A/N: This is written for my reader Jess. If there is interest shown on the story I will write a lot of it. If not, it will be only three or four chapters.


Chapter 1

You couldn't ever really escape your past or run from it. It would all catch up with you someway or somehow. But, you didn't have to remain in a place where you completely lost yourself and only was a shell of person you once were either.

Time wasn't your friend when you needed to get out of a bad situation. Split second decisions had to be made often. Neither was being found by the one who was supposed to love and treasure you. Because when they did find you, they would make you pay in some cruel ways for leaving without a trace.

It was where I was today. Heading down the road praying to land in a place where no one knew my name or cared what it was either. You never consider how big the world was until you had to choose where you wanted to go. Chose to be on the run for your life.

When I came to a crossroad of which way to go. I flipped a coin. "Looks like I am going to Banshee."

All you could see for the longest time was grass and crops. With the occasional horse drawn buggy you passed. Hell, I was already wondering if I went to the right town to start over fresh in or not. I started this journey on a huge leap of faith. I had to trust fate on this decision too.

When I finally found a hotel, it was the place I called home for the night. It was getting late and I hadn't eaten all day. I took a quick shower before I put on a tank top and pair of shorts. I only grabbed my room keycard, some cash and my smokes.

It was really warm outside. I decided to walk around and explore what the town had to offer. While I searched for a place to get something to eat. I enjoyed the certain quaint charm to the area.

I wouldn't call it country living in town but it was close to it. This was the kind of place where it was safe to leave your doors unlocked at night. Or so I thought at first.

It changed my mind quickly when I came up on two guys beating the hell out of another one. It was two on one and definitely wasn't a fair fight. Since I didn't bring my purse and had nothing to defend myself with to intervene. I was going to get the poor guy some help.

But that was brought to an abrupt halt because when I turned around to run for help. They had other friends too. "Look at what we have here."

"I don't want any trouble."

"Oh baby, I do. I love blondes with nice tits."

He might have thought with my small size I wouldn't fight back. But he was fucking wrong. Which, I did well until he got me up against the building and pulled out a gun. When he got close enough to me. I bit him on the arm and wouldn't let go until he dropped the gun from his hand. With the left fist I got from him, it made me let go fast.

Then I had all three of them and I didn't stand much of chance. I bit, screamed, scratched and kicked. When I saw the knife, I thought he was going to stab me. Instead he split my tank top all the way up and cut the straps at the top of my shoulders too.

"Let her go."

"Stay out of this. Doesn't got shit to do with you."

At least someone appeared in the nick of time. He fought two of the assholes extremely well on his own. One was already down on the ground and the other one was getting his ass kicked. The way he moved, this wasn't anything new to him either.

But the one holding me by the throat made the mistake of letting go and not paying any attention to me. An empty beer bottle was all I could find. It got broken over the back of his head. Then he got a kick in the ribs from me too. "Asshole."

"Are you alright?"

Just as I went to answer him. I saw his tattoos as he pulled off his shirt. He was one of them too. "Oh shit." I scrambled around looking for where the gun was dropped when we scuffled earlier. Then I pointed it at him. "Back off."

"I'm not going to hurt you. I am a Banshee Deputy Sheriff."

"Bullshit. I see your ink."

He laid his shirt on the ground and took a few steps back from me. "This is so you can cover up with it. You really need to get out of here before they come to."

It wasn't until he said it. I realized I was in nothing but my bra and shorts. Those assholes cut my tank top off me. I wasn't sure why he stopped them being in the same brotherhood but I was grateful he did. I feared him just as much as I was grateful though. I grabbed the shirt and took off. I threw their gun in a dumpster as I ran back to my hotel room.

When I felt in the back pocket of my jean shorts, the room keycard was still there. I was glad I hadn't dropped it or they found it to know where I was at. I went to the ice machine and put a few scoops in the bucket.

"This is my first day here." I looked in the bathroom mirror to see a red welt forming on my face where the asshole hit me.

What I needed was an ice pack and a goodnight sleep. I laid down with a washcloth full of ice on my face. I threw it in the sink before I finally could manage to go out for the night.

The sleep I got must have been sound because I didn't wake up until eleven. I took a quick shower and got dressed. My stomach was growling because I never did get to eat anything last night.

There was a diner down the street. I almost started to walk there but thought better of it. I drove just in case something else would happen if I did.

It wasn't full inside yet but the lunch crowd had started to filter in. I found a booth and the waitress didn't take long to come over. "I haven't seen you around here before."

"I just got here yesterday."

"Welcome to Banshee. My name is Carrie. What can I get for you?"

"A cheeseburger and fries. Thanks."

She seriously had a lot of tables to wait on but kept up with them all. I even got a refill that I didn't have to ask for when she came back with my food. "What's your name?"

"Lacy."

"If you need anything, Lacy. Just let me know."

It was necessary to take a second look when two officers walked in the diner. They took a booth together and I couldn't believe it. He had on a pressed uniform which covered up most of his tattoos. But the ones that reached and were etched on his heart and soul. You couldn't ever cover those up. They told your story without you saying a word. It was always your telltale sign and dead giveaway of who you really were.

"Well, I'll be damned. He really is a cop." It almost made me laugh at the irony of it all.

Only he wasn't embraced from the people in this town it seemed. Those around me all had something to say about him and none of it was good. Most were gossiping about his past. While others were discussing how he didn't belong here. No acceptance or tolerance for his kind. If they only knew the truth about me. They would've had worse things than that to say.

Since my tank top showed off some of my tattoos. I decided it best to cover them up before anyone really noticed. I rummaged through my bag until I found a zip up sweatshirt and put it on. There was no point to bring unwanted attention to myself.

"Did you want anything else sweetie?"

"Just the bill, thanks."

When I paid my bill, I gave the waitress extra money. "I want to buy the officers their lunch too. I included extra in your tip for doing it for me."

"Thanks. I'll see you around, Lacy." She was very nice to me. Almost welcoming with open arms. You didn't find that much anymore in this world. The best part was, she didn't pass judgement on me in anyway.

Then I came to realization of what I had done to him. Passed judgement without knowing the facts. I needed to right that wrong. Start over and let what I had been taught in the past go. It took me a while to get the courage up but it had to be done. I stopped by their booth. They were in a conversation and I didn't want to interrupt them. When they finished I would say what I needed to then move on.

"I wanted to say thank you for what you did last night. I'm sorry I didn't believe you. Thank you, officer."

"I was just doing my job Ma'am." His whole demeanor had changed from the angry, mean and tough guy. To gentler and a polite person.

"Deputy Brock Lotus and you are?"

"Lacy."

"Well, gentlemen this is your lucky day. This young lady bought your lunch." Carrie's timing was off. She was supposed to have waited until I was gone or it was what I hoped would happen.

"It's not necessary Ma'am. But thank you." I only smiled back at his comment. I didn't want to get too friendly with the local cops. So, I made my way out the door without any farther exchange with them.

"Oh shit. What is up with the goddamn Nazis in this town?" There were three Aryan Nations waiting outside the diner. I took in a deep breath because I had to walk past them to get to my car.

It made me immediately think of the one I left behind. They would have been targeted simple by the ink they wore. He wouldn't fear them at all. If they crossed him, there was a price to be paid. Enemies by circumstances and he would have delivered outlaw justice on their asses quickly too.

But this was a new place and I had to change my way of thinking about things. Or I would be stuck in my past forever and never allowed to advance forward in life. Always living in his shadow of fear and evil.

So, I sucked it up and went walking directly to my car. If I let them bully me with intimidation. In reality, I was still letting him as well. Admitting he was still calling the shots in my life and he wasn't even around anymore.

However, it wasn't me they were here for and it wasn't about last night. It was the cop they wanted and they weren't shy about calling him out either.

"So, are you gonna stand there all day like a pussy? Or are you gonna come over here and play?"

Before it became a major problem, Deputy Brock tried to defuse the situation. "Clear out now. Let's go."

When the guy shoved officer tattoo, it was not going to end well. "We'll be seeing you punk."

Hell, I was right and could see his body shaking badly. The switch got flipped and he became the man I witnessed kick their asses in the alleyway once again. He slammed the guy's body on the hood of a car. "You'll be seeing me. Because I'll be coming for you. We all know you're nothing but a pussy without your backup."

Deputy Brock had to break it up again. It didn't take me long to get in my car and get gone from here. Before I ended up in the middle of something else I didn't want too.

BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE~~BANSHEE

Carrie was kind of enough to get me a job at the diner. I'd gotten used to going in daily and talking to her. I even found a small house to rent too. The hotel was crappy and expensive. But it worked for the first week I was here.

The only belongings I had were packed in the car. I went to a couple of places around town to find at least the bare necessities for the house. While I was shopping I ran into the other person I seen almost daily as well.

It was to the point I wasn't sure if he was stalking me or not. He always appeared out of nowhere and vanished just as quickly. Never saying a word to me. Not even as much as a friendly wave. There could be the possibility with a small town it was all a coincidence. Hell, I blew it off and went back to shopping.

The first thing I wanted to do was paint the kitchen and living room. The landlord gave me their approval. They hadn't had a chance to after the old tenants moved out. I didn't mind because they would take the cost of the paint off the next month's rent.

It would give me something productive to do. There were many reasons actually. I hadn't been somewhere permanent in over six months. I'd stayed on the move. But mostly, I wanted this to be my home and feel like I was living a real life again. A part of something.

Then I went on to buy a couch, coffee table with matching end tables, bed and television. Those were the major purchases of the day. The rest of the things were all trivial. I was thankful the house came with a stove and a frig so I didn't have to worry about that.

After I paid for the items. I had them scheduled for delivery later on in the week. It would give me time to clean the house and do the painting.

My shift started in a couple of hours and it brought my shopping spree to an end. I went back to the hotel and took a shower. I did a quick blow dry on my hair and moussed it for the scrunched look. Carrie left her long hair down while she worked and so did I. When I finished putting on my makeup. I grabbed a clip for my hair just in case I needed it.

She said to wear something for walking around in. So, I chose my white leather Nikes along with jeans and a red short sleeved blouse. I took a long hard look in the mirror and most of my tattoos were covered. The one at the top of my breast would show unless I wore something up to my neck.

Thinking about it took me back to a better time in my life. It was simpler then. We were just two people who loved each other. No outside influences weighing in on it. I got mine on my breast the same time he got my name tattooed on his chest. I'd given anything to go back to when he loved me that way.

"Don't you, breakdown. You made your choices." It was terrible when you had to reprimand yourself on a regular basis. But, I didn't have time for this today either. I had to get to the diner.

"Thank you, Carrie for getting me this job."

"Don't thank me just yet. It's shitty pay and your feet will hurt like hell by the end of the day."

The truth was shitty pay was better than no pay at all. I had been on the move for so long. What money I had was almost gone. If I didn't start earning some soon. I would be completely broke.

But Carrie was right though. By the time my shift ended I was tired as hell. I earned enough in tips to fill up my gas tank, buy a couple packs of smoke and had some left over. As tired as I was I still wanted to work on the house tonight. At least get a start on it.

Cleaning the kitchen cabinets, counter tops, stove and frig took me most of the night. Once I felt it was suffice I carried in some of the items I bought today from the car. Then headed back to the hotel to get some sleep.

It was pretty much the same routine for the next couple of days; work, clean or paint and sleep. Except today I should have chosen not to go to work.

When I saw them come in and set in my area, I cursed under my breath. "What can I get for you?" I still did my job with a smile on my face.

"I'll have you to go."

"I meant from the menu." When he grabbed my shirt, then lifted it up to show the tattoo on the small of my back as I went to walk away. I slapped his hand and I was pissed. "Don't touch me again."

Only he didn't listen and reached for my tit. The more he got away with, the braver he seemed to get. The only thing I could reach was a fork. I stabbed it in his arm as hard as I could. "The next time you touch me. It won't be a fork in your arm. It will be a knife in your dick."

His friend setting with him wanted to get in the action as well. I threw the cup of hot coffee in his face and turned to run. Just to bump into the officer who witnessed what I did.

Needless to say, I got fired from the diner for my actions. It was the same assholes from the other day. But the boss didn't care. They had a business to run.

Sheriff Hood wanted me to come to the police station to give a statement. He kept insisting I needed to press charges. Only that shit would not happen. "I don't want to press charges against them."

"You need to realize. What you did was only enough to piss them off. They won't stop with just that now and will keep retaliating against you. It's not the first time they've been a problem."

"I appreciate your concern Sheriff. Have a nice day."

Maybe, I picked the wrong place to land at. For it being two weeks, it had already been very eventful. The only sane person I had met so far was Carrie. She even took me to meet a friend of hers who owned a bar. The hope was I would find a job with him.

"I might be looking for some part time help. Do you got any identification on you?" I did as he asked and handed it over. I had used it a few times and no one seemed to notice the difference. "Lacy Jones." Once Sugar passed it to the strange bald guy sitting at the bar I started to get nervous. As I casually put my hand on hip. I was ready for whatever came next.

"This is some good work. Their shit is not as good as mine. But still a quality fake identification. Someone is a naughty girl, Lacy. If that's really your name."

From the back of my jeans I pulled my gun on them. "Did he send you to come get me? I'm not going back. You'll have to kill me first."

Carrie got up from the barstool. I thought she was too damn nice. I let her sweet side surprise me as she led me straight into the loins den. "Relax. No one sent us. Who are you running from sweetie? What did he do to you?" She got nothing but silence from me on all of her questions. "I understand more than you think. I watched you with those guys the other day in the diner. You can defend yourself."

"It's survival." It only came out of me at above a whisper. There was a battle coming for me and I could only hope to be left alive after the fight he would put up.

"Those are the best skills to have. Do you know who I really am?"

"No."

"Carrie Hopewell. Really Anastasia my father is Mr. Rabbit, mob boss. It's all over the news and not a big secret in this town. I hid out for fifteen years away the truth. I like you were ready on the draw. You watched to see who was behind you the whole time. The stance you take. It all sums up to experience. So, why don't you put down the gun and if you're tough enough to fight with me. You can walk out of here and no more questioned will be asked. I will never bring it up again."

"If I'm not?"

"Then we sit down and have a talk."

This bitch was one badass. I could fight but nothing like her. Or keep up with how fast she was either. She had me on the pool table chocking the shit out of me. My fingers kept stretching out to reach for a cue ball. Once I had it in my grip. A hand caught my arm. "That's enough." It was the very strange bald guy.

When Carrie let go I wasn't sure where in the fuck this would go too next. She extended a hand to help me up. Even though I took it, I still proceeded with caution. "You did great. Want a drink?" This chick had some serious issues. She went right back to the sweet lady I met when I first arrived in town.

"You're safe here Lacy. I will help you as much as I can." Carries seemed truly sincere with her words. But it still scared the hell out of me to trust someone.

"Why would you help me?"

"Because you remind me of myself." Carrie went on to explain what she wanted me to do. It wasn't anything illegal, okay it was if you got caught at it. Nor was it something she couldn't obviously do herself. Although, the cash she was willing to pay for it, sounded great.

"That's all you want me to do?"

"Yes. Some cash up front and the rest when you're done. You're new here. No one will associate you with it."

"I'll think about it. Aren't you afraid I might nark you out?"

"Who are you going to tell, Lacy? You're on the lam and don't want any attention drawn to yourself. I've been there and done that shit." Carrie played this out very well. It was about the same kinda thing I would have said.

"So, is this why the cop has been following me around town?"

"What cop?"

"Big and tattooed all over."

"That's Bunker. But I didn't know he was following you around."

Carrie's answer left me even more puzzled now. What I had I walked into the other night? Was it Bunker's war or theirs that had been ignited? Who were truly the good guys and who were the bad ones? There was so much going on behind the scenes in this little town you couldn't keep up with it all.

"This is really a fucked up town."

"Yeah, it is. Let me show you around." Carrie, Anna or whatever her real name was. Took me for a tour of it.


I hope you enjoyed reading me!