Page 22 of Retribution

She points at the exit doors down the hall and the rent-a-cop begins to urge us toward it.

‘John can’t do this!’ Mav mutters, staring at Daisy’s door.

It doesn’t open.

‘Fuck, they could literally have her sedated, or cuffed to the bed in there and we wouldn’t even know.’

My stomach clenches unpleasantly as we’re escorted down two flights of stairs and out the emergency exit at the side of the building.

‘We were supposed to protect her,’ I mutter as the door slams shut, leaving us alone on the sidewalk.

It begins to rain.

‘This is a mess,’ Mav whispers. ‘What did your father actually say?’

Shade puts a hand against the side of the building and closes his eyes as if he’s afraid he’s going to keel over.

‘He said that Banderville has expressedconcerns.’

‘They sure like that word,’ I mutter, staring at the ground as I try to come up with a plan to get Daisy back.

‘About what? Us?’

Shade shakes his head. ‘That she was at the club. That I wasn’t keeping her in the KIP house under lock and key, basically. It’s an excuse. A bullshit excuse to make sure Banderville has power over her.’

‘Why the fuck does he care so much?’ Mav wonders aloud. ‘I mean, what’s this about? Controlling her? Just because she’s going to be his wife? This is fucked.’

I nod and see Shade push himself off the wall. He closes his eyes, tilting his head back, and breathes slowly.

‘The Bandervilles are weird, but this is extreme, even for them. The weird tests by Marcus with the Pledges, the rules they’re giving her, thediscipline.’

‘You mean the abuse,’ I snarl. ‘Call it what it is, you rich piece of shit!’

‘Fuck you, Blake!’ Shade snarls, pushing me against the side of the hospital’s outer wall. ‘I know what it is! I mean that this isn’tnormal.’

‘Of course it’s not normal!’ I shout. ‘They’re making her into some kind ofslave!’

‘But WHY?’

‘I don’t know, and I don’t care!’ I say, just about to lose it and break my best friend’s jaw.

‘Well, you should!’ Shade explodes. ‘We need to know what’s going on here! It’s not just Banderville wanting to marry Daisy. He wants to possess her. Her body. Her mind. Her soul. He wants it all. But there’s a thousand other girls he could have. Whyher?’

‘Because she’s amazing!’ I snarl in his face.

‘But they don’t know that. They don’t even knowher.’

‘Enough,’ Mav says, pushing between our little stand-off. ‘We all care about Daisy. Fighting amongst ourselves isn’t going to save her. What can we do now? Today?’

Shade takes a breath and steps back, raking a hand through his already disheveled hair. ‘We get her a new phone. That’s the first thing. Then we can at least communicate with her.’

‘How will we get it to her?’

Shade paces the sidewalk. ‘I’m still welcome at home for now. I just can’t see her or speak to her. I can give it to Stephens.’

‘Your butler?’ I ask. ‘How do we know he can be trusted?’

‘He cared about April. And he has a soft spot for Daisy. He’ll do it.’