Page 12 of Chaos Luck Wrath

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. I can explain, but I can’t talk about it while you’re still there at the hospital. Tell Joey I didn’t have a choice or time to spare.” The last thing she wanted was for either of them to think that she had worried them without good reason. “I can come back to the hospital to pick you up, then fill you in.” Not knowing where Liam had prying ears, Layne didn’t dare risk saying anything out loud about his continued threats directed at those she loved the most.

Gage responded, “Don’t bother. I got a ride back to your place; I hoped maybe you’d show up here. Just… Just come home, and we can talk about it. I’ll let Joey know you’re alright.”

She nodded, even though he couldn’t see it. “Thanks. I’ll be there in twenty.”

When Gage hung up with Layne he shook his head, still pissed off. He had the call on speaker so Joey could listen as they both stood there in the living room of O’Reilly Manor.

“She better have a damn good excuse for this shit.” He looked over at Joey. The last time she had gone missing had been at the hands of the she-bitch, Danielle Spencer. That had been enough hell for him to endure for years to come.

Joey perched himself on the arm of the sofa, arms crossed in front of his chest. “Let me deal with it when she gets here.” His hand lifted to pinch the bridge of his nose as the sound of her voice had given him hope that whatever had pulled her away left her unscathed.

Shaking his head, Gage shoved his phone into his pocket. “No, this is a problem for all three of us.” He let his thoughts begin to unravel and get the better of him again. “Fuck! What was going through her head to take off like that? Is she trying to get herself killed?”

All Joey could do was shrug as he was wondering the same things as his brother. He knew Layne, he knew her weak spots, and that meant Liam likely knew them as well. If he had anything to do with what had drawn her out into the open, he feared this wouldn’t be the last time.

Finally, Joey stood up from his spot on the sofa and walked over to Gage. “You can’t push her too hard until we know what happened. She’ll push back and then shut down entirely.”

Gage didn’t like it, but he knew the last thing they wanted was for her to feel like she wasn’t safe to confide in him and Joey. They both loved her deeply, more than life itself, and their feelings for her had no contingencies. If she was getting pulled into a shitty situation, they were going to dive into it with her. The tricky part was getting her to understand and accept that.

The entire drive back uptown, Layne was caught up in her thoughts. Was it worth fighting this battle with Liam? What were her options when the risks involved some incredibly hefty costs? What went on when Joey took his contracts? The second her doubts about Joey’s loyalty to her heart sprang up inside her mind, she felt a pang of guilt for even questioning his faithfulness. But…

She parked the Jeep out front and walked up the porch steps slowly. Each step was slower than the last as she approached the front door with dread of the conversation she was going to have with Gage.

Pushing the door open and walking in, she called out, “Gage?” She shut the door behind her.

“I’m in here,” he called from the living room.

Layne walked through the foyer and into the living room where she saw him sitting on one of the ottomans that paired with an oversized chair. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. His tender eyes looked up to gaze at her, still reflecting the pain of her disappearance and the disappointment in the lack of her trust to confide in him.

Her face fell and her heart crumpled as she saw the way he was still struggling with what she had done and put him through. She began her heartfelt apology, “I’m so, so sorry, Gage. I couldn’t…”

That’s when a hand came and grabbed her hip from behind, turning her around to come face-to-face with Joey.

“Couldn’t what, Layney?” He guided her backward until the wall was flush with her spine and he was leaning into her space with his other hand braced against the wall.

From the light scent of soap and the sight of his dirty blonde hair still damp, he must have just gotten out of the shower. The rest of him was dressed in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved crimson tee. It had been far too long since she had seen him in anything from the bland and unflattering hospital gown.

Her eyes widened in disbelief that she was seeing him standing there before her in the home they shared. He should have still been in the hospital, he wasn’t slated to be released for a couple of weeks. Blinking several times through the shock of it all, she glanced over at Gage who was now getting up off of the ottoman to join them both.

Joey’s hand left her hip and cupped her jaw turning her attention back to him. “Eyes on me. You couldn’t what, Layne? Couldn’t be bothered to tell us where you were running off to? Couldn’t care less what the hell we would think? Go ahead, explain to us what you couldn’t do.”

Layne’s mind was still stuck on processing his presence before her. “They discharged you?”

Gage spoke up from a step behind his brother, “He discharged himself when we didn’t know where the fuck you were.”

She pitched herself forward into Joey’s chest, wrapping her arms around his waist as immense relief overcame her. “Thank God!” Her eyes squeezed shut tightly as she inhaled the hint of leather and sage that had been missing the entire time he had been a patient at the hospital. Having him home again gave her back a little peace of mind.

The very sudden and emotional reaction had been unexpected. Joey had been ready for her to barrage him with her headstrong attitude about why she had done what she had. He had been prepared to hear her tout something along the lines of being capable of defending herself in dangerous situations. He hadn’t expected her to fall victim to a softer set of emotions.

His arms embraced her upper body, holding her close despite the lack of answers about her whereabouts. Joey sighed and his voice softened as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. As angry as he was about her choices, it felt good to wrap his arms around her again without all the excess medical equipment getting in the way.

When she was ready, she pulled her head from his chest with her stunning green eyes soaked with her recently shed tears. She sniffled and rushed to erase them from her face with the backs of her fingers. “Sorry...”

“Baby,” Gage moved to the side of them. “Don’t be sorry, we just need to know what the hell happened.” His hand came to the small of her back and gently rubbed it to help soothe whatever feelings had those pretty little eyes tearing up.

She shook her head and looked down. Without hesitation, Joey’s fingers captured her chin and tilted her head back up. The concern was painted across his face. “There’s nothing the three of us can’t figure out,” he assured her.

“I underestimated Liam.” She went to lower her face again but Joey’s hold on her chin prevented her from hiding herself from either of them. “This is all my fault; I should have seen the signs. He’s been making moves since God knows when. At this point, I’m beginning to question whether or not he has been plotting shit since he was born.”

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