'The message,' she says slowly, her expression shuttered. ‘The one from Andrew. What does it actually say?'
'He wants me to bring you to the house,’ I answer, taking out my phone and showing her.
She stares at it for a beat too long.
‘I should talk to him. I’d be stupid to think he hasn’t inherited me along with the rest of the Novelle holdings,’ she mutters bitterly. ‘Maybe he’ll get rid of the guardianship stuff if I ask him.’
I consider what she’s saying. ‘We might be able to convince him,’ I say thoughtfully. ‘He’s got a lot on his plate. Getting rid of something...’ I grimace. ‘Not that you’re asomething. I just mean that?—’
‘It’s okay,’ she says, laughing a little. ‘You’re right. If he’s busy, he might be relieved not to have to bother with me.’
‘If she goes, you’ll stay with her,’ Mav says, his eyes narrow, ‘You won’t leave her alone with him. And if things aren’t sounding right, you get out of there.’ He gives Daisy a pointed look. ‘And you go back into hiding.’
Daisy nods. ‘If he says anything I don't like, we’re leaving.'
'We’ll stay together,' I promise.
Daisy says nothing, but her lips thin.
'Hey.' I grab her hand. ''It'll be okay. We don’t have to go if you don’t want.'
‘No,' she says. ‘I can’t hide forever, and if I want freedom, I need to be prepared to stand up for myself.'
She stands up as she says the words, murmuring something about helping Lu since it’s getting busy, and leaves us.
‘Daisy has a class after this, and then we’re swinging by the club,’ I tell Mav.
He inclines his head a little. 'Sounds good. Gonna show Daisy? Bet she'd love to see where we're at.'
'Yeah,’ I nod. ‘Since we’re not far off from opening.’
‘Think she’ll want to move back in or stay at the hotel?’
I frown as I notice two guys at another table.
‘Not sure,’ I say absently.
They’re dressed in jeans and jackets, but I recognize them as Sauvage's guys in the corner. Both of them have coffees. They're keeping their eyes locked on Daisy and surveying the coffee shop subtly.
‘When the hell did they get here?’ I mutter.
Mav follows my eyes and lets out a small laugh. ‘You thought he’d let her out with only us watching her?’ He rolls his eyes. ‘Bon pèrewouldn’t trust us to get drunk in a bar, but maybe it’s a good thing. More eyes on her means she’s safer.’
‘I guess,’ I mutter.
My phone buzzes on the table and I see a message from my brother.
Dinner tonight @ the house. 6pm.
‘That was fast.’
I stay in Grinder until it's time for Daisy to go to class. I go with her, dropping her off at the lecture theater before I go to my own class, and reluctantly admitting to myself when I see Sauvage’s two guys get comfortable just outside in the hall, that it’s good that Sauvage is helping. We can’t be everywhere at once, and I don’t want to involve the KIPbrothers. The fewer people who know that Daisy is out and about at the moment, the better.
Acouple hours later, and we're heading to the club. Mav is already there with Blake. I glance over at her in the car and smile, hoping she likes what she sees.
We pull up on the other side of the street to the club. I watch as her eyes move over the facade.
‘They fixed the windows,’ she murmurs.
