Chapter 4 "You're a piece of shit, but you know that, right?" Annette said. Damion sat on a chair. The Thames's had provided another barn with a single window for Annette to recuperate while Vicki made the decision on what was to happen to her mother. He had given Vicki the news on Saturday. It was now Monday. He was aware that on Sundays, Vicki took the kids to church and would often let them hang out at the park, where they would have a small picnic. Damion wasn't interested in making small talk with her family, so he kept his distance. Also, she had a decision to make. Vicki didn't see him, but he saw her. He always kept an eye on her. Nearly everyone knew Vicki was off limits. It was why Jude was currently undergoing punishment in one of his "chambers." Neil had given Jude to him, and it was now up to him to decide what happened to that piece of shit. Damion had wanted to end him quietly, but that felt too easy, and he wasn't interested in easy. So, for now, he was in a dark dungeon, with rats to keep him company. He hadn't been given any food or water. He saw Annette shaking. She had a full cast on her hand. From what Neil had told him, the doctor had to clean the dirt from the hand, then it took several hours to reattach it. She might not have full function in her hand. Not that Damion cared. "Do you realize your life hangs in the balance of a decision made by your daughter?" Damion asked. Annette continued to shake. The withdrawal was already attacking her body. She had been on a drug high for over three weeks, and now she was crashing. This was part of her punishment. Her whole body had to be on fire. Damion looked at her, and she was so skinny, flesh on bones. There were bruises all over her skin, and it smelled like someone had pissed on her. The clothes she wore had stains on them, and he was pretty sure most of them were semen. She hadn't taken a shower. She was filthy. "Vicki will do the right thing," Annette said. "Really, because I also happened to mention that you were going to sell her virginity." That seemed to make Annette look even paler and this made him smile. "Fuck you," Annette said. "You know, Neil doesn't like you. He never liked you, and he didn't even realize you were on his property." He tutted. "He is desperate for you to become his property so he can do whatever he wants with you." Annette visibly shook. "Didn't you and him ... used to be a thing?" Damion smiled as he recalled Neil had once been a good guy. The nice guy, back in the day, he'd been the kind of guy that would take his girl's books and hold her bag. He'd hold doors open, and call everyone Miss and Ma'am. He'd been a good boy. That all changed when he caught Annette, his girl, being fucked by two teachers. He'd changed. Gone from being the good guy, and overnight, he was looking very much like a man who could take over from his father, the leader of the Thames family. "Fuck you." Damion laughed. "Until we know Vicki's answer, you're going to have to wait to see what happens to your life." "My daughter loves me." "Yeah, she probably does. But she has bills to pay, a house to keep, five kids to take care of, and whatever debt you have coming in. Vicki has to keep cleaning up your messes, and I promise you, Annette, with each little thing she has to do that prevents her from living her own life, you start to look less like a mom and more like a burden she wants to be rid of." Damion got to his feet. "I wonder what her decision will be." And with that, he left. Neil was outside, waiting for him. "You're getting a kick out of this, aren't you?" Neil asked. "Annette had shit coming to her. All her life, she has gotten away with a lot." "You know there is a chance Vicki could be mine," Neil said. "You ever done the paternity test?" Damion asked. "Fuck, no. She could be mine, and, like, ten teachers, and whoever she fucking fucked back in the day." "Those kids could be anybody's. I know they're not mine," Damion said. "She is one bitch I never touched. She was poison." Neil laughed, but wasn't entertained. "You okay?" "No, not really." Neil rubbed a hand down his face. "I keep a tight fucking ship, and I don't know how, but Jude managed to steal five girls. I don't know who the fuck they are. None of them are talking and they're in a bad way. I want them off my property." "You're not getting Jude back," Damion said. "I know, and trust me, that little shit has cost me enough, and I know getting those girls back home will cost me. Just name the price, and deal with it," Neil said. "I don't give a fuck what it takes. I want nothing to do with it." Damion looked at him and had no choice but to go and see the girls. Stepping into the barn, Neil had kept them locked up in the cages. The girls were in bad condition. "I've got them in withdrawal right now," Neil said. "I've got the doctor on speed dial to come and deal with them, but they need to be home with their families." Damion pulled out his cell phone, went to each girl, took a picture, and then left. He had contacts outside of Old County. No one wanted anything to fucking do with the town, and it was up to him to deal with shit like this. This was part of the job he hated, as it always came with a fucking price. After leaving Thames's territory, he paid a visit to Jude, fed him, beat the shit out of him, then left, leaving him locked up. Once he was done, he had no choice but to start making negotiations when it came to the girls. It was easier if they were wanted. It made it a lot harder to get the girls to a safe place if they were picked up off the streets. This day was fucking shit. **** Vicki had a horrible day at work. It was rare for Old County to get tourists, but from time to time, they came through. Today was one of those days, and whenever they got tourists, there was not a lot they could do but wait it out and hope for the best. Vicki had been polite and tried to advise that they leave town. If tourists entered Old County and saw bad stuff, it would be impossible for them to leave. The newly married couple were looking for places to hike, and they also wanted a hotel room. Old County didn't have any hotels. Of course, this would start people asking what kind of town didn't have hotels. Some tourists came because they heard the rumors that once you were in Old County, you couldn't leave. Some of them got to leave, others didn't. Vicki listened to Betsy's day, telling how she had read some books and they were learning right and wrong. It was amazing to hear Betsy finally loving school. Of course, she would complain about the lack of hair-playing classes, but Vicki tried to make it up to her. Dhalia, Smithy, and Pete were all up in their bedroom, studying. She would go up from time to time to see if they were lying to her. All three wanted a better life than the one Mom had. Dhalia was a little like her, and spent all her spare time in a book. Vicki had been bullied for who her mother was, and she had a feeling they all got the same. There was nothing they could do about who had given birth to them. Frank was nowhere to be seen, as usual. Betsy was coloring and chatting animatedly. Vicki continued to stir the tomato sauce, and she then moved to the fridge, grabbing some cheese. She had finally gotten to the store for groceries they were going to need for the week. Frank asked for beer, and she hadn't gotten any. There was no way she would waste money on beer. There was a time Frank contributed to the food bill, now he did nothing. She paid for everything, and that was fine. She just had to budget the money a lot better. With Christmas coming up, she had saved a little so she could give everyone some gifts. It was going to be tight, but as long as nothing broke or needed fixing, she would be fine. She had gotten the knack of fixing stuff around the house. She only called an electrician or plumber when it was absolutely necessary. "Dinner's ready," Vicki said, calling her siblings down. She heard their footfalls as they came downstairs. She served up the sauce, sprinkled on cheese, and placed it at the table. "This smells good, Vic," Smithy said. Dhalia said the same, as did Pete. Just as she sat down, Frank entered the kitchen, and Vicki knew he had been drinking. His eyes were a little glazed over, and he looked unshaven. "Frank," Betsy said, jumping off her chair and running toward him. He held his arms out and hugged her tightly. "Hey, little munchkin, how are you doing?" "Having dinner, you have to have some," Betsy said, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the table. Frank sat down, and Vicki got to her feet to grab his food. She had placed it in the microwave, in the hope of him coming home. She always saved him a portion of food. If Frank didn't eat it, someone else would, either cold or warmed up. "So, big sis, are you going to ask us what we think you should do?" Frank asked. "Stop it," Vicki said. "What's going on?" Pete asked. "It's nothing." "It isn't nothing, and you know it," Frank said. Vicki looked at her brother, and he smirked. "So, are you going to let that old whore rot for good? She deserves it." Dhalia looked toward her, along with Pete and Smithy. Betsy didn't say a word. "We're not talking about this," Vicki said. "Talk about what?" Dhalia asked. "What is going on? You can't keep us in the dark." "It would seem our dear little mommy has crossed the line." Frank tutted. "The rumor is, it's up to the daughter to make the decision. She has the choice to keep Mom a civilian and fucking protected, or send her to the Thames's and become their property." "How did you find out about that?" "The Lords, and trust me, all the families know the shit that is going down. They agree with it too. Turns out our mom was going to sell Vicki's precious virginity." Vicki put her hands over Betsy's ears. "Stop it." "Wait?" Dhalia asked. "This true?" She didn't want to trouble her family, and this was a freaking nightmare. She should have known that when Frank came around, he was just going to start trouble. Vicki didn't like to lie to her family. She looked at each of them, and then nodded her head. This is why she didn't want to tell them. They all looked disgusted. "Nothing happened, and I'm fine. Mr. Archer took care of it." Frank snorted. "You've got to let her go," Dhalia said. This surprised her. "Yeah, Dhalia's right. Mom is getting worse, and you've got to realize you can't save her." This came from Pete. It wasn't long before even Smithy agreed. The only ones who hadn't turned against Mom were herself and Betsy. The truth was, Vicki didn't have a clue what to do. Her mother had failed to get rid of her now, but what if, in the future, she was successful? Vicki didn't know how Damion was able to find out, only that he had started the process of taking care of it. "You finally have the chance to put an end to our misery, but are you going to have the guts to actually see it through?" Frank asked. "The end of our misery?" Vicki asked. "Does that mean if I tell him to take Mom, to remove her civilian status, that you'll stop going to The Lords?" She had tried not to question him when it came to his involvement with the families. "The Lords have nothing to do with this," Frank said. "They're good guys." She wasn't the only one that looked toward her brother incredulously. Once again, the only one who didn't in their little group was Betsy. "Are you for fucking real right now?" Smithy asked. "This is none of your fucking business," Frank said. "None of our business. Do you have any idea what The Lords' ... initiation process is? What you will have to do?" Pete asked. "How can you even think they're not like everyone else?" Dhalia asked. "They're good guys. They take care of their own." "So does every one of those families," Vicki said. She tried not to raise her voice, but the way he was being and the words he was saying were so unreasonable. She couldn't believe the bullshit going on in his head. "The Lords are no different from the Thames, the Guns, the Wrights. They're all the same." "Well, it beats being a fucking civilian," Frank said. "A fucking nobody. At least I can actually make something of my life by running with them. I don't have to keep waiting to be shot down." They all looked at him. "Wow," Dhalia said. "You once said you'd never turn into her, but you are exactly like her." This made Frank physically jerk. "Don't fucking say it," Frank said. Dhalia got to her feet, leaned over the table, and pointed a finger. "You're exactly like Mom. Selfish, delusional, and stupid." With that Dhalia left. Frank got to his feet and stormed out of the house, yelling that he didn't have to put up with this shit. Smithy and Pete went back to their rooms. Betsy finished her supper, and was tired and called it a night. Leaving Vicki to do the dishes, which she did, quietly. There was a time she and Frank promised to face the world together. To take care of each other. To be their own family as they didn't need to be with anyone else. He'd been pulled away, and now it was up to her to try and make it through. After cleaning the kitchen, she checked all the windows, secured the doors, and made her way up to the main bathroom. She rarely allowed herself the luxury of a bath, but tonight she filled the tub, adding in some bubbles, tying her hair back, and stepping into the bath. Taking a deep breath, she felt so numb, even her tears refused to fall. Nothing seemed to be going right for her now. Frank was all but gone. She hoped Pete and Smithy stayed on the right path. Being a civilian in Old County was not easy. It was fucking hard for everyone, but they were protected. Damion took care of them, and no matter what anyone said, they were still living and surviving. She didn't know why the law stepped back, or why no politician would touch this place. They were all alone, apart from Damion, who kept everything running smoothly. There were always a ton of rumors when it came to the reason they didn't have a single cop on the street. With the number of crime families, they were always prime targets. She heard people saying they were always on the hit list. It didn't matter the reason, just that they were alone, with their own set of rules, and knowing they couldn't leave. There was a knock on the door, and Vicki asked who it was. "It's me," Dhalia said. She told her sister she could come in, and Dhalia did, dressed in a nightshirt. Whatever makeup she had worn was wiped off. Where Betsy wanted to be a hairdresser, Dhalia loved all things beauty. Although Vicki couldn't afford luxury makeup, she did try to provide Dhalia with affordable quality. "Hey," Dhalia said. "Are you okay?" "Yeah, I am, I just ... can I sit?" Dhalia pointed to the toilet. "Sure." She put the toilet lid down and perched on the top. Vicki waited, knowing there was no point in rushing her sister. Dhalia ran her fingers through her long, blonde hair. She was such a beautiful young woman. Fourteen, going on what felt like forty at times. There had been many boys coming to the house, knocking on the door, wanting to take her out. Dhalia was not interested. She wanted to get her education, open a beauty salon, and have a life that was nowhere near complicated like their mother's. "You've got to let her go," Dhalia said. "I know she's our mom and we should love her, and I guess a small smidge of me does. I do love Mom, but ... I hate her, Vicki. She's not going to change. She is the same woman she has always been. I mean, one day I came home from school, and she was passed out, and left a line of cocaine on the fucking table ... Betsy could have been playing in it." Dhalia stopped and her little hands clenched into fists. "She's toxic, Vicki, and you have a way of stopping her. Don't let your kind heart distract from the fact she is going to ruin your life, if you let her." Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!