Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 34081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
“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.”