Page 129 of Retribution

‘You don’t? Well you were very out of it from all the zaps she gave you. You even wet yourself.’

‘No,’ Daisy says levelly. ‘I mean I’m not going to do as you say, Joe.’

He smiles spitefully. ‘I was hoping you’d fight me.’

He points the remote at her and presses it, and then his eyes narrow when nothing happens.

He snorts and he throws it onto the table. It skitters across and thuds to the floor.

'Your father assured me you were practically a vegetable, easily subdued and manipulated.'

'He's not my father,' Daisy snarls. 'You are vile and disgusting, and you’re stupid, too. You underestimated me and it’s going to cost you everything.' She tilts her head. ‘Very soon, you aren't going to be a problem for me anymore, Joe.'

He steps close to her with an angry sound, towering over her, and grabs her by the throat. She doesn’t cower even a little, and I’m filled with pride even though I want to charge in there and save her.

But our girl is fucking Valkyrie. She’s already done that herself.

‘What’s happening?' I hear Shade in my ear asking.

‘She’s okay,’ I murmur, watching Daisy smile a little.

'You're looking a little blue, Joe. Feeling all right?'

He looks at his hand and then at her face, maybe wondering why he doesn't seem to have the strength to choke her. His arm falls away, and he stumbles back, sitting hard on the couch. He looks past her and tries to call his bodyguard for help, but he can't make a sound above a whisper.

And then he stares at Daisy, suddenly realizing that this is because of her.

‘It was in the drink.’

‘They’ll catch you,’ he chokes out.

‘No, they won’t.’ Daisy sinks down in front of him on her haunches. ‘And I know that because I made it that way. I know you take Fentanyl. I saw the prescription bottle on your desk that day. It’ll look like an overdose.’

She stands up. ‘You know, you deserve it. No one has deserved it more, after all the things you did. All the people you've ever hurt, or humiliated, or killed.'

He makes a gurgling noise, and his eyes roll back in his head, and I hear Daisy's relieved breath.

She grabs the tray and the glass he was drinking from, and leaves the room without a backward glance.

I smile as I watch her pass. She heads for the back stairs to go down and back across the dance floor in the direction of the rear exit.

I leave my spot slowly, and I go out onto the walkway.

I watch Daisy start to cross the crowded dance floor, but then the lights change, plunging the room into darkness for a split second, and when I can see again, I’ve lost sight of her.

Frowning, I glance at where the others are. Blake is still by the speakers, and Shade is at the bar in the same seat. Both of their eyes seem to be darting around.

'Daisy?' I ask through the mic, 'Daisy?' but I hear nothing but static. 'Guys. Can you see her? Where is she?'

'I'm on the dance floor,' I hear Blake say.

He makes his way toward the area where I saw her last.

'I can't see her.'

'Shade?' He’s up and leaning over the balcony.

'She's not there.'