Chapter 7 #4
I hear the water running. When I glance in a minute later, she's sitting in the large, round tub with her head on the side, looking half asleep and content.
'How was that?' I ask.
'Exactly what I've been missing,' she says immediately with a wide grin.
Then, she looks at me more seriously. 'Did you mean what you said?'
'About what?’ I ask.
‘That you want to fuck a baby into me?'
I wince.
'I mean, I sort of... I said it in the heat of the moment,' I stammer. 'But one day I'd love to. I mean, it's okay if you don't want to. We never have to have…'
‘No,’ she interrupts. ‘I think I do want to. Not yet, but I can see it now. I couldn't before. Do you…'
She hesitates.
‘Do I what?' I ask.
'Do you think I'd be a good mom?'
She closes her eyes. 'I mean, because of how I am, and what if I can’t deal with the sensory stuff sometimes? I…might not be very good at it,' she finishes lamely.
'You'll be the best mom, Daisy,' I say and I mean it completely. 'And whenever one of us falls short, all the rest of us will be there to pick up the slack. It's actually perfect if you think about it, there's four of us. We'll be great parents.'
She gives me a warm smile. 'I like that you think about this. The future.’
'Of course, but it's not like I've planned our whole lives together or anything,' I snort, although that's not quite the truth.
I want to continue our little conversation, but Blake arrives in the bathroom and gets into the tub with her.
He begins to wash her hair and soap her body up, taking care of her the way I know he likes to.
She lets him do whatever he wants with a small smile on her face, gasping a little when his hand goes under the water, I guess between her legs. But she doesn't seem upset that he's wanting to do more, so I roll my eyes and leave them alone.
I go to the bed, finally tired, sated, and content. There are still a few hours before I need to go and meet that detective, so I get on the bed and close my eyes, falling asleep with thoughts of our girl and what I’ll need to tell the cops to keep them away from her.
Iwake to the blare of my phone alarm, and I blink, wondering why it's waking me up so early.
'The detective. Fuck.' I let out an annoyed huff.
That's right, I have to be there at 9am.
I glance over at Daisy, who's still asleep next to me.
I roll out of bed, grab a quick shower, and get dressed in a bespoke suit that I find in the closet.
The sight of it makes me raise a brow. Why do I feel like Pierre Sauvage is ‘bon père’ to all of us now?
French fuck. But I put the suit on.
Even I have to admit that it looks good.
I text my lawyer. I emailed him about this meeting yesterday from the plane, and he said he'd be there as my counsel.
I get a message from the hotel concierge a second later to say that my driver is here.
Frowning, I leave the penthouse suite. Mav and Blake are passed out on the couches. I don't wake them. They know where I'll be.
I go down in the elevator and stop by the concierge on the way out.
'I just got a message to say there's a car for me,' I say.
'Yes, sir,' the young woman says. 'I believe he's waiting for you out front. It's Mr. Sauvage's personal driver.'
'Thank you,' I mutter, frowning further.
I don’t like that Pierre Sauvage is ordering me cars. He doesn't like me or the others, but here we are living in his hotel, eating his food, and getting favors off of him. It might be because of his soft spot for Daisy, but he's a dangerous man to accidentally owe anything to.
But I get in the black fucking town car.
It takes me to Richmond police station. Inside, my lawyer is waiting for me. He stands up when I get there and shakes my hand.
'When we get in there, answer their questions, but if I tell you to stop talking, do it,’ he reminds me and I nod.
The detective comes out a moment later. 'Mr. Novelle, right on time.'
'Of course, Detective, you asked me to come. This is my lawyer, Robert Burrows of Marchmont he doesn't believe me.
Frustrated, I turn away and stalk to the door.
'I enjoy having ma petite fleur here,' he says.
'You're nothing to her. She's nothing to you. You're not her father or her boyfriend or anything to her.'
'I disagree,' he says. 'She is…brilliant. Her mind is…'
He shrugs, not telling me anything more, and waves his hand. 'I am a busy man. Do not bother me again today. It is time to grow up and put away these childish things.'
Seething, I leave the room and stalk down the hallway.
Damn that French mobster asshole. There's no fucking way he's just been playing with me.
As I go upstairs to the penthouse, my phone starts to ring.
I look down and I see that it's my brother.
I'm not surprised, given what's happened over the past twenty-four hours, but at the same time I am. He never calls me.
I answer the phone.
'Andy?'
'Jack.' He doesn't say anything for a couple of seconds.
'How are you?' I ask carefully. 'It's been a while.'
'Yeah,' he says. 'Been really busy with Harvard. You know how it is? Well—' he chuckles. 'I suppose you don't.'
'I suppose I don't,' I echo, wondering where this is going. 'I'm guessing you're going to be here soon?'
'Yeah, I'll be on my way soon. I've got some time off school, and it would be good to meet, go over a few things. I’ll let you know when.'
'Yeah,' I say. 'I'll come to the house. Message me.’
'Great. Later, bro.’
The call drops, and I stare at the phone as the elevator opens. It's been a while since I heard my brother this chipper. I mean, neither of us was that close to Pop, but if one of us was closer to him, then it would have been him. Dad thought the sun shined out of his ass.
His tone was authoritative. Like the head of the family. The thought has me frowning. Mav mentioned we should take a look in my father’s office, and I think he was right. We should do it ASAP.
I go into the penthouse and find Mav and Blake sitting on the couch eating waffles.
'What's up?' Mav asks. 'How did your time with the detective go?’
I wave a hand.
'I'll tell you about it later. I think we need to go to my father's house and take a look in his office now. Andy's coming down. He'll be there soon. We should get there first.'