~ Zoie's POV ~
"Why does it have to be him?!" Zoie stomped angrily into Damon's office and her dad followed right behind her. "Why can't it be any other bodyguard?!"
Zoie had kept quiet all night long during dinner, but once dinner was over, she couldn't hold back. She brought her dad to his office to give him a piece of her mind. Meanwhile, everyone else had retreated to their rooms and Asher was out in the garden, smoking a cigarette.
"Because I need someone to go with you on the inside. Asher's gonna go with you to all your classes. He can pass off as a student," Damon explained, walking around to stand right in front of her. "Besides, isn't this what you want? Subtlety?"
"Subtlety?" Zoie scoffed. "You think you're being subtle by sending in a chain-smoking freshman with tattoos for an arm, who also happens to be homeless, to go to Stanford?"
"Zoie," Damon warned her sternly.
Zoie let out a sigh and crossed her arms.
"How'd you even get him into Stanford anyway?" she muttered.
"You know me," Damon answered simply. "I have my ways,"
Of course. Nothing is impossible with Damon Van Zandt. Hell, he could send a dog to teach at Stanford if he wanted to. When she was applying to Stanford, Zoie didn't have Damon's support, so she actually did it on her own. The acceptance rate was about 5.2% and she got in all by herself. Now, she was really annoyed. She had to bust her butt off to get in and now this guy is gonna waltz in there just because Damon's sending him?
What a load of bullcrap!
"But dad, I don't wanna go with him..." Zoie whined and pouted. "He's..."
"He's what?"
He's the stranger who took my virginity! It was supposed to be a one-night stand! I'm not prepared to have to see him again! And not this way!
Obviously, Zoie couldn't say any of that. So instead, she just yelled, "I don't like him!"
"Why? You haven't even seen him in eight years," Damon argued.
Wrong. I just saw him last night.
"Ugh!" Zoie groaned in frustration and covered her face with her hand. This conversation was going nowhere. Damon had made up his mind and Zoie couldn't tell him anything.
Unless...
Zoie suddenly remembered something she had forgotten a long time ago. She remembered there was this one time, probably around her sixth birthday, Landon got her a unicorn plushie that she really liked. But just after her birthday party was over, Zoie saw Asher taking her unicorn plushie to the garden. Curious, Zoie followed Asher out and she saw that Asher was destroying the plushie with a knife. He cut the plushie open and ripped it apart until all the white fluffs fell out. Zoie was hysterical when she saw that. She was six. She never saw anything that brutal her entire life. She ran back into her room crying, but luckily, Landon managed to get another plushie for her, the same exact one.
"Don't cry, Zoie," Landon said as he brought the unicorn plushie to her. "Here, Mr. Unicorn is alright,"
Mr. Unicorn became the most important possession Zoie ever owned. Even until now. Mr. Unicorn was still there sitting in her room, cuddling her to sleep every night.
"He was mean to me, dad!" Zoie exclaimed suddenly. "Don't you remember? On my sixth birthday, he took Mr. Unicorn and ripped it apart!"
"Zoie," Damon sighed. "You were six. He was just a kid,"
"Still!" she argued. "Asher is a psychopath! You're sending me out with a psychopath--!"
"Stop it!" Damon shut her down quickly. Suddenly he got a bit mad. "Don't say that about Asher, he's a great kid. Whatever prank he pulled on you when you were kids, that meant nothing. He's grown up now. And I trust him more than anyone to go out there with you,"
Zoie looked up to see her dad's piercing eyes. He had this deadly stare that he often used and you couldn't help but look away because he looked so threatening.
Asher also had that stare...
"Why do you trust him so much?" she sulked and crossed her arms. "You also haven't seen him in eight years. You don't know what he's been up to,"
Damon let out another sigh and put his hand on top of Zoie's head, ruffling it a little.
"Trust me, sweetheart," he said. "I know what I'm doing,"
* CREAK... *
And right at that moment, there was a creaking noise coming from the door. Zoie and Damon whipped their heads around instantly. Asher was standing by the door and it was slightly ajar.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," he said.
"No, no. You're not interrupting anything. Actually, I wanna talk to you," Damon said as he stepped closer and opened the door wider, letting Asher in.
Zoie was still unsatisfied, but she didn't have the energy to argue anymore. She could only stand there and glare at Asher, but when he turned to look at her, she looked away immediately.
"Give us a moment, okay, sweetheart?" Damon said to Zoie.
Zoie let out a dramatic sigh and shrugged. Then she rolled her eyes as she walked past Asher and slammed the door loudly, making sure he knew exactly how she felt.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
~ Asher's POV ~
As soon as the door was slammed shut, Asher turned his face toward Damon. Damon was glaring at the door, directed at Zoie, but she was already gone.
"Sorry. I wasn't trynna interrupt you two," Asher repeated himself. "I was just gonna say good night and head back to my mom's,"
"I told you, you're not interrupting anything," Damon said as he walked over to his desk and sat on the chair. "Our conversation was done anyway,"
Damon nodded at the empty chair in front of him and Asher sat down knowingly. As he was sitting down, Asher noted the photograph framed on Damon's desk. It was a family photo of Damon, his wife Violet, and the kids, Zach, Zander, Zane, and Zoie. Zoie was standing in the middle of her brothers and she was wearing this little black dress she had on last night.
Asher swallowed hard instinctively. He remembered the way she looked in that dress. The way her body moved in it and the way that dress fell off her feet as he was taking it off.
"Something on your mind?" Damon's voice caught him off guard.
Asher quickly cleared his throat and cleared his mind.
"Uh, uncle D... I, uh, think you better find someone else to take the job. I don't think I can be her bodyguard,"
Damon narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and Asher just kept a straight face.
"Job's not even started yet and you're already quitting?" Damon stifled a laugh.
"I just... don't think that this is a good idea,"
"And what makes you think that?"
Damon leaned in closer and Asher sat back instinctively.
"She's right about me," Asher replied. "A psychopath's not gonna fit in in Stanford,"
Asher let out a weak smile as Damon sat back in his seat, sighing loudly. Getting up from his seat, Damon then headed for the wet bar, pouring two glasses of whiskey from the bottle.
"Zoie's actually a sweet girl once you get a chance to know her," he said with his back turned to Asher. "She's a lot like her mom. Feisty at times, but she has a really good heart,"
Asher's eyes wandered back to the photograph and he was staring at Zoie and her mom. They both had similar eyes. It was this unique color of purple and blue. The other boys didn't have their mom's eyes. Only Zoie did.
Now it makes sense why her eyes looked so familiar...
Damon returned to the desk and put a glass of whiskey down in front of Asher. He took the other one for himself and he sat on the edge of that desk, nursing his drink.
"You know, I loved your father," Damon said as he stared deep into his whiskey glass. "He was like a brother to me. And I made a promise to your dad that I'm gonna take care of you. Support you in everything you do. So, eight years ago, when you asked to leave home and go to boarding school, I supported you even though your mom was against it. And when you decided to drop out of school to be a racer, I still supported you too because I want you to have your dreams. And now, I've seen you hustle and struggle, doing it all on your own... you're a smart kid. I see a lot of potential in you and I hate to see it go to waste. You've tried doing this on your own, and I think it's time we work together to get you there,"
Asher couldn't help but look up. Damon was the closest thing he had to a real dad. Sure, Liam, his mother's second husband was always around, but Asher never felt the same way about him. He always viewed Liam as Landon's father and not his.
But Damon... Damon had this magnetic force about him. Whatever he says, you couldn't help but listen and obey. And he always seemed to say the right things.
"Look, I've had your back for eight years. Now I'm just asking you for four years of your life," Damon continued. "Go to college. Learn something. And keep an eye out for Zoie for me. That's all. And after you two are graduated, I'm gonna give you this,"
Damon then pulled out an envelope from his desk drawer and gave it to Asher. Asher took the envelope and read the letter inside. It was a letter regarding a trust fund set up in Asher's name. There were so many zeroes in that trust fund, Asher took a minute to gather himself.
A $10,000,000 trust fund!?
"W-what is this?" he gaped.
"The trust fund your dad has for you," Damon answered.
"My mom never said anything about a trust fund,"
"She doesn't know. This was between me and your dad. And I'm only supposed to give it to you when I think you're ready,"
Asher was speechless. He had never seen so much money in his life before. With all this money, he could definitely buy that racecar he wanted. Hell, he could even buy the whole garage or the whole racing team. He wouldn't have to work another day in his life. He wouldn't have to fight or gamble and hustle for money ever again.
And all I had to do in exchange was go to college with this girl...
"Uncle D, you know I would do anything for you," Asher said, pausing for a beat before adding, "But are you sure I'm the right guy for this?"
I mean... I did just screw your little girl...
"Asher, this is an important thing that I'm asking you. It's more important than anything I've ever asked anyone. And I don't want to ask anyone else other than you," Damon said as he stood up and put a hand on Asher's shoulder. "You're family,"
Damon's words rang in his ears. All his life, Asher had always felt out of place. The family bond in this place was very strong, but Asher never felt right at home. This was why he decided to leave when he was fourteen. And instead of finishing school and doing what everyone else was doing, Asher decided to be a racer. Racing and running were always his specialties. But since he never got any support from his mom, Ash had to fight and claw his way to survive. So this opportunity that Damon was presenting him... this was a game changer. This changes everything!
"Okay," Asher said finally. "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it,"
"Good boy," Damon smiled proudly and put the glass of whiskey in Asher's hand. "Don't worry, it's gonna be easy. Just take good care of her,"
"Yes, sir," Asher said as he took a big gulp of the drink.
"I want her to focus on her studies. Don't let anyone get in the way of that. And that means no boys,"
"Yes, sir,"
"No drugs. No alcohol. No shenanigans,"
Asher swallowed hard and downed the rest of that drink in his glass.
"You got it, uncle D,"
Damon let out a satisfactory smile and nodded his head.
"Thank you, Ash," he said. "Your dad would be very proud of you,"
Asher let out a half-smile in response.
Sure. If he was here.
*
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- - - - - - To Be Continued - - - - - -