Darien Buchannon ☠
Admin
Unique Storm Caller The gangbanger, penitent murderer and all around nice guy... who's being driven insane by Connie. But he loves it.
I make the gang life look good...
Posts: 143
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Post by Darien Buchannon ☠ on Dec 31, 2009 21:31:51 GMT -5
“Connie, baby, darling, love of my goddamn life…if you don’t stop tugging at that blindfold, I’m gonna cut your fingers off.”
With a mock growl at the woman in the passenger seat beside him, Dare reached over to swat at her hand for what seemed like the umpteenth time that morning. It was early, with the normal pedestrian traffic just trickling out onto the streets and the sun just beginning to rise over the surrounding buildings. The air was clean and crisp through the cracked windows of his Camarro- legitimately owned, for once in his life…and goddamn, was it a weird thing to actually have a non-forged ‘rit in his hands- and smelled faintly of spices, as they passed by a Chinese restaurant.
He’d woken his wife up early, ignoring her grumpy protests and simply poked at her like a two year old until she rose. Maria was due to arrive at the airport later that afternoon, so he had plenty of time to deliver his Christmas surprise.
And damn, it was gonna be a surprise, whether the nosy Connie liked it or not. After they’d showered, dressed and trooped downstairs, he’d managed to rig a blindfold out of one of his less-than-new ties and sat her in the front seat, under the impression that she’d have the patience to appreciate the unknown. But noooo; with one little ‘you’ll see’ and the little imp was tugging at the piece of cloth so much that he was just about ready to drive the car into a pole for want of tying her hands to her knees.
With a muttered ‘finally,’ Dare stopped pulled out of traffic and parked on the curb. Almost ten feet to Connie’s right, a large, garage-styled building stood meekly. It wasn’t exactly the cream of the crop; there was rust on the columns, graffiti out front and there was definitely some work to be done inside, before any cars could be brought in for chop…er, that is, for maintenance. But after his little bedside talk with Connie, something akin to anticipation seemed to curl in his gut, and any stray moment not spent at her side- as agonizing as they were- were spent out on the streets, scouring the real estate ads and pooling his saved up cash.
Finally, after a good few weeks of looking, he’d managed to come on an old auto shop, whose owner had foreclosed after Katrina played merry hell with the area. It had taken up most of the cash he’d had ferreted away, probably putting up some red flags for Daddy Dearest, who so loved to keep an eye on his kids’ finances- the paranoid freak- but he’d managed to put down a deposit and…well, there they were.
“Stay, woman,” He barked, softening the words with a chaste kiss to her cheek. Practically shooting out of the car, he slid over the front hood until he reached her door and opened it with a flourish…that, duh, she couldn’t see. With a soft chuckle at himself, he reached inside until he had her arm, and guided her out onto the curb.
A wide grin stuck to his lips as he slid an arm around her waist, facing them toward the warehouse. “So…you know what we talked about a few weeks back?” The keys dangled softly in his hand as he took them from his pocket. Grin widening, he slid the keys into her hand. “Well…I kind of went and took the initiative, like you always nagged me to do in the past. Surprise, baby. We’re staying in New Orleans.”
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Connie Buchannon
*Civilian*
Aka, 'Mrs. Butcher,' and one of the toughest ladies on the block. She's street smart, won't hesitate to protect her family...and is current driving her ex-gangster hubby insane. But he don't mind: if it's off to Lala Land for him, why not get sent by a beauty like his Connie?
Livin' La Vida Loca
Posts: 93
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Post by Connie Buchannon on Jan 1, 2010 10:28:20 GMT -5
ConnieConnie sat in the car and resisted the urge to pull the blindfold off of her eyes. Though she teased Dare unmercifully by playing with it. She even manged to grumble and growl a little. Though really, she didn't want to spoil his surprise or his light hearted mood. He had been as hyper as a kid on Christma. Which, really wasn't far off since it WAS in fact Christmas day.
Dare had prodded her out of bed at the ass-crack of dawn. To say that Connie was not a morning person was an understatement. But there was no way he was going to leave her sleep so she gave in and got up. She trudged through her morning routine. By the time she had gotten done with her shower she realized she wasn't feeling that great. A wave a nausea hit her and she had to sit down for a moment. It passed quickly and she wrote it off to everything that was going on. It was a big day. It was Christmas, Dare had some big surprise for her, they had been trying to sort out what they were going to do, where they were going to live and Maria was arriving today. Everything seemed to be catching up with her.
Pushing off the feeling she finished in the bathroom and got dressed. The day was going to be a good day, a great day and nothing was going to ruin it. By the time they had left the hotel Connie was infected with Dare's excited mood.
So... Now she sat in the car with him. Trying to keep the grin off her face while she brought her hands up to play with the blindfold again. She heard him muttering to himself, then the car slowing to a stop. He commanded her to 'stay', then kissed her on the cheek before she heard him scramble out of the car. Letting her hands rest in her lap while he pulled open her door and took her arm.
Connie held onto him as he moved her along. She had no idea where he had taken her but they seemed to standing on the sidewalk, the sound of light early morning traffic on the street. Folding her arms across her chest she let Dare move her around. Then he took her hand and she felt something drop onto her palm as he spoke. “So…you know what we talked about a few weeks back?”
“Well…I kind of went and took the initiative, like you always nagged me to do in the past. Surprise, baby. We’re staying in New Orleans.” Closing her hand around the object she could tell it was a set of keys. With her other hand she reached up, finally pulling the makeshift blindfold off. Her mouth dropped open as she looked at the building in front of her, then turned to look at Dare, then back to the building again. All she could do was stare for a moment at the place. It wasn't all that, but to her it seemed beautiful. It looked like an old garage. It was huge, taking up almost the entire block if you included the alleyways and the empty space next to it, that looked like it could be a parking lot. "OH MY GOD, DARE! Did you buy this place? Is it ours?" Connie launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him while she giggled like a school girl. Finally breaking away from him she tugged on his arm. Making a beeline to the door with the keys in her hands. "Come ON!!! Show me, show me, show me! It looks like an auto shop, I guess we're gonna do the garage thing?" Fumbling a bit with nervousness she unlocked the security gate and then the front door that led into a little front office area, the main garage was through another door. She imagined their were big roll up doors around the back to drive cars in.
When they got inside she stopped for a minute. A big goofy grin on her face. She couldn't help the excitement that was bubbling up inside her. No wonder Dare had been so crazy this morning. Turning around she moved toward him, wrapping him up in another hug before she let him start the tour.
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Darien Buchannon ☠
Admin
Unique Storm Caller The gangbanger, penitent murderer and all around nice guy... who's being driven insane by Connie. But he loves it.
I make the gang life look good...
Posts: 143
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Post by Darien Buchannon ☠ on Jan 2, 2010 22:48:30 GMT -5
If anything, the grin on Dare’s face could only be described as being a definite ‘shit eater.’ Watching Connie’s face as she tugged the blindfold off, the show of confusion quickly leading to excitement…God, it was enough to make that strangely heavy feeling in his chest come back. So strong was the emotion, the pride and satisfaction that his woman was happy, that he could feel a dull cast of clouds above their heads begin to form and pushed the storm back before he could ruin the surprise.
Catching her as she launched herself at him, he swung her around for a good while before returning her kiss with one of his own. His hands cupped her cheeks, content to kiss her until the world ended, but, laughing, found himself pulled toward the building.
Sliding an arm around her waist, he guided her through the front doors. “It’s ours, baby, and yeah, I was thinking we could open a garage. You know this’ what I was good at back home…and hell, with Maria coming back, I figured if I had to go straight, I’d do it with a few engines.”
Through the front doors, the expanse of an old garage could be seen through water stained rubble and evidence of vandalism. “She’s not really a looker,” He went on, grinning at the stains, the rust and the overall age that made the building practically sag from the inside out. “But with some work, it’ll be beautiful. I know a few guys who’d be happy to help out, and maybe some of the bikers that helped us out before could come in, if we give ‘em free tune ups for a while. I’d say give it four, five weeks, and it’ll be just like the garage back home.”
He could just see it; dark painted walls, music blasting from some high priced speakers while the mechanics worked on lifted cars. The smell of oil, exhaust, rubber and smoke, like candy for the nose, would drift out into the street and the cash would roll in as sure as he was standing there. They could put in a nice waiting room near the back, make an office out of the storage room flanking the larger one…
Yeah, it was going to work out great. Especially now that he wasn’t alone.
“But that’s not the best part,” Letting her take in the scene for a few minutes, he cast a sideways glance in her direction. Hopefully she wasn’t about to freak out about the state of the union…but if anything, the next show would be more to her liking.
With a little nudge, he faced her to a wall at the back of the soon to be office. It was nothing but a pile of rubbish at the moment, with a few tree branches stuck in the outer windows and a dirty mattress off to the side. He carefully guided her around the debris, making sure she wasn’t about to cut herself on a stray piece of glass and stopped them a short distance away from the wall. Another sideways glance was cast her way, this time accompanied with a mischevious grin, and he reached a hand up to rest his palm against the blackened wood.
“See, when I was poking around here the other day,” He said, pushing forward. “I came in here thinking about all the nudie pictures I was gonna put in this office to make it a real garage and I leaned on this wall here. Then, right out of the blue…”
With a little push, a click sounded and the what had been a wall surged back and slid softly to the side, revealing a set of metal stairs that led down to a narrow hallway. Taking her hand in his, he carefully led her down the stairs- probably the most well taken care of part of the place- and down the hallway, until they reached an area twice as large as the garage above.
Stopping in the middle of the room, which was empty and dusty, lit by overhead lights that blinked in dubious tempos, he faced her with a wide smile. “Baby…how would you like to run your own casino? ‘Cause this baby here’s big enough to fit all the tables you’d need.”
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Connie Buchannon
*Civilian*
Aka, 'Mrs. Butcher,' and one of the toughest ladies on the block. She's street smart, won't hesitate to protect her family...and is current driving her ex-gangster hubby insane. But he don't mind: if it's off to Lala Land for him, why not get sent by a beauty like his Connie?
Livin' La Vida Loca
Posts: 93
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Post by Connie Buchannon on Jan 3, 2010 6:05:15 GMT -5
ConnieConnie smiled at him before he started moving them around the interior of the building. Talking to her as they went. The place was rundown but as he talked she could see it start to take shape. Dare had always liked working with the cars. She was glad that he was able to be excited about this, since the decision to not go home had been a difficult one.
Nodding her head as they walked around the place. Listening as he described his plan. He knew people who could help fix the place up. Four or five weeks he said, Connie raised an eyebrow at that. That seemed pretty quick but she didn't doubt he could get it done. When Dare set his mind to something, he could make things happen.
Connie felt the excitement building up in the pit of her stomach. It was mixed with a little bit of fear. There was no way it could be this easy. Something else was going to get thrown into the mix, she could feel it. What it was she didn't know.
Letting Dare guide her, he stood her in front of a wall in what seemed to be a very neglected storage room. He gave her a look that told her that he had something else up his sleeve. She pressed her lips together, forming a line. Wondering what he was up to now. "Yeah... This looks like a broken-down storeroom that needs a lot of work." Connie gave him a disbelieving look and then rolled her eyes when he mentioned the 'nudie pictures'. While pictures of naked women were probably the least of her worries, she still wanted to comment about it, but before she could say anything Dare had pushed against the wall and something happened. Like magic the wall opened up.
Connie's eyes went wide and she blinked in surprise. She was still processing the hidden passageway as Dare escorted her down the stairs. "Holy shit. Look at this place." She rotated around in a circle, taking in the sight of the place. A sly smile spread across her lips. The gears in her mind were spinning, she could see the potential here. "My own place? We can do both, the casino and the garage? What a perfect cover right? No one would ever know this place is down here." Connie took a slow walk to make a brief exploration of the place. A little bit of work, well... maybe more than a little but still... It wouldn't take that much and it could be a fully functioning casino. She moved herself close to him, running a hand through her hair before she leaned against him. "Baby, I love it. I love you... I can't believe you found this place. It's perfect. Now we just need to get a place to live and we'll be set." Then suddenly she felt that slight wave of nausea again. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as the feeling passed. Attributing the feeling to all the excitement of the moment, Connie gave Dare a grin, then planted a kiss on him. She chewed on her lip as she let her eyes scan over the place again. Thinking about all the possibilities.
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Darien Buchannon ☠
Admin
Unique Storm Caller The gangbanger, penitent murderer and all around nice guy... who's being driven insane by Connie. But he loves it.
I make the gang life look good...
Posts: 143
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Post by Darien Buchannon ☠ on Jan 6, 2010 15:30:46 GMT -5
Wrapping his arms around her, he couldn’t help but widen the already excited grin. “You think I’d go to all this trouble and not have a place set up?” He put on a mock serious voice, giving her a squeeze before leading her out the back entrance. “I figured that we’d want to live nearby, what with the late hours we’ll be keeping. As it is, the building’s previous owner had his place on the top floor, and it’d easily fit all three of us. C’mon; see, people could come in through this door here, which leads outside. And right around the side of the building is the door that goes up to the apartment.”
With the giddiness of a five year old, Dare led his wife out of the back alley door that the guests would be using and around the back of the building. The rickety door that would lead up to the apartment took a bit of work- one strong kick had the lock popping right open, and he made a mental note to replace the whole damn thing- and once it was open, he dragged her up the stairs as quickly as she could go.
The apartment wasn’t exactly anything to shake a stick at, but it was much cleaner than downstairs. Once they were up the stairs, another door and a nice sized hallway made up the entrance way, and directly across was the kitchen, with the living room to the left. Another set of worn stairs could be seen through the kitchen, leading upstairs to a second floor, equipped with two bedrooms and a bath.
“The downside is that there’s only one bathroom in the place,” He said, stopping them in the living room for a minute. “But it shouldn’t be too hard to put in another one after the renovations are done downstairs. The place just needs a bit of cleaning up…” He paused, kicking at a spent condom wrapper until it disappeared underneath an abandoned rug. “But I know people who…know lots of designers. And you can get whatever you and Maria want; I’ve got enough cash saved up to pay for it.”
Holding up a hand as if to forestall any protests, he looked down at her with a softer expression on his face. “Before you say that you’ve got enough from the casino…baby, I’m paying for this place. This is gonna be our home, if you and Maria want it to be. I want to treat you both like the princesses you are, and the cash from your other life…we’ll use it when we need it, ‘cause it’s just that; from your other life.”
He paused again, hands moving along her arms as his smile dimmed and a sigh escaped him. Looking down at where his fingers traced small designs on her arms, he forced himself to continue. “And I want you both to keep an open mind. Livin’ with me ain’t gonna be easy, Connie. It’s only been a couple weeks since we’ve been back together, and I’m still pretty much the same guy I was. I like things fast, I like ‘em dangerous and I don’t give a shit about morality or conscience when it comes to my family. After livin’ in AC, you might not like the life I’m offerin’ you…and Maria might not either. I’m not sayin’ that this ain’t gonna happen, ‘cause it is. But…I want you to know that you got choices.”
God, did that even sound like English? He wanted to tell her that if everything was moving so damn fast, after their being apart for so long, she had the chance to leave. Even if the business was still going, he’d let her have it and move on, because…damn it, he did love her. Always did and always will.
But that didn’t mean he was the easiest man to live with. And it did him some good to lay it all out on the table, instead of doing the secret dance and hoping that things worked out. If he was anything, Dare Buchannon was a realist, and sometimes, even history’s greatest love stories ended up in divorce. It was just the way the world turned.
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Connie Buchannon
*Civilian*
Aka, 'Mrs. Butcher,' and one of the toughest ladies on the block. She's street smart, won't hesitate to protect her family...and is current driving her ex-gangster hubby insane. But he don't mind: if it's off to Lala Land for him, why not get sent by a beauty like his Connie?
Livin' La Vida Loca
Posts: 93
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Post by Connie Buchannon on Jan 6, 2010 22:38:09 GMT -5
ConnieConnie gave Dare a look as he hugged her, then they were on the move again. He took her back outside, then off to the side of the building. She watched as Dare had to kick the door to get it open, rolling her eyes but holding back a laugh. "Really nice babe." Connie muttered as he pulled her along up the stairs.
When they made it to the next level, there was another door. Connie then found herself in an apartment. It was a good size place. It definitely needed some work but it wasn't half bad. Connie frowned a bit though when Dare mentioned only one bathroom. Raising her eyebrow at Dare as he continued on about adding one when renovations were done.
Connie had to chuckle at that. Dare had no idea how important that second bathroom would be. He may have thought it was bad enough when just the two of them had lived together, but now they had a ten year old daughter. He would soon find out that two women in the household and only one bathroom was going to be interesting to say the least.
Taking a look around, even though it wasn't what she was used to in Atlantic City, she thought it was nice. Once it was cleaned up it would be comfortable and cozy. She liked it. A nice change of pace and definitely more like being home. She could feel it already.
Connie folded her arms across her chest as Dare started to ramble on about the money. She took a deep breath, but kept her mouth shut about it. She knew it was a pride thing with him. For now she'd leave it be. As long as they had a roof over their head, food on the table and Maria was taken care of, that's all that matter to her right now.
Connie noticed his tone changed as he rubbed her arms. She chewed on her lip as she realized he had turned very serious. Nodding her head, she listened intently. Letting out a deep breath she wasn't sure how to react. He was giving her an out? Why would he do that? Because he didn't want to be there himself? "What exactly are you trying to say Dare? Hard to live with?"
"I have lived with you before. I know how you are. I've never asked you to change who you are. The only thing that ever bothered me was you staying away, avoiding us. Acting like you didn't want to be around us."
"All I want is my husband to come home at night. To WANT to be with his family, and I mean me and Maria. I never asked for a perfect life. All I ever wanted was you. I loved you then, I wanted you to love me. Love me more than the gang, more than your father. That's all it ever was. I don't expect you to become mister upstanding citizen or mister fucking Rogers. That's not who either of us are." Connie stopped for a moment. Taking in another deep breath. All she wanted was for things to be right with them. And it seemed to her that being together was right. Now she was worried that it's not what he wanted. Quietly she continued on. "I love you Dare. I've loved you for so long. But it has to go both ways. If you don't want to be here, I don't want to force you."
"I mean... you are different now. At least in some ways. You made a big decision to stay here. It's been a long time since we were together before. I'd have to say we're at least a little bit smarter than we were back then. Older and wiser and all that bullshit right?" Sighing, she didn't know what else to say. It seemed it was sort of a moment of truth. Nothing was ever easy it seemed, especially between the two of them. She wanted this to work. She thought that it could. At least she knew she was smarter than she was before. Able to trust herself more now. If she had a problem with Dare, she wasn't afraid to talk to him anymore or yell at him if that's what it took. No need to turn to a third party like she had before. He was in her soul, she had lost him once already and she'd be damned if she'd let that happen again.
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Darien Buchannon ☠
Admin
Unique Storm Caller The gangbanger, penitent murderer and all around nice guy... who's being driven insane by Connie. But he loves it.
I make the gang life look good...
Posts: 143
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Post by Darien Buchannon ☠ on Jan 8, 2010 17:43:41 GMT -5
Aw, hell…it was the voice, she was using the voice. Memories of the first year of their marriage, when Dare thought that coming home half cocked with the cops on his tail was alright came roaring through his mind, and he couldn’t contain a little smile from forming on his lips. He’d come crashing into the house, drunk as a skunk and howling for Connie to get the guns, ‘cause the cops were coming. The baby was crying, afraid of the loud noises down stairs…
And, like a little firecracker, his wife had lit into his ass with a bottle of formula and that sharp tongue of hers. He’d learned a valuable lesson that night: if he was gonna be drunk and getting onto Cops, he’d have to do it at a buddy’s house.
Just like he was learning another valuable lesson now: keep his goddamn mouth shut. Taking a step back, Dare shoved a paw through his hair, resisting the urge to sigh. Great, he’d just gone and said what he was feeling, and now Connie was ready to smack him upside the head. But isn’t that what that magazine in the realtor’s office said to do? Be ‘Mr. Sensitive’ and think about his woman’s needs?
…Not that he’d ever admit to reading that pile of horse pucky, but man…he couldn’t help but wonder if they were just building up some kind of pile and waiting for it to fall down. It had the first time, hadn’t it?
“Aw, hell, no…baby, I didn’t mean that I’m not different. Or that I don’t love you girls, ‘cause I do. I’m leaving the Butchers for good for you and Maria, because I want to be near you and see our baby girl grow up off the streets. I want to fix cars instead of stealin’ ‘em, and watch as half the west coast lines up to kiss your feet in exchange for more poker chips. But…dammit, I can’t help but wonder if things are goin’ too fast…and if we’re settin’ ourselves up for another fall.”
Pacing away, he toed a dirty mattress lying on the floor near the window. Hell, he should’ve just kept his mouth shut and let the future be what it may…but he didn’t want to hurt her again. He didn’t want to leave her, to have his baby carted off to another state…
And, hell, if he was being really honest with himself…he didn’t want to get hurt again either.
With a sigh, he shook his head and glanced down at his watch. “I’m probably just being stupid,” He said after a minute, that devil may care mask back on his face. “Look, I’m sorry for bringing it up, just forget it, alright? It’s time to go pick up Maria. I can’t wait to see her face when she gets a load’a that hotel we’re shackin up in. Does she still like ice cream cake?”
Snagging her hand, he tugged her toward a set of stairs that would lead outside to the curb. He forced his mind to turn to the anticipation and nervousness that seeing his daughter entailed and hoped that Connie would do the same. When they reached the car, he opened the passenger door with a flourish, motioning for her to get inside.
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Connie Buchannon
*Civilian*
Aka, 'Mrs. Butcher,' and one of the toughest ladies on the block. She's street smart, won't hesitate to protect her family...and is current driving her ex-gangster hubby insane. But he don't mind: if it's off to Lala Land for him, why not get sent by a beauty like his Connie?
Livin' La Vida Loca
Posts: 93
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Post by Connie Buchannon on Jan 8, 2010 19:08:31 GMT -5
ConnieConnie clenched her jaw and just stared at him her arms folded. She really wanted to smack him. If only to knock some sense into him. She had to bite down on her lip to keep herself from yelling at him in frustration when he talked about things moving too fast and failure. Like she wasn't terrified of that too? She maintained her composure. Watching as he walked back and forth.
Connie knew things were moving fast but, she just couldn't help the way she felt. The way it felt like it was right. That she was finally back were she belonged. Something she hadn't felt in a long time. It didn't mean she wasn't afraid though. Of course it would loom over them, the possibility of things not working out. It just seemed to her that it was worth the risk. She saw his demeanor change. The mask was back. She just answered his question quietly. "Yeah. She still loves ice cream cake." Keeping her thoughts to herself for now Connie let him pull her along. Back outside, back to the car. She managed a small smile when he opened the car door and ushered her inside.
The ride to the airport was pretty quiet. Connie was lost in her own thoughts. Thinking about what Dare had said up in the apartment. Also a little nervous now that they were going to pick up Maria. She hadn't really gotten to talk to her much or explain everything over the phone. They had just made the arrangements to have her fly in. She wanted this to go well.
They arrived at the airport. There was the regular holiday crowds moving in and out of the place. They walked into the terminal, Connie immediately looked up at the monitors to check which gate Maria's flight would be at. They were there a little bit early, the flight was listed as 'on-time' so they headed through the airport to the arrival gate.
Connie stood next to Dare, waiting... Nervous. Then she realized she had forgotten something. She had meant to give it to him at the apartment, but after what he had said it slipped her mind. Digging into her shoulder bag she pulled out a small box. Taking a deep breath Connie touched Dare's arm, then turned to face him. "I almost forgot about your Christmas present. I wanted to give it to you before Maria gets here." Chewing on her lip she opened the box and took out a ring, it was a wedding band that she slipped on her left ring finger. Inside the box was a second ring. Connie cleared her throat before she continued on as she rolled the ring around on her finger. "This is the ring from when we got married, I kept it. I couldn't let it go. I don't know what you did with your's. I know you really hated me for awhile. I'm sure you just wanted to forget about me, so you probably throw it in the river or something. That's OK. This one in the box is brand new." Fiddling with the box she looked down at the ground. Wanting to make sure she said the right thing. Not sure if there really was a right thing to say at the moment. Holding the box out to him she went on. "You don't have to wear it, you don't even have to take it if you don't want to. I'll understand. Like you said... Things are moving pretty fast. I just wanted you to know that I know what I'm doing and I know what I want. I figured since I had my old ring I'd get you a new one. There is a kind of symbolism there I guess. A new start, but still a history between us. I know it won't be easy... But we are not quitters and we are not failures." Standing there holding the box out she blinked her eyes quickly. Gritting her teeth she steeled herself. She wasn't going to cry. Her stubbornness had a hold of her now.
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Darien Buchannon ☠
Admin
Unique Storm Caller The gangbanger, penitent murderer and all around nice guy... who's being driven insane by Connie. But he loves it.
I make the gang life look good...
Posts: 143
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Post by Darien Buchannon ☠ on Jan 8, 2010 22:49:39 GMT -5
Man, if looks could kill, he’d be ten feet under by now. With a few sideways glances in her direction, Dare was almost 100% certain that he should have kept his mouth shut.
Yeesh, and some guy said that the best way to make a woman happy was to be honest with his ‘feelings.’ The next time he started having thoughts, he’d freaking forget them and focus on how he’d love to whisk her back to the hotel for another bout of room service.
But really, it wasn’t that he was expecting her to find another Vinny in the next few weeks and help pop a cap in his ass. Nor was he expecting the past to resurface, or another Ray to pop up with a machine gun. At the same time, however, he just couldn’t help but wonder if Fate was just holding that curve ball and waiting for them to step up to the plate.
Did he want to leave the gang? Not really, but he’d do it for his family. Repercussions there. Did he want to open up a garage? Hell yeah; he always did. But once again, there would be repercussions. Did he want to bring Maria back into his life? Fucking hell yeah! But…God, at the same time, he couldn’t live a day without some kind of trouble; the idea for the casino made that a reality. Did he want his baby girl around him when he went looking for guys to help run the place downstairs? Once again, those damn repercussions.
And he was all ready to tell Connie that, as he shifted from foot to foot like some kind of antsy teenager waiting for his gate. He must have checked his watch fifteen times since they’d gotten to the terminal, making sure that the plane hadn’t been delayed. And hell if he wasn’t tempted to take out a fake ID and pretend he was a cop, just to make sure that his baby was alright as she was being escorted off.
Yet, he never got the chance. He inwardly cringed as Connie said his name, girding his loins for some kind of verbal smack down. Which would have been deserved, as far as he could tell. Hell, right after telling her that he loved her, that she was his damn right arm, he went and started spouting insecurities! What kind of an ass crack does that?! But the verbal abuse never came.
Instead, his beautiful, wonderful, crazy ass wife had bought him a wedding band. Jesus Christ, he was such a douchebag.
Fingering the smooth gold in his palm, he looked up at Connie as she spoke. He didn’t say what he’d done with the ring,- forget the East River; he’d pawned it to pay for his hospital bills, because Daddy Dearest decided that the gang wouldn’t support him after he’d ‘gotten his ass handed to him by his wife,’ thus spurring his future hoarding- hell, he didn’t have to. Taking a step toward her, he slid her fingers through his, and lifted up her hand until it was level with his mouth.
“I never thought I could,” He said slowly, eyes on her face. They were starting to get a bit pale, and the building shook with a peal of thunder. Thank God the plane had already landed. “But I’ve managed to reach deep down and find a new level of ‘asshole’ that I never knew I had in me. Connie, I love you. All the shit that happened before…it’s in the past. The two of us; we’re gonna rock this town, then get old and watch Maria be happy. Together.”
Bringing her fingers to his lips, he pressed a kiss to the top of her wedding ring. Then, a small smile playing with his lips, he slid his band onto his finger. “Baby, nothin’ short of a nuclear blast is gonna get this baby offa my hand. You can count on that.”
His mouth was open to say something more, to apologize for what he’d said back at the apartment and vow never to become some sissy woman again…but a soft voice from somewhere beside them caught his attention.
“Mama?” It said, and a little girl looked up at them, a teddy bear that had seen better days clutched in her arms and an unsure look on her face. Taking a small step toward Connie, a pair of dark eyes, so much like her mother’s, were locked on his face.
Good God, stop his heart. Every muscle in Dare’s body froze as he looked down at his daughter. Memories of that happy, giggling baby who had held her chubby arms up for him whenever he came into the room were replaced with the dark haired little beauty in front of him. She was dark skinned, as everyone was on his mother’s side of the family, and she had her mother’s brown, exotic eyes. Her hair was dark, like his, and there was such an obvious spark to her that he couldn’t help but smile.
His baby. God, it was his baby, grown up and…now what did he do?! With a sideways glance at Connie, he knelt down before the girl, who took one more quick step toward her mother.
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Connie Buchannon
*Civilian*
Aka, 'Mrs. Butcher,' and one of the toughest ladies on the block. She's street smart, won't hesitate to protect her family...and is current driving her ex-gangster hubby insane. But he don't mind: if it's off to Lala Land for him, why not get sent by a beauty like his Connie?
Livin' La Vida Loca
Posts: 93
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Post by Connie Buchannon on Jan 9, 2010 11:42:49 GMT -5
ConnieConnie looked on as Dare took the ring. Absently she slid the box back into her bag. A small wane smile tugged up the corner of her lips. God, was it strange the way they fluctuated back and forth? One minute they were staring each other down, the next she was ready to just melt in his arms. It didn't really matter, it was all part of the intensity of feeling that was between them. The smile turned to a bit of a smirk. "You say 'asshole'? It's all part of who you are. Like I'm perfect? We are who we are, we have to accept it. We both want Maria to be happy. I think having her daddy in her life would go a long way toward that." When Dare slipped the ring on his finger she smiled at him again. There was more she wanted to say. Reassurances that they could deal with their issues, that the good parts were worth working through the hard parts, but she didn't get the chance.
The familiar little voice floated up to her ears and she turned to see her daughter walking toward her. Her heart did a little flip flop when the little girl looked up at her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Dare stiffen. She knew this would be difficult for him. He hadn't seen Maria in so long.
Connie dropped to her knees, pulling her daughter into a tight hug. Stroking her hair, kissing her cheeks. Then she pulled back a little bit to look her over. Even after just a few short weeks it seemed she'd grown a bit. That brought her thoughts back to Dare. She'd practically been still a toddler when he'd last seen her.
Taking a deep breath, Connie took the little girl's face in her hands. Giving her a bright smile before she kissed her on the forehead. Then she looked her in the eyes. "Hi baby girl. I've missed you so much. We have a lot of catching up to do, but first.... Remember what I told you, about your daddy?" Connie paused for a minute. Pushing some stray strands of shiny dark hair out of Maria's face. She turned to look at Dare, he was kneeling down beside them now. Gently, Connie put an arm around Maria's waist, guiding her so she was standing in front of Dare. "This is your daddy, baby. He's going to be with us now. We're going to be a real family, honey. I know it might be strange at first, but it will be all right. Like I told you on the phone, remember?" Connie stayed close to them both. Wanting to be able to offer her support if they needed it. The first moments between the two of them being awkward she knew. Happy tears slipped from her eyes as she watched the long overdue reunion.
A few minutes into Maria's welcome and Connie was struck with that same wave of nausea that had plagued her the last couple of days. This time it seemed to be more intense. Mumbling something about 'being right back' she shot to her feet, scanned for the nearest restroom and practically sprinted toward the door.
Connie barreled past some other women who were lingering inside the door. Finding an empty stall she slammed the door behind her just in time to throw up. A few moments of retching later and she stood up, leaning against the cool tile wall of the bathroom stall.
Groaning slightly she pulled herself together a bit. She opened the door and stepped back into the restroom. She glared at a couple women who had decided they needed to stare at her. Making her way to the sink Connie turned on the tap. Rinsed her mouth out and then splashed some water on her face. Grabbing some paper towels she patted at her face as she moved out of the way of the counter.
Finding an empty spot near the door she leaned against the wall again. Tossing the paper towels into the trash she then dug through her purse. She found a piece of gum, unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth. Running her hands through her hair she took in a huge breath then pulled open the door. Walking out of the bathroom she found Dare and Maria, giving them a small smile of apology. "Sorry about that."
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Darien Buchannon ☠
Admin
Unique Storm Caller The gangbanger, penitent murderer and all around nice guy... who's being driven insane by Connie. But he loves it.
I make the gang life look good...
Posts: 143
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Post by Darien Buchannon ☠ on Jan 9, 2010 23:03:46 GMT -5
’This is your daddy, baby.’ God, those words would haunt him as long as he lived. Looking down into the little girl’s face, he could see both his mother and himself shining through…and hell if the knowing look he was getting made him want to go hide behind Connie. Would she deny it? Hate him? Scream and yell at him for leaving? She might just be a kid, ten years old, but with a life like her’s, she’d had to grow up quick. Sure, she might not have lived with the gang at her back door…but hell, she was the daughter of a gang wife turned gambling mogul. She had to have acquired some moxy there.
For a minute, father and daughter eyed one another; one bent on resisting the urge to pull his baby close and apologize, and the other sending out glances from behind stray bangs that were a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.
And, there he was, trying to find something to say to his estranged daughter…and what does his wife do? His loving, beautiful, wonderful wife? She gets up and freaking runs away!
Two sets of eyes followed Connie in an almost panicked fashion as she hurried away. “Do you think Mama’s alright?” Maria asked.
“Yeah, I think so. She hasn’t been feeling well for the past couple of days. Probably something she ate.”
The two eyed each other again, obviously related in their stubbornness. In the end, however, Dare was the one to crack, leaning back on his heels as he forced himself to keep looking into his daughter’s eyes. What had a buddy told him once? Show no fear or they’ll eat you alive?
Well, the saying went with kids, too. Damn, why did he get the feeling that he was approaching the lion’s cave, or something? He’d faced meaner, scarier situations than this! Suck it up, Papa!
“Maria,” He said slowly, reaching out a hand. A pang of something akin to disappointment shot through his chest as the girl took a small step back. Okay, that was to be expected; she was young when he was around and probably didn’t remember him. He could deal with that…sure. “Maria, baby, what your Mama told you is true. I’m your father.”
Maria just looked at him, clutching her bear. Slowly, tentatively, she took one step toward him. Then another and another, until she was an arm’s length away. Dare held himself completely still, keeping his face fixed in his normal ‘devil cares’ smile as he watched her.
Small fingers came up to touch the bristle on his cheek, sliding down to the white scar. “You’ve got lots of hair on your face,” She said finally, little fingers trailing over the tattoos around his neck. “The daddy’s at my old school didn’t really have a lot of hair. And they wore suits. And they didn’t have drawings on them, like you do.”
Just as solemnly as she was informing him of his shortcomings, Dare replied, “Well, I can take care of the hair. It itches like a bi…uh…like crazy, so I’ll make sure you aren’t the only little girl with a hairy daddy. I can’t do anything about the drawings, though. Do you like them?”
Frowning thoughtfully, it took her a minute before she answered. But this time, the words were accompanied by a smile that made his heart melt in his chest. “Yeah, they’re pretty. If you cut off the hair, I think that’ll be okay. Will you teach me how to play hockey? The boys at school say that only Daddy’s can teach kids how to play hockey. I guess now that you’re around, I can finally learn.”
God. He’d just re-fallen in love with two women, in a short span of two weeks. Life was good.
Dare slowly stood, turning to face his wife as she returned. A wide, happy smile was on his face as he looked at her. “You alright, baby? Maybe we should take you to see a doctor.”
“Yeah, Mama, you should go see a doctor.” With another patented solemn nod, Maria slipped one hand into her father’s, clutching her bear with her other arm. Both father and daughter stood looking at Connie, their heads cocking in similar ways. “But now that Daddy’s here, I can finally learn hockey!”
Oh yeah, life was good. Daddy. Jesus, forget being pussy whipped; he was a slave to two women.
Sliding an arm around his wife’s waist, he nodded toward the terminal, hiding his face in her hair for a minute as a shuddering breath tore through him. “Let’s get out of here, babe, before I break down and bawl like a pansy.”
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Connie Buchannon
*Civilian*
Aka, 'Mrs. Butcher,' and one of the toughest ladies on the block. She's street smart, won't hesitate to protect her family...and is current driving her ex-gangster hubby insane. But he don't mind: if it's off to Lala Land for him, why not get sent by a beauty like his Connie?
Livin' La Vida Loca
Posts: 93
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Post by Connie Buchannon on Jan 10, 2010 18:35:14 GMT -5
ConnieConnie had caught the tail end of the exchange as she had come up upon them. Her heart just melted, seeing the father and daughter together. Connie couldn't help but smile when they both had similar looks on their faces when they suggested she needed to see a doctor. Rolling her eyes she looked at them both with a smile. "No, I'm fine. I think it's just been a lot of things going on for the last few weeks. Everything is OK." Connie almost busted out into tears again when she saw Maria grasp hold of Dare's hand. She had to blink a couple times, the smile widening on her face. Then she actually laughed as Marie made an enthusiastic declaration about being able to play hockey finally. She shook her head, giving them both a soft look. A quiet sigh, she wanted to hold onto this moment. It was a good one.
The next thing she knew Dare was ushering them out of the airport. Connie on one side of him, Maria holding his hand on the other. She could hear the emotion in his voice when he spoke, she ran a hand through his hair and kissed the top of his head as they walked.
Having retrieved Maria's bags they loaded up the trunk of the Camaro. Connie got Maria buckled up and settled into the back seat and then slid into the passenger seat. Off they went, heading back to the hotel. Connie hadn't wanted to bring Maria home while they were still living in the hotel, but she hadn't wanted to miss Christmas either. So they had upgraded their room to a suite so there was more space and Maria would have her own room.
The ride to the hotel was filled with small talk and chit chat. Before they knew it they had pulled into the hotel drive. The three of them piled out of the car. Letting a bellman handle the bags they took the elevator up to their suite of rooms. The bellman opened the door for them and unloaded the bags. Connie bent down and wrapped an arm around Maria and spoke to her. "I know it might be a little weird to live in a hotel, but it won't be for very long. It's just temporary. Daddy found us a really great place to live, it just needs a little bit of fixing up before we move in. So for right now this is home." Connie glanced over to Dare. Giving him a tentative smile. The nerves were setting in again. So far everything had gone well. But now they had to set about the task of actually living together. All three of them. It was going to be an adjustment. Not to mention, it was Christmas... A special day... Their first Christmas together as a family again. She wanted it to be perfect.
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Darien Buchannon ☠
Admin
Unique Storm Caller The gangbanger, penitent murderer and all around nice guy... who's being driven insane by Connie. But he loves it.
I make the gang life look good...
Posts: 143
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Post by Darien Buchannon ☠ on Jan 11, 2010 23:53:14 GMT -5
Returning Connie’s smile with a gentle one of his own, Dare bent down to scoop Maria up into his arms. Man, did it feel good to hold his little girl…and everything was made 100% better when she didn’t start squirming or stiffening like he was expecting. Talk about a strong kid; she didn’t even flinch when she was told he was her father. It started to make a guy wonder if she’d already known, somehow. Was it some kind of nature/nurture thing? Like a kid could remember his mother, even though he didn’t see her for half his life? Or did she go and google him? Either way, he was damn happy. “Yeah, Daddy has a lot of work to do,” He said, looking down at his daughter’s smiling face. “But while you’re here, you’re gonna be like a princess living in a castle. Would you like that?” Maria nodded, her eyes glancing from his face, to Connie’s. A mischievous smile slid onto Dare’s face as she started to wiggle in his arms and, strolling over to the bed, pretended to start growling like an animal. “But you know what that means! If you’re a princess, there has to be an evil, hairy troll! AAAARGHMWAHA!” With his best ‘Doctor Evil laugh,’ he tossed Maria onto the bed and leapt in after her, laughing himself at his daughter’s happy squeal. She scrambled on the large bed, laughing and screaming ‘troll, troll!’ as she fought to get to her mother. But, before she could get far, he flipped her over, still growling as he picked up her shirt and raspberried his lips on her stomach. After a few more minutes of playing, Dare flopped onto his back with a groan. “Okay…the troll is breathless now. I think the room’s spinning…somebody stop the ride, I want to get off.” Still laughing, Maria ran over to her mother, tugging her arm until they were both on the bed. Turning his head to look at them, he slid his arms under his neck and grinned. There was unpacking to do, issues to cover and phone calls to make…but hell if he wasn’t content to lie there and watch his family. Ah, there it was again; his family. It was like some kind of beautiful song in his head, the idea that he had people around who actually wanted him there for reasons other than their own gain. He was definitely going to get soft on this route, but damn, he could care less. As the thought passed through his mind, another shot into his head. With an exclamation, he shot up and off of the bed, calling out a ‘wait right there!’ as he ran to the large wardrobe on the other side of the room. Throwing the doors open, he shoved his head inside until his butt was wagging in the wind, the sounds of hangers moving and boxes falling over muffled under random muttering. Then, with a sound of success, he popped back out of the closet and returned with two Tiffany’s boxes. Yep, that was the extent of his life savings: a broken down building, a car, two Tiffany’s boxes…and a new life. His smile wide and eyes dancing, he gave each of his women their own box. “Merry Christmas, guys,” He said, plopping back onto the bed to watch them. “Here’s something for both my princesses.”
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Connie Buchannon
*Civilian*
Aka, 'Mrs. Butcher,' and one of the toughest ladies on the block. She's street smart, won't hesitate to protect her family...and is current driving her ex-gangster hubby insane. But he don't mind: if it's off to Lala Land for him, why not get sent by a beauty like his Connie?
Livin' La Vida Loca
Posts: 93
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Post by Connie Buchannon on Jan 12, 2010 14:49:58 GMT -5
ConnieConnie looked on as Dare and Maria played. Screams of delight, loud laughter and giggles came from the pair. The smile on Connie's face was so wide it really was starting to make her face sore. But she couldn't help it. She was glad that Maria had taken to Dare so quickly. Though she really shouldn't have been surprised, Maria was a smart girl, it wasn't in her nature to pass judgment on someone without reason. Besides, what little girl didn't want to have their daddy around? Someone to go to when mama was laying down the law. Connie could see it already.
Connie laughed when Dare rolled over and declared he had exhausted himself. She let herself be pulled over to the bed with Maria. Kicking off her shoes she sat on the bed and put her arms around her daughter, looking over at Dare. Well, this was something... The three of them together, enjoying a family moment. It was a pretty great Christmas present she thought to herself.
Raising a quizzical eyebrow as Dare sprang from the bed. She shrugged her shoulders when Maria asked what he was doing. Connie had no idea herself. After a few minutes of digging through the wardrobe Dare emerged with two very distinctive blue boxes. Connie looked at him, her mouth slightly agape, wondering what he was up to. The boxes were too big to be normal jewelry items, but there were lots of things you could get from Tiffany's these days. “Merry Christmas, guys,”
“Here’s something for both my princesses.” Connie continued to eye him. Then looked over at Maria who was holding the box like it was some kind of amazing prize she had just won. Grinning at her daughter she gave her a little poke. "Well... Let's open them girl. Daddy gave us presents!" Glancing at Maria to make sure she was following suit, Connie carefully went about opening the box. She blinked a few times at what she saw inside. Peering back up at Dare she let out a puff of breath from the surprise. "Oh my God, Dare, what did you do?" Connie looked over and could see that Maria had a very similar gift in her box. Lifting the sparkling object out of the box, she took a close look at it. It was actually a friggin' diamond tiara. Another deep breath and she shook her head in amazement. Smiling over at Maria she set the tiara on her head. "Princesses huh? You think I could wear this while working at the casino? Make them all bow down before me and kiss my feet or something?" Connie giggled a little at that one. Wouldn't that be interesting. Leaning over, her hand still holding the tiara on top of her head, she kissed Dare softly on the lips. "Thank you baby, it's beautiful. I'm not sure exactly where I can wear it, but I think Maria and I can have fun playing princesses around the house." Leaning against him, she wrapped an arm around him as they sat there on the bed. Then she tugged Maria over and pulled her into a hug. The three of them snuggling together in bed. That hadn't happened in a very long time. It did bring up good memories though. A much smaller Maria crawling into bed with them early in the morning before they had even woken up. Yeah... this was nice.
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Darien Buchannon ☠
Admin
Unique Storm Caller The gangbanger, penitent murderer and all around nice guy... who's being driven insane by Connie. But he loves it.
I make the gang life look good...
Posts: 143
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Post by Darien Buchannon ☠ on Jan 13, 2010 0:56:58 GMT -5
Dare was, in a word, content. Lying there, with his arms around his two favorite ladies in the whole goddamn world, listening to his daughter squeal and coo over the 'sparkly jewels' while Connie snuggled against him, her familiar scent making him wish that the room had adjoining rooms...
Yeah, this was Heaven. After living so long on his own, convinced that he was better off living on the edge and dying early, having a family who loved him was like a breath of fresh air. Sure, there was gonna be problems- he wasn't that much of an idiot that he didn't realize that shit to be true enough- and Maria's easy acceptance of his presence...there was sure to be some awkwardness on both of their parts, understanding or no. And hell if the past wasn't going to rear its ugly head up and bite them on the ass if given enough time, not to mention that Pops probably wasn't about to let his son get out of his sight, the paranoid bastard...
With a sigh, Dare turned his head to bury his face in his wife's hair. He took a deep breath, taking in the sweet smell of hotel shampoo and Connie, and forced the thoughts away. Maria jumped up, saying something about hotel movies and wanting to watch the new Princess cartoon and, ever the indulgent father, the ex-gangster was quick to give her what she wanted. With a happy sound as the movie started up, the girl hurried over to a couch close to the tv and snuggled up into the cushions. Leaving his wife for a minute, he strolled over to where Maria sat, tucking an extra blanket around her shoulders. Then, bending over a bit, he placed a kiss on her forehead, under the sparkling tiara.
Once back in bed, he turned to Connie with another wide grin, pulling her back on the bed with him until he sat with his back to the headboard, with her sitting between his up drawn knees, her back to his front. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he leaned forward until his chin rested on her shoulder.
"I think I'm a slave to two beautiful women," He said with a grin. "And now everyone will know why, with those tiaras. They're a bit much, huh? But I saw 'em a few days ago when I was out with the realtor, and...I dunno. I just thought my girls could use some diamonds as best friends," He laughed at her casino comment, shaking his head a bit. "Babe, if they don't kiss your feet on principle, I'll beat the shit outta 'em. Everyone should know that you're the Queen of the castle, or they're life is forefeit."
He nuzzled her neck, sighing into the warmth of her shoulder. The cartoon music played softly in the quiet room, making the moment almost fantastical.
And man, did he hope that the fantasy would never end. ----
Six weeks and more happy days than his black little heart could count later, Dare stood in front of his Camaro, the first actual legit car he'd had...well, hell, EVER and eyed the almost empty trunk. One would think that transporting two women would have made the thing filled to capacity...but, just like everything about the Buchannon family, both Connie and Maria were different in their ability to pack light. Maybe it was the anticipation of emptying his apartment, in an attempt to make New Orleans their new home? Or the fact that neither owned enough to warrent a full trunk...either way, Dare was sure that this spelled trouble, in some way.
Man, he was not looking forward to going back home, his apartment or no. Something in his gut was telling him that it was a bad idea, that he was better off staying right where he was and soaking up the love and affection that he was getting...but responsibility had him closing the drunk and moving for the driver's side door. He had to go check on the boys, make sure that Pops hadn't killed them off on suspicion of treason. Then he had to go and talk to the man himself; let him know that he wasn't about to build up a rival empire on the West Coast, but rather raise his family and settle down. He'd keep quiet about the casino- damn, note to self: have a talk with Maria before going to see Grandpa- and maybe the garage, too...but hell, he owed all of them one last meeting.
Even if his inner voice was practically screaming at him to stay where it's safe. Then again, when did Dare Buchannon ever take the practical road?
Leaning against the side of the car, he reached through the window and honked the horn a few times. The hotel doorman and a couple hobnobs glared at him down their long noses, and he ignored them with a practiced ease.
After their Christmas reunion, his days had been spent restoring the garage and working on some local contacts for their casino project. It was hard work, both mentally and physically- who knew that there was so much red tape for gambling that would have to be covered over somehow?- and man, was it hard to come home and force himself to play with his daughter...but hell, who was he kidding? One look at that cherub face of hers, and he was lost in a sea of utter devotion. He practically cleaned out the local toy store, buying games, dolls, girly things and other things for her to play with while in the hotel and even went so far to bribe a few of the staff to cater to her every whim when Mommy and Daddy were out working.
And when he came home, tired, dirty and wanting nothing more to crawl into bed with his blankets and Connie, one glance at his daughter had him playing Shoots and Ladders until midnight, or sitting calmly on the floor while he allowed himself to be a make up guinnea pig.
Ah, family; a guy had to love it. Grinning at the thought, he gave the horn one last honk before calling out;
"Connie, Maria! Your chariot awaits!"
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