AllFreeNovel
Share Us
DAISY LAZARUS
As the boatapproached the shore of the mainland, Daisy had trouble detaching herself from Axel. His body was warm. He felt safe. Not only had he cuddled her the entire journey, but he muttered all the things he wanted to do with her when this was all over.
Baseball games. Dinners with the family. More showers with her.
So caught up in the lullaby of his voice, she wasn’t watching the skipper. She didn’t notice him deliberately steer the boat to a sand bank until it was too late, and they were tumbling hard onto the floor. A gunshot cracked through the bay, stopping her heart and her lungs.
Axel?
In a panic, she checked her mate beneath her. Had she shot him? Had one of their weapons misfired? Was he hurt? Panic scorched her veins.
But his hard gaze was locked solidly behind her. His arm was up and aimed, the barrel of his gun smoking. She twisted in time to catch the skipper flopping to the ground. Her own gun in his hand tumbling to the ground.
Daisy scrambled off Axel. “What happened?”
He slid his gaze back to her and got to his feet. “He tried to kill you.”
“What? Why?” she breathed. “We were his protection.”
Axel’s face paled as he, no doubt, registered he’d just killed someone. Daisy bent and searched the skipper. Inside his bag was a pouch filled with uncut diamonds. She shook her head in disbelief.
“So, he was a thief. He lied to us.”
When Axel didn’t respond, she looked at him. His tanned skin usually full of color now had a greenish hue.
“Hey,” she said, squeezing his arm. “You saved my life.”
“I know.” He nodded, as if trying to convince himself.
It killed Daisy to know he had blood on his hands because of her. His gaze snapped to hers, as if he could read her mind.
“I would do it again,” he promised. “I’m not sorry.”
“You should leave the dirty work to me.”
“Fuck that shit, Daze.” He yanked her flush to his chest. “What did I tell you?”
“Together.”
“Damn straight. Now let’s get out of here before someone sees.”
* * *
Axel remainedquiet behind Daisy on the drive to Julius’s house. They’d hot-wired a motorcycle they found in the dock’s parking lot, but she didn’t think that was why he didn’t speak. She feared the kill was getting to him. Daisy still dreamed about the face of the first man she’d killed. Her palms still itched from the blood.
This would haunt him, regardless of the logic behind it.
She wasn’t sure what she expected when they arrived at Julius’s old family home—her old home. Maybe she thought it would be like they’d left it. Frozen in time. But the yard was in disarray. Overgrown weeds, grass and plants covered the suburban two-story home. The rest of the street was perfectly manicured, especially the house across the street. Daisy remembered an old couple living there and wondered if they were still alive. The old man used to always wave at them if he was in the yard.
Julius never waved back and soon, Daisy had stopped too.
She cut the engine, climbed off the Yamaha, and strode up the front path with a growing sense of dread. Axel jogged to catch up and caught her hand in his. He gave her a small smile when she glanced at him, surprised. The look he returned said he understood this would be difficult for her.
So many memories. Rarely any of them good.
She squeezed his hand and surveyed the yard. A broken swing on a magnolia tree. Julius hadn’t liked her playing on that. She would lie beneath it and watch it sway under the shadows cast by the leaves, and she’d dream about when she and Parker would invite the pigeons.
“I thought it would be looked after,” she said, unable to hide the strain in her voice. “I thought maybe if it was, then he could still be using the place.”
