Blooming Passion Trilogy: Extras

Extra Chapter 9

"What One Owes" from Becoming Defiant

Vince's P.O.V. (from Ryan's)

Vince Wood genuinely couldn't understand why it was Ramona was so afraid of him. Why this man shielded her almost entirely from his view and hugged her so long, comforted her in the wake of his return. Wouldn't she be happy to see the family she never had?

Though the man who hugged her caught sight of his face. His eyes which were warm with his daughter turned into something fierce, something terribly angry.

"What?"

"Why is she---"

"Scared of you?!"

The other man let out a laugh. It was not a kind one by any means, and was, by chance, even mocking. Then his eyes gave an intense glare.

"You're really that fucking dense?"

Vince felt himself boil. His anger wasn't easily dulled.

"Hey, look, I tried to apologize---"

"And don't understand why the fuck she flinched the moment you stepped forward! You beat her, what more to it is there?!"

Vince clenched his jaw out of fury with the way this new man was speaking to him. Yet he knew of the words spoken, he knew every bit of it. The only difference was that part of him tried to suppress it. Not necessarily out of shame, but so that he'd look a little better in their eyes. In Ramona's. Though, truly, he wasn't entirely sure why he'd returned anyway. He thought he missed her, but he felt he also missed the control.

"Don't you dare try to come back after years and try to be her father again. You're nothing to her, and you don't deserve shit," her fiancé concluded. Vince shook his head.

"You and I both surely know she wants family."

"And she's got it. Right here, with me," the man made gestures at those Vince stood by. "With them. And more friends. No one needs or wants you here."

Vince was losing any credible argument, and fast.

"I'm her father."

"She owes you nothing."

"So maybe I owe her. That's why I'm here."

The lies didn't even taste bitter on his tongue. If it maybe got him closer to his daughter, even a little...

"Oh, you do owe her. But it's far too late to pay that debt."

Then he looked at the man next to Vince, the one who was clearly strong, a leader of sorts. A tall and muscular type, cold toward him, who Vince also thought was named Daryl. Though they all were. He wanted to change that.

"When are you gonna question him?"

Question me? For what?

Vince looked over at the man at his side, who didn't even glance his way. His gaze didn't even budge.

"Do you want to join?"

"Yes."

"Within the next hour."

Ramona's fiancé nodded before Daryl suddenly stepped forward to put a firm hand around Vince's left arm. He started to drag him inside, Cherry going on the other side of him. Vince's feet moved for him because he was too busy thinking of ways to get on their good side.

He had just the argument to do so.

~~~

On one side of a long, metal table he sat with his hands cuffed behind the chair. He stared down at his lap, or even the side of the table, and was thinking hard. Trying to come up with everything he'd say, especially to his daughter's fiancé.