Brand new story- Hope you give it a chance.
Daryl Dixon was sitting alone at the bar watching his brother make a fool of himself as usual. Merle never knew when to shut up, and the dumbass was telling a story loud enough for every person in a fifty-foot radius to hear him. He was telling a story of how he and "Darylina" were avoiding the cops when they were kids. They had been riding stolen motorbikes on an old farmer's property and Merle had convinced Daryl that it was OK to ride through the cornfields. They had damaged a good amount of the crop and the farmer had caught the brothers in the act. The final result was both brothers getting away when Merle crashed his bike through a fence allowing a herd of cows out of their confines and putting a barrier between the boys and the cop chasing after them. Merle thought it was hysterical, but Daryl on the other hand felt nothing but regret. That farmer had worked hard, and those crops might have meant the difference between the old man putting food on his table or starving. Stories like these were just a drop in the bucket of all the trouble that Merle had gotten himself into, usually taking Daryl along with him. Daryl was trying hard to get himself out of the misery he lived in with his convict brother, but no matter how hard he tried, Merle always seemed to pull him into something.
As Daryl nursed his beer he was interrupted by a female taking a seat beside him. He couldn't help but notice her ample cleavage and the vast amount of body glitter covering her chest. "Hey handsome, you looking for some company?" She asked.
Daryl just grunted a response. "I'm Kim, haven't I seen you before?" She asked in a voice that was way to sweet for his liking.
"Doubt it." He replied.
"No, I have. I work at the Kitty Cat club. You and your brother, Merle, I've seen you there. You're brother tried to buy you a lap dance, but you refused." She said, letting out a giggle.
Once again, Daryl gave a grunt in response. He was not happy that this chick was trying to make conversation with him and even more unhappy that she was bringing up the fact that he had refused the lap dance. It wasn't that Daryl didn't appreciate an attractive female, but he preferred women who didn't appear to have at least three STD's.
"What, you can't talk? I bet I could make you say a word or two." She purred. Kim placed her hand on Daryl's thigh and his body stiffened with the contact. This was not how he wanted to spend his Friday night. Daryl ignored the contact and lifted his beer to the sleazy bartender Tomas, giving the man a signal that he wanted another refill. The guy looked at the blonde sitting beside Daryl and asked "You taking care of her too?"
Daryl looked at her "If I buy you a drink will you leave me alone?"
It was then that Daryl caught the scent of something heavenly. It was unlike anything he had smelled before and he turned to his left and noticed an incredibly beautiful brunette taking the seat beside him. She had long chocolate brown hair, big brown eyes, and olive skin. She was wearing a red blouse that came up to her neck, but her shoulders were bare and perfect. She had silver earrings and a silver bracelet that glistened on her skin from the soft light of the bar. He also noticed her form fitting black jeans tucked into her knee high black boots and found himself looking away so he wouldn't get caught staring. Unfortunately, as he turned his head to avoid the beauty on his left, the bimbo on his right reached her arm up and placed it on Daryl's shoulder.
"Come on honey, let's blow this joint…and maybe that won't be the only thing getting blown tonight" She snarked.
The brunette sitting beside him heard what the slutty blonde said and turned to see what was going on beside her, and saw how much the handsome guy beside her tensed and grimaced when he was touched and propositioned by the little tramp. Without thinking she intervened "Damnit you son of a bitch…I get here just a little late and you are already flirting with another woman."
Daryl's eyes widened when he realized the brunette was talking to him…and he was speechless as to how to respond.
"What? Cat got your tongue? And who are you Blondie? Why do you have your hands all over my man?" She asked in a menacing voice, trying hard to hold back the laughter of seeing how scared the blonde suddenly looked.
"I…I…I didn't know he was here with someone. It's just a misunderstanding. I'll just get my drink and go." She said quickly vacating the barstool that she had been sitting in.
Daryl just sat there dumbfounded.
"You're welcome." The brunette said as she reached in her jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes making for the door so she could grab a smoke.
Tomas made his way over to Daryl and nodding towards the brunette "That is one fine piece of ass, I wouldn't mind giving it to her good."
"You wish man, she's way out of your league." Daryl told the greasy Latino.
"We'll see who she ends up with tonight." Tomas said, giving Daryl a toothy grin.
Daryl suddenly needed to get some air and he quickly headed out the door to grab a smoke. He caught the brunette digging around in her purse looking a bit frustrated. Daryl pulled out his own cigarette and lit it.
"Hey, could I bother you for a light?" The brunette asked. Daryl gave his usual grunt and handed her his lighter.
"Thanks, I needed this. It's been a rough damn day." She said letting out a sigh and handing back the lighter to Daryl.
Daryl just stood there quietly. He looked at the brunette and mumble "Thanks for what ya did earlier. I couldn't get the little whore to leave me alone."
"She an ex or something?" The girl asked.
"Nah, she's a stripper at the Kitty Cat club. She's more my brother's type than my own." Lord, Daryl couldn't believe he just volunteered that information.
"I'm Riki, glad I could be of assistance." She said in a teasing voice.
"Daryl. Ain't Riki a boy's name?" He responded.
She laughed, "I get that a lot, but do I look like a boy to you? Look, This is gonna sound cheesy, but do you come here often? I've never stopped in to this place before, but I kinda like it."
"I've been here enough. My brother seems to like it and I usually get stuck driving him around 'cause he is normally too fucked up at the end of the night to function." Daryl told her. Once again, why did he keep saying this kind of shit? This woman didn't need to know about his fucked up relationship with his brother.
"Yeah, my brother is a pain in the ass too. Are you the older or younger brother?" She asked.
"Younger by eight years. How bout you?" He asked her attempting to have a normal conversation.
"Older by eight years." She said.
"Ain't you a little out of place in a dive like this? There aren't many people that look like you that come into this bar." Daryl asked, trying to figure out how she ended up here.
"Well it beats the hell out of hanging in a fucking meat market martini bar. That's just not my scene. I like to hang out in places with real people, not a bunch of fucking snobs." She told him. He laughed at the fact that she swore like a man. She reeked of class, but her mouth (and those gloriously luscious lips) let him know that she definitely had a rebellious side to her.
"Well you definitely stand out in a place like this." Daryl told her.
"Are you judging me?" She asked almost sounding annoyed.
"Nah, ain't nothing like that, just stating the facts. What would ya do if you saw a guy like me in one of your 'Martini bars'?" He replied quickly. He was pretty sure that she had sized him up too.
"Introduce myself and not judge you. You would be a breath of fresh air in a place like that. So much nicer than the suits and stiff linen shirts I'm used to seeing." She told him without hesitation.
Daryl picked up that she was different than what he would have expected. He was pulling his final drag on his cigarette when she surprised him with a question.
"Do you wanna play pool with me? I totally suck at it, but I like to play." She told him honestly.
"Yeah, I ain't got nothing better to do." He told her, giving her a slight facial expression that could almost pass as a smile.
Daryl was nervous being around Riki. She wasn't like the usual girls he was subjected too. She would speak her mind, and she seemed to pick up on everything around her. The way those black jeans clung to those long legs turned Daryl into a shitty pool player as well. However, the view was worth the distraction.
As she struggled to make a single ball in one of the pockets on the table, Daryl took pity on her and went over to show her what she was doing wrong with her shot. He leaned in behind her and stood so his left leg was between her legs. "You gotta do it like this." He told her, catching that glorious scent of her perfume.
He continued to correct her posture, gently turning her hips with his hands and then placing her hands in the proper position on the pool cue. "When you want the ball go to the left, you aim for the right with the cue ball. If you want it to go to the right, then you aim for the left. The dots on the side of the table are places you aim for so that you can bank the ball and change the direction it rolls. Ain't no one ever showed you this before?" He said letting out something between a laugh and a fake huff.
"Nope, no one ever bothered to show me and I never bothered to ask." She said in a deadpan voice.
"Try it." He told her.
She did as Daryl showed her, and managed to actually make a ball into the pocket. Excitedly she jumped up and down drawing the attention of Merle and his buddies not that far away.
One of Merle's buddies made a comment to Merle "Looks like your brother has found some cooze for the night. Bout damn time the little faggot hooked up with something."
"He'll chicken out, he always does. It don't take much to figure out she's out of his league." Merle said curious as to how Daryl was spending time with the incredibly hot woman. One thing was for sure and that was Merle didn't like it. Anyone who distracted Daryl from his loyalty to Merle was a problem in Merle's eyes. Merle stared in disgust as his brother almost had a smile on his face.
"Darylina…Get over here I need to talk to ya." Merle bellowed across the bar. Daryl heard him and rolled his eyes in frustration.
"I take it that's your brother?" Riki asked him.
"Yeah, Let me go see what he wants. Why don't you go get us a couple of drinks." Daryl said handing her a twenty-dollar bill.
"Keep your money Daryl, I've got this." She said.
"Nah, just take my damn money and get what you want. We got one more game to go and you're getting pretty good at this. Maybe if I ply you with some booze you won't beat me in the next game." He said.
"I'm a long way from beating you, but I'll go get us some drinks." She said, giving him a pat on the shoulder, and feeling him tense up at her touch.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that." She told him as she walked over to the bar. Daryl swore to himself "Fucker, can't even handle the touch of a woman."
…
Merle took one half of a second to start ranting at Daryl "What the fuck you doing there boy? That bitch is way out of your pay grade."
"Damnit Merle, stay the fuck out of my business. Besides, we're just playing pool. She's the one who asked me." Daryl retorted.
"You listen to me boy, you go and have your fun, but all she is doing is looking at you as a boy toy. Don't go and get yourself fucking attached. I know you Darylina…you're sweet and she's gonna use you up like a sponge. When she finds out what you are, she will drop you like a bad habit." Merle chastised.
Daryl was trying hard to ignore what Merle was saying, and caught himself watching Riki at the bar. Movement had caught his attention as he saw her purse fall off the bar and she reached down to pick it up. That's when he saw something strange. It appeared that Tomas had slipped something into her drink and that caused Daryl to completely block out whatever it was Merle was saying.
"Boy, are you paying attention to what I'm saying? We need you tonight to drive for us…we got a job. If you are gonna have some fun, do it and get it over with." Merle warned.
Daryl picked up bits and pieces to what Merle was saying. "I ain't gonna do shit for you tonight. If you got a job, then you handle it, but leave me out."
Merle continued to bitch at him, but he was too occupied on what was happening to Riki. She stumbled a bit and Tomas made his way around the bar to help her right herself. She raised her hand to tell him she was fine, but she seemed to be having difficulty keeping her head up. Daryl attempted to make his way over to the bar to help the woman, but Merle grabbed him before he could leave.
"I'm warning ya boy, don't fuck with me tonight. I need ya to help out on this. It's gonna pay well and then you don't have to look for those shit jobs fixing peoples bikes. Got it?" Merle said.
Daryl grunted at his brother, not really processing what Merle was saying. Instead he was focused on Riki as Tomas was leading her away from the bar towards the back of the club. "I got something I gotta take care of." Daryl said.
Merle noticed Daryl making his way towards the back of the club where Tomas and Riki had just headed and he let out a menacing laugh. "Looks like your bitch found someone else to scratch her itch. Told ya boy, she's out of your league."
"It ain't like that…so shut the hell up." Daryl warned as he stormed off. He didn't trust Tomas as far as he could throw him and in the very short period of time that he had known Riki, she didn't seem the type that would head to the back room with the greasy bartender.
Daryl reached the back office just in time to find Tomas pushing Riki against the desk while he was telling her to "Just Relax, this is gonna feel so good to you baby." He was in the process of sliding off her jeans and pushing up her shirt when Daryl heard her let out an audible "No." But her body wouldn't respond.
Daryl rushed into the room and pulled Tomas off of her. He already had his pants down around his ankles and it made it easy for Daryl to throw him off balance. A confused and obviously drugged Riki mumbled out a "thank you" and Daryl rapidly pushed her shirt down and slid her jeans back up. He then roughly grabbed her and led her out of the office, the entire time Tomas was screaming profanities as he struggled to gather himself and go after Daryl.
Daryl made his way to the bar and grabbed Riki's purse and jacket and led her outside. Merle was calling out to him as he helped her walk out of the bar, making idle threats the entire time. Daryl was trying desperately to get Riki to talk to him "Hey Riki…you with me girl?" He asked.
She mumbled something unintelligible.
"Which car is yours? I'll take ya home." He said. He had taken his motorcycle to the bar tonight and Merle had the truck. With the snit Merle was in it was better that he didn't take the truck to take Riki home, and the bike wasn't an option. She wouldn't be able to hold on, so he surmised the best thing to do was to take her home in her vehicle, and then have Merle come pick him up.
Barely able to stand she was able to tell him that she had a Lincoln Navigator (of course she did…it was by far the nicest car in the parking lot). "I can't remember where I live." She said nearly in tears. Her head was fuzzy and nothing around her was making sense.
"Hey calm down, don't get yourself worked up Riki. I can get your address from your license." He told her, attempting to calm the very confused woman.
He awkwardly rummaged through her purse and found her wallet. It didn't go unnoticed that her purse and wallet matched and Daryl had recognized the brand as 'Chanel'. Merle had once stole a shipment of designer handbags and sold them on the street. Daryl remembered that 'Chanel' was one of the brands that women wanted the most. However, Riki definitely didn't strike him as the type that would buy her handbag on the street. She didn't volunteer a lot about herself, but it was obvious to Daryl that she came from money, and based on the look of things, a lot of it.
He checked the address and knew it as high rise condo complex on Peachtree Street. Yeah, she definitely had money. The Navigator was by far the nicest vehicle he had ever driven and he wondered what it would be like to have this type of car as your everyday transportation. He shook those thoughts quickly from his head and allowed himself to come back to reality. Daryl Dixon would never know what it was to live a life of luxury. He knew his status in life, and having money wasn't in the cards for him.
He drove her to the Northern Atlanta address and found her parking card. He pulled into the underground garage and then shook Riki (who was now asleep) awake.
"What floor are you on?" He asked.
"Thirty. You have to swipe the card." She managed to get out before drifting off again.
Daryl shook her again "Look, you need to wake up so I can take you up to your condo. It's gonna look bad if a guy like me is carrying you in a place like this."
Riki forced her eyes open and tried to open her door to get out of the car. She attempted one step and her legs gave out underneath her, but Daryl managed to catch her before she hit the ground. She forced herself to stand up and reached up to take a hold of Daryl's shoulder so she could stand upright.
"I got ya, just try to look semi-conscious. I don't need your neighbors calling the cops thinking I'm a rapist or something." He told her.
"OK" she managed. He walked her to the elevator and swiped the card allowing them access to the thirtieth floor. Shit, the building only had thirty floors meaning she was in the penthouse. Yeah, she was loaded and way out of Daryl's league.
When they got up to her condo he found her keys and opened the door. One foot inside and he was left breathless. Hardwood floors, marble counter tops, leather furniture, cherry wood dining table, and a marble fireplace were just a few of the items he noticed. Everything was immaculate and decorated in a modern style. Daryl had never crossed the threshold of anything so unbelievable in his life. My God, who was this woman and why the hell had she even allowed Daryl to grace her presence?
Riki seemed to be gaining a little bit more lucidity. Daryl helped her make it to her room where she promptly face planted into her bed. The bed was so big and fluffy it reminded Daryl of a cocoon. He looked at Riki and could tell she was fast asleep. Not wanting her to be cold, he pulled the sides of her comforter up around her, wrapping her up like a fajita. He pulled off her boots and then shut the light off in the room, entering the main area of the condo.
Daryl took a second to admire Riki's home. There were large windows all around that gave her a view of the Atlanta Skyline. The kitchen and dining area were streamlined and decorated in a modern style, as was everything else in the condo. Cream-colored leather furniture made up the living area, and one wall was adorned with a cream color marble fireplace. He noticed everything was decorated in cream, red, and black and nothing was out of place. Daryl spun around and noticed that there was a glass door that led to an outside balcony. He needed a smoke and this would afford him a perfect opportunity.
Daryl found a comfortable chair and ashtray out on the balcony and made himself comfortable. The breeze was picking up and the sky illuminated with a lightening flash. A storm was brewing and a loud clap of thunder confirmed it wouldn't take long for it to be upon him. Within a few moments the sky split open and it began to pour, but he was still dry as he sat covered by another floor above him on the balcony.
He had a dilemma. Originally he had planned on calling Merle to come and pick him up after he had made sure that Riki was home safely, but there was no way he would allow Merle to know where specifically in Atlanta he was. If Merle found out that Riki lived in the upscale part of town, then he would push Daryl into trying to get close to her. Merle was not above scamming and theft, and if he saw this place, then he would see an opportunity to make a quick buck. There wasn't any way Daryl would expose Riki to that.
As he was deep in thought, he noticed Riki's bedroom light had come on and he quickly stubbed out his cigarette and made his way back into the condo to make sure she was OK. The sound of retching let him know that she was not doing well. He entered her room and found her throwing up in a trashcan beside her bed.
"Hey, let me help you." He told her as he helped her up off the bed and led her into the bathroom. Growing up with Merle, you learned to get used to puking.
He assisted her to the bathroom and she dropped to her knees and continued to throw up into the toilet. She was sick and sweating profusely.
"I'm so fucking hot…I gotta get out of these clothes." She said as she began to rip them off her body. Daryl wasn't sure if she was completely lucid at the moment or not, but before he could respond she had stripped down to her white lace panties. Her breasts were fully exposed, but that wasn't what caught Daryl's attention. It was the beautiful tattoo that stretched from her upper left shoulder all the way down to her right hip. It was an intricate design that included a cherry blossom and words of encouragement. There were other details intertwined, but he couldn't make out the exact designs. He was certain of one thing though, and that was that her ink meant something specific too her. Maybe she had demons in her past as well. Daryl had his own ink, and he knew what his demons represented. He shook those thoughts from his mind and focused back on the sick woman in front of him.
"Whoa girl, you can't just get naked like that in front of me. It ain't proper." He said, not quite sure why he did. Daryl Dixon was far from a proper gentleman. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her and then wet a washcloth with cool water and began to run it over her neck and shoulders.
"Thank you." She said.
"Is it helping?" He asked. She simply nodded.
After he seemed to have her feeling somewhat better, he helped her back towards her bed. She stopped and asked him if he would grab her some shorts and T-shirt from her dresser drawer. She told him specifically which one, and he obliged her request. Even going so far as to help her slip into them. He pushed back the covers on the bed for her and helped her get settled again.
Once he was sure she was OK, he went to leave the room, debating on what he should do now.
"Daryl?" He heard her whisper.
"Hmmm?" He replied.
"Make yourself comfortable in one of the guest rooms, I'll take you back to your bike in the morning. Thanks for helping me." She told him.
"Ain't no problem." He told her. He shut off her light and partially closed her bedroom door, leaving it open just enough so he could hear her if she needed him. He took a look around the condo and spotted the two guestrooms. He made his way to the one closest to the master bedroom and turned on the light. There was a high four poster bed and at this point Daryl was so tired, he didn't care if it was a flat metal slab. He slipped off his vest and boots and pulled back the covers. The sheets were made of some billion thread count Egyptian cotton (something Daryl had NEVER experienced) and he let himself relish in the cool feeling of the fabric against his body. His last thoughts were of a naked Riki before he relaxed and let the sleep take him.
…
Riki woke with a pounding in her head and flipping in her stomach. To be quite honest she was unsure about all the events of the previous evening, but she was aware enough to know that she had invited Daryl to stay in the guestroom. He had been kind enough to get her home safely and he had also taken the time to take care of her when she was sick a few hours earlier. Then she remembered how stupid she had been when she felt the need to strip off all of her clothing in front of the man. What must he think of her doing something so blatant? One thing was for sure, he could have definitely taken advantage of her and he didn't…that spoke volumes in her opinion of him.
Convinced she was at least properly covered wearing a pair of gray athletic shorts and a pink v-neck T-shirt she got herself out of bed and stood to take on the day. It was only eight-thirty in the morning, so she at least hadn't slept the day away. She made her way into the main living area of the open floor plan and could hear Daryl lightly snoring in the guestroom. As late as he stayed up he must have been exhausted. She felt bad that he had kind of been stuck with her all night. He must not have been able to contact his brother to come pick him up. She made her way towards the second bedroom and pulled the door shut, careful to not wake him.
The balcony was still wet from the previous evening's thunderstorms, but the chairs were still dry. Riki had made a cup of coffee and was outside listening to some soft music and smoking a cigarette. This was her favorite part of the day, time she had to herself. She looked across the skyline and admired the beauty of downtown Atlanta. This far up you couldn't see or hear all the problems that plagued the city. Instead it was quiet and serene.
Riki's mind wandered to the man she hardly knew that was asleep in her guest bed. He was ruggedly handsome, yet quiet. She knew absolutely nothing about him other than the fact that he had a brother, was good at pool, and rode a motorcycle. That being said, he obviously had respect for others, or at least her. He had saved her from a heinous crime that could have occurred. She couldn't remember all the details of what had happened at the bar, but she remembered being in a situation with a man that she was not comfortable with. Daryl had intervened and made sure she was OK and as a result he was stuck here all night.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the sliding door opened and Daryl walked out bare foot with a cup of coffee in his hand as well. He must have discovered the coffeepot. His hair was disheveled and his eyes were puffy from a lack of sleep, but to Riki, he was still a very attractive man. His complete masculinity was rare these days when all she seemed to be exposed to were metrosexual men that seemed to take more time getting ready than she did, and she knew she was relatively high maintenance.
"Morning." He grumbled to her.
"Well good morning to you Daryl. Look, I'm so sorry for what happened last night. I hope you didn't feel obligated to do any of this for me. I really appreciate you getting me out of trouble with that sleazy guy though. I'm not sure what happened. I must not have eaten enough and drank more than I thought." She told him.
"Nah, he slipped something in your drink. When your handbag got knocked to the floor it was him that did it, and when you reached down to pick it up he took advantage. I tried to get to ya and tell ya not to drink it, but my asshole brother was too busy keeping me from ya. I'm sorry for that." Daryl said, looking down at his feet with guilt etched in his features.
Riki saw that guilt and she leaned over towards Daryl and placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt him instantly tense up, but after a second or two he relaxed. "Look, you don't have to apologize. It wasn't your fault and you were kind enough to look out after me and make sure I got home OK. Plus, you were there when I got sick last night and that's not for the faint of heart. If you hadn't reacted at the bar…I don't want to think what would have happened." She said, thinking how close she had been to being sexually assaulted by the greasy bartender.
"I reckon we see things differently, but whatever. So tell me something and don't bullshit me, how the fuck are you living like this? This is prime Atlanta Real estate, and I know for a fact how much these things go for." Daryl asked. He wanted to know who this woman was.
Riki let out a laugh. "You don't pull any punches do ya? Let's just say I've been smart with my money and made some good investments."
Daryl gave her a look that let her know he didn't completely believe her, but he didn't push. "What do ya do for a living?" He asked.
"I work at a community shelter for orphans, troubled teens, and abused women. It's sort of my passion. What about you? What do you do?" She asked.
Daryl bristled at the question, but since he had asked her first he felt obligated to answer. "I'm sort of between jobs right now. I've been picking up sporadic work fixing people's bikes. I've done a lot of things in the past like electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and HVAC type work. I like to work with my hands." He told her.
"Hmmm." She said out loud.
"What's 'hmmm'?" He asked.
"Look, I know I just met you, but we are desperately looking for a Maintenance Manager at the shelter. It doesn't pay a ton, but it pays eight hundred dollars a week for a salary and we provide full benefits. There is one direct report that we considered for the job, but we decided he does best working under someone. We also like to get some of the residence involved in helping out too. If you are interested I feel certain I could get you in." She said to him.
"You don't know me and you are offering me a job? Sounds a bit risky doesn't it?" He asked her in sincerity. No one had ever offered much confidence in Daryl's abilities before.
"So are you saying 'No'?" She asked him point blank.
"I didn't say that, just not used to people offering me a decent job. I gotta think about it." He replied in sincerity.
"Well I hope you take it. We've been looking for someone that would be a good fit, and I think that person is you." She said giving him a sweet smile.
Daryl let out a laugh "I ain't never been a good fit for anything."
"Don't sell yourself short Daryl. I'm usually a good judge of character and I see something in you." She told him not breaking eye contact.
Daryl looked down at his hands as the intensity of her gaze made him feel exposed. Not knowing how to react to her comment he reached out for his pack of cigarettes on the table and lit one up. Nothing made him more uncomfortable than compliments.
"Hey…Daryl, I'm not trying to make you feel weird or anything. I'm just being honest." Riki said, sensing he didn't know how to handle any type of praise.
"Honesty huh? Is that why you gave me a load of bullshit about 'investments' made you all this money? I know for a fact you have to have something to invest with to get yourself up in high cotton like this." Daryl responded in a terse voice.
Riki raised her hands in surrender. "Look, if I tell you the truth you're going to do one of two things, and I don't want it to go down like that."
"Try me…you just said you saw something in me." He told her, throwing her own words back at her.
"Fine. I go by Riki, but my real name is Erika Thornton. Why don't you process that for a moment." She said, waiting for the shoe to drop.
A light went off in Daryl's head when she told him her real name. Erika Thornton, socialite extra ordinaire. Daughter of Thomas Andrew Thornton, and Granddaughter of Burgess Thornton. They were one of the wealthiest families in the entire country. Burgess had made his fortune growing and selling tobacco in the early forties and fifties, and then he diversified into Oil and building refineries. He was a self made man, but it was his son Thomas who had taken the family fortune and expanded it into a vast wealth of billions of dollars.
Daryl just sat there speechless, because he had no idea how to respond to the woman that had just revealed her identity to him. "I'm ready for you to take me back to my bike." He said in a cold tone.
"Great, fuck you too." She said angrily getting up from the table and heading back towards the condo.
"Wait." Daryl said, not knowing what he was gonna say next.
She stopped and turned to look at him, and he saw sadness on her face. He had genuinely hurt her feelings. Normally he didn't care, but she had shown him nothing but kindness and he had just acted like a complete and total dick. "You said that you got two reactions from people, I suppose I just gave you one of them. What reactions do you normally get?" He said, now curious.
"People either go overboard to be nice to me so that they can benefit from my wealth or they run away thinking that I want to make them a charity case or something." She said, almost in a whisper.
Daryl looked at her "So you don't want to make me your charity case? Offering me a job without even knowing me, allowing me to stay in your house where I could hurt you and no one would ever know the difference?" He said, questioning her intentions.
"No, I don't want to make you my fucking charity case. I work in a shelter for God's sake and I see plenty of people that need my help, so why would I randomly pick up some guy to take care of? You aren't a puppy. I just liked your company and I absolutely had no intention of bringing you here on purpose last night. You did a noble thing in helping me get home, but we both know I couldn't have done it without you. You could have left and I wouldn't have thought any less of you." She told him.
"So being loaded ain't as great as everyone makes it out to be?" Daryl asked her, trying to lighten the conversation.
"I reckon it is if you want to play the game, but I can't stand the fakeness and hidden motives of most people that run around in my 'social circle' as they call it. I like real people, but they are afraid of me. I'm gonna be real honest with you Daryl…it's lonely…I'm lonely." She confessed to him.
Daryl nodded at her in affirmation. He was lonely too. He knew what it was like to hang around people you couldn't stand simply because your family put you in those situations. Merle did it to him all the time. He hated hanging around addicts and two-bit criminals, but it was all he knew. Daryl didn't want to live that life and it had been the reason he had at least tried to take legitimate jobs. But it always seemed that Merle would find a way to fuck up his employment. Daryl was surprised, but he figured out that he could actually relate to Riki's dilemma.
"I get what you're saying, and I'm sorry. You've been a nice lady to me and I apologize for hurting your feelings. I ain't exactly a people person." He told her, causing her to smile.
"I sort of figured that out. I don't normally pour out all my problems to a virtual stranger either. How about we grab some breakfast and I'll take you back. You probably want to get on with your Saturday." She told him.
"Probably would be best. Why don't you give me the address for the shelter and let me know what time to show up on Monday." He said, forcing her to smile again.
…
Riki was still not feeling the greatest. She had showered and threw her hair up into a clip, slipped on a blue v-neck T-shirt and a pair of boot cut jeans and then she and Daryl headed out to a diner for breakfast before she dropped him off. Since she was still under the weather, she opted to let Daryl drive, and he enthusiastically agreed.
When they got to the parking lot at the bar, Daryl looked around and noted that his bike was not there. "Shit, Merle must have taken it home in the back of the truck. Fucking Asshole." He mumbled.
"Well I will just bring you to your house then." She told him. Daryl didn't answer and began to chew on his thumb. The last thing he wanted Riki to see was the run down trailer he shared with Merle. Hell, if she came into the trailer park they lived in there was a good chance she could be car jacked. It was a rough area to say the least.
"It ain't exactly a house." Daryl rasped out.
"Whatever…I'll take you to the place that you reside then." She replied sarcastically.
"Ain't real sure it's safe, especially if you are rolling up in this vehicle." He replied with a tad of concern in his voice.
"Daryl, I work in one of the most dangerous areas of Atlanta and I have survived fine. You just can't show them fear or weakness. If you do, then they will take advantage of that. It's all they know to get ahead in life. The shelter has several youth that have grown up in that environment, and it's my job to show them they have better options. Trust me, I'm not afraid of your neighborhood." She said, giving Daryl a confident smile.
"Fine, but I'm driving." He said as he got into the Navigator and led them out of the parking lot of the bar and towards his run down home.
As they pulled into the entrance of the trailer park Riki could see some of Daryl's concern. There were a lot of rough looking characters hanging around outside. Many of them noticed the expensive vehicle passing down the street, but other than a few glances, no one gave it a second look. There were several small children running around unsupervised, but none of them seemed to notice how poor the conditions they lived in on a daily basis actually were. To her the children looked happy and free. That was something that Riki didn't get to experience as a child because her parents controlled each and every activity she participated.
They pulled up in front of Merle and Daryl's battered trailer and Riki heard Daryl let out a string of profanities.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"Merle's truck is here, but my bike ain't." He told her. It didn't take long for the front door of the trailer to swing open and Merle to stumble out. It wasn't even noon and he was obviously drunk or high, or possibly both.
Daryl jumped out of the vehicle to meet his brother while Riki stayed in the passenger seat. Something didn't feel right about this situation and she was preparing herself to intervene if necessary.
"Where the fuck is my bike?" Daryl shouted at his brother.
"Sold it you piece of shit. You chose not to help us out last night, and I needed cash. You snooze you lose you little ass." Merle taunted.
"You had no right, that was my bike. How the fuck am I supposed to get around…go to work?" He challenged.
"Ain't my problem. Maybe Miss High Class cooze can help you out." Merle sneered.
"Fuck you Merle." Daryl said taking a swing at his brother. Riki's feeling had been right and the situation was quickly growing out of control. Within seconds the men were rolling around on the ground taking and throwing punches.
"Stop it…both of you." Riki said.
Merle looked at her furiously. "You listen to me Missy…you had your fun with my brother, and it is time for me to teach him a lesson. You don't turn your back on family, and if you do…you pay the price. It just so happened his bike was enough to cover the amount he caused me to lose last night."
"Lose? What do you mean lose? Did you sell his bike to cover gambling debts or something?" She asked in a confused voice.
"Nah…he was supposed to help me with a job, but he was too busy sniffing up your skirt. You know what Darylina…You ain't welcomed here no more. You think you can avoid helping me out then you can have fun on your own." Merle told him in an angry but deadly serious voice. "Get the fuck out of here."
"You can't throw me out of here Merle. I've paid more than my share to keep this piece of shit roof over our heads. Why don't you get the fuck out you lazy asshole?" Daryl retorted to his brother, his face turning red with anger and his eyes narrowing at Merle.
There was a silence…then the simple sound of a click made Daryl and Riki freeze. Merle had pulled out a gun and had it cocked at Daryl's head. "GET….THE…FUCK…OUT…OF…HERE." Merle said in a deadly serious tone. Daryl could tell by the crazed look in Merle's eyes that he wasn't playing.
"Fine, let me get my shit." Daryl said as he marched inside.
Riki stood outside unmoving…then she looked at Merle. "I'm gonna help him and then we will be gone." She said bravely as she ran inside the ransacked trailer. The place was an utter and complete mess. Empty food containers and beer bottles were everywhere. The sink was over-loaded with dishes, and there were clothes strewn about the place. She heard Daryl moving about in the back of the trailer and she went towards what she assumed was his room.
In contrast to everything else in the place, Daryl's room was neat and organized. He had a couple of trash bags he was busy throwing his belongings and clothes in. From the looks of things, he didn't own much.
"Why are you still here?" He asked her in a low voice.
"I can't afford to lose my new Maintenance manager. You can stay with me until you come up with a solution. I have another vehicle you can use." She told him.
"I ain't no…" he said, but she cut him off.
"Charity case…I know. We already had that conversation Daryl. I'm just giving you a place to crash until you can work something out." She said in a kind tone. There wasn't anything condescending in her voice.
"I can't pay ya, not yet, but I'll make it good as soon as I can." He reminded her.
"Sound's fair. I've got some work around the place I want done anyhow, so maybe we can work something out. Will that work?" She asked him.
"Yeah." He said, chewing his thumb. "Can you carry this?" He said handing her something rather large in a camouflage case.
"Sure, but what the hell is it?" She asked picking it up. It was a bit heavy and awkward shaped.
"My crossbow. She goes with me everywhere." He told her.
"Well I'm honored you are letting me hold 'her' then." She joked. In a way it was kind of sad that all of Daryl's belongings fit into two trash bags, but that meant it didn't take long for him to pack up his stuff. Really it was just a few rag tag clothes, a pillow, and a couple of boxes of some momentos he seemed to want to hold onto.
"You ready?" She asked. He nodded and they made their way out the front door, where Merle was waiting, leaned up against the Navigator.
"You are one brave little girl." Merle threatened.
"Why is that?" Riki challenged.
"Taking in no good white trash…you have no idea what this boy has done in the past. Why don't you enlighten her Darylina." Merle said in a mocking voice.
"Shut up asshole." Daryl said to his brother.
Merle's face turned to stone at Daryl's reply and without notice he once again lit into Daryl, knocking his younger and slightly smaller brother to the ground. An uncontrollable rage had taken over Merle and he began to beat Daryl senseless. Riki tried to pull the older man off of Daryl, but when she grabbed Merle's shoulder he shoved her with such a force it knocked her to the ground, temporarily stunning her.
Daryl must of sensed that because all of a sudden he had a surge of adrenaline that allowed him to muster the strength to push Merle off of him and flip the older man on his back. Now Daryl was on top of Merle. But instead of beating his brother senseless, he grabbed Merles shirt and screamed in his face.
"We're done. Don't contact me and don't look for any money. When you get locked up…you figure it out on your own. I ain't got no God Damn brother anymore." Daryl said, disgusted. He got to his feet and helped Riki up off the ground.
"Told ya it was dangerous over here." He said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. His right eye was swollen, there was a gash above his eyebrow, and blood was trickling from his nose and mouth.
"Well, at least you don't have to deal with this anymore. Let's get you back so I can get you cleaned up. I'm sorry I got you into this mess." She told him.
"This mess has been here for a long time. Maybe you just actually got me out of it." He said, attempting to give her a smile. Right now it was all he could do and he hoped that Riki didn't think she was making a mistake by taking him in.
"Daryl you just might be the answer to more than one of my prayers." She said, not elaborating on what she meant by the statement.
Please please please review...If I get a positive response I will be sure to continue. I have plenty of twists and turns into this story...and I'm planning a biggie in the next chapter.
Thanks for giving this a try.
Hugs and Kisses-
Missy