It had been a comfortable night.
In the morning, the sound of birds chirping outside the window gently roused Hunter from his sleep. He slowly opened his eyes.
"Hnng..."
Feeling the numbness in his arm, Hunter glanced at Mia, who was still sound asleep beside him.
He gently tapped her cheek, then carefully extracted his arm, which had been serving as her pillow all night.
"Much better."
Hunter got out of bed and walked to the window. Breathing in the fresh sea breeze, he felt instantly invigorated.
Last night, with Dom's tacit approval and Mia's insistence, Hunter hadn't left the Toretto house. He had stayed over.
For a young man and woman in the prime of their youth, the result was predictable. It was another night of passion and intimacy.
Despite their activities stretching into the early hours of the morning, Hunter woke up just past five feeling zero fatigue.
On the contrary, he felt brimming with boundless energy.
Since he had sweated quite a bit last night, his skin felt sticky and uncomfortable. Hunter headed straight for a cold shower.
After washing up, he pulled a clean pair of boxers from his Inventory. Toweling off his hair, he walked out of the bathroom with the towel draped over his shoulders.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped into the living room, a voice greeted him.
"Hey. You're up early."
Hunter looked toward the sound and saw Letty lounging on the sofa.
Seeing him, Letty grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the coffee table. She lit one, took a drag, and let her eyes roam unabashedly over Hunter's defined muscles.
"I underestimated you."
"Didn't realize you were the 'slim in clothes, ripped out of them' type."
It was just past five in June, and the Los Angeles morning was already bright.
Even without the lights on, Letty could clearly see Hunter's physique. Every muscle was distinct, carved like a statue in a Greek temple—an exquisite piece of art.
As Dom's girlfriend, Letty was no stranger to muscles. Dom was a fitness fanatic, built like a tank. She usually found his bulk incredibly attractive.
But today, seeing Hunter's leaner, more aesthetic build, Letty suddenly felt like her boyfriend might be a bit... excessive. Compared to Hunter's perfect proportions, Dom's massive bulk suddenly seemed less harmonious.
"Nice body!"
Letty gave him a thumbs up, making no attempt to hide her appreciation. She had enjoyed the view thoroughly.
"Thanks for the compliment."
Hunter smiled and nodded. He had gotten used to the straightforward nature of Western women over the past two months.
He pulled the towel tighter, leaving only his eight-pack abs exposed.
"Why are you up so early, Letty?" he asked curiously.
Letty reluctantly tore her eyes away from his abs and took another drag of her cigarette.
"You guys were too loud last night. Couldn't sleep," she replied grumpily.
Dom's house, like most American homes, was wood-frame construction. Without special soundproofing, the acoustic privacy was... lacking.
Clearly, Dom had never considered this issue before.
The result was an incredibly awkward night for everyone else.
To make matters worse, Letty was on her period. To avoid tempting Dom (and herself), she had chosen to sleep on the sofa in the living room.
Then Hunter's shower had woken her up again.
She was dealing with some serious morning grumpiness. If she hadn't just gotten an eyeful of Hunter's abs, the fiery Letty might have already exploded.
The topic was a bit awkward, so after a few casual remarks, Hunter excused himself to change clothes.
When he returned to the living room, Letty had tidied up the makeshift bed.
By the time Dom and Mia woke up, it was past eight.
A sumptuous breakfast, prepared by Hunter, was waiting for them.
Having been in this world for two months, Hunter knew American tastes well. Aside from his own portion, he had prepared modified, Western-friendly Chinese dishes for the trio.
It was a hit.
"Didn't know you could cook like this," Letty mumbled around a mouthful of Sweet and Sour Pork wrapped in a tortilla—a weird fusion taco she had improvised. The sweet and sour flavor clearly suited her palate.
Dom didn't say much, but his empty plate spoke volumes. The Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin had vanished in record time.
Mia finished her Tomato Beef Stew, a dish she had fallen in love with recently. Paired with mashed potatoes, she ate happily.
After breakfast, Mia and Letty cleared the table.
Hunter sat with Dom, who clearly hadn't slept well either. After a moment of silence, Hunter spoke up.
"Dom, I have some things to take care of."
"I'll come back to see you guys once I'm done."
They couldn't be sure if the house was bugged, so the subtext was clear: I need to go prep. Once I'm ready, I'll come back to handle your shipment.
Dom looked rough and tumble, but he was sharp as a tack. His bald head gleamed in the morning light as he nodded.
"From now on," Dom said quietly, "call me Dom."
Wait, that sounded weird in Chinese. "Call me Dom" was redundant. What he meant was to drop the honorific "Boss" or "Big Brother" if Hunter was using one, or simply to use the nickname implying closeness.
(Wait, the raw text says "Call me Dom/Dominic" implying previously Hunter used "Toretto" or "Boss Tang". I will localize this as: "Call me Dom.")
Hunter wasn't surprised. He knew Dom only let family and close friends use that name.
"Got it, Dom."
Hunter nodded, then got up to say goodbye to Mia and Letty before leaving the house.
Unsure if the FBI was tailing him yet, Hunter walked for a while after leaving the Toretto house.
He eventually hailed a taxi.
He didn't go back to his apartment. Instead, he headed straight for Bridger Safe & Vault.
It had been three days since he stole Steve's safes.
For the past two days, his focus had been entirely on saving Dom. Consequently, he had neglected monitoring Steve and Charlie.
He didn't really care about Charlie, but he cared a lot about Stella, the beautiful safecracker.
Hunter planned to visit her company and inquire about job openings.
With his [Lockpicking Lv 2], he could easily open most common locks with a card or a wire. For slightly more complex locks, he could manage with proper tools and time.
He figured he could apply for a job at her firm.
If he could join legitimately, he could get close to her and learn her techniques directly.
And if he was rejected?
Well, Hunter had a Plan B to persuade Stella to teach him.
He figured the head of her father's killer, Steve, would be a sufficient tuition fee.
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