Chapter 38

Iknew it was coming. The moment the car doors shut and El started the engine, her interrogation began. I was fully expecting it. Honestly, I would have been more surprised if it didn't happen.

"Okay, start from the beginning, because I'm really failing to comprehend how someone drugging and kidnapping you is a simple misunderstanding, Daisy," she says.

"It was," I tell her.

"Why would he kidnap you? And don't give me the whole spicing up your sex life bullshit you fed my husband." She pins me with a death glare.

"Gio… you can just say Gio." I laugh.

"I like saying my husband," she counters.

"You two really are a pair made in heaven." I smile, remembering Gio saying something very similar about her to his brothers.

"I know. But stop deflecting. Now, tell me what's going on between you and Gabe," she says.

"I got scared. I ran. At least, I tried to. Gabe stopped me before I could get far," I explain while giving her the short version.

"You got scared of what?"

"Of Gabe, of the lifestyle. It's not easy to wrap my head around it all," I admit.

"I get that." She nods in agreement.

"I don't know how you make it look so easy. How do you rationalise the violence? Justify it all and then fall asleep at night like it's nothing?"

"I don't know. I just know that I love him, Daisy. I love him so much that I overlook a lot of things I probably shouldn't. But I also judge him based on the man he is with me. To me. And, honestly, I can't find a single fault in the way he treats me."

"I get that. I do, but I'm not sure how to separate the two versions of Gabe. I love him, El. Like crazy, madly in love with him. My heart physically ached when I was at the airport ready to jump on a plane. But I didn't think I had any other option. I didn't know what to do."

"Why didn't you come to me?" she asks.

"I don't know."

"I would have helped you. I will help you if you still want to leave, but if you love him like you say you do, then you need to work on it. It's worth it," she says. "And I know that man has stupid ways of showing it. But he's crazy, madly in love with you too."

"Oh, I'm aware. He literally kidnapped me so I couldn't leave him. Who the hell does that?" I ask.

"Gabe De Bellis, apparently." El laughs.

"Yeah." I sigh.

"In all seriousness, I can get you out of this relationship if you want. No questions asked," she says. "You are like a sister to me, Daisy. Would I love it if you married Gabe and had his babies and our children became cousins and you'd be my actual sister? Absolutely, but I also love you enough to give up on that dream of mine for your happiness. So, if you want out, just say the word," El tells me.

"First, I'm not having kids. Second, I don't want out. I think what scares me the most is how much I love him, El. I don't want to lose myself. And I fear that because of how much I love him, I'm going to become one of those women who does anything and everything for the attention of a man."

"Daisy, that will never happen. I won't let it. Besides, Gabe is a good guy. I get that he does some not-so-good stuff, but he is good. And he's not going to mistreat you or expect you to change into someone who's not you. And if he ever does, I'll cut his dick off," El says with a shrug.

"Please don't. I really like his dick." I laugh.

"Ew, gross. But also good for you." When she stops in front of my building, she turns in her seat to face me. "Let yourself be happy, Daisy. You deserve it."

"I'm trying," I whisper.

"Good. Now, go get ready and don't be late for work. Your boss is a major bitch."

"Don't I know it." I roll my eyes at the thought.

As soon as I step through the front door at my office, I feel all eyes in my direction. Hushed whispers follow me as I walk down the hall to get to my own little space in this hellhole. When I reach the door, finding it open, I also discover exactly why everyone is staring. My boss has seated herself behind my desk.

"Aleksandraa, I didn't know we had a meeting this morning," I say, stepping inside before closing the door behind me. Whatever lecture the she-devil wants to dish out to me today does not need to become the office's latest reality television show.

"We don't. Sit down, Ms Blake. I've been waiting a long time to have this conversation with you. I knew if I gave you enough rope, you'd eventually hang yourself, and now you have," she hums.

As I lower myself down on the chair directly in front of her, the first thought that runs through my head is how wrong it would be to have my boyfriend put a hit out on my boss…

Because that would be wrong, right? Of course it would be. Maybe.

"What conversation?" I sigh. I don't have the patience to play her games today.

"The one where I get to fire you," she says with a smug smile on her face.

Okay, maybe I jumped the gun. A hit is perfectly acceptable in this situation.

I shake my head. Nope, still can't do it.

"Excuse me?" I say, because I can't for the life of me figure out why I'm being fired right now.

Holy freaking shit, I'm being fired…

"You heard me, Ms Blake. You're fired. You fucked up on Friday. You made an unauthorised visit to a client's house and took a girl into your custody. You crossed all kinds of professional boundaries and not once did you report any of it to your superiors," she says. My superiors being her.

"I was helping a client. What was I supposed to do? Leave her in a house with her abuser? There were clear signs of violence. She needed to be seen by a doctor."

"You should have called the police and let them handle it," Aleksandraa says.

Because the police really give a shit? I had the police rock up at my own house countless times, and they were always more than happy to choke back the lie, to believe that everything was fine. That the screams they heard were that of a spoilt child who wasn't getting her way. And of course I was too scared to tell them the truth.

"You have ten minutes to pack up your things and leave the building, or I'll have you escorted out," she says.

"I have one question?"

"What's that?" Aleksandraa quirks a cocky brow in my direction.

"What did I do that made you hate me so much?" I've been wondering this since the day I started.

"Girls like you always get what they want. Everything comes easy for you. Sometimes you need a lesson in life, and I'm the one who just so happens to be giving it to you."

"Girls like me?" What the hell is she on about?

"You're wasting time, Daisy," Aleksandraa says while glancing down at her watch. "You have eight minutes."

I don't move for another two minutes. Eyeing my tiny office as I think back on all the years I dedicated to my work. I don't have any personal belongings in here. There isn't anything for me to grab. So I stand up, hold my head high, and walk out.

I don't let the first tear fall down my cheek until I get in my car. And not even a minute later, my phone is ringing. I hit the decline button, only to have it start back up immediately. I press the answer button and hold it to my ear. "Hello."

"Daisy, it's Mum."

My back stiffens. I haven't heard from this woman since the day I left her house and she blamed me for ruining her life and lying about her husband. "What do you want?"

"He's dead. Your father is dead. He was killed in a prison fight," she sobs into the phone.

"He's not my father, and I don't know why you'd think I'd care. Don't ever call me again."I pull the phone away, prepared to hang up, when something gives me pause.

"I don't have anyone else, Daisy. You're all I have," she cries.

"Yeah, you were all I had to protect me when I was just a little girl, and you didn't. You need to live with the choices you made. And so do I." I disconnect the call and block her new number.

He died in a prison fight. The man who ruined the entirety of my teen years, who abused me like no child should be abused… is dead. And I feel…nothing. There's no relief, no remorse. There's just nothing. I have no doubt that Gabe had something to do with whatever happened to him, and for the first time, I don't care. I'm not annoyed at him for interfering or getting his hands dirty.

I still don't know what I am. But mad isn't it.