Willow Smoke (63 page)

“Don’t,”
he
said,
leaning
over
to
kiss
her
forehead.
“Don’t
be
ashamed.
Given
what
you’ve said
around the edges, I’m not
surprised.
And it doesn’t matter to me. Not
one
bit.
I
have
a
lovely
woman
sitting
next
to
me that I care about deeply. I
don’t
care
if
you
are
descended
from
the
likes of
Huck
Finn
or
the
Queen
of
England.”

Daisy
managed
a
tiny
smile.
“I
doubt
that
either
of
those
are
likely,
since
one
is
fictional
and
the
other
out
of
the
question.”

“Maybe. Just don’t think
that
you’re
the
only
one
with
questionable
roots.”

Daisy
frowned.
“What
do
you
mean?”

“Well, it just so
happens that on my
mother’s
side
there
is
a
grandfather
whose
father remains unknown. A bastard, they
might
have
called
him
in
his
day,
but
I’m
darned
proud
of
him.
He
became
a
successful
railroad
engineer.
And
if
it
hadn’t
been
for
him,
there
would
be
no
me.”

“Angie
said
there
were
skeletons
in
your
family
too.”
She
raised
one
eyebrow.
“Are
there more?”

“Oh
yeah.”
Nick
sighed
and
then
stood.
“But
another
time.
Now
we
have
to
see
about
getting
you
some
food.
I
don’t
want
you
fainting.”

“Somehow,
I
think
you
just
avoided
answering
a question. But you’re right. I’m
famished. But I don’t want to leave. If
the
doctor comes by early, I don’t want to
miss him.”

“That’s
okay.
I’ll
just
snoop
around
a
bit.”
He
gave
her
his
wicked
smile.
“I’m
pretty
good
at
snooping.”

“I’ve
noticed.”

“You
hang
here
and
I’ll
see
what
I
can
find
to
eat.”

- o -

“Wake up, bitch!”

Daisy’s eyes jerked
wide. Dazed, it took her a moment to identify her
surroundings.
She
must
have
dozed.
But
there
was
no
question
who
was
shaking
her by the shoulder.

“Take
your
hands
off
me,
Reggie.”
She
scrambled
to
her
feet.
He
never
had
liked
the fact that she stood a good four inches
taller than him. “If you came to see
Maxine,
she’s
still
limited
to
ten
minute
visits.”

Reggie
backed
up
a
couple
steps
and
sneered.
“I’m
not stupid. I know that. So are
you
satisfied?

“What
do
you
mean?”

“If
you’d
come
through
with
more
dough,
your
sister
wouldn’t
have
to
walk
the
streets
at
one
in
the
morning
looking
for
johns.”

Daisy
blanched.
Was
he
telling
the
truth?
He
just wanted her to believe
Maxine
was
mugged.

“I can see that you got
the picture,
bitch.
Not a pretty one
either. But bread is
bread.
And
we’ll
get
it
any
way
we
can.
Which
reminds
me,
you
better
stop
by
billing
before
you
go
anywhere.”

“What
do
you
mean?”

“Somebody’s got to pay
for all of this. We ain’t got any insurance, you know.
Unless
you
want
us
to
be
at
the
mercy
of
the
county.”

Daisy
groaned.
“I’ll
check
into
it.
There
must
be
a
way
to
pay.”

“Oh,
there’s
a
way
all
right.”
Reggie
moved
forward
and
Daisy
backpedaled
until
she
felt
the
wall
against
her
buttocks.

“Your
rich
boyfriend
can
spring
for
it.
About time
he
started
paying
his
own
way
in
this
family.
He
should
know
it’s
going
to
cost
him
to
get
a
virgin
piece
like
you.”

Instinctively,
Daisy
slapped
her
brother-in-law.
He staggered, momentarily
retreating.
Regaining
his
balance,
he
came in
low
with
his
shoulder,
slamming
Daisy
against
the
wall.
Slanting
a
forearm
against
her
throat
and
pressing
a
knee
against
her
crotch,
Reggie
shouted,
“Don’t
ever
try
anything
like
that
again,
or
you’ll
be
in
bed
next
to
your
sister.”

Daisy
fought
for
breath.
She
wanted
to
close
her
eyes
but
wouldn’t
give
Reggie
the
satisfaction.

“I’m
only
gonna
say
this
one
more
time,
bitch.
You better figure out a way to
separate
super
stud
and
some
of
his
cash.
You’re
not
gonna
leave
us
lying
in
the
gutter
while
you
ride
the
gravy
train.
Accidents
happen
every
day.
Look
at
your
sister.
Could
be
you.
Could
be
him.
You
understand?”

Daisy
nodded.
Her
eyes
rounded.
She
saw
Nick
running
in
from
the
hallway
with
a
man
in
a
white
coat
right
behind
him.

The
weight
was
yanked
from
her
throat;
she
slumped
to
the
floor
gasping
for
breath, but she
couldn’t take her eyes
off
of
Nick.
She’d
never
seen
this
side
of
him.
He
was
ready
to
kill.

Nick
spun
the
shorter,
beefier
man
around
and
slammed
him
against
the
wall.
He
blocked
a
blow
to
his
body
and
struck
a
solid
blow
to
Reggie’s
midsection
and
a
second
to
his
nose.
Reggie
crumpled
to
the
floor.
Blood
from
his
nose
spurted
over his shirt.

“You
broke
my
fuckin’
nose,
you
bastard.”
Reggie
reached
for
his
boot.