his bed.

For an entire month, the thought that she was dead bit away at his heart. But without evidence, he refused to accept it. So he kept looking.

Until this box showed up on his doorstep at the same time Evelyn appeared in the cemetery.

"Think the L stands for left?" Dom asked, examining the metal. He brought his left pointer finger to the marking, pressing down slightly when a buzzing vibrated the box and the table beneath it.

"Maybe." Ramsey stepped forward, gently tilting the box to eye the sides for any possible clues. "But who's fingerprints match it?"

"I mean if it's not Deckard, it's gotta be Dom right?" Tej suggested, agreement sounding through the room. Dom placed another finger down, feeling the buzz once more. His hands practically vibrated by the time he had pressed all ten fingers down. "Alright, so it's not Dom."

Letty suddenly perked up, staring down at the box.

"Hey girl, you good?" Letty asked Lottie, pulling her into a side hug.

The young girl had just been almost blown up by the Tran family but was saved by Brian Spilner, a guy who was new to town and seemingly trying to befriend her brother. She now stood in the kitchen as her brother yelled at Vince, her brown eyes moving to the older woman at her side.

"Can I have a beer?" Lottie asked, pouting her lips and putting on her best puppy dog eyes.

Letty rolled her own before peeking over at Dom, "Maybe not tonight but I will sneak you one at family dinner on Sunday." She smirked down at her, chuckling when her face fell.

"Promise?" Charlotte stuck her pinky in the air, the childish gesture not foreign to them. They'd done it since Letty first joined the family when the woman had promised to take the little girl to her favorite diner.

"Promise." Letty wrapped her own pinky around the girl's before bringing her hand up to rustle her brown hair.

Lottie groaned and tried to smooth the mess of dark curls.

She stood and locked eyes with Deckard, "Mind if I give it a shot?"

He waved at it, frustration weaved in his brow. "Be my guest."

Letty took a cautious step forward and placed her right pinky – the one she would always lock together with Lottie – against the cool surface.

The air was tense as they awaited the results, Deckards breath hitching when a whooshing sound hit his ears.

"Holy shit." Roman mumbled and stepped forward, crouching to spot the metal side that slid over. A small keyhole came into sight as Deckard shoved him aside to examine it.