Page 111 of Hell Hath No Fury
“He defiled you.”
“No. He made me whole again,” Layla sobs.
I want to move her out of the way. I know this has to happen. These are the rules I live by, but she shouldn’t have to witness it.
Tank, Iron, Heat, and a couple of Gunner's men have followed Layla into the clearing. Ginger arrives shortly afterwardand walks straight up to her daughter. The evil look she gives me would give Medusa a run for her money, and I'm surprised I've not turned to stone.
“Willow, honey. Come back inside. Let Daddy deal with this.”
Layla shrinks back at the use of the word ‘Daddy’. She struggles to get air into her lungs.
“He’s not my daddy. Never.”
Ginger, not realizing why her words are drawing this reaction, looks between her daughter and husband in confusion.
“It’s what Snake made her call him,” I explain, and stepping forward, I start to stroke Layla's back.
Gunner's eyes turn even darker, and his men surround us.
“Don't touch her,” the Chicago MC President orders.
“Gunner,”—Tank steps forward—“I think this might not be the best way.”
“What the fuck? He fucked my daughter immediately after she’d been rescued from a perv who’d abused her for the last ten years. He’s no better than that fucking snake in the grass!” Gunner exclaims.
“You aren't listening to me, Father. I’m not the little girl you lost. I’m not Willow!” Layla screams, and I feel the force of her agony shoot through my body with ferocity. She turns to her mother. “Eventually, I’ll heal fully and recover from this, but I'll always be Layla. Snake forever changed me with what he did. I've experienced his degradation for half of my life. I was dead inside until Caim rescued me. You’d have had a shell of a daughter returned to you if Caim hadn’t acted the way he did earlier. He’s made my heart start beating again. It doesn't mean I love him and we’re going to marry, have babies, and live happily ever after. It just means he made me breathe again. You should be praising him, not putting a bullet in his head.”
Gunner moves closer to us both. ““Willo…Layla, you need to come home with us. We need to recover as a family,” he pleads with his daughter.
I feel the urge to pull Layla even closer to me when he talks of her leaving—I’m not really sure why. I’ve known all along she would go, and anyway, I'm more than likely about to die, but the thought of never seeing her again scares me.
“I’ll come home with you if you let Caim go.” Layla stands up tall, and I'm pretty sure Tank’s, Iron’s, and Heat’s mouths fall open in shock.
“It doesn't work that way,” Gunner replies.
“Screw the fucking rules. They prevented me from killing the man who abused me for ten years, but you know what, I stuck a sword in his throat anyway. I'm not a part of your rules. In fact, it’s your rules that got me into this situation. Snake’s desperate need for retribution is why I was taken in the first place. I know about Mom and Snake. He told me with his parting words.” Ginger gasps and the anguished sob that leaves her mouth is almost otherworldly. “Please, let Caim live, and we can go home and learn to be a family again.”
Gunner looks over at Prez.
“You tell her what I was about to do?”
Tank shrugs. “Caim’s a good man.”
Gunner lowers his gun, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
“He takes a beating for disobeying orders,” Gunner orders. “No below the belt shots, though. He may need those parts. I have a feeling my daughter is protesting a little too much about not marrying him and having his babies.”
My head starts to spin.Woah! Marriage? Babies? Am I about to be the groom at a shotgun wedding?
“Not until we recover as a family, though,” Layla replies before turning to me.
“Do you want me to stop them beating you?”
I shake my head. I'm sure I deserve it for many reasons. I've never been a stickler for the rules.
“Uncle Tank, Heat, and Iron are to carry out the punishment. I just want to go home,” Layla tells her father, and I groan when my three supposed friends crack their knuckles. “Go, get back in the car. I’ll be with you in a minute.”
“I’m not sure I should be taking orders from my little girl?” Gunner raises an eyebrow at her.
