Page 107 of Healed
Daisy raised her gaze to his.
“You’re not the only one, Daisy. There are others. His wife harassed them all, intimidated them into leaving so they wouldn’t press charges and disrupt her gilded life. You can’t blame yourself for being victimized by a predator. Especially not one you were conditioned to trust, because he was one of your instructors.”
“And we all feel better, relieved. So don’t worry about feeling guilty because we went to avenge you. That’s what family does — ours anyway,” Havoc said.
“Yeah, and I found the best fucking restaurant. I cannot wait to go there and get the seafood muffaletta. I’m tasting it already,” Lucien said.
“It’s all taken care of, baby-girl. Just let it go. It’s done,” Bane said, still holding Janie as he looked up at her standing on the porch.
Daisy nodded, but she didn’t seem convinced.
“I bet you wake up tomorrow lighter. Some of that guilt and self-loathing you been carrying lifted and gone,” Lucien said. “Didn’t I tell you if you didn’t tell me who hurt you, I’d find out and kill them all?”
“I believe what you actually said was that you’d follow me around and kill everybody until you got the right one.”
“Same thing, less effort,” Lucien said, laughing. “And don’t worry about the wife. She’s breathing, but I’m pretty sure she’ll be in a rubber room for the rest of her life if she keeps telling the stories she’s gonna tell.”
Daisy looked at him, not quite understanding.
“She saw me shift into a Gator, then take her husband into Bayou St. John, do you really think anybody is going to believe her? Especially with the way she screeches about everything and demands people listen to her? They’ll medicate her and lock her away. Some things worse than death, you know? And Charlie told her we’d be back for her, so any sense of peace is gone. She’s scared for the rest of her life.”
Charlie moved closer, pausing just before the bottom step. “Daisy?”
Daisy focused on him. “This is what you took the day off for?”
Charlie nodded.
“I went to your office to take you lunch, but you weren’t there.”
He smiled at her. “I had business to take care of.”
“The receptionist said that you had to take the day off… something about your girlfriend. I thought she meant someone else. I even asked her if she ever met your girlfriend. She said no, but she heard the guys talking about how pretty she is. I just thanked her and left.”
“That was you they were commenting on. One of them knows you from high-school. He recognized the name when I told them about you. I had to confess about meeting somebody special when one commented that I was actually nice now, and asked what had changed,” he laughed. “I didn’t realize I hadn’t been nice before.” He smiled at Daisy, who still seemed a little shaken. “Daisy, I was going to do this in some kind of special way, but it seems to me, this is the time. There is no one otherthan you. There never will be, if that’s okay with you. I want to spend the rest of my days making you happy, protecting you, and sharing every day we’re gifted together.”
Daisy stepped down onto the first step from the top.
“I love you. I am your mate. The one you were meant to be with. I already asked your dad for permission to ask you, and he gave it. It doesn't mean you have to say yes, but, I hope you’ll consider. Will you marry me?” Charlie asked.
Daisy teared up fully as she hurried down the steps and into his arms.
“Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. Glad you decided to keep him. He knew too much to let him walk away,” Havoc said.
“Havoc, shut up,” Bane said,
“What? You know I’m joking! He knows it, too! I’m joking! Don’t you, C?”
“C?” Daisy asked, her face pressed against his neck.
“That’s his new nickname,” Havoc said.
“I’m gonna tell you what,” Lucien said. “C refused to leave me. I mean, I wasn’t getting left, but he didn’t know that, and stood his ground. ‘I’m waiting for Lucien’, is what he said. That’s my boy, there. I got his back.”
Daisy smiled up at Charlie, her face still wet with tears. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Charlie said, sighing as he squeezed her against his chest. “But just to be clear, that’s a yes, right?”
Daisy laughed. “Yes, it’s a yes.”
