Chapter 38
Falcon
Daisy pulled out her phone and was surfing the internet, probably looking for details about her mom. I knew she left as soon as she was eighteen, but I didn’t know much more about it. Still, she seemed confused about the situation. She wasn’t out of her mind with anger or sadness, but she didn’t seem happy with the news, either. We had a little time before we had to turn around, though, so I decided to make a couple of stops before we headed back.
I had messaged Keys while we were still at the health department, and he got back to me fast with the info I wanted. The person I was looking for would probably still be home this time of day, based on the info sent, and I wanted to catch them privately.
Turning down a small road, I glanced at the neighborhood. It wasn’t even five o’clock, but the overcast sky made it seem later in the day. The small homes were all rundown and yards were overgrown. Some dingy toys were scattered around, even along the street. Slowing for a dog that was wandering around like it didn’t care if I hit it, made Daisy finally look up from her phone.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“Pit stop.” I saw the number I was looking for and a small red truck was parked on the side of the dilapidated house. “Stay here and lock the doors until you see me.”
I left a .38 on the seat next to her just in case but tucked my Sig into the back of my jeans and my knife back into my pocket.
Her eyes went wide and she looked around. “Seriously, Falcon. That cop was already on my ass.”
I put my arm around her and kissed her temple. “I gave him the contact for the shop, not you. And like you said, you didn’t do anything wrong. I’ll be right back. I’m sure it’s fine, just an unfamiliar neighborhood. I won’t be long.
Her blue eyes sparkled up at me and she grabbed the small handgun I left for her. I got out of the truck and locked the doors before I headed to the side of the house.
There was a curtain over the window, and when I tried the door, it wasn’t locked. I didn’t hear any movement, so I pushed the door open and glanced around before stepping inside.
What a shithole. I wasn’t sure where Daisy stayed before, but she wasn’t familiar with the neighborhood, so I figured it wasn’t here. She was so minimalistic and tidy; I couldn’t imagine her living like this.
Paper bags from fast food places and empty beer bottles littered the small living room. The floor creaked as I walked, but I wasn’t sure anyone was home, much less multiple people, so I doubted there would be a problem.
There was a small alcove that held three doors, so I popped my head around. One was a bathroom that hadn’t been tended to, probably as long as the house had been standing, with piss marks all over the seat and the floor around it.
The second door led to a room with a bed and a dresser, but it was empty besides the rumpled bedding and a pair of jeans on the floor. But the last door was my prize. A man about my age was laid out on top of the covers, in jeans and a t-shirt still holding a bottle of beer that looked to have spilled onto his shirt. His short blond hair was disheveled, and he had a patchy, short beard. The TV was on, but it was low and infomercials were playing. There were sheets hanging over the window keeping most of the light out.
I pulled my gun from my jeans and banged on the door jamb. “Wake up.”
The man jostled, the bottle falling from his hands as he sat halfway up, looking all over. “What the fuck?” he moaned before he laid eyes on me. “What? Who the fuck are you?”
“Stand up.”
He was still half asleep and drunk by the dazed look on his face. “Hey man, Joe’s not here. He’s got the money.”
“Who the fuck is Joe? I’m not here for money. I said stand up,” I growled as I grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to his feet.
I let go of him and stepped back, taking him in. “You Chad?”
He sneered at me. “Who the fuck is asking?”
I swung my arm around, connecting the butt of the gun to his cheekbone. He fell to the bed, moaning briefly, then came back up with the bottle. I blocked it, grabbed his arm and twisted upward until something snapped and he screamed like a little bitch. He crumpled to the floor, wobbling on his knees.
“Please, stop! Joe has the money!”
I grabbed his head and pulled his face down to my knee as it came up. There was a crunching sound as he connected. Looking down, I saw some blood on my jeans. “I told you, I don’t know Joe. But I do know a woman. And you hurt her. Put her in a really bad spot.”
He looked up, covering his nose, but the blood dripped from his chin. “Who the fuck are you, man?”
I leaned down and grabbed his hair. “I’m your worst fucking nightmare. You say anything about this to the cops, I’ll kill you after my brothers get through with you.”
The sobs were almost comical. “P–p–please. I won’t. I don’t even know what the fuck I did!”
“Look at me, bitch.” When he opened his eyes, I leaned in close. The smell of stale beer wafted off of him as I said, “I’m Daisy’s old man now. And if you ever even have a wet dream about her again, I’ll find out and it’ll be you trying to run, looking over your shoulder. Trust me when I say, it won’t take long for me to find you. Oh, and stay the fuck away from her mom.”
One more blow to his temple and he fell to the floor. He wasn’t dead, but he’d be unconscious for a while. I didn’t think he was the one who attacked her mom, but just in case, I wanted to throw that in. Saying I was her old man, though? That felt good. I had already made up my mind but saying it out loud only made me want it more. Now I just had to talk to Hawk and vote on it.
There was more of Chad’s blood splattered on my shirt and hands, so I washed up in the sink. I also wiped my cut down with the paper towel I’d used before I walked back outside and casually climbed into the truck. I had a change of clothes, but we needed to get to the next stop. It wasn’t too bad, so I could wait until we got a hotel for the night.
Daisy looked me over with wide eyes when I shut the door. “Fuck, why is there blood all over you?” she squealed.
She felt around, pulling my cut open so I popped a kiss to her head and reached around her to start the truck. “It’s not mine, darlin’. Everything’s fine.” I pulled from the driveway and once we got to the end of the street, I took a look at the map for the next stop. “One more stop then we can hit the road for a while and get a hotel.”
She blew out a heavy sigh but gripped my arm and rested her head on my shoulder. I grabbed her thigh with my right hand and drove with my left to the next stop. My chest puffed as I let the words old lady run through my mind over and over. I’d be saying them to her soon enough.