Chapter 7
IVY
“Daddy?”
I look from Daisy to the little girl. Vomit rises in my throat as my worst suspicions are confirmed. The longer I look, the more I see their similarities. While she’s undeniably Daisy’s daughter, her chin curve and the angle of her forehead all nod to the Bexley lineage, yet she looks nothing like the monster who is her father. I lower the knife, not wanting to scare her. Although, it’s probably too late for that.
“Take Ivy to the car, Hale,” Daisy instructs. “And lock the doors.”
“But I want to stay,” little Ivy huffs, crossing her chubby arms. “I want to stay with the grown-ups. Me and Maria were going to bake cupcakes. She promised!”
“You can bake cupcakes next time,” Daisy says. “Can’t you, Maria?”
“Of course,” Maria replies with a warm smile that lights up her entire face, making me realise it was Ivy she was protecting.
“You’re not a grown-up yet, munchkin,” Hale says, ruffling her hair fondly. Judging by how he’s turned from the big bad wolf into a cuddly teddy bear, she has him wrapped around her little finger. “You know, grown-ups don’t get bedtime stories or ice cream.”
She gasps in horror. “No bedtime stories?”
Like mother, like daughter. Daisy also spent her childhood with her nose buried in books. What else did they have in common?
“No bedtime stories,” Hale confirms. “But if you want to stay with the grown-ups, then…”
“No,” she wails, realising there’s no worse fate than not having a bedtime story. “Take me to the car!”
Hale casts a worried look at Daisy. “Will you be okay here?”
I don’t know what’s going on between them. I can’t decide whether they’re colleagues or lovers, but it’s clear he cares about her. As much as I’m confused and shocked at what’s unfolded, I can’t help feeling a wave of gratitude towards him. I’m happy she’s had someone looking out for her over the years. Someone to keep her safe when I’ve not been around.
“I’ll be fine,” Daisy insists, making a shooing motion with her hands to encourage them to leave. “Why don’t you take Maria with you? You can wait for me, then we’ll go to grab cupcake ingredients. I have everything under control.”
Hale and Maria nod in agreement. Damn, she’s changed. Daisy never used to be assertive. I always encouraged her to make more decisions and stand up for herself. Sure, becoming an assassin isn’t how I wanted her to find a backbone, but it’s good that she can speak her mind. Perhaps that’s the only good lesson the Killers Club has taught her.
“Yay!” Ivy claps her hands wildly. She’s a bundle of infectious enthusiastic energy, and she chants. “Cake, cake, cake!”
Bram looks at me for approval. While his arm isn’t around Maria’s neck anymore, all it would take is a nod for him to refuse to let her leave. Although she could call for help as soon as they left the mansion, the way Maria looks at Ivy makes me believe she’d do anything to protect her, and I don’t want to do anything to further traumatise an innocent child. My niece.
The three of them file out of the room. The front door closes behind them with a bang, leaving a long silence, but I haven’t broken eye contact with Daisy yet. Where do we start?
“Is it true?” I ask eventually. “Is Spencer her dad?”
She sighs, avoiding my gaze for a second.
“She is nothing like him,” Daisy spits venomously. “But yes. I found out I was pregnant not long after the Killers Club found me.”
I wrack my brain, revisiting the horror we experienced five years ago. I remember Spencer mauling me before losing consciousness. After I blacked out, he must have… I shiver, refusing to allow my mind to go there. It only amplifies my murderous urges to slice his cock off and ram it down his throat until he suffocates.
“How can you let her see him?” I ask. “After what he did?”
She knows what he’s like. How can she stand to leave her child alone with him? Maria is a barrier, but she’s not up to the challenge of protecting her.
“You said you would do anything to protect your family, but this?” I shake my head. “This isn’t protecting them.”
“You don’t understand,” Daisy snarls. Her nostrils flare in fury. “Do you think I’d let her see him if I had any other choice? I’d never willingly leave her here if there was any other way. What kind of mother do you think I am?”
“I didn’t mean that?—”
“You can’t kill him,” she says firmly. “He’s already paid the price for what he did to us.”
The only price that seems high enough for what he did is death.
“But—”
“This isn’t up for debate,” she snaps, shutting me down. “I’m asking—no, I’m telling you—not to do this. You said you wanted to kill him for us. For what he did. I’m asking you not to. For me.”
Her request goes against everything I’ve been working towards. I’m conflicted between finally achieving my goal and doing what my brainwashed sister wants.
“He should be dead,” I say. “That bastard ruined our lives. He destroyed everything.”
“He also gave me the greatest gift I’ll ever have,” she says. “As long as Spencer’s alive, she’s safe.”
“Daisy.” I step forward, and she backs away, closer to Spencer. “Please.”
“You’re going to forget about your vendetta,” she says like it’s the easiest thing in the world. “If you care about me like you say you do, then you’ll do what I ask.”
“Of course I care about you,” I say. “All of this was for you! I… I… can’t we talk about this?”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” she says. “You need to walk away from him… and us.”
“But I don’t want to,” I say. “We’ve lived apart for five years. Now we’ve found each other. I want to stay with you.”
“We shouldn’t even be talking,” Daisy says, looking over her shoulder like she’s afraid an agent will jump out from behind a bookcase. “You shouldn’t know about me or Ivy. I’ll have to speak to Stephanie about it.”
“Yeah, because she’s always so helpful,” Seb mutters sarcastically. “Psychopaths are the best people to ask for advice.”
“Watch it, pretty boy,” she snarls. If she wasn’t directing her anger at me or the guys, I’d cheer her on. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t kill you.”
“You don’t have to tell her about us,” I say. “If she finds out, she’ll probably throw you in a dungeon, like she did to me. She doesn’t want me alive.”
“So, you’re not an agent anymore?” She raises an eyebrow, and then her nose wrinkles like a plate of heated dog shit is being wafted under her nose. “You’re one of them? A Duke?”
“No,” I blurt. “The Dukes were helping me. Whatever working relationship we have is over now.”
Seb’s face falls. What did he expect when their leader proved himself to be incapable of showing loyalty?
Daisy checks a message flashing over her watch screen. “There’s someone else here. Frederick James and Callen Campbell.” Her expression turns thunderous. “Did you call for help to fight your battles?”
“No,” I say, insulted by the suggestion. I don’t know how Freddie and Callen found out where we were. If my plan had worked out, they’d both be rotting in a prison cell like they deserve. The bastards must have got rid of Trout’s body in time. “I told you, I’m not a Duke.”
Daisy turns on Bram and Seb. “One of you did it then.”
Seb grins in bemusement. “You took my phone off me, remember? Or do you think we’re psychic?”
Both Daisy and I glower at him. Sarcastic fucker.
“They’ve made a mess,” she says. “Hale says they’ve killed the two guards out front.”
“Callen,” I growl under my breath.
The crazy psycho can’t resist an opportunity to throw his weight around.