“I’ll do what I have to do to keep her safe,” I tell them.
“We got you, brother.” Royce’s hand grips my shoulder. His phone rings and his eyes light up when he looks at the screen. “Hey, babe.” He listens. “Yeah, I’m with my brothers at our place. Layla had a call from her mom, and we’re going over to talk to her. Can you go to Mom and Dad’s? We don’t really know what we’re dealing with, and I’d rather you not be here alone.”
His words send fire through my blood. I have to get to Layla. I motion with my hand that we need to leave, and he nods, the others falling in behind us as we head back outside. Grant and I ride with Royce, while Marshall jumps in with Conrad. Royce hangs up with Sawyer and immediately calls our parents, letting them know what’s going on. I tune him out as I reach for my phone in my pocket.
I try to call Layla, but she doesn’t answer. Fear and panic like I’ve never known washes over me.
Something is wrong.
I hit End and redial her number. Over and over again I call her and keep getting nothing but her voice mail. Grant, sensing my panic from the back seat, reaches up and places his hand on my shoulder. He doesn’t say anything, but then again, he doesn’t have to. I know my brothers have my back always. I just hope that whatever we’re about to walk into, all five of us, and Layla make it out unscathed.
Pulling into our driveway, there is an older model SUV sitting in front of the garage. Royce doesn’t even have the truck in Park, and I’m opening my door and jumping out, rushing toward the front door. Trying the handle, it’s locked. I fumble with my keys in my pocket, and my hands shake so badly I can’t get the key into the handle.
“Let me,” Grant says from behind me.
If I’m overreacting, they’re never going to let me live this down, but my gut tells me I’m not overreacting. I don’t recognize that SUV, and Layla doesn’t feel well. She wouldn’t invite anyone over. My guess is I’m about to meet my future mother-in-law. Good, I get to tell her to take her demands and fuck off, and to leave my girl alone.
Grant gets the door unlocked and pushes inside ahead of me. I hear a scream, not just any scream but one of pain, and push past him. What I see is something I will never forget as long as I live.
“Get the fuck away from her!” I seethe.
Chapter 29
Layla
The entire drive home I’m running through scenarios. Every time I think about my mother filming me, I have to swallow back the bile that rises in my throat. Will Owen still want me knowing that perverts across the world have seen me? All of me? I send up a silent prayer that he will.
My heart tells me he’s a good man and he will know that this isn’t my fault. He was my first, so he knows I don’t sleep around, and we live together. He knows me; at least, I hope he does.
Pulling into the driveway, I hit the button for the garage door opener. The door rises, and I pull his car inside. Grabbing my purse, I climb out, and that’s when I hear her.
“Little girl, I’ve been waiting for you.” My mother’s raspy voice sounds from behind me.
Slowly, I turn to face her. “What are you doing here?”
“You and I need to have a little chat.”
“There is nothing more to say. I won’t give in to your demands. You can tell whoever the hell you want to tell that it’s me in those pictures or videos or whatever. I won’t extort money from Owen or his family. They’re good people.”
She laughs. It’s manic. The sound sends chills racing down my spine. “You see, that’s where you’re wrong. I’ve lost out on a lot of money since you up and left that shithole you called home.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “That’s rich coming from you. I grew up in filth and shambles.”
“You always were an ungrateful little bitch.” She raises her arm in the air, making a come-here motion, and I watch as a man, who looks just as rough as she does, climbs out from the driver’s side of the SUV. “This is Don. Don, this is—” She starts, but his words stop her.
“Oh, I know this sweet piece,” he says, grabbing at his crotch.
“Leave. Both of you. I don’t want you here.”
“Like you have a say in the matter. Don,” my mother says, and the filthy guy comes at me. I try to run, but he reaches me in time to pull my hair and drags me back into his chest. His breath smells like death, making me gag.
“I’ve got plans for you. All that teasing. It’s time to pay up, little girl.” His lips press against my cheek, and his tongue slips out, licking the side of my face. I gag, which only makes him laugh. “I’ve been waiting a long time for you,” he whispers in his smoker’s voice as he drags me into the house. I hear the garage door start to close, and I pray Owen gets home soon before it’s too late.
Don drags me into the house and tosses me on the couch. I scramble to get away from him. Not willing to go down without a fight. I’m so focused on crossing the room I don’t see his hand coming until it smacks me across the face.
“Bitch,” he seethes. “You want it rough, I can make that happen.” This time it’s his fist that connects with my jaw, and the hit has me seeing stars and crying out in pain.
“Oh, did that hurt? Just wait.” He tosses me back on the couch. I kick out my legs to keep him from advancing on me, but he’s fast, moving out of the way. He kicks back, right at my knee, and the pain is excruciating. “Fuck you!” he screams with spittle flying out his mouth.
I’m sobbing, but that doesn’t keep me from fighting him when he comes at me with a knife. “Don’t move,” he sneers, holding the knife toward me. My chest heaves, but I stop my movements, not sure what he’s going to do. My body trembles with fear as he takes the knife and slices down the middle of the blouse I wore to work today. It was one I bought on one of my many shopping trips with Sawyer. It was also one of my favorites. “There she is,” he breathes the words. “Just like I remember.”
“Don! You want a beer?” my pathetic excuse for a mother calls out. “Looks like he’s got the good stuff.”
“Yeah!” Don calls back.
A few seconds later, my mother appears with two beer bottles. She doesn’t even spare me a glance as she hands Don his beer. “I’ll go get the camera,” she tells him, turning to walk back out of the room.
“This time, you’re going to know you’re being recorded. And the world will know it’s you. I’m not going to hide your face this time. No, that would be a shame. Then they won’t be able to see what I’ve done. They won’t be able to see what happens when you fight me.” His grin is filled with malice.
“Please let me go. I don’t have much, but I’ll give you what I have,” I plead with him.
“You might not, but that man of yours does. Have you changed your mind? I gotta admit, that would change plans for tonight.”
“No.” I swallow hard. “I won’t take money from him to give to you.”
“That dick must be good,” my mother says, joining us again.