Suddenly the van came to a stop and the doors were thrown open, revealing Richard who was frowning at us with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Kidnapping,” he said, his eyes narrowing on all of us. “Armed kidnapping! What were you guys thinking?”
“It was your daughter's idea,” Kyle muttered.
“Oh, thanks,” I snapped and stood up. “It was the only way to stop Adam from figuring the plan out. I hope you have him and the police don’t.”
“Yes, he’s being taken care of,” Richard said. “I assume you’ll be wanting to talk to him?”
I jumped out of the van and paused. Richard’s eyes were watching me carefully. “What’s the point? I already know the answers to the questions I want to ask him.”
“He is your brother,” Richard said lowly.
“He’s not blood-”
“You were raised with him by your side,” Richard said softly. “He’s more your family than we are, at the moment. If you wish to see him then come to me.”
I pursed my lips and nodded.
“Daisy, there is someone who has been asking for you,” Richard said.
I tensed. “Blake?”
“He wishes to talk to you.”
“No,” Eli called and jumped out of the van, standing next to me. His hand gently wrapped around my wrist. “Daisy, you know you’ve got a soft spot for him, it won’t do you any good to see him.”
“A soft spot? He’s not a cute little puppy,” I said, narrowing my eyes at Eli.
“No, but you and he are close, even after everything that happened,” Eli countered.
“I’ll see him,” I nodded and stepped away from Eli.
“I’ll take you to him,” Richard nodded and he looked to Jasper. “I’ll meet you and Eli in my office in ten. We need to discuss the mission. Fine tune some details.”
I stiffened ever so slightly when Richard placed his hand on my back. We were currently parked outside the Agency and he led me inside. “You tense,” Richard said quietly. It wasn’t an accusation, just an observation. “I watched Eli just then, he touched your wrist, it was if you didn’t even notice he touched you.”
“It’s nothing against you,” I said. “Touch still isn’t the most comfortable thing for me.”
“What about when it comes to fighting?”
“I barely get touched,” I said confidently.
Richard smiled. “So, Eli, you’re comfortable with his touch?”
“He helped me with it,” I said honestly. “He was the only person I felt comfortable touching. I’m getting better, I’m improving, but it’s hard to stop my body from reacting when all it wants to do is run away whenever someone brushes past my arm.”
Richard frowned and started to drop his hand.
“No,” I said. “It’s fine. It’s something I need to get used to more.”
“I am truly sorry, Daisy,” Richard sighed.
“Yeah,” I muttered. “I guess we have Rob to thank for this.”
“He will pay.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Blake was sitting on a plastic chair, his legs kicked up onto the table in front of him. His eyebrows raised in surprise when I walked in.
“And here I was thinking you’d forgotten about me,” he said and I leaned back against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest, watching him cautiously.
“Contrary to your conceited belief, the whole world doesn’t revolve around you,” I said.
Blake smirked. “How you been, Dais?”
“Oh, wonderful,” I said.
“Not good then?” Blake said.
“Who’s side are you on?” I asked. I knew the answer. I just hoped that I was wrong.”
“Daisy-”
“Just answer the damn question,” I snapped. Blake sighed and scratched his stubble. He looked rough, rugged. The look didn’t suit him.
“Honestly?”
“If you’re capable of speaking the truth, it would be much appreciated,” I said.
“What happened to you, what he did, was wrong,” Blake started.
“Oh, how long did it take you to come up with that conclusion?” I snapped.
“But I don’t think he intended for it to go as far as it did,” Blake said.
I wanted to scream at him. I kept my face blank.
“He loves you, Daisy, he would never want to hurt you. He just wanted you back as an agent.”
“So that makes it okay? To organise an attack on me?” I said slowly.
“No, I just don’t think taking him down is the right thing to do,” Blake said.
“He assassinates whoever the hell he wants, just as long as he gets paid!” I shouted, losing my temper. Blake infuriated me.
“We do good!”
“God, you're so far up his ass!” I exclaimed. “How can you not see that he’s a murderer! He nearly killed me for crying out loud!”
“Daisy-”
“No, listen,” I growled. “I hated it at the Agency, and he knew that, so he had Jack give me a deadly poison that would have killed me if I hadn’t have come back! He put a tracker in me so I couldn’t run! He made me be a fucking guinea pig for torture training, with my crazy psychotic ex, and then he organised the attack that nearly killed me! He’s the reason I was raped. Raped, Blake! He then sends me on a mission I don’t want to go on where I find out he kidnapped his brother's daughter and raised her as his own, and then sends her to take him down! He kidnapped me from my family! My real family! How the hell can you stand up for a man like him! How can you fucking think he’s not in the wrong!”
Blake ran his hand over his face. “You can’t possibly understand,” he sighed. “I stand with him.”
“When you said you weren’t sure who’s side you were on, the last time I spoke to you, you were sure. You’ve had your mind made up from the start, haven’t you?”
Blake looked at his hands. “How!” I yelled. “Blake, after all we have been through, you choose him!”
“It’s not as simple as that!” Blake argued.
“Oh, then fucking explain, Blake!” I hissed.
“Don’t try and take him down,” Blake pleaded. “You know him, you know how powerful he is. You won’t win.”
“You clearly don’t know me as well as I thought,” I said. “I will take him down. I’m going to put a bullet in his head. It’s a shame you won’t be there to watch him die, you fucking suck up.” I sent one last glare to Blake and headed for the door.
“Wait!” Blake called. I paused with my hand over the door handle.
“What?” I growled.
“I challenge you.”
“You challenge me?” I scoffed, looking over my shoulder. Blake had risen from the chair. “What is this, medieval times?”
“You win and I stay locked up, I win and I walk,” Blake said, raising his eyebrow at me.
“Go to hell,” I snapped.
“You never walk away from a fight,” Blake said. “Are you going to start now?”
“Don’t taunt me, Blake,” I said and rolled my eyes, opening the door. I locked eyes with Eli who was waiting on the other side. He had come after speaking to Richard.
“Scared you’ll lose?” Blake wondered. “Come on, Daisy, I thought you were meant to be one of the best.”
“Princess, let's go,” Eli said. “Don’t listen to him.”
“Oh, so he bosses you about now?” Blake said. “Someone’s finally got you under control?”
“Daisy,” Eli warned, locking eyes with mine. He shook his head. “Don’t let him trick you. He trained you remember, he knows your every move. He will win.”
I glanced at Blake. “Chair,” I said lowly and Blake smirked, picking up the chair and throwing to me. I caught it and slammed the door, catching Eli’s angry face as I did. I wedged the chair under the door handle.
“Fucking hell, Daisy!” Eli yelled and hit the door. “Open the fucking door, don’t do this!”
I sighed and turned around, facing Blake. “I win and you stay locked up to rot.”
“I win and you personally deliver me out of this town,” Blake smirked. “Deal?”
“Daisy!” Eli shouted.
I paused. “Deal.”
“I’d just like to remind you, Daisy,” Blake said as we started to circle each other. The table had been shoved up against the wall. “You’ve never beaten me.”
“I’m not the girl you knew, Blake,” I said.
“But I still trained you. Eli’s right. I know every move you’re going to make before you make it.”
“Let's see about that,” I muttered. “Because there’s no way in hell that I’m letting you go to Rob.”
“And there’s no way in hell that I’m going to let you win.”
“Blake, I’ve been in hell for a bloody long time,” I growled.
“Bring it on,” he whispered.
And I did.