Willow Smoke (95 page)

“What I meant to say is
that I’d be willing to
listen,
if
you
would
like
to
share
some
of the things that are bothering you.
Aw
shit,”
he
muttered.
“That
sounded
like
Cassie.”
He
narrowed
his
eyes.
“We’re
in
this
together,
Willow.
When
you’re
up,
I’m
up,
and
when
you’re
down,
I’m
down.
You
get
the
hives
and
I
itch
all
over.
Our
bodies
are
a
team
even
if
we
haven’t
quite
acknowledged
that.
Can’t
we
work
together
to
deal
with
whatever
we
have
to?”

Daisy’s eyes glistened. “I
want to, but it’s not easy. I’ve been getting by on my own
for
so
long.”
She
rubbed
her
nose.
“But
you’re right. I figured that out this
afternoon. I either have to push you out of my
life, or we have to work this thing out
together.”

She
watched
Nick
stop
breathing
and
his
pupils
dilate.
“I
don’t
want
to
push
you
out
of
my
life,
Nicholas
Underwood.
Sometimes
life
is
nearly
unbearable
with
you,
but
it
would
be
totally
unbearable
without
you.”

“I think that was a vote
of
confidence,”
Nick
said.
“But
there’s
more?”

“Oh yeah, much more. We’ve
got to talk about who I am. You may want to change your mind about me; I’d
fully understand.”

“Nonsense.
So
what
is
Reggie
really
after?
And
how
much
protection
money
is
he
asking
for?”

Daisy
felt
her
resolve
waver.
But
maybe
this
was
the
easiest
place
to
start.
“Five
hundred
a
week.”

“Five
hundred.”
Nick’s
eyebrows
arched.
“You
don’t
have
that
kind
of
money,
do
you?”

“Not for long.”

“Okay,
we
can
handle
that.
Maybe
he’d
like
a
lump
settlement.”
Nick
scowled.
“We’ll do whatever it takes to get him off
our backs.”

“It
won’t
be
that
easy.
He’ll
blow
it
and
want
more.
Or
he’ll
decide
he
wants
to
be
a
business
partner.
Maxine
says
Reggie
wants
you to be part of the family.”

“Not
because
he
likes
my
looks.”

“No,
I’m
sure
he
hates
your
guts.
But
you
have
wealth,
and
he
wants
it.”

“Good,”
Nick
said,
rubbing
his
hands
together.
“We
know
what
Reggie
wants,
and
we’ll
just
have
to
make
sure
he
doesn’t
get
it.
According
to
Clint,
the
word
on
the
street
is
that
Reggie’s
chest-deep
in
quicksand.
He’s not seen as trustworthy.
He’s
bragging
about
having
a
new
banker
and
that
he’s
preparing
to
move
in
to
a
higher
level
of
drug
pushing
in
Cicero.
That
will
put
him
in
direct
competition
with
the
mob.”

“Not
good,”
Daisy
muttered.

“No,
not
good
for
one’s
health
or
longevity.
If the cops don’t get him, the mob will.
But
that
squeeze
may
also
make
him
more
unpredictable
and
even
more
dangerous.”

“Reggie’s
always
been
grandiose
and
paranoid.”

“So
where
does
all
of
this
leave
you
with
your
sister?
I
know
she’s
the
only
family
you
have.”

Daisy
shrugged.
“It’s
hard
to
love
someone
who
is
only
using
you
or
allowing
herself
to
be
used.
Maxine
doesn’t
have
enough
self-respect
to
help
herself.”
Daisy
paused
and
rubbed
her
eyes.
“I’ve
been
protecting
her for years. Or maybe I’ve
just been fooling myself all that time,
h
oping
that
we’d
be
a
real
family
that
cares
for
one
another.
I
guess
the
last
experience
with
Maxine
in
the
hospital
and
recovery
showed
me
how
far
gone
she
is.
She
can’t
be
there
for
me
unless
she
dumps
Reggie.
Do
I
believe
the
world
is
flat?”

“It’s
a
matter
of
perspective.”
Nick
finished
his
tea
and
placed
both
their
cups
on
the
end
table.
“So
is
there
anything
else
you
want
to
tell
me?
You’re
not
holding
back
something
about
your
health?”
He
paused.
“The
doctor
visit?”

Daisy let her eyes drift
shut. “No, not
that. I’m not dying.
I’m not pregnant.” Her
eyelids
flew
open.
“You
didn’t
think
that,
did
you?”

Nick
glanced
down
at
his
hands.
“It
crossed
my
mind.
Would
that
be
so
terrible?”

Wilting
before
his
questioning
eyes,
Daisy
hugged
herself
and
plunged
ahead.
“Only
if
you
don’t
mind
that
your
children’s
mother
is
a
bastard
and
their
grandmother
was
a
whore.”
Her
fingers
balled
into
fists.
She
couldn’t
stop
the
tears.
Damn
it,
not
now—how
could
she
tell
his
reaction
if
she
couldn’t
see?

And
then
she
felt
his
arms
close
around
her
and
pull
her
tight
to
his
body.
She
wailed.
Her
body
shook.
Was
she
coming
unglued?
His
hands
stroked
her
back.
His
words
were
muffled
in
her
hair.
She
sobbed
until
there
were
no
more
tears.
Her
body
quivered
little
aftershocks.
At
last,
she
leaned
back
against
his
hands.

“You
look
incredibly
gorgeous
even
when
you
cry.”
Nick
bit
his
lip.
“Have
you
been
torturing
yourself
because
of
those
things
you
couldn’t
control?
Did
you
think
that
what your father
or mother
did
would
mean
that
much
to
me?”