ARACELY LEANED AGAINST A STACK OF TIRES, casually sipping a beer, though her mind wasn't really on the conversation with Hector and his crew.

To her credit, an all too familiar red truck flew past the entrance of Hector's garage, a blur of headlights and the unmistakable roar of an engine. Without thinking, she pushed off the tires and fished her phone from her pocket. She quickly dialed Dom's number and excused herself from the group.

"Yeah?" Dom's voice was low but steady on the other end.

"I think it's him," Aracely said, her voice barely above a whisper, "Be ready."

"Stay low," Dom's voice was firm, a note of warning in his words, "We're on our way."

She ended the call, slipping the phone back into her pocket as her eyes scanned the street, tracking the truck as it pulled into a secluded area nearby — exactly by Hector's warehouse-escorted space. Her instincts were screaming, but she pushed them aside and moved quickly toward the shadows, not wanting to be seen.

As she moved closer, she saw Brian slip into the garage, the large, rusted door closing behind him.

Above the garage, Dom and Vince had moved a lookout. From their point, they could see Brian moving around inside, sneaking around the workshop with a precision that made Aracely's stomach turn. There was no way this wasn't part of something bigger.

"Fucking cop," Vince's voice was quiet, tinged with annoyance.

Aracely stayed glued to the spot, waiting for Brian to finish whatever he was doing inside. She saw him move to the back to the window he'd broken into. She took a step forward, but before she could act, she saw Dom and Vince make their move, moving swiftly through the shadows, positioning themselves for when Brian would exit.

The moment Brian stepped out of the garage, Vince's grip tightened around the back of the gun he held. Without a word, he charged.

Brian barely had time to react before Vince swung the weapon, striking him hard across the back of the head with the back of the gun.

And Brian dropped to the floor.

Aracely leant against a wall with her arms crossed, her heart racing as she looked down at Brian. Vince crouched beside him, smirking, "He moans like a cop."

"Brian," Dom began, "This is one of those times where you need to be very clear about what you say. Nod if you understand me."

Brian hesitated, his gaze flicking from Dom to Aracely, then Vince. He nodded, not before Vince could taunt him, "Nod!"

Dom remained firm, "Sit up and tell me what the hell you were doing down there!"

Brian shifted, pulling himself into a sitting position. His eyes flicked briefly to Aracely, who hadn't moved an inch. Her silence was unnerving.

"Look," Brian started, "Dom, I owe you a ten-second car. And what this is about? This is about Race Wars."

Aracely's laugh broke the tension, sharp and cutting. She pushed off the wall and stepped forward, her arms still crossed, "Estupido."

Before Brian could say anything, Vince took a step forward and kicked him hard in the leg, "Cut the crap. You're not fooling anyone."

Brian winced but pressed on, his voice rising as he explained, "I just went in there, okay? Hector's gonna be running three Honda Civics with Spoon engines. And on top of that, he just came into Harry's and ordered three T-66 turbos with NOS and a MoTec system exhaust."

Dom tilted his head slightly, his gaze narrowing, "So what are you saying? You're gonna go around and check everybody's shit out? One garage after another?"

"Yeah," Brian admitted, his voice quieter now, "Because you know, Dom... I can't lose again."

Aracely stepped closer, her voice low but razor-sharp, "You afraid of losing your badge or your pride?"

"He's a cop, Dom," Vince barked, Dom ignoring both Aracely and Vince's skeptics.

"You a cop?" Dom asked, looking directly at the blonde.

And he shook his head.

Dom stood, breaking the tension, "Let's go for a little ride."

Brian stumbled as Vince dragged him up, but his eyes never left Aracely. There was no anger in her gaze — just cold calculation, like she was deciding whether he was worth the risk.

"Whatever you're hiding, I really fucking hope it's not what I think it is," Aracely became face to face with Brian, her eyes drawing up and down the boy, "And that's genuinely for your sake."

——

JESSE'S CAR SLOWED TO A STOP near Johnny Tran's garage. Aracely, Dom, Vince, and Brian slipped out of the car, their footsteps barely making a sound as they approached the looming fence.

Vince peered through the links, his face set in determination as he sized it up, "We're gonna have to jump it."

Aracely crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow, "Estas loco? I'm wearing juicy right now!"

"Got a better idea, princess?" Vince shot back as Aracely scrunched her face, "All I know is that is doesn't involve ripping these damn jeans."

Vince rolled his eyes in an instant, "Still haven't heard a better idea from you, Cely. We'll boost you over anyway."

"These jeans aren't made for that," She hushed them, scanning the side of the building closest to her, "You do you, big guy."

Before anyone could argue, she slipped away, disappearing into the shadows.

Dom frowned, "Don't bother her, alright?"

"She's sure being... resourceful," Brian said, watching her figure vanish. Vince was unamused, "That ain't gonna get us in there faster."

"Yeah, it probably would," Brian poked, Dom narrowly cutting the space between the two.

Meanwhile, Aracely navigated her way along the side of the property. There conveniently was a side entrance, this gate latched up with a lock that didn't seem so hard to pick.

So, once she snapped that open... Walking inside wasn't exactly the hard part.

By the time Dom, Vince, and Brian made it over the fence and found their own way into the garage, Aracely was already there, leaning casually against a workbench, "Took you guys long enough."

Dom laughed, "What, you teleport in here?"

"It's called stealth, boys," She replied breezily, exaggerating her efforts, "Y'all should try it sometime."

"The jeans intact?" Brian smirked, checking out the girl who sauntered past him, "They seem pretty fine to me, Spilner."

Dom raised a hand, silencing them as his sharp eyes swept the room. They moved deeper into the garage, their footsteps muffled on the concrete floor. The cars were pristine, lined up like soldiers, but something was off.

"Yo, Dominic," Vince called from the far side of the garage, "There's no engines."

The group gathered around one of the cars, peering under the hood at the empty space where the engine should've been.

"What do they plan on racing with?"  muttered, his frustration bubbling to the surface, "Hopes and dreams?"

"I don't know, but I know they're sneaky as shit," Vince muttered, eyes scanning the empty garage.

Before Dom could respond, his phone buzzed. He answered quickly, Jesse's voice urgent on the other end, "We got a wolf pack. It's Johnny Tran, and he's coming your way real quick."

Dom's face hardened, "Guys, we've got company."

Everyone snapped into action, scrambling to hide and blend into the shadows. Aracely, however, wasn't in a hurry to follow the pack. She glanced at Brian, who was lingering near a shelf filled with DVD players.

"Are you seriously checking that shit out right now?" She, quietly, snapped at him.

"Just... uh... looking around," Brian muttered, his gaze darting nervously over the racks.

"Right," she quipped, dripping with sarcasm, "Looking around while Tran's crew rolls up. Smart move."

She grabbed his arm and dragged him behind a stack of crates just as Johnny Tran's cars screeched into the lot. They ducked down and watched as Tran and his crew stormed into the garage, dragging a man between them. Brian tensed, but Aracely didn't budge, her posture relaxed, her eyes locked on the scene.

Tran shoved a man onto the floor, and without warning, a drum of oil was hoisted, the liquid forced down the man's throat. He choked and sputtered, gasping for air.

Aracely didn't flinch. Her face was unreadable, her fingers drumming lightly on the crate beneath her. She wasn't new to this kind of thing — too many people were, too many nights spent in places like this, watching things get ugly.

Brian couldn't help but notice. Her stillness. The way she didn't blink. He caught himself staring at her, trying to understand why she seemed so unfazed.

Finally, the man broke, gasping for air, "The engines! They're in a warehouse!"

Johnny Tran gave a nod to his cousin Leon, who quickly turned to leave. Though not before they made the man kiss Johnny's shoes — kicking him before he reached it. The crew followed his leave, and the garage finally fell silent again.

Brian let out a breath, but Aracely didn't move. Her gaze remained on the door, like she was waiting for something else to happen. When she finally spoke, she was soft, but there was no mistaking the edge to it, "So, this is your scene, huh?"

Brian turned to her, but she didn't wait for him to answer, "I can't believe you're still trying to play it so clean. You're not fooling anyone. Not me."

Brian raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the sudden jab, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't act like you don't know, "Aracely gave him a pointed look as the blonde almost pleaded, "I don't know!"

"I've seen the way you look at these things. The way you watch people," She insisted, "I told you I had my eye on you, yeah?"

Brian smirked, clearly unbothered, "Is this our first married fight, Cely?"

Aracely groaned, "You pretty boys have no shame, do you?"

Brian grinned, his usual charm resurfacing, "What if I'm not hiding, Cel? What if I'm just here for the ride?"

Aracely raised an eyebrow, "I'm not buying it, Spilner. If you want me to believe you're as innocent as you say you are, you've gotta try way harder."

Brian leaned closer, his voice dropping to a playful whisper, "You think I'm innocent?"

Aracely just shot him a look, her lips curling into a subtle smile, "Not a chance."

He went quiet.

Her lips were pouted, puppy dog eyes burning into Brian's soul, "But I should just take your word for it, right?"

Brian ran a hand through his hair, frustration flickering in his gaze, "Look, I'm not doing anything illegal, okay?"

"That part might actually concern me."

Brian shifted his weight, leaning slightly forward, "I'm not hiding anything from you, Aracely."

She gulped, "You said it Spilner. I'll give you a second to take it back."

"Aracely."

"You don't want to be on my bad side Brian, I can promise you that."