19. Tyler

"Guys, lower your weapons, now," Layla ordered as she stepped from behind Sean and placed herself directly in front of Henry and his gun, blocking any shot we had on him.

Begrudgingly, we did as she instructed.

"We're here to help," Layla told him.

Glasses clattered against a tray as Amber rushed into the room with the lemonade. "Henry, put that thing away! They aren't here to hurt us, and you're scaring April!" she scolded. Slowly, Henry did as he was told, and my body relaxed as soon as Layla wasn't in his crosshairs.

"Help with what?" he asked.

"We'll get into all of that. Let's all sit and have some lemonade while we do," Amber said, setting the tray of lemonade on the coffee table. "April, lovey, I need you to go back upstairs and play with your sister."

"She won't let me," April whined. "That's why I came downstairs to tell you."

"Amaya Penelope Bosland, stop being mean to your sister!" Amber shouted up the stairs.

"I don't want her in my room!" Amaya yelled back.

"Did I ask you what you wanted, young lady? Daddy and I need to have an important adult conversation. Play with your sister." Amber swatted April's butt lightly to get her moving back up the stairs and watched until she had disappeared before pushing Henry into the living room and a chair. "Sisters," she said with an exasperated sigh, "never a dull moment." She handed everyone a glass of lemonade and then sat in Henry's lap. I was pretty sure she was sitting in his lap to prevent him from drawing his weapon again.

"Again, I'll ask, why are you in my home?" A blind person could see how wary Henry was to have us here. Hopefully, once we explained ourselves, he would trust us. It was best for all involved if he went along with the plan.

"They are here to offer us protection from Anton," Amber informed him.

"What's in it for you?" Henry asked.

"All we need you to do is open an investigation against him," Layla replied.

"Oh, is that all?" he scoffed. "I take it Kadence works for you, then? Explains her sudden interest in Anton. How exactly do you expect to protect my family from him if I do this?"

"We are prepared to move them to a guarded safehouse today," I replied. "They will have twenty-four-hour protection. Anton won't be able to find them."

"How can you guarantee that?" he asked. "How am I supposed to put their lives in your hands? Better the devil you know than the devil you don't."

"Perhaps," Colton replied, "but this devil is offering to protect your family, not hurt them. Something to consider before you make your decision."

Henry sighed and looked at Amber. "I take it you're buying into their bullshit?"

Layla bristled beside me, and I laid my hand on her thigh to calm her. Henry was a cop, and we were criminals—murderers. It didn't matter how much good we did to counteract the bad or how many good deeds we did—Henry would always see us as such. We weren't about to become his new best friends. As long as he remained respectful, he could think whatever he wanted about us.

"They're offering us a way to protect our girls, Henry. I can't ignore that opportunity," Amber replied.

"And what happens when they decide that threatening them is more efficient than protecting them?" Henry argued.

Amber looked at Layla for several minutes before returning her gaze to her husband. "I trust her when she says she won't hurt them."

Henry scoffed again as he set his lemonade on the end table beside him and ran his hand over his short hair. "You do realize who she is, right? The things she's done? What she's capable of?"

"I do," Amber replied. "But I still trust her to protect our family, and that's what is most important right now. If we do this, they will be safe, and Anton's hold on you will end. If we don't do this, we'll always have him looming over our heads, always having to look over our shoulders. I don't want to live like that. I don't want May and April to have to live like that. Layla is offering us a way out, Henry."

"I understand your hesitancy to trust us," I said. "We may not be the most upstanding and law-abiding citizens, but we have a conscience, and what Anton is doing isn't ok. We want to stop him. We recently took in a girl who we rescued from his trafficking ring. A young girl we care about greatly. We want Anton stopped and are more than willing to allow the law to handle it themselves if it puts a stop to the trafficking for good. That can't happen if you refuse to let Kadence investigate him."

"All I have to do is allow her to open the investigation, and you'll protect my family until it's over?" he asked. His wavering was a good sign. We were getting through to him.

"That's it," Layla replied.

"What about school?" he asked Amber.

"We've been talking about home-schooling them. We can pull them out of school now, and I can order the curriculum," Amber replied.

"Send me the information, and I can order it for you," I said. "That way, there won't be a paper trail for someone to follow."

Henry nodded. "Fine. I'll do it. But I warn you, others within the department are on his payroll. I don't know who, but I know they are there. Tell Kadence to watch her back."

"Kadence can handle herself," Layla assured him. "Thank you."

"Amber, go pack bags for you and the girls," Henry instructed. "Make sure you don't forget anything. It might be a while before I can see you."

"We'll arrange time for you to meet them secretly," Layla assured him. "They still need their dad."

Henry nodded as Amber rushed from the room. "I appreciate it. Where is this safe house?"

"For their protection, I'm afraid I can't tell you that," I told him. "The fewer people who know the location, the safer your family will be."

Henry sighed and looked down at his lap before looking at Layla. The cop was gone, and the vulnerable husband and father were in his place. "How did I get here?" he asked.

"I'm sorry you've been put in this position," Layla replied.

His head tilted to the side. "You know, I actually believe you. You're an odd sort of mob boss."

Layla laughed. "I'm going to take that as a compliment."

"Henry, can you help me bring the bags down?" Amber called from upstairs.

He jumped up to help her, and Zach and Drew followed him. "We'll help, too," Drew said.

"I'm going to make some calls," I said. I left the living room and wandered into the kitchen. I smiled at the crayon drawings littering the fridge as I called Anderson, the man Colton assigned to the Boslands as head of security.

"Anderson," he answered on the second ring.

"Anderson, it's Tyler. Get your team together and meet us at the safe house. The Boslands will be moving in today. I'll arrange to have groceries delivered to the house. Schooling won't be an issue. They've decided to homeschool."

"Ten-four, boss," he replied.

I ended the call and immediately dialed Vinny. He's one of our newer recruits and has only been with us for a few weeks, but he was assigned to the house, and I am confident that he can accomplish this task.

"Hello?"

"Vinny, I have a job for you," I said, "this is Tyler."

"Yes, sir. What do you need me to do?" he replied eagerly.

"I'm going to have Cordy prepare a shopping list, and I need you to get everything on that list and bring it to an address. You can't tell anyone what the address is. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir, I do. You can count on me."

"Great, thanks." I ended the call, texted him the address, and then made a final call.

"What can I do for you, dear?" Cordy asked when she answered the call.

"I have a mother and two young girls who will be going to a safe house for an undisclosed amount of time," I replied. "They will have round-the-clock security. Can you put together a grocery list for them and give it to Vinny? They'll need pretty much everything, so it's probably best to send him to Walmart or something so that he can get it all."

"Consider it done," Cordy replied.

"Thanks, Cordy. I appreciate it."

"Of course, darling. I'm more than happy to help. You just make sure you come home safely once you're finished handling business."

"Yes, ma'am," I replied. I waited for her to hang up before shoving my phone back into my pocket. Now that all that was handled, it was time to get them moving. When I returned from the kitchen, Henry had his arms around his family as they explained to the kids that they'd be going to stay somewhere else with their Mom.

"How come you aren't coming with us, Daddy?" April asked.

"Because, nugget, Daddy has to work. But my new friends are going to take you, sissy, and Mama somewhere safe. They will let us visit soon, I promise." April nodded in the way that children unaware of the world's dangers and take what you say at face value do. Her older sister, Amaya, or May as they've also referred to her, didn't look convinced. She knew something more was going on, and the sour look on her face made it clear she didn't appreciate being left in the dark.

Ryan pulled the car around, and I helped carry their luggage to the vehicle while they said their final goodbyes. It was a bit like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, but we got all the bags into the trunk. When the girls got into the car, they forgot to be sad as their excitement to be inside a limo-style car took over. Amber kissed her husband and then joined her daughters. I was the last person to get into the car, and before I did, I shook Henry's hand.

"We'll take care of them," I promised. "I'll also have Colton assign a security team to shadow you in case Anton tries to retaliate."

"I can take care of myself," Henry replied without any anger behind his words.

"I know you can," I replied, "but I'd still like you to call us if anything feels off or you think you might be in danger. We agreed to protect your family, and that includes you." I clapped him on the arm and got into the car.

I couldn't imagine being in his shoes and watching my family drive off without me. We couldn't let anything happen to his family. I'd never forgive myself.

"You can continue with the project, Madison," I told our lead decorator on my way home from meeting with the inspector and the contractor. "Upon further inspection, he decided that the issues he thought he found weren't there. I don't think he realized whose project he was delaying when Anton gave him the orders. The last thing he wanted was to get caught in the middle of the Kandicci/Romano war." Having Brandi there as our lawyer didn't hurt either.

"I'll get my team in this afternoon," Madison replied.

"Do you know when it will be complete?"

"I'll be able to give you an accurate timeline this evening. It shouldn't take us long to be ready to open," she assured me.

"Great. I look forward to your call." I tapped my headset to disconnect the call and looked at Sean in my passenger seat. "How would you like to take a small detour on the way home?"

"Anything that keeps us out a little longer is fine by me," he replied, stretching his legs and folding his arms behind his head. All of us were looking for any reason to get out of the house ever since Layla put everyone on lockdown, so I understood how he felt.

"I thought we could stop by Layla's favorite bakery and pick up a cannoli cake. It's her favorite treat," I replied.

"We should get her some flowers, too," he replied.

I nodded as I studied him out of the corner of my eye. I could see that he was finally settling into this life with us, and it was good to see. "It's good seeing you so relaxed," I commented.

"Thanks. I feel good. It was a hard transition, but I'm finally starting to feel like I'm a part of this. That I belong here," he replied.

"You do belong here," I assured him. "I'm sorry we couldn't help you feel that way sooner."

"Nah, man. It was my issue to resolve, not yours. You guys have been great. You were far more patient with me than I deserved at the time. I really appreciate that. Now I'm just anxious to get this Anton thing over with so we can settle into a more stable day-to-day life."

"Me too," I admitted. "I'm tired of dealing with this shit with Anton on top of making sure the business runs smoothly. I'm afraid that small things are falling through the cracks that we aren't noticing because there are more pressing matters to attend to."

"We will get it smoothed out," he replied. "If you need help with anything, let me know. I'm happy to help out where needed."

"Thanks," I replied. "I might just take you up on that. Some smaller businesses haven't been checking in how I expect them to. You dropping in on them for a visit might be just what they need to straighten their shit out."

"I've been known to be intimidating when I need to," he chuckled. "The Irish Mob in Boston liked to put my size to good use."

"Why did you leave?" I asked. Leaving any mob wasn't common practice, and being allowed to go was even rarer. I have always wondered why and how he managed to do so since when Layla met him, he was one of their most trusted soldiers.

Sean shrugged. "I'm good at acquiring things, and when I expressed my interest in striking out on my own, the Boss quickly concluded that it was best to keep our relationship on good terms rather than force me to continue working for him. Otherwise, I could have made life a living hell for them," he chuckled.

"How does he feel now that you've essentially left that business to join our crew?" I asked. If we would have trouble with the Irish down the road, it would be best if I knew about it now so that I could start planning how we'd handle it.

"He won't mind. He always liked Joseph Romano and wouldn't want to make waves with his daughter," Sean replied as I pulled into the busy bakery. "Plus, he'll see my presence here as useful and a way to strengthen the relationship between the organizations."

That part made me feel a little uncomfortable, but it would be something to deal with if it came up. Not that I didn't trust Sean not to let himself be used, I did.

"This place is packed," Sean commented as we exited my car.

"It's Layla's favorite for a reason," I replied as I opened the door and went inside. The line to the display case to place our order was short enough, but I knew from experience that it would take them some time to get our order ready. The people milling about as they waited was a good indication of just how long it would be.

"Hi, can I get a cannoli cake, a dozen cannoli, and six chocolate eclairs?" I asked when it was our turn. I took a couple hundred bills from my wallet and slid them to the teenage girl behind the counter. "Is it possible to put a rush on it as well?"

"Umm," the girl replied nervously. She flagged down her manager and whispered my request to him. He looked at the money and then at me.

"It's for Layla Romano," I informed him. I wasn't above name-dropping if it meant I didn't have to wait forty minutes for them to give me my items. I also didn't care if the other customers got pissed off.

The manager recognized the name instantly. "We'll have it for you right away, sir," he said quickly.

"Nicely done," Sean replied.

I smirked at him as I moved to the side to wait. "What's the point of having power if you don't use it?"

"What was it like growing up with Layla?" Sean asked. "You've known her the longest, right?"

"Correct," I confirmed. "Every day was an adventure growing up with Layla. I was lucky enough to have her all to myself for a short time, and even as a kid, I knew she was special and would be an important person in my life, even if I was too young to comprehend what that would be. Sharing her with the others as they popped into our lives wasn't always easy. It helped that we all got along so well, though I'm pretty sure that was less a stroke of luck and more Uncle Joe's ability to read people."

"If he could read people so well, how did he miss that all his capos were working against him?" Sean asked.

I shook my head. "You would have had to be here and grow up around them to understand just how good a job they did at deceiving everyone. Even now, I am still surprised that they were traitors. They never gave themselves away and never behaved in a way that would make you question their loyalty. We were all fooled. It wasn't until Layla left that we realized something felt off with them and that maybe Uncle Joe wasn't involved as Layla thought."

"It's good you were suspicious," Sean replied. "When they found out Layla was in Arizona, and Gino sent a squad for her, I felt so helpless. I could only warn her and hope she got out before they arrived. I never told her, but they arrived much sooner than I expected them to and hadn't been that far when she left. It was far closer than I cared for. I don't think I stopped pacing until she pulled into the motel where I was meeting her."

"Try six years of hoping she is ok and not having any way to know for sure," I replied sarcastically.

"I tried to help with that by pointing you toward her photography website," Sean replied.

"Which we appreciated more than you know, but it wasn't the same as seeing for ourselves that she was ok." We had become obsessed with checking the website for new pictures daily. The times when there were gaps in between postings were dark as we worried that there might not be another.

"Romano?" A woman behind the counter called. I held up my hand and retrieved our order, which Sean took from me as we returned to the car.

"At least those times are behind us now, and we'll never have to go through that again," Sean said as I pulled onto the road.

"Thank fuck for that," I replied as I drove to the florist to pick up flowers for Layla.

"Is everything ready?" Layla asked nervously a week later.

"Ready and running smoothly," I replied.

"I just want this to go off without a hitch," she said. We were finally opening the first shelter, which Layla had decided to name after her father. The Joseph Romano Education Shelter was officially ready to open its doors. Because of the fundraiser, we had a good turnout of officials and media, which made Layla even more nervous.

"It will," I assured her. "You'll say a few words, we'll cut the ribbon with enormous scissors, and then we'll have some drinks and finger food. There's nothing to it."

Layla nodded. "You're right. This will be easy." I caught Drew's eye and tilted my head toward Layla.

He nodded and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Come on, baby. Let's go for a little walk and work out those nerves. Tyler's got everything covered here." He led Layla away, and I went back inside to double-check on things there. We had a buffet table set up in the dining area with appetizers and a cash bar in the corner. The catering staff was rushing around the room, making sure that everything was perfect.

"How are you holding up?" I asked Jennifer as I stepped into her new office. She had asked Layla for something to do so that she could have some purpose and start saving money. With her experience on the streets, Layla thought she might be the perfect person to manage the shelter because she could relate better to the residents. We also hired a co-manager temporarily to teach Jennifer the ropes on the business front. Audrey would stay at this location until the next was opened, and then she would manage that one.

"I'm terrified," Jennifer admitted. "I'm not ready for this. What was Layla thinking by hiring me? I have no idea what I'm doing." She was quickly spiraling into a panic attack.

"Hey, hey," I said, easing her into her desk chair. "Layla wouldn't have hired you if she didn't believe in you," I assured her. "And when you have questions or need help, you can lean on Audrey. That's why she's here, to help you learn."

"I guess," she replied, unsure.

"Sir?" a woman said, knocking on the door frame.

"What's up?" I asked.

"This package was just delivered," she replied, holding a small box. "It's addressed to the shelter."

"Thank you," I said to her. I turned back to Jennifer and smiled as I set the box on the desk in front of her. "Look at that, your first official piece of mail."

Jennifer smiled softly as she grabbed her scissors and sliced the tape holding the box closed. The blood drained from her face as she opened the flaps and looked inside. "Is this what I think it is?" she asked, her voice trembling.

I stepped closer to look inside and felt my stomach fall out of my ass. "I'm no expert," I replied, "but that looks like a bomb." What looked like C4 was hooked to a cell phone with some wires. I didn't know if it was real, but I wasn't willing to take any chances. The damn thing could go off at any moment. "Get out, now!" I said, grabbing Jennifer's arm and pushing her toward the door.

I followed behind her, continuing to push her ahead of me. "Everyone out, there's a bomb!" I bellowed.

"Wait, Autumn!" Jennifer screeched, stopping short and causing me to run into her.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"She said she was going to explore the building," Jennifer replied. "Autumn!"

"Go. Get out of here, I'll find Autumn," I replied, shoving her toward the door.

"I'm not leaving without her," Jennifer replied.

"Jennifer," I said, grabbing her shoulders. "I will find her. I won't leave without her, but I need you to get out so I don't have to hunt down both of you. Please."

She nodded and sprinted toward the door, leaving her daughter's life in my hands.

"Autumn!" I yelled as I quickly started running from room to room. Where the hell was this kid? There were only so many places she could be. Of course, she was in the last room I looked in.

"Tyler! The floor is lava!" she shrieked, jumping from cot to cot.

"You have no idea, kid," I replied. "Step back and cover your face." I grabbed a desk chair and smashed out a window with it. Thank fuck we had decided to do non-opening windows instead of opening windows with bars on them.

"Tyler?" she asked fearfully.

I knocked the rest of the glass from the frame and grabbed her. "Listen to me, Autumn, there is a bomb in the building. As soon as you hit the ground, run. Run as fast as you fucking can for me, ok, sweetheart?"

"Come with me!" Autumn cried as I carefully lifted her through the window and lowered her to the ground.

"I'm right behind you, baby. Run! Now!" I yelled. Autumn took off, her little legs flying and kicking up dust as she did.

I was halfway out the window when the other windows exploded, and the building started to shake moments before I heard the explosion.

Fuck my life. At least I was able to get Autumn out.