Page 8 of Sweet Revenge

“What about Daemon’s car?” I began. “If anyone sees it—”

“I already moved it.” He shook his head at me like he was disappointed that I had such little faith in him. “I dropped it off in an empty parking lot on the other side of the city before the sun came up. I’m sure Daemon could send someone after it if he wants it back. It’s definitely an expensive car, but I doubt he’ll find it in one piece. Besides that, there’s blood all over the passenger seat. It’s pretty hard to get that shit out of the flooring. Leather sure, but not the carpet.”

I just stared at him for a moment. Did he really think I was shallow enough to think that the car was important because Daemon might want it? “I was just thinking someone could’ve trailed us here, that’s all.”

He shook his head. “I think we would’ve known by now if they did.”

He had a point. Maybe we should just get in the car and ride off into the sunset. I giggled a little, thinking of my big brother buying me underwear. “Did you pick me out something fashionable?”

“Don’t get too excited.” For the first time in a while, a small smile cracked across his face. “I bought the clothes and the groceries at the same place, so they’re not exactly haute couture.”

“Oh, well, it would be very difficult to wear anything fresh off the runway while making my escape into the real world.” I smiled, and he actually gave a little laugh. “Thank you, Drake. For everything you’ve done for us. You know I would never do anything to purposely put you in danger. I just didn’t know who else to turn to.”

“I know.” He didn’t say that I was welcome, which made me uncomfortable. I knew he was still upset at me, and I couldn’t blame him. I just didn’t know how to fix it.

Honestly, there was nothing I could do. I’d already brought Daemon here, made him my brother’s problem, and if my father was going to find out, he’d do whatever the hell he wanted to do to Drake to punish him for helping me. There’d be nothing Daemon or I could do about it from wherever we were going.

Which begged a different question. “I still don’t have any fucking idea where to go. Do I just start driving and hope I end up in one of those small towns from the movies where people get a second chance, no questions asked?”

“I know a place.”

Daemon’s voice behind me caught me off guard. I didn’t like being startled. Much of the time, having someone sneak up on me meant that I was about to get a fucking sack pulled over my head.

“What the hell are you doing out of bed?” I asked him.

Daemon swayed slightly as he came through the door silently and stepped closer to us. “I heard you talking and needed to see what was going on.”

“What you need is to get your ass back in that bed,” I told him. “We don’t have to go right this second. We need to make sure you’re stable before we take off, and you need to be close to a doctor until we’re sure you’re going to heal.”

“Well, I’m not going to fucking die, so I guess I don’t have any other choices.” Daemon looked at Drake, and they both snickered, like it was some sort of an inside joke only guys would understand. I just didn’t think it was funny. “We need to get out of here, Elisa. Sooner rather than later. Every minute we stay here, we’re putting your brother in further danger, and we’re giving our common enemies a better chance of tracking us down. It’s not a good idea.”

“But you’re hurt.” I wrapped my fingers as far around his muscular bicep as I could on his uninjured side and gave it a slight squeeze. “You need to recover.”

“Get me into the van, and I’ll be fine,” he assured me. I wondered how long he’d been listening if he’d heard the part about the van. The keys were in my fist, so it wasn’t like he’d read the tag.

“I do think it’s for the best,” Drake said with a nod. “If you’re up walking around, I’d say you’ll be fine. I’ll send some supplies with Elisa to keep the wound clean and bandages and some pain meds.”

Daemon didn’t seem too excited about the pain meds, probably because he didn’t want to be groggy, but the rest, he agreed to. Extending his hand, he said, “I appreciate everything you’ve done, man. More than you’ll ever know.”

Drake stared at his hand for a second before he shook it. “I’ve never been a fan of your family’s but my sister means everything to me.”

Daemon nodded in understanding. “I guess not all the La Rosas are bad. What can I do to pay you back?”

My brother shook his head. “Nothing. All you need to do is keep my sister safe. That’s repayment enough.”

Hearing Drake say that warmed my heart. I’d been so concerned that he would hold this against me forever. Now, I had hope that he wouldn’t.

“I’ll protect her with my life.” Daemon released Drake’s hand, and the two of them nodded in unison, on the same page.

Again, I felt warmth radiating through my chest. Daemon had sworn to protect me. Maybe I was luckier in this life than I’d recognized. But then, lucky people probably never found themselves rolled up in a rug, waterboarded by their dad, or watching the man they were falling for bleed out on their birthday.

“You said you know a place?” I asked Daemon. He nodded but didn’t say more. I had a feeling he didn’t want Drake to know where we were going, which was probably for his own protection. Not that anyone who tortured him to find out where we were would believe him when he said he didn’t know.

“I’ll help you get out to the van.” Drake gestured for the door, so Daemon and I headed in that direction. I looped his arm over my shoulder to help steady him, which he hated. Drake grabbed the promised medical supplies and opened the doors for us. When we got to the van, it took both of us to help Daemon get into the reclined seat in the back.

I buckled him in, while he protested. “It’ll be safer this way. The last thing you need is to fall off the damn seat onto your shoulder when I slam on the brakes.”

“Keep the wounds clean and make sure he rests. If you do that, he shouldn’t need any more medical attention,” Drake told me as we both stepped out of the back of the van.

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