Lifting the mattress, I grabbed the bundles of money that I had hidden in there.
Ripping open my wardrobe doors, I grab the duffle bags, throwing money and clothes into them. Unlocking my gun safe, I empty its contents into another duffle bag carrying them all out to the front room.
Storming back into the room, Layla is sitting on the edge of the discarded bed causally drying her hair with the towel.
“Babe.”
“Micha,” she says calm and all sexy.
“Like move it, come on,” I snap.
“Micha, what time did all those messages come in? I feel like we have time. Nothing’s happened so far.”
Shaking my head, I close my eyes and count to ten. I need to, she just doesn’t get it. Like yeah, you’re the niece of Damon Gallo. That holds a lot of weight. To what she has seen, I know just how extremely dark. She went through all the abuse and torture he and her father put her through until he died in an OD and Damon became the sole tormentor of my beautiful baby.
That fucking bastard. I wanted to kill Damon so badly that it almost hurt. I wanted to hurt that bastard as much as he’s hurt me and I wanted to kill Ian for his betrayal.
“Damon is just using Ian as a pawn in all this, Micha, and as a good little soldier doing as he was told,” she says coming up behind me, her lips on my neck sending goosebumps over my body. My cock stirs, really not the time, mate.
“He didn’t have to betray his grandfather by this though. Like why would you work for a man who took so much from your family,” I seethe out.
“Because he wants to be you, my love. He wants the control, the power, the presence that you have. He wants it all. Damon and death sends him that bit closer to the end game of becoming Micah Ragen.”
“I know. I know you’re right, but fuck, Ian should be fucking smarter than this though he fucking understands what he’s doing. He knows that it’s fucked.” I say to her looking deep into her eyes.
“Well, my love he wants to make a name for himself now that it’s all been stripped from him. You and your grandfather are all that is standing in his way.”
I crouched down in front of Layla, staring into her eyes.
“It’s going to be ok. We will survive this, we will win.”
Her lips kiss mine softly, lightly and fast.
“You know this how?” I raise my eyebrow at her.
“Because you’re smarter than both of them.”
Her arms wrap around me and I hug her back tightly, pressing her body against mine. I took a deep breath and I felt the tension in my body relax ever so slightly.
“We gotta go, babe.” Pulling her body back from mine and linking my fingers through hers we head out of my house, bags and all, down to my Camaro and to the safe house on the other side of town.
Ian has no clue where this one is. He would have hit up all the others by now.
Hitting call on my phone the sound of it connecting to my cars Bluetooth has the ringing bouncing around us.
- “Pops.”
- “Ahh, Grandson.”
- “You good.”
- “Yes, I’m with your Nona. Ian has hit four outta the eight houses searching for you.”
- “I’m heading to you now.”
Hitting end on that call I ring Jimmy.
- “About fucking time, ball bag,” he snaps into the phone.
- “Yeah, sorry. Phone went dead. Why didn’t you come over?” I say to him turning off the main road. I take the small gravel road down to the old farm that I bought a few months ago for Layla and me to have a family at. That was before I had even spoken to her, though it seems stupid I knew I would marry this woman.
This place is huge. Set on thirty acres with the main house being ten bedrooms, twelve bathrooms, two lounges, a movie theater and wine cellar.
State-of-the-art kitchen.
The rest of the buildings house people that run the farm. There is also a massive guest house that is for my grandparents, and a glasshouse for my grandfather for his flowers.
- “Couldn’t. I’ve been ferrying the women from my club out to the motels on Lake Road after your fuck-wit cousin and his fuck buddy blew up my club.”
My hands tighten over the steering wheel, my jaw clenching as Layla’s hand finds my thigh.
- “Where are you now?” I ask him.
- “Back at the motel on Lake Road getting my dick sucked. I’m stressed, man.”
- “Fuck sake, meet me at the farm. I’m just about there.”
- “Got it. Leaving now. Pick this up later, babe. Keep that pussy wet for me,” I hear him say before I hit end.
My eyes meet Layla’s, “Fuck, I’m sorry about that. He’s like, well sick.”
Shaking my head as her hand reaches for my face, and she cups my cheek, I turn into the warmth of her touch, never knowing anything so fucking insanely sexier than her and her touch.
“It’s no problem at all. I look forward to meeting him. I hope he likes me as you seem really close.”
Smiling at her “Oh, baby. He likes you. We have been watching that compound remember? He’s my right-hand guy.” Winking at her as my house comes into view. Layla gasps next to me, her eyes scanning the vast area.
“Micha, this place is beautiful.”
“Thanks, babes. I bought it for you.” Pulling around onto the white sparkly pebbles, I take the loop past the water feature that has white and blood-red roses planted around it, to the front door. It’s a huge, oak door with my crest right in the middle. The Walsh crest too. Never forget who you are. My father’s words sound inside my head.
“Wait! What!” She stammers out as I open my door, step out and lean back down.
“This is yours, ours. I bought this the moment I saw you. I knew I wanted to start something and have a safe place for you and my grandparents.”
“B-b-but you didn’t even know me,” she says as I walk around the car, opening her door and pulling her body into mine.
“Babe, you get to know a lot about someone by watching them.” I kiss the tip of her nose.
“Now let’s get you inside so you can meet my pops and Nona.”
Saying that my grandparents approved of Layla would be a true understatement. My Pops, for the first time since I can remember really smiled. Not a forced I must smile, but an actual smile.
This was the first time I’d seen it in his eyes. It’s the same way he looks at my Nona. He pulled her in and held her close exchanging hushed words with her that only they could hear.
My Nona fixed pasta, wine and cheese stealing glances at me and Layla, her smile wide and her eyes shone. She was happy, so happy.
The first time I had truly seen both of them happy after the heartache left from my mother leaving.
She couldn’t handle it any longer. My Nona found her in bed with my father’s jacket on, clutching a photo of him to her chest. I can’t really blame her. I was wild with anger, filled with hate and on a one-man mission to destroy all that came within ten meters of me.
The riddle she left behind, I always had inside my pocket close to my heart and it means more now that I truly understand what it’s like to love when you were so filled with hate.