DAISY #2
Elsie wiggles as far forward as her seat and seat belt allow. “He’s not Vandal,” she says, her voice filled with suspicion.
“This is Havoc,” I say, wondering whether that’s polite enough or I should have called him Mr. Havoc. I have no clue what the etiquette is.
“Who is Havoc?” she asks.
“I’m Vandal’s best friend,” Havoc says, smiling at my daughter, who is currently scowling.
“I drew Vandal a picture and want to give it to him,” she says, grabbing it from the seat to show him.
“Hey, Elsie. That’s a great likeness of Vandal.” He turns back to me. “You’ve seen Vandal outside of the bar?”
“Long story.” And I shouldn’t be the one to tell it. “Is he here?”
Havoc nods. “Pull your car into the lot and park up over there.” He points to a spot near the entrance. “Nothing will happen to it. And I’ll go get the big guy.”
I do as he instructs, reversing into the spot, and try to ignore the feeling I just drove into the lion’s den.
“Look, Momma, that man has drawings on his head,” Elsie says.
I glance where she’s looking and see the man she’s talking about.
He’s tattooed all over his bald skull and a significant chunk of his face.
I can’t see what sits beneath the bushy red beard, but I look away quickly before he catches us staring and turn to face Elsie.
“When we get out of the car, we gotta be on our best behavior. And that means not making comments about people’s appearances.
Those are tattoos. It is like a drawing, but they use a needle. ”
Her face screws up at that. “That’s gross. I don’t like needles.”
“Don’t forget Vandal has tattoos.”
Lines disappear from her face. “They’re not gross.”
I can’t help but smile at that. But I do agree with Elsie on one thing. I don’t have any ink because I don’t like needles either. “Let’s just…be careful. And you stick with me and hold my hand so I don’t lose you, okay?”
She smiles, then claps. “I’m excited.”
That’s one word to describe the rumblings in my stomach.
Butterflies. Abject fear. Nerves. Adrenaline.
I’m not sure what it is.
I climb out of the car at the same time a truck pulls in two spaces down from us. A beautiful woman in a pale blue polo shirt and denim shorts gets out.
“Hey,” she says as I get Elsie out of the car. “Are you looking for someone?”
Maybe it’s silly, but seeing another woman, one who looks so…normal…makes me feel safer. “We came to see Vandal.”
Elsie jumps up and down and waves her drawing at the woman. “I gave him a star.”
The woman drops into a crouch and takes the picture from Elsie to study it before a wide smile breaks out on her face.
“This looks just like Vandal. You did such a good job.” The woman stands and offers me her hand.
“I’m Maren. Knox is my boyfriend. Wait, maybe I should say partner.
I’m his old lady.” She grins as she shakes her head and pulls a leather cut out of the rear seat of the truck and puts it on.
On the back it says Property of Knox. The sight of it gives me mixed feelings. The idea of being something someone owns gives me the ick. But also, the idea of being someone’s so badly, they want to own you? I sigh.
“I’m Daisy. We’re new in town. I work at Annie’s bar.”
“Oh, it’s a great spot. I love the two-for-one margaritas. I don’t know what it is about having someone else make one for you, but they always taste better. I’ve lived here all my life and own the bait shop. Let me know if you need anything. Does Vandal know you’re coming?”
I shake my head. “No. But Havoc said he’d go get him.”
Maren shields her eyes from the sun. “Then let’s go wait inside for him. It’s a hot one today.”
I encourage Elsie to walk the steps ahead of me, but as we approach the door with the loud music playing, we drop back on the steps.
“It might be a bit loud for Elsie,” I say.
Elsie groans and tugs at my hand enthusiastically. “No, Momma. I really want to go inside.”
Maren nods and grabs her phone. She smiles when whoever she’s calling answers. “No, everything’s fine. I’m outside on the stairs, but we have a little visitor with little ears. Can you turn the volume down for us? See you in a minute.”
Within five seconds, I hear a grumbled shout, and then the volume drops by half.
Maren looks at Elsie. “It pays to know the boss,” she says with a wink.
Knox appears at the top of the steps and grabs Maren before kissing her with such intimacy that I cover Elsie’s eyes. His hand slides to her ass, and there was more tongue than Elsie needs to see.
“Fucking love you in my cut, sweetheart,” he says when they finally pull apart.
Elsie chuckles, and it’s enough of a sound for Knox to realize that the two of us are standing there.
“Daisy,” he says. “You need something?”
“We’re here to see Vandal,” I say, trying to project confidence I am totally not feeling.
Watching the way Knox greeted Maren has made me feel all kinds of things.
I’m not sure I’ve ever been kissed the way he just kissed her, like he couldn’t get enough of her, that he was so very happy to see her. That he was proud of her.
What must it feel like to be greeted so passionately by a man like that? Flashes of Vandal greeting me that way flood my mind, and heat immediately climbs my cheeks. My brain dismisses the idea, even as my insides tighten at the delicious thought.
Which clearly shows I need to pay my brain a little more respect and observe all the red flags it’s waving.
Knox glances back through the door. “Sunny,” he yells. “Take that to your room. Same with you, Lock. Minor coming through.”
I don’t want to think about what they could be possibly doing that would require an instruction to stop it.
Drugs, maybe. Sex?
I pull Elsie down one step closer to me so she doesn’t make a run for it and see something she shouldn’t.
The whole time Knox is looking over his shoulder, watching whatever is going on inside wrap up, he’s also rubbing Maren’s arm.
“Okay,” he says, finally. “You can go in.”
“Come on,” Maren encourages. “I’ll show you around.”
Knox holds her tenderly by the throat and drags her lips to his for another kiss. “Don’t be long.”
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize what that means.
And it’s only when we step inside that I realize we’ve entered another world.