Page 59 of Gluttony
“You want it dead. I want it dead. We will work together.”
Tony turned to Bailey. “Did you call for backup?”
She nodded.
“No,” Daisy snapped and pointed the gun at Tony. “Just you.” But then she shifted her aim to Bailey. “And you.”
“I don’t think so. Bailey’s not involved in this. Let her go.”
“She’s the only guarantee I have that you will help me. Give me your cell phones.”
They had no choice but to comply. Daisy fired a shot at each phone, not caring about the explosive sound cracking through the park.
He shook his head. “That wasn’t necessary.”
Pain and hurt and a thousand unnamed emotions warred across Daisy’s face before she stamped them down under a blank expression. She stepped toward Bailey and then, with the flick of her wrist, her sword tip was under Bailey’s chin. “Don’t make me ask again.”
Cold fury dropped in the pit of Tony’s stomach. Blue light pulsed through the veins on his forearms and sparked at his fingertips.
He snarled, “Sloan forgave you for what happened to Max, but I’m warning you now, you touch a hair on Bailey’s head, and I’ll come for you. I’ll rip you in two.”
Bailey gasped and shot Daisy accusatory eyes. “You’re the one who kidnapped Max.”
Daisy’s violet gaze darted between Bailey and Tony. She lowered her sword but used the gun to point in the direction the plant monster went. “Track it.”
“Let Bailey free and I will.”
“No.”
“It’s okay, Tony,” Bailey stood up. “I’ll come. You need someone to have your back.”
He gripped the back of her neck and met her determined brown eyes, glistening under the starlight. “Baby, this is dangerous. I can heal. You can’t. Leave this to me.”
“There’s no chance in hell I’ll leave you with the bitch who almost killed Max.”
“She’s my sister. She won’t hurt me.” He hoped.
“She’s your sister?” Bailey hissed. “That nasty bag of crazy is related to you?”
“It’s a long story.”
She shook her head. “I don’t care. I’m not leaving you with her. Parker said you’re the best fighter out of all of them. I know if it comes to it, you can keep me safe and you need me. I keep you balanced. If anything else, having someone to watch your back and support you will help.”
Parker had said he was the best?
He was going to regret this, but what was the alternative? Fight his sister, perhaps to the death? He nodded, gesturing for Daisy to lead the way.
Daisy shook her head. “You first.”
Nineteen
Tony grippedBailey’s waist and lowered her from the manhole ladder to the sewer below. They were underground in tunnels made from old brick and concrete. A pungent stream trickled around their feet in the culvert. Bailey gagged, and Tony took a moment to acclimatize to the smell with his nose buried in his elbow. His new edition Nikes were well and truly stuffed. Mud, silt, gross things and worse had leeched into them.
He shook them out, but it did no good except to disturb the rats and cockroaches as they scuttled past.
Unperturbed, Daisy was already a few feet into the tunnel and stood with her sword and torch at the ready. Her light illuminated the dark passage ahead, in the direction the creature was last seen. Tony sparked the power in his hands, adding a blue glow to the ambiance.
“Not bad,” he murmured to Bailey, showing off his hands. “Comes in handy, right?”
