Page 63 of Layne Closure Ahead

Knowing damn well that Rebecca didn’t have use of her hands and had never learned to swim, Layne dropped the gun and dove in after.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the office, it was just Joey and Eric. Joey had Eric up on his feet in front of him with his bicep wrapped around Eric’s throat in a tight hold. Joey’s hand twisted Layne’s knife deeper into the wound she had made.

Roughly, Joey spoke into his ear. “I have been waiting a very long time to snap your fuckin’ neck. There is nothing more that I would like to do right now than feel the breakage of your C2.” So many violent thoughts of Eric’s demise were filling Joey’s head. The way this man had thought he had a claim on Joey’s woman had him seeing red.

Eric gasped for air as the hold around his throat made receiving oxygen a struggle.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you.” Joey gave the knife another push in a new direction. Joey’s arm eased up just enough to hear the yell of pain that pulled a pleased smile across his face. He wished he could spend all day up in that office finding new ways to spread the pain across Eric’s body. Despite his wishes, he wasn’t going to risk leaving Layne to fend for herself very long.

Panting from the onslaught of pain wracking his body, Eric’s strained words were barely audible. “You’re no…better than me.”

Joey ripped the knife out of Eric’s body. “Maybe not, but Layne is. And, I plan to be the man who sees to it that it stays that way.” He heard the gunshot from downstairs and it served as a reminder that he had better places to be than letting Eric take another breath.

Eric coughed, the blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. “She’ll never?—”

One bloody hand grabbed the back of Eric’s skull while his other grabbed his jaw and cut off Eric’s words with one sharp force fracturing a cervical vertebra. He released Eric’s body, letting it fall to the floor lifelessly.

“Fucker.”

Joey’s client be damned, Eric was never going to leave here alive if he had anything to do with it. He stepped over the shitbag’s corpse. Quickly, he ran downstairs to track down Layne and hopefully an unharmed Rebecca.

The previously still water was now showing signs of being recently disturbed indicated by the ripples on the surface. A tint of red from the blood seeping from the last of Eric’s men swirled unnaturally in the already swampy-looking water.

Layne shoved Rebecca up to the surface as her legs burned under the weight of her kicks to get them both back up for air. Her hand reached up and grasped onto the pool ledge to pull herself up with her other arm around Rebecca’s waist to get her above water as well. Rebecca gasped as the air finally greeted her lungs.

Joey ran over and immediately hoisted Rebecca up out of the water to sit her on the floor next to him. She coughed and took several deep breaths for air. After seeing she was okay, he turned his attention to Layne.

With a pained sigh of relief, Layne hooked both her arms on the wall and rested her forehead against them while trying to catch her breath from rescuing her bestie from a watery grave. Layne was the only one here that ever needed to have experienced that.

Each gasp for oxygen prompted a sharp jab from her very pissed off rib.

“Come on, you too.” He grabbed Layne and lifted her from the water and set her on her feet. His hands held onto her face as he stared at her with a light smirk. “What is it with you and water?”

With the water dripping down along her face in tiny rivers, she gave a small laugh followed by a groan as she placed a hand onto her rib. Before Joey could get himself all fussed over it, she shook her head to head him off. “I will be fine.”

He pulled his mask down so he could capture her lips with his to help ease some of her pain. It was a small gesture, but one he could offer in the moment. When he pulled back, he leaned in and whispered into her ear. “You’re going to have a lot of making up to do after that stunt you pulled tasing me earlier.” He kissed her temple with a grin.

Rebecca sat up, having recovered enough oxygen to get back to her sassy self. “I hate to break you two up, but I could use a little help here.” She raised her bound wrists.

Layne’s attention was finally drawn back to Rebecca, helping her onto her feet. “Sorry.” A sheepish smile appeared on Layne’s face having nearly gotten lost in Joey’s words.

Joey pulled a knife from his pant leg. Taking Rebecca’s hands, the tape was quickly severed.

Immediately, Layne tugged Rebecca into a big hug. “I’m so sorry you got pulled into this. It should have never happened.”

Rebecca pulled back and looked at Layne with her stern mama bear face. “Stop that. Don’t you dare apologize for something a mentally unstable creep did.”

Layne’s mouth pulled down into a frown, still letting her guilt weigh on her.

“You know what you can apologize for?” Rebecca eyed up her best friend.

Layne raised both of her brows wondering what else she was going to bring up in the moment.

Rebecca motioned over at Joey. “Not introducing tall, dark, and handsome over here. How the hell can I do my obligatory best friend due diligence if you keep these things to yourself?” She gave a little wink to Layne.

The light tease chased away some of the guilt as she glanced over at Joey. “Rebecca, this is Joey—the guy. Joey, Rebecca.” Her hand motioned at each of them.

Rebecca scanned Joey with a suspicious eye. “Oh, so you’re the one? Hm. Well, just know that the jury is still out on you.”

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