Shadows In Durango

*****Vincent's POV*****

The handle to the office door turns, as I straighten up in the chair to await whoever it might be.

I watch Daryl enter first, followed in by Reid, before they close over the door behind them. I sigh deeply, thankful that the girls hadn't followed them in here to be nosey...

"Somethings happened..." Daryl starts, as they both approach me to take a seat having returned from their school day.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" I question, my tone drained since I knew that whatever he was about to tell me was no match to the new stress I was being put under after my father had contacted Frazier.Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

"Sofia's been crying, but don't ask us what for, because neither of them would speak in the car ride home. They went straight upstairs to their room when we got back too. Her face was all red and puffy though..." Reid rambles out, as my brows furrow in sudden curiosity.

Sofia was crying? But why? Could it be because of the text I had sent her? Perhaps I was slightly more blunt than usual, but I wouldn't think she would get that upset over a dumb text message...

"I'll go and talk to her soon." I state, rubbing at my stubbled chin and knowing that my face desperately needed a clean shave - though I just hadn't had a minute since getting home.

"What makes you think she will tell you over us?!" Daryl questions, clearly unamused as I roll my eyes and shrug.

I didn't have the energy for our petty disagreements, not today.

"Anyway, what happened with you? Did your father manage to reach Sofias Dad?" Reid asks in distraction, as I nod tightly, closing over my eyes to contain my emotions.

The whole thing still didn't feel real, and now knowing that Sofia was already having an emotional day, I didn't want to now pile this shit on top of that.

Maybe I should just wait until tomorrow to talk to her about it? Especially now that my father had also decided that he was making an appearance tomorrow night - I would have to prepare her for that alone... What a big fucking mess this week had been!

"Yeah he called... but this shit is heavy and you won't like it Daryl..." I trail off, as Daryl gives me a concerning look, sensing my unease.

"Well what is it? What does her father want from you?" Daryl asks, wanting me to cut to the chase as I sigh heavily.

He's going to be pissed after hearing this...

"He wants cash for her, which was obviously expected... but he also wants something else now too, after finding out that she has been with me for a while and that I like her..." I breathe, preparing myself to tell my friends the ridiculous scenario I had found myself in.

They both stare through me, their expressions void as they wait for the final punchline to come...

"He wants me to marry her, and not only that, he wants to be there to watch it happen." I state, watching their expressions morph before my very eyes in to horrified looks.

A deafening silence falls in to the room, as they both eye me in search for any sign of this being a joke... which it obviously was not.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! That is just total bullshit and you know it Vin!" Daryl rages after collecting his thoughts, having also liked Sofia and having every right to be pissed off about her potentially signing herself over to me - legally. I would be too if the shoe had been on the other foot....

"But that's just the exact same thing? Another arranged marriage? Sofia might not even want that!" Daryl continues, his fists tightening in a fury as his face reddens with it.

"I know... you're right... but it might also be the only way to gaining her freedom in a hassle free way, and so I at least have to tell her about it." I state, but deep down knew that I wasn't yet prepared to have that conversation with her, at least not tonight.

"But are you even prepared to do that?! That's a big deal Vin?!" Reid steps in now to ask, as I shrug and groan.

Sure, if I had it my way then I wouldn't be getting married like this, especially since I hadn't even managed to form a serious relationship with her yet... marriage was ten steps ahead of where we were currently at.

"I don't know..." I admit, as Daryl covers his face in his hands and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees in order to think straight.

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I couldn't blame them for having a reaction like this, because the whole thing sounded absurd.

"Why the fuck does he even want you to marry her? Isn't the damn cash enough for him?!" Reid grumbles, throwing his head back with a slight shake of disbelief.

"Apparently he seems to think that it will tie our families closer together, strengthening business between him and my father." I recite what I had learned from the call earlier, as Daryl rejoins us and stares back at me.

"Does he even know your fucking father?! As if that will change anything! Your father doesn't give a shit about whether you marry somebody or not!" Daryl starts to wave his arms around like a mad man, having a similar reaction to my own one earlier.

His points were all valid, and they supported each and every one of my own points, but the matter still stood - Frazier wanted cash and a marriage.

"I just need time to think it all through, and I'll let Sofia calm down today after whatever happened with her. It would be unfair to pile this on top." My tone is heavy, as Daryl remains riled up about the news and Reid looks between us in shock. "Is he still coming to visit tomorrow?" Reid tests, as I nod stiffly.

"Unfortunately, yes." I grit out, knowing that the presence of my father in the house would typically go one of two ways.

He would either act like the perfect gentleman to impress Sofia and my friends or he would be in total dick mode - rude and obnoxious.

Whatever he decides, I couldn't be assed dealing with either of them, but right now, he had stepped up to help me out and for that, I needed to stay on his good side.

"What about your Mom?" Daryl wonders, as I roll my eyes dramatically.

Last time she was here she wore a stupid tube top to a dinner in front of Daryl of Reid with her tits practically hanging out of it.

"Hopefully not! I can already tell she will be jealous of Sofia, simply because she's another younger, prettier female living in the house!" I sneer, my patience for dealing with her having ran out completely after her actions the other day. Daryl lets out a short laugh at the mention of my mom, but it's humorless, a sound laced with frustration. "Man, I can't believe you've got all this going on and now your father's showing up too."

I lean back in the chair, running a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of the situation crushing down on me. Daryl isn't wrong. My life had turned into one giant mess of family obligations, dangerous negotiations, and now, marriage propositions.

"It's a nightmare," I mutter, my voice flat.

"I'll talk to Sofia tomorrow," I finally say, my voice low. "After my father leaves. I'll figure out how to explain it all without making her feel like she's backed into a corner. I just need to approach it the right way."

Daryl stands up abruptly, pacing the room. "So what about tonight? You gonna talk to her about what's going on with your dad showing up, or just leave that for tomorrow too?"

I shake my head. "No, I'll talk to her about him tonight. She deserves to know that part, at least. I just don't want to overwhelm her all at once."

Reid leans back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "Good. But if you need backup, let us know. I know this whole situation is twisted, but we're in it together, alright?"

I give a short nod. "Yeah, I appreciate it. I just... I want to make sure Sofia's alright first. That's my priority right now."

Daryl finally stops pacing, looking a little more composed, though I can still see the anger simmering just beneath the surface. "Alright, let's just take it day by day for now - don't make any rash decisions!" With that, the three of us sit in silence for a moment, the weight of everything hanging over us like a dark cloud.

Tomorrow was going to be a test - of loyalty, of trust, of everything I had been trying to build with Sofia.

But if marrying her was the only way to get her out of Frazier's control, then maybe I'd have to make that sacrifice. For her.

The harrowing question was would she even want that too?