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I set her down, cupping her cheeks in my hands. "Sweet girl."
Daisy looks up at me, tears rolling down her cheeks, and I can't help but kiss her. She clings to me, and the fear that coursed through my body when I saw her in danger is still palpable.
"Daisy," I moan into her mouth. "My sweet girl."
The sirens are closer, and I press one more kiss to her lips.
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes," she breathes.
"Good. Then do exactly as I say."
* * *
I run a tight ship, and my team knows exactly what to do without even a word from me. By the time I escort Daisy out of the back alley, Ashton has the would-be assassin loaded up and on the way to one of our safe houses for interrogation. Meanwhile, Ashton's second-in-command is writing checks for Jack, the barista, and the female customer. Mind-boggling amounts of money, but only after they tell their story to the police exactly how he instructs.
All three of them perform perfectly. The story goes that the goon tried to rob the place before getting into an altercation with Jack and running away. No mention of me, Daisy, or how close to death they all were.
Meanwhile, Daisy clings to me, her entire frame vibrating with anxiety. I guide her to the waiting SUV, opening the door for her.
"It's over, sweet girl."
Daisy nods, shaking, and slides in. I follow behind her, closing the door. Ashton climbs into the front seat, and the driver pulls off, heading back to Falcone Manor.
"Everything is taken care of at the cafe," Ashton tells me. "Jack and the customers are satisfied."
"Thank you." I nod, taking Daisy's hand. "Any news on the goon?"
"We're interrogating him as we speak. We'll get every piece of information we can and then send him to a cell at one of our compounds."
"Perfect. Thank you, Ashton."
The drive back to Falcone Manor is full of Daisy's nervous energy, but there's nothing I can do to calm her. This entire situation is so fucked up, and it's not surprising that Daisy’s rattled.
Elena is waiting for us as we return, and I immediately usher Daisy over to her. Daisy quickly looks up at me, hurt. "Stay with me," she pleads. "Dom, please."
Fuck, has any man ever felt so tempted by a woman?
"I need to handle something with my security team," I murmur, touching her cheek. "Elena will get you settled, okay? We'll be together soon."
"Promise?" Daisy's voice is small, and it makes me want to commit murder.
"I promise, sweet girl. Now go with Elena and let her do whatever you want. Treat it like a spa day."
That makes Daisy smile a little, and she goes willingly with my housekeeper, who leads her into the parlor, but not before shooting me a look over her shoulder that says without words, 'I'll handle this’. It's hard for me to put my trust in anyone, especially when it comes to Daisy, who has quickly become the most precious thing to me on the entire planet. But if I can't trust my staff who has worked with me for decades, who I screened intensely before hiring, then who can I trust?
As soon as the women are gone, I turn back to Ashton and tell him, "I want a summary of everything that happened. I have some calls I need to make. In private."
Ashton nods and departs, leaving me alone. With an enormous amount of feelings swirling around inside of me—rage, grief, and the never-ending desire to claim Daisy once and for all—I go to the balcony where I can be truly alone.
There I pull out my phone and scroll through my emails until I get to the one I'm looking for. Earlier in the day, my team had managed to acquire Carlo's personal cell number, but I told them to hold off on trying to attempt contact until I did so myself.
I hesitate, wondering if contacting Carlo will just make things worse. I procrastinate, placing an order with a local jeweler for an express delivery, before I finally come to terms with the fact that I have to call him. I need to exhaust all my options if I'm going to end this shitshow, and even if I don't like it, speaking to him father to son is one of those options.
Taking a deep breath, I dial his number and bring the phone to my ear.
I fully expect Carlo to ignore me or outright refuse to speak with me, but surprisingly he picks up after a single ring. "Dad?"
