Chapter 2 Damion sat at the table in the center of the restaurant and waited for Vicki to arrive. She was the only woman in town who had yet to throw herself at him. Sure, they talked, and there were smiles and small talk, but that was it. In the past, and even a few weeks ago, he had women turning up at his home, work, or even on the streets, throwing themselves at him. To put it simply, he wasn't interested in anything they had to offer. Now, as he waited for his date, he pulled out his cell phone and saw the Wrights and Guns had accepted and finished with their little duel. Whatever happened to the baby was between them. The girl would either keep it or get rid of it. He glanced through, seeing the people he had put in different places to feed him information, their latest updates, and with that done, he pocketed his cell phone. He also had an update from Delphine, who was taking full responsibility for Vicki's siblings tonight, so he could take her on this date. On his last check, her mother, Annette, was being passed around the Thames's, on the edge of town. They were feeding her drugs as payment. He had contacted the leader, who told him that Annette had wandered into their territory and said they could all do anything to her for a price. That price had been as much heroin and cocaine as they would give her. There was not a single mention of her family. Nothing for her kids-no food, no money, nothing. He knew Annette. Hadn't liked her from the moment he laid eyes on her. He'd been living in Old County all his life, and Annette had been turning tricks for just as long. She started in high school, from what he remembered. She began with teachers, trying to improve her grades. She didn't believe in hard work, but instead in sucking her way to success. At first, it was an advantage, working her way through the faculty, and they were more than happy to use her. The only problem was, by the time she finished, men had gotten bored with her. She was easy. Also, she was known for causing scenes. He did believe that was how Vicki was born, and that she was in fact one of the teacher's daughters, but there had never been a paternity test done. No one really knew who any of the kids' fathers were. At last count, there were six kids total, including Vicki. It fucking shocked him how many kids Annette had been able to have. She wasn't as pretty as she was back then. Life hadn't been kind to Annette, and her drug addiction had also started to play a factor. He pushed all of that out of his mind, as he spotted Vicki arriving. Hanson, one of his men, drove her to him. Some people assumed Vicki was going to be exactly like her mom. However, he also knew this young woman had been taking care of her family for as long as she was able, he believed since she was seven years old. By that time, Vicki already had two siblings to take care of and a mother who was rarely present. Vicki had to raise herself, as well as her siblings. At least Frank, the oldest of the boys, tried his best to help. The only problem with Frank right now-he was heading straight to one of the families. On his last observation, The Lords, which wasn't good. The Lords always demanded a high price for initiation, which made it dangerous. Usually, killing a civilian, which Damion didn't accept. Anyone who joined The Lords had to look for their victim outside of Old County. If they killed anyone within Old County for an initiation, they had to deal with Damion. There were rare times that deals could be made and some circumstances overlooked. As an example, nine years ago, another punk-ass teenager decided to take out a sixty-year-old grumpy asshole. It turned out said grumpy asshole was a child molester, only he'd scared his victims into silence. The kid who killed him had been one of those victims. Damion decided to put a financial penalty on that crime, and cleaned and disposed of the body. At the same time, he did some digging, discovered the victims, and that money went to them. This was how he dealt with shit in Old County. He was willing to compromise. His top priority was keeping the peace and taking care of the civilian population. He would have to keep an eye on Frank and The Lords' situation. If needed, he would intervene. Vicki stepped into the restaurant and her eyes went wide when she realized no one was around. He had paid to have the restaurant completely to himself, and seeing as he was Damion Archer, no one argued with him. Even if people had been waiting months for reservations. It was simple, everything would get moved up. "Hey," Vicki said, coming into the room. "You look beautiful," he said, getting to his feet and rounding the table to pull out her chair. He saw her cheeks flare a beautiful shade of red. She wore minimal makeup, and he had a feeling Betsy had also done her hair again. For a five-year-old kid, she had done a pretty good job. There were a few curls that fell around her face. Her hair looked silky soft too. "Thank you. You look very handsome as well." He chuckled. "Don't worry, I wasn't expecting compliments." She offered him a smile. "Thank you for sending Delphine. Betsy knew her from school, and they said they got on just great." "You had trouble with Betsy staying in school. Delphine's job is to make sure she stays in school." Her mouth dropped open. "You do that?" "I do many things." "Wow, I had no idea. Do I owe you something?" "No money necessary. Betsy wants to become a hairdresser, she needs to learn to stay in school to do it." He took his seat across the table. "I had heard this was a good restaurant," Vicki said. "But there is no one here." Damion chuckled. "I paid to have the place to ourselves all night. I didn't think you would be comfortable with everyone looking at you, gawking. This way, you and I can enjoy our meal without becoming the night gossip." "Oh, thank you," Vicki said. "That is really sweet of you." "I am not sweet," Damion said. "I'm not a good man, Vicki. Don't make that kind of mistake." She tucked some of her hair behind her ear, and then placed both of her hands on the table. "Damion, I am not under any illusion about you. I know who you are. Everyone in town does." "Is that why you agreed to go on this date?" Damion asked. "No," Vicki said. "I agreed to this date because regardless of who you are and what you do, and what you think you are, I like you." This intrigued him. "What I think I am?" Vicki smiled, the kind that lit up her whole face. There was no conspiring edge to her smile. Just soft, pretty, natural. "You're a good guy," Vicki said. Now, this made him throw his head back and laugh, as he had never heard anything so absurd in his whole life. He looked toward Vicki, expecting her to be offended or upset. She looked at him, and there was this soft smile to her lips. "You can laugh all you want, but I know the truth. I know you have no choice but to keep people in line. Your goal is still the same." "My goal?" "Yes, your goal is to protect us. The civilians. Old County is an unusual mix, and you keep the balance. Without you, there would be war on the streets and a lot of dead bodies mounting up, or thrown into the river. I'm not a fool, Damion. I know what goes on in this town. I also know that once you know, there is no leaving." He couldn't argue with her on that one. "I do wonder, though," Vicki said. "How did you become the one running the show?" He smiled. "Because, I'm the worst one. You have your family leaders. They have it all at their fingertips, and then you have me." He shrugged. "I am willing to put an end to conflict, and if that means shooting someone in the head, then I will, and I have done so." **** Vicki knew deep down she should be afraid of this man. He was dangerous with a capital D. Damion was the scariest man around, and yet when she was with him, she felt safest. Her only difficulty tonight had been leaving her home to Delphine. The other woman had promised to take care of the kids, and Frank hadn't arrived, and she didn't like that. Frank should have been home, but she also knew The Lords were drawing him in, and that terrified her. She had never been drawn to any of the families or gangs, or whatever people wanted to call them. In Old County, they were families. Mainly because once you joined, you had their back and they had yours. There was no way to get away from any of them. Vicki never wanted to be in a family. Taking care of her own was a full-time responsibility. Her mother hadn't even been bothered to leave enough food or cash to buy groceries. The bills were fully paid, but that was because she dealt with them. This is why she had given up her apartment several years ago. At eighteen, she had saved enough to get her own place. For a couple of months, she did rent a place that was a dump, but hating mess the way she did, she cleaned it up nicely. Only, her mother had recently given birth to Betsy at this point. Frank had come to her, complete with Betsy in his arms, and the kids, and asked for help. She spent more time at home, taking care of the kids and keeping house, than at her own place. She had no choice but to say goodbye to her dreams. Her mother gave birth to kids, and it was Vicki's job to raise them. Only, with the way Frank was going, she truly didn't believe she was doing a great job of it. If she had, wouldn't Frank want more from his life than joining The Lords? She understood in Old County it was limited, but there was still a fulfilling life to be had. At least, that is what she kept trying to tell herself, so far to no avail. Vicki stopped asking questions as the waiter came out to take their order. She looked over the menu, and it appeared to be in Italian. Looking to Damion for help, she let him order for her, and now she felt like crap. She couldn't read Italian. She had taken French in high school, but even then, she had only been able to grasp a few words. She only just passed French class. She did well in her other lessons, but she believed the teachers gave her a break, seeing as she was also taking care of her family. Family always came first. Apart from tonight. With the waiter gone, she looked at Damion. Her heart raced a little as his gaze caught hers. He had intense blue eyes, and there was nowhere else for her to look but straight at him, and be completely hypnotized. "How did you get the job?" Vicki asked. "I killed the last man in charge," Damion said. "Oh." "It's not like it is unheard of. The guy that was here before, Mitchell Green, was supposed to keep everyone in line, but he had a penchant for underage girls. The only other problem with that, besides the obvious, those girls had to be unwilling. He didn't broker deals that benefitted the town. He didn't stop wars from raging on the streets. He was only interested in what he could get, and how soon he could get it." Damion frowned. "I watched." She was so intrigued by what he was saying. "You watched?" "Yeah, it was a Friday night, and it must have been over twenty years ago now. I sat on a bench outside Mitchell's home. I watched as a family brought a girl there. She was fighting them. I knew the girl. She was a good girl, came from a nice family that owned the local florist. She didn't want to go to Mitchell." Damion didn't show any expression. "Everyone knew what happened. Everyone even contributed, or they found someone who wasn't even in Old County. A wandering stray, who was looking for a better life. Mitchell didn't care, as long as they were underage, and in most cases, unwilling. I sat outside his home, and no one paid any attention to me. I was a big guy, but no one really knew who I was. I listened, and I heard the screams. You could hear them outside on that bench. He had his windows open. He didn't care what he was doing to her." Damion stopped, grabbed his glass of wine, and took a sip. Vicki looked at his hand, and it didn't shake, didn't quiver. "I got up from that park bench, and I don't know, I just snapped. I walked into his garden, went up to his front door. He believed he was invincible and everyone was going to stay in line, that he didn't even have any guards. I walked into his home, and I went to his bedroom. He had tied a belt around the girl's neck and was choking her so he could rape her. She already had blood coming from her nose, and he had scratches. He'd broken her arm. He said he didn't like them willing. I had packed a knife, and I walked right up to him, grabbed his dick, and sliced it off. Next, I stabbed him in the stomach, then sliced his neck. I killed him, and the room was covered in blood." He took another sip of wine. "I saved that girl. Removed the belt from around her neck, got some clothes to put on her, and since the screaming stopped, some of the families came to see. I walked out of that house with the girl, holding my knife. I looked at all of them, and told them straight that Old County was about to change. If they had a problem, they could take me on. I held the same knife I had just used to slice up Mitchell. Then, I took that girl home." "Is that girl ... I mean, did she get out?" "No, and you met her," Damion said. "Who?" "Delphine was that girl." This shocked her. "What?" "Yep, from that night on, Delphine was never the same. Neither were her parents. They didn't willingly give her to be used by Mitchell. She was stolen from them, and they were held at gunpoint. When I arrived at their home, the leader of the family who had taken her was there, and that was when the first deal was made. The first law was simple: All civilians are off limits. The only exception to that is if a civilian wishes to join one of their families. That is the only time I will look the other way." "And that is how you took control?" Vicki asked. "Yes." "Does it bother you that someone else might do that?" "If they think they can, they can try. You see, the thing about being in control, is not allowing it to go to your head. I have not done this. I take nothing as my own. I do the deals that benefit the town. I pay myself a modest wage and make sure the town thrives. That is all I do. I never benefit from it myself." "And you're okay with that?" "You know the motto-once in Old County, you're staying in Old County. I was here, I can't leave, I was not going to be a family leader. I don't take well to orders. I like making them, and ensuring they are ... abided by. I have the job I need, and so far, the town of Old County is running smoothly. Better than it ever has. It is why the school has been able to run and function the way it does. Businesses are thriving. Life is good." She couldn't deny it. Although she thought about her mother and Frank. "It's not easy for everyone, though." "They make their choices, Vicki. There is nothing you can do about that. All you can do is try to be there when they need it most." She couldn't help but feel awful. "I guess I was never a good enough daughter, or a good enough ... adult figure for both of them." "Stop," Damion said. "You're an amazing woman. I have watched you, and you have fought your mother's reputation. The locals will not allow you to be hurt. You have worked your way into their hearts, and trust me, Old County is a lot of things, and it's not loving." Vicki couldn't help but laugh. "That's true." "You did that, not anyone else." "Thank you," Vicki said. "You can only ever do so much, and unless you start to suffocate them and not let them out of the house, which is abuse, you're doing the best you can, and they are not even your kids." 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