Shadows In Durango

Chapter 60

HRHRRSOfig's POVHHIRK

| felt incredibly anxious after opening up to Vincent about my past but after everything he had toldprior, the

timing just felt right.

Despite my nerves, it also felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders as | shared my trauma with

someone who could somewhat understand and relate to what | 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 | held back the saliva from drooling out of my

mouth from the smell alone.

"Is there anything else that | 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 teachingone thing, it was that Vincent wasn't all bad, just misunderstood.

"Tuck in!" Vincent motions, as | 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, | 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 stime, 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, talkthrough what happened after you left home." Vincent asks me

casually, keeping my nerves at bay with his relaxed tone as | swallow the next piece of shrimp in my mouth.

"Yeah, well uh, | stole smoney from my father, which sure, | shouldn't have done, but it was necessary for

my own safety." | shrug, as his eyes burn intensely into my own, drinking in each and every detail from my past.

| just hope he doesn't judgefor any of it... sof the decisions I've made certainly weren't well thought out

or wholesome, but | reminded myself each and every day that my past does not define me. | knew my worth and

I knew that | 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 | cover my mouth and almost choke at his choice of words. At least he supported me

so far...

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

"I tried hopping a bus to the first city | could, putting sdistance between us. | even ditched my phone so

they wouldn't ever find me, or so | thought at the time. | was in the first place for half of a year before they

caught up toat my new school. They tried to dragout of there before steachers stepped in to

question their intentions and luckily, | made it out of a back fire exit door and escaped." | grow shaky at the

memory of the first tthey had almost caught and draggedback 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 tothe second they gothwas enough to keepup at night.

"Bastards... so what did you do next?" Vincent encouragesto continue with the rest of the story, as we

continued to eat, which thankfully provided scomfort to the situation.

"I hopped on another bus, with smoney left to start over somewhere else. | 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." | begin, explaining my journey leading towards how | found myself here in town.

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"Sthing again, | 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 toagain. Luckily this time, | spotted one of my brothers

waiting outside the school that morning, and | immediately turned on my heels to go the other way. | 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 | ended up here -

with little money left to start over this taround." | 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 onat any moment.

"| fear that they will findany day now, and that I'll have to leave again. | don't want to be running away my

whole life." I admit to him, feeling incredibly vulnerable under his stare.

"lI won't let them get you." His words cas a shock to me, as my lips part ever so slightly having not expected

such a bold statement from him.

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

"Shh, listen to me. Let them chere to find you, and all you have to do is say the word Sofia - and I'll have

them killed." | 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 smeasures in place to help

keep you safe. You are now living under my roof and you are my priority moving forward. | like you Sofia, despite

having a shit way of showing it sometimes, and | 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 | 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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free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you!

"Vincent, no please, you can't revolve your own life around me, I've not even been in town for long, you barely

knowand..." | babble, as he just shakes his head to disagree.

"I know everything | need to know about your unfair past and | also know how your presence in my life makes