25. Layla

"Oh, God. No, please God, no," Colton croaked.

His voice had that raw quality it got when we watched his father be tortured to death, and every cell in my body froze. Only one other person besides myself could evoke that level of gut-wrenching grief from him. Zach.

I struggled from beneath him and turned to where Zach had been kneeling.

"Zach!" I screamed. I rushed to his side, tears already clouding my vision. This was not fucking happening. I refused to believe it. I ran my hands up his body to his neck and searched for the spot to feel his pulse. "I can't fucking see," I shouted as I tried to blink the fucking tears away long enough to check to see if Zach was still alive.

"I've got it," Sean said gently as he knelt on Zach's other side.

This fucker. He was lucky I couldn't see right now, or I might just jump over Zach's body and rip his throat out with my bare hands.

"He's alive," Sean said, sounding relieved. What did he care if Zach lived or died? Blurry Sean checked Zach out as fresh tears of relief spilled from my eyes. "He has a gunshot wound in his upper arm. He's lost a lot of blood, but it looks like it was a through and through. He should be fine once we stop the bleeding and get him to the doctor."

"Thank fuck," Drew said. I wiped my eyes, shoving my emotions down until I wasn't crying. I didn't have time to cry. There were too many things that needed to be handled. I didn't have any time to waste, and every second I spent here crying was another life I might not be able to save.

Sean peeled his shirt off and tore several scraps of cloth off to wrap around his arm. Once he finished dressing the wound, he removed his belt and tightened it over the makeshift bandages. "That should do the trick for now," he announced, smiling tentatively at me.

I didn't return the smile or even thank him. While I appreciated what he did to save us and how he fixed up Zach, that didn't make up for his betrayal. I shook my head firmly. No! I would deal with that later as well. "Colt, Drew, can you grab Zach? We need to get out of here." I led the way to the door and cracked it open to make sure there weren't any lingering guards. The hallway was empty except for the pile of our weapons. Thank fuck they had left those behind. I trotted down the hall to the pile and began rearming myself. "Someone grab Zach's weapons," I ordered.

"Layla, wait," Sean said softly. He touched my arm, but I jerked away from him.

"Not now," I replied coldly.

"Please. Just let me explain," Sean pleaded.

I turned, and he let me shove him against the wall. My hand wrapped around his throat and squeezed. "Whatever you think you have to say to me can fucking wait, Sean. I don't have time to deal with you or your bullshit right now. You are the least important item on my fucking to-do list. I need to get Zach to a doctor before he loses too much blood. I need to check on Ryan, Keith, and the rest of my men, who were ambushed after we arrived. Then, I need to warn Brandi and Monika to lay low and stay alert because, for all I know, they might be next. And then I need to find Kadence. I'm not sure if you were paying attention in there or just thinking about your own sorry ass, but Kadence is in trouble if she isn't already dead. Someone tipped off Anton, and I don't think it was you this time, which means it was someone close to Kadence. Don't make me explain this to you again. I've already wasted precious minutes on you."

"Ok," he replied.

I released him and ran down the hallway to the door with Tyler behind me. He nodded at me, and I kicked the door open, gun drawn and ready to kill any threat that might still linger there. All I found were bodies and the approaching vehicles of our backup. We should have fucking had them with us from the start. I pushed that into a box as well. I had plenty of time to kick my ass for shit I should or shouldn't have done later. I rushed to my car, where Keith was slumped in his seat with his phone in his hand. I felt for a pulse, and it was so faint that I almost missed it.

"He's alive!" I shouted. The first car reached us, and men poured out. "Call an ambulance!" I ordered. I turned to see Colt and Drew set Zach in the back of the SUV. "Call two!"

"Ryan didn't make it," Tyler announced sadly. I bent to look at the driver's seat and saw that Ryan had been shot through the eye.

Fuck. I liked Ryan. Right, into a box it goes.

"You two," I said to two men standing nearby, surveying the blood bath in shock. "Get Keith out of the car and see if you can stop the bleeding. It might be the only way to save his life before the paramedics get here. The rest of you check the other bodies. There might still be survivors." I moved out of the way as they jumped into action.

"Colt, call Captain Bosland. This is an epic cluster fuck, and we're going to need his help. Let him know that Kadence—" My voice broke as the reality of Kadence's fate hit me like a brick wall. No time. Into a box. "That Kadence might be dead." Colton nodded and pulled out his phone.

I felt my pockets for my phone and pulled it out. "Drew, call the house. It isn't safe to move Cordy, Molly, Jennifer, and Autumn right now, so I want them brought to the panic room. Lock down the house. Nobody goes in unless they are with me. Nobody," I said, looking at Sean.

More cars showed up, and I saw my other Capos were among them. "Tyler, coordinate a search of the building. If anyone is left in there, I want them." He nodded and jogged over to talk to the men arriving.

"What can I do?" Sean asked.

"You can sit the fuck down and stay out of my way," I replied.

I called Nate first. Monika was surrounded by her club. Brandi was the most vulnerable at the moment.

"Boss?"

"Listen to me. I don't have time to get into detail, but get Brandi somewhere safe. They might be coming for her. I'll call you when I can,"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied. "Pack everything up. We're leaving for the safe house in two minutes," I heard him yell.

"And Nate?"

"Boss?"

"Take care of my best friend."

"You can count on me."

"I know I can."

The line went dead, and I quickly dialed Monika.

"So how did it go?" she asked when she answered.

"Mon," I sobbed.

"What happened?! Where are you?" I heard things slamming as she rushed around, likely gathering her things to ride in on her Harley and save the day. God, I love her.

"Listen to me. You might be in danger. Watch your back. Everything went bad. Really fucking bad. Kadence might be dead and they could be coming for you next. Don't trust anyone."

"Oh my God. This isn't a bad joke, is it?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion.

"I fucking wish that it was," I replied. "I love you. I'll check in soon."

"Promise?" she asked.

"I promise." I hung up the phone and stared at it. How the fuck did I even begin to hunt Kadence down? She didn't share her end of the plans with me, so I have no idea where to start.

Sirens sounded in the distance, and a few minutes later, police cars and ambulances sped into the parking lot. Right. Into a box for now. Once I got the injured to the hospital I could focus on Kadence. I began shouting orders as soon as the paramedics jumped from their rigs.

"I've got a man down over there. He's in critical condition, and his pulse is faint." One set of paramedics rushed to Keith's side and began working on him. Within minutes, he was loaded into the ambulance and on his way to the hospital. "You two come with me. He's been shot in the arm and isn't conscious. We tried to stop the bleeding, but I think he lost a lot of blood before we did." I led them to the SUV where Zach was lying, and they immediately began to look him over.

"Captain Bosland just got here," Colton said as he kept a worried eye on Zach.

"What hospital are you taking him to?" I asked the paramedic as they transferred Zach to the stretcher.

"AtlantiCare Regional," he replied.

"Ok. Colt, go with Zach. I'll handle things with Bosland, and then we'll meet you there."

"I can handle that if you'd rather go with him," Colt offered.

"No," I said softly as I stepped into his arms. "Go with your brother. That's where you need to be right now, just like I need to be here." I kissed him gently and walked away without allowing him to argue further.

My phone rang as I headed toward Bosland. I checked the caller ID and then sent the call to voicemail. I loved Scotty, and I'm sure he heard the news and was calling to check on me, but he would have to wait until I had a handle on everything.

"What the hell happened?" Captain Bosland asked when I approached.

"Someone in your department tipped Anton off and possibly killed Kadence," I replied. "It was dumb luck that we didn't die as well. Any idea who that mole might be?"

"I warned you," he replied, scrubbing his hand down his face. "I told you there were others on Anton's payroll within the department."

"That wasn't what I asked. I asked if you knew who they were," I replied. I reminded myself that we needed him to clean this up for us and that he wasn't the enemy.

"I'm sorry, I don't."

I nodded. That was fine. I'd find out soon enough. "I trust you'll take care of all of this?" I asked, gesturing to the mayhem around us.

"Yeah. No worries. I'll take care of everything," Bosland assured me quickly.

"Thank you," I replied.

I searched the lot for Drew and Tyler. I found them standing near the warehouse's door. "We need a car," I said when I reached them. "Bosland is going to take care of everything here, so we need to get to the hospital to check on Keith and Zach."

"I'll drive you, ma'am," one of my men standing nearby said.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Jose, ma'am."

My phone rang again, and I sighed when I saw it was Scotty again. "Well, Jose. Congratulations. You just got promoted. Hopefully, it will work out better for you than the last guy. Let's go," I said as I hit the ignore button again. I turned to look at Sean as Jose rushed off to pull a car around. "You. I'm talking to you. Let's go. As much as I don't want to bring you to the hospital, I'm also not letting you out of my sight for a nanosecond."

Sean got up and followed us to the car like a good little, albeit kicked-looking puppy. I got in the back of the SUV with Drew and Sean while Tyler got into the front passenger seat. "Layla, I—" Sean started to say as Jose drove us to the hospital.

I held my hand up to cut him off. "When I'm ready to hear from you, I will let you know. Until then, shut the fuck up."

Drew pulled me into his lap, and I snuggled into him. I gave myself permission to shut off my brain for a short while and relax. I ignored the longing look Sean shot us. It's his own fucking fault that it's like this between us now. He fucked everything up and— Nope. Back in the box. I can't deal with this right now.

"I'll go get room numbers and status reports," Tyler said as he jumped from the SUV the second Jose stopped.

"Jose, give your number to Drew and go park. We'll call you when we're ready to be picked up," I said, following Sean out of the car.

"Yes, ma'am."

I waited for Jose to pull away and Drew to join us before I went into the hospital. I was really getting sick of hospitals.

"Ma'am," the security guard by the door said, "you can't have guns in a hospital."

I stopped and turned to the man. "My name is Layla Grace Romano, boss of the Romano Syndicate and Queen of this fucking city. After the day I've had, today is not the day you want to pay too close attention to what I may or may not be carrying. Understand?"

"My mistake," he said quickly, shrinking in his seat. "Please enjoy your visit."

"Not fucking likely," I muttered as I continued past him.

Tyler met us in the middle of the lobby. "Keith is still in surgery. There has been no update, but I asked to be notified when there was one. I told them I was his brother."

"Fuck. Does Keith have family we should call?" I asked.

"He doesn't," Tyler replied. "I already pulled up his file to check. Zach is in room four-oh-one. Elevators are this way."

My phone rang again as we rode the elevator to the fourth floor. "Scotty is not getting the hint," I complained, sending him to voicemail again. When we entered Zach's room, a part of my heart unclenched when I saw him awake and smiling. His smile quickly faded when he saw Sean.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" he growled.

"Zach!" I launched myself at him, and he wrapped his good arm around me. I buried my face in his neck. "What did the doctor say?"

"No internal damage from what he could tell. The bullet went through clean, so he sewed me up and said as soon as all of my scans came back good, I could be discharged," Zach dutifully reported. "Now, answer my question. Why the fuck is he here?"

"What was I supposed to do with him?" I asked.

"I don't know," Zach sighed. "Seeing him makes me want to carve up his face."

I patted his chest. "I know, baby." I met Sean's sad eyes. "Once we get you home, we will figure out what to do with him."

Sean's shoulders fell, and he looked at the floor. I hated seeing him like this, but also fuck him.

"It looks like the gang's all here," Doctor Ruben said as he entered Zach's room. "It's good to see you unharmed, Layla."

"Tell me I can go home, Doc," Zach pleaded.

"Are you anxious to leave us already?" Doctor Ruben asked as he slid the film from Zach's scans onto a lightboard and turned it on. "You've barely had time to dent your pillow."

"No offense, but I'm not a fan of hospitals," Zach replied.

"No one ever is," Dr. Ruben replied. "Lucky for you, your scans look great. I'll get your discharge papers started right away."

"Thanks, Doc. Could you do me a favor?" I asked. "My bodyguard was rushed to surgery. Do you think you could find out how that's going? He wasn't in good shape, and I'm anxious for news."

"I'll check on him," Dr. Ruben replied.

"Did anyone else survive?" Zach asked.

I shook my head. "He was the only one, and it didn't look good," I said sadly. This was such a cluster fuck of epic proportions, and the lives I lost today weighed heavy on my heart. I needed Keith to pull through. I needed a fucking win. We all did.

"What the hell happened?" Zach asked.

"From what we can tell," Tyler replied, "Kadence was double-crossed by someone in her squad on Anton's payroll. They stopped the raid and tipped Anton off that we were coming."

"What did Bosland say?" Colton asked me.

"That he warned us this could happen and that he didn't have any idea who it could have been," I replied. "He wasn't helpful, but he is handling the scene, so that's something."

"Tomorrow, I'll start doing background checks on everyone within Kadence's squad. We'll find out who did this," Tyler assured me.

"Ok," Dr. Ruben said when he returned. "Zach, you'll need to sign these papers, and then you'll be free to go. Layla, I spoke to the surgeon. Keith has had several blood transfusions due to the initial blood loss and continued blood loss during surgery. The surgeon is optimistic about the outcome. He thinks he will be able to get him fixed up, but due to the blood loss, we won't know what his mental state will be until he wakes up. His body had a lot of damage, and there is always a chance that we can fix it all, and the patient still dies because their body couldn't handle it. You should prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I'm sorry."

I nodded. "Thanks," I said around the lump in my throat.

"Keith's a fighter," Drew said. "If anyone can beat the odds, it's him."

"That's good," Dr. Ruben replied. "Sometimes, all it takes is a strong will to live and a refusal to give up."

Zach finished signing his paperwork and then changed into a tight-fitting pair of scrubs so that he didn't have to walk out of the hospital with his ass hanging out the back of the hospital gown. Jose was waiting for us when we exited the hospital, and I quickly saw our dilemma. This wasn't one of my cars. It was your basic SUV, so we wouldn't all fit comfortably.

"Zach, you're up front. Sean, you can get in the cargo area. The rest of us will squeeze into the back." Sean didn't argue as he was shut in the back of the SUV, and the rest of us piled in. "Take us home, Jose," I ordered. For the ride home, I sat in Tyler's lap, with my legs across Drew's and Colt's laps. Tyler was rubbing my back, and I felt some tension leave my body. Then, my phone rang. "Scotty, again," I groaned.

"Answer it," Colton said. "It could be important."

"Hello?"

"Fucking hell, Layla!" Scotty shouted. "Why have you been hitting the fuck you button when I call?"

"I've been a little busy, Scotty," I replied. "What do you want."

"To let you know that I have Kadence," he replied.

"What!?" I screeched, sitting up straighter. "How? Is she ok? Let me talk to her."

"She's sleeping right now," Scotty replied. "She showed up at the bar and passed out almost immediately. I don't even know how she managed to get to me with the shape she was in. She's beaten up pretty good and has a bullet hole in her leg. I called in a friend to fix her up on the down low. I figure when a cop shows up on your doorstep after someone tried to kill them, the fewer people who know about it, the better."

"Kadence is alive," I announced.

"Thank fuck for small miracles," Drew said.

"Has Kadence said anything?" I asked.

"Not much. She's been pretty out of it," Scotty replied. "She did mumble something about her partner, though."

"Did he do that to her?" I growled.

"I don't know. Maybe? It was hard to understand her."

That was fine. Tyler now had someone to start investigating. We hadn't met her partner, and I had never thought of looking into him. We hadn't thought to look into anyone working with Kadence. That was a mistake we wouldn't make again. "Ok, It might take me a while, but I'll have security sent to you as soon as possible."

"I don't think you should," Scotty replied. No one knows she is here; this is the last place anyone would look for her. If your men show up and start hanging around, it could tip whoever is after her. I'll protect her. Nobody is going to hurt her again. Not on my watch. You have my word, Layla."

He was right. Sending my guys there would draw unnecessary attention. Scotty knew how to handle himself. Of all the places Kadence could go, she chose to go to him. I had to trust her instincts and Scotty's abilities. "Ok, but you call me the second you think there might be trouble," I ordered. "And as soon as she is awake and up for it, have her call me. And tell her I love her."

"I will. You be safe, too," Scotty replied.

"I will," I promised before hanging up.

"I already sent text messages to Bear and Nate to let the girls know that Kadence is alive and safe," Colton said as soon as I got off the phone.

"Thank you," I replied, sagging against Tyler. My girls were all safe. Keith was where he needed to be, fighting for his life. Zach was ok. Bosland was handling the scene. That left only one more thing I needed to deal with. Sean.

When we arrived home, the gate was closed, and Joe had his gun drawn as he approached our car. "The house is on lockdown," Joe said, "I'm afraid you'll have to go somewhere else."

"It's us, Joe," Zach said from the passenger seat.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but orders were nobody goes through these gates unless the Boss is with them," Joe said firmly.

I needed to give that man a raise. "I'm back here, Joe," I called out. Tyler rolled down the window so that Joe could see for himself that it was me.

"Good to see you home safely, Boss," Joe said as he holstered his weapon. "I'll grab the gate."

The gates opened, and Jose drove us to the front door. We got out of the car, and Drew let Sean out of the back. "Layla, can we please talk now?" he asked.

"Colt," I said, meeting his eyes. He nodded and punched Sean as hard as he could in the face, knocking him out cold as he fell backward against the side of the SUV. He and Drew rushed forward to grab him under his arms before he could crumble to the pavement. "Bring him downstairs," I ordered.

"What's the plan, LG?" Zach asked.

"I don't have one," I replied. My heart and my head were at war with each other. It was time to hear what Sean had to say for himself. Maybe then I'll know what to do. I waited until Sean was hidden in the interrogation room before I went to the panic room to let Cordy, Molly, Autumn, and Jennifer out.

"Oh, my bambina!" Cordy cried when she saw me. "They said you were ambushed but wouldn't give us more information."

"Unfortunately, I don't have time to fill you in at the moment either," I said, returning their hugs. "It's safe to come out of the panic room, but I need you to stay in your rooms for now."

"I'll bring everyone to my quarters so that we're all in one place," Cordy replied.

"That's fine. Just stay put, please," I replied. Cordy nodded and ushered the others upstairs.

I knew I could count on Cordy. I waited until they disappeared before going into the interrogation room. Sean was tied to a chair in the center of the room. He was still unconscious, and his head hung between his shoulders. How the fuck did we get here?

"Wake him up."