Page 80 of Vandal Unbound

“I know. And I’m sorry. But we barely knew each other, and I knew you had other things on your mind.”

I feel Knox watching the both of us. Thinking. Connecting dots. Doing the president thing. But Daisy’s still looking at me like she’s waiting for me to decide whether what she’s said changes something between the two of us.

It doesn’t. It doesn’t change one fucking thing.

“So, you don’t know the names of the men you saw at the bakery or the man who just came into Maren’s store?” Knox asks.

Daisy shakes her head. “I have no idea who they are. I’ve done everything I can to create distance between me and Daisy’s father, so I’ve had no part in that organization for years.”

“I’m gonna ask you once,” Knox says. “And I want you to look me in the eye. Your arrival in this town and theirs, it’s pretty convenient timing.”

“Knox,” I warn. I don’t like where this is going.

He puts his hand out in that way he does, telling me to shut the fuck up, but I pull Daisy closer.

“Daisy,” he says. “You understand why I gotta ask. Did you bring them here? Are you part of their organization?”

“You think I’d willingly bring those men anywhere near my daughter?” She shakes out of my hold and steps right up to Knox. In any other situation, it would be funny. The tiny kitten and the bulldog. “I’ve had to teach her to hide in bathrooms and lock doors. I count grocery money down to the nickel and tell her no to things we both want her to have because I’m trying to keep us alive. And she hasn’t willingly gone near a man until Vandal walked up to our door.”

She jabs a finger in my direction, and Elsie’s trust in me is like a blowtorch through my gut.

“So, no, Knox. I’m not part of Alvarez’s organization. And I didn’t bring them here. My ex wants access to her, and I don’t want that. It’s why we’ve been running and hiding. Those men appearing is my worst nightmare, because I finally feel happy somewhere. I don’t want to have to leave again.”

“Understood.” Knox looks as though he’s about to leave, but before he does, he turns and looks at Daisy. “Are you sure the ink you saw was definitely the design you remember?”

Daisy nods. “There’s an easy way to confirm if he doesn’t confess. Look at the handle of the blade. On it are the initials ‘M’ and ‘A’.”

“Good enough.” He pats the doorframe. “For the record, Daisy, you did good today. Telling us. Alerting Vandal so he could help you through this. It helped the club. Looks like the guy was hoping to worm his way into the club for intel. Got pretty close to pulling it off by hanging around with the club the way he did.”

She waits until he’s out the door, then lets out her breath in a whoosh. “I’m not the enemy, Van. I promise.”

I cup her neck and rub my thumb over her pulse. “We’ll talk properly soon. I trust you. And I think you and Elsie should come and stay with me for a little while.”

“Won’t it be confusing? Us. Elsie. Your…”

“Recovery. No. It might even help, but not in a way that I’m putting it on you.”

Daisy blows out a breath. “Okay.”

I take her hand. “Then let’s go get Elsie and get you to your house so you can pack what you need.”

“I have a question I thought of while you were gone,” she says.

“What’s that?”

“Why are you called Vandal?”

I huff at that. “The Vandals were an ancient Germanic tribe that famously sacked Rome and looted the city. It’s where the word vandal and vandalism come from. One of the old-timers had seen something about it on a cable show and decided it suited me. They weren’t scared of the Roman Empire, even though they were massively outnumbered. They just believed in their own strength.”

The words flowed because I’ve explained my road name a million times, but the power of it hits me straight between the eyes as I explain it to Daisy.

Against overwhelming odds, they were strong and powerful and successful. Maybe it’s time I earned the name.

We make it to the door before Daisy tugs me to a halt.

“Hey, Vandal.”

“Yes, sweetheart.”