Page 5 of Drowning in the Deep
“That would be great,” I told him.
He went to the closet and came back with a light blue throw made of thin fabric that would make the temperature just right. He tossed it over me and tucked it around me. “There we go. Now, are you hungry? Thirsty?”
“Both,” I admitted. “But it’s not as if I could reach my mouth to eat or drink.”
“Don’t you worry about that,” he assured me. “I’ll go down to the kitchen and get you something. I’ve got some free time now, so I can help you. I’ll be just a few minutes. Don’t go anywhere.” With another cheerful smile, he disappeared out the door.
I wasn’t sure what to think about any of this. While it was exceedingly nice of him to go to so much trouble to help me out, I didn’t want him to get in any trouble over me. I totally understood that he couldn’t just uncuff me. I’d already pissed Daemon off by not agreeing to his plan to kill my father. The last thing I needed was to make him angrier by escaping.
A few minutes later, Janis came back with a tray of pastries along with a coffee decanter and a mug. “Here we are,” he said, setting it across my lap. “I remember you especially like the strawberry ones. Is that right?”
“Yes, I love them,” I confirmed. I remembered that the chef here was amazing at creating pastries, and the ones with the strawberry filling and the icing on the outside were divine. When Janis sat next to me and helped me take a bite, I had to close my eyes and tip my head back, relishing the taste. “I’ve missed those.”
He laughed, waiting for me to swallow everything so he could help me take another bite. “Yes, they are quite good.”
He helped me eat two pastries and sip some coffee, which he managed without spilling it, much to my surprise. Janis was amazing at his job, and that included keeping things nice and tidy.
“So, do you have any idea when Daemon might be back?” I asked, hopeful that he’d overheard something.
“I’m afraid not. I’m sorry. I don’t mind keeping you company while you wait, though,” he said with a friendly smile.
“Thank you. I’d like that very much, as long as you don’t get into any trouble.” The last thing I needed was Daemon getting angry at Janis.
“Oh, no. Daemon won’t mind any of this. Releasing you would be a mistake, but this is fine. How have things been for you since last time?” he asked with sincere concern in his eyes.
I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I don’t know. Everything is so complicated.” I wasn’t sure how much he knew about the situation with my father, but I was pretty certain he knew more than he should. “I’m afraid my father is trying to intrude on Daemon’s territory.”
Janis nodded. “That would be catastrophic for Daemon. He’s a tough fellow, you know, and he has worked hard for what he’s earned. Ever since he was a little boy, he’s been raised to be the next leader of this family. If he thinks someone is threatening that, I’m sure he would do anything he could to prevent that from happening.”
“Yeah, I know he has had to fight for everything he has.” Another sigh escaped my lips. “I wish I could make him see that he can trust me, that I’m on his side in all of this. It seems like every time I start to get close to him, something comes between us to drive us apart.”
I could tell Janis understood, though I did feel a little embarrassed for unloading my intimate thoughts on someone I didn’t know that well. “Daemon has a code that he lives by. It’s right and wrong to him, black and white. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to other people. But don’t give up, sweet Elisa. I think, if anyone can reach him, it’s you.”
I felt a tear begin to form in the corner of my eye. “Do you think it’s possible for anyone to truly find love in this world that we live in? For anyone to ever be happy?”
He gave me a soft smile as he reached up to wipe the tear from my cheek. “You’re stronger than you know, Elisa. Don’t give up just yet. Trust your instincts, and don’t give up on Daemon just yet either. This is a hard life you’ve got laid out before you, but if anyone can find a way to be happy in it, I believe it’s you.”
Taking a deep breath, I nodded and thanked him for his insight. I wanted to believe he was right, but I wasn’t sure it was possible for anyone who was born into our monstrous families to emerge as anything remotely resembling a human—no matter how badly they wanted it.
CHAPTER4
DAEMON
“What the fuck is going on here?” I drilled Dezzy once my other brothers had arrived at the drug warehouse, the one I’d just kicked my mother and her asshole husband out of. “Dez, we can’t let our number one enemy waltz right into our territory and start asking questions, bro.”
“What was I supposed to do?” Dez asked. “I didn’t want to cause a problem with Ma. That’s why I called you.”
Shaking my head, I folded my arms across my chest. The room we were meeting in wasn’t anything more than a glorified storage closet, but it was out of the earshot of the workers who had lost a lot of time thanks to the unexpected visit, and they were now trying to get caught up before the shipment went out later tonight.
“You guys can’t let her fucking walk all over you,” I reminded him. “I can’t be everywhere at once. You’ve got to be willing to stand up and make sure things go right when I can’t do it myself.”
“Yeah, dumbass. What were you thinking?” Vin asked, hitting Dezzy in the shoulder. “Alexander La Rosa doesn’t get to know what the fuck we’re doing.”
“I’m sorry, shit,” Dezzy said, stepping away from Vin like he was afraid our slightly psychopathic brother might unleash on him in a way that would really hurt this time. “I thought it might be worse to piss Ma off at the moment when she seems to be trying to get her fingers on everything.”
“This warehouse is mine,” I reminded all three of my brothers.
Mikel shifted slightly, looking uncomfortable. I knew he’d rather be off in Hollywood making movies. He also used our family’s dirty cash to produce movies, which came back to us as clean money. But at the moment, I still needed him here, so he’d have to play the part of loyal mafia crime brother for a bit longer.
