Page 45 of Provocation (Den of Deception #3)

So, instead, with amused faces, they lead me to the office upstairs, where I find that there’s a little Christmas tree in the corner all nicely decorated with tinsel and gold baubles, and there are even presents underneath. My smile is wide as I jump up and down with a squeal.

'When did you do this?' I gasp.

'Last night, while you were sleeping,’ Shade replies, smiling at my antics.

I clap my hands, jumping up and down again.

Blake hugs me from behind. ‘Do you want to have breakfast first, or do presents?'

My eyes widen. 'I have presents? Real presents?’

‘Of course you do, Tulip,’ Mav murmurs, looking a little sad for me.

I sit down excitedly as the first one is brought over to me. I tear into it, finding my own robe that matches Shade's. I shriek, putting it on immediately, along with the matching slippers.

'It's so soft,' I murmur, snuggling into it deeply and sighing. ‘Thank you!’

I give him a tight hug, burying my face in his chest for a moment when I feel like I might cry.

When it passes, I open the next box that Mav gives me and find two electric kettles.

‘Two?’ I ask, grinning down at them.

He nods. ‘One for the house or the lab and one for the club. I know you hate it when people use the microwave for your tea.’

I smile and give him a long hug as well.

'I got something for you guys, too,' I say. 'Well, actually a couple of somethings.'

I take out an envelope and hand it to them to open. I found out a couple days ago that I won the silent auction at the Forrests’ Christmas gala.

Shade opens it, looking surprised that I got them something at all.

'A sailboat trip?' he asks incredulously.

Blake gives me a look. 'I thought you didn't like boats.'

I shrug. 'I thought you guys would enjoy it, and it should be quite a big boat. So, I don't think that I'll have the problem like I did on the rapids,' I say quietly.

I’m suddenly whipped up into Mav's strong arms and held close to his chest as he whispers a thank you in my ear. Shade takes me from him a moment later and does the same.

‘We’re going to have a great time out there together,’ he whispers.

I’m put back down and I draw a hand through my hair awkwardly.

'There was one other thing,' I say.

I give this one to Mav.

'It's not much,' I say, but he opens it with a frown and gives a sharp intake of breath.

He looks at me, his brow furrowing. 'Are you sure?' he asks.

I nod.

'I want you to have it. I'm sorry that I kept it from you before. I was just... I was scared,' I whisper.

'What is it?' Blake asks.

Mav closes his eyes. 'It's the formula for Envy.'

He puts the paper down slowly and draws me into another tight hug. This one is desperate and charged with emotions I can’t name, but can feel them coming off him.

'Thank you,' he says quietly. 'Knowing that you trust us with this is the best present that we could have ever gotten.'

Shade hugs me as well, and then Blake scoops me up and sits down with me in his favorite spot on the couch.

He hands me a small box hesitantly, his eyes moving around almost as much as mine do when I'm not relaxed.

‘This is for you. I…uh…hope you like it.’

Frowning a little in confusion at the way he’s acting, I slowly open the box. Inside, on a chain, is an oddly shaped, oblong blob.

I glance up at him in question as I take it out.

‘Do you know what it is?’ he asks quietly.

I shake my head.

‘It’s the bullet that saved my life.’

My eyes widen. ‘The actual bullet?’

‘Yeah.’ He shifts under me uncomfortably. ‘I, uh, dug it out, bleached it, and had it covered in silver so you’d always remember how strong you are. I thought?—’

He winces at my shocked expression.

‘Sorry,’ he whispers. ‘It’s stupid. I just thought?—’

My mouth on his cuts off his words and I feel his body tense under me as I kiss him hard, my tongue bullying his lips to gain entrance.

When he parts for me, I put everything I have into the kiss, and he groans, grabbing me hard around my waist. He grinds my core hard against his growing cock.

I pull away, my eyes finding his, and staring into them.

‘I love it,’ I whisper with tears in my eyes. ‘Thank you, Blake.’

He helps me put it on, an odd dreamy grin on his face. I hug him again and the other two sit down, joining the mix.

I’m struck by my feelings. I haven’t felt so cherished and loved in such a long time. It makes me feel like I just swallowed Envy.

The rest of the day passes slowly with Shade talking about Christmases with my mom, and how she'd always try and make it special, and I find that I'm not upset at all. He deserved her just as he deserves those memories.

In the afternoon, there's a knock on the outer door, and at first I'm afraid it's the cops, but Blake, Mav, and Shade just give me a smile as we all leave the office to find Claude, the chef from the Novelle House, bringing a Christmas dinner that he's prepared for us. There’s turkey and ham, all the trimmings, and a chocolate yule log that makes me want this day never to end.

Later, we lay on the couch in food comas and watch a film that Mav and Shade are adamant is a Christmas movie. It’s about a detective called John McClane trying to save his wife from terrorists, though, so I’m not sure at first.

When it’s over, all three of them stare at me expectantly.

‘Well?’

I smile dreamily, fiddling with my silver bullet necklace. 'This might be the best Christmas I've ever had.'

‘Yeah. Whatever,’ Blake says. ‘The movie, Gorgeous. Christmas or not Christmas?’

I yawn. ‘Well,’ I say slowly. ‘It’s set at Christmas. So, I think it is a Christmas movie.’

Mav and Shade high five. ‘That is the right answer!’

Blake shakes his head at me. ‘I’m disappointed in you.’

I grin and give a shrug. ‘Sorry, Blake.’

I squeal as I’m swung up into his arms and he gives me a swat to my ass as he pulls off my robe before pushing me under him on the couch and showing me why disagreeing with him is a ‘bad’ idea.

BLAKE

Later that evening, while Daisy is sleeping in the bed next to me, I sit up and research.

I stare at Daisy for a while as she dozes, not able to take my eyes off her for long, my eyes flicking down to the necklace she seems to adore. I love this girl more than anything else. I could stare at her forever.

But, instead, I go through the guest list that Shade has given me from the gala again. There has to be something here. But I’ve looked up every single person, and I can’t find anyone who fits the grainy picture I was able to pull from the video.

Angry at myself and at these assholes who are screwing with our lives, I get up and go upstairs to find the others.

I vaguely hear Daisy getting up as well and the door to the lab slides open as I make it to the top of the stairs.

Mav and Shade are nowhere to be seen, so I go up to the office and take a look around. They're not there either.

The tree that we decorated makes me pause and smile. I haven't had a Christmas this good since I was a kid, back when dad was buying everything he could, and mom thought it was enough.

We don't deserve a girl like Daisy. I don't deserve a girl like Daisy.

On the cameras on Shade's monitor, I see the guys are outside across the street. They're looking at the club and gesturing at it. Wondering what they're doing out there in the cold, I leave the office and exit the club through the side door, going across the road to see what's going on.

'What's up?' I ask.

Shade points at the corner. 'We're just seeing how many other cameras we can add to make sure no one gets inside without knowing about it.

This stalker asshole... he killed Black and we caught nothing on the cameras at all.

This is worse than a few malicious notes.

It's on another level now, and I want Daisy protected. '

I nod, looking around the outside. 'I'd put one there and there, over the sign at least,' I say, 'and around the back.'

Shade nods, taking out his phone that's buzzing. His eyes widen.

'Holy shit,' he mutters. ‘It’s Applegate.’

At the same time, Mav's phone and mine vibrate as well.

'A fire,' Shade mutters as I look at my screen.

'In the lab at the Novelle Center.’

Applegate says they think it's arson.

'When?’

‘An hour ago.’

'Fuck,' I mutter. ‘We should get over there.’

We start back across the street just as a huge explosion rocks the building, blowing out the windows upstairs.

I’m thrown back. There's roaring in my ears.

Daisy. She was in there. She was in the lab!

I scramble to my feet and stumble for the door. The two others are right behind me, but there's too much smoke. I can't see anything. I go inside anyway, crawling along the floor and trying desperately to get to the cellar door.

When I open my eyes, I’m in the alleyway on a stretcher. There are fire engines and cops everywhere. Mav and Shade are standing next to me, both looking shocked and horrified and, like me, both being treated for smoke inhalation by the ambulance crew.

I pull the oxygen mask off my face.

'Where's Daisy?' I croak.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the third part of Daisy’s story.