Page 26 of Daddy's Little Sunshine

Sighing, he scrubbed a hand over his face. “Because it was just sweet Ms. Edith?”

“Something like that.”

“Ms. Edith is sweet. And mostly harmless. But she also has a big mouth. And now we know she’s part of that church, so God knows who she’s going to talk to.”

Sensing her opening, Lainey dived in. “But she said the church could help us.”

“No.” When she opened her mouth to argue, he shook his head. “No. Lainey, I don’t know them and neither do you. We’re getting out of the city, without the help of some cult.”

Frustrated with the hard line he’d drawn, she stomped her foot again. “They’re not a cult!”

“Enough!” His voice cracked like a whip, shocking her into a momentary silence. Dragging a hand through his hair, he glared at her again. “I said no, and as we’ve established, I make the rules. Go to the bedroom and wait for me in the corner.”

She tried a final plea for him to understand. “You’re being ridiculous! They could help!”

He stared her down, unwavering. “One.”

“Fine!” Throwing her hands up, she stomped to the bedroom and faced an empty corner. Beside her, the window lit up with a flash of lightning and the apartment building shook with thunder a second later. The storm soothed her, just as strong storms always had. Now, knowing it was her power, her anger and hurt fueling the whipping winds and the rain, she felt more connected to it than ever.

“Turn it down, Lainey.” She considered it a win for her that she didn’t jump at the sudden command.

“Why? It makes me feel good.”

The anger was gone from his voice when he spoke. “You’re going to hurt someone. It’s getting vicious out there.”

“I’m mad at you.” She winced at the petulant tone of her own voice. But it just wasn’t fair.

“Yeah. I get that. But you’re not going to take your anger out on innocent people.”

He had a point. Closing her eyes, she focused on the storm. Despite the emotions still raging inside of her, she willed itback, until it was nothing more than a patter of rain against the window.

“That’s my girl,” Donovan murmured in approval. “Stay in the corner until I call for you.”

My girl.The phrase bounced around in her mind while she waited in the corner. Was she really his? The thought filled her with so much hope, it bordered on painful. Maybe it made her weak, but the idea of being alone in the world was more than she could bear. It seemed like an eternity before he spoke again.

“All right, sunshine. Let’s have a chat. Why are you standing in the corner, waiting to get your ass blistered?”

Lainey felt her cheeks heat at the question. Jesus, could this get any more embarrassing? “I broke a rule.”

“Which rule?”

Rolling her eyes at the wall, she answered. “About not opening the door.”

“And why did I give you a rule about not opening the door?”

She sighed and kicked at the wall. “Because bad people are trying to find me.”

“Yeah. Real bad people. What if they’d tricked Ms. Edith into getting you to open the door? Or what if she blabs to the wrong person, and they find out you’re here before we can get you out?”

Her tummy twisted again. “That would be bad.”

“Understatement of the year, sunshine. Come here.”

Dread formed a rock in her stomach, but she made herself turn around and cross the room to him. Her gaze drifted to the bed, where her hairbrush was sitting next to some kind of yellow vegetable in a plastic baggie.

“Eyes on me, little girl.”

She tore her eyes away from the strange vegetable to look at him. He didn’t look pissed anymore, which she counted as a win, but there was a resolve in his eyes she hadn’t seen during her previous punishment.

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