Author Note: This story is something I have been toying with for a while. I may or may not continue it as it all depends on whether or not I come up with more ideas to continue their adventures. My last story ‘Antihero’ was written tongue in cheek and I know that the category it is in can be quite a contrast of opinions. Having said that, some people really aren’t very nice at all and should be ashamed of themselves. They need to remember, that these stories are free. I have someone ‘edit’ my work for fun and while it is not perfect, it doesn’t mean people can be so downright rude and disgusting. For those of you that got what I was trying to achieve with the story, thank you.
With that out of the way I hope you enjoy this little tale and as always thank you for taking the time to read my work. I really do appreciate it.
Prologue
The small town of Dennisen was nestled on a major river that snaked its way for hundreds of miles out to sea. It was situated nearly an hour from the next largest city, making it an ideal holiday destination for campers and outdoor enthusiasts. Plus, with a major highway going passed, there was a lot of tourists that would frequent the town all year round. The mountains were nearly two hours away in the opposite direction of the city, which meant that at certain times of year, Dennisen was the ideal tourist town for would-be travellers. Only ten thousand people called Dennisen home, but what they lacked in numbers they made up for in spirit.
The Forked Diner on Wilson Street was a favourite hangout of Damon Stanton. Since moving to the area over ten years ago, he had become friends with the owner Sally Myers and would often eat there during the week. It was right in the heart of town and had a good view of the main street. It was also a place of rest for him since his family had passed away. It was almost a home away from home for him and it didn’t hurt that usually the company it provided was good. People left him alone most of the time but they all knew each other given the size of the town. If you needed something towed or taken care of, Damon was your man.
Finishing his Caesar salad sub, Damon took a sip of his drink and stared out into the parking lot. It was a good way to think while he digested his food as the cars weren’t really a distraction to him. It was easy for him to zone out while sitting at the counter and relaxing. He was about to order another drink when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
Then she was there, the tough looking rebel. Wearing soldiers boots half done up, ripped jeans that show off hints of supple flesh, and a loose-fitting t-shirt that screamed rebellious, the woman was a curiosity. Like a bolt of lightning, seeing the stoic brunette cracked something inside of him. What was and had been for some time, a numbness to the world around him, Damon found himself enamoured with the woman outside while she was going from person to person. What was it about her that made him get a little unsettled? She was tough but feminine looking. Was it that or something else? Damon didn’t want to question himself and tried to look away but she got the better of him. He had to look at her for the moment and figure out what was going on.
From inside the diner, Damon watched the frustrated woman talking with a guy pointing in Damon’s direction, not that they could see inside. It was clear the woman was desperate given her body language.
“Who’s that?” Damon asked as Sally moved passed him. She looked outside and stopped near Damon. As well as being the owner of the diner, Sally was the town gossip. Expected really given her vocation, but she wasn’t nosey and knew everyone and everything around the town.
“Danica Torres… she’s new in town. Been here a little over a week and trying to start a new life. Been looking for work, go easy on her, okay love?” Sally replied with an understanding tone. “It looks like she’s had it rough recently and from what I know, doesn’t have any family.”
He let out a sigh and nodded while he finished his coffee.
“Roger that,” Damon said as the door to the diner flew open and the frustrated looking woman walked in. She carried herself with purpose and poise.
“Where do I find Damon Stanton?” Danica asked the couple in the first booth. They pointed to the counter where Damon was sitting.
Sidling up to Damon, Danica put her hand on his shoulder and watched as Sally almost froze, her eyes glued to Danica’s hand. All the locals knew not to touch Damon like that or he’d get a little upset. Ever since his wife died, he’d been that way. In that moment Danica felt something strange, as though a lightning bolt leapt through her body from Damon’s or from her to him. She wasn’t sure which direction it went but it caught her off guard for a moment. Suddenly her heart raced and when he turned to face her, her mind went blank momentarily as their eyes met.
“Can I help you?” Damon asked gruffly. That knocked Danica back into action.
“Yeah, I heard you can tow stuff. My car has shat itself Ankara escort and I need a tow,” Danica replied taking her hand away and waiting for a response.
“Hey honey, I can tow it if you want,” Chuck said with a laugh as he walked up to them. “I’ll make sure you never slip off…” Chuck Noble was known at the town larrikin, even if he was pushing fifty years old. He was a bit sleazy but also harmless, even though he had a knack for bad timing.
The glare from Danica was enough to burn down half the town, but Damon jumped in before she could start the fire. She hated being called ‘honey’ or any other pet name.
“Fuck off Chuck,” Damon said causing Chuck to laugh loudly and walk back to the booth where his mates were also laughing.
“Friend of yours?” Danica asked bluntly. The look of contempt on her face said it all.
“No.”
“Right, so you didn’t answer my question,” Danica said turning her attention back to Damon.
“You didn’t ask a question,” Damon said looking at her closely. She had pretty eyes behind that hard exterior and a few freckles across her nose.
With a huff and a shake of her head, Danica smiled.
“Can you tow my car to the mechanic? It needs urgent medical care,” Danica asked with a tongue firmly in her cheek.
“Sure, I can do that,” Damon said standing up. Danica watched him rise up, basically towering over her and she nodded, impressed with his stature. “Thanks Sally. I’ll see you later.”
He threw some money down on the counter and headed for the parking lot.
“Bye love. Be good,” Sally said with a smile as Danica looked at her and then back at Damon.
Sally was a good friend to Damon and he always had time for her. She was the kind one that gave him space and supported him after his family died. She also helped give him some stability by just being herself, not overbearing like others were in times of tragedy. What Damon didn’t know was that Sally was also kind and warm with Danica, spotting the same need in the young woman she saw in Damon. Hopefully it would all work out.
Chapter 1
In his usual haunt, Damon sat at the counter finishing his meal when he saw Danica pull up in her car. He could hear it coming before she arrived, the big burly V8 sucking up natural resources and giving back an underhand compliment. Still, it sounded sexy and the car well, it was a dream. The Camaro muscle car was gorgeous and somehow it seemed to fit Danica like a glove. It was her through and through. It was an older but well looked after midnight blue piece of sexiness. He could see some stuff piled in the back seat as she got out. Always looking like she was about to step into a job site, with her camo cargo pants, work boots and t-shirt. This time the shirt was black which gave her a somewhat edgy look. When he saw her almost stroke the roof of the car, he had to wonder if she loved it more than anything else she possessed. That or she was just trying to coax a few more miles out of the old girl.
“You did a good thing the other day,” Sally said before taking his plate away and putting another beer in front of him. It was after hours so she had no problem giving him another one.
“That’s what I’m here for,” Damon said before Sally came back.
“She’s a good egg, Damon. You’ll see,” Sally said kindly as the door to the diner swung open and Danica walked in. “Might be just what you need.”
Damon gave Sally a short glance and saw a look of something on her face before turning back to the door.
Danica immediately saw Damon and Sally at the counter and came up to them with a friendly smile.
“Hey Sal,” Danica said warmly. “Damon.”
“Your car all fixed?” Damon asked as Danica sat next to him.
“Yep, all working again, but that’s not why I’m here,” Danica replied looking at Sally momentarily as they shared a look and then turned her attention back to him.
“No? Sal here does a fine meal then,” Damon said which made her take a breath and then touch his arm again. Sally flinched again for a moment but calmed down when he looked at her. She didn’t even hesitate and continued on like it was a normal conversation.
“I was told that you needed help and well, I need a job, so…” Danica said firmly before taking her hand away. Damon looked at her and then shook his head.
“I don’t,” Damon said before Sally cut in.
“Damon, she’s needs a job, give the girl a chance,” Sally said politely. “And you need someone to help you out. You can’t do it all yourself. You know that.”
With a huff and a sigh, Damon looked Danica up and down. The athletic brunette looked like she had seen action, probably overseas in the Gulf like most. Her hair was short, just long enough for a ponytail and she was fit, with broad shoulders and strong arms, but also had some hips. She wasn’t butch by any measure and under other circumstances could have been considered attractive. Damon was sure she would have been teased by her squamates for her full lips and feminine physique, probably why she dressed Ankara escort bayan down so much so that people would judge her on her actions, not her looks. There was also something else about her he couldn’t quite place but given that he knew things had been hard for her for a while, let it slide, for now. Maybe she was just what he needed.
“Fine, you can start tomorrow,” Damon said bluntly before finishing his beer.
“Right, that’s it?” Danica asked which caused Sally to look at her with a frightened expression again.
“Yep. You want a job or not?” Damon replied looking directly at her. His presence didn’t intimidate her, instead it endeared her to him.
“Of course, but what do I get paid?” Danica asked sternly. She tried not to smile and Damon tried not to notice how her bottom lip was just that little bit fuller than her top lip.
“You want the hourly rate or yearly?” Damon replied not messing around. He knew she could give as good as she got.
“Hourly, then yearly,” Danica said without budging.
It was definitely getting on his nerves even if he tried not to show it. Sally could see it too but she kept quiet for the moment.
“Fuck me,” Damon said before Danica cut in.
“Nope. Not part of the deal.”
“Are you always this much of a pain in the ass?” Damon asked getting a little gritty with his tone. Sally cleared her throat and Damon got the message. “You’ll start at seventeen an hour. If it works out we’ll renegotiate. If you prove yourself worthwhile with the repossession shit, you’ll get a cut of the bounty. Understood?”
“Yes. Now, I don’t want anyone calling me honey, or babe, or sweetie or any of that shit, okay? Do that and we’ll get along just fine,” Danica said crossing her arms. He could tell she had probably scratched some eyes out in the past after being called those names. Still, it didn’t’ faze him.
Damon just looked at her and gave a nonplussed look.
“Okay, Kitten,” Damon said which caused Danica to roll her eyes and try not to smile. She wasn’t sure why but when he said that word, it went straight through her defences, but she couldn’t let him know that. “I get call outs all the time for breakdowns and accidents, so unless you want to sleep in the truck, I’d be thinking you want to sit those out. But the repo’s, well… we do those during the day time. That way you can get your beauty sleep.”
“Wait, why can’t I do the break downs and accidents?” Danica asked hoping this wasn’t some macho misogynistic bullshit she had always put up with.
Damon just looked at her and shook his head.
“Where are you staying? Are you far from Oak and Pennington streets? Because that’s where I live and keep the damned truck,” Damon asked which made her shift around slightly and look uncomfortable. “What?”
“I’m, ah… I’m close,” Danica replied firmly. But Damon could tell that wasn’t the truth.
“Bullshit.”
“I am,” Danica said uncrossing her arms as though she was going to plead her case. “I mean, I can be…”
“What the fuck does that mean? Can be? You’re not some sort of stalker, are you?” Damon asked seeing her shift again before she smiled.
“Asshole.”
“Now you’re getting it,” Damon said with a grin. “Now, which is it? Where are you staying… ah fuck.” He paused as it all started to make sense. “You sleep in your car, don’t you?”
Staring intently at her, Damon watched as she closed her eyes and let out a sigh before nodding.
“Yeah,” Danica replied softly. It was obvious she wasn’t proud of that fact.
“Well fuck me sideways…” Damon said rubbing his chin with his hand. He knew he shouldn’t but there was a part of him that couldn’t help it. It was as if someone had made up his mind for him. “Fuck it. You can stay at my place, for now. Then you can start looking for your own when you get back on your feet.”
“I don’t need no charity. I can take care of myself,” Danica said firmly her eyes like weapons ready to kill with just a glance.
“I have no doubt, but I want my workers rested and safe. So, don’t get all gung-ho shit on me. You’re staying at my place in the spare room and before you come up with some other dumb shit excuse, you can cook to pay the rent,” Damon said which shut her down. “You can cook, can’t you? Because I can make toast, open a tin of beans and make coffee… that’s about it.”
For some unknown reason, just like everything in her life at the moment, it sounded like a great deal and was just what she needed. Trying not to smile she nodded and kept her composure.
“Yeah, I can cook,” Danica said again with a nod.
“Good, now let’s get out of here. Who knows when we’ll get a call,” Damon said turning to leave.
“Damon?” Danica asked causing him to face her. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, Kitten,” Damon replied before turning and leaving.
Danica was right behind him and was excited to have a place to lay her head that wasn’t her car. She also couldn’t help but like the gruff guy a little bit. He was different to all Escort Ankara the other men out there that either wanted to get into her pants or kick her to the curb. He was endearing and she wasn’t sure why. Perhaps she’d never know.
“So, when do I meet the other workers?” Danica asked causing Damon to look at her and then shake his head. “Ah, I’m the only worker… right…”
“I can leave you here if you want,” Damon replied looking at her but she shook her head. “Just as I thought. See ya Sally.”
“Bye love, be good,” Sally said with a smile as they left the diner. Maybe things were finally starting to work out for Damon. Lord knows he could use the good fortune.
Chapter 2
The week and a half had been an eye opener for Danica. Here was this big, gruff guy that seemed so stand-offish but when you got to spend time with him, he was actually quite nice. She found herself wondering about Damon all the time. There was something there between them and while he hadn’t acknowledged it, she was certain he knew. Then there were the way people treated him around the town. It was as though he was something different than a regular person but up until this point, no one had filled her in on why. Danica resigned herself to never finding out since Damon wouldn’t talk about it.
Their daily routine took them to The Forked Diner for lunch and Danica was thankful for the respite given how comfortable it felt in there. She started to look forward to having lunch with him, which was a turn of events for her. It never really happened with guys before, not that she didn’t try. And even some of the women in her life didn’t rate at the same level as Damon, with only her old friend, Emily Stoker, being the one person, she used to look forward to seeing. But that was her old life, not the one she was living now. Her thoughts were interrupted.
“Hey Demon!” some of the guys said as Damon walked into the diner with Danica behind him. Those that knew of him used that nickname of ‘demon’. She watched as the guys happily spoke to him and treated him more like a sporting star than the normal person she knew him to be.
When she felt out of place, given Damon’s attention was still with the group of guys, she moved over to the counter and saw Sally standing there.
“Don’t worry about it Dani, he get’s it all the time,” Sally said handing her a bottle of soft drink.
Deep down, Danica knew Damon was special but wasn’t sure why.
“Why does everyone around town treat him like some revered football star or something? Some celebrity?” Danica asked politely.
Sally looked at her and then figured it was best to tell the young woman.
“Unofficially?”
“Ah, sure,” Danica replied eager to hear the story. With a pause and then a breath, Sally started to relay the story.
“There were some gangs around town and well, after his family were killed, he went after those responsible. It was just him against about thirty of them. Hunted them all down,” Sally replied sadly. “Cleaned this place up.”
“Seriously? Thirty? He had to have had some help?” Danica asked with disbelief.
“Nope. No one would help. The sheriff’s department’s hands were tied and they were scared, also because of the drug cartels that the gangs were involved with. Damon, well, what did he have to lose? They already took it from him,” Sally replied with a sigh. “Poor guy.”
“And officially?” Danica asked curious to see if her expectations met reality.
“Ah, well, officially. Damon was away that week. Out of town, so it couldn’t have been him,” Sally replied with a smile and a shrug. “Not sure how he pulled it off, but everyone knew it was him. He denied it of course.”
Danica couldn’t believe her ears, but each time she looked at Damon, she felt there was something about him. This only added to that feeling.
“Right… and he doesn’t have any other family?” Danica asked quietly before looking around to make sure no one was listening in.
“Nope. Just him,” Sally replied with a sad but stoic tone.
“Thanks Sal,” Danica said firmly. She walked over to the booth where Damon was sitting and sat down beside him shoving him over. “Move over.”
“There is the other side,” Damon said looking at her sideways. She just picked up the menu and ignored him.
“What are you having?” Danica asked without looking up.
“Probably just a sandwich. Rueben, you?” Damon replied motioning for the waitress to come and take their order. Sally came over instead and just smiled.
“What can I get you?” Sally asked as though there was a joke that she knew that Damon was part of. In reality it was just because Sally was happy that the two of them got along so well, almost like two peas in a pod. It was only Danica and Damon who couldn’t see it.
“Rueben and a coke, thanks Sal,” Damon replied sitting back.
“Yeah, make that two, I’ll give one a try,” Danica said putting the menu down and smiling at Sally.
“Coming right up,” Sally said happily before turning and heading back to the counter and into the kitchen.
“I’m not going to even ask,” Damon said looking out the window.
Danica ignored the question and kept it business as usual between them, even if she wanted to get to know him better. They seemed to have this mutual understanding that was near impossible to explain.