Imperfect Match (Elixir Bachelor Billionaires #1)

What the fuck are you doing here all alone, Daisy?

We split in different directions. I make a second left and continue to holler her name, until I hear a faint “Yes” in her soft, shivery voice.

Thank fucking God.

“Charles.”

I rush in her direction as fast as I can, trying not to think about the debris crunching under my footsteps.

I finally reach what might have been an office. The door has collapsed, along with the neighboring walls, which have fallen on each other and closed the entire space.

“Daisy, I’m here.”

Her low sniffles cut me raw. I try to ignore the grip of fear and instead focus on bringing her out.

Thankfully, Steve and Dave join me. The moment we pull away the door, my heart lurches in my mouth. Daisy is hunkered in the corner with a thick beam precariously hanging above her head, ready to fall any second. Her hands rest above her head, shielding herself.

“Charles,” she whispers as if she doesn’t believe I’m here.

“You’re safe.” My fingers tighten into a fist as I whisper, when all I want to do is scream at whoever is responsible for putting my wife in this situation.

Fresh tears run down her cheeks as she closes her eyes but makes no attempt to move.

“I thought I’d die tonight.” Daisy hiccups. “I thought I’d never see Dad again, never see you.” Her hands are still above her head, and she finally looks up at them. “I’ve been sitting like this for an hour in case the beam falls down, even though I know if it happens, I wouldn’t be able to stop it. It’d probably crush my skull. I was so scared, Charles.”

“I know, Daisy.” Who knows fear better than me? “But you have to come out so I can take you home where it’s safe.”

She nods vehemently while tears continue to race down her cheeks. “I…I don’t think I can move.”

Fuck. My heart rattles against my rib cage.

Focus, Charles.

Be strong. She’s here. You just have to get her out, bring her home, and then fucking destroy whoever left her here.

“Give us a minute,” I instruct Steve and Dave without my gaze leaving my wife.

When they’re out of earshot, I get down on my knees. But before I can say anything, she tips her chin up.

“What if everything falls down the moment I move, Charles?”

“Steve and Dave inspected the area, Daisy. It’s safe for you to step out. I promise. I’m here and I’m not going to leave without you.”

She nods and slowly gets on all fours before crawling toward me. My molars grind together when her palms land on the broken glass bulb. She yelps in pain but continues to move forward, her hiccups echoing in the space. The moment her knees land on the broken glass will be etched into my memory forever.

Whoever did this will have to pay for every one of her tears that fell on the ground today.

When she finally reaches me, Daisy throws herself into my arms and I catch her. She’s like my oxygen right now, and without her, I can’t breathe. I don’t stop until we reach the limo. This evening is going to be the highlight of my nightmares for countless nights.

All my self-control snaps the moment I place Daisy into the rear seat of the car and she collapses against the seat and her eyes slowly close.

“Call the doctor, and then I want to know exactly what the fuck happened!”

I hit the privacy screen and help her rest against the back seat. Instead, Daisy falls over me. Her scraped hands grip the lapels of my gray jacket, leaving red marks on the expensive fabric.

After grabbing two paper napkins from the tray table and wetting them with water, I gently rub them against her tattered palms. Her head rolls against my chest, and I breathe in the floral scent of her perfume and shampoo.

Thankfully, there’s no shards sticking out of her skin. I dispose of the soaked paper into the bin before tearing my handkerchief into two and use the scraps as a bandage on her hands.