Keep Her From Harm(2)

He pressed answer and placed the cell phone beside his ear. "Hey, Mom," he said.

"What's going on, Damian?" she asked, worry evident in her voice.                       
       
           



       

"I'm done. I can't do this anymore with him, with the family." He had  somehow brought himself to a park, and he sat down on one of the swings,  and stared across the street but didn't see anything at all. There was  nothing to be seen. "I killed her, Mom."

"No, honey, you didn't. You had nothing to do with Betty's death. We had been to the doctor, and she was struggling."

"I should have been there. It doesn't matter anymore. I'm done."

"What about Martha, Damian?"

"Will you take care of her for me? I need to get my shit together, and then I'll be back for her."

"You promise?"

"Yes. I promise."

Silence was on the line, and he knew his mother wanted to argue but  she'd cave. She always did. "I'll take care of her, but you've got to  keep in touch with me. I know you don't want to speak to your father,  and that's fine. Do not keep me in the dark."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Mom. I love you."

"He does love you, you know? He's worried."

"I don't care. I'm done taking orders from him, of being this guy." He  had no intention of going to take Martha back, nor of getting his shit  together. Damian was going to wait for death because he was going to be  one last Denton that didn't poison women, that didn't lead them to their  grave.

****

Mia Banks stared at the monster who was her baby's father. She wanted to  hurt him, to make him pay for everything she had gone through, but she  would be dead if she even touched him.

"What do I owe the pleasure this time, Mia?" Ivan Smith asked.

She felt sick to her stomach. She stood in a strip bar, watching as  women walked around wearing nothing. She knew without a doubt that some  of those women were already fucking clients.

Ivan was a big man in these parts. A crime boss. She just saw him as the  asshole that had ruined her life. However, it wasn't that ruined. She  had Reese out of it.

"You've stopped everyone from hiring me. Why?"

"The mother of my child doesn't get to work. I've told you that."

She clenched her hands into fists wanting nothing more than to hurt him.  Ivan seemed to be under the illusion that she wanted him, that because  he was who he was, she would be so happy to have him want her. She  didn't. If she was honest with herself, she had hoped her weight would  completely put him off. Being a size twenty didn't exactly appeal to  most guys, right? With Ivan, it didn't seem to deter him.

From the moment they had met, she had been telling him no-even during  what happened, and she wouldn't think of it. She had screamed for him to  stop, that he was hurting her. There had been many nights she lain  awake remembering him on top of her, inside her, knowing that she  couldn't tell anyone. So instead, she made herself believe that  everything was fine.

Then of course it hadn't been. She'd had his kid, and she loved Reese more than anything else in the world.

"I can't afford to live on nothing, Ivan. I need you to back off so I can live my life."

"Leave us," Ivan said.

"Sir?"

"I said leave us."

His goons left the room, and it made her even more scared. Her heart was  racing, and she was staring at the man who featured in all of her  nightmares.

"You know, you're a really beautiful woman," Ivan said, stepping away  from his chair and moving around to stand in front of his desk.

She was frozen into place. With his men in the room she had been safe,  and now she wasn't. "I just want to earn a living. I wouldn't be here if  it wasn't important."

Ivan stared at her, and she felt his assessment as it sickened her.

"I have told you many times, Mia, you do not have to work."

"I can't live on noth-"

"Come here."

Her stomach turned. Do it for Reese. Do it for Reese. Do it for Reese.

Every step she took shattered her world.

"Please stop! You're hurting me. I don't want this. Please!"

In the back of her mind she remembered the shout, the pain, and yet she stepped a little closer to Ivan.

When she had stepped as close to him as she could without him just grabbing her, she stared and waited.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

This was what hurt so much. He didn't have a clue that what he'd done was wrong. All he saw was that she was being difficult.

Staring at the man who tormented her life, it was difficult not to  vomit, but she held it all in. She had to. Reese was over six months old  now, and she was struggling to make ends meet. The apartment she lived  in was past due on the rent. She needed diapers, and with the stress of  everything she hadn't been able to produce any milk so now she needed  formula. She was an epic failure, just like her mother promised she  would be, and it hurt, every single time. Every time Reese cried, she  had failed. There was nothing she could do that was right.                       
       
           



       

Ivan had power in the streets where she lived. He was in charge, in  control. No one helped her for fear of what Ivan would do. There were  times he would visit her, holding Reese, and she knew there was a threat  with the way he held him. At any time, he could take her son, and  leave. She would have nothing, and even though the actions that created  Reese were the most brutal a woman could ever go through, he was the  only thing that was good. She couldn't lose him.

"Look at you." Ivan stood, and then his arms were wrapped around her.  She closed her eyes, hating his touch, hating this man with all of her  being. He had terrorized the neighborhood, poisoned it with his drugs  and the women he made whore themselves out on the street. She should be  thankful that he didn't want to do the same to her, which was strange.  Most of the women he was with ended up on the streets earning their  keep.

She didn't know why he kept on insisting on this between them.

"All you have to is ask me, Mia, and everything will be yours."

"I just want to work. I want to work for myself and for Reese, please."

Ivan touched her cheek, and she tensed up, hating his touch, but knowing she had to do it.

"Damn, every time we're apart I forget just how beautiful you really  are." His fingers sank into her hair as his lips were close to hers. She  tensed up, not knowing what she should do. She didn't want this, but  what could she do? There was no way her son could starve or live this  life out of her own hatred.

The last thing she wanted was for Reese to grow up to hate her.

Just as Ivan's lips were about to brush hers, the door opened, and she immediately pulled away from him, bowing her head.

"Sir, we've got a problem."

"I'm not no one's problem. I wanted a fucking drink, so why didn't you  give me a fucking drink!" Someone yelled, and the next moment he  stumbled in. "Well, if it isn't old fuck-face, Ivan Smith. I thought you  were dead."

"And I never thought I'd see the day that a Denton came to my part of town."

The Denton man burst out laughing. "Decided I was in the mood to pick a  fucking fight, and guess what? You were the first one I thought of."

She watched as Ivan stood up, clicking his knuckles. "What did he do?"

"He's upset a few of our customers. Brandy is taking care of them, but  it's going to cost us a pretty penny to deal with that. He's smashed  Rick's face into the counter, and a couple of our boys are struggling."

"Why couldn't you pick another day? I was dealing with my lady," Ivan said, pointing to her.

Denton turned toward her, and his brown eyes cut her right to the bone.  She recognized the pain in his eyes, and then it was like something  changed in his gaze. He stared at her, and the pain seemed to lessen a  little. His brow creased as he looked at her, and she kept her hands  clenched at her sides, not wanting to talk to anyone associated with  Ivan.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Denton said. He got to his feet and stepped toward her.

Alarmed by his sudden change, she took a step back. The last person she  wanted to ask for help from was Ivan. The only person she could trust  was herself.

"Damian, she's mine," Ivan said. "Mia, go downstairs, and bring Reese back here at three o'clock. I'm done playing games."

Suddenly Damian gripped her arms, holding her in place, and stopping her  from moving. She tensed up as he kept on staring at her.

"This is beyond fucking funny."

"Let go of me. You're hurting me," she said.

He didn't release her, but he did ease up his hold so that he was no  longer hurting her. She didn't know where to look as he kept on holding  her.