He backed out of the room and the door slammed with finality. There would be no taking her from that cell, from the life he’d brought her into. His Candi might as well have died with the bitch who’d birthed her. His pain and rage were equal. Just the memory of coming home to find the woman he’d married in bed with the neighbor almost sent him into a rage again.
“Are you okay, Dr. Chazel?”
“Yes.” Christopher wasn’t about to admit to Tad that he’d just killed his so-called loving wife and the man he’d considered a friend. His house had to have already been reduced to rubble and ash. He’d set the fire himself. It had been easy to dig out the bullets expelled from his gun and bring some candles into the bedroom. He’d taken booze from the bar and spilled it all over the bed, and then knocked one of the candles over. The whish he heard as flames spread had felt appropriate. His marriage had ended just as destructively and fast.
He’d almost walked out of the bedroom, but movement caught his attention. Candi had stood there, cowering against the wall behind the door. The shots from his gun must have woken her. She wasn’t supposed to be home. It was one of the reasons he’d left work early. She’d been invited to a sleepover. He’d wanted to surprise his wife with a romantic evening but she’d started without him, with another man.
Candi had trembled in her little pink nightgown, eyes wide and showing signs of shock. He wasn’t sure how much she’d seen but obviously too much. The bullets he’d dug out with a steak knife were in his pocket. So was the knife. He moved fast, the fire spreading at an alarming rate. She’d stiffened in his arms when he’d lifted her and strode down the hallway. Then she’d whimpered. He’d glanced down and knew without a doubt that she understood he’d just killed her mother.
“Where did you get the girl?” Tad tapped the monitor by the door after they entered the hallway. “She’s a cute little thing.”
The black-and-white screen came to life and pulled Christopher from his memories of an hour before. He looked up at the feed. The pup moved cautiously toward his daughter. His spine stiffed. He would kill the little bastard if it tore into Candi’s throat, but it just sniffed at her and then reached out, touching her cheek with a finger. It explored her honey-colored hair next, sniffed at it and began playing with the strands.
“What?” He hadn’t paid attention to what Tad had said.
“The little girl. Where’d you get her?”
“Mind your own business. Keep watch. Stun the little bastard and chain it up if it attacks her. I want to see if it’ll accept her as one of its own. She’s important to our research. Make sure she gets medical attention if she needs it.”
“You gave a pup a pet?” The guard laughed. “That’s hilarious.”
Christopher wasn’t amused. He had things to do. The police would contact him soon. He’d swear he never left work. The company would back him after he talked to his supervisor. Mercile Industries needed to make sure they produced bogus proof to give him an airtight alibi. Evelyn would salivate once she realized the kind of research they could do with Candi. Candace, he corrected. He had to distance himself from her.
He spun away and stormed down the hallway. He wasn’t going to prison. His own daughter would put him there if she ever told the police what he’d done. No way did he plan to go down because his wife had been a whore. It was unfortunate but he needed to save his own ass. Evelyn would agree. She’d hired him herself, and believed in his research. He’d be protected.
Chapter One
Four days ago
Candi sat calmly in the chair, her fingers curled around the arms. It was never good when Penny wanted to have a conversation. Did someone notice I faked taking my pills again? She’d mastered the pretext of being still and emotionless. Patience had been learned since the last time she’d tried to escape.
The door opened and the woman who walked in took a seat at the empty desk. There were no pens, mementos or even a paper clip on the surface. The room had been stripped of anything a patient could steal. Sunlight glinted off the bars through the clean windows of the office but Candi ignored it. It would not attract her attention if she was as drugged as she wanted them to believe.
“Look at me.”
Candi lifted her gaze and stared into what most would consider to be kind amber eyes, framed by a pair of matronly glasses. She knew better. Penny had no heart and the morals of a brick. The two of them had a long history. She’d believed once that the truth would set her free. Instead it had gotten her more heavily medicated and they had locked her in solitary confinement.
“I have some sad news. Your father passed away a few days ago of a pulmonary embolism. I was just informed.”
Christopher is dead. Candi had dreamed of hearing that news for too long. It didn’t bring a sense of relief the way she had once believed it would. That had been back when she’d been naïve, thinking her prison sentence would end once his life did. She knew better now, being older and smarter. They were never going to let her out, not even after she’d seen those news stories on the television. Penny would have seen them too. Nothing had changed.
Movement by the door registered at the edge of Candi’s vision, but she didn’t turn her head to look. She could just make out two big shapes. Orderlies had just arrived. Shit. She kept her emotions hidden, aware that the director watched her closely.
Penny turned her head. “Give us a few minutes.”
The door closed and Candi verified that the two figures had left—their footsteps were soft in the hallway. She remained still, just blinking a few times.
“Did you hear me, Candace? Your father died.”
She nodded slightly after calculating how long ago she’d been given her pills. Twenty minutes had passed, tops. She’d be pretty out of it, but not entirely.
“How do you feel?”
“Sleepy.” She purposely slurred the word.
“I knew the truth,” the other woman admitted, keeping her voice low. “I did a little side work for Mercile Industries. The money was too good to resist. I counseled some of the staff who had issues dealing with the important work they did.”
It pissed Candi off. She’d suspected something was fishy when she’d seen those news stories with Justice North but no one had released her. She’d thought at first that Penny might have been afraid to admit she’d helped keep Candi under wraps, but time had proven that she didn’t have the balls to do the right thing. Now she knew she’d never stood a chance of that happening. Her grip tightened on the plastic padding of the chair, but she relaxed before it was noticed. She’d worked too hard to give herself away in a fit of anger.
“Christopher and I were close.” Penny reached up and adjusted her glasses. “Lovers. It ended a few years ago when he had to leave the country after the facilities were raided, but no one could tie me to that mess. He paid well for me to keep you here. I’ve felt guilty about that more than a few times. You know I looked out for you though, don’t you? I made sure none of the orderlies or staff messed with you.”
Candi yawned, blinking a few more times.
“You’re a pretty girl,” the director went on. “You were never beaten or sexually abused. It happens in these places, but not to you. I only assigned the people I trusted and made damn sure they knew your father was a rich, powerful man who would see them in hell if anyone ever laid a finger on you.”
Penny paused for a few seconds. “That wasn’t true. I mean, he had money, but he pretty much went off the grid once your mother died in that fire. He became paranoid that he’d be arrested. The thing is, now he’s dead, and he won’t be able to make the payments for your care anymore.”
And here it comes, Candi surmised. The death sentence. She had to give the other woman some credit for at least finally telling her the truth, even if her reasons were selfish. It was a guilt dump in some sorry attempt to make herself feel better.
“I can’t let you walk out of here. You’d tell them what I did. I never documented the things you told me from th
e therapy sessions about your childhood, and that would look suspicious. I never allowed anyone else to work with you, and they’d pore over your medical records if anyone actually believed your story. I’d go to prison.”
That would be nice since you’ve kept me in one. Candi wished she could say it aloud.
“I can’t afford to foot the bill for your care. That leaves me in a bad position. Do you understand?”
Yeah. You’re a cold-blooded bitch, willing to do anything to save your sorry ass. Candi yawned again and lifted her hand to rub her eyes. The signs of exhaustion were easier to fake. She was getting tired of hearing the bullshit.
“We’re going to go on a little trip. We’ll visit the woods.” Penny paused. “I told the staff that your father wants you transferred. Because of a few lawsuits, we are legally bound to give your body to the coroner’s office so they can perform an autopsy, or I’d just end things here. I can’t risk that since I’d be held accountable if you overdosed or had an accident. They’d do an inquiry and then I’d have to explain too much. I told the staff your father is retiring and wants you closer.” Penny stood and rounded the desk, stopping behind Candi’s chair.
By sheer will, she did not flinch away when the woman put a hand on her shoulder and bent, placing a kiss on the top of her head. Penny wouldn’t dare kill her at that moment, but she would soon. Candi’s carefully laid plans to escape the building and grounds were smashed. She’d have to think of something else, and fast.
“You just sleep. You’ll wake in a much better place. I’m sorry, honey. Close your eyes.”
Candi fumed inside but she let her eyes close, making her body go lax. Her chin dipped and she concentrated on slowing her heart rate. She had a lot of practice at it. Time ticked by. It was probably only a few minutes, but it seemed to take forever before Penny moved away and opened the door.
“Jorg? Marco? Come in here. She’s out. Can you please take her to my car?”
Candi knew it was Marco who slid his arms under her, lifting her from the chair. He wore a nice cologne that was her only reminder of what a summer day might have smelled like. It wasn’t as if she could really remember that far back. He was one of the few she didn’t hate. He never groped her or said mean things.
“Your car?” He sounded a little suspicious. “Why not an ambulance? That’s how we usually transfer them.”
“I told you about her father. The less paperwork, the better. He personally asked me to drive her to the private hospital and have her admitted. It’s the least I can do.”
“Do you want one of us to go with you? I mean, how far away is this place? She should be out for at least five hours, but there’s a slim chance she might wake.” Jorg sounded close.
“She’s a doll now,” Marco argued. “She won’t give the director any problems. Hell, it’s been about ten months since she had an episode.”
“That’s what you want to call that?” Jorg snorted. “She grabbed a nurse and threatened to break her neck if someone didn’t give her a phone. She wanted to call that NSO place because she thinks she’s one of them, and she sure was acting like an animal.”
“The private-care hospital her father found is less than an hour’s drive away.” Penny’s voice came from behind them. “It will be fine.”
Yeah, she doesn’t want any witnesses when she kills me. Keep lying, Penny.
“I don’t know,” Jorg argued. “She’s a tricky one. My first week here, she tried to tell me she was being kept prisoner and to please call the police.” He laughed. “Like that was a new one. Most of the patients say that, but she was making up some crazy shit.”
“We don’t use that word,” Penny snapped.
“Right.” Jorg moved ahead, probably opening doors for them. “Just make sure you warn the poor bastards who are going to care for her next. She’s a fighter when the drugs wear off. She broke Sal’s nose and two of Emily’s fingers. Do you want me to sedate her a little more just to be sure, Dr. Pess?”
That terrified Candi. One jab of the needle and she wouldn’t stand a chance. She was tempted to snap her eyes open and fight but held off. There wasn’t any way she could get through the locked doors, and they were still inside the building. Jorg and Marco were too strong. They’d take her down fast and subdue her.
“No.” Penny sounded irritated. “She’ll be fine.”
Realizing she might actually survive, Candi’s fear faded. She kept her muscles relaxed, even when Marco bumped her arm against one of the walls. It would probably leave a bruise, but that was the least of her troubles. She still needed to figure out what to do once she was alone with Penny, if something didn’t go wrong before then.
Cool, fresh air caressed Candi’s skin. It felt glorious. She was outside. The temptation to open her eyes made her ache. It had been what seemed like forever since she’d seen it without dirty glass and bars marring the view. She’d lost track of time, the only hint of its passing was the decorations the staff put up at holidays, but there were large gaps when they’d kept her so heavily sedated that she wasn’t sure what year it was anymore.
A small dinging sounded and Marco maneuvered her body, putting her on something soft but firm in a sitting position. He slid his arms free and arranged her hands on her lap. Something crossed over her chest and lap. A belt. He gripped her chin and the back of her head last, turning it so it rested on something solid.
“There you go. I wouldn’t take turns too fast. She’ll slump.” Marco let her go.
“She’ll be fine.” Penny kept close. “Thank you. I’ve got it from here.”
“Are you sure you don’t want one of us to tag along?”
Damn Jorg. Paranoid asshole. He’d thwarted her many times in her attempts to escape.
“I’m sure.” Penny’s tone took on a hint of irritation. “She’s not going to give me any problems and the hospital staff will meet me outside with a wheelchair.”
Something clicked next to her—the car door being closed. Another one opened and the car moved a little when Penny settled in somewhere ahead of her and a little to the left. Candi had learned to use her hearing as well, if not better, than her eyesight to keep tabs on everything around her. The second door closed and an engine started. It made slight vibrations under her ass and along her back. The vehicle pulled forward, soft music coming from four directions. They were moving.
Candi remained still, knowing they needed to pass the guard shack. Ten-foot walls surrounded the property. They were almost impossible to climb. She’d found that out once right after she’d been brought to her new hell. They also had barbed wire along the top. She had the scars on one palm to prove that, acquired when she’d climbed a tree to get that high. The car stopped and the music lowered. A soft whine came next and fresh air poured into the interior from the left.
“Hello, Director Pess. What’s going on?”
“I’m transferring a patient.”
“By yourself?” The guard sounded surprised.
“She’s one of our special guests. Her father is a politician. He’s managed to keep it out of the press so far that his daughter needs help, and he wants to keep it that way. She’s sedated.”
“Of course. Have a good day.”
There was a slight whine again and then the fresh air was gone. The car edged forward seconds later and picked up speed. Candi barely opened her eyes to stare at the backseat of the car. She’d been belted into the back right passenger side. The first time the car made a turn, she let her head roll, allowing her to see more. They traveled along a country road. A few cars passed.
She was outside the gates, no longer behind the bars and glass. Her heart pounded and adrenaline surged, but she kept still. Patience. It’s not time yet. Penny would have to take her somewhere remote to kill her. Boy, is that bitch in for a surprise. A smile threatened to curve her lips but she resisted the temptation. I’m so close.
Candi allowed her mind to drift to keep her occupied during the wait. One memory always surfaced first. It
kept her sane when she wanted to just give in and die…
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
His eyes were dark brown, almost black. They scared everyone but her. A glint of humor sparked in them and he fluttered those long black eyelashes. It was his attempt to look innocent, but she never bought it. She knew him too well.
“Don’t,” she warned.
“What?” He leaned closer until their breath mingled.
“You know.” She was certain he did. She turned her head, glancing at the camera in the corner, and then back at him. “They are watching.”
“They always watch.” He smiled.
He had the best lips. She stared at them, wanting to run her finger over the bottom one. It was slightly fuller than the top. It looked so soft and tempting.
“Now who is being bad?” His voice grew husky.
She peered into his eyes. “They’ll make me go back to my room if you touch me.”
“I want to.”
She’d never lie to him. “I think about you all the time.”
He closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. His boyish features had transformed into maturity over the past few years. He took on a harsh expression when he was angry or upset, but at the moment he just looked vulnerable to her.
“I heard them talking.”
His eyes snapped open. “About what?”
It was a little embarrassing, but she never kept secrets from him. “Evelyn wants to put us together and let us share a room again. She doesn’t agree with Christopher keeping us apart. They were fighting about it.”
“She does?” He sucked in a sharp breath.
Heat bloomed in her cheeks. “She wants us to, um, you know.”
His gaze roamed down her body. His breathing increased the tiniest bit, but Candi noticed. She could relate. He looked at her. “Are you going to say yes if she asks?”
“I would.”
He reached out, breaking the rules Christopher had implemented. His warm hand brushed her knee. It was just for a second though, as if adjusting how he sat was the reason. She hoped the guard assigned to watch the camera had missed it, or wouldn’t bust them for such a minor infraction.