Page 15 of Protecting His Woman
“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.
