Page 18 of Eye Candy

My dad came into my room right when I was pulling on the glove over the bandage. I was wincing as I did it, out of habit, and the moment he saw me, he blinked and asked, “Going out tonight?”

“No, I decided to get dressed up to sit on the couch downstairs all night,” I deadpanned.

He ran a hand through his brown hair. “Now you’re starting to sound like Kieran.” He walked further in, stoppingwhen he stood in the center of my room, looking quite out of place. He must’ve just gotten home from the office; he seemed to work crazy hours, or maybe he just hated being home. He still wore a suit, its main color a dark brown.

It was almost funny; he kind of looked like a gangster.

“Are you sure you should be going out?” he asked.

“Dad, I spent the last two years alone, stuck in a room. I don’t want to be stuck in this room, too.” I motioned around us. “Besides, you won. You’re the mayor. You got everything you wanted—”

He heaved a sigh as he wandered to my bed, gingerly sitting down on its edge. He patted the spot beside him, and even though it was the last thing I wanted to do, I went over to him and sat with him.

“I’m aware I used to keep you on a short leash,” he started, running a hand down the side of his face, looking quite tired. “Controlling, some would even say. I know I used to tell you it was all about the public image, but… the truth is, Laina, I was worried about you. Keeping you out of the spotlight, so to speak, wasn’t just to help me. It was to keep you safe.”

And yet I’d been kidnapped, anyway—but I kept that tidbit to myself.

“This city… it’s dangerous for everybody. I’ve done what I can, but there’s only so much a man in office can do. This city has been run by criminals for decades now. The corruption and rot run deep, deeper than I ever knew. I—” My dad sighed again. “—I know I haven’t been the best dad. I could’ve been there for you when I wasn’t. What you went through… I can’t help but think it’s because of my ambition that you were targeted in the first place.”

Well, that wasn’t what I’d thought I would hear him say. Was this his roundabout way of admitting it was all his fault? It didn’t lessen my fury towards him, though.

“I can’t force you to stay here, but please, honey, be careful,” he went on. “Don’t try to ditch your guards. They’re there to protect you. You might’ve gotten away from your kidnapper once, but if the history of this city has anything to prove, I’d bet anything he’s out there, waiting, watching.”

My dad gave me a sad smile, apologetic, almost. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and gave me a side hug. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Dad.” I had to say it. I had to. As much as I wanted to watch everything he’d worked for crumble down around him, I still loved him. He was my dad, my only family. We were all we had left… although now we had Tessa and Kieran.

When the hug ended and he pulled away, he picked at the back of my hair, which I’d curled. “Is this really your hair? It’s not some kind of wig?” He tugged at one of the strands.

“Ow,” I muttered. “Yeah, Dad, it’s very real.”

“Oh, sorry. It’s, uh… very nice?” He didn’t sound too sure of himself, but at least he stopped pulling on a piece of it. “How long do you plan on keeping it this way? Not that I’m pressuring you into changing it back, but…”

“Dad,” I hissed, and he finally got the message.

He stood, brushed his hands together as if the pink and blue in my hair had rubbed off on his skin. “Right. Well, have fun tonight. And remember what I said: don’t try to lose Kieran or Big Mike. He’s reporting to Sylvester and Lola, and the last thing I want is to get on the Luciano family’s bad side—or the Bloody Queen’s.”

The bloody what?

I didn’t ask him what he meant, mostly because as he said it, he was already on his way out. So, I let it be and finished getting ready. There wasn’t much left to do, anyway. Grab my heels, check my makeup and hair in the mirror, then head downstairs, where my bodyguards were waiting for me.

Don’t remind me about them.

Kelly had texted me the name of the club, and it looked to be in the center of downtown. I wanted to get there before her, get a feel of the place. I grabbed my heels and headed down, finding Kieran and Mike in the hall, engrossed in a conversation with Tessa.

“Surely you’re not both needed out there,” Tessa was busy saying. “Kieran can handle it, can’t you? No offense to you, sir, but you aren’t needed here at all. We have everything covered. If, by some chance, we do find out who took Laina, we can send the information along—”

Mike stood with his arms crossed, not looking like he was even listening to her. He stood taller than her, so while she rambled, he was able to watch me come down the steps over her head. It was when my bare feet hit the ground on the first floor that he grumbled out, “I’m not here for you.”

To Tessa, he said that to Tessa, and that made her snap her back rod-straight and let out an annoyed huff. She then turned away, nearly walking into me in the process. She recoiled a bit, then eyed me up. “Well, don’t you look—” There was a long pause, as if she struggled to say the next word. “—pretty.” She said nothing else, storming up the stairs.

We all watched her go, and it was only when I was alone with Kieran and Mike that I commented, “Wow, looks like I’m not the only one unhappy about the whole bodyguardsituation.” I turned a fake smile to Kieran and Mike, finding neither one of them was impressed by my stating of the obvious.

Kieran looked like he agreed with his sister—duh. He’d already told me multiple times he didn’t like or trust Mike. Mike, on the other hand, gave nothing away with his expression, his hazel eyes studying me silently, taking in the dress I wore.

His scrutiny must’ve been too intense for Kieran’s liking, because he stepped between us and muttered, “Why don’t you take a picture? It’ll last longer.” He appeared triumphant, but only for a moment, because then he quickly added, “On second thought, no pictures of Laina for you.”

Oh, my God. “Can we just go?” I asked. “Before someone else says something more stupid than that?”

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