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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.”
