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Her violet gaze snapped to his. “No?”
“You heard me.”
“I need to go back out there and fight. You don’t. Simple as that.”
She dismissed him by opening the door. A baby’s squeal and conversation filtered out as Daisy strode through like the blood on the bat and on her face were an every day occurrence.
Elena grabbed Axel’s arm and whispered, “You’re not going to let her go out there without you, right?”
“Hell, no.”
“Good.” She smiled. “I’ll stay here. You go.” Her breath hitched with a sudden idea and she brought her lips to his ears to say, “You can keep an eye on her power and let me know the stats. Like, how heavy is an item that she lifts with her mind?”
He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not doing that.”
She pouted. “Aww, come on. What else do I have to look forward to?”
“My winning personality?”
She snorted. “Right.”
“God, I love you.” He grabbed her and kissed her beanie.
“I know.”
With Daisy already inside, Axel and Elena walked in and then closed the door. He scanned the nicely furnished apartment. Expensive shit. Big windows. Slick floors and kitchen appliances. Baby stuff everywhere. An elderly couple played cards at the dining table with a portly fatherly figure and a young woman about Elena’s age.
Mary was at the kitchen counter cutting up food. Her husband Flint was at her side picking at the vegetables, and subsequently getting thwacked on the hand for sampling the goods. His frayed baseball hat hid short gray hair and dark eyes. He stood taller than his wife, but she commanded the room. There was something about Mary’s aura. Axel had met them briefly when he’d carried Daisy in after pulling her from the storm drain.
Further into the apartment, before the sectional and TV screen, a young man carried the baby. With burgeoning muscles, he looked to be in his late teens. He bounced the bundle in his arms and showed it the patterns on the television. Longish shaggy hair. Hearing aid on each ear.
Mary looked up as Daisy walked toward her. She didn’t put down her knife but carried it and deftly twirled it in her fingers as she met Daisy halfway near the foyer entrance. Flint followed behind to meet them all near the door.
“What happened?” Mary checked Daisy over.
Flint asked, “Are you hurt?”
Daisy glanced at Axel and Elena. “Some Faithful attacked us. We’re fine.”
“Did they want your blood sample?” Flint asked, scratching his peppered beard.
Daisy shrugged. “No. They didn’t even know I’d defected. Where’s Parker?”
“It’s just us,” Mary answered grimly. “Everyone is out in the city. Griffin is… not doing so good. He’s gone dark—completely blacked out and is now hunting down greedy sinners without remorse.”
Axel stopped surprise from showing on his face. They were being so candid in front of him. It was strange. They’d been hush-hush last time they’d all met, even though Axel knew their crime fighting secret. Was it because Daisy had brought them home to meet the parents?
Could he be so stupid to think that was what was happening here?
Daisy’s face paled as she spoke to Mary. “What will you do?”
“Parker and Alice are trying to restrain him and bring him home.” Her eyes turned downcast. “We’ll have to lock him up until he’s stable.”
“He might never emerge from that state,” Daisy pointed out.
“We need Lilo.” Mary slipped her hand around Flint’s waist. She fit under the taller man’s arm. Their ease and affection with each other warmed Axel’s chest. Mary leaned against her husband. “We need all the mates. Without them, they’re all ticking time bombs.”
A silence descended. Thoughts flickered in Daisy’s eyes. The set of her jaw hardened. Her shoulders straightened. Through it all, Axel couldn’t shake that feeling he was privy to secrets he shouldn’t be. They trusted Daisy because she was their family. But Axel? He’d helped them once to save her. It would be foolish to suddenly give him all the house secrets like this. Something was going on and he wanted to know what.
