Vic Vaughn is Vicious by J.A. Huss

CHAPTER EIGHT - DAISY

I pace the length of the small substation office impatiently. The sheriff and the deputy in charge of this place are behind the post office counter just shootin’ the shit like this is no big deal.

“How much longer?” I blurt this out and everyone stops what they’re doing to stare at me. “I mean, shouldn’t you be out there picking him up?” This seems like common sense to me. But when Vic Vaughn’s lawyer called a little while ago, he said Vic was turning himself in. “Since when does the criminal get to pick how he gets arrested?”

“Miss Lundin,” the sheriff begins. He’s annoyed with me, I can tell. He’s very sure that Vic is Vivi’s father and this is just a huge inconvenience as far as he’s concerned. “His lawyer says he’s on his way. Which means we can’t do anything until the lawyer gets here. I’m sure your ex is under a strict no-talking rule.”

“My ex?” I look over at Carla. She gives me a very small shake of her head. I’m not sure if that means I’m pushing my luck with this lie or this is not a battle worth fighting. Doesn’t matter. Either way, she wants me to shut up.

And I don’t like that Vic’s already called a lawyer. I know this is probably just precautionary for the upcoming kidnapping charges, but what if… what if he wants custody?

Lights flash through the front window. “There,” the sheriff says. “That’s your man right now. Looks like he brought a partner with him.”

I turn and look at the giant red truck, trying to figure out what this term ‘partner’ might mean. Did he bring his girlfriend? I let out a huff of disgust.

But then I realize—no. He brought his brother-in-law, Spencer Shrike. And there’s Vivi! I almost run out there, but Carla grabs my hand real quick. “Just wait here, sweetie. She’ll be right in.”

I force myself to listen to this advice. I do not want to be alone with Vic. Like at all. And Carla is right. He needs to come in here and return my daughter.

Who is… smiling? And laughing? And holding this jerk’s hand like he’s her… “Oh, my God,” I whisper. “Do you think he told her, Carla?”

“No way. No fucking way,” she whispers back. “He has no right to do that. There hasn’t even been a DNA test.”

“But look at her.” Oh, this is not good. She’s looking up at Vicious Vaughn like he is her hero.

They push their way through the first door, then Vic holds the second door for Vivi and Spencer to enter ahead of him. His eyes find mine through the glass wall and we lock.

Does he remember me?

He’s squinting, like he’s confused, so… obviously not.

“Hey, Sheriff!” Spencer Shrike enters the post office-slash-outlaw substation like this is just any old trip to turn one’s self in. I suddenly wonder if this is a thing for them. They’re like… professional perps, or something. They know all the ins and outs of how to work the system. And then that word ‘lawyer’ pops back into my head.

This is not going to end well.

I should not make a big deal. I should listen to the story he tells, nod my head, thank him for returning my daughter, and get the hell out of here.

“Spencer,” the sheriff says, “I wish I could say it’s a pleasure to see you, but I would be lying.”

“Come on, Scott.” Spencer grabs the sheriff’s hand and forces a handshake. “All that is water under the bridge, friend. It was, what, almost twenty years ago now? Get over it.”

“Um,” I begin. “I don’t know what’s going on with you two, but I’m here to collect my daughter. Vivi!” I smile brightly at her even though I want to scream, What the hell did you do? “I’m sure you’re tired, sweetie. How about we go home?”

I do not look at Vicious Vaughn. At all.

“Hold on there, Daisy,” the sheriff says. “We gotta write a report, which means we gotta get a statement from everyone involved. And that means we gotta wait for the lawyer.” He looks over at Vic. “Unless you’d like to make this easy on everyone and just admit you took the girl?”

Vic says nothing. But he shakes his head no as he looks straight at me. And is he… angry? Like, who the fuck does he think he is? He has no right to be angry with me. In case he didn’t notice, he’s the one who kidnapped my daughter today!

“I didn’t think so.” The sheriff sighs. “OK. Everyone take a seat. CPS is on their way—”

“What?” I blink. “Why?”

The sheriff looks me dead in the eyes. “Miss Lundin, your child went missing for an entire morning before you even noticed that she was gone.”

“I was working. She was in the break room.”

“Was she now?” The sheriff raises one eyebrow at me. “Then how did she get across the street and inside Sick Boyz Inc Tattoos?”

“I went to get her breakfast. That’s all.”

“And when you came back with her breakfast, was she there?”

I open my mouth to answer, but I can’t even manage a lie. I didn’t notice for seven hours.

I glance over at Vic. And I hate this man in this moment. He did this.

“I didn’t do this… Daisy.”

“Oh,” the sheriff says. “He talks. Look at that!”

“Vic.” Spencer nudges his brother-in-law. “Don’t say anything else.”

“Look,” Vic says, ignoring Spencer, “I’m not trying to cause problems. Vivi came across the street, there was a flurry of weird circumstances, and I thought I was babysitting my niece.”

“OK,” Spencer says. “We’re gonna wait outside and practice shutting the fuck up now. Let’s go, Vic.”

But Vic shrugs him off. “No. I’m serious. It was a mistake, Daisy.”

“How do you mistakenly kidnap a child, Vicious?”

“Mooom,” Vivi whines. “Don’t be mad. I went across the street and then we got donuts. And coffee. And went an art show. Ohh! And the tattoo reunion with the donkeys and the jackalope hotdogs! And then I played with Gramps all afternoon until we went to the swap meet in the dragon bike.” She smiles up at me like this was the best day of her stinking life.

I am livid. “So you really did take her to an AA meeting?”

Vic sighs, throws up his hands. “We just wanted the donuts.”

Another set of headlights pulls into the parking lot and we all turn to look at the window.

“That’s the social worker,” the sheriff says. “Now we can get this show on the road.” He gets a clipboard, clicks his pen, and then looks at me with a smile. And that smile says… You had your chance to tell me the truth, young lady. Now it’s gonna get messy.

I meet the sheriff’s gaze. “I am a good mother.”

“I have no doubt, Miss Lundin. On most days, you are probably an excellent mother. But today, your judgment slipped in a very big way.”

Another car pulls into the parking lot. “Is that a limo?” the deputy asks.

“Oop!” Spencer says. “Our lawyer is here.” He claps Vic on the back.

We all watch as the lawyer and the social worker meet up in the parking lot and appear to have some kind of preliminary conversation.

“What are they talking about?” I ask.

“I’m not sure,” the sheriff says. “But I’ll be right back.”

He leaves and the deputy goes with him, so then it’s just me, Carla, Vivi, Vic, and Spencer.

Vic puts up his hands, like he’s surrendering. “I’m not trying to make trouble for you, but this was an honest mistake. If you would like a full explanation, I will fill you in at a later date. And when I do that, you can explain to me why you kept my daughter a secret from me for six years.”

I gasp. “You did not just say that out loud.”

“Oh, I did. I remember you now.” He squints his eyes at me again. “Peep.”

“I was a freaking milkmaid! How many times did I have to tell you that? You have some nerve, buddy!”

“Me?” He scoffs. Spencer looks uncomfortable. Carla says nothing. Vivi is still looking at Vic like he’s her hero. He shakes his head.

Suddenly, the people in the parking lot are arguing. Actually, it’s the sheriff who is arguing. With the social worker. Who is getting back in her car.

“What the hell is happening?” Carla asks.

“My lawyer is happening,” Vic says. “And trust me when I tell you this, you do not want to cross this man. He takes his job of protecting my rights very seriously.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Daisy,” Spencer says.

“What?” I snap back.

“Don’t say anything else. We don’t know what just happened, but we’re all gonna go home tonight and sleep in our own beds. And there will be no CPS report. Do you understand me?”

“What are you people? Mob or something?” Carla asks. “I know the Ameci men—”

“Trust me,” Spencer says. “We know the Ameci men too. We are not Mob. We are something else entirely.”

“You’re threatening us,” Carla says.

“We are not,” Vic insists.

“We’re telling you to be smart and let us handle this little misunderstanding,” Spencer adds. “Now stop talking. And I mean that in a very literal, legal way.”

The sheriff, the deputy, and the lawyer all come back inside. The sheriff and the deputy go back behind the postal counter, but the lawyer walks straight up to Vic. “Vicious, nice to meet you. I’m Alec Steele. Ford called me.” He’s looking at the sheriff when he says this last part.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” the sheriff says. “Are you kidding me?”

“Why?” I ask. “Who is this Ford person?”

“Don’t ask,” the deputy says.

“Just another local criminal,” the sheriff says.

“Come on, Scott,” Spencer says. “Get over it. Bygones, man.”

I look over at Spencer and he puts a finger up to his lips, reminding me to zip it.

I shut up.

“Daisy,” Alec Steele says. “Nice to meet you. I’m happy to be representing you and Vicious tonight.”

“What?” Pretty much everyone in the room says that.

“She’s my client now, Sheriff. And I think we’ve all had enough tonight, wouldn’t you agree, Daisy?”

I nod my head.

“Perfect. No charges will be filed, correct, Sheriff?”

He throws up his hands. “You guys are all the same.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Then Alec looks down at Vivi. “Well, you went on quite an adventure today, didn’t you little lady?”

Vivi nods enthusiastically. “It was the best day ever.”

Alec smiles. This is exactly what he wanted to hear. “OK.” He claps his hands together. “So we’re all set here?”

The sheriff just waves at us. “Get out of my station.”

We all file out into the parking lot kind of in a dumb stupor at what just happened. I want to ask all kinds of questions, but I don’t have a chance. Alec turns to Vic and me. “You two need to do a paternity test. Figure this out. CPS backed down tonight, but this town hates you, Vic. And you”—he looks at me—“don’t lie to the sheriff next time. You got him angry.” Then he looks to Spencer. “He hates you too. Stay out of his way until things settle down?”

“Sure,” Spencer says.

“And you”—Alec beams a smile down at Vivi—“the next time you want to see your daddy, you get permission first, hear me?”

She nods. Sighs. Like learning that Vicious Vaughn is her father is no big deal. “All right. I will.”

“Good,” Alex says. “I’ll send Ford the bill.” He turns to get back inside his waiting vehicle, but then turns back and looks right at me. I shrink back for a moment, not sure I like his full attention. “Miss Lundin?”

“Yes?” I ask weakly.

“Unless you are one hundred percent certain that this child should not be around Mr. Vaughn, I would highly suggest you cooperate. Right now, I am representing you both. But that could change. Do you understand me?”

I get this sick, sinking feeling in my gut. But I nod.

“Is there any reason I should know of that would preclude you from cooperating with Mr. Vaughn in matters that pertain to the child?”

“No,” I say. And this comes out even weaker than the last word.

“Good.” He nods at me, gets inside his limo, and then it pulls away and he’s gone.

The rest of us just kinda stand there and look at each other.

Then Vivi says, “So tomorrow, right?”

“What are you talking about?” I look up at Vic.

“She…”

“I won three goldfish at the swap meet, Mommy. Vicious is gonna take me to the pet store tomorrow while you’re in school. Aren’t you, Vic?”

Vic shrugs. “If it’s OK—”

“It’s not.” I seethe. Who the hell does he think he is?

“Daisy,” Carla cautions me. “Be nice. It’s fine,” she says, answering for me.

“She’s at the babysitter tomorrow,” I object.

“Babysitter?” Spencer and Vic say this like they’ve never heard the word before in their lives.

“Yeah. You know, that really expensive necessity that all single mothers stress about? She’s going to the sitter tomorrow.”

“She’s not,” Vic says.

“That’s just kinda dumb,” Spencer adds.

“Oh, is it?” I scoff.

“Yeah,” Spencer says. “Ronnie can watch her. She’s home with our six kids anyway. What’s one more? And she’s family.”

I point my finger at him. “You do not know that. Not until we get the test.”

“Trust me,” Spencer says. “I have five little girls who look just like this one. She’s one of us. And that means she will be afforded all the perks and privileges that come with being one of us.”

“OK,” Carla says. “I think we’re all ready for bed. Let’s go, Vivi. In the car.”

She and Vivi get in the car, but I wait it out. And then I look right at Vic. “You don’t get to walk into our lives six years later and act like you have rights.”

“You kept her a secret. I never asked for this, Peeps.”

“Milkmaid!”

“It was a joke, Daisy,” Vic says. “I knew you were a milkmaid. I just wanted to call you Peeps. And I do have rights. I like her. She’s cool.”

“She’s… cool? Did you just call my six-year-old daughter cool? She’s six, Vic. She’s not cool. She’s not your friend. She’s a child who needs a good role model.”

“Like you.”

He says this without heat. But I hear all the unsaid accusations. “Good night.” I walk towards Carla’s car.

“Drop her off at the mansion instead of the sitter tomorrow, Daisy. I’m taking her to get those fish.”

I whirl around. “No. That’s not how this works. I have to pay for that sitter whether she goes or not.”

“Here,” Spencer says, taking out his wallet. “How much is one day? Couple hundred? Have three.” And he actually tries to hand me three hundred-dollar bills.

“Fuck you.” I turn back to the car.

“What time should I expect her, Daisy?” Vicious asks. “So I can be on the porch waiting.”

I pause with my back to him.

“I don’t want to make this difficult, but I told her I would take her to the pet store and get her goldfish and that will happen. Or I will make trouble.”

I turn to face him again. “Fine. But if anything happens to her, I will get my own lawyer, and trust me—I know how to fight back.”

He nods at me. “What time?”

“Seven-thirty.”

“I will see you then.”

I turn back to Carla’s car and get in, sighing first, and then smiling big as I turn to face my daughter in the back seat. “I’m glad you’re safe, Viv. And…” I glance at Carla. She’s got her eyebrows raised. I think that look is telling me not to fuck this up now. “And… I’m glad you met Vic.”

“So he’s my dad?” Kids, man. They don’t know how to be subtle.

I look at Carla again. She gives me a nod with a shrug and a crooked smile. I interpret this to mean, If you didn’t sleep with anyone else, just make it easy on her and say yes.

So that’s what I do. “Yes, Viv. He’s your father.”

She sets her jaw at this revelation. Crosses her arms. Turns her head. “Why didn’t you tell me before?” And now she looks me in the eye.

“Because…” I sigh again. “Because…” God, this is hard to explain. Not really though. Not if I just pare this explanation down to the bone. “Because I was afraid that he wouldn’t want you. Or that he would want you, but not me. Or that he wouldn’t want either of us. And it was hard for me back then, Viv. I was… very young. So I probably made the wrong choice.”

“OK,” Carla says. “That’s enough questions for one night, Vivian. Your mother was worried sick about you today. You need to think hard about how you scared everyone.”

Vivian makes a pout. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. But I really did have a good time.”

“I’m glad.”

“So do I get my goldfish tomorrow?”

I nod. “Yep. I’m gonna drop you off at Vic’s tomorrow morning instead of the sitter’s.”

“Yay!” She is immediately excited.

“And then I’ll pick you back up when my finals are over.” I turn back around in my seat and nod to Carla. She starts her car and then we make the long drive back to town.

My stomach is fluttery and I’m a little bit shaky when we finally get dropped off in the parking lot of the family housing units on campus. “Thank you,” I tell Carla.

“Baby, it’s no problem. My kids grew up a long time ago. I miss having people depend on me. So it has been my pleasure to help.”

“I’ll see you at work.”

“Sure thing. And if you need anything, even if it’s just to talk, you call me, OK?”

“I will.”

I close the door, take Viv’s hand, and we make our way through the apartments to our unit. It’s a two-bedroom and I’m super lucky to have it because everyone wants one of these apartments and there’s a long waiting list. You can be late with your rent. They don’t care. As long as you have student loans coming in every semester, they just don’t care. Because the moment that money hits my student account, they take what I owe them first.

This is how I’ve been paying for the last nine months of life. I use my tips to buy day-to-day things and pay for the sitter and I use my loans to pay for everything else.

I’m going to be very in debt when I graduate, but that’s almost two years away. I can’t even think two days ahead, let alone two years. So I don’t even bother worrying about it.

And anyway, money doesn’t even make the top ten of things I’m stressing about tonight.

Vic.

I just don’t understand how I woke up this morning completely in control of my life and tonight I’m on the verge of a CPS investigation and Vicious Vaughn is now Vivi’s official father.

I open the door to our apartment and shoo Vivi in. “Get ready for a bath,” I tell her. “And then it’s right to bed.”

She likes her sleep, but no kid likes bedtime. Still, she doesn’t complain. In fact, she’s humming. And when I start the water for the bath, she doesn’t complain about that, either.

And one hour later, she’s in bed asleep and I’m just sitting on the couch feeling… lost.