Chapter 16 #3
Sauvage appears angry, and Mariana Reyes looks wary. Daisy doesn’t notice us at first. She’s standing just behind Sauvage, staring straight ahead, face blank, looking like her world has ended.
The shots.
‘Daisy?’
She looks over at me, and then blinks, and then blinks again. The relief on her face is palpable as she lurches the few steps toward us and throws herself into my arms, grabbing for Shade and Blake, and pulling them closer so she can hug all three of us at once.
She doesn’t say anything.
‘You shouldn’t be here, Senor Sauvage,’ Mariana Reyes finally snarls. ‘This is cartel land.’
‘You took something that belongs to me,’ Sauvage says, his voice like steel.
He gestures at Daisy, still wrapped around me.
The cartel queen laughs. ‘She is not yours.’
Sauvage’s eyes narrow. ‘She is enough mine that if you do not let her and her friends leave, I will begin a war over this, Madam Reyes. You know enough of me not to doubt me, I think.’
Reyes looks more than a little surprised. She surveys Daisy with a much more assessing eye than she did earlier, and purses her lips, allowing Sauvage to continue.
But now Sauvage smiles, using some of his French charm. ‘But perhaps war is not necessary, madam,’ he says. ‘We all have our own pieces of the pie in Richmond and beyond. Perhaps a deal can be struck between us. Lucrative for all.’
Reyes' eyes narrow at Sauvage.
‘Perhaps, Senor Sauvage,’ she says, dipping her head slightly. ‘But what of the remaining Novelle, these others? I cannot have them talking.’
‘This one and his friends will do as I say,’ Sauvage says, waving a hand in Shade’s general direction.
I see Shade’s jaw work in my periphery, and he looks annoyed, but he keeps his mouth shut.
‘I am owed money. Novelle money, Senor, and it is due.’
‘How much?’ Sauvage asks.
‘Four million,’ Shade answers.
‘You do not have it?’ Sauvage asks him.
Shade shakes his head.
Reyes’ eyes narrow and she gives Sauvage a questioning look.
He appears completely unperturbed. ‘The money is no problem. I will send it to you today.’
‘Cinco,’ Reyes says, eyes narrow. ‘It is still late.’
Savage lets out a dry laugh. ‘I’ll send you seis, madam. A gift to begin our partnership. Thomas, get it done.’
‘Yes, sir.’
Reyes raises a brow. She’s looking less like a dragon and more like a kitten as Sauvage speaks, I notice.
‘What is this partnership?’ she asks.
Sauvage’s smile is sly. He knows he has won her over. ‘A drug.’
Reyes looks confused for a moment. ‘You wish us to supply you?’
‘Aux contraire. I wish to supply you.’
At Sauvage’s words, the cartel queen begins to laugh. ‘Senor Sauvage, I understand now why they say you are charming and dangerous.’
‘Bon. Let us sit, then.’ Sauvage turns his head slightly toward us. ‘Go. I will contact you later.’
We don’t need to be told twice. We leave the hangar, all of us in various states of shock. We get in the truck, and I vaguely realize that Lu Garrett is with us.
Somehow, it’s me who ends up behind the wheel. I start the truck and drive, not really sure of where I’m going, just that I need to get us away from the airstrip in case the cartel changes their minds.
We pull into a driveway, and I realize I’ve brought us to the KIP house.
No one says a word. We just get out and go inside.
In the kitchen, there’s a box of muffins.
Shade takes the box as we walk though, bringing it with us up to the top floor.
We go into Daisy’s room. She sits on the bed, her feet bare, her makeup smudged.
Before I can say anything, Lu Garrett stretches with a groan. ‘Well, that was sort of fucked up, huh? Sorry your bro was a nutcase, Novelle.’
She moves her hair out of her face and then grimaces. ‘Imma go to the little girls’ room and clean up a little. I’m covered in Eduardo’s brains.’
She leaves the room, and I look closely at Daisy.
‘Are you okay?’ I ask.
She nods a little absently.
‘I thought, when I heard the shots,’ she whispers. ‘I thought you were all dead.’
I get up and go to her, pulling her up and holding her close.
‘We’re not dead and you’re safe now, Tulip.’
She nods a little jerkily. ‘Logically, I know that, but…’
‘We get it,’ Blake says and Shade nods.
‘Andy,’ Daisy starts, looking at Shade. ‘I took the gun from him. He tried to get it back. I think… I shot him. I didn’t mean to. I’m so sorry.’
‘No. Don’t take that guilt. It wasn’t your fault.’ Shade gives her a sad smile, taking her hand and pulling her to him. ‘Andy hadn’t been my brother for a long time. I didn't see what he was like. He killed Larson and framed you for it. Jesus. I’m so sorry I didn't see it, Daisy.’
‘He killed my mom, too,’ she says, taking his hand. ‘He admitted it all. Wouldn’t shut up about it actually. He was very proud of everything.’
‘So, he wrote the notes and everything?’ I ask.
‘That’s what he said. He wanted to fuck with me, with us, basically.’
Shade shakes his head. ‘But the ones that were delivered by hand, they couldn’t have been him. I know for a fact that he was in Harvard. My father kept close tabs on him.’
Blake scoffs. ‘C’mon, dude, your dad had no clue where he was half the time.’
Shade runs a hand through his hair, his brow furrowing in thought.
The door opens behind us, and I assume it’s Garrett, but a telltale click has us all freezing in place.
‘Finally starting to figure it out, assholes?’
We turn to find Marcus, grinning from ear to ear. ‘Get up, wifey. You’re coming with me. If you’re a good girl and do what I say, once I have that money, I’ll let you out once in a while. Maybe you can entertain my business associates sometimes.’
Daisy gets to her feet, her movements sluggish.
‘Hurry up!’ Marcus snaps. ‘I have no problem shooting you. So long as you’re alive to give me that fortune, I don’t give a fuck.’
Daisy moves slowly.
‘I…sprained my ankle,’ she lies, pretending to limp heavily toward Marcus, her hard, deliberate footsteps hiding the others that are lightly sneaking up behind him.
Lu Garrett, a blue ceramic lamp in her hand from the hallway table, waits until she’s right behind him, and so close she can’t possibly miss, and then smashes the lamp over his head.
He goes down with a yelp and a thud.
I lunge forward, kicking the gun under Daisy’s bed, but the guy is out cold anyway.
Lu smiles wide. ‘Great timing, huh? And he’s the last one. Guess you’re off the hook, Novelle.’
Shade just nods and mumbles a ‘great’.
Lu takes out her phone.
‘Who are you calling?’ Daisy asks, still staring at Marcus.
‘My cousin. I need his van for this. I’m not driving around in that black Camaro Marcus drives when he’s cosplaying a poor kid.’
My mouth droops open, remembering the car that almost mowed down Daisy and I that day near campus. ‘A black Camaro?’
‘Yeah, you never seen him? All blacked out windows. Dumb little asshole thinks he’s a gang banger, or something.’
Daisy stares down at Marcus. ‘Why did he try to kill me if his family wanted my money?’
Lu snorts down at him. ‘Probably coked out of his mind. But I’ll ask him later if you want.’
Daisy blinks at her slowly, confused, ‘So, why do you need a van?’
Lu gives her an equally puzzled look. ‘How else am I gonna get him to the second location, Daisybear?’