Page 103 of Provocation
‘What do you need, Lizzie?’ Marcus asks impatiently.
‘Mom’s glasses,’ she answers. ‘She said she thinks she left them in— Here they are!’ she says brightly.
She takes one last look at me, and leaves.
Marcus’ eyes narrow at me and then he turns and goes through the door. A second later, I hear a pained cry and a dull thud followed by a whimper and some low, hissed conversation.
Marcus just did something to Lizzie. I’m sure of it.
I look at Joe who’s leaning on the desk again like the past few minutes haven’t happened.
I was so afraid after I shot that man thatIwas a psychopath. But as I look into Joe’s eyes for his allotted five seconds, I see what one truly looks like. Even with two murders under my belt, I’m a pink, fluffy teddy bear with a heart on its tummy compared to the dead-eyed man in front of me.
‘Until next time, Marguerite,’ he says with a faux-warm smile as he gestures that I can go. ‘I can’t wait.’
I turn and leave the room. I keep my back straight and my gait unhurried. At the door, the butler lets me out and I blink in the dying light at the black car that’s going to take me home.
I get in and, thankfully, the drive back to the KIP house doesn’t seem to take so long as it did on the way.
When we pull up, I’m trying to open the door before the car has even stopped. I practically throw myself out of the car without waiting for the driver to open it, but resist the urge to run inside. The driver is theirs and he’s likely a spy. I wait until he drives away before I swipe my card and let myself inside.
I close the door behind me and sink against it for a second before I pick myself up and go into the kitchen. A few of the guys are playing cards.
One of the sophomores notices me.
‘Hey, Daisy.’
I try to give him a smile. But I don’t have it in me. Instead, I grab the bottle of something that’s on the table between them and take a long pull straight from the square glass container.
It burns going down, making me cough, but I gulp some more anyway.
‘She’s drinking whiskey like it’s water,’ one whispers.
‘Message the Seamen,’ I hear one of them murmur back.
I take one more gulp before I put the whiskey back on the table.
‘Thanks,’ I say, and turn away so they can get back to their game.
When I get to the stairs, I see Mav coming down with his phone in his hand. All at once, I don’t know what to tell him. I don’t want the guys to know about the Stinger, or how they were used at the Heath to keep me in line, about the things that Marcus and Joe did this afternoon, and how terrified I am.
I throw myself into his arms, breathing hard. ‘Don’t ask me about it,’ I say. ‘Please.’
MAV
I hold Daisy tightly. What happened to her with those rich assholes? She looks exhausted and frightened out of her mind.
‘Okay,’ I say quietly even though I’m burning to know more.
Maybe Shade can get it out of her later. I don’t want to press her. I can already tell she’s close to not speaking at all.
‘Where are the others?’ she asks.
‘At Wrath. They were going crazy waiting for you to come back so they went to be productive.’
I give her a smile, but though she tries to return it, it’s clearly forced and doesn’t meet her eyes.
‘But not you?’
