Page 61 of Escape From Me

Daisy flipped that little switch, the one that went all scared damsel in distress to coy with the surprise of crazy, only they didn’t know that. I did the second her tone seemed to sweeten up.

“But wouldn’t she? Daddy’s little princess fucking the bad boy? I’m sure if you brought me home, there’s a finder’s fee.”

Fuck me if that guy wasn’t playing into her bullshit little story.

Daisy was too close, but it was better to distract them. This made our next move easier. Made my patience a bit more controlled for the moment. Something that had changed the Spectors' success had been the way we were all dedicated to our lifestyle. Cas, X and I had made sure when we reorganized that whoever was accepted into our ranks knew what the price was. Loyalty for safety. And aside from organization, we had talent. We allowed members to find their niche, and one of thoseoptions was using guns. I knew that even if we were the only three the dirty cops saw, there were more they couldn’t, and all it took was one single signal.

We didn’t abandon our own. Not ever.

I held up my arm, crooked at the elbow, and clenched my hand into a fist, and I waited.

“So, tell me, officer. You think I’m a princess? Even now?”

Fuck me. The thundering of my blood pumping inside my ears had me damn near blind with rage as she talked to him like that. Her sugary sweet words invited him to look at what was mine.

“There’s no way you’re a princess.”

A second cop approached and I took a step closer, but he held up a phone.

“That’s her. She’s engaged to that new judge.”

The way the head cop’s face slid into a slimy little grin was all it took for me to open my hand, and within seconds, all three cops were down.

“Oh, well, that was unexpected,” said Daisy as she turned toward me.

I closed the distance between us in two long steps and grabbed her around the waist.

“He touched what was mine.”

The bastard at my feet moaned. I pulled out the gun in the holster under my riding jacket and looked down at him.

“Accept this as payment for threatening my dove.”

The crack of the gun echoed, but not a damn person in this area would come running. These cops had known what they were doing, until they didn’t.

“I guess that’s three more cops off the payroll for daddy dearest.” X stopped talking as he headed for our three guys, still handcuffed, but no longer sitting uncomfortably on the ground.

“Hey, Daisy. Have you ever heard your dad talk about any poisons or anything?” I asked her, still refusing to let her go. Rylee and Cas strolled up as Cali checked the cops for pulses.

Daisy shook her head. “Sorry. I don’t know. I gave my dad a wide berth. I didn’t want anything to do with him. The run-in’s I’d had with him as a child left me with bruises and scars. I learned young to just stay away.”

I pulled her closer.

It didn’t matter. All the pieces were fitting together. Something told me if the senator was out of the picture, one large issue would be gone for good.

“Dove, I’m taking you home now and you won’t be leaving my bed until I’m good and ready to let you go. Never, ever touch another man again.”

She nuzzled into me before I shifted us, heading back toward the bike. Maybe something about this should be terrifying, but with Daisy everything just seemed to finally be right.

TWENTY-SIX

daisy

Sweat coveredmy skin as I bolted straight up, confused on exactly where I was. Looking around, the dark grays of the room seemed to almost calm my senses. This would never have been allowed in my father’s house. I wasn’t there. I wasn’t in my old room. I didn’t have to worry about being stuck with someone I didn’t want. In fact, the memories of the last few days filled my mind and the erratic beat of my heart calmed with every single one of them.

My father would never touch me again. Not without someone there to protect me. Was I okay with murder? Apparently I was. Getting to take out all those feelings and finally seeing someone pay for being a shitty person? God, it was so freeing. The cops last night? The seconds they seemed to be well aware of who I was and who my father was, I had zero respect for them. There was no disgust on their part. No redeeming qualities telling me they were actually on the side of the law that the world needed. But seeing them go down?

Justice felt really, really good and my trauma from a lifetime of bad people controlling me? Maybe this is what healing could feel like, just a little.

---