Not A Small Town Girl (Danielle and David) novel Chapter 11

Juniper lunged forward in panic, clamping her hand over Danielle's mouth before she could dig herself deeper.

"Mr. Charrington, I am so sorry—she's completely hammered. Please don't take anything she says seriously." Juniper couldn't even bring herself to look at David's thunderous expression as she tried dragging her friend away.

But Danielle wasn't having it. She broke free and grabbed David's sleeve, her inhibitions thoroughly dissolved. "You're way too pretty to be standing around. Have another drink with me, handsome. I've already paid for your time tonight."

'Oh god, Danielle, you precious disaster,' Juniper's mind raced. 'Of all the people to drunk-flirt with, you pick the human equivalent of a nuclear warhead?' She risked a glance at David's face, which had darkened to dangerous levels.

His usually unflappable friends watched the scene unfold with a mixture of shock and poorly concealed amusement. None of them could remember the last time anyone dared speak to him this way.

David studied the drunk girl before him, taking in her flushed cheeks and wine-stained pout, the sweet scent of alcohol on her breath.

He'd noticed her the moment she walked in, something about her catching his predatory attention. When that thug approached her, his hands had itched to break bones before he even realized why.

Danielle fumbled with her car keys before pressing them into his chest, then lifted her arms expectantly. "Carry me home, handsome."

"Sorry about this—my friend's completely out of it." Juniper started to do damage control, but David had already scooped Danielle up like she weighed nothing.

"Wait... Mr. Charrington, where are you going?" Juniper chased after them.

The club manager had already cleared the place at David's signal when Danielle started her drunken rambling. Only his inner circle remained.

"Hold up," Joshua gaped. "Since when does David have a thing with this girl? Never even seen him with women. And the way she treated him? How is he not livid?"

"Um, Mr. Charrington," Juniper ventured nervously, "just help me get her to the car. We've got a driver coming."

"No. Just tell me the address," he commanded, his tone brooking no argument.

'Wait, what? I'm her best friend and suddenly I'm the third wheel? Danielle, girl, you're really something else—passing out in some stranger's arms like it's nothing?' Juniper wondered helplessly.

"Mr. Charrington," she tried again, "let her crash at my place. Her family will freak if she comes home this wasted this late."

"Get in the car too. Address. I'll have someone return your car tomorrow," David said. His tone left no room for argument, so Juniper reluctantly gave him her address.

*****

The next morning, Danielle woke to unfamiliar surroundings, her head fuzzy. 'Where am I?' she wondered.

"Get yourself hydrated," Juniper said, handing her a cup of water.

"You brought me back here?" Danielle peered at Juniper.

"Want to take a wild guess what you did last night? Maybe jog that memory a bit," June smirked.

The phone rang, interrupting Danielle's attempts to piece together the night.

"Sweetie, coming home for breakfast? Your Dad and I are waiting." Vivian's warm voice came through.

The more she thought about it, the more it felt like an inside job—someone close to the family must have orchestrated the whole thing.

Emery: [I'm on it. If someone orchestrated this, made you suffer all these years... they'll pay.]

*****

Back at the Darlings' Treeside Villa, Audrey was performing concern with theatrical precision. "Mom, where's Danielle? Don't tell me she didn't come home last night! Where did she sleep?"

"She stayed at a friend's. It's sweet that you're worried about your sister," Vivian replied with a smile.

"But she just got to Soulfield—what 'friends' could she have? I hate to suggest anything, but... I worry about her lifestyle choices, being so new here. I'm sorry, Mom, I just want her to resist temptation." Audrey's face was a masterclass in calculated concern.

"Sweetheart, don't apologize. Danielle knows how to handle herself," Vivian replied, touched by what she thought was sisterly concern.

Arriving home, Danielle just rolled her eyes at Audrey's performance. 'Should've gone into acting with those skills,' she thought dryly.

Audrey rushed over with her worried face firmly in place. "Danielle, where were you? We were so worried! I get it—everything's new and exciting here, and you want to experience it all.

"But you have to be careful. The Darling name means something. We can't afford any scandals."

Danielle's eyebrows knitted together, her expression turning ice-cold as she stared at Audrey. "Your imagination must be exhausting."