17 : Fighting It

                                    

                                          

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
                          
A/N: The following chapter contains mature themes and topics some may find triggering. 
                          
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"She's working for you?" Daddy Lorek whispers across the table. Goddammit. "Why didn't you tell us?"
                          
"Because it's none of your business," Remy explains. He'd never throw me under the bus, even if it meant he'd have to take the hit.
                          
"Maggie," Daddy Lorek scolds me. "How could you let him convince you to do this?"
                          
I roll my eyes and continue to chew, not intending to dignify that with a response. "She's a big girl now, Dad," Remy taunts. "She can make decisions all on her own."
                          
Daddy Lorek looks right at me and shakes his head in disappointment, his brow furrowed with sadness. He has never gotten angry with me, but he is the master of guilt tripping. "You know what your father did ... Then you decide to do this?" he asks.
                          
I take a breath, trying to remain as calm as possible. "It has nothing to do with that. I'm trying to make a new life for myself, by myself," I tell him. "I'm twenty years old with zero work experience. Tell me how any other job is going to make me the same money."
                          
"There are options. You just have to try a little harder."
                          
"A little harder?" I say with a laugh. "I bring home more than six grand a month," I admit proudly. "I know that there are girls who don't have a choice -- I know that better than anyone. But I am not one of them."
                          
"That's --" he starts to scold me, but is interrupted by our waiter.
                          
"I'm sorry, but we've been receiving a lot of complaints this evening," he whispers as he leans onto the back of Daddy Lorek's chair. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you all to leave."
                          
I saw that one coming.
                          
We stand and Remy apologizes all over himself, opening his wallet and dropping far too many bills onto the table. I glare at Elliot who smiles with his evil accomplishment. I want to punch him right in his stupid, fucking mouth.
                          
We make our way out of the restaurant and towards the elevator where we stand in pregnant silence next to other patrons. Once we are in the small confines of the elevator, the annoying scene becomes harder to ignore. Mama sniffles like she's crying, Elliot smiles while he pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. I know damn well this isn't over, and I don't have the patience to see where it ends up.
                          
"We are going to discuss this," Daddy Lorek says, his arms crossed. Like hell we are. 
                          
The doors open to the garage and Elliot laughs. "What is there to discuss?" Elliot says as he places the cigarette between his lips and takes out his lighter. "Once a whore always a whore," he mumbles.
                          
Remy sneers and pushes his shoulder hard. Elliot stumbles forward and drops his lighter. He turns around angrily and starts to charge at Remy, but Daddy Lorek steps in the way. "I have had enough of this!" he says in a stern voice. "We are talking about this and we are doing it right now."