19. Layla
Chapter nineteen
Layla
I felt like a kid on Christmas morning! Not getting a status update from Tyler’s team had driven me crazy, and then Anton called to give me the good news. I didn’t know where Senior was, but I knew he wasn’t where he was supposed to be, which meant he was headed my way. Well, I was practically giddy as I listened to Anton’s threats. Drew and Colt walked in and shut the door quietly. I met Drew’s gaze and winked.
“Anton, I don’t know how else to tell you that I don’t have your father,” I told him for the fiftieth time.
“Then who the fuck does. Layla? Hmm? Who else would have taken him but you?” Anton snarled.
“I couldn’t begin to know who your other enemies are,” I replied. “All I know is that he isn’t here.”
“But you know where he is,” Anton stated. “I know you know where he fucking is.”
“I can honestly say that I don’t,” I replied.
“You know who fucking does, though!” he pressed.
“Not personally,” I replied, barely smothering my snicker. My guys chuckled quietly. “I’ll tell you what, Anton. Deliver Tommy to me, and if your Father shows up on my doorstep, I’ll give you a call.”
“You fucking bitch,” Anton bellowed. “I’m not making any deals with you. I know you’re behind this.”
“Then I guess you don’t want to hear my second offer,” I sighed.
The line went quiet for a few seconds. “What’s your second offer?”
I grinned at how easy it was and in anticipation of his next response. “Trade places with Senior, and I’ll make sure he is delivered back to his island without so much as a hair out of place.”
“Have you lost your fucking mind? Why the fuck would I ever do that?” Anton exclaimed.
“To save your Father from an excruciatingly painful death?” I suggested.
“By experiencing it myself? I don’t think so.”
“Ohhh, come on, Anton,” I cajoled. “What if I promise to make it quick and painless? A bullet to the brain. One second, you’re staring down the barrel of a gun, and the next, you’re dead.”
“You mean like you killed Sean?” he taunted. “News travels fast in this city. I heard you killed him for setting up your kidnapping. The idiot actually believed we wouldn’t hurt you in any way. I almost feel sorry for the poor schmuck.”
It took me a minute to recover from his words, but mine were strong and unwavering when I did. “So then that’s a no on taking Senior’s place?”
“You’re damn fucking right it’s a no,” Anton replied.
“Okay, then. Bye-bye. I’m sure we’ll talk soon. Maybe you will have a change of heart then.” I hung up the phone before he could respond and looked at Tyler. “Did you get ahold of them yet?”
Tyler shook his head. “Not yet.”
“Keep trying. I want a damn update!” The fact that Anton knew his father had been captured before I did irked the ever-living shit out of me. That was twice now that Anton had information I should have had before him.
“I won’t rest until I have some information,” Tyler assured me. He walked around the desk to kiss my forehead and then left the office.
“Speaking of rest,” Colton said, “we should go to bed. It’s been a long day, and we don’t all need to be awake with Tyler. The house is heavily guarded, and if Senior is on his way here, you will want to be well-rested for his stay with us.”
I wanted to protest, but as soon as he made the suggestion, my eyes got heavier. Maybe sleep wasn’t such a bad idea. I let him drag me out of my chair and followed him upstairs.
W hen I went downstairs the next day, I found Tyler passed out with his head on his desk. I rubbed his back gently. “Ty-Baby, wake up.” He groaned as he lifted his head off the desk. One eye popped open to look at me blearily. “I take it you still don’t have any news.”
“Nuh-uh,” he grunted. With a speed that didn’t match his grogginess, Tyler sat back in his chair and pulled me sideways into his lap. His arms locked around me as he closed his eyes and snuggled into my breasts.
“Why don’t you go upstairs and get some sleep,” I suggested.
He shook his head. “Only if you come back upstairs with me,” he mumbled.
“I have things I need to get done,” I laughed.
“Then no. I’m up,” Tyler replied, lifting his head and blinking rapidly.
There was no way Tyler would make it to the end of the day like this. I could always snuggle with him until he fell back asleep and then get up again. “Fine, but only because you need the sleep,” I told him. I got off his lap and pulled him out of the chair. “Come on, you.”
We trudged back upstairs, and Tyler practically fell into bed. The others had gotten up before me, so we had the entire bed to ourselves. I watched the rise and fall of his chest and determined I didn’t need to climb in after him, but when I turned to leave, his hand snapped out, and I tumbled into bed with him.
“You said you’d sleep with me,” he said groggily as he wrapped himself around me like an octopus.
I patted his arm as I snuggled closer to him. “You’re right, I did.” Soon, he was snoring, and I waited a bit longer to make sure he was out before attempting to get out of his clutches. Unfortunately, every time I moved, he held me tighter. Eventually, I succumbed to the heat from his body and fell back asleep.
“ L ayla.” I groaned as someone shook me lightly. “Layla!” the voice said louder.
“What?” I whined, clinging to the fading tendrils of sleep that fluttered around my brain.
“Your ass is vibrating,” Tyler mumbled into my hair.
“What?” Why would my ass be vibrating?
“I think someone is calling you,” he clarified. Oh! I slipped my hand between us to get my phone from my back pocket. “That’s my dick,” Tyler said, sounding amused when I wrapped my hand around it.
“Why the fuck is it out?” I asked as I let go and found my back pocket.
“He wanted to say hi.”
I rolled my eyes as I answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Your house is being watched,” a man said.
“What? Who is this?” I asked, struggling against Tyler to sit up.
“Your house is being watched. It isn’t safe to bring the target there,” the man replied.
“I think it’s your buddy,” I whispered to Tyler as I covered the phone.
He held his hand out for the phone. When he had it, he brought it to his ear. “What was the first thing I ever said to you?” I couldn’t hear his response, but Tyler chuckled and handed the phone back to me. “It’s him.”
“Hello?” I said again.
“I have a safe house set up for you to use. Leave your house and start driving west. More instructions will come.” He hung up without waiting for my agreement.
“He’s a real chummy fellow,” I said sarcastically.
“He’s the kind of guy you want watching your back when the chips are down,” Tyler replied, stretching his arms over his head. “What did he say?”
“He has a safe house set up, and to leave the house and drive west, then they’ll be in touch again,” I replied.
“Ok, let’s do it then.” Tyler rolled out of bed and went into the bathroom. I sent a quick text to update the others and got out of bed. I changed from my leggings and T-shirt into leather pants and a corset. Since it appeared I’d be dealing with Senior at the safe house. I needed clothes that can easily be wiped off.
Everyone met in the foyer, and we climbed into the car with the wolves. With Anton’s threats hanging over our heads, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere without my babies. “Drive west, Jose,” I instructed.
“We’re sure the guy who called you is the same guy Tyler hired?” Colt asked.
“I’m sure. They did a whole password thing on the phone,” I replied. Tyler nodded in agreement.
“If people are watching the house, then they saw us leave. What’s to keep them from following us?” Drew asked.
My phone rang before anyone could answer him. “Hello?”
“At the signal, make a left.”
“What signal?” I asked.
Seconds later, the ground shook as something exploded behind us. “Make a left!” I shouted to Jose. He took a sharp left turn that had us sliding around in the back.
“I believe that was it,” Zach groaned as he untangled himself from Tyler.
“Make a right turn at the light, then another left at the third stop sign,” the man ordered. I heard a motorcycle engine rev in the background. “Follow the black motorcycle that will be waiting for you there. I’ll lead you the rest of the way to the safe house.” he hung up again before I could respond.
“That’s a real chatty friend you have there, Ty,” I said. I relayed the instructions to Jose, and as soon as we made the left-hand turn, a motorcycle pulled out in front of us. “Follow him,” I instructed.
The rest of the drive was uneventful as Tyler’s friend led us outside the city. Soon, we were bouncing along a dirt road. The trees on either side of the road were so dense that it looked like nighttime.
“I hope we aren’t driving into a trap,” Colton said.
“Trust me, we’re good,” Tyler assured him.
Finally, we stopped in front of what could only be generously described as a shack.
“It doesn’t look very safe,” I commented before getting out. It looked like the damn thing would collapse from the next strong breeze. The man we followed got off his bike and removed his helmet before turning toward us. Damn! If I weren’t happily in a committed relationship with four other men, I would have climbed that man like a baby monkey and never let go.
He was all muscle, straining against the confines of his clothing. As he strolled toward us, I thought of a tiger walking through the woods. His military-short jet-black hair and amber eyes popped against his deep caramel skin, and they stayed focused on me as he approached. I could tell he was sizing me up and smirked. I didn’t care how sexy this perfect specimen of a man was; I’d fuck him up if he looked at me sideways.
His eyes shifted to Tyler as he moved past me to greet his friend. Truth be told, I didn’t know my guys had friends outside of each other. It’s not that I was complaining; it’s good for them to have friends. I just always assumed that they didn’t seek friendship elsewhere.
“Hey, asshole,” Tyler said as they bro-hugged.
“Hey, dickface,” the man replied.
“Let me introduce you to Layla.” Tyler held his hand out for me to join him. “Layla, this is Tuck, a Former Navy Seal. This is Layla, Queen of the Romano Syndicate. Is the rest of the team inside?”
“More or less, they’re around,” Tuck replied noncommittally. “So this is the woman who stole your heart before your balls had even dropped?” Tuck held out his hand to shake mine, which I accepted. “I’m pleased to meet you finally, Ma’am.”
“The pleasure is mine,” I replied. I had thousands of questions on the tip of my tongue, but I held them in. We weren’t here to shoot the breeze; there would be time for that later. “I think you have something that belongs to me?”
“Straight to the point,” Tuck said. He looked at Tyler. “I like her. Follow me.” He led us into the shack, and my jaw fell to the floor. The outside did not match the inside one bit. It felt like we walked through a portal to another world. While the house looked like it was about to fall down from the outside, inside, it was modern and clean. It could almost be considered charming if it had more furniture. Where a sofa could have sat was a bank of state-of-the-art monitors. All show different angles of one person: Anton Kandicci, Sr.
“Your man wasn’t as secure as he thought,” Tuck said as I approached the monitors. “We were excited that this job would be a challenge, but it was a letdown. As Mr. Kandicci now knows, having the security systems in place is pointless if you don’t turn them on.”
Senior sat chained to a metal chair in the middle of the room. He was staring straight ahead, barely blinking. Part of me felt guilty seeing him like this. He was part of the old guard, part of my Father’s generation, and he deserved better than this. I steeled myself. So did Sean. As if he could sense my presence, Senior’s head shifted an inch to stare into the camera.
“Spooky,” Zach said.
A man with light blond hair entered the room with what looked like a bowl of cereal. “Don’t read anything into it. He does it every few minutes or so. He was bound to catch someone off guard with it eventually.” The man sat at the desk in front of the cameras and started shoveling cereal into his mouth as he randomly tapped keys to cycle through other cameras around the house.
“This is Mason,” Tuck said, rolling his eyes. “You’ll have to forgive him. He’s sometimes oblivious to those around him, but he’s wicked smart and handy with a rifle. Hey, genius, want to say hi to Tyler and meet his girl? The woman who is paying us.” Tuck turned to my other guys. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude earlier. You are?”
While the guys introduced themselves, Mason scrambled to his feet to shake my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Romano. Your reputation precedes you. Did you bring your wolves?”
I smiled warmly as I shook his hand. “I did, but they’re sleeping in the car. Maybe when we’re done here, you can meet them.”
“I would love that,” Mason replied earnestly. “Now, before you go in there, let me tell you a few things about the house. Our signal bounces off of close to a hundred towers. We’re untraceable here, so if you wanted to broadcast, there would be no way for us to be located. All sorts of fun weapons and tools are in the room, though we ask that you not fire any weapons inside unless it’s an emergency. Patching holes in the walls is annoying.”
“Oh, I don’t plan on using any guns,” I assured him. “How do I get in?”
“Right through here,” Tuck said, leading me to a door down the hall. He opened the door for us, and we filed inside. “When you’re ready to come out, just say so. We’ll be watching.”
“Who’s there?” Senior asked. The door to the room was behind Senior, so he couldn’t see who entered the room yet. My heels clicked on the concrete floor as I walked to stand in front of him. “Layla Romano. I had a feeling it would be you. My, you’ve grown up.” His eyes traveled down my body, leaving an icky feeling in their wake.
Zach slapped him in the back of the head, and Senior’s eyes bugged out in shock. “Hey, asshole, stop being a creep,” Zach told him.
“How dare you show such disrespect by striking me!” Senior sputtered.
“Oh yeah?” Zach asked. He stepped closer to Senior and thumped him between the eyes. “Now I’ve flicked you. What are you going to do about it?” Senior started struggling against his chains, and his face turned red in anger. Zach cackled as he moved to stand beside me again. “I think he might be a little pissed,” he stage whispered to me.
I spotted another chair in the corner of the room, dragged it over, and straddled it, facing Senior. “Anton, I’ve got to be honest with you. I don’t like seeing you like this. You deserve to enjoy your retirement. I even offered your son the opportunity to take your place, but he refused.”
Senior calmed himself back down and stared at me unflinchingly as I spoke. I paused to let him speak, but he stayed silent.
“I don’t know about you, but if my Father’s life were on the line, I would have been a good daughter and gladly traded places with him. Unfortunately, your son conspired with his most trusted men to poison him to death. What about you, Colt?”
“Yep. I would have done anything to take my Dad’s place,” Colt replied, stepping behind Senior and bending closer to him. “Unfortunately, your son didn’t give me that opportunity. Instead, I had to watch him be tortured to death.”
I sucked my teeth and grimaced. “I must admit, Anton, it’s not looking too good for you. Your son’s done a lot of harm lately. Pissed a lot of people off. I hear I might not be the only one he’s hiding from like a coward.”
Anton’s eyes hardened, and his jaw clenched, but he remained stoic and impassive. Still, I could tell I was getting to him.
“From what I can see, he owes some very deranged and powerful men money for not producing what they paid him for,” I told him. “You know, that whole human trafficking gig I called you about? Yeah, he’s gotten himself into some hot water, and now you might have to pay for some of it, but I’ll give you an opportunity to return to your island unharmed.”
“You can’t be serious,” Colton said.
“I am serious,” I replied. “If he can get me Junior, I do not need to harm him.”
“An eye for an eye, Layla,” Colton seethed, towering over me. “He killed my Dad, and now I’m going to kill his.”
“Not if I agree to let him go,” I argued, standing.
“Guys!” Drew yelled. “Outside. Now.”
We stomped to the door, and it opened as we approached it. As soon as we all left the room and the door slammed shut, Colt pushed me up against the wall and kissed me hungrily.
“I love to play fight with you,” he said when we came up for air.
“Yeah, yeah, me too,” I laughed, pushing him away. “Let’s see how it affects his attitude.” I returned to the living room, where Mason watched the cameras. “Anything?” I asked.
“Well, he’s smirking now,” Mason replied. “While you were arguing, his eyes bounced between you like a ping pong ball, and he was definitely happy you were fighting.”
I studied Senior on the screens. He was calculating how he could use this to his advantage. I looked around the room and spotted a heavy-looking statue of an eagle. “How soundproof is the room?” I asked.
“It’s pretty soundproof,” Tuck replied, “but if you’re really loud, he could probably hear it.”
I nodded and grabbed the statue, testing its weight. I met Colt’s eyes, and his smile widened. “Hey Mase?” I walked over to the wall, where I thought was the spot closest to where Senior was.
“Yeah?” he asked, not looking up.
“I’m really sorry about the hole in your wall,” I replied as I swung the statue as hard as possible and embedded it.
“What the fuck!?” Mase yelled, shooting to his feet.
At the same time, Colton shoved me into the wall and started screaming. “He’s not fucking leaving here alive, Layla. I don’t fucking care what you say!”
“Then you won’t care when I tell you that my panties are fucking soaked for you right now,” I murmured, hoping the sound of my voice but not my words would carry through the wall.
Colt smirked at me as he angled his body to block Tuck and Mason’s view of me and slipped his hand down the front of my pants. I bit my lip as his fingers danced lightly against my clit.
“He can hear you,” Tyler announced.
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t fucking be in charge!” Colton screamed. He slid his fingers further toward my core to collect my arousal to slicken my clit. “How many people are dead because of this fucking vendetta of yours? I never should have brought you back to Atlantic City!”
His fingers moved faster as I tried not to pant or moan.
“But I am going to make sure you come right here with everyone in the room,” he said, lowering his voice to a whisper only I could hear.
I clutched his bicep, my fingernails digging into his skin, as I focused on his ministrations and tried not to make a sound. My brain got so caught up with staying silent that it wouldn’t let me relax enough to orgasm. I looked at Colt with pleading eyes. I needed more. I needed help. I couldn’t get there on my own.
His eyes softened. “I got you, Baby.”
Colt’s lips pressed to mine softly, coaxing me to let him in. He stole my breath away with his kiss as soon as my lips parted. His fingers never stopped working me toward my orgasm as his lips demanded my full attention. The world around us slipped away. He swallowed my moans as my body stiffened, and I finally fell over the proverbial cliff into the abyss.
“Good girl,” he said softly as I came back down. Colt pulled his hand from my pants, his fingers shiny with my release, and popped them into his mouth one by one. “This isn’t over,” he said hungrily, “but right now, I have an interrogation to get to.”
“Make me proud,” I rasped.
When he stepped away, the others stared at me, but I pretended I didn’t notice as I moved back to the cameras in time to see Colt reenter the interrogation room. Let’s hope this works.