Sweet Like Honey

chapter fourteen

ISAAC stared at the ceiling. That's all that he could do as he lay cuffed to the motel bed for hours.

He glanced at the clock that was hung on the wall, and three hours had passed. The night sky was shifting into morning, and orange sunlight began to seep through the holes in the curtains across the window. Isaac closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

His wrists were raw from pressing against the tight metal restraints and his throat was scratched from screaming. The lack of air conditioning in the motel made sweat drip down the sides of his foreheads from the late summer heat.

When the door finally swung open, Lainey walked in, and his heart dropped to his stomach when he noticed a duffel bag slung over her shoulder and Gavin asleep in her arms. Isaac's eyes widened and he straightened his posture on the bed.

"Gavin!" he cried out, his chest heaving as Lainey rolled her eyes and set Gavin down on the bed beside Isaac.

Gavin appeared untouched, which made a wave of relief flush over Isaac.

"What did you do to him? Where were you?" Isaac asked as Gavin continued to peacefully sleep on the motel bed.

Lainey tossed Isaac's car keys onto the table and stared at him. "Would you keep it down? He's sleeping. And I'd never do anything to hurt Gavin," she said. "Also, it's none of your business where I was."

"You were in my car! What the hell do you mean it's none of my business?" Isaac whispered, and he noticed his voice was slightly raspy.

"Aw, you're losing your voice. I told you not to scream but you don't listen," Lainey said as she unzipped the duffel bag and reached in. She pulled out a blanket, as well as a pillow, and she disappeared into the bathroom.

Isaac couldn't breathe as he stared at Gavin.

"I'm sorry, Gavin," Isaac whispered to him, tears piercing his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'll get you out of here, okay?"

"Why are you making promises you can't keep?" Lainey asked as she walked over to the bed and carefully reached under Gavin to lift him up into her arms.

"What are your intentions? Just tell me, Lainey, please, I'll do anything to make this better," Isaac pleaded.

"You did your damage a long time ago, Mr. Walker. I'm afraid there's nothing you can do now," Lainey shrugged her shoulders with a disappointed sigh. Then, she walked Gavin into the bathroom.

"Where are you going with him?" Isaac asked, before he grew more frantic. "Don't hurt him, please!" he screamed out.

The bathroom door shut, and tears flew down Isaac's eyes. He tried to rip himself free from the cuffs for what seemed like the hundredth time, but to no avail. Isaac was growing extremely terrified. He had no clue what this psychopath was capable of - she had no emotion behind her eyes anymore.

The bathroom door creaked open, and Lainey walked out, walking over to the duffel bag again.

"Where is he? Lainey, what did you do?" Isaac cried, he could hardly see past the tears that blurred his vision.

"Calm the fuck down, I just made a bed for him in the bathtub," Lainey threaded her fingers through her hair. "You have some nerve being scared for the safety of your family when you killed mine."

"Please, please, Lainey," Isaac didn't know what else to do except beg. "I was young and I was incredibly stupid. I wasn't doing well and I had alcohol and drug problems - I didn't have a sense of right and wrong."

Lainey stared at him, and Isaac saw something ignite behind her eyes. She walked closer to him, and Isaac knew that he had made her feel bad. He felt relieved, wondering if she would finally let him out of the cuffs.