63. Chapter 63

Chapter 63

T he sun was setting when Layla's taxi stopped at the top of the road that led into her old neighbourhood. The storm clouds were completely black now, and she could smell the rain in the air. Finding someone willing to drive to that side of the tracks from Jackson's hotel had taken a long time. That was as far as she allowed Jax to go. If he had come all the way to the trailer, she might not have had the strength to let him leave.

"Thank you," she whispered as she paid the fare.

She'd only hastily packed a single bag. She slung that over her shoulder as she watched the taxi peel away. She didn't blame him. There were many desperate people in her neighbourhood, and even though they didn't steal from their own, taxis were fair game.

With a sigh, she started the walk home. The trailers looked more run-down in the two years she'd been away. Or maybe she'd just gotten so used to living in luxury that she saw everything differently. The same tired people sat outside the trailers drinking and doing whatever else passed the time. Some ignored her as she walked past, and others smiled and nodded as if she never left.

Twenty minutes later, she approached her old driveway. Her rusty old car was still at the side of the road, exactly how she had left it when she ran into the house to rescue Brit. The keys were still in the ignition because it was such a piece of crap that if anyone was inclined to steal it, they would have noticed straight away that it wasn't worth anything.

Seeing it brought back images of the last time she was home. Her father's bad habits brought Costas into her home, and that bastard kidnapped her and Brit. Now their family was spread out, unable to live together again for a while. When everything settled down and the kids returned, Jax would make sure Brit didn't reveal she wasn't a wolf, or her sister would face the same dilemma. The pack would want to kill her.

Especially if they learned she lost her wolf and was no longer their Luna. She was nothing to them now.

She needed time to think away from all of them. Away from Jax. He hadn't said a word to make her stay with him. He hadn't reassured her that it would be alright, and he loved her anyway. His face had closed off the second she told him she needed to go.

She pushed that pain aside and walked up the steps to the front door just as thunder rumbled in the sky, and a flash of lightning followed. The lights were off since no one was home, so she pushed the old flowerpot aside to reach for the spare key. She never thought she would be back. Her initial plan had been to move out once Brit graduated and never look back. But there she was, without a penny to her name, without a job, and stepping back into the shithole.

She dropped her bag near the door and fumbled for the light switch. Her foot paused mid-step when the place lit up.

She was in the wrong house.

She walked out and confirmed the number on the trailer, then walked back in with a frown on her face. Maybe they left it empty too long, and someone else moved in—someone who cleaned and made the place look homely.

She'd expected to walk into stacks of beer cans, unwashed plates in the sink, and bills overflowing on the counter. But this place recently had a fresh lick of paint to freshen it up, judging by the strong paint smell, and they'd bought new furniture. A comfortable grey couch replaced the old discoloured one that had sagged with her father's weight, and a stylish circular coffee table replaced the one that broke when Costas' minion threw Gerald onto it. There was even a rug, curtains and a new television. And the kitchen looked like it had a makeover, too.

This was definitely not her house.

She looked back outside at the darkness and the first big drops of rain and sighed. It would be a very long walk back to town in the dark with the storm raging, and it would be unsafe without Nia. But where was she supposed to go?

She blinked back the tears and set the spare key on the counter so the new owner would see them. Her hand was on the door handle when a door opened down the darkened hallway and someone stuck their head out. Without Nia, she couldn't see them clearly.

They must have been asleep.

Her cheeks heated up with mortification as the person walked out of the main bedroom.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't realise there's a new tenant. I'll—"

"Layla?"

She sucked in a breath when the man came into the lit living area.

"Dad?"

Was she seeing things? The man in front of her was showered and shaved and looked like he had visited the barber. He wore pyjamas that didn't stink of beer. Such a huge contrast to the last time she saw him at the hotel when he was covered in his vomit.

"I thought I wouldn't see you again," Gerald whispered.

The man pulled her into a tight hug, something he had not done since Rebecca left. Instead of rancid body odour, he smelled fruity, like their shower gel.

She pulled away after a beat and looked into her father's eyes. That was such a drastic change, something she had hoped for when she was a little girl but stopped when she realised he didn't give a shit about her.

"What happened? What's going on?"

"I know your boyfriend told me to stay out of the city and stay low, and I did for a day or so. But I had to come back. I had to know that you were safe. No one was answering the phone," Gerald said. "Did he get away from those men?"

She cocked her head to the side. She knew Gerald saw her eyes when he showed up drunk at the hotel, so Jax had kept him there. So he went back to the hotel for Gerald when the Hunters were there? How much did her father know?

"Yes, everyone is alright," she answered cautiously.

"If you've come to check if I told anyone, then the answer is no," Gerald said. "How could I when it would get you into trouble, too?"

Okay, what the hell was happening? That sounded like her father was actually concerned, and she knew that wasn't the case. His words always hurt her, but their last few arguments put the nail in the coffin.

"What are you doing, Dad?" she whispered.

Gerald stepped back and didn't meet her gaze.

"It's late. Have you eaten?" he asked, his hand sweeping over the small kitchen. "I did some shopping."

"Where did you get the money for all this?" she asked, looking over at the couch.

"Mr King gave me money to hide away at a motel somewhere. I figured this was a better use of it."

She stiffened. She'd been upset with Jax when she'd found out he gave Gerald money to keep him away from Brit, and she supposed giving him money to hide from Hunters was a different issue, but it still felt the same. Gerald never said no to money. He was all take and no give.

"I wanted to make this place nice in case you all needed to hide here. I still have some of it left. I don't know why anyone needs so much cash lying around, but I figured I'd save it in case we have to go on the run or something."

We. Gerald assumed he could just slip back into the role he abandoned after all the hurtful words he had said to her.

"Say something, Layla."

"I don't know what you expect me to say. I guess I'm surprised you didn't take the money and end up drunk in a ditch somewhere or at the nearest casino."

"After what I saw, I can't say I didn't think about it," Gerald said.

His eyes looked haunted. She knew without a doubt now that he saw things he shouldn't have. That would put him at risk if he ever told anyone or Hunters or the Circle found out.

She sighed and picked up her bag.

"I'm not hungry. I'm going to bed."

"Wait. Is he... Is he dead? Is that why you're here?"

"He's not dead."

"Where's Britney? Should we go and get her?"

Britney, his favourite child.

She walked away from him without answering. When she got to the room she'd shared with Brit, she used all her strength to tug it open, just as she used to, but the door slid open without getting stuck. And it wasn't squeaky.

She looked back at Gerald, who still stood in the same spot with his shoulders low and a lost look on his face. He'd probably be reunited with Brit when she came back despite her objections, and her sister would be so happy to see him cleaned up like that.

But she had her own life to worry about. She had decisions to make.

She walked into the room and saw that he even changed their beds and bedding. She dropped the bag and sat on her bed before pulling her phone out. No messages. No missed calls. It had been hours since she'd left the packhouse.

But Jax was a busy man, and the survivors had probably arrived already. Who was she to demand any of his time? Jax wouldn't feel compelled to seek her out without the bond, and the distance between them wouldn't affect him.

Not like it affected her. Her chest caved in, and it felt like she was missing a limb. It was not the same emptiness she felt after losing Nia; it cut her differently. She couldn't think past that pain to figure out what to do.

She dropped back on the bed and covered her head with a pillow. And then she allowed the tears she had held back to finally fall. Thunder and the sound of rain kept the sounds of her sobs from her father.

As the trailer started to shake with the force of the wind and rain smashing against it, only one thought played through her head.

What was she going to do without Jax?