Chapter 6: Beating The Thugs

"Aaaah!" Eddie screamed. Troy and the others kept edging back, too scared to come close. Damon planted his boot on Eddie's chest and stared him down. "Eddie, what do you want to say now?" "Damon, you... You really dare to hit me? Aren't you whipped?" Eddie always managed to say the one thing he shouldn't.  Damon could not bear to hear Ailee's name just then. It wasn't that he disliked Ailee. He felt betrayed. All his life, he had believed she was his biological sister.  However, the villagers said she was adopted.  Even Marie, the village matchmaker, had accused him of wanting to marry Ailee. And Eddie had to bring up how Damon listened to Ailee. He ground down with his heel. Eddie howled. "Get off me! Let me up!" Eddie shrieked, "Damon, if you don't let go, I'll kill you! I'll kill your sister first! I'll..." "Sounds like you have a death wish." Damon's voice stayed cold.  "Eddie, back when I ran with the gangs, you were a small-time punk. When you saw me, you'd hand me a cigarette and bow and scrape. Now you've grown a spine and dare threaten me? If I beat you to death, it's fine for me. I can do a few years in jail." By then, Eddie's face was as pale as a sheet. He understood that if he died here, the people would lie to the police.  Damon would likely serve only a few years in prison.  He also knew Damon could be terrifying when he snapped. Life matters more than his dignity. Eddie started to tremble in fear.  "Don't! Damon, I was wrong! It was Troy who stirred things up. I... I'll make him pay, hard! I never meant to go against you. From now on, sell whatever you want here. We won't take a cut." "That's more like it." Damon looked at him without warmth.  "Since you said you'll deal with Troy, do it now. Let everyone see how you deal with him." He lifted his boot. Troy's face drained. "Damon, I was wrong, I really was!" He nearly dropped to his knees. "I was out of my mind, talking nonsense. Damon, please let me go. I'm begging you." He hadn't expected Damon to blow up like this. Damon gave a cold chuckle. "Eddie, if you don't deal with Troy, I'll keep dealing with you." Eddie sucked in a shaky breath. He snapped at his crew, "What are you standing there for? Move! Take Troy down!" "That's it?" Damon's face darkened. "Break his leg!" Eddie grated. He cursed inwardly. It was all Troy's fault.  Why did he provoke Damon? He also couldn't help wondering why Damon seemed in such a foul mood today, and why he fought even harder than before. Eddie's guys moved fast. They slammed Troy to the dirt. Someone grabbed a stick from a shop next door and brought it down on Troy's left leg. Crack! Troy screamed and went limp, out cold. Eddie looked up at Damon, wary as hell.  "Damon, is that enough? I... I can only go this far." Damon nodded slowly. "That'll do. Now get out of here. Eddie, remember this. If you come at me again, I'll wipe out your whole family." Eddie flinched from head to toe. "Yes, yes, Damon, I'll never cross you again." He turned and left. His men hoisted Troy and hurried after him. "Whoa!" Stefan's eyes almost popped. "Damon, you were something else. You even put Eddie in his place." Damon said coolly, "He asked for it." "By the way, Damon, is something on your mind? You look like you're in a bad mood." Stefan wasn't an idiot. He could see Damon wasn't happy. "It's nothing." Damon shook his head.  "Let's go home, drink, and split the money." They hopped on the three-wheeler, and Stefan drove them back to the village. Once home, the two men got right to cooking. By the time they got back, it was already dusk.  When they finished cooking, it was dark outside. Then they drank and ate while they counted the cash. Damon had promised Stefan a third of the pay, and he kept his word. The wild boar had sold for 450 dollars. Damon handed Stefan 150 bucks. Stefan grinned at the bills. "Damon, why don't we hunt another boar tomorrow and make a few hundred more? Bag one every day, and we'll have cash to get married." Damon's brow creased. "What, you got someone in mind?" "Well..." Stefan rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I went on a blind date yesterday. The girl is beautiful." "You like her, sure. Does she like you?" Damon didn't spare his friend. "We texted for hours last night. I think it might work." Stefan chuckled. "I'll go into town tomorrow to take her out. Then we hit the mountain the day after. Sound good?" He had tasted easy money and wanted more. "We'll see." Damon cracked open the bottle and poured Stefan a glass, then one for himself. Each glass held roughly three shots. "Drink first." He raised his glass and downed it in one gulp. "Hey!" Stefan jolted.  "Slow down! Damon, you'll get drunk like that." "Perfect. Then I'll go get laid." Damon shot him a look. "Quit babysitting! Bottoms up." Just then, warmth drifted through Damon's belly. Was the liquor hitting him already? That felt wrong. Usually, he could hold way more than that. He had barely downed three shots. Then, he felt something strange. The alcohol did kick in.  But it turned into a slow river of heat, threading through him. His strength seemed to tick up a notch wherever it flowed. Joy flared in his chest. Drinking alcohol could make him stronger?  Shouldn't he drink more, then? Damon glared at Stefan. "Finish it. Then we pour another."