Chapter 5

DAISY

Laughter spilled from me before I could stop it. The sound echoing through my living room. I sat adjacent to Willow, watching as he owned the whole house with his humor.

At least that was one thing common between them.

Their ability to fill a place with presence alone.

It was probably the alcohol buzzing in the my veins but he looked… less murdery when he was here, in my house, laughing at my lame jokes and staring at me like that.

My pulse skipped a bit.

My gaze flicking from his dark eyes to his lips.

What the hell are you doing?

I cleared my throat, tearing my gaze away and sitting straighter. Stick to the script, Daisy.

He didn’t notice the shift. If he did, he didn’t make it known. I ignored it, turning fully to face him so we were opposite each other.

“So,” I started lightly. “Where’s your accent?”

His gaze sharpened. So did his posture.

“Gone with the years I’ve lived in the United States,” he said slowly.

I nodded. “So you’re… not from here.”

Willow’s eyes narrowed on me.

Was he catching on?

“No.”

“Where are you from?”

So much for subtlety.

“Europe.”

I frowned. That was vague. I was about to ask more questions before he cut in tightly.

“I know what you’re trying to do.” He accused.

I blinked, feigning ignorance. “I don’t-“

“Stop digging or you’re going to find yourself in the bottom of a lake tied to a boulder.”

I froze. My heart stopping for a second.

A joke.

That had to be a joke.

I couldn’t tell from the way he was staring at me. No hint of amusement. No edge of sarcasm. Like he was reading out the weather forecast. That somehow made it sound more scary.

Then, out of nowhere, he burst out laughing.

The sudden sharpness of the sound made me flinch, confused, just staring at him.

“You should see your face,” he said between breaths.

I didn’t laugh. Or blink. Or even move.

Slowly, his laughter died down when he realized I wasn’t going to join in. The room fell silent.

“It’s a joke, Daisy.” He added lightly.

I still didn’t say anything.

His smile faltered.

“A bad joke. I see.” He corrected, “I apologize.”

“I think it’s time for you to leave.” I said finally, rising to pick up our glasses.

His shoulders tensed, he swore under his breath, running a hand through his hair. “Caleb doesn’t really like to talk about our family.”

I paused, glancing sideways at him.

His eyes glistened with something I couldn’t name as he leaned forward. “None of us do.”

He was still choosing to lie… and play games.

I tilted my head slightly. “That’s convenient.”

His gaze sharpened.

“For people who don’t like talking,” I continued, voice light, “there’s a lot that doesn’t make sense.”

His brows furrowed, then slowly realization set in. “You looked him up.”

I avoided his gaze but my silence said everything. Willow blew out a breath, pushing to his feet and suddenly towering over everything.

“I meant what I said,” he continued, quieter this time. “Stop digging.”

This time, it didn’t sound like a joke.

“Our situation is…” He hesitated, jaw tightening. “Complicated.”

His eyes locked onto mine.

“And Caleb didn’t lie.”

His gaze didn’t leave mine. Like some silent test of his sincerity.

“We are brothers. All three of us.” Then a frown. “Maybe not anymore. But a long time ago.”

His words hung in the air, adding to the tension in the air. Because I had no idea what he meant. First they were brothers, then they weren’t…

“Right,” I said finally, “That clears everything up.”

His jaw ticked.

So he did care. Interesting. I picked up his glass and walked past him toward the kitchen. The distance helped , even if it was only a few steps, it felt like I could breathe again.

“Thank you for the wine,” I added over my shoulder. “And the… threats.”

“You’re not scared of me.”

I turned, leaning back against the counter, crossing my arms. “Should I be?”

His gaze dragged over me slowly. It wasn’t the same as earlier. Not seductive or forbidden. Clinical, like he was trying to assess my thought process.

“Yes,” he said after a while.

I should have been scared. All these inconsistencies? They happen when someone has demons to hide. I should know. But I had a feeling theirs was way bigger than anything I’d ever imagined.

And that was what kept me hooked.

“Then you’re doing a terrible job at it,” I shot back.

A corner of his mouth twitched. “You invited me into your house,” he said, taking a slow step forward. “After everything you saw tonight.”

Another step.

“And after what I said to you.”

Another.

My breath hitched, it was barely noticeable, but I felt it.

“You don’t run,” he continued, “You don’t scare easy.”

He stopped a few feet away, his jaw ticking like he was restraining himself from closing the distance. My pulse tripped.

“You’re either very brave…” His head tilted slightly. “Or very reckless.”

I held his gaze, refusing to back down. “Maybe I just don’t like being told what to do.”

Something flickered in his eyes. Something awfully close to approval… or interest. And was it just me or did the air in here dip?

“You should be careful with that,” he murmured.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because people like me,” he started, then stopped himself, flexing his jaw.

“People like you… what?” I pressed.

“Nothing you need to worry about.”

I scoffed, pushing off the counter. “That’s funny. Because everything about you screams something I should worry about.”

He didn’t respond. Just stared at me with an intensity that made my head swim. How in the world do you get excited just from a single look?

This wasn’t me.

It was starting to get under my skin.

“Why are you really here, Willow?” I asked, quieter now.

His dark gaze flickered to my lips, setting fireworks in my stomach, then back to my eyes. His lips parted.

A knock echoed through the house, shattering the moment. Both of us stilled. My head snapped toward the door.

Another knock. Harder this time, like whoever was on the other side was impatient. Willow’s entire demeanor changed. That relaxed, secretly unhinged man from seconds ago was gone.

His gaze shifted to the door, then back to me.

“Were you expecting someone?” he asked.

“No.”

His shoulders straightened, his gaze sharpened and in an instant, he was in front of me, shoving slightly into his back.

I froze, holding my breath.

My pulse hammered in my ears, Willow shuffled on his feet. We stayed in silence, only our breaths filling the air, and when I thought the danger had passed, shots rang out.

Willow cursed, and in a fluid motion, threw himself over me like a suicidal human shield, diving behind the couch.

Feathers rained around us as bullets continued to echo in the air.

A groan spilled from my lips from the sudden move, my hands shot out, wedging between myself and Willow’s chest. I froze when my fingers brushed something slippery.

Willow pressed his fingers to his lips, signaling me to be quiet, before pulling me fully against him, protecting my head.

The gunshots eventually thinned out and when I thought we’d been miraculously saved, a voice rang out amidst the chaos.

“We know you’re in there Daisy Drewmoore.”

Ice filled my veins. Willow still against me.

What?

“All we want is your head and we’ll be gone.”

My pulse went wide. Emotions slammed into me too fast for me to catch up. Confusion. Shock. Fear… genuine fear.

I didn’t want to die.

Like Willow could hear my thoughts, his grip on me tightened. Like a quiet assurance that he wouldn’t let anything happen to me. And despite me knowing this lunatic for less than a day… I believed him.

The voice rang out again, proud, sure of itself. “Your father owes some very dangerous people. No hard feelings. It’s just business.”