9
I should have been drilling Simone about what she had done. She is screwing a guy from Kansas City. She could end up slipping information about what was discussed with her family about Otto and his condition or if they are going to sell their business over. But I knew I had no place to talk. After getting drilled by one of the enforcers myself, I had no right to give her shit. Even though I wasn't a key player in this fight, my family backs up the Gerhardts.
"So didn't know you were into white guys." Simone says as she drinks her beer and takes a drag on her cigarette. We had stopped at a bar and my face was in hands. I slowly glanced at her.
"I have come to realize, I just like men. The wrong men." I said and she gave a playful pout.
"Hey don't beat yourself up. You're allowed to fuck whoever you want. It's your body." she defended and I just nodded not really hearing her words. I was more concerned of what Dodd or the others would do if they found out. Simone leaned in. "Was he big?" I gave her a look.
"I am not discussing what happened." I said and she pouted once more.
"Aw come on… Mike's big. I felt deep in my guts." she said proudly and I just glanced at her and couldn't hold back my laugh. She joined in and I just looked away.
"We take this to our graves?" I asked and she nodded.
"To our graves." she agreed. I nodded and looked forward again. It wasn't a surprise Simone had gone to the other side. Maybe she was just doing this to get back at her father, but this is a big leap even for her. A dangerous game to sleep with the enemy. Hell even I could be killed for it. But something about Gale, his deep abyss like eyes that stared at me made me shiver. His calloused and rough hands that held me down and even threatened to break my wrist made me moan inside. He even smelled like a man. With Hanzee, it's just sex because he can't picture the thought of actually being with me, he can't accept a world where he could be happy or made happy by someone else. But I had to push my female emotional thoughts to the side and admit that I wasn't meant for the mob life and that I couldn't have what I wanted if I stayed. I may have been born into this life, but I did not wish to stay in this life. I'm twenty-five. It's time for me to be officially on my own… where enemies of my father couldn't find me and hurt me to get to him.
"I gotta pee." I said and got up and left to the bathroom. Once I had done my business I just sat there on the toilet and sighed. It was a known fact that me sleeping with Gale could be used as a tool to get my father on their side or even use me to get to the Gerhardts. Blackmail is like lifeblood to crime families. But I was not dumb. I would do what I had to in order to survive and get home. I left the bathroom and returned to see Simone at the bar and three men surrounded her. I blinked and slowly approached the group. They were white guys with big black coats. Truckers maybe. One of them ran their hands up Simone's arm and she jerked away.
"Don't touch me." She snaps and I move close to her.
"Hey you ready to go?" I asked. The three big bearded men looked me over.
"Ohh and she has a friend." Another one of them said. I didn't like his tone of voice. Simone rolled her eyes.
"Let's just go. I paid." she said and we began to move toward the doors but one of them blocked men blocked us. Simone glared.
"Do you know who we are. You don't want to fuck with us now move your big asses." she stated. The men now glared and the man before us took hold of her face violently causing her to yelp in surprise.
"You know you got a big mouth." he said moving into her. I now started pushing him without much thought.
"Leave her alone!" I snapped only to feel his hand slice through the air and strike me right in the mouth.
"You black bitch!" he called. I fall over the nearest table and knock everything over. It was a complete mess. Before I know I hear Simone yell and I look up to see she had jumped on the man's back and started pulling on his hair. Now there was mass chaos. The two other men started pulling at her and I found myself back on my knees. Adrenaline has rose inside me and I just held out my hands and screamed hard as I ran at the man who struck me and I jumped on top of him in the front and started scratching and hitting and pulling at his face. He lifts me up again and just tosses me across the room. I land with a thud. His arms are big with fat so that sneak attack he got on my earlier was the only damage. Before we knew it the bartender pulled out a shot gun and aimed it right at the two men.
"Let her go guys! You don't want to die tonight." he said. One of the men dropped Simone and she rushed over to me and helped me up.
"You pieces of shit!" she screamed before helping me out of the bar. "We're going to get them back Dawn. Just you wait." I was completely wobbly from being smacked and tossed to the ground. I felt good leaning into my seat and just relaxing. Is it even noon yet? Too much shit and so little time. Simone is ranting about getting them back. Finally we were passing the Gerhardt's gates and Simone sped up a bit and parked on the side of the house. She got out first.
"DAD! UNCLE BEAR!" she screamed and ran to my side. I managed to get out, but she wrapped an arm around me and now everyone was moving in around us. The front door opened quickly.
"What's all this yelling!" Dodd asked moving down the stairs with Bear and Floyd behind us.
"What happened?" Bear asked. Simone panted gently looking at her family.
"Some truckers attacked us." she said. Dodd's face tightened.
"What?" he asked. Floyd moved over to me and gently touched my face. Her thumb grazed my bottom lip and I hissed.
"Exactly what we said. Dawn and I were getting some drinks and they started saying things to us. One of them grabbed me and Dawn tried to stop them and they hit her!" she cried. Floyd looked me over and I just nodded with exhaustion, confirming Simone's words. Dodd placed his hands on his hips and looked at Bear who was just frowning hard. The older Gerhardt looked at his mom and Floyd looked at her sons and then the men around us. Dodd just nodded and looked at Simone.
"Show us." he said before looking at his Ollie and Virgil. "You two come with me." Now everyone started moving around. Simone followed her dad to his truck. Bear came over to me and gently touched my face.
"We'll make it right." he said and turned and moved off with the others getting in a car of his own. Floyd rubbed my shoulders.
"Come on. Let's get you inside." she said and I nodded and followed her inside. I just sat on the couch as she came in with two pills and a glass of water. "Take these, it'll help with any soreness." I nodded.
"I needed this. He hit me so hard I flew over a table." I said needing to hear it for myself. Floyd's eyes flexed.
"Well my boys will make things better. Never right for a man to put his hands on a woman. Otto never struck me no matter how much we fought." she said sitting beside me. I nodded.
"How is he?" I asked.
"He's asleep now." she said. I nodded.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want… will he get better?" I asked. She inhaled some and exhaled heavily looking down and resting her fingers on her knees.
"No. I am afraid he is down for the count. But he will be with us until he no longer can." she explained. I nodded slowly.
"So you'll run things then." I assumed. She nodded.
"Yes until this business with Kansas City is over. I will get us through this storm and then hand it all over to Dodd." she said and I nodded.
"Of course." I replied before gently taking her hands. "I just want to thank you and your family for taking me in. If having me here becomes any trouble, please let me know. My father can make arrangements." She shook her head.
"Your name may not be Gerhardt, but I have known you since you were a baby. I held you in my arms and cradled you when you cried, when your mom was too tired from dealing with your brothers and the family. I held you in my arms and saw you as the daughter I wish I had. So no matter what happens you will always be family." I smiled at her words and nodded. Inwardly I felt even worse for what I had done.
"Are there any houses for sale that you know of? I have been thinking if it's okay with the family of moving here, building a life of my own free from…" I trailed off and she nodded.
"Free from the crime." she said. I nodded. She smiled some.
"Talk with your father and see what he says." she replies and I nod in agreement. My father and I were close. He never had to hit me in order to put the fear of god in me. He knew that I wanted a family one day that wasn't coming from the mob world. He always wanted me to be happy. The phone rang and one of the men picked up the phone from the other room. He walked inside and looked at me.
"It's Mr. Everdale, wanting to speak with Ms. Everdale." he said. Floyd and I were stunned by the phone call for my dad had no need to call unless it was important. I got up quickly and left the room and followed the unknown enforcer down the hall and into a side room. I picked up the black phone and put it to my ear.
"Dad?" I asked.
"Hey little one. Are you alright?" he asked. I sighed with relief.
"Yes you, mom the boys? Everyone okay?" I asked.
"Of course. We are holding our own. I ordered a silent sweep." he said. A silent sweep is what my dad calls his killings with white mobsters or even enemies like the Klan or cops. If my family ever is put into a position to where they would have to rely on white allies for help, my father usually sends out white hitman to kill his enemies quietly. If no one knows they're dead, then the local white men won't assume any perpetrators were black and form a lynch mob in retaliation. A good way to get rid of Klan members and restore peace to Savannah
"A good idea." I said.
"How are the Gerhardt's treating you?" he asked. I looked around making sure I was completely alone.
"Good. They have been treating me well." I said.
"That's good. Then I know you'll have no problems explain to me why I had to find out through other members that Otto Gerhardt has had a stroke he can't come back from." he asked, firmness in his tone. I tensed at his tone.
"It was not my business to tell." I said.
"Dawn, I raised you better than that. In times like this, you ALWAYS keep me or your mother informed of what's going on! There's already talk that Kansas City is involved, is that true?" he asked. I inhaled some and nodded.
"Yes, sir." I said and he sighed with disappointment.
"Can the Gerhardt's handle this kind of situation?" he asked. I answered before truly thinking.
"Of course. They have handled this before." I said.
"Things are different now, Dawnella. You need to tell me if you feel safe. If not I will have Silas come and take you somewhere else." he said. I inhaled some.
"I will be fine." I stated.
"Fine. Then I will not annoy you on the subject." he said.
"Dad, before you go… I have been thinking a lot. You and Mom are soon going to want an empty house. I was thinking with the money you have given me, maybe I should start looking for a place of my own to live. Start working and taking care of myself." I said.
"What, like somewhere in Georgia?" he asked.
"Maybe. I just know as I get older, I can't keep relying on my parents. You'll want to do things without thinking about what kids you have to have responsibility for. I know Dante and Jerome and Melvin are out of the house, but they still work for you as lieutenants. What life can I have in this family as a woman?" I asked.
"Oh my darling daughter, I have always wanted you to want for nothing. But I understand you want to make a name for yourself and that you should not have to live in constant fear of something ever happening to you due to being tied to us. When you come back from Georgia we will discuss future plans." he said. I nodded feeling happy he was not objecting to this.
"Okay. Bye." I said and hung up the phone.
Author's Notes:
Hope everyone is enjoying the fic. Updates for other fics will come soon enough. I will not be going entirely through the plot of Fargo season 2 and I'll be adding my own stuff to it like usual. I may actually go further out after the initial drama of the season but sooner or later Dawn's relationship with Gale and Hanzee will change.
