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 hadno cluewhere 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 anddo 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.
