[IC] Everything has a price [Suki & BuzzingBee]

[sukikyoufu]

Regis had recently come to power as a politician, he was now the Mayor of a city state, something he had always wanted in his life. Since his ‘promotion’ there had been a lot of talk at how quickly he had managed to gain support, as well as how he had managed to get the position when others had spent far more years campaigning for this. They were all valid questions, but no one seemed to know the answer. Regis wasn’t the eldest running in the campaign, of course there had been others with more experience, but he was reaching the age 50, hair turning silver in places. The people seemed to like him but as with all politicians they knew how to appease the masses. Promises had been made but not only to the public but to something more sinister behind closed doors. Regis knew he had no hope when it came to winning this campaign but he felt he deserved it, why should someone else run the city? To him it was absurd, and he was quite the stern man, not above the law when it came to what he wanted so he had made a deal.

A deal that he knew deep down he would live to regret.

Sighing heavily to himself as he was sat at his new desk within his office, he pushed some papers aside, it was something to do with plans for a new school. He would worry about that later. Grey eyes glanced to clock that sat just next to a photo of his daughter and his late wife. They will be here soon. Thoughts ran through his mind as he was about to meet with the one that had handed him this position on a silver platter, although he didn’t look it, he felt nervous. He hadn’t been able to pay them back in the agreed time frame and he knew what happened to those who couldn’t.

“Father, your Eight PM appointment is here.”

Hearing the buzzer of the phone from his desk and the sound of his daughter’s voice he sighed heavily as he reached down to his cabinet pulling out a bottle of whiskey. This would require a stiff drink. “Send them in.”

Looking up he saw three figures enter and the silhouette of his daughter leave. This was a later appointment than usual, but he knew she would wait for him to return home. “Good evening, I trust the journey was well?” Even as he spoke, he felt the small talk approach had been stupid, of course he could be polite but at the end of the day he needed to pay them back their money as agreed. “I… drink?” Pouring out some more whiskey for his newly arrived guests he only felt like he was stalling for the inevitable.

“I need more time, I honestly thought I’d have the funds to you by now.” His voice was a whisper but he knew there was no use for excuses. It was better to discuss it sooner rather than later.

Without even saying thanks Evan moved forward picking up a glass of whiskey himself, giving it a sniff, he could tell it wasn’t the cheap kind. Taking a sip of the liquid he moved back slightly to lean against the wall, sure he was the right-hand man to his boss, but he never meddled when it came to the important clients. The littler ones sure, he would deal with but then that sort of money was only even in the thousands but this debt. This was higher. It had taken a lot of resourcing to get this position secured, Evan had remembered how much of a pain it had been for him to do. “Although we have money to spend on… what would you say? Around a £500 bottle of whiskey?” He was only guessing but when he had tasted the drink it was clear this was fine quality.

“A-Ah! That is… well a necessity to please the more, higher clients!” Regis hid the shock at how one of the members who had been bought along had guessed the price of his whiskey. He could feel himself getting rather hot under the collar but he kept his composure, he couldn’t show them any form of weakness.

[BuzzingBee]

Well it was that time again. Not eight pm but rather time to shake down another fool who had chosen to strike up a deal with him. This particular fool was in quite a bit of debt too. It had taken a lot of work and tampering to get Regis to his position of mayor of a city state. Damian usually didn't like to get too involved with the government, aside from making sure the police understood the real rules when it came to dealing with his family. This election, however, had had quite a few enemies in them. The other candidates were vipers that hoped to undermine his youthful rule after the passing of his father two years ago. Perhaps scheduling them for untimely deaths would have been easier—it certainly would have been the direction his father would have gone—but the young leader found an opportunity for far less bloodshed and much more money.

Damian walked casually into the room, dipping his head to the pretty blonde that had escorted them. He moved to position himself in between the two companions he had brought with him that night. His two most trusted members, which were of course Evan and Rowan. While he normally didn't take his sister with him, he had saw no harm in bringing her to this particular meeting. After all, he was just going to collect his money and go. That was the plan at least.

His gaze fell on the politician, watching the man with a keen eye. Having seen many situations similar to this one play out, the leader barely needed to hear the whisper that escaped Regis. Of course he doesn't. he thought in mild annoyance. This politician had just made his job a lot more difficult than he wanted to admit. With only two years of leading under his belt, he couldn't allow himself to be too soft on the man that had cost him and his gang a pretty penny. There would have to be consequences.

As Evan pointed out the cost of the whiskey, Damian let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, Regis I think I understand why you were polling so low before.. A mayor who doesn't even know how to budget is just a shame." The leader crossed his arms over his chest and looked over at the older man. "Now, I believe I gave you a fair amount of time to draw up the funds. I would extend your time but,I'm a busy man Regis and I can't keep coming back here to shake you down for money. So either you figure out a way pay me back, or," A dangerous gleam sparked in the leader's gaze as he narrowed his dark eyes on the politician. "you'll have much more to worry about that losing an election."

[sukikyoufu]

“Doesn’t know how to budget!?” Regis was about to bite, to retort but stopped before he made things worse. Sighing heavily, he placed his head in his hands, listening to the words Damian spoke to him. It wasn’t a lie because he had been given a fair amount of time to pay it back, but he had still fallen short. “Look, I can put my house on the market. It will sell and then you will have your money.”

“It’s not easy to sell a house, it can take time. The market isn’t too great right now.” Evan stated simply as he looked at the liquid in his glass before taking another sip. “It would mean another visit just to shake you down for that money.”

“Look I know I signed a contract, I agreed to the terms.” Closing his eyes as he thought on what he could do, what would he want other than money? Tapping his fingers against the wood on his desk he looked at the files that were spread across of different things he was meant to be doing with the city. “Simply put. I can’t get you the money today.” The threat didn’t go unnoticed, he felt the fear in him at the comment because he knew he was messing with the wrong people. This whole meeting had been on his mind for the past couple of days because he had no idea on how to pay them back.

“What do you suggest I do? Give you something of value?” Opening the draw to his desk he pulled out an old looking box, it held a ring inside one that had belonged to her mother. It had been passed down the family, so it held some value, not enough to pay his debt but it was a start. Sighing slightly at the thought he pushed the box over the desk before looking at Damian. “This ring has some value to it, it was meant to go to my daughter but I think this takes priority…” Leaning back in his chair he kept his eyes on Damian, watching his every move as if he was about to suddenly jump at him. “Unless you want her as a form of payment.” Chuckling at the idea it was only ever meant as a joke until he truly thought on it. Could he use her to get away from his debt? Surely if it was considered she could keep him afloat with the debt he owed as well as protection. Could that work maybe? It seemed quite a far-fetched idea. “Joking aside, if you’d prefer payment in other terms than money. I would be willing to offer you my daughter.”

Evan looked up slightly shocked at the idea of using humans as a form of payment of a debt, usually when put into a corner they always coughed up some sort of money, but Regis had not budged. He was either playing a very clever game or a dangerous one at that. Glancing towards Damian he wondered just exactly how he would react to that before he glanced towards Rowan who had accompanied them this time.

[BuzzingBee]

Damian let out a sigh as the mayor tried to suggest selling his home as a way to get the money. Luckily he didn't have to inform the man that it wasn't an option as Evan spoke up. He glanced towards his right hand and gave a nod of agreement before looking back to Regis as the other man as he said her couldn't get him the money. "Well that's certainly a shame." the leader said with a disappointed sigh. If the mayor didn't budge soon and produce their money, it would cause for quite an amount of problems.

As Regis produced a small ring bow, he looked over curiously and reached across the table to pick it up. He opened the box and eyed the ring inside. It was a decent ring. It'd likely go for a decent price but it certainly wouldn't pay off all that he owed them. At the mayor's joke about using his daughter as payment, Damian glanced up from the ring to look at him, his expression lacking whatever amusement Regis found in it. He closed the small box and opened his mouth to insist for payment once more. Afterall, he had a feeling this man was just being stubborn about finding a way to give him his full payment and Damian had no intention of going easy on him. Not when the eyes of his family and other members would be on him after speaking with such a big client.

However, he wasn't able to respond before Regis suddenly gave him another offer. Damian had seen many methods of bargaining in his life, both during his short time as leader as well as under the orders of his father, but he had never had such an offer. Having a father offer his own daughter as payment, caught the normally unflinching leader off guard and for a moment he just stared at Regis, as if unsure to take it as a serious off or as another joke. As tense silence followed, he realized that the man was actually serious about pawning off his daughter.

"What the hell kind of medieval bullshit are you suggesting?" Rowan scoffed from Damian's left, being the first to break the silence as she narrowed her gaze on Regis. She glanced over at her brother and then Evan, looking for support. She hadn't been on many jobs with her brother before but surely such an offer was ridiculous. Her family may have not had the best record but they were at least above using people like that, right? The sister look over at her brother again and frowned a little as he remained silent on the matter. The look in his eyes told her that the wheels were turning in his head. Some type of plan was being formed and she wasn't quite sure that she liked it.

"I must say it's not an offer I've heard before. It's quite cold to use your own daughter as a payment. Not a thing most fathers do." Damian said with a chuckle. He looked at Regis, meeting his gaze with a dangerous smirk. "That being said, she was the pretty blonde that showed us inside correct? If you're serious, then sure. I'll take her."

"Damian you can't be serious!" Rowan gawked.

Damian waved his hand dismissively at her. "It's business, Rowan, just stay out of it." he advised her as he held the mayor's gaze. "So what do you say? Have we reached an agreement?" By saying yes to the deal, Damian would either be calling his bluff or would end up taking the man's daughter. He was hoping it was a bluff. He didn't really want to take this man's daughter, especially when the poor girl had nothing to do with her father's terrible decisions. However, if he was serious, Damian didn't plan to back down either. Though it wasn't right, he'd keep to his word and take her as it would give him reason enough to prevent any bloodshed.

[sukikyoufu]

Regis watched as Damin considered the offer, he glanced towards Rowan at her outburst and he agreed. They weren’t in the old times, paying off people with children was the thing of past. If he was honest a part of him was trying to call his bluff, to see if he would back down and give him more time for payment. It had certainly caught him off guard. Whilst Regis thought more into it if he was to use his daughter as a means of payment it meant that it might be more beneficial for him, that’s if it worked out of course. There was every concern that she would kick up a fuss but surely, she knew what was on the line here, his job. His safety and hers if she didn’t go along with it.

Glancing back to Damian as he began to contemplate the deal, hearing it in actual words back to him it sounded silly. Using his daughter? Frowning at the idea of being cold for using his daughter in such a way, he hadn’t considered her feelings when it came to this matter. It almost looked as if he would hesitate, as if he would back down from this. Sighing heavily as he looked outside seeing the night sky, this would change everything, and he wasn’t sure if it would be for the better. “Sure, we have a deal.” Smiling over at Damian he held out his hand offering a handshake to seal it. Perhaps Damian wouldn’t take it, perhaps he would then back down from it and more time would be given for payment.

“What!?” Evan looked furious at the idea, “Damian you can’t! This is barbaric!” He honestly looked outraged at the idea that they were paying with people. “What of your daughters’ feelings? This is her life you are handing away.” He felt his heart hammer in his chest, this wasn’t right. This wasn’t the right kind of deal they should make. Looking from Rowan to her brother even she couldn’t make him see sense over this.

“My daughter will understand; this is business after all.” Regis stated calmly. Not once did he look away from Damian. He didn’t dare break eye contact. “Unless you wish to extend my time this is the only way I can pay you.” Regis was quite the stubborn man and it seemed that Damian was the same also, they had come to a sort of stalemate neither backing down.

“Damian, think about this.” Evan sighed as he rubbed his head, fingers running through his hair as he grimaced at the idea. “What would you even do with her?” He was grasping at straws trying to get one of them to think on what kind of deal they were making, this involved someone else who had the right to free will. “How cruel do you have to be to give your daughter away? You haven’t even taken the time to think this through, think of her. We’re not people to be trifled with and you want your only child to be a part of that?” He wasn’t exactly dissing the lifestyle; he wouldn’t dare with their leader in the room but he just hoped that one of them would see some sort of sense. Rowan was clearly the only sane person in this room other than himself.

[BuzzingBee]

Damian bit back a frown as Regis agreed to the deal and extended his hand. If the man was bluffing, he was about to make a big mistake. And if he wasn't, well, the leader was beginning to think there was a man colder than himself after all. Regardless, he had every intention of taking the mayor's offer. He was just about to reach for his hand when Evan suddenly gave an outburst. Damian side glanced at his second before looking back to the mayor's gaze, holding it evenly. He didn't like how the man suggested extending his time to pay them back again. It only made the leader more certain of his decision.

"I'm sure I'll figure out some use for her." Damian shrugged his shoulders and then smirked crudely at Regis, before tauntingly adding, "My family will probably be expecting me to marry soon so this will provided the perfect opportunity." He reached out and shook Regis hand firmly, solidifying the deal.

Rowan stared in disbelief. Her brother had done plenty of bad things in the past but surely this was the topper. "I can't believe you two!" she spat furiously. "Her own father! And you!" she turned on Damian, curling her lip at her brother. "Take it back right now!"

Damian let go of Regis' hand and turned to look over at his sister, unflinchingly. "This is just part of the business... And I won't have anyone telling me what to do. That goes for both of you." he growled warningly, casting a glance at Evan as well. "This is the best option for everyone involved."

Rowan huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Except for that poor girl." she grumbled under her breath. She wanted to protest further but knowing her brother, it was useless. Once he made a decision, it was damn near impossible to change his mind. Plus she didn't want to give him further reason to keep her from helping with other jobs. It was her first time out in a while after all. The most she could do now was just sit back and help the innocent girl adjust to this decision she had no part of.

Damian turned his attention back to Regis, ignoring Rowan's side comment. "Now then, if that settles everything, call her in would you? I'd like to get home soon and now that I know we're going to have to make a stop at your house to collect her belongings, I'd rather not stick around much longer." he said casually.

[sukikyoufu]

Regis looked over at what he believed to be his sister and he felt the anger behind the words she spoke, her own father… Well it had been done and he couldn’t take it back now. He was a stubborn old man.

Evan sighed himself when the deal had gone through, he looked down as Damian had warned him and he knew he could not argue this anymore. Closing his eyes, he felt horrible at the idea of this girl being brought in to be told she was being pawned off. Sold off by her father as if it was business.

Raising his hand Regis moved it to the phone on his desk, pressing the buzzer “Iris, please come in here.” His voice was calm, collected like nothing was wrong. Even though his exterior showed nothing wrong inside he was nervous for her reaction, this could go one of two ways and he feared the outburst. He wished he could have a few moments with her to explain but the fact he had wanted her brought in straight away it meant he would not have the time he wanted.

Confused as to why she had been called inside on one of his meetings Iris had knocked on the door gently before entering. “You called?” Glancing towards the other people in the room she couldn’t help but notice the girl and boy who were stood seemed agitated over something. Moving inside further she stood at the side of her fathers’ desk with a small smile, she was a little nervous when it came to his meetings because usually she was never a part of it so this was quite out of character.
“Iris, this is Damian.” Regis stated simply as he gestured towards the male on the seat opposite him.
“Oh, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Iris smiled towards Damian; she went to hold out her hand to shake as a form of greeting but hesitated when her father spoke up again.

“It has been decided you will go with him; a deal has been made and you were the prize so to speak.” His voice sounded cold but there was no easy way to put it.

“E-Excuse me?” Her voice stuttered slightly as she took a step back without even realising it. The smile had dropped from her face as she looked at her father astounded.

Closing his eyes before he looked back at his daughter, he knew this would be difficult but at the same time he couldn’t have everything on the line because she wouldn’t comply. “Damian has been kind to us, he has assisted with my work. Ensured our safety and stability. In return you will do as your told and not cause trouble.” His voice was slightly threatening as he was trying to explain to her that no matter what this would happen. “You will be going with him; he has agreed to stop by your house to collect your belongings.”

Stiffening at his words she bit back her retort, hands curled into fists slightly angered by this whole situation. How could he do this to her? How could this happen? Collect her belongings? She couldn’t believe this was happening. Surely it was some sort of bad dream and she would wake at any moment. Biting her lip she folded her arms to hide the fists, to hide the trembles because she didn’t know what was going to happen next.

[BuzzingBee]

With Regis' compliance, the deal was set and Damian honestly wasn't sure how to feel about it. He had agreed to it, even pushed the man to this point, but that didn't mean he was exactly proud to be accepting another human being, especially one that had been an innocent bystander, to pay off a debt. At least it had saved him from hurting anyone though and in the eyes of his family, they likely wouldn't even flinch at the news of him taking this man's daughter. The only two that would disapprove were likely the two besides him in that moment.

As he buzzed his daughter into the room, Damian turned his head to watch as Iris stepped into the room. He dipped his head to her as the mayor introduced them. The leader remained quiet, watching her react to the harsh news of being pawned off to him. Once the situation had been explained, Damian rose from his seat. "Yes, unfortunately your father owed me a great debt... One he failed to pay off so you'll be coming with me." he explained with a careless shrug.

Damian paused and glanced over his shoulder at the other two. "Evan, take Rowan with you and take her back home. I'd like to have a room set up for Iris here once we arrive." he explained.

Rowan glared hostilely at her brother and begrudgingly rose to her feet to follow his orders. "Fine.." she grumbled taking a step towards the door. She paused by her brother's side and gave his arm a pinch. "Just don't be a complete asshat." she added before shifting her gaze onto Iris. Her expression softened to one of pity. Unable to do anything more for her at the moment though, she instead shifted her gaze onto Evan. "Ready to go?" she asked with sigh.

Pleased that Rowan seemed to comply despite her comment, Damian focused his gaze onto Iris. His expression was rather cold, seeming uncaring about the situation. "If you'd like, I can step out of the room for a moment if you'd like to say goodbye." he offered, tipping his head towards Regis. "It'll likely be quite a while before you see him again."

[sukikyoufu]

Evan sighed heavily but nodded at the orders, he held open the door for Rowan so they could head back home and prepare a room as requested. “Yeah, come on then.” Shaking his head as he walked down the hall and headed outside to one of the cars, “What is he playing at?” He looked back to Rowan, a concerned look on his face as he was still quite shocked over the whole ordeal. “I feel bad, surely this isn’t serious. Perhaps he will even go back on his word? I mean that’s highly unlikely.”

Grimacing he felt the cool breeze outside, and he ran his fingers through his hair once more. He couldn’t quite register what had just gone on. “To sell your daughter like that too… ouch.” Getting out the keys from his pocket he unlocked the car. Before getting in himself he held open the door for Rowan, regardless of how he felt he was still a gentleman. “So… well I know he said prepare a room but what will it need?” Starting up the engine he headed off in the car with Rowan still unsure on what had happened.

Regis lifted his head looking over at Damian as he mentioned a private moment to say goodbye, “Thank you.” It was nice he was offering the kindness of a private goodbye, though he did want to question on the comment of it being a while until he saw his daughter again. Hearing the door click meaning they were alone he turned to his daughter to say something but stopped.

“I don’t care what debt you had, what it took to get this job, but I would give it all up rather than sell out my own family.” Her voice was calm even though inside she was fuming, she couldn’t believe he had done this. “You have thrown my life away, everything I have worked for because you couldn’t keep up your promises.” Shaking her head, she turned her back on her father, she couldn’t look at him. She honestly felt betrayed.

“You have to understand I did this for us.” Regis sighed as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

“You did this for you.” Pushing his hand away as she moved to the door, she was trying her best not to let herself break down over this whole situation. Without even saying goodbye she left the room letting the door slam behind her as she moved to where her own desk was just down the hall, she kept her head held high as she left a stunned looking Regis behind. Opening up her desk drawer she picked up her phone and grabbed her bag, her heart was still hammering away as she didn’t really know what would happen now.

[BuzzingBee]

Rowan nodded her head and stepped out of the room as he held the door open for her. She began to walk down the hall, clenching her fists at her side as she was still quite frustrated by the situation. As Evan addressed her, she looked over at him and shrugged her shoulders. "Hell if I know." she responded and then shook her head. "He's definitely serious about this though... I just can't believe my brother would actually do such a thing. I know he can be cruel but usually it's just towards the people that crossed him.."

He wasn't like their father, Rowan knew that as well as Damian did. It didn't matter to him who he hurt so long as he got his money and power. Rowan thought Damian at least took that into some consideration. Perhaps she had been wrong though. Stepping outside, she shivered, more so because of her thoughts rather than the actual cold. She glanced at Evan and gave a mutter of agreement. She supposed that aspect of it wasn't as surprising. Just because you shared blood with someone didn't mean they'd value you more than themselves or their money.

She slipped into the car and leaned her head back against the seat as she took in it all, nothing making sense to her. As Evan spoke up again, she shrugged her shoulders. "Well, most of the guest rooms that are furnished are being used right now so we'll probably have to get out one of the blow up mattress' we have." she groaned. "It's too late to go buy a bed. Aside from that I have no idea. Just clean it up I guess. Honestly I think he just wanted to get rid of us!"

---

Damian stepped out of the room to let the two talk. He wasn't sure if they exactly had any nice parting words to say to each other but it was the most he could give them. After all, once she left with him, it wouldn't be long before news got around about the transaction that was just made to the other gangs within the city. He checked the watch on his wrist and let out a tired sigh. It seemed he'd be having a late night.

Barely a moment later, the door suddenly swung open and slammed shut. He blinked and looked over to see that Iris had emerged from the office and was storming off to collect her things. He studied her for a moment before making his way over to her. "Seems like you're ready to go then." he mused. "Let's go." He turned to begin to lead the way out of the building, fishing for the keys to his car in his pocket.

"We'll discuss this situation more once we're on the road.. Oh and I already know where your home is." Damian looked over at her and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he pulled open the car door for her. "My people keep track of my client's families and with your father giving us such a big job, word got back to me of course."

[sukikyoufu]

Evan nodded in agreement, “Yeah… although I don’t think either of them really wanted that sort of deal. It looks like two stubborn people not backing down.” Shrugging slightly, he leaned back in his chair as he continued to drive on, “I thought as much, most of the rooms were being used so it doesn’t leave us with many options.” Tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as he looked at the roads ahead, sighing as he saw a spot of rain hit the windshield. “I bet you five bucks she tries to run in the night.” Giving her a smile, he wanted to make it a bit more light-hearted and betting always brightened the mood. Who didn’t love a good bet?

Reaching his hand out to the air con he turned up the heating as the windshield wipers began to move, squeaking with each motion as the rain became heavier on the drive. “Any reason he brought you along to this deal?” Glancing at her briefly before turning his attention back to the road, “Usually he doesn’t bring anyone along. Well depends on the meeting I suppose but yeah…” The car journey wouldn’t take them too long as long as traffic was good, or there weren’t any road incidents as Evan could be quite the hot head when it came to silly drivers. There had been this one time he had ranted a three-hour journey all because someone had cut him up on a roundabout, everyone had heard that story and not dared to mention it for fear he’d go off into another rant about it.

“Have you eaten? I could swing by a fast food place on the way.” It was fairly late especially after that meeting and even though Evan had eaten, he could always go for more. He quite enjoyed his food, but it was also a good excuse if Rowan hadn’t had anything either. He was sure they would make it back in time to prepare a room seeing as Damian had stated about picking up some stuff for the girl.

---

It was hard to figure out what she should say to him, how she should even respond. Everything seemed quite confusing but at least she remembered basic functions like getting her stuff and following. What do you really say to someone who had gotten you in some sort of deal? Following him to the car she looked back at the office for what she thought would be the last time, she could see the silhouette of a man at a window looking as if they were staring at them and she could only assume it was her father. “Oh.. uh thanks.” Taken from her thoughts as he had opened the door for her, she moved inside the car, she couldn’t help but be polite as that was how she had been raised.

“Of course you do…” She hadn’t really meant to say it out loud, but it was more just a comment on how he knew where she lived. “Makes sense, who would want their money just disappearing.” She kept her focus out the window watching as the weather started to turn. To her it felt awkward, but what should she expect when two strangers had been thrown together. “You mentioned I won’t be seeing him for quite a while. Is it safe for me to assume I won’t be working there?” Taking her eyes from the road she glanced at him, still rather hesitant on this situation. “And what exactly should I be grabbing from my things?” Of course she knew to grab clothes but her question was more directed at if she should think on taking personal items, electronics or for now just focus on clothes to see her through.

[BuzzingBee]

Rowan shrugged as well, unsure about the situation still. Her gaze shifted away to look boredly out of the window. As Evan spoke up on a lighter note, she perked up slightly and gave a grin. "Oh yeah? Well I say ten bucks she tries to run when they get to her place!" she snickered, quick to hop in on the bet. The girl had seemed pretty mild mannered, something that Rowan supposed wasn't too surprising since she was the daughter of a politician, but surely she'd try to make a break for it. Rowan just figured it'd be sooner rather than later.

As the rain started to pour down with heavier drops, her gaze drifted to watch the water droplets roll down the window. The woman smirked faintly as Evan asked about why Damian had brought her along. "Well I've been pestering him to let me do something for a while now. So I'm guessing he did it as a way to try and please me as well as still keep an eye on me. You know how he is." she explained with an exaggerated groan. A gleam of mischief entered her gaze as she glanced over at Evan. "Of course, I'll probably figure some way to weasel my way into a different job. Maybe something with a bit more pizazz than just bothering some politician into giving us his daughter... You're his second so just give me a heads up if something comes around." she told him with a sly wink.

At the offer of food, Rowan paused to think it over. While not particularly hungry, she also wasn't incredibly eager to get home. Damian deserved a bit of trouble after the decision he had made that night so seeing no reason to rush off home, she nodded her head. "Sure, let's grab something! But let's go to that Rosebery Pub! They have the best chicken sandwiches there. Plus I see no reason to rush." Rowan said with a dismissive wave before smirking. "After all I'm going to win the bet so, he's probably going to have to chase after her when she makes a break for it."

---

Damian got into the car and started it up. He began his drive to her building, falling silent for a moment as he focused on the road. The leader didn't flinch at the silence and instead welcomed it. Unfortunately it was short lived as Iris spoke up again to begin asking him questions. He supposed it was only natural. Her whole life was changing without her consent and she was suddenly being shipped off to be under his care. He realized he probably owed her quite a bit of honesty for all of it.

"It is. For a while at least. From how it sounded back there, I'm not sure you know much about me." Damian mused thoughtfully as he kept his eyes on the road. "I'm Damian Byre, leader of the Byre family if that rings a bell at all. We're.. Well a gang. Or mafia if that's what you'd prefer to label us as. Due to the enemies we've made over the years, it'd be dangerous to let you continue your life regularly once word of this gets around and trust me, it will. Dangerous people will target you if they think it's a way to get to me or my family." His gaze hardened for a moment and he side glanced at Iris. "So until things die down, you'll be stuck either at the house or with an escort, I'm afraid."

He gave his shoulders a small shrug and slowed the car to a stop as they arrived at a light. "As for what you should bring... Well that's up to you. Bring as much or as little as you want so long as it fits in the car. If you want any furniture, I can have it arranged to be picked up tomorrow sometime." he explained as he drove onwards. "Any other questions while we're at it?"

[sukikyoufu]

Evan pondered the thought, “Hmm… sooner rather than later eh?” He figured that was her thinking when it came to their silly little bet. Especially as she had called it happening sooner, he only thought dead of night when everyone was asleep would have been easier. Well it wasn’t easy to escape them so to speak. “I tell you what, if she tries to run at her place and you win, I’ll take you out to dinner. Your choice, plus that tenner.” He winked at her as he continued to drive. The rain didn’t seem to be letting up, but he quite enjoyed it sound of rain hitting against his car. Driving in the rain was always enjoyable for him. “Something with more pizazz?” Evan chuckled at how she had worded it, like this lifestyle was glamorous but he could understand. He doubted Damian allowed her to do much when it came to the business especially as she was pestering him for something. “Well, I’m supposed to be doing something tomorrow if you wanted to join? I’m sure your brother will have his hands full so we can always sneak you out.”

“Firstly! Rosebery pub!” Smiling as he pulled into a car park the sign visible for the pub she had suggested. Grabbing his wallet, he moved leaning over the chair and pulled open the glove compartment box in the car, rummaging around he grinned as he found some sort of voucher. “I thought I still had it, fifty percent off food and drink” Shoving the voucher in his wallet he got out of the car being quick to lock up and flee to the shelter of the pub. Even though it was raining he had been lucky to not get soaked, but he had chosen a parking stop closer to the pub. Holding open the door to the pub for Rowan he followed inside feeling the warmth hit his skin compared to the outside. The lighting was dim, but it gave the cosy feeling. Picking up two menus he moved towards a booth and sat down handing Rowan the other menu, “Although I don’t know why I’m looking at the menu, that chicken sandwich you mentioned sounds great.”

“Might as well enjoy it, as you said who cares if we are late. Especially as you seem so confident, you’ll win.” Stretching his arms behind his back he began to relax in the pub, he was always on edge around Damian. Though he figured there was more to it than fear of disobeying orders. “I pity her, trying to run from your brother. Imagine him running after her.” Shaking his head at the thought he glanced down at the menu seeing if anything took his fancy. “What do you want to eat?”

---

Iris listened to him as she continued to stare out the window, watching the weather change and seeing the rain start to pour. She wasn’t listening properly because she was thinking on ways to get out of this, ways she could try to escape. Was it worth it? What would even happen if she did? Frowning slightly, she had heard him explain who he was, it didn’t surprise her. Her father had started to deal with some shady characters as of late, even though he had tried to hide it from her she wasn’t stupid. After all she had been his PA, she knew the ins and outs of who he met with and when. “I don’t think you’re the only gang he has dealings with.”

Iris was however quite thankful he had been answering her questions, he could have just ignored her the journey, but he hadn’t. The idea of packing what she wanted made her think, as long as it fits in the car. Perhaps she could get him to help her move things to and from the car? Then whilst distracted she could make a break for it. Her backyard had an alley at the back of it which led into town, perhaps she could use it? “I’ll need help, if that’s okay?” Glancing over at him she knew this could go one of two ways, “Just to take things to the car. Make it quicker? It’s getting late and I’m sure you want to head back to your home.”

Hands had started to fiddle with the end of her sleeves, fingers fraying the fabric, it was a nervous habit but who could blame her. Her whole life had been changed in the space of one meeting. Any other questions? Think on it she did have one burning question that she was itching to know.

“How much was I worth?” Whether it was a good idea to know or not she couldn’t help but ask, she wanted to know just what kind of price her father thought she was worth.

[BuzzingBee]

Rowan looked over at him and quirked up an eyebrow as Evan raised the stakes of the bet. "When I win, I'll be sure to pick out the most expensive place I can." she teased in return with a devilish smirk. As he went on to offer to sneak her out the next day, her smirk widened into a grin. "I like that idea." she agreed eagerly. She was bit surprised the Evan had even offered what with him being Damian's right hand when it came to his business. Rowan certainly appreciated that he wasn't strict like her brother or too obedient to go against his word.

As they reached the pub, she hurried out of the car, saying a quick thanks to Evan before ducking into the shelter of the building. Though she didn't mind watching the rain, she did want to try and stay as dry as possible. Plus it was rather warm inside, a nice bonus after briefly being blasted by the cold stormy day. She followed Evan over to the booth, slipping in across from him as she glanced over the menu. She looked up from it as he made a comment on how confident she was about winning.

"Confident for a good reason. You know I'm going to win. Honestly Evan, I'm beginning to think you're just using it as an excuse to take me out on a date." Rowan joked with an amused gleam in her gaze. As he brought up the image of the girl trying to run, she shook her head and leaned back against the booth. "She'd be screwed that's for sure. My brother knows this city like the back of his hand and he's got people all over even if she did manage to slip away from him. I'm still certain she'll try but I definitely don't think she'll succeed." Rowan shook her head and flickered her gaze back onto the menu.

"Well the chicken sandwich for sure... And since we're at a pub might as well get a drink too." she mused with a grin. "I think I could use a cold beer or two after what this day has been like."

---

Damian gave a small grunt as Iris pointed out it was likely that his gang wasn't the only gang Regis had dealings with. That didn't surprise him too much. Her father seemed the type who, when pushed into a corner, would do everything to get himself out of it. Those type of people were often the clients he dealt with after all. As she asked for his help to get her things, he gave a small nod of agreement. It was getting late and with the sudden turn of events, he just wanted to get home to relax.

As a short silence followed, he nearly figured that she didn't have any other questions. He thought it a bit strange, thinking that the girl would be bubbling with confusion. Instead, she seemed a lot more calm than he would have ever expected. Damian supposed her father had been honest when saying she'd understand it was all business. Despite her brief period of being upset, it seemed like she had accepted her fate other wise. Well good.. Less trouble for me. he thought as he turned the corner.

However, it seemed his guess had been wrong.

Damian stifled a grimace as she asked how much she had been worth. To be honest, that was a question he really didn't want to answer. Though he had stubbornly accepted the offer, he didn't like actually associating an amount of money to a human's worth. He was tempted to deny it but supposed that she had a right to know. "£50000." he answered in a quieter voice.

Luckily her home came into view, offering for a switch of subject. He pulled off to park and glanced over at Iris. "Alright let's go get your stuff."

[sukikyoufu]

Evan snorted, “The most expensive?” He couldn’t help but smile because if the roles were reversed and a dinner was on the line of course you’d pick the most expensive place to eat. However, he didn’t mind, he rather enjoyed her company. Compared to Damian he knew who he would rather be hanging around with. Putting the menu to the side he checked the table number before standing up, “I’ll grab us the beers and order those sandwiches.” Heading on over to the bar he waved down an attendant and placed the order. It only took a few minutes for him to wait for the drinks, service was always quick here “Cheers.” Thanking the server before he moved back over, he handed Rowan a beer as he sat back down with his own, “They said the sandwiches will be out as soon as they are ready.”

Taking a sip of his drink he watched Rowan opposite him, “So that task I mentioned, the one I’ll be doing tomorrow.” Pausing slightly before he went into more detail, he wasn’t worried about being overheard they were in a secluded section of the pub. “It’s nothing to fancy, just collecting debts much like today.” Taking another swig of his drink before he set the glass back down on the wooden table. “Well, it will be more interesting, these aren’t high paying clients so it could get a bit messy… the places are a bit dire. Probably not a place I should take a lady, but you want pizzaz. There are a few that might disgust you, no doubt they’ll try to charm you but honestly it’s pathetic it might make you laugh” He had remembered how once he had been showing a lower member the ropes, they were a female which was fine, but on the types of jobs he had taken her on a lot of the scum he had dealt with tried their luck. Some people could be disgusting so he just wanted to make sure Rowan was prepared for that.

“Chicken sandwiches?” A waiter smiled as he placed down the plates of food, “can I get you anything else?”

“Oh no thanks! Rowan?” Evan looked down at his sandwich quite intrigued to try it, Rowan had recommended it so he was sure it would be good.

---

£50000 that was what she was worth to her father. Falling silent as she focused on the number, how had he allowed himself to get that much into debt? Surely that had to be the cost of his whole campaign. Looking up when she saw the familiar setting of her home, she left the car to go collect her things, fingers fumbled with her keys, but she was nervous. Nervous because she was going to try and make a break for it, run away from someone quite dangerous. “I suppose you can wait down here and start to move the bags?” She wasn’t sure what to suggest in this scenario, but she headed upstairs to her room to start ‘packing’

Opening her wardrobe, she pulled out a couple of suitcases, she started to fill it with various clothes that she would need or other items that would be useful. She figured she would need to make it look like she was serious about this, that she was complying. With two suitcases full of clothes, toiletries and various items that she would need she placed them at the top of the stairs before moving back into her bedroom. Biting her lip, she glanced around, it was now or never especially as now she was on her own, she moved quietly to her patio doors debating on if this would be the best option. In her bedroom she had a balcony that overlooked her backyard, opening the doors carefully she looked outside grimacing. It was still raining but that would not stop her. There was a trellis on the side of the house that had a clematis plant running up it which was perfect for climbing. The structure itself was sturdy and Iris had used it quite a few times in her life to sneak back in after hours.

Taking a deep breath, she climbed over the balcony and used the trellis to get herself safely down into the garden, the adverse weather however did not make it easy. Within moments she was soaked through and her foot slipped hand scrapping against the wooden frame producing a small cut on the palm of her hand. Biting her lip to stop any sound escaping her lips she felt her feet reach the floor and her heart stopped, she hesitated a moment unsure on if she would go through with it but before she could doubt her decision she turned on her heel and ran. She headed towards the alley that would take her to town, she had no idea on were she would go but it was a start.

[BuzzingBee]

Rowan tipped her beer to Evan as he said cheers before taking a long sip from it. The taste was a bit refreshing to her and it was nice to have something to take the edge off a bit. Anyone that knew Rowan knew that she could hold her liquor rather well despite her relatively small size though so it was unlikely she'd be feeling the effects of just one beer. As Evan spoke up again, she looked over at him, lifting her brow curiously as he brought up the job that he had for tomorrow. Listening him explain that it was another debt collecting job, she nearly got disappointed. It sounded like it wouldn't be much different than what she had done that day.

However, he quickly made it sound more interesting as he described the clients to be smaller ones with less class. Rowan laughed a bit as he mentioned the likelihood of them trying to charm her. She was about to respond to him when the waiter returned with their food. She paused and turned to flash the waiter a smile. "No I'm fine too actually, thanks." she said with a small nod. SHe watched the waiter as he dipped his head politely.

"Enjoy your meal." He smiled and walked off leaving the two alone again.

Rowan watched him leave for a moment before turning her gaze back over to Evan. "Well it sounds like fun." she said with a smirk. "I'm sure I can handle whatever they try. Besides, might be fun to toy with them a bit. If they're as scummy as you say, I'll be sure to get their hopes up just enough before I tell them who my brother is." She was just excited to have a bit more experience with the business her family ran. She was confident she could deal with whatever crude things these smaller clients did. Besides that, it wasn't like she would be going alone either. If anything went wrong, she'd have Evan to watch her back.

She took a bite from her sandwich, enjoying the flavor of the freshly made food. As she swallowed her bite, she looked over at Evan and grinned. "So what do you think of the sandwich? Did it live up to the hype I gave it?"

---

Damian stepped out of the car and trailed behind Iris to the door, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he waited for her to open it. Observant as ever, he didn't fail to notice the way she fumbled with her keys. Nervous? He pondered. He didn't dwell on the thought for long. After all, it made sense for her to be nervous or even scared. She was about to live with someone who was rather dangerous. Or at least, who she thought to be dangerous, since he had no intentions of harming her. As she finally opened the door and suggested for him to wait at the bottom of the stairs, he nodded his head. "That's fine." he agreed, moving to lean against the wall as he waited for her to pack.

It wasn't long before she reemerged from her room with two suitcases and set them at the top of the staircase. Knowing that was his cue, he pushed himself off the wall and headed up the stairs to collect them. He just started to pick them up when his gaze drifted towards the room she had disappeared into again, wondering how much she was intending to pack. Shrugging it off, he turned and carried the two bags out to the car. It didn't take him that long to load them up in the trunk of his car, admittedly having to move around a shotgun to make the extra space before shutting it. He turned and headed back inside, surprised to find that Iris must have still been packing.

He raised a brow and began to walk up the stairs to check on the girl, wondering if perhaps she was having a difficult time. Damian knocked lightly on the open door and then stepped into the room, blinking with surprise as he found out that it was empty. His dark eyes widened as they fell onto the open balcony doors. He raced over to it and leaned on the railing as he looked out, searching for Iris, who was clearly making a break for it. Though it was dark, the dim lights from nearby houses still managed to let him make out her small silhouette as she raced towards an alley.

For a moment, Damian considered not going after her. After all, how hard would it be to play it off to his gang that she had just merely escaped while his guard was done? However, the thought was quickly tossed aside. Though he may have been willing to look a bit incompetent, his gang would look for her and he wasn't sure he wanted any of them aside from Rowan or Evan dealing with her. Plus there was still the threat of a rival gang catching word of it and tracking her down themselves to use her as bribery or worse against him. He couldn't let her get away.

Turning on his heels, he raced out of the house and jumped into his car. Knowing very well where that alley ended at, he stepped on the gas and took off down the street, intending to cut her off before she could even make it to the other side.

[sukikyoufu]

Closing his eyes as he took another swig of his drink, he was content, the cool liquid running down the back of his throat fulfilling his need for a drink. He rather enjoyed the taste of beer; he knew a couple of friends weren’t too keen and more drunk it at a social event in the hopes to get wasted. Evan was quite excited for the chicken sandwich, usually he went for some sort of burger but for once he decided to try something a little different. “Well it looks good, let’s see how it tastes.” Grinning her picked up the sandwich and took a bite, eyes lit up at the taste as he enjoyed the flavours. Sure, it was simple, but the seasoning was good, the amount of sauce and salad in the sandwich complimented the meat. “This is pretty good!” Nodding to himself as he took another bite, focusing on eating the sandwich because he hadn’t realised, he was quite hungry. His stomach seemed to rumble in agreement as his food started to digest.

Finishing off his food he pushed his plate to the side and took a napkin wiping his mouth and hands, “I must say, it did live up to the hype and usually food doesn’t.” Chuckling slightly as he relaxed in the chair finishing off his beer that accompanied his food. “This is nice, we should do this more often. Get food, relax even if we are meant to be doing a job.” Shaking his head in amusement before he leaned forward on the table going back to what she had said about the job tomorrow. He didn’t doubt she would put them in their place, but he would be responsible if anything went wrong. What if she got hurt? That was something that did unsettle him when he thought on it more.

“I don’t doubt you’ll put these sum in their place, I just worry one of them will take it too far.” Narrowing his eyes at the thought of it, Damian would have his head if he let anything happen to her, he was sure. “I mean it would be funny seeing them all excited before you break their little hearts. They do deserve it but… you’ll be careful right?” He was sure she would be careful but at the same time he kind of wanted her to voice it, promise him that she would take care.

---

Heart racing as she heard her footsteps splatter in the rain as she continued to run down the street, glancing back she couldn’t see anything or anyone in the dark chasing after her, but she knew she was not safe. The streetlamps flickered in the night as she forced herself to keep moving, running as she tried to think on where she should go to next. Town was not too far out of reach and she was sure she could find a twenty-four seven café that served coffee before she figured out her next move. Her mind was full of different plans, she still had her phone on her and luckily, she kept one of her debit cards in the back case for emergencies. This to her considered as an emergency. Thinking on her next steps she even went as far as considering booking a random last minute flight somewhere, her heart dropped soon after as she realised her passport was actually in one of the suitcases from her last trip.

What do I do?

Head began to pound as she had a headache forming, she was scared and had no clue who to even turn too. Her father couldn’t be trusted he would no doubt ship her straight back to this dangerous criminal. Perhaps a friend could put her up for the night? Pulling out her phone she tried to work it but as the rain was pouring down heavily it made it difficult to navigate. Stuffing her phone back into her pocket she started to run again, a coffee shop would be the first stop and then she could figure it out from there.

Slowing from her run she could feel a sense of relief as she felt like she could make it, town was not far off and she could see the lights from the various shops still open. Releasing a shaky breath, she shuddered at the idea of going into somewhere warm, the rain had completely soaked her through, and she started to feel the sting of her cut from her escape. The adrenaline had to be wearing off. Sighing with relief as she stepped out of the alley she was almost there; the feeling was fleeting as she saw a car pull up and she recognised the model to be the one from earlier. “No….” Her voice wavered as she took a step back turning on her heel to make another attempt to flee.

[BuzzingBee]

Rowan grinned at his reaction to the sandwich. "I told you!" she laughed before taking another bite of her food. Though she ate slower than him, she finished her food not long after him and picked up her napkin to wipe off her mouth. At his words about getting food and relaxing more often, she smirked in amusement. "It's certainly the better way to go about work. Honestly most people in the gang are wound up so tight that it makes me want to throw up. I'm actually impressed that you've managed to stay rather fun despite being around my brother so much." she snickered.

As he took on a more serious expression, she raised an eyebrow at him and lifted her drink up to her lips to take a sip. She listened as he voiced his concern about making sure she would be careful. Setting down her beer, she rolled her eyes at Evan. "Don't start getting all worried. I already have Damian breathing down my neck enough, I certainly don't need you acting like that too." she grumbled waving her hand. Rowan sat up a bit straighter and shot him a toothy grin.

"Besides, it'll be fine. I may not have been on many jobs before but I'm still a Byre. I can take care of myself just fine. You've got nothing to worry about." She stated with clear confidence. "Besides telling them who my brother is tends to help scare people enough to prevent anything from getting out of hand." She added with a small snicker. Rowan finished off her drink and set it down on the table, glancing over towards the waiter as she noticed him walking towards them with the check. A smirk crossed her lips and she looked back over to Evan.

"So, do you want to just go ahead and count this as my earnings from the bet? It'd probably save you some money if you give in now instead of when I choose something more expensive." she teased. "Damian hasn't texted or called either of us so that can only mean he's being delaaayed~"

---

Damian raced his car down the street, focused on catching Iris and unworried about getting stopped. The police knew his car and knew better than to bother him so even though he was speeding, he wouldn't need to fret about being pulled over. Coming up on the alley way he had seen her running towards, he slowed his car to a stop and looked into the alley. He spotted her familiar figure, nearly looking like a deer caught in headlights as she recognized his car. Knowing she was going to bolt the other way, he was already hopping out of his car as she turned to run off. The leader was determined to not let her get away so he took off after her.

"There's no sense of running, Iris!" He called, clenching his jaw in frustration as he chased her down the alley. "All I have to do is make a couple calls and half the city will be looking for you! There's no place to hide and there certainly won't be any place to run!" The rain was still coming down rather heavily and he was already closed to drenched by the water. However, too focused on chasing her down, Damian barely felt the sting of the cold.

Feeling like he was finally beginning to catch up to her, he pushed himself forward and lunged, attempting to grab her by the arm before she could get any further.

[sukikyoufu]

Coughing at her comment of everyone being quite uptight he could understand, there were certain members he considered quite uptight and serious. Her brother one of them. “You have to have a bit of fun in this line of work, else it will get to you if you have morals. I remember how torn I was on my first ever job, I’m surprised your brother has put up with me for that long.” Shrugging slightly as he finished off his beer, he always seemed quite light-hearted, fun and happy. Deep down it was his form of defence, working undercover he had played many different roles and he had learnt it was easy to play the carefree type. However, he had played it so long he wasn’t sure what was real anymore.

“I’m worried for my neck, not yours! Anything happens to you your brother would have me. I’m sure I heard a rumour about Damian getting rather mad at someone before that let you get hurt. Any truth to it?” Giving Rowan a playful wink he pulled out his wallet and placed his card on top of the check that had been set down at the table. Regardless of the bet he was always going to pay, he didn’t feel right making her pay for it. “I’m sure a Byre can handle the job regardless, just don’t do anything stupid like me.” There had been plenty of mistakes he had made on serious jobs, but he had managed to pull through. “Although I’m pretty excited to see the faces when you tell them who you are, that will be hilarious~”

As the server had returned with the card machine Evan smiled and placed his card in the reader to pay. “Will that be all?” The server had asked politely with a smile.

“Yes, thanks. We should be heading off.” Handing back the machine he placed his card back in his wallet with a cheeky grin on his face, “I mean… just because he hasn’t called doesn’t mean anything.” Standing up he stretched his limbs before he headed back towards the car, “What if the car broke down? Maybe she has a lot to pack?” He knew it was ridiculous and that she was right, the most likely option was the escape attempt nothing else. “Can’t blame her for trying though.” Moving quickly through the rain he got back in the car placing the heater on to warm up. It had only been a couple of seconds, but he could feel the chill from the rain, clothes sticking to him slightly but luckily, he wasn’t drenched.

“Right, any other stops or shall we head back now?”

--

Her lip trembled as she heard his voice, his words about how there was no sense in running. He could have half the city on her trail, and it scared her, the idea that this was it. She was going to be trapped and she didn’t know what would happen. All she knew was to run, the instinct kicking in as she continued to try making her escape. Her mind was racing as she tried to focus on the path ahead of her, thoughts circling her mind on various outcomes and doubts on being able to escape.

Iris was so wrapped up in her thoughts that when she felt an attempt to grab her it startled her, causing distress. “Ah!” Crying out as her footing slipped. She had become flustered at the blunder and before she could balance herself, she went crashing down to the pavement, hands outstretched on instinct to shield her fall. Muddy water splashed up from the floor from the impact and she debated on if she wanted to even get back up. The fall had done it, sealed her fate. There was no chance from getting out of this, it was still unlikely had she still been running she’d make it. It was a fool’s effort to even try. Avoiding his gaze, she kept her head down as she started to pick herself back up from the floor. “Please, no one has to know. I could disappear.” Whispering out her words as she stared intently at the puddle on the floor that she had landed in, she didn’t have the courage to look at him.

Closing her eyes, she listened to the rain fall, her body shuddered as the adrenaline had worn off and it was registering the sting of the rain. She could feel the dull ache in her hand return which the fall hadn’t helped. “I’m confused... I don’t understand why this is happening. What I’m supposed to do with my life? Everything has changed.” Thankfully it was raining because she couldn’t hold in the couple of tears that fell, however she was drenched and her blonde hair was dripping wet sticking to her face in places so she hoped it was good enough cover to hide the tears. “How can you just sell someone like that? How… how could he do this to me…” Her voice sounded defeated at the last comment because she was finally coming to terms with what he father had done, the only member of her family.

[BuzzingBee]

Rowan laughed a little as Evan specified he was more worried for his own neck rather than hers. As he asked about Damian getting angry with someone in the past for letting her get hurt, she gave her shoulders a shrug in response. It may have been true but she didn't really want to bring it up. It certainly wasn't a moment she was proud of after all. Her brother's protectiveness of her could be ridiculous sometimes. Although she had to admit that the guy had deserved a bit of his fury. He had been too worried about getting out of the fight to help her out of it as well and she had only gotten involved to help him in the first place. It was a situation that she didn't think she'd have to worry about when working with Evan.

"Well I'll try not to. Hopefully you're not rubbing off on me." Rowan chuckled as he told her not to do anything stupid. She nodded her head in agreement as he mentioned being excited to see their faces when she told them who she was. Pausing, she eyed to see that he placed his card down before she had a chance to pull out his wallet. She would have more than willing split the bill but since he already beat her to it, she supposed she'd just have to get him back next time. Or just count it as part of her bet earnings since she was rather certain of her victory.

Rowan rolled her eyes at him as he listed other reasons for the two to be running late. She slowly slid out of the booth and gave a stretch. "Yeah, yeah keep telling yourself that." she smirked. She moved to follow him out of the pub and gave her shoulders a small shrug. "That's true... Poor girl doesn't have a chance but I can respect the effort, I suppose." As they stepped back out into the chilly weather, she gave a small shiver and hurried after him to the car. Slipping into her seat, she ran a hand through her damp hair and gave a small sigh before leaning back against the seat.

"No we should probably head back now." she mused with small shrug. As they began driving, she looked over at Evan and gave a small smirk. "Also as far as Damian goes, you shouldn't worry about him too much for tomorrow. He may be an ass but he favors you too much to get too mad at you... You kinda got immunity so long as you don't get me killed probably." Rowan laughed.

---

Damian skidded to a sudden stop as the girl slipped and fell to the pavement. For a moment, he remained silent as she tried suggesting that she could just disappear. He didn't think it would be that easy though. He would have offered her help getting up but at the moment, he doubted she would even accept the gesture. As she went on to voice her confusion and pain over the situation, he averted his gaze for a moment, feeling a small stab of guilt. This hadn't been his preferred outcome but with his reign over his gang being still new and weak after the death of his father, he couldn't afford to appear soft by any means. He had saved himself and her father further trouble but at the price of her freedom.

Feeling pity for the woman in front of him, he took a step towards her and placed a hand on her back. "I don't know, but he did and I agreed to it." he muttered a bit stiffly. Damian wasn't really sure that he, out of every one, should be the one to try and comfort her. Even if he tried, she'd probably just get more upset by his attempts anyways. So instead, he focused on the more pressing matter and that was getting her out of the rain. "We'll discuss the terms of your stay under my care once we get you settled in. Most things will change but perhaps, a few things can remain the same.. Or be similar." he shrugged his shoulders with uncertainty.

Damian pressed his hand against her back, guiding her in the direction of where he had parked his car. "Come on. Let's get out of the rain. The last thing I need is to get sick from hanging out in the cold." he added.