6. Layla

Chapter six

Layla

L eaving the interrogation room, I returned to my office, determined to get some work done. Tyler had a point, right or wrong; I made the decision to kill Sean, and what’s done is done. I had to stand by my choice now and push forward. I tossed my cell phone on my desk and sat. Almost as soon as my ass hit the chair, I was standing again.

I needed to get the fuck out of the house. I grabbed my handgun, tucked it into the back of my pants, and left the office. I whistled for Dash and Dire on my way to the garage. They came running from the kitchen and hopped along beside me excitedly. “Wanna go for a ride?” I asked them.

Spotting Zach’s car near the garage entrance, I opened the back door, and they jumped inside. I got in the driver’s seat and flipped the visor down. The keys fell into my lap, and I cranked the engine over. The roar of the engine broke the quiet of the afternoon. I hit the gas and flew out of the garage without looking in the rearview mirror to see if someone would stop me. I took the small winding drive to the front gate and honked the horn to get Joe’s attention. I saw his head pop out of the guard house before disappearing. Seconds later, the gate started to swing open.

I pumped the brakes just enough to give the gate time to open before I sped through it. I knew the guys were probably going to be pissed at me when I got back, but I didn’t have the energy to care at the moment. Their reasons were likely valid. It was dangerous to go out alone right now. Hell, I’d be pissed at me too.

Zipping through traffic, I headed toward the beach. I needed a quiet place to think and hoped this spot was still a hidden gem. I took the hidden drive off the main road faster than I should have and fishtailed as my tires hit the dirt. I took my foot off the gas and regained control of the car as I continued toward the beach.

“Sorry, boys,” I said as they slid around the backseat.

This used to be private property, but the owner left it to the city when he died. The house eventually got washed out after bad storms battered the coast. Now, it was an empty private beach, or at least I hoped it was. When I cleared the trees, they opened up to the ocean. I parked as close as possible while staying on what was left of the driveway and climbed out of the car with Dash & Dire jumping out right behind me.

I kicked off my shoes and tossed them back in the car, and then, together, we trekked through the dunes below where the house once stood to the sandy beach. Once we cleared the dunes, Dash and Dire sprinted ahead of me to race in the surf. I finally stopped walking when the waves nipped at my toes. The fact that this place remained undeveloped didn’t make sense, but I wouldn’t complain. If I didn’t look to my left, where I could see the boardwalk in the distance, I could pretend I was in exile on a deserted island.

Exile was probably better than I deserved. It certainly wasn’t a courtesy I had given Sean. I hadn’t even considered sending him away. Why hadn’t I considered sending him away? Have I become so cold that death is my only response? I fell to my knees, sinking into the wet sand as the waves washed over me.

How the fuck did I get here? I should have listened to Sean and walked away. I’ve put so many people in danger, and for what? What good is an empire if you lose everyone you love to get it?

What if it had been one of the others? Would I have been so quick to act then?

Oh, God!

Would I have killed one of them, too?

A sob tore from my chest, and I felt Dash and Dire’s tongues on my face as they tried to comfort me. I thought I was better than Anton because I had morals, but maybe that wasn’t as true as I thought.

Maybe what the city really needs is to be rid of both of us.

Permanently.