Page 35 of Play Fast (Brooklyn Dawn 2)

Daisy’s lips twitched, no doubt at my full name. Punchline: me. As usual lately. Whatever. I didn’t give a shit. Let her get her kicks at my mother’s bad taste.

“That said, he won’t be the only one watching you. I’m sending up a member of the team. You’re returning tomorrow?”

“Sending up who for what reason? My cabin is small. There’s no fucking room for a party.”

Daisy groaned and buried her face in her hands. I understood the sentiment.

“Don’t open the door for anyone but someone from our team. They’ll have a badge with a number on it. If anything strikes you as off, call me immediately.”

I snorted. “A badge? Like rent-a-cops? Also, what about the actual police? Or are we supposed to duck and run when we see them too?”

“Lila, what’s going on?” Daisy frowned. “Don’t you think that’s a bit much for a little break-in? Even the local police figured it was just someone trying to take advantage of an empty cabin out-of-season. Tourism doesn’t really start here for a few weeks yet.”

“No offense to the police, but we take our own precautions. We’ll have someone out to you by nightfall. Daisy, take care of yourself. If you’re hurting, go to the ER. It’s not worth putting yourself at risk. And Osmond?”

I braced.

“Thank you for taking care of our Daisy. And yourself. You’re both very needed.”

It was my turn to frown. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

“Yes, it was,” Daisy murmured. “Lila, since you’re sending someone up here anyway—which isn’t necessary, but I know you don’t believe us—can you have them bring me a couple of outfits and some pajamas and underwear? Oh, and my makeup case. If they can get with my sister, Ever, that would be great. Stupid me left all my stuff at MSG. I meant to call earlier, but I’m assuming now it’s probably too late.”

While she and Lila discussed essentials, I wandered into the bedroom.

My backpack sat on the chair by the door, and my gaze dropped to the zippered pocket where I’d stashed the bottle of whisky. Finishing off the rest seemed like a great alternative to a late lunch.

But I didn’t do it. I sat on the edge of the bed and cracked my knuckles, only now noticing they were bruised too.

It was so easy for me to ignore pain. To pretend it didn’t exist and roll it into some other emotion. Except right now I couldn’t. I kept seeing Daisy’s panicked eyes. Kept picturing her lying dead in my arms like my sister.

No do-overs. No second chances. No opportunity for me to tell her I was a fucking asshole who’d blamed her for too much, but mostly blamed myself.

When she appeared in the doorway, I swallowed hard. She appeared so small and fragile right now with that bruise discoloring her face, but not breakable. Her strength somehow shone through the tiny cracks in her armor, shoring up the spots tested by stress. Daisy wouldn’t collapse.

She also wasn’t the person I’d accused her of being. It was so much easier to point the finger at her rather than look at myself in the mirror.

If she wasn’t to blame, I must be. Someone had to be responsible for me losing my sister.

“All these years, I wanted to blame you for Kerry’s death.”

She reached up to grip her throat, turning her arm so my gaze zeroed in on the bandage. I wanted to go to her and wrap her up tight. Keep her safe, when I’d never been able to do the same for my sister.

“You think I didn’t know that?”

Okay, hadn’t expected that one. Leave it to Daisy, man. She wasn’t what I’d anticipated on so many levels.

“You both were pushing the boundaries so hard, but you were the level-headed one. I always trusted you to bring her back down to earth.”

Daisy tipped back her head. “I nearly jumped out of a moving vehicle last night because you pissed me off, and I’m the level-headed one?”

“Maybe I’m not the best judge of character.” Except I was, at least when I was being honest with myself.

Something I hadn’t done enough of for a very long time.

“Or maybe you just really fucking piss me off.”

“There’s that too.”

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