“To talk.”
“You had to kidnap me to talk?”
“Would you have met me otherwise?” They both knew the answer to his rhetorical question.
“How did you get into Gwen’s apartment?”
“The doorman saw you pass out.”
“Drugged.”
“Well, he believed me when I said your blood sugar was too low. Once I gave them your name, they granted us access to the apartment. Apparently, they took pity on me and didn’t make me produce a key since I was carrying you.”
“I’ll make sure that never happens again.”
“I agree.” He wasn’t being witty. He sincerely wanted to make sure Voodoo was safe.
“So, talk,” Chaos countered.
“Do you know where Gwen is?”
“She’s not here?” Daisy asked as she looked around the room.
“You know she’s not. I’m assuming she’s staying at one of the employer’s apartments at the compound.”
“If you know all of this, then why am I here?”
“I don’t know, Daisy. Why did she call you? Have you known all this time she was alive? Wait, don’t answer that. Of course you knew. You two always knew where the other was. Why the secrecy? Why not just divorce me and end this farce?”
“And leave herself vulnerable so maybe your next attempt would hit its mark and kill her?”
“What?” Carter nearly yelled. “Back up. You think I tried to kill her. It was the other way around. She nearly killed me.”
“No, she didn’t. You tried several times to kill her.”
Carter sat in the club chair across from the sofa and stared at his sister-in-law, the exact replica of his wife. They believed he’d tried to kill Gwen. Why would he? He loved her. He still did, even though he didn’t trust her.
“Daisy, I honestly have no idea what you are talking about. I thought my wife went missing after her plane crashed.”
“Was taken down... not crashed. It wasn’t a mechanical or pilot error. This was a well-planned hit. Only Gwen had never been on that flight. Instead, you killed two hundred and eighteen innocent souls and missed your target.”
Carter stood and began pacing the floor. Chaos watched as he’d stop, put his hands on his hips, and shake his head no. Then the pacing resumed, until he eventually stopped and placed his hands on the back of the chair he’d vacated. He needed something to support himself when he faced Daisy.
“I’m not sure what you think I’ve done, but I haven’t. I was not responsible for killing all those people on the plane. Up until two minutes ago, I believed Gwen had been on that flight. For five years, I’ve believed she was unable to come home. Maybe she lost her memory or was too badly injured to find her way back. I’ve searched for her, but not to kill her. I have my own questions for her. I promise you, Daisy, on Clover’s grave, I never tried to kill your sister.”
Clover was someone sacred to Gwen and Daisy. Their sister was their real-life baby doll. To promise on her grave meant something. Even she didn’t believe Carter would use those feelings as a ploy... At least she hoped not.
“We need to go to ALIAS.”
“Won’t Gwen run again if I just show up there.”
“You already did show up, and she did run. She’s not there, but she’s safe.”
“I don’t understand. I watched that building for two full days.”
“Well, Carter, your wife isn’t the lab rat she was before. She’s a strong, capable operative and knows how to handle herself in a crisis... And you showing up after five years was definitely a crisis.”
“And you think I’ll be welcomed back at ALIAS? For all I know, Ivy will kill me on the spot.”