WE REACHED #13 ON THE WHAT'S HOT LIST (GENRE CHICKLIT)!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

5 hours after Jericho received the phone call from Alec.

Daisy was crouched in the small shower, warm water pelting down her skin and mixing with her tears. Her usually vibrant blue eyes were red and puffy, her short hair clinging to her scalp before curling at the nape of her neck. Her petite body shook with sobs, as she held on to her mothers necklace.

It was baffling how one simple phone call could crush a girls world. Daisy had received the call about her mothers death two nights ago. It wasn't completely surprising, but Daisy hadn't expected it to happen so soon. She had just talked to her mother and the older woman seemed her usual self, so when the news reached Daisy that her mother had passed away, she was more than devastated. Her heart literally broke, and if that hadn't been enough, the press had to expose her mothers death as if the woman had been this horrible person.

Woman charged with murder in 2010 dies in prison ...

Susan Morris, convicted killer dies after five years in prison ...

Another killer escapes their full sentence ...

Daisy was such an emotional mess, she could barely function. Simple daily tasks seemed useless now that Daisy had lost her mother. What was she living for? Jeffrey was still a jerk, even seeming happier the past two days. Lillian was away on a road trip with her shopping friends, not that she was much nicer than her father. Victoria and Ella had gone back-packing across Europe, and the relationship between the two best friends was strained ever since Jericho's involvement in Daisy's life. And Jericho himself was in Switzerland, dealing with his own problems.

It was hard, trying to get over Jericho. They hadn't even dated for a long period, but somewhere in-between those two months Daisy had really developed feelings for the man. She cared for him despite their break up and the things that had happened between them. And with Jericho over seas, Daisy wondered if he was getting the help he truly needed. She was constantly thinking about him, possibly falling for him.

A loud knock on the bathroom door interrupted Daisy's thoughts. Reaching up to shut off the water, she stepped out of the shower on shaky legs, before wrapping a towel around herself. "Yeah?" She called out, her voice hoarse.

"Get out the damn shower, we have paying customers downstairs!" Jefferey growled out, banging on the wooden door making it rattle within its frame.

Daisy wiped her flushed cheeks, lips trembling. "I'll be out in a second ..."

Getting dressed in a pair of baggy jeans, a tank-top and a flannel, Daisy quickly blow-dried her hair, before slipping on her shoes. Snapping on her mothers necklace, she tucked the silver pendant into her shirt, before making her way downstairs.

The restaurant was already full, which wasn't unusual for the early afternoon. But it was the customers that were there that made Daisy uneasy. These were people who looked wealthy in their suits and odd trench coats. Usually the restaurant was dined by middle class people, or even people from the poorer side of town. Nonetheless Daisy began to take their orders, ignoring the whispers about her mothers death.

At the end of the day Daisy was completely exhausted, sweat dotting her forehead and her skin feeling clammy. Locking up the restaurant, Daisy sat down at one of the tables for a moment. Pulling off her apron, Daisy made her way to the staircase, an apple in her hand.

"Daisy, hold on for a second." Turning to Jeffrey, Daisy was knocked off her feet as the older man swung a heavy object at her head.

_____

Regaining consciousness, Daisy blinked multiple times, her head feeling heavy as her head dipped forwards. Her hands were tied to the armrests of the chair, ankles bound to the front legs of the chair, and her upper body bound to the back of the chair. Blood dripped from a deep gash near her hairline from where Jeffrey had smashed the iron against her skull.

"Daisy .... wake up .... slap you ..." She could barely hear him, nor understand him. The sound of her heart was pounding in her ears, her head aching to the point where Daisy considered a serious concussion.

Daisy jerked in the chair as cold water was suddenly thrown at her, but still she couldn't manage to keep her eyes open to focus on Jeffrey. Another wave of pain assaulted her when Jeffrey roughly pulled her head back, slapping her across the face with his other hand.

Daisy forced her eyes open, blood dribbling from her lip, but she remained silent.

"Finally." Jeffrey smiled, his eyes darker than the devils soul. "I almost thought I killed you."

"U-untie me, or I will die." Daisy coughed, her vision blurry, but she recognized her surroundings. They were in the basement of the restaurant.

"Sorry, but I can't do that. I need you to sign over your share of the restaurant, now that the bitch is dead." Jeffrey walked over to the shelf grabbing the papers that sat atop.

"No." Daisy simply said, her eyes shutting again as a wave of dizziness hit her.

"Look princess, I've waited to long for this, and this time I'm getting what I want." Jeffrey said, while fishing in his pocket for a pen. "Your mother was supposed to sign half of the restaurant over to me when we got married, but her being the dumb bitch she was, she kept her half. Now I need you to sign the damn papers and then you can go."

" .... You don't have to do this Jeffrey." Daisy's speech was slowed down and sluggish, a loud ringing in her ears.

Jeffrey huffed, slapping Daisy across the face again with a force that made her neck crack, a groan of pain puffing from her lips.

"I'm in charge here and you'll do what I want!" Jeffrey gripped the pen tighter in his hand. "Your mother should have died in that fire six years ago, but instead she got jail time. All of this could have been solved if she never would have left her share to you. This restaurant belongs to me and I want everything. Now sign."

The realization of what Jeffrey was saying scared Daisy more than she had been when she regained consciousness. Jeffrey had caused her mothers imprisonment with the fire that had also caused the death of a small family that was at the restaurant that night. In that moment, as Daisy stared at Jeffrey, she realized that he'd stop at nothing to get the full share of the restaurant and Daisy owned three quarters since the death of her mother.

"Sign the damn papers already!" Jeffrey yelled, thrusting the papers against Daisy chest, before cutting one hand loose afterwards wrapping Daisy's thin fingers around the pen.

Daisy stared at the papers, fear gripping her heart when she looked back at Jeffrey to see the evil look in his dark eyes. The extent of the situation hit Daisy like a tidal wave. Jeffrey was going to kill her whether she signed or not.

Thinking of her mother, Daisy smiled softly as she dropped the pen to the floor. "I ... I'm not signing ...."

Jeffrey stared at the girl in shock, before he kicked her chair back, a loud thump bouncing off the walls of the basement. "You fucking, bitch! You're going to die like your mother should have."

Daisy didn't struggle much, not that she could, but she waited for Jeffrey's next move and soon she smelt gasoline, before the basement door shut. Seconds, then minutes went by before Daisy heard the sound of Jeffrey's car driving off.

Tears rolled down Daisy's cheeks, the crackling sound of burning wood loud in her ears, before the smell assaulted her senses. Daisy noticed the change in lightning in the room, as the door caught fire quickly spreading to the wooden racks that held the many wine bottles. When Daisy could not only hear and smell the fire, but also see it, real fear kicked in. Daisy began to struggle in the chair, using her free hand to pull at the ropes around her ankle. The room was getting hotter by the second and Daisy wasn't sure if she'd even make it out alive.

The sound of a window breaking above her and Daisy's name being called, was the last thing she recalled, before she passed out from the carbon monoxide drifting through her lungs.

_______

Jericho gazed out the window of the taxi, on his way to his loft. It was a little after midnight but Jericho wasn't tired, after having slept on the private jet that belonged to his sister. Jericho was on the jet just two hours after talking to Alec. He wouldn't let Cooper ruin Daisy's life as well. He didn't even understand how Daisy could possibly be involved.

At once the taxi made an abrupt stop, before the driver jerked the car to the side of the road, as a number of firetrucks passed them, heading in the opposite direction. Jericho's first thought was Daisy. That road the firetrucks crossed onto led to the restaurant.

"Follow the firetrucks, please!" Jericho announced, eyes darting to the passing ambulance.

"Are you serious?" The man asked, his face confused as he looked back at Jericho.

Jericho snapped his wallet open and pulled out a few bills, pressing them against the glass that separated the front and the back of the car. "Do I look like I'm joking?!"

"Rich motherfucker." The taxi driver groaned under his breath, before taking the road the ambulance and firetrucks took.

Before even arriving at the scene, Jericho could see smoke rising into the night sky, red and orange flames burning the restaurant to the ground. Jericho's heart was beating erratically, his anxiety level skyrocketing. Stepping out the taxi, Jericho caught a glimpse of someone being rolled on a stretcher and being placed into the ambulance.

Running over Jericho was pushed back by the police, their voices inaudible, a loud ringing in his ears. He could feel the lump in his throat, the tears pooling in his eyes. Not again.

He wouldn't lose someone he cared for again.

____________________

Yes, I updated. (Inserts reason for not updating in a while. But lets be honest you don't care anyway.)

Jeffrey is an ass.

Jericho flew back to CA!!

What next?

Daisy's involvement in the cooper case?

Do you like the new title?

PLEASE COMMENT (45) AND VOTE (120)!!!