“Really? She’s with Aleksei?”
Kaya rolls her eyes. “I know that look. And trust me, I’m just as surprised as you are. But, since I’ve been having a stalker as of late, it was safer for Daisy to be taken to the main manor. Well, the moment she saw Aleksei, she ran straight to him and has been attached to his hip ever since. She refused to leave with me, so he just… let her stay with him.”
“Wait, you have a stalker?” I whisper-yell, half-panicked on her behalf. Not every stalker is as well-intentioned as Arlo was in the past, and I’m worried about her safety.
She waves a dismissive hand, clearly unbothered. “Don’t worry. I can handle myself. But what plans do you have with Daisy?”
I bite the inside of my cheek, the words leaving my mouth before I can think them through. “I was thinking of adopting her.”
Kaya scoffs, the sound of disbelief matching her expression. “Absolutely not.”
“But—”
“No buts,” she cuts me off. “Let me put it in a way you’ll understand. You’re a woman who’s been through hell and back, and you’re traumatized beyond words. When all of this is done, you will have to go to a lot of therapy and try to work on yourself. Do you really think that adding a child — who has also been traumatized, by the way — to the mix is a good idea?”
“Well—”
“No,” she interrupts again. “I understand where you’re coming from, I really, really do, but you need to think about Daisy. She’s three. She has an actual chance at life. Do you want her involved in a lifestyle of crime? Do you want to make the chances of her going through what you and I went through higher?”
“No,” I sigh, leaning against the wall, staring at the one across from us absentmindedly. “You’re right. She deserves better than this.”
My words are a mumbled, fumbled mess. My intentions ofadopting Daisy were pure, but Kaya has a point, a very solid one. I shouldn’t bring a young child into this life, especially not knowing when this will all end. Even if it ended tomorrow, Arlo will always have a target on his back, and consequently, it would make her a target, too.
“Good,” Kaya nods. “I’ll find her a suitable home, Blair. Don’t worry.”
“Let me know when you find someone.”
“I will,” she promises, and I decide to trust her. “Now, let’s go join the others.”
“Wait, you’re coming with us?”
She smirks. “You’re about to kill people, and you think I won’t join? Do you not know me at all?”
All I can do is roll my eyes.
THIRTY-NINE
Arlo’s driving, one hand on the steering wheel, the other one firmly holding my thigh. The touch is a mix between a possessive stance, protective nature, and a bit of reassurance. The two of us are riding alone, with Kaya and Aria right behind us. Brian is with them, too, alongside Niko and Lucas. The goal was to take as few vehicles as possible so as to not be seen.
The two of us haven’t spoken a word in the past fifteen minutes, and for the first twenty minutes of the ride, Arlo was telling me all about the plan. My eyes are glued straight ahead of me, the plan vivid in my head, and I’m trying desperately not to show how this is all making meanxious.
I’ve got this. I have Arlo with me; it should all be fine.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Arlo asks, his tone light, almost teasing. I appreciate him trying to make me feel at ease, and comfortable, despite the situation we’re currently in.
“At this point, I feel like you can read my mind.” I clasp my hand over his on my thigh, and the warmth seeps through my skin. “But, I’ll be alright.”
“Of course you will,” Arlo responds, giving me a small side-glance, then focuses his gaze back on the road. “You’re much stronger than you give yourself credit for, butterfly. The strength you possess is something men in this world could only dream of having.”
My chest feels warmer at the words, and a smile tugs on my lips. I squeeze his hand, then take it off my thigh and bring his knuckles to my lips. I kiss them softly, and Arlo mutters something under his breath, eyes closing for a moment.
“Butterfly,” he chokes out a nervous laugh. “Don’t do this.”
“Don’t do what?” I frown, his hand dropping back to my thigh, but this time, though, he squeezes it tightly.
“Don’t turn me on right now.”
“I just kissed your knuckles, though?”
