Page 98 of Sinful Skulls
“He killed her,” Daisy whispers, pointing to the canvas that was hidden under hers. “She was infatuated with him. She wouldhave done anything he asked. That’s how he found me. She gave him my address.”
Jesse looks at it before returning her attention to my girl. “Take them both out to the fire pit.” She bends down and wraps Daisy’s arm over her shoulders, lifting her to her feet.
Dirk jogs downstairs a few minutes later to help me. “Looks like my lady is gearing up for a fire.”
“Yeah,” I say, running my hands through my hair. “I fucked up, dude.”
He shakes his head. “We’re all just trying our best. Some days you get it right, others you don’t. Rest easy knowing you filleted that fucker, and he won’t be taking out any more innocent girls.”
When we get outside, Jesse already has a fire going. Daisy is curled up in a lawn chair, watching the flames. Dirk walks right up to it and tosses the gold-framed painting in the pit.
I kneel in front of Daisy, and her eyes slowly leave the fire to focus on me. “You don’t need this one either. Your mother is here with you now, okay?”
She nods, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
I toss the painting of Elizabeth, and the flames instantly claim it. Dirk walks into the kitchen, coming back out with four glasses and a bottle of whiskey. He pours one for Daisy and then his wife before moving on to me. The four of us sit quietly, drinking and watching the fire lick at what remains of the frame.
Daisy leans forward and holds her glass out to Dirk for a refill.
She settles back in her seat and takes a long drink. Then she begins to tell her story. All of it.
“My whole life I’ve felt like something was off. When Henry told me I was adopted, everything started to make sense until it didn’t. I was so confused and hurt.” She wraps her fingers around the dragonfly necklace. “I can’t imagine how I would have reacted if I hadn’t just spent the previous week with Brody.I might have believed Henry when he told me he was the only one who understood me.”
My heartbeat slows as I listen to her. As she talks, I realize how calm she is. I’m seeing someone who was taught healthy ways of dealing with life. Her parents taught her how to regulate her emotions.
“I mean, think about it. My mom was there for me at exactly the right moment. The dragonfly led her to me, and she delivered an angel.” She stares at me through the flames.
Dirk sits up straight in his chair. “Wait a minute here. Are you saying Brody is an angel?”
A slow smile pulls at her cheeks. “There are all kind of angels.”
Is she flirting with me?
The tip of her tongue slips between her lips. I shake my head and let out a chuckle. This is the Daisy I fell in love with. She’s soft and vulnerable, but she’s also confident and strong. She didn’t let the darkness tip the scale.
“Man, your uncle really fucked you up if you think this man is an angel,” Dirk tells her.
I cringe, but Daisy laughs at him. “He’s my dark sinful angel.”
Dirk holds up his hands in surrender. “Stop. You win. I don’t want to hear anymore.”
Jesse kicks his leg. “You stop.” Dirk’s hand snags her ankle, and she laughs trying to pull away.
Daisy’s laughter trails off as she watches the two of them playfully shove each other. Her head tips to the side, and she bites the inside of her cheek. It’s one of my favorite looks. They stop when they notice she’s staring at them.
“What’s wrong?” Jesse asks.
Daisy dips her head shyly. “Nothing. I was just … I don’t know, I was just thinking about how great it would be to paint the two of you.”
Their eyebrows rise in interest. “Of us?” Jesse asks.
“I mean, god, this is probably the wrong time to talk about this, but you guys are insanely beautiful. You two are masterpiece material.”
They both laugh, but I can tell they’re digging the idea.
“You aren’t going to use our blood are you?” Dirk asks, earning him another kick from his wife.
“Of course not. I’ll use mine,” Daisy deadpans, but I know she’s being a brat.
