Page 16 of Depraved

"Fuck," Alex swore softly. His arms tightened around me reflexively.

I sagged against Alex, suddenly exhausted. The fight drained out of me, leaving behind a hollow ache in my chest. Tears pricked at my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I wouldn't give Gage the satisfaction of making me cry again.

"Let me go," I said quietly, my voice hoarse from screaming.

Alex hesitated for a moment before slowly releasing his hold. I stumbled away from him, wrapping my arms around myself as if I could physically hold the pieces of my shattered self together.

Sarge took a cautious step towards me. "Baby, I know you're hurting. But there's more going on here than you realize. Gage had information about your mother?—"

"Don't," I cut him off sharply. "Don't you dare use my mother as an excuse for letting that lying piece of shit walk away."

But even as the words left my mouth, I felt a flicker of doubt. My mother had always been a ghost, a painful absence in my life. The thought that Gage might know something about her twisted my insides into knots.

"What did he say?" I asked finally, hating the tremor in my voice.

Sarge's eyes softened with sympathy. "He says Carlos is going after her. Planning to use her as leverage against you and Raul."

I staggered back, my legs hitting the edge of the bed. I sank down onto the bed, my mind reeling. Carlos going after my mother? It seemed impossible, yet the mere thought of it sent icy tendrils of fear creeping down my spine.

"That's not possible," I said, hating how small my voice sounded. "He doesn't even know who she is. I’ve kept her hidden, and I killed the man who stole me from her in the first place."

Sarge approached slowly, as if afraid I might bolt. He crouched down in front of me. "Gage says he's been keeping tabs on her ever since he left. Making sure she was safe."

A bitter laugh escaped me. "Oh, how fucking noble of him. Watching over the mother of the woman he betrayed."

"Layla," Sarge said gently, reaching out to take my hand. I let him, too numb to pull away. "I know you have no reason to trust Gage. But think about it. What does he gain by lying about this? He knew coming to me was risking his life. Why would he do that if it wasn't true?"

I wanted to argue, to scream that Gage was a liar and nothing he said could be trusted. But a small voice in the back of my mind whispered that Sarge had a point.

"Whatexactlydid he say?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

As Sarge recounted his conversation with Gage, I felt the world tilting on its axis. Carlos going after my mother, a safe house in Tahoe of all fucking places, and some woman named Sarah who was supposedly helping Gage. It all felt surreal, like a fever dream I couldn't wake up from.

"And you really believe him?" I asked finally, my voice sounding hollow even to my own ears.

Sarge sighed heavily. "I don't know if I believe him. But I believe he thinks it's true. And if there's even a chance your mother is in danger..." He trailed off, but I understood the implication. We couldn't afford to ignore this, no matter how much I wanted to dismiss anything Gage said as lies.

"Fuck," I muttered, dropping my head into my hands. The pounding in my skull intensified.

I felt the bed dip as Alex sat down beside me, his warm hand coming to rest on the small of my back. "Hey," he said softly. "We'll figure this out. If my father really is going after your mom, we'll stop him. And if Gage is lying, well, I'll personally help you feed him his own intestines. How does that sound, gorgeous?"

A strangled laugh escaped me at that. I knew he meant every word. He'd help me eviscerate Gage without hesitation if this turned out to be an elaborate lie. The thought should have been horrifying, but instead, it sent a sick thrill through me.

"Thanks," I murmured, leaning into his solid warmth for a moment. But I couldn't let myself linger there. There was too much at stake.

I stood abruptly, my mind already racing through scenarios. "We need to verify this somehow. I can't just take Gage's word for it, even if he believes it's true."

Sarge nodded. "I've already got feelers out, trying to confirm their movements. But it'll take time."

"Time we might not have," I growled, frustration clawing at my insides. "If this is real, my mother could be in danger right now."

"Rushing in blind could make things worse."

I paced the length of the room. "What about this Sarah person?" I asked suddenly, whirling to face Sarge. "Did Gage give you any way to contact her? Maybe she can provide more details."

Sarge shook his head. "He said she'd reach out when it was safe. Didn't want to risk compromising her position."

I cursed under my breath, resuming my frantic pacing. The walls of the luxurious bedroom seemed to close in around me, mocking my helplessness.

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