Page 39 of Daddy's Little Sunshine

The boy was circling her now, a small, satisfied smile on his lips. Gone was the scared child she’d thought to protect. Before her stood a monster. He hadn’t changed physically, but she saw it in his eyes. Had he always been this way? Or had this place and these people used him and tortured him into this twisted version of himself?

“Lainey! Run!”

She turned her head back to the glass wall just as the guard slipped the knife between Donovan’s ribs. The wound knit itself closed almost as soon as the knife slid free, but she could see the pain in his eyes when their gazes locked.

Something else rose inside of her. An emotion stronger than the hate and the fear and the anger.

Love.

Love for the man who had rescued her, and punished her in the most intimate, painful, shameful ways. For the man who had taken her to heights of pleasure she’d never known and forced her to face the reality of her powers. It wasn’t the soft, sweet love of a girl finding solace in the arms of her protector. This was the raw, fierce love of a warrior princess bent on the destruction of those who’d dared to threaten her lover.

Instead of a rainbow, there was lightning. It lit up the room, bolts of power and electricity ricocheting off the walls. But it wasn’t just around her. It wasn’t even just inside of her anymore. Shewasthe lightning. Bright. Powerful. Burning.

The boy was no longer looking at her with the eyes of a predator. He’d become prey, and the knowledge of it shimmered in his eyes. Lainey called the wind, knocking him back against the wall and pinning him there.

She focused her attention on Donovan again. Slow, deliberate steps carried her to the clear glass separating them. Lifting her hands, she pressed them to the glass. Cracks began to form, tiny little fissures running out from under her hands until the entire pane shattered.

“Stop right there!” The guard pressed the knife to Donovan’s throat with one hand, the other digging in his pocket. He pulled a small black disk from his pocket and held it up. “Don’t come any closer!”

Tilting her head to the side, she studied the guard. “Or what?”

The guard smirked and pressed the button. The bracelet on her wrist flickered red and green over and over, then went completely black.

It was her turn to smirk. “You can’t harness the lightning, asshole.” She held up a hand and the guard’s body jerked. His hair stood on end, and then he fell to the ground, every inch of him scorched and smoking.

“Lainey.” Donovan’s soft voice pulled her attention to him. “Lainey, we need to go, baby.”

It only took a touch for her to melt the cross he was bound to. Donovan reached for her, but she pulled away.

“We can go after I burn this place to the ground.”

“We can’t, sunshine. There are children here. Lainey, baby, you need to turn the lightning off now.”

“No!”

“Excuse me, little girl?” The softness in his voice vanished, replaced by a tone she knew all too well.

Despite her newfound power, her bottom still clenched at the steel in his voice. “I want to hurt them, like they hurt us.”

“I know. I do, too. But we can’t risk hurting innocent people. Innocent children. Turn it off, Lainey.”

She shook her head. “I can’t. They’ll hurt me.”

“No, they won’t.” This time when he reached for her, she let him pull her into his arms. His skin began to blacken, but he didn’t let go. “Daddy’s here, sunshine. I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.”

Closing her eyes, she let herself believe him. Even if it was just for now, she could believe he’d keep her safe. Bit by bit, the lightning dimmed until it finally went out completely.

“That’s my good girl,” he murmured.

“Daddy.” Her voice broke and she whimpered, pressing her face into his neck.

“I’m right here.” He pressed a kiss to her hair before nudging her back enough to look down at her. The skin she’d scorched was already healing. “I know you’re scared, but we need to go.”

Nodding, she managed a wobbly smile. “Okay, Daddy.”

CHAPTER 17

Donovan

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