Sinful Magic (Book 3 of the Ink series)

Chapter 7

Most nights I couldn't sleep.

I couldn't stop thinking about Slade. I would run stupid sex scenes over in my head, trying to relive something other than anger or sadness.

In a time like this that time being me stuck in Cherry caged like an animal, sex occupied my thoughts. Not how much my life changed, or about finding a way to fix things, just sex.

Slade and sex went together. He was a walking aphrodisiac, from the top of his head, to the black boots on his feet.

I sighed, rolling over and buried my face into my pillow. I wanted to hear his voice before I lost it. I wanted to hear him disappoint me in that sexy domineering way he always did.

It always left me angry but at the same time I would have been willing to tear off all my clothes and climb into bed with him if he asked me to.

I knew the reason I chose to lay in bed instead of going back to college. It didn't matter if I was alone dealing with being a witch. I didn't want to lose Slade forever.

I loved a criminal. And that kind of love it could be illogical, yet intoxicating and something I didn't want to let go of. I wanted to bury it in the ground and watch it blossom.

I needed a sign. I let out a breath of air. My phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Mayor Sinclair here, am I speaking with Hope?"

This was not the sign. It was almost three in the morning.

"Yes, this is Hope." I pushed my hair from my shoulders sitting up in bed. "What is it?"

"Are you familiar with Ocean Avenue across from the gas station?" Mayor Sinclair said.

I shook my head. "Yes, but this isn't making any sense. What is going on?"

"Meet me there in ten minutes." He paused. "It has to do with your father."

I dropped my feet to the floor at the mention of my dad. "Is he okay?"

The last I saw him he was in the house cleaning up the dinner dishes. I hurried for my shoes.

"Ocean Avenue in nine minutes," Mayor Sinclair instructed. The phone went dead.

I zipped up my hooded sweatshirt and tiptoed past Nona's bedroom being sure not to wake her. I knew if she found out it would be difficult to get away.

As I hurried down the stairs I couldn't help but think back to a time in Georgia when my mom hurried off in the middle of the night after my dad at the end of their marriage.

I pulled the door shut, and ran down the steps. I ran to my car, throwing the door open and climbed in. Nona's house was dark.

"Please, please, let him be okay." I started up my car and pulled out of my parking spot. I picked up speed the further away from Nona's I made it. Ocean Avenue was a short trip from Nona's house.

I was the only car on the road. My headlights cut through the darkness as I sped up looking for the gas station. My headlights landed on the empty parking lot. I came to a stop, my jaw dropping.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked myself. I threw my car into park and jumped out.

Dad's van lay on its side, headlights flickering in the darkness. I ran across the parking lot.

"Where is he?" I said, afraid to go any closer.

Mayor Sinclair motioned me over. I took one step afraid to be anywhere near him, but I needed to find out why he called me.

I took a breath, closed my eyes and moved closer. I knew no matter the situation I needed to see. I opened my eyes and relief swept over me. Dad sat on the ground beside the Mayor, his head down, his legs out in front of him; he was a little banged up, but alive.

"Dad, what is going on?" I dropped down on my knees to get a better look at him. But he wouldn't look at me.

"I did something...I'm sorry," Dad slurred.

"You're drunk," I said, standing up and backing away.

"He wasn't alone," Mayor Sinclair said. He gestured toward Dad's van.

"Could somebody please explain something to me?" I said. "Why hasn't anybody called an ambulance or a tow truck?"

Mayor Sinclair didn't care about my family. I knew he would be the first person to enjoy seeing us all miserable.

"Your father wasn't alone. It seems he's taken a liking to my wife," Mayor Sinclair said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh come on, if that's true than where is she?" I headed toward the van.

"I wouldn't go any farther if I was you," Mayor Sinclair said. "It's not pretty."

I refused to believe him. I headed for the van.

"Hope," Dad said standing up, he started forward. "Don't go over there. You don't want to see what I did... it's awful."

I covered my mouth, dropping down from the side of the van in shock. She wasn't anything like I remembered her at the party that night. The night she made me feel worthless. She was lifeless, bloody and halfway through the windshield.

I closed my eyes trying to catch my breath. Everything was like a bad nightmare.

"Now do you understand why I didn't call the police?" Mayor Sinclair said.

"What if there's a chance for her?" I didn't want to believe the worst. "We need to call someone."

"Why, so your dad can go to jail and the entire town will find out how much of a whore my wife was?" Mayor Sinclair fixed his tie. "I don't think so."

Dad remained silent.

"You care more about your image than maybe saving her life?" What if she was alive? He would just let it be?

"I called you here to give you a chance at saving your father. But if you're saying you'd rather be moral than by all means call somebody," Mayor Sinclair slipped his hands into the pockets of his dress slacks.

The thought of him in a jail cell made my heart sink. And if we were anywhere else in the world that was where he would be.

"Is this what you do?" I crossed my arms. "You make offers when people are at their weakest?"

"That's up to you. Are you willing to hear it?" Mayor Sinclair's eyes danced with amusement.

"He's my dad," I said.

"A simple favor is all I ask. You do me one favor and I will take care of this entire mess. It will be like nothing ever happened," Mayor Sinclair said. "Unless your father is not worth it."

"Hope, let it go." Dad spoke up. "That's it; I can't pull my daughter in this. I thought I could... but I can't."

"Fine," I said.

"You don't even want to hear what that favor is?" Mayor Sinclair asked. He pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket.

"It doesn't matter. And besides, I get the feeling no matter what it is I would be against it," I said.

"The love of a daughter, such a beautiful thing our children are." Mayor Sinclair smiled a sickening smile. "We will talk soon. Why not take him on home, before Cherry is up and running and things get stickier for us all."

I followed Dad to the car.

"I can't believe you agreed to do anything for that man," Dad said pulling the door shut.

I started the car with shaky hands. I couldn't believe he killed the Mayor's wife. I buckled my seat belt and pulled out of the parking lot.

"I did a bad thing..." Dad slurred, he dropped his head back against the car seat.

"And I have a feeling what I am going to do is going to be even worse," I muttered.