Steel Hearts: Oopsie Daisy

"Thanks, but I promised to stay here, and I don't want to screw up on my first or even second day here. I'm sure he'll bring me downstairs to check out your band later. I'm looking forward to being a customer instead of a waitress for a change," Daisy said, keeping her rejection as light as possible. Grace was nice, but Daisy still wasn't sure what to make of the woman's over-the-top friendliness. "Though I expect that won't last long if Saxon lets me work here."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that," Grace smiled. "There aren't many waitresses in the speakeasy, it's mostly bar service, but you could work in the restaurant for sure. You didn't see much of it the other night, but it's really nice. A couple of my friends work there while we renovate the café we plan to open later in the year."

"I've never worked in a restaurant before, mainly just clubs. I can't say that I have ever been to a fancy restaurant before either," Daisy said quietly. "I'm pretty accident-prone. I mainly bussed tables rather than took drink orders," she admitted. "I could maybe hurt someone if I spilled their hot soup on them. You saw what happened the other night when I was down there," she grimaced.

"I'm sure it's not nearly as bad as you think, but if you're nervous, we can find you a job where you don't have to worry about things like that," Grace tried to ease the anxiety she could hear in Daisy's voice. "Well, unless there is anything else you'd like before I go, the band probably think I bailed on them," she left the sentence hanging.

"You wouldn't have a book I could borrow, do you?" Daisy asked, hating that she left the book she had been reading at the Inn in case it had been Kieran's.

"I have a couple. What do you like to read?" Grace asked, getting to her feet, thankful that the girl asked for something.

"I'm not fussy. We often didn't have a television, so reading became my thing," Daisy shrugged. "I've read the bible from cover to cover once when I couldn't get to a library, believe it or not. It's a good story, but I'm pretty sure most of it's not true," she admitted.

"I only know the highlights people preach about," Grace laughed. "I'll grab you a book. Be right back."

Daisy stood and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. It would be a long day if she had to stay cooped up here, but she guessed Mitch had reasons for making her promise to stay here while he went off to meet with Saxon and Beau.

"Daisy?" Grace called.

"Kitchen," Daisy called back.

"Oh, great. I thought I'd lost you, and the guys would never forgive me," she laughed. "Here are a couple to choose from, but you are welcome to keep them all."

"Thanks, Grace, I appreciate it," Daisy said and gave her what she hoped was a genuine smile. "I hope I didn't make you too late for your rehearsal."

"Don't even think about it. I'll see you when you come down," Grace smiled and hurried toward the elevator, where one of the men guarding the entrances went with her to the lower floor.

Daisy selected a book randomly and went to lay on the couch to read. She glanced once or twice at the lone man who guarded the entrance, wondering if she should be nice and try to make conversation, but this felt like the first alone time she'd had in forever, and she chose to ignore his existence and opened her book.

Startled awake by loud voices and the sound of fighting, Daisy realised she must have fallen into a doze while she read. She barely started to get up when someone was beside her grabbing her arm and pulling her roughly to her feet.

"Are you Bree Steele?" The man demanded.

"No!" she bleated nervously.

"What's your name?" he demanded.

"Daisy, Daisy Locke," she stammered, reverting to the name she had been using for so long rather than coming up with something new in the face of this big angry man.

"Okay, it's her. Let's go," he said to the other men Daisy couldn't yet see. "Continue to scream and fight me, and the people you care about die, understand?" he asked. Daisy nodded and bit her lip as he turned her toward the man who had been guarding the staircase entrance to the room who lay still and unmoving on the floor.

She mightn't love Saxon and Grace, but she did care about Mitch enough that she didn't want anything to happen to them. So she let the man lead her down the staircase to the first floor and out through the restaurant and adjoining cocktail bar. Once she was inside his car with him, he ordered his men back in the club to stand down. She would have liked to say goodbye to Mitch, but he would understand why she didn't have a choice but to leave with these men.

"Where are you taking me?" Daisy asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I am returning you to your family where you belong, Bree," The man said as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "Your grandparents have been very worried about you since your mother died. We had a memorial for her, did you know?"

"Why?" Daisy was genuinely confused. "They didn't want to see her for over twenty years. So why now do they care? Because she died?"

"Not at all. You have always been a precious part of this family that your mother kept from us," he explained. "Your mother may have run from her punishment, but all would have been forgiven eventually. You, though, will suffer no such fate. It is not your fault that your mother kept you from your family and your duty to them. That will be remedied now, however."

"What do you mean?" she asked, turning her whole body to look at him and dreading the answer.

"You, my lovely, were betrothed to me at birth, and while I have been patient since you came of age, it is time to honour the agreement your grandfather made with my family," he smiled.

"I can't marry you! I don't even know your name!" she gasped.

"How rude of me. I assumed your mother had told you about me. My name is Connor, and it was my older half-brother that your mother screwed over and your father killed. But, again, none of that is your fault, and you will be treated like a princess as my wife, a queen even, just like your grandmother. You will want for nothing, and your only job will be to produce and raise my heirs," he said, and if he hadn't looked so serious, Daisy would have thought he was joking. Instead, she froze, realising that she was now living her mother's nightmare. A tear tracked down her cheek at the thought of never seeing Mitch again.

"Tears of joy already, my love? How sweet, but save them for the main event. We will be married sooner than you think," he smirked and wiped the wayward tear from her cheek. "Oh, I forgot to mention, don't concern yourself with Mitchell Moran anymore. He got in the way of several bullets as we tried to reason with your uncle. I'm afraid we won't be inviting anyone from your father's side of the family to the wedding, my love. You have me to look after you now, and I look forward to looking after all of your needs." He chuckled and sat back as Daisy's tears flowed down her cheeks in earnest, and she held the scream from her breaking heart inside.

*****

Sirens wailed as the Steel Heart Brotherhood reeled from being assaulted in their newest stronghold. The Vecchio men had come in guns blazing, knowing the Brotherhood would protect the public rather than fight an all-out war in the middle of the restaurant.

A man grabbed Grace from the stage and held a gun at her head as Saxon and the rest of the six emerged from the office into the speakeasy at the sounds of panic and muted gunfire. Realising what was happening, Mitch ran for the stairs but was gunned down before reaching the easiest path to Daisy.

It was over as quickly as it started, with the man holding Grace taking her with him to an armoured car before throwing her into the crowd and shooting wildly as he and his comrades sped away. Saxon and Beau scooped Grace up, realising that the man had shot her in the leg to make his getaway, banking on the fact that they would stop for her rather than pursue the car.

The first ambulances pulled up and called for more due to multiple gunshot victims. Police arrived, dealing with the public and taking statements. Steve and Ian took charge with a furious Saxon as Beau and Teddy went to the hospital with Mitch and Grace. The only thing saving Saxon from losing his mind completely was that he knew Grace would survive and recover. But, on the other hand, no one was sure about Mitch, and all they could do was wait and count the dead and injured from among their soldiers.

There was no doubt in Saxon's mind who was responsible for this, especially as Daisy was taken from the upstairs apartments. Thomas Vecchio had never forgiven Saxon's family for losing their alliance with the Morrisons. If he had thought Saxon didn't have the stomach for war or the balls to retaliate since not fighting back during the war that cost his brother and father their lives or for taking his businesses into more legitimate areas, he was sadly mistaken. Thomas had kicked a hornet's nest today by threatening the woman he loved and his men, and he would be sorry for the remainder of his very short, miserable life.

"Ian! Find me Marco Vecchio and tell him I have a proposition he will not want to refuse. We are going to war, and he must choose a side today!" Saxon growled and stalked to his office to deal with the police and the injuries to the remainder of his men as he plotted his vengeance. If Marco didn't side with or double-crossed him, the slimy bastard would learn the cost of crossing Saxon Steele, just as Thomas was about to know he had messed with the wrong man.

Saxon may have ostensibly withdrawn his interests from the underbelly of society. However, he still had enough interest in shoring up his relationships with several of the more prominent outfits. Marco had the most to gain from Thomas's demise, but Saxon didn't trust him any further than the old man Vecchio. He would use him to make the primary point known, but he would ensure his compliance with the same underhand tactics that he knew Marco would try to employ on him.

With his six busy and needing to deal with the police and the public fallout of a gang war in the club, he had to rely on Marco for immediate retaliation and the retrieval of the girl Mitch had fallen in love with and claimed as his own. The fact that she was his niece meant little to Saxon, but he would move heaven and earth for his brother, and that now included Daisy.

*****

"There we are," Sabrina Vecchio said as she lifted the veil from the back of Daisy's head and drew it down on her face.

"Thank you," Daisy said politely. She was under no illusions about what would happen to her if she showed her grandparents or her husband-to-be any disrespect. The bruises blooming beneath the high-necked dress and heavy make-up were testament to that.

She winced as she lowered her head and took a breath but made no sound to betray her devastation as the havoc wrought not only on her but the people who had tried to help her. She should have left instead of staying with Mitch for a week. Her heart broke all over again each time she thought of him. Her eyes trailed over the floor, noting all the discarded lilies and baby's breath which had been deemed not good enough for the wife of Connor Morrison. It didn't escape her that she had funeral flowers for this wedding. Death lilies, she grimaced. She didn't care, though. Not about the flowers, dress, or large diamond ring that now adorned her left hand.

"Come now, let's have a proper look at you," Sabrina encouraged, and she dutifully stood and turned to face the older woman. "Oh my, you're just as lovely as my Brina ever was," she said in a hushed voice. Daisy went to take a step but stumbled before her minders reached out and righted her. She'd fallen a lot once she arrived at the mansion, not always from her clumsiness. This time, however, she had purposefully stepped on one of the pale pink lilies and crushed it under her foot which had caused her to slip and stumble. She looked down and felt some satisfaction at the sight of the crushed flower no longer perfect to all of those outside of this room who awaited the appearance of the perfect bride.

"Well, I guess you're as ready as you will ever be. Do try to smile, Bree. This is a happy day! You are marrying one of the most eligible bachelors in this city, if not the country. Things could be much worse for you," she clicked her tongue twice. "Your cousin could have got to you first just as he did with your mother. Be thankful it was Connor, and you have a full and rewarding life to look forward to now."

Initially, Daisy had hoped that her grandmother was just as much a prisoner here as she was, but she was soon shown the error of her thinking. This short, stocky woman was a bitch and could hit just as hard as her husband and soon-to-be son-in-law. No wonder her mother ran from these sadistic people, and she would do the same if given half a chance. She was better off alone. She had known that even before her mother had died.

"Ah good, our escort is coming," Sabrina said cocking her head toward the sound of boots on the stairs. It sounded like a large escort to Daisy, but what did she know. She was living a freaking nightmare fairy tale. She was a princess locked in a tower waiting to be marched off to marry the evil king, only there was no prince charming coming for her, and her only escape from this nightmare would be throwing herself from the window. She turned her head to look at the window of this fourth-floor turret. Yes, this mansion had turrets like a castle. She shook her head at the whole surrealness of what was happening to her. She shook her head again and willed the tears away at the thought of never seeing Mitch again, her equivalent to a prince charming. The boots became louder, and she stepped toward the window while Sabrina fussed in the mirror with her outfit.

Daisy turned at the muffled male voices through the door and deep husky laughing before the unmistakable sound of something crashing against the wall. Then a bullet exploded through the door, barely missing her as it shattered the window she had been edging nearer. But then, the mirror Sabrina had been standing in front of also shattered, and Daisy turned with enough time to see the older woman's legs give way as she clutched at her torso and keeled over into the shard of the broken mirror, screaming.

A dozen black-clad men enter the room as if searching for something. One stood over the body of Sabrina and spoke into a phone. Unusually Daisy had managed to stay on her feet, and despite the chaos around her, she didn't miss the tall man who walked through the black-clad men, and she recognised him as the leader here. Not that she would know a cartel leader from her elbow, but she knew he was the one in the group to worry about, not that she wasn't worried about all of them in some way, but this man was dangerous. If she had to guess, this would be her cousin, Marco, and she hoped he was here to kill her betrothed instead of her. However, a quick death at his hands was far more appealing than throwing herself from this tower room and living with lasting injuries. She turned her head to eye the window again as if weighing her options.

Sabrina cried and begged for help, but Marco only lifted his gun and silenced her for good as if it was no more than shooing away an annoying fly. Daisy gasped at the negligent shot. She was no fan of the woman, but she hadn't expected such cold-hearted murder right before her eyes. He took a step toward her, and Daisy stepped back only to find herself surrounded by the black-clad men that worked for this man. Large hands now held her arms at her sides as the leader surveyed her.

"Hello, little cousin," Marco snapped his arm out and took hold of her left wrist, squeezing hard and making her whimper as he lifted it and turned her hand palm up. He took the gaudy diamond from her finger and pocketed it. "You are quite the pretty little thing, aren't you," he grinned. "I wonder how much your uncle will part with for your return," he tilted his head at her. "You've caused him and his men a lot of grief, though, so he may not want you back after all the dust settles. Then what will I do with you?" he asked as he drew her closer to his body and turned her so her back was to his chest and the man who had stood behind her came into view. "It seems Angus here likes what he sees. So perhaps I will gift you to him. He is my most loyal companion, after all."

Daisy squeaked in horror but said nothing as Marco's hand settled around her throat. Angus was as large as Mitch, but his eyes were hard, and his mouth bent into a sneer rather than a smile as she felt Marco's hand grip her throat tightly and cut off her air. She struggled for barely a minute before going limp and losing her fight against the darkness.

*****

"Where is the girl?" Ian asked as he watched two of his men drag a struggling Thomas Vecchio to the van.

"The cartel is mine now with or without Saxon's goodwill. If he wants the girl, he will have to come up with a better offer. Tell your boss I will look forward to hearing from him," Marco said. His voice was full of his self-importance, and believed invincibility now that he held the cartel leadership in his hands.

"In case you hadn't noticed. Saxon doesn't renegotiate deals made in good faith. He asked for Thomas and the girl," Ian sighed. "You've reneged on your part of the deal, and now there will be consequences," He lifted his gun and shot the man to the left of Marco, then held up his hands as his men raised their weapons before Marco's men could retaliate. "That was for not holding up your end of the deal. I will give you twenty-four hours to produce the girl before even harsher consequences come into effect. Think carefully before you cross Saxon again, though. I may give your stupidity the benefit of the doubt, but he is an unforgiving man when people mistake his willingness to make deals with weakness."

"He has my number to negotiate a deal for her return," Marco smirked, not taking the warning Ian had given him and making his second frown briefly. If Ian had blinked, he would have missed it.

"Stupidity is lethal," Ian stated in a stern voice and nodded to the second as he lifted his gun and smiled, indicating the space behind Marco's men where more of the Brotherhood had appeared and trained their weapons on him and his second. "Take the warning, Marco and don't underestimate the length we will go to protect our own. Honour the original deal and produce the girl within twenty-four hours, or next time we will use bullets rather than words with you and take what is ours."

"You fuckers, you don't know who you are dealing with!" Marco raged as Angus gripped his gun and stared Ian down. They understood one another now, and lines were being drawn. Angus was a survivor, and he would make sure the girl was returned, Ian was sure of that, but he also had a part to play as he aimed his weapon at Ian, who had Marco at the end of his gun. "Don't shoot," Marco yelled at his second, finally realising the danger. Then he watched as several more Steel Heart men stood from their cars, opening the doors for those involved in the exchange of Thomas to retreat quickly.

"Quite the contrary, my friend, we did our homework, and we know everything about you down to how many times a day you play with that little pecker in your pants. It is you who doesn't know who he is dealing with now. This exchange could have gone smoothly, and you could have had the goodwill of Saxon Steele. Instead, you have fucked up. Twenty-four hours, Marco, or you won't like what happens next," Ian chuckled and disappeared inside one of the cars.

Ian blew out an explosive breath and called Saxon. They were all determined to get the girl Mitch loved back for him. He'd made it through surgery and would survive his wounds given time to heal, but it was difficult to keep him in the hospital when the woman he loved was being held hostage by an idiot. They needed to get her back so Mitch would let himself rest and heal. He hoped the silent conversation he seemed to be having with Marco's second was not one-sided. He called Saxon's number.