13. Layla

Chapter thirteen

Layla

T he house was quiet when I went downstairs. I walked into my office, pleased to see the door had been fixed, and looked around. With a clearer head, I admit I was a little embarrassed by what I saw. These were the walls of an insane person. I set to work, taking all the papers off the wall and sorting them into piles in case I needed to reference any of them quickly. Once it looked a little less asylum, I texted the guys and Molly to meet me in my office. Everyone but Colton appeared a few minutes after I sent the text.

“Where’s Colt?” I asked.

“He had to take care of something, but he should be here in a few minutes,” Tyler replied.

I nodded as I sent another text message to my other capos. “Where are Jen and Autumn?”

“They’re at the cabin,” Drew replied. “We thought that would be the safest place for them that wasn’t here.”

“That’s a good place for them,” I agreed. “We will have to consider a more long-term arrangement for them when the threat is gone.”

Colton rushed into the office. “Sorry for being late.”

“You’re fine,” I told him, clapping my hands together as he sat. “Ok, first off, I owe all of you an apology. I shut you out, and that wasn’t fair. I won’t do it again. Molly, you’re more than welcome to continue your work here going forward if you wish.”

“You don’t need to apologize, LG,” Zach said.

“Yes, I do. We’re a team, and I was so focused on feeling bad for myself that I forgot that. With that out of the way, let me get you up to speed on what I’ve learned. From everything I can find, I don’t see anything that points to Anton leaving the city. Wherever he is, he isn’t far. I think the best way to smoke him out is to go after his father.”

“Count me in,” Colton said.

“Rather poetic, isn’t it?” I replied with a sinister smile.

“Do we know where Anton Sr is?” Tyler asked.

“I’ve tracked him down to a private island in the Bahamas. From everything I’ve gathered, he’s living it up there while his son destroys the city and his family’s reputation.”

“I’m going to play devil’s advocate for a moment and ask you if you’re sure this is a road you want to go down,” Drew said.

“Dude!” Zach exclaimed.

“I’m not saying that I’m not all for it,” Drew defended, “I just want to make sure this is a can of worms that we want to open.”

“I appreciate your caution, but he started it by killing Papa Carmine. It’s time he gets a taste of his own medicine. I’m done playing games. He can trade places with him if he wants to save his father.”

“Then let’s get the bastard,” Drew replied.

I chuckled as there was a knock on the door. “Yes?”

The door opened, and one of the guards popped their head through. “Ma’am, your other capos are here.”

“Good. Send them in.” The men took their places at the table and looked at me expectantly. “Good afternoon, gentlemen. Do you have any updates for me on shutting down the Kandicci businesses and my uncles?”

“We found Vincent and his family in Tennessee,” Johnny said. “He took your threat seriously. Unfortunately, Tommy and Anton must not have appreciated his desertion. We found them dead.”

“Damn,” I swore. It saddened me that Vinny and his family were murdered, more so his family than him. “And Tony?”

“His daughter’s wedding is this Saturday,” Kyle answered. “We will have men in place. If he shows up, we’ll grab him.”

“Good. I want that buttoned up as soon as possible. How are we doing with Kandicci supporters?”

“We’re getting some pushback on that front,” Danny replied.

“Many have joined our ranks, but there are diehards and holdouts who need some more convincing,” Stephan added.

I met Drew’s eyes and saw the flames flicker in them. “I trust I can count on you to handle the more stubborn cases?”

“Absolutely,” he grinned.

“No kids or innocents,” I warned.

“Never,” he promised.

I nodded. I knew Drew would never hurt kids or innocents, but I had to say it for the record. “Take Zach with you.”

“Yes!” Zach said, pumping his arm excitedly.

“I’ll start making plans for Anton Sr,” Tyler said.

“Perfect, thank you,” I replied. “If no one else has anything to add, you’re all dismissed.” Colton hung back as the others filed out of the office. I mentally patted myself on the back for a successful, ordinary meeting. It felt good to be “back.”

“Take a small walk with me?” Colton asked when we were alone. “I’ve got someone I need you to meet.”

“Sure,” I replied. I took his offered hand as we left the office. He led me to the foyer, where a man was standing.

“This is Karl. He’s going to be your new personal bodyguard,” Colton said, gesturing to the man.

“Absolutely not,” I replied. “Keith is my bodyguard.”

“Layla,” Colt said, already sounding exasperated. “This is temporary until Keith can resume his duties if that’s what he wants to do. He has a long road to recovery and may decide the job is too much for him. Until then, you still need a guard. Karl has an impressive dossier, and I trust he will keep you safe.”

“Fine,” I sighed. “It was nothing personal,” I told Karl, shaking his hand.

“No offense taken, ma’am. It’s an honor to serve and protect you,” Karl replied.

There were a lot of new faces around the house these days after losing so many men and one not-so-new face. I noticed Jason by the door and raised my eyebrows at Colton. He grabbed my elbow and turned me.

“I didn’t trust him to be anywhere else. If he bothers you, tell me,” Colt ordered.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure it will be fine, Colt. We went on one date, and you chased him off before the movie ended. A lot of time has passed since then.”

“We’ll see,” he replied ominously. He kissed me far more passionately than we usually displayed in front of crewmembers. There was something sexy about your man claiming you in front of other men. Colton dipped me, drawing the kiss out, and then steadied me back on my feet as he broke the kiss. He winked, then turned and returned to his office without another word.

I shook my head at his retreating back. I decided to hit the gym downstairs for a workout and a swim to keep the endorphins going. I started down the steps to the basement but stopped when I realized Karl was following me.

“You don’t need to follow me,” I told him.

“It’s my job to protect you, ma’am,” he replied seriously.

“I understand that,” I replied, “When I am in my office, you may post outside the doors. When we leave the house, I expect you by my side, watching my back. But I don’t need you to follow me around when I’m inside my home.”

Karl didn’t look thrilled with that, but he nodded and retreated back to wherever my men usually gather in their downtime.

I really missed Keith.