Chapter 75 75
DAISY POV
A loud, aggressive knock thundered against the wood, jolting me out of my heavy sleep. My heart leaped into my throat, hammering against my ribs before I could even clear the fog from my brain.
Click.
The lock turned, and the door swung open. I scrambled to sit up, rubbing my eyes. My vision was still blurry from the tears and the sudden light from the hallway. I was expecting to see Diesel, but it was actually the almighty Raven.
She stood in the doorway, her silhouette sharp and urgent. She didn't look like the smug woman from earlier; she looked wired, her eyes darting around the room until they locked onto me. Before I could even breathe, she moved toward me with terrifying speed. I tried to pull back, but she reached out and gripped my jaw, forcing my head up.
I flinched. The look on her face was scary—intense and desperate.
“Look at me,” she hissed, her fingers digging into my skin.
She wasn't looking at my eyes, though. She was scanning my features, comparing me to something. In her other hand, she held a phone, the screen glowing brightly in the dim room. Her gaze flickered back and forth—from the screen to my face, then back again.
“What are you doing?” I whispered, my voice trembling.
She didn't answer. She just tightened her grip, her eyes widening. She looked at the phone one last time, her expression shifting from anger to pure shock.
“You have no idea who you are, do you?” she whispered.
I stared at her, frozen. The peace I’d felt earlier was gone. Raven wasn't just looking at me like an enemy anymore; she was looking at me like I was a ticking time bomb. Before I could ask what she meant, a dark, twisted smirk spread across her red lips.
She let out a short, jagged laugh and threw my face away, her hand releasing my jaw so abruptly my head snapped to the side. Without another word, she turned and walked out, the door slamming shut and the lock clicking back into place.
The silence that followed was deafening.
I sat there for a long time, the shock keeping my body frozen. My jaw ached where her fingers had been, and my heart was still racing. It took minutes before the paralysis finally left me. I didn’t need anyone to tell me; I knew something was wrong again.
“God,” I muttered, burying my face in my hands. My head was spinning, thinking about how unlucky my life always seemed to be. The oversized sleeves of Diesel’s shirt brushed against my cheeks. I was beyond exhausted. I couldn't believe the drama of the first night was already piling up, and I hadn't even been here for twelve hours.
“What is it now? God.”
What was on that phone? I pulled my knees to my chest and leaned my head back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling. Whatever secret Raven just uncovered, I knew it probably wouldn't favor me.
Reluctantly, I crawled back toward the window. I just wanted to see if Diesel was still there. I pulled the curtain back just a crack, and my breath hitched.
Diesel was still there, but he wasn't alone. Raven was standing right in front of him. She was holding her phone up, practically shoving the screen into his face, showing him whatever she had just seen.
What is going on?
That sharp, jagged frustration clawed at my chest—that desperate need to know a secret that’s standing right in front of you but remains just out of reach. I kept watching them. Raven was talking fast, her body language sharp. Even from here, I could tell she was arguing, her face twisted in anger as she gestured wildly toward the building—toward me.
Diesel, on the other hand, didn’t move. He just leaned back against his bike, his posture cool and unbothered, watching her rant like she was nothing more than an annoying fly. His silence seemed to make her even more furious.
I let out a shaky breath and pulled my hand over my face, rubbing it down hard. My skin felt hot, my brain spinning in circles trying to make sense of the look on Raven's face. When I finally dropped my hand and looked back out the window, Diesel was gone. Only Raven remained. She looked like she was vibrating with rage; she suddenly wound up and kicked an empty plastic bottle, sending it flying across the lot before she turned and stormed away into the darkness.
I let the curtain fall shut and dragged myself back to the bed, my heart sinking into my stomach.
I hadn't been sitting back on the bed for more than a minute when the lock tumbled again. I jolted in shock. This time, it was actually Diesel.
He stepped into the room, his massive frame nearly filling the doorway. He was carrying a tray with a bowl of steaming food and a glass of water. He walked in with a steady gait and placed the tray on the nightstand. His eyes drifted over me, pausing when he realized I was wearing his shirt. He didn't look angry or even surprised. Instead, a ghost of a smile touched his lips. He didn't say a word about the shirt.
"You should eat. Sorry. It didn’t come on time," he said, nodding toward the food.
“Hmmm.” I let out a small sound and just nodded back, my throat too tight to speak. Looking at him now, you’d never know he had just been in a heated argument. His body didn't give away a single lead to the tension I’d just witnessed. He looked at me for a beat longer, then turned to leave.
"Diesel," I called out. He stopped in his tracks and looked back over his shoulder. "Thank you. For everything."
He stared at me for a silent moment before giving a single, sharp nod. He started to turn away again, but the fear of what Raven had shown him pushed me. I hadn't figured out what was wrong, but I just needed to say something.
“Diesel,” I called his name again. I swallowed hard while he gave me a look that asked, 'What do you have to say?'
“I—I mean... If my presence is going to cause any trouble for you..." I swallowed hard again, my fingers twisting in the hem of his shirt. "You can tell me. I will leave."
The moment I dropped those words, the air in the room suddenly felt thick. Diesel didn't move. He just stood there, towering over the space, watching me with those eyes. I couldn't tell if what I said pissed him off or not; I couldn't read his expression until he finally broke the silence.
“I never said I needed your suggestions, Daisy," he said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "And don’t think you have much freedom, either. In this house, the only thing that gets out... is what I'm done with."
He walked out instantly without waiting for a response. He stepped out and closed the door, the lock clicking home with a finality that echoed in my chest. I didn't know why, but the way he spoke and the weight of his words sent a shiver straight down my spine.