Sweet Like Honey

chapter sixteen

ISAAC flinched when the cold gun was shoved against his temple.

Lainey was standing at the passenger door, a large grin on her lips. Her eyes glistened in the bright light of the entirely empty parking garage she had brought him to. The fact that she thoroughly enjoyed what she was putting him through terrified him.

Isaac glared ahead, staring out the blood-streaked windshield, with Gavin soundly sleeping in his arms. He wished so desperately that his son was safe in his crib.

"Get out," Lainey demanded impatiently.

"Why are we here?" Isaac asked, and his voice, or what was left of it, trembled.

"I have a gun pressed to your head, and you're asking me questions? Get the hell out of the car," Lainey spoke through gritted teeth, and Isaac felt the weapon press farther into his skin.

Isaac exhaled shakily. "L-Lainey," he started, but she scoffed from above him.

"Get out, now," Lainey growled, and he looked up to lock eyes with her. "Or a bullet's going through your head. I don't have time to mess around."

Her stare was terrifying. Her eyelids were tinted red, her hair was stringy and matted with blood, and her clothes - a windbreaker, a tight t-shirt and high-waisted denim shorts - were splattered with the red liquid as well.

He slowly turned to step out of the car, holding Gavin closer to his chest as he stared at Lainey helplessly.

"He's just a baby, please don't do this with him here," Isaac begged. He didn't know why he was even bothering - this girl was clearly far from rational.

"Sometimes, we're forced to grow up a little faster than everyone else," Lainey told Isaac with a small smile. "That's something little Gavin and I have in common, isn't that right, baby?"

Lainey moved to press her blood-stained finger against Gavin's cheek, but Isaac jolted him away from her. Isaac realized that was a mistake, and he flinched against Lainey's murderous glare.

"Put him down on the fucking seat," she ordered.

With shaking hands, he placed his son on the passenger seat of the car, where dark crimson had splattered across the light, leather interior. Isaac moved the blanket Gavin was wrapped in over his eyes so he wouldn't be able to see if he woke up.

Gavin stirred, shaking his head so the blanket could move away from his innocent, honey eyes as he stared up at Lainey and Issac.

Isaac could see himself through the reflection of his son's large eyes, a gun pressed against his head right in front of his son. Gavin had no idea what was going on, and Isaac was grateful for that.

"Go back to sleep, Gav, please," Isaac whispered as he instinctively moved to collect his son back in his arms, but Lainey halted his movements when she slammed the hard weapon against his temple.

"Ah, fuck," Isaac groaned at the pain, holding his head as Gavin let out a loud whine.

"Don't touch him! Walk over to the wall over there," Lainey was spitting demands, and Isaac could only nod, sweat racing down the sides of his neck.

"Okay, okay," he whispered, walking slowly towards the concrete wall until his back was directly up against it. "Wh-whatever you do, make sure he can't see, please. That's all I ask."

Lainey slammed the car door shut, locking Gavin in there alone. She reached into the pocket of her large windbreaker and handed him a long piece of fabric.

"Tie this over your eyes right now," she demanded. "Tight."

"Wh-why?" he asked quietly.

Lainey just narrowed her eyes at him without responding. She stared at him, her eyes piercing through his until he finally just took the cloth in his trembling fingers and pulled it over his eyes, knotting it in the back of his head.