Shadows In Durango

*****Sofia's POV*****

I felt incredibly anxious after opening up to Vincent about my past but after everything he had told me prior, the timing just felt right.

Despite my nerves, it also felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders as I shared my trauma with someone who could somewhat understand and relate to what I was saying - as twisted as it all sounds.

Our conversation had momentarily halted, as the waiter delivered a variety of tapas dishes to our table that Vincent had ordered - the intoxicating smell invading my nostrils as I held back the saliva from drooling out of my mouth from the smell alone.

"Is there anything else that I can assist you with sir?" The waiter asks, with a kind smile playing on his lips as Vincent shakes his head.

"No, this is perfect, thanks!" Vincent nods, reaching into his wallet to pull a forty dollar tip out for the man as he beams widely and thanks him before walking off.

If this date was teaching me one thing, it was that Vincent wasn't all bad, just misunderstood.

"Tuck in!" Vincent motions, as I scan the mass of food choices spread across our table, unsure of where to even begin.

Glancing at the shrimps, coated in a garlic glaze, I couldn't help but reach for them first - having not had such a luxurious meal in so long.

"Good choice!" Vincent commends, before he too reaches for a couple, placing them on his own plate as we both try them at the same time, humming in satisfaction at the bursts of juicy flavour exploding in our mouths. This was quickly becoming my favourite place to eat already...

"So before we were interrupted doll, talk me through what happened after you left home." Vincent asks me casually, keeping my nerves at bay with his relaxed tone as I swallow the next piece of shrimp in my mouth.

"Yeah, well uh, I stole some money from my father, which sure, I shouldn't have done, but it was necessary for my own safety." I shrug, as his eyes burn intensely into my own, drinking in each and every detail from my past.

I just hope he doesn't judge me for any of it... some of the decisions I've made certainly weren't well thought out or wholesome, but I reminded myself each and every day that my past does not define me. I knew my worth and I knew that I wasn't a bad person, and that was all that mattered.

My own mother would turn in her grave if she could see how they had treated me, my own family too.

"That was the least you could've done to him before you left - you should've kicked him square in the fucking balls." Vincent mumbles, as I cover my mouth and almost choke at his choice of words. At least he supported me so far...

Quickly swallowing my current bite back, I offer him a smile before inhaling my next breath to continue:

"I tried hopping a bus to the first city I could, putting some distance between us. I even ditched my phone so they wouldn't ever find me, or so I thought at the time. I was in the first place for half of a year before they caught up to me at my new school. They tried to drag me out of there before some teachers stepped in to question their intentions and luckily, I made it out of a back fire exit door and escaped." I grow shaky at the memory of the first time they had almost caught and dragged me back home.

The look in my father's eyes I'll never forget, he was unhinged unlike my brothers who had looked as smug as ever...

Thinking of what they would do to me the second they got me home was enough to keep me up at night.

"Bastards... so what did you do next?" Vincent encourages me to continue with the rest of the story, as we continued to eat, which thankfully provided some comfort to the situation.

"I hopped on another bus, with some money left to start over somewhere else. I stayed in my seat and allowed for the bus to just drive, even falling asleep until the driver himself had to wake me, explaining that it was the last stop." I begin, explaining my journey leading towards how I found myself here in town.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

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"Same thing again, I used more money for a decent apartment, got signed up at school, and it worked well for a few more months before they managed to get close to me again. Luckily this time, I spotted one of my brothers waiting outside the school that morning, and I immediately turned on my heels to go the other way. I figured after that, that it was harder to hide in the big cities, especially when they seemed to have connections everywhere looking for me, and so my next hope was trying out a smaller town which is how I ended up here - with little money left to start over this time around." I conclude, peering over at him as he thinks about my story so far.

It was shocking to hear myself reciting it all out loud, and terrifying to know that my father and brothers could once again creep up on me at any moment.

"I fear that they will find me any day now, and that I'll have to leave again. I don't want to be running away my whole life." I admit to him, feeling incredibly vulnerable under his stare.

"I won't let them get you." His words come as a shock to me, as my lips part ever so slightly having not expected such a bold statement from him.

"Vincent, I..." I begin to babble only to be hushed by him.

"Shh, listen to me. Let them come here to find you, and all you have to do is say the word Sofia - and I'll have them killed." I search his eyes for any sign of a lie, only finding a deep fire in them instead. He wasn't joking.

Would he seriously kill them? Has he killed before? How crazy is his life and family if he's offering to wipe people clean off the face of the earth as though it were nothing?

"After hearing all of this tonight, I seriously think we should consider putting some measures in place to help keep you safe. You are now living under my roof and you are my priority moving forward. I like you Sofia, despite having a shit way of showing it sometimes, and I won't let anybody hurt you in your life ever again, I'm sorry that I never knew about this sooner." Vincent is stern as he speaks, his tone haunting as I see a darker side to his personality shine through beneath the surface.

This wasn't a temper, this was something darker buried within him. He was no longer a high school bad boy sitting across from me, oh no, he was a terrifying criminal prepared to do whatever it takes to help me.

A criminal who had my best interest at heart... who seemed soft only for me... could it be?

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"Vincent, no please, you can't revolve your own life around me, I've not even been in town for long, you barely know me and..." I babble, as he just shakes his head to disagree.

"I know everything I need to know about your unfair past and I also know how your presence in my life makes me feel - you gave me a purpose lately." He admits, overwhelming me slightly with his admission.

I didn't know he felt this deeply for me, offering to protect me like this... If I could, I would have sobbed there and then. It was both sweet and terrifying knowing the power and confidence he held at such a young age - offering to take on my father and brothers if they were to ever come here to town.

But perhaps I needed someone like him to help me, for without him, I might never be safe to live a normal life.

"Tonight, we will put this aside and will enjoy the rest of our date but tomorrow, we will discuss a plan moving forward. Deal?" Vincent offers, before returning to placing more food onto his plate as I all but agree.

Having some time to process everything we had spoke about tonight would be good for me, and I was glad for his offer to shift the topic for the remainder of the evening.

"So, maybe we should talk about how hot you look instead? Or how much I have wanted to rip that red dress off of your body since you first walked out of the room..." Vincent smirks before shoving some food into his mouth, chewing it as he watches for my reaction.

Shocked, I feel my cheeks redden in embarrassment from his words, caught in disbelief that he would even admit such things out loud.

But why did I sort of enjoy the thought of what he was saying?

What I wanted to say back was 'do it then', however I wouldn't, knowing that I would probably explode from embarrassment later if I even dared to flirt back.

"Lost for words? Maybe I'll treat you to some action after we leave here..." Vincent chuckles lightly, as I reach up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear to distract from my fluttering lady parts below.

Why did he have such an effect on me? Talk about one extreme to another! First offering to kill my family and now offering to rip off my dress and show me a good time?

Vincent Walker would be the death of me...