I shoveled more popcorn into my mouth. “Someone is trying to kill me. I am training in the gym like my life depends on it, and the woman I love is dealing with internal demons.”
“Is she telling you how she feels? Communication is the key to any relationship.”
I sighed. “Yes and no. She opened up a lot more, but everything that’s happening with Layla, Fallon, and the club…it’s taking a toll. I can see it, but she won’t talk to me about it. The funeral is tomorrow, and I know she’s hurting.”
“A lot of the girls are. Layla was amazing.”
“She was. I feel like it’s my fault she’s gone.”
Annika grabbed my hand once more. “It’s not. The person who killed her is to blame.”
“If I never came here, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“It would have, but Blaize wouldn’t have had someone with her. This was planned and regardless of you being here or not, it would have still happened.”
I leaned back, closing my eyes. “I couldn’t have a normal life, could I? Even the life I chose is a mess.”
“Well, you have a best friend to deal with life together. I love you, and I am so glad you came here, even if it’s not always ideal.”
“Besties, even if I get us killed.”
We werethreeSawmovies deep when the front door slammed against the wall and Drew stumbled inside. Annika scurried to her feet, almost tripping as she got untangled from the blankets before running to Drew. He had a somber, defeated look plastered on his face as he sank to his knees. Annika wrapped her arms around him, and he pulled her deeper into him as he sobbed into her chest.
“It’s okay, my love,” Annika soothes. “Come back to me, please.”
“T-they killed her,” he breathed out. “They raped her, and they killed her.”
“Who?” Annika asked.
“A girl in the church. She was innocent. She shouldn’t have died.”
Annika shook her head. “Hey, don’t get lost in that memory,” she said as she ran her hands through his hair. “Please stop doing this, Drew. Please. I hate seeing you like this.”
“I need to, for her,” he said in a faint whimper.
“What is she going to do when you wind up dead? Huh? What about me? What about Theo and Noah? We all love you.”
“I can talk to Blaize,” I choked out, the emotion of the room having a tight grip on my throat. “Uhm, if it means saving girls, I think she’ll help.”
He shot me a soft look, but nothing about it screamed that he believed me. “Blaize has to deal with Fallon and Layla and everything else; besides, she can’t touch them. This is my battle, Kadence, but thank you.”
I nodded. “I’ll leave you two for a moment.”
CHAPTER 34
BLAIZE
Iloathed being emotional. It was a sign of weakness, giving my enemies the advantage. Whoever this person was, tormenting me and bringing my people, innocent people, into the mix, was causing a rift. Layla was a grave loss, weakening my defense. I wished I could remain stoic and balanced, but the weight of this grief was undeniable. Sin and Ranger were heartbroken and sulking around, but if they didn’t react like this, I would kick them so hard in the balls, they’d feel them in their throats.
Layla was their girl, the heart and soul that kept two of my best men afloat. And now with her gone, they were not the same men. Both of them were angry, seething with rage and waiting to find the person responsible. Everyone else at the club lost a member of our dysfunctional family. I would paint the streets red before letting my men have a turn for their revenge.
Grief was a bitch.
Forcing my men to be okay would be hypocrisy on my part. Layla’s death was bringing back memories I’d much rather forget. Seeing Layla’s mutilated body sent flashbacks of Olivia and Charlee racing through my mind like an unwanted replay. And what made me sick was this asshole going after theinnocent. Instead of facing me, they went after the weak because they were scared.
The attack was over a month ago, and Fallon was still in a coma. Hawke informed me that she was breathing on her own and her heart was beating irregularly, but she is alive. He’d always been a grizzly of a man, but now he was living up to that title with his scruffy beard and disgruntled appearance. His world was laid up in a hospital bed fighting to survive, and I knew he was miserable, knowing he couldn’t help her. He had a village behind him, but I didn’t want someone to use this moment of weakness against him.
We were hoping she’d be awake before the funeral tomorrow, but even if she did wake up, she’d be too weak to go anywhere for a few weeks. Damon still had no information for me, and it was pissing me off. How was this fucker so clever and tricky that we still had no info on him? He killed one of mine while gravely injuring another, yet he didn’t leave a single trail behind him. Eli would have left more of a calling card.
