Page 4 of Eye Candy

“What do you want?”

“The cops said you don’t remember where the house is, where you got out.” When I nodded, she went on, “Do you remember anything else about it? Was there anyone else there with you? Another woman?”

I was slow in shaking my head. “No, I was alone the whole time.” Well, except for when my Devil visited. Then I was the opposite of alone.

“You don’t remember seeing any other rooms where other girls might’ve been held?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. Why? Is someone else missing?”

Lola nodded. “Yeah, she went missing right before you, so I thought maybe it was connected… but maybe not. This city does have some sick fucks in it, so I shouldn’t be surprised there’s more than one kidnapper out there.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so in the end, I said nothing.

“You fought with your kidnapper when you escaped. Did you kill him?”

It took me a while to mumble, “I don’t think so. It’s hard to remember.”

She leaned toward me, setting a hand on my right arm and squeezing it. “Listen, I know I’m a stranger to you. I know you have no reason to believe in anything I say, but believe me when I say this: I’m going to do everything I can to make sure no one hurts you again. I’ll put one of my guys on it. If your kidnapper is still out there, watching, waiting to take you again, he won’t get close enough to try.”

All I could say to that was, “Okay.” Again, I didn’t know this woman or why she cared so much about me. Was it all because she thought I could lead her to my Devil, who in turn could lead her to her other missing woman? She wanted to use me, just like everyone else.

Lola got to her feet. “Get some rest. I assume dear old daddy’s gonna be here soon. I’ll be in touch, Laina.” She said nothing else, spinning on her heels and sauntering off, walking out of the room and exchanging a few words with the man in the suit.

Lola. She seemed nice enough, but I detected a hint of crazy. I didn’t know who the hell she was, but whoever she wasin this city, she had to have some power, for the police to let her come in here, unaccompanied, and ask her own questions. Some kind of big name in the criminal underworld or something.

I watched as she and the man walked away, leaving the police stationed outside my door. Well, whatever that was about, I hoped she found her missing friend—if only so she wouldn’t have to use me to try to find her.

Now that I was free of that room, I didn’t want to go back to the way things were. I wasn’t the girl I used to be. Two years had passed. I was nineteen now. I wouldn’t go back to hiding in the shadows, being the good girl my dad wanted me to be. I was my own person, and there was only one thing I wanted to do.

Laina Hawkins wanted to fuck shit up.

Chapter Two – Laina

I’d dozed off thanks to the medicine, but I was woken up by a loud, booming voice, “Laina, honey, it really is you!” My eyelids struggled to open as someone hugged me, leaning over the hospital bed to do so.

I breathed him in, knowing who it was before I even opened my eyes fully. “Hey, Dad.”

My dad let me go, taking the seat that Lola chick had sat in earlier. He wore a brown suit, the hue matching his hair—which was now combed back, all slick. His eyes were like mine, a shade of blue, and they were heavy on me as they studied me.

His gaze landed on my left hand, taking in my new disfigurement. “I’m so sorry.” He dropped his head in his hands, sounding quite repentant. When he looked at me again, his eyes had gotten misty, like he wanted to cry for me.

He probably was imagining all of the horrors I must’ve gone through these last two years. Whatever he was imagining, of course, was wrong.

My Devil didn’t hurt me. He opened my eyes, and now I saw clearly.

“I hear you’re the new mayor,” I broke the silence of the room. I’d give anything to get out of this hospital bed. One step at a time. I’d show my dad soon enough that I wasn’t the same girl he used to know, and it was all his fault.

“I am, though it’s not really new anymore. I’ve been at the job for almost two years now.” He looked down at his lap at that, as if hearing how wrong it was. My dad had become the city’s newest mayor not too long after the news of my kidnapping went public, almost like they were connected.

Almost like it was planned.

But my dad would never… or would he? Those were the thoughts I wrestled with while in that room, watching the TV my Devil had brought down for me. Oh, yes. I’d been there to witness every single newscast, every single meeting with the press. I was there when he gave his acceptance speech, when he loudly proclaimed he’d make the kidnapper pay for taking his only child away from him. My high school had even given me a diploma, even though I wasn’t there to accept—my dad was, though.

I was there in spirit, watching the television set with a growing hatred for him and everything he stood for. I’d sacrificed the latter half of my childhood when he suddenly grew a change of heart and wanted to get into local politics, and this was what I got?

Shafted. Abandoned. Forgotten. My kidnapping used to further his career.

I’d make him regret it.

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