17. Layla

Chapter seventeen

Layla

I tapped my phone screen to see if I had any notifications and huffed impatiently when I saw none. It was Saturday evening, the day of Uncle Tony’s daughter’s wedding. I was still pissed about what happened with Karl and Jason, which was why I was anxiously waiting to hear news about Tony’s capture. I needed to spill more blood, and he was the only one even semi-available. I had no idea how long it would take Tyler’s buddies to deliver Anton Sr, and from what I gathered, they wouldn’t appreciate me checking in on them.

After rechecking my phone, I found no change, so I grabbed it, stuffed it in my back pocket, and left my office. I went outside, where Colton had recently installed a workshop, to see what he was doing. I was bored, and he’s always been good at relieving my boredom. I could hear the saw running from outside the building in the back corner of the yard. I wanted to protest that he took the tree I used to hop the fence out, but what did I need it for anymore?

I slipped through the door, slid to an empty workbench, and pulled myself up. Colton was using some sort of saw to cut a wood post. He had noise-canceling headphones covering his ears, so until he turned around, he had no idea I was there, which worked for me because I wasn’t ready to stop losing my eye candy anytime soon. Colton wore a pair of tight, worn-out jeans and work boots. That was it, besides the headphones.

He cut through the post and carried it over to where a fancier-looking post was. I watched as he glued, screwed, and clamped the two posts together as sweat beaded on his lower back. A hand slipped over my mouth and around my waist, making me jump. I was ready to fight back with everything I had when I realized who it was and relaxed in his arms.

“You must really like what you see, LG,” Zach said in my ear. “You never even noticed I was standing back here when you came in.”

I really hadn’t, but I also hadn’t looked around the shop when I entered. As soon as I opened the door, my eyes zeroed in on Colt, and he was all I saw.

“Do you like watching him without him knowing?” Zach asked. I nodded. “Hmm. I wonder what else you might like doing without him knowing.” Zach’s hand slid from my mouth to my neck while the other moved to rub my pussy through my jeans.

“Zach,” I moaned.

“Shh. We wouldn’t want him to hear you and ruin the fun, would we? Just keep your eyes on Colton, Layla, and let me make you feel good.”

I did as I was told and watched as Colton grabbed a sanding block and went over to the piece he had built, leaning against the wall. The muscles in his back bunched and flexed as he began running the block along what looked like a giant headboard with purposeful strokes. There was a calm to his movements that I didn’t usually see in Colton. Here, in his workshop, Colton was carefree.

Zach moved his hand to my belly and then slid it into my jeans. It was a tight fit, but as it turned out, he didn’t need much room to work. I bit my lip to keep silent as Zach rubbed my clit through my panties. He nibbled down my neck as I melted into him even more, giving myself over to the pleasure he was building inside of me.

I cried out as my orgasm washed over me. It must have been loud enough to catch Colt’s attention because he suddenly spun around to face us. His expression was momentarily shocked to see us there before becoming decidedly hungry.

“Whatcha got there, Zach?” Colt asked as he tossed the sanding block toward a worktable and sauntered to me. Next, he removed his headphones, tossed them on the table beside me, and stepped between my spread legs.

“I caught a prowler,” Zach replied. “She tried to sneak in and watch you.”

“Well, then,” Colton said as he slid his hands to my breasts, “you know what we do with trespassers. We’ll just have to torture her for information until she’s begging us to stop.”

“You’ll never break me,” I taunted, quickly getting into character.

“She’s a feisty one!” Zach crowed. “I like it.” His hand was still in my pants, applying steady, tantalizing pressure but not moving.

“We’ll see how feisty she is when we’re done with her,” Colton replied.

Fuck yes. This was just what I needed. I began to struggle against them when my phone started ringing and vibrating.

“Is that a phone in your pocket, or are you happy to see me?” Zach joked. I pulled the phone from my back pocket and saw Kyle’s name on the screen—finally!

“Give me good news,” I said when I answered it.

“We’ve got Tony cornered in an abandoned building,” Kyle replied. “I thought, given the week you’ve had, that you might be interested in participating in taking him down.”

“Oh, yes,” I replied. “I very much do. Drop me a pin, and don’t let him escape. We’ll be right there.” I grinned at a dismayed-looking Colton as I nudged him back and hopped off the table. “Sorry, boys, playtime will have to wait. We’ve got a hunt to get to.”

“It can wait a little longer,” Colton argued, pulling me back to the table.

“No, it can’t,” I laughed, “but you can. Come on!” I ducked out of his arms and jogged back to the house. As soon as I entered the back door, I whistled for Dash and Dire.

“Are you boys ready for some fun tonight?” I crooned when they came running. Drew and Tyler appeared in the foyer as I texted Jose to bring the car around the front.

“What’s happening?” Drew asked.

“Kyle has Tony trapped in an abandoned building. We’re going to go hunt him down,” I replied happily.

“Layla,” Colton said in a warning tone as he and Zach caught up to me. “Do you think it’s wise to go running out into the night? It could be a trap.”

“Kyle is the one who chased him into that building,” I argued. “It isn’t a trap.”

“What if Tony is trying to lure you out for Anton?” Drew asked. “Maybe he let himself get trapped in a building.”

“Guys!” Zach said, “Stop crashing her party. Look how excited Layla is. We have to check this out.”

I grinned at Zach as I bounced on the balls of my feet to accentuate his point. I was excited. I feel like I’ve been barely treading water since Sean’s death, and now I can go out and do something. All eyes shifted to Tyler, who had yet to voice his opinion.

Tyler held my gaze for close to thirty seconds as I gave him my very best puppy dog eyes. He sighed, and I grinned triumphantly. “I agree with Zach. We’ve all been cooped up in this house for too long. Let’s go for a hunt.”

“Yes!” I cheered.

The front door opened, and Jose walked through. He looked down at himself and straightened his clothes nervously, unaware we were standing there. Jose’s expression was comical when he lifted his head and saw us all watching him. “Oh!” he said but quickly recovered. “I have the car waiting, Boss.”

“Great, Jose,” I replied as I forwarded Kyle’s text with the address to him. “That’s our destination. We will be right out.” I went downstairs to our private armory with the guys right behind me.

Colton grabbed a pair of pistols off the wall and handed them to me. “I’m going to change. Get me extra mags, too, please.”

“What do I look like, your maid?” I asked as he walked away.

Colton paused and then turned toward me slowly and grinned. “Next time we play, you can certainly be the naughty maid, Hellcat.”

I rolled my eyes as he left and set his guns on the table. I grabbed my guns and knives and tucked them away. Drew grabbed a duffel bag, and I started tossing ammo at him. Once we were ready, I grabbed Colton’s guns and followed the guys back upstairs. Colton met us in the foyer and took his weapons.

“We all set?” I asked. They nodded, and I whistled for my wolves again as we left the house and got into the waiting car. The building we were going to was across town, and as we pulled up outside, I could see Kyle, Johnny, and his men posted around it.

“Boss,” Kyle and Johnny said as I exited the car.

“Do we have any idea which floor he is on?” I asked as I looked up at the five-story building.

“We don’t,” Kyle replied.

“Ok,” I replied. “I want two men at each exit, including the fire escape. Kyle, stay out here with them. Call me the second he is spotted. Johnny, take three men to the basement and clear it. The rest of you, follow me.”

Everyone jumped into action as my men fell in line behind me. Dash and Dire stuck to my sides, shooting me excited glances as they waited for their commands. We stepped through the door, and I paused briefly to listen for any sounds. The building was silent, but not for long. Soon, Tony’s screams would be bouncing off the walls.

Finally, I looked down at my wolves. “Seek,” I ordered. Immediately, they shot off in different directions on the first floor. This was a game we used to play in Alaska, only I used dead squirrels instead of humans. They were intelligent boys, though, so I knew they’d figure it out. I looked at the men behind me. “Well, follow them,” I said.

Colton split the group up, and my guys and I followed Dash to the right. The building itself was disheveled and decaying. Why the city hadn’t torn it down yet, I’m not sure. Human-sized holes littered the walls and doors. If there was a door still, it hung off its hinges. Dash howled ahead of us, followed by a terrified shout.

We ran toward the noise and found a homeless man cowering in the corner with Dash towering over him, drool dripping from his mouth as he growled menacingly. “Dash, off!” I commanded. “Heel.” Immediately, Dash returned to my side and whined. “Good boy,” I praised.

“I didn’t do nothin’!” the old man shouted.

I knelt beside him and tried not to grimace at the ripe smell of urine, some of which I imagined might be fresh. “I’m sorry for scaring you, Sir. Have you seen anyone here who doesn’t belong tonight?”

“Besides you and your werewolf? No. But I did hear someone on the stairs earlier. Must have gone up to the third floor. I only hear one creak of the stairs, and after the third floor, all the steps creak. It’s because someone started a fire on the fourth-floor stairs and compromised their integrity,” he replied with a knowing nod.

I smiled at him. “Thank you. You’ve helped us greatly. Can you stay here and out of the way? I’ll have someone fetch you later to take you somewhere a little more comfortable for the night and get a hot meal in your belly.”

“I sure can,” he replied. “Maybe you’d like to do the job yourself. Sure wouldn’t mind the company of a pretty lady like you.”

“Easy, old man,” Drew said lightly. “Her dinners are spoken for.”

“I should hope so!” he replied. “Have you seen her?” We chuckled at him as we left the room.

Dire and the other men joined us at the stairs. “We didn’t find anything on that side, Boss,” one of the men informed me.

“We think he might be on the third floor. We’ll head up there with the wolves. I want two men posted at the stairs here. The rest of you check out the second floor to be sure, and then I want the stairs here guarded as well. There is an old man in the back room. Someone should respectfully collect and take him to get cleaned up, dinner, and a place to sleep for the night. If you run across anyone else, do the same for them. Let’s get this building cleared out and get these people in better conditions.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” they replied before hurrying to do as I ordered.

“As for us,” I said to my guys, “Let’s go find Uncle Tony.”

“Are we bringing him back to the house?” Tyler asked.

“No, I think the boys deserve some fun, don’t you?” I replied with a smirk.

We reached the third floor, and I told the wolves to seek. This time, they worked together to clear the rooms, and when they reached the second door down the left hallway, they both paused and growled.

“Bingo,” Zach said.

We drew our weapons and approached the door cautiously. We weren’t foolish enough to assume that Tony wouldn’t be armed, and he certainly had enough time to set a trap. “Down,” I whispered the command as I reached the door. I stood to the side of it and knocked hard. “I know you’re in there, Tony.”

“Fuck you, Layla!” Tony shouted. “Your Father would roll over in his grave if he knew you did this on my daughter’s wedding day!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of his statement. “You’re the reason he’s in a fucking grave to begin with. And you plotted to have his daughter murdered after her wedding.”

“It wasn’t my idea,” Tony argued.

“But you participated,” I replied. I tried the knob, but surprisingly, it was locked.

“If anyone comes in here, I’ll shoot!” Tony yelled when he heard the noise. As if to prove his point, he fired off a round through the door.

“Idiot,” Drew muttered. Now Tony had one less bullet to use on us.

“That wasn’t very nice, Tony,” I called through the door.

“I told you to stay back, and I mean it!”

I looked at the guys to see if they had any suggestions for getting in there that didn’t involve one of us or the wolves catching a bullet. Zach moved his fingers in a circle to signal me to keep him talking and tapped Drew on the shoulder. Together, they went into the room beside the one Tony was holed up in.

“Tony, you know I can’t do that,” I said. “I warned you what would happen if I found you in my city. I gave you a second chance, and all of this would have been avoided if you had left when I told you to.”

“I’ve lived here all of my life. I raised my kids here. My grandkids were born here. I’m not about to let some power-hungry little girl chase me out of my home!” he replied.

“Maybe you should have thought about that before you double-crossed my Father, Tony. I didn’t choose this. You did.”

“You were supposed to be dead!” he shouted seconds before the sound of a gunshot rang through the building. Tony’s cry of pain had us rushing through the door to subdue him before he could recover. Colton kicked the gun out of his hand while Tyler held his own to Tony’s head.

“Where was he hit?!” Zach yelled as he and Drew came jogging into the room.

I inspected Tony. “Looks like upper thigh,” I told him.

“Dammit!” Zach exclaimed. He pulled out his wallet and handed a fifty-dollar bill to Drew.

“Thank you,” Drew laughed as he held the bill in the air, pretending he was checking if it was real. He winked at me as he pocketed the money. “I bet him that I would put the bullet in his thigh. And I did it through a wall!” Drew was rather proud of himself.

“What do you want to do with this fucker?” Colton asked when he finished frisking Tony and shoved him to the ground.

“Dash, Dire, hold,” I ordered. They sprang forward, and Dash latched onto his crotch while Dire grabbed his throat. “Now, Tony,” I said, crouching in front of him, “we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Where are Anton and Tommy hiding?”

“Fuck you! Even if I knew where they were, I wouldn’t tell you,” he squeezed out.

“Hard way it is,” I said, standing and backing away.

“Should we leave the room?” Drew asked uneasily.

“Nah, you’re family to them now. They won’t hurt you,” I assured him.

I waited until they were all a safe distance away just to be sure, and then I gave my sweet wolves the command they had been waiting for: “Yedinorog.”

Tony’s screams filled the room, joined by the sounds of snarls and growls as my boys ripped into his body with enthusiasm. They hadn’t had a fresh kill in quite a while and were reveling in the opportunity now.

“How’s your stomach, barf boy?” Zach asked Drew.

“Solid as a rock,” Drew replied, punching him in the shoulder.

“You sure?” Tyler asked, joining in on the teasing. “You look a little green. The gurgling sound of dying mixed with the snap, crackle, and pop of the bones being crushed aren’t bothering you, are they?”

Drew glared at Tyler as he turned a shade greener. While he had come a long way, seeing a man savagely eaten alive by wolves is a lot different than interrogation or chopping off body parts. I found the primal act invigorating, and I knew Zach did, too. It didn’t get Tyler or Colton’s motors running, but it didn’t phase them either. Drew, however, wasn’t a fan. He’s the most human in the bunch.

“Why don’t we head back downstairs and leave them to it,” I suggested.

“I said I’m fine,” Drew growled in frustration.

“I know you are,” I assured him, “But they’re going to be awhile and don’t need us watching over them. Besides, I want to make sure the entire building has been swept for any homeless people.”

We went back downstairs, where Kyle and Johnny were waiting. No one inside the building doubted we had found and disposed of our man.

Kyle looked up the stairs apprehensively and shuddered at the sounds he heard. “You’re fucking scary, Boss.”

“Thank you,” I grinned. “Can you make sure your men search every nook and cranny in this building for people? Take them to a shelter for a meal and a bed. Make sure they are accommodated, and give them each a hundred-dollar relocation fee.” I looked at Drew, happy to see he had returned to his normal color. “Let’s have a bonfire when the boys are done,” I suggested.

“Sounds good,” Drew replied. “I’ll collect the gasoline.”

“Finally!” Zach cheered, chasing after Drew. “We get to burn something!”

Colton slung his arm around my shoulders. “So what’s next, Hellcat?”

“Next is Senior. Have we heard anything from your buddies?” I asked Tyler.

He shook his head. “Not yet, but it’s only been a couple of days. They’re good, but I don’t think they are that good.”

I sighed dejectedly. “What am I supposed to do in the meantime?” I whined. Without something to keep me occupied, I started to think about Sean, and I wasn’t ready to deal with that yet.

“You know, there’s a store I know that sells maid outfits,” Colton suggested. He pulled me against his front and slid his hands under my shirt to tickle my ribcage. “We could stop on the way home and pick up a few things to occupy our time.”

“Oh! We could each pick out a costume!” Tyler said excitedly.

I guess there are worse ways to spend my time.

W e were on our way back home from the X-rated novelty shop when my phone rang. I answered the phone as Colton nibbled on my neck. Visiting the shop had gotten us all a little randy.

“Yeah, Kyle?”

“My guys are having a problem down at the homeless shelter, Boss. I came down to handle it, but I’m not getting far.”

“What kind of problem?” I asked. I turned the phone to speaker and leaned away from Colt so I could focus.

“They aren’t letting the people in. They said they were past curfew and had already served dinner.”

“Past curfew?” I looked at my watch. “It’s only eight fifteen!”

“Is that the pretty wolf lady?” I heard someone holler in the background. “Tell her that her boys took us to the wrong shelter. This one is garbage!”

“Sir, if you are going to cause a scene, I will have to call the police and have you removed,” some woman said. “This is why I don’t let you riff-raff in here after curfew!”

“I’m not causing a scene. I’m telling the truth!” The old man yelled back. “Dinner is half a bowl of weak bone broth, and while they don’t charge us to stay overnight, they do make us clean the facilities, and sometimes they bring us to houses to clean. I bet you don’t even have every bed filled. Nobody comes here unless they’re desperate.”

“Did you get all of that?” Kyle asked me.

“I sure did. Is the place full?” I asked.

“Is this the only bunk room you have?” Kyle asked the woman.

“I don’t see what business it is of yours,” she replied. “If you don’t leave, I’m calling the police.” That was twice now that she threatened to call the police. I wanted the third time to be said to my face.

“That’s the only room they have,” the old man answered.

“I’d say there’s about fifty cots in here, and only half are filled,” Kyle informed me.

“Ok, send me an address and sit tight. I’ll be right there with plenty of food for everyone and a knuckle sandwich for the bitch with the cops on speed dial.”

“You got it, Boss.”

“Ty, can you call somewhere and order enough food for forty people at the last minute?” I asked when I hung up the phone.

“Yeah, I can call The Market and have rotisserie chickens and all the sides ready pretty quickly,” he replied, pulling out his phone.

“Do it, and then tell Jose where to go.”

I looked at Dash and Dire passed out on the floor. They were still covered in blood and would make quite the picture strolling into the homeless shelter. I might even get Miss Call the Cops to piss her pants before the night is out.

“That gleam in your eye looks dangerous,” Colton commented.

“I’m just looking forward to meeting the woman who runs the place,” I replied. “We need to have a little chat.”

“Right, a chat,” Colt scoffed.

Twenty minutes later, we pulled up outside the homeless shelter. There wasn’t a cop in sight, and I’d be willing to bet she’d made the threat more times since I got off the phone with Kyle. I whistled for the wolves and walked up the short sidewalk to the front door where Kyle was waiting.

I stepped inside, and the old man sat on the floor with his back against the wall. “Ohh, you’re in trouble now, lady. I’ve heard those wolves in action. They scared the piss out of me, that’s for sure, and now they’re all covered in blood. Human blood,” he snickered as I walked past. My eyes left the woman standing behind the counter long enough to wink at him. Her eyes widened as she took in my boys.

“Who are you?” the woman demanded with her hand on her hips. She showed a brave front, but I could see her tremble more and more the closer my wolves and I got to her.

“My name is Layla Romano. Have you heard of me?” I asked.

Her eyes widened even more, and I grinned. “Oh, good, you have. That makes the rest of this much easier.” I snapped my fingers, and men came in carrying all of the bags of food I had bought. “Is there a cafeteria?”

“They eat in the bunk room. You can’t bring that in there. No food after curfew!” she shrieked. She flew around the counter in an attempt to block the door, but I slapped my hand against the wall to block her. “What do you think you’re doing? I’m—“

“Leaving,” I finished for her. “You own this place?”

“I do,” she replied.

“Good. I’m buying it from you. Now. How much do you want for it?”

“What? It’s not for sale,” she replied.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Either option will have the same outcome. This shelter will belong to me,” I informed her. “Now, why don’t you try the easy way for your own sake and tell me how much you want for the shelter.”

“I said it’s not for sale,” she replied, straightening her posture. “Now leave before I call the police.”

“I’ve been waiting for you to say that. What are you going to tell them? That some people came and aggressively fed the homeless that you are starving? I don’t think that will go how you think it will.” I turned to Colton, who was leaning against the counter, watching me with amusement. “Take her to the alley. I don’t want to get blood all over my new shelter.”

“Three hundred and fifty thousand,” the woman screamed as Colt pushed off the counter.

“Done. Now get me the deed and get the fuck out of here.” I ordered.

She rushed to the office behind the counter with Colt stalking behind her. By now, my crew had everyone spending the night in the shelter awake and digging into the food. The old man from the house was still sitting on the lobby floor with a wide grin plastered on his face as he watched what was going on.

I went over and sat beside him. “What’s your name?”

“Name’s Matthiason Tierney, but everyone calls me Mac,” he replied.

“Well, Mac, I gotta get someone in here to run this place, but they’ll need some help. You know far more than any of us. Would you be interested in taking the job? It comes with a salary, a permanent cot, and three square meals a day. Eventually, health benefits, too, once I get it all figured out.”

Mac looked at me in shock. “Me? But you don’t even know me.”

“True. But I consider myself a good judge of character, and you, Sir, are a good man.”

His eyes misted, but he blinked back any tears that threatened to fall. “I’ll do a good job for you, ma’am,” he choked out.

“I have no doubt, Mac. I’ll leave a few men here to make sure things stay calm tonight. In the morning, tell them what you need, and they can bring you back some new clothes. We’ll get everything squared away, ok?”

“That sounds like more than I deserve, but thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now go eat before the others eat all the food.”

“They better not!” Mac replied, scrambling to his feet and running into the room.

“That was a good thing you did, Baby,” Tyler said as he offered me his hand and pulled me to my feet.

“Anyone who calls me the “pretty wolf lady” instantly earns a place in my heart,” I laughed. Colt and the nasty woman returned. He held the deed to the building, and she held her personal belongings.

“I’ll write her a check,” Tyler said.

“I’ll call Brandi and tell her what I did,” I replied. I pulled out my phone, but before I made the call, I moved beside the woman. “If I were you, I’d take that check and leave Atlantic City for good. And if I find out you’ve opened up another homeless shelter and are mistreating your patrons, I’ll hunt you down and let my wolves eat you. Understand?”

The woman turned ghost white and nodded as her eyes darted to where Dash and Dire were snoozing on the floor.

“Great!” I chirped. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

I walked outside to call Brandi. As soon as she picked up, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Hey, Boo.”

“What did you do?” she asked.

“What makes you think I did anything?” I asked innocently.

“Layla,” she warned.

“I bought a homeless shelter.”

“I thought you were building them,” she said after a few beats of silence.

“I am. But this one was being run by a horrid woman who wasn’t treating the people in her care nicely, so I conducted a slightly hostile takeover, and now I own it.”

“You realize it isn’t as simple as that, right?” Brandi asked.

“Sure it is,” I replied, ignoring the exasperation in her voice.

“You need to find someone qualified to run it. New inspections will be needed with the change of ownership. They might make you close your doors until all the legal paperwork is buttoned up.”

“Well, then it’s a good thing I have a kickass lawyer who will make sure all of that technical stuff is taken care of, isn’t it?” I replied.

“You’re a real pain in my ass, Romano,” Brandi huffed before hanging up the phone. I grinned when, ten seconds later, she sent me a text to have Tyler forward her the details. I knew I could count on her.