Page 63 of Possessing Paisley

“H-hello. Can I help you?” she asks nervously.

I lay a hundred-dollar bill on the desk. “Where can I find Daniel McKee?”

She looks at the money, then up at me, swallowing heavily. “Daniel’s out to lunch right now. I’m happy to leave a message for him.”

With a raised brow, I pull out two more hundreds and add them to the first one. “It’s important that I speak with him in person. Tell me where I can wait for him. Please.”

The woman lets out a sigh and smiles weakly. Maybe using my manners is helpful. Not that I’ll ever tell Paisley that. It won’t become a normal occurrence.

“His office is on the third floor, fifth door on the right.”

I offer her a tight smile as I add two more hundreds to the pile and slide it across to her. “Thanks for your help. If you see him, don’t let him know we’re here. Nothing is going to happen to him. He’s my fiancée’s brother.”

She relaxes but quickly takes the money and pretends to zip her lips.

We find his office, and I let myself in. Grady and Ronan follow and take seats at the small round table off to one corner while I wander around, scanning. Several certificates hang from the wall with Daniel’s name on them. Apparently, he’s an addiction counselor. No wonder Cage said I’d be surprised.

So, the asshole got sober and turned his life around, but he never tried to reach out to Paisley? What the fuck is that about?

I glance at his desk, searching for photos, but there aren’t any.

“Um, hello?”

I lift my gaze to a man standing in the doorway. His eyes and hair are dark, and he’s a thousand percent Paisley’s brother. The resemblance is undeniable.

He looks around, noticing Grady and Ronan, then swings his gaze back to where I’m standing behind his desk.

“Who are you? Why are you in my office?” he asks, shifting his attention among the three of us.

Grady strides toward him. To my surprise, Daniel doesn’t shrink back. He doesn’t react at all. From the look of him, he might be able to hold his own in a fight. Not against us, but maybe someone with less experience.

Then, Grady shoves him and shuts the office door, standing in front of it so Daniel can’t try to run. And from the fear in his eyes, he wants to.

“You asked who I am. And what I’m doing here,” I say, taking a seat in his chair behind the desk. “Who I am depends on how this goes. I could be the last person you see before you die. Or I could be the person who shows you mercy you don’t deserve.”

Daniel pales and looks over at Ronan, only to tremble when he notices Ronan’s gun is visible in his shoulder holster.

“I-I’m not sure what you mean by that. I don’t know any of you.” Daniel’s voice shakes, and it pleases me immensely.

I run my fingers over my short beard. “No. You don’t know us. But I know you. I know you put your hands on your sister and tried to hurt her for money. I know you chose drugs over keeping her safe.”

He sighs and lowers himself into the chair across from me, his expression suddenly lost. “Paisley,” he murmurs sadly.

“Yeah. Paisley. My fiancée. The woman I love.” My voice is quiet, threatening.

“How…?” He raises his eyes to mine. “How is she?”

“You don’t deserve to know,” I growl.

Daniel rests his elbows on his knees, his head hanging low. “I know what you must think of me. Every day since I got clean, I’ve regretted what I did to Paisley. I think about her constantly. She was so strong, and we were all each other had, and then I left her to survive by herself.”

I don’t say anything because I still want to smash this guy’s skull. He regrets it, sure. Big deal. He’s still an ass.

“Not long after Paisley left, I got arrested and spent a couple of years in prison for distribution. I got clean, and I told myself when I got out, I would find Paisley. But every time I thought about finding her, I chickened out. I had no right to ask for her forgiveness. I had no right to show up back in her life after what I did. So, I’ve stayed away. I miss her. Fuck, I miss her so much. She deserves better than what she got from me.”

Daniel seems genuinely torn up over their rift. I want to hate this guy; I really do. It doesn’t matter that he’s turned his entire life around and now helps those with addiction. He hurt my girl. And I can’t forgive someone for that.

Paisley would probably forgive him. She misses him, and I think she wishes he were still in her life. What I’m not sure of is if I should allow that. Normally, everything is so black and white, and I don’t have to weigh the options.