Chapter 96 96
DIESEL POV
I’m driving towards the nearest restaurant, the idea of the massage parlor is still pissing me off.
$1,800 a month so some horny bastard could moan while she worked out his “knots.”
It was definitely a joke if I was even pretending to agree to that.
Picturing it alone is annoying: Daisy in some tight little uniform, her small hands sliding over some sweaty executive’s back, his eyes closed while he imagined those same hands going lower. The thought made my grip tighten on the handlebars until the leather creaked. No fucking way. Not while I was breathing.
She was pressed against my back, arms wrapped around my waist. Her helmet rested between my shoulder blades, and every small shift of her body reminded me how soft she felt under my hands this morning, and definitely no fucking man will have a chance of that…
I raised the bike speed and drove the long way, just to take away the rage under my skin. By the time I pulled into the diner’s parking lot, the sun was hanging low, painting the sky in deep oranges and reds. I killed the engine and helped her off, my hands lingering on her hips longer than necessary. She looked up at me, cheeks still a little pink from our argument or probably thinking about it again, her big eyes searching my face like she was trying to figure out something.
“Food,” I said gruffly, grabbing the boutique bags and taking her hand. Her stomach had growled twice already — I wasn’t letting my woman go hungry on top of everything else.
Inside, the diner was half-empty. A few locals at the counter, a family in a booth. The waitress did a double-take when she saw me — leather cut, tattoos crawling up my neck, the obvious bulge of a gun under my shirt — but she plastered on a smile and led us to a corner booth. Daisy slid in first. I sat across from her, close enough that my knee pressed against hers under the table.
She picked up the menu, biting her lip as she scanned it. I didn’t even look at mine. I just watched her — the way her hair fell over one shoulder, the soft curve of her neck where I’d left a faint mark earlier, the way her fingers fidgeted with the edge of the laminated page.
The waitress came back. I ordered for both of us without asking — two cheeseburger platters with fries, extra onion rings, chocolate milkshakes, and a side of pie for her. Daisy opened her mouth like she might protest, then closed it again.
When the food arrived, she dug in like she hadn’t eaten in days. That little satisfied hum she made on the first bite went straight to my cock. Fuck. I shifted in the booth, trying to ignore how hard I was getting just from watching her eat. That’s really crazy.
Halfway through her burger, she glanced up at me, wiping a bit of ketchup from the corner of her mouth. “Diesel… you are not eating—”
“Not yet.” My voice came out rougher than I intended. I took a slow breath, jaw tight. “Eat first..”
She nodded, but I could see she held back from saying more words and just continued eating. In a few minutes her plate was mostly clean and she was sipping the last of her milkshake. I leaned back in the booth, arms crossed. My knee stayed pressed against hers under the table.
She felt so satisfied and there was this smile on her face as she looked around. Her eyes kept moving to the window, watching cars go by, families laughing at the next table, an old couple sharing pie. A small smile kept pulling at her lips every time a kid laughed too loud or the waitress joked with someone at the counter. She looked happy and relaxed just sitting here.
I tapped my finger lightly on the table, watching her while I reasoned with what she said. Even though I understand her reason for wanting to go out, I can’t allow my selfishness to forget what she has been through — the years of paying her father’s debt, hiding and scraping by. She finally had air to breathe. So I should not be the one keeping her locked down.
But that massage parlor shit can’t be an option.
There had to be a better way.
There definitely had to be.
I pulled out my phone to do a quick search — what work a lady can do — but the worst part was I really didn't know her hobby, what she might like.
I looked back at her. She was obviously carried away with the view of two couples taking pictures while holding ice cream.
And that’s when I thought about it. One thing I’m not so used to can make things easier — I will spend time with her and know more about her.
Going on a date.
But I can’t talk about a date now. Daisy is not prepared for that kind of talk. I looked at the couple she was staring at. They looked genuinely happily in love.
I really seem to be bad at this social stuff. I rubbed my hand over my hair, frustrated.
Daisy was just smiling at the couple that were now eating from each other’s ice cream.
“You seem to find that interesting,” I said.
“Yeah, it’s so beautiful to watch,” she replied. “I have watched that on screen a lot. I hope I can experience this one day.”
The way she said it made me feel like nothing about it was absolutely special, but I didn’t even relax. I murmured that out, “It’s not that special.”
Daisy gave me that look of “are you for real”. Then she said softly, “It is special because it’s just them. They hold each other’s hand, share small things without rushing, laugh at nothing important. It feels heartwarming to be with a partner who chooses you every single day, even in the simple moments. No fear, no hiding, just… being together and feeling safe.”
She said it straight from her heart. It was obvious in her eyes and the way her voice softened.
“Everyone wishes to experience that,” she added.
“Everyone?”
“Yeah… every normal girl that has a normal life.”
I looked at her for a long moment.
She sat there with that soft, honest look in her eyes, talking about normal life like it was something precious she had never been allowed to touch. The way she said “every normal girl that has a normal life” hit me hard. She wasn’t asking for the world. She just wanted a piece of it.
And right then, I made a vow to her in my head.
I will give you everything you want, Daisy.
I will make sure you smile like this every single day.
I will give you the safety to live, the freedom to breathe, and the purpose you’re starving for.
But you will still be mine. Completely mine. No other man will ever touch you. No one will ever hurt you again. I will burn down anyone who tries to take you from me.
This is my vow.
The possessive need burned hot in my chest. She was mine to keep, mine to shield, and now mine to make happy. I would figure out how.
Then I stood up and stretched my hand out to her.
She looked up at me and blinked, confused. “What is it?”
“Let her taste a bit of normal life,” I thought.
“You should have a favourite place you wish to go,” I said.
She tilted her head, thinking for a second, then answered quietly.
I never believed where she would manage to pick.
“What??” I shouted, stunned, and almost called the attention of the nearest people.