Page 19 of Protecting His Woman
“No, I don’t.Mom has never been a good mother, Vicki.Think about it, we had to raise ourselves, and we had to raise the others.We’re two kids ourselves, with four children.”Frank shook his head.“That’s not what I wanted.”
“Is that why you’re going to The Lords?”Vicki asked.
“Don’t start this shit again.”
“I’m not starting anything.I am just curious as to what changed your mind.I remember when you couldn’t stand the thought of any of the families in Old County.You wanted a simple life.A normal family.”
“Yeah, and then I saw what simple gets you.Look at Mom.”
“That’s not simple, Frank.You know it and so do I.”
Frank laughed.“We don’t even know who our fathers are.I just ...with The Lords, it’s easier.That’s all.”
“You know what you have to do to be initiated,” Vicki said.
“I know.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
There was a knock at the door and Vicki got to her feet.Answering the door, she found Damion on her doorstep.
“Damion,” she said.
“Can I come in?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.”She offered him a smile and he stepped into the house.
Frank looked at Damion, then at her.“I’m going to head to bed.”
With his alliance getting heavier into one of the families, his involvement with Damion had to be limited.If he did anything to upset Damion, it could cost him and the family he was trying to be part of.
Damion didn’t say a word.“Can we talk?”
“Yeah, of course.Do you want to sit down or have a drink?I only have tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and water.”
“I’m good,” Damion said.
She led him into the sitting room.They didn’t have much.The sofa was old, and she had gotten it at a thrift store.She didn’t have a sewing machine, so she had spent months hand-stitching and covering it so it looked much better.She loved to fluff up the cushions and clean it.
The artwork on the walls came from all of them, from pictures they drew when there were snowstorms.Most of the ornaments came from trinkets made at school.There was a single small television—again, all she could afford—and that was it.The carpet had seen better days, but she did what she could to keep the place clean.Fresh licks of paint on the walls, scrubbing them.
“It’s not much,” she said, “but it is home.”
“I’ve got something for you.”He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope.
“What’s this?”she asked, taking it and looking inside to see a lot of money.“Damion, what is this?”
“It’s from Neil.The head of the Thames family.”
“Oh,” Vicki said.“Is this payment for Mom?”
“No,” Damion said.“This is compensation for the stress one of his men caused, and for putting your life at risk.It is part of his punishment.There is also something else.”
Vicki held the envelope full of cash, feeling even more uncomfortable having it in her hands.This was not a good feeling.
“Did your mother ever talk about any of the guys she was with?”
“No,” Vicki said.“There were so many of them.Sometimes they came around here and left her some cash.”
