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“Most people call me Dove or Lotus now,” she says, meeting my gaze for a second before looking away as if she’s too afraid to look at me for long because of what she’ll see.
“Dove…” It’s a strange nickname that feels weird in my mouth. Usually, when Killers Club agents get new identities, they pick something spunky and venomous. Dove sounds gentle. “You’ll always be Daisy to me. What do you need?”
I resist the urge to scream, shake her by the shoulders and tell her to snap out of it, but I restrain myself. My hands curl into tight balls, and my nails dig into my palms. I have to be patient. Five years of brainwashing is a lot to overcome.
“I didn’t come alone,” she says.
There’s another knock on the door. Callen bristles, cracking his knuckles as he marches to see who our newest visitor is.
“Motherfucker,” he curses. “It’s the guy your sister was with and Stephanie.”
“Stephanie?” I gasp. Maybe this was one big mistake. This has to be a set-up. “You brought her here? She’s a monster. She’ll kill us all!”
“There’s a lot you don’t know,” Daisy says. “All of you need to hear what she has to say.”
“How can we trust you?” Callen butts in. “If I’m not mistaken, you’ve already tried to kill two of us at least once.”
I study her body language. I used to be able to detect whether she was lying from a single look, but it’s hard to tell what she’s thinking now. This woman looks and sounds like my sister, but we’re strangers. We share blood, and I love her unconditionally, but I can’t forget what the Killers Club is capable of.
“Let them in,” Daisy orders. “We only want to talk. That’s it.”
Freddie’s jaw tenses, fighting his desire to answer, but it’s down to Seb to make the final call. We all wait with bated breath until Seb eventually nods.
“Fine,” he agrees. “Open the door.”
The guys’ hands rest on their weapons, hidden in various pockets, and brace themselves for a fight.
When the door opens, we’re all surprised when a little girl comes rushing inside first.
“I thought you were leaving her with Maria,” Daisy growls through gritted teeth.
“Stephanie insisted,” Hale replies. From his thunderous expression, he’s equally unhappy about the arrangement.
My shoulders relax instantly. Daisy wouldn’t kill anyone in her daughter’s presence. The others must share the same thought as they exchange bemused looks.
“Long time no see, Ive,” Stephanie says, beaming at me like we’re best friends reuniting. “You too, Bram.” She winks at him. “You look better than the last time I saw you.”
Of course he looks better than when you held him fucking prisoner for weeks in a dingy basement! Bram puts a firm hand on my shoulder to stop me from flying across the room and clawing out her eyeballs. I bite my tongue for little Ivy’s sake.
“This room is amazing,” Ivy squeals, extending her chubby arms and spinning in a circle.
Hale’s eyes soften when he looks at her, filled with love. Whatever has happened over the last five years, at least Daisy has had someone taking care of her and her child.
“Why don’t you go into another room to play, boo?” Stephanie ducks down to Ivy’s level. “I’m sure there’s something fun to do that our friends can show you.”
Ivy sticks out her bottom lip. “Won’t you play with me, Auntie Stephie?”
Auntie Stephie? Now, I really want to tear out her hair extensions. I saw Stephanie as a friend. She was there for me throughout the grieving process. She watched me go through many sleepless nights and held me when I cried, yet she knew Daisy was alive and I had a niece.
Bram squeezes my shoulder to ground me. Don’t rise to her. Not yet.
“Cal, take her into the next room,” Seb says. “There are some books you can read.”
“Me?” Callen’s jaw drops in outrage. To the outside eye, he seems like the least likely choice of a babysitter. “Why me?”
Hale’s chest puffs out like an angry peacock. “Not with him.”
Ivy doesn’t seem scared by Callen’s rugged biker appearance. She lollops over and throws herself at him, hugging his knees like they’re besties. She looks up at him with wide doe-like eyes. “Can we make a blanket fort? Pleaseeee!”
