Page 97 of Retribution

‘More than you’d think,’ he answers smoothly. ‘But tell me,who has done this, petite fleur? Who has stolen your fire and replaced it with fear? Your fiancé?’

I nod jerkily. ‘He—They?—’

I shake my head, not able to say the words, my hand finding the Stinger that’s still strapped to me under my clothes and I see Sauvage’s eyes flick down to where it is.

‘I will meet with the Stooges. I will tell them you are here and unharmed. If you wish to see them in a few minutes, ask the guard at the door and he will bring you to us. No one will find you here, chéri. No one would think to look in this place. I will find out from them how they knew to come here, so I can ensure no one else does.’

He comes to stand in front of me, not touching me at all.

‘You have proven your worth to me. You will be safe here, Daisy Evans. Je le prometsI promise. Come in a few minutes if you wish to see your amours.’

He nods his head at me and leaves the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

I try to get myself together. I want to see them, I want to be in their arms, but I don’t want them to see how Joe and the nurse broke me in just a few days. I thought I was stronger than that, than them. But I was wrong.

Maybe everything Nasty Nurse said was true.

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‘Where the fuck is she?’ I yell as soon as we’re let into Sauvage’s office.

‘Who?’ the smug asshole asks.

And then he smirks, and I lunge for the French fuck.

I hear Shade swear and both he and Mav grab me, holding me back so I can’t get to him.

‘Let me go!’ I snarl. ‘He has her! He has Daisy! Where is she, you fucker?’

‘Jesus, Blake!’ Shade exclaims. ‘Calm the fuck down.’

‘No! She could be hurt. He could have?—’

Sauvage rolls his eyes. ‘I have not hurt the mademoiselle and I will not.’

I continue to struggle fruitlessly and Sauvage tuts at us.

‘Little boys,’ he murmurs to himself with a sigh. ‘Mon Dieu, how did this become the life of Pierre Sauvage?’

He takes a sip from the coffee cup on his desk and motions at the three chairs.

‘Sit, children, if you can control yourselves,’ he stares at me specifically. ‘Bon pèrewill tell you a story.’

‘You aren’t my good father,’ I seethe.

‘Non, your father is in prison. Un voleur athiefwho sells your skills to his masters.’ He makes a noise of disgust.

‘What the fuck does that mean?’

But I’m afraid I already know, that I was right about why my father wanted me to come visit him in jail. He’s trying to get Kormak to sell the debt to someone else, probably get a nice kickback from whoever my new boss will be.

Fuck.

‘Why my petite fleur wants you… A mystery for the ages,’ Savage continues and I try not to think of my other problems while we’re dealing with the bigger one right in front of us.

‘Come on,’ Shade mutters in my ear. ‘We won’t get past his guys. If we want Daisy back, we need to play his game.’

‘We should just come back with more guys,’ I snarl. ‘Kill this fucker.’