CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Feeling comfortable with her new work environment and colleagues, Layla was ready to start her new life with Cole.
But she knew she wouldn’t be able to do that as long as her grandfather was still alive.
She’d always be looking over her shoulder, wondering when he would pop in, and attempt to take her, or worse.
There was also the issue of him potentially targeting all of these amazing people.
She just didn’t want to risk that. The challenge was that she didn’t really have an alternative.
If she went by herself to Syria and tried to kill him, his men would kill her first. She wasn’t a warrior.
She didn’t know how to use a weapon. Maybe a knife, a scalpel, but not a gun.
She’d never get close enough to harm him.
“You doing okay, Layla? My son treating you alright?” asked Ham smiling at the young woman. She sat alone on one of the stone benches in the gardens, wrapped in a warm wool shawl. She laughed, shaking her head as she slid over to allow room for him to sit.
“No. He’s been wonderful. More than I could have ever hoped for in a husband.”
“Did you hope for a husband?” he asked.
“You know, I don’t think I did. I was always worried that my grandfather would force me to marry someone but I think my medical skills were more important to him than anything. I didn’t allow myself to hope for a normal life.
“Now I’ve learned that I have grandparents, I have this wonderful new family that’s beyond a dream, and I’m about to celebrate my first, official American thanksgiving.”
“Didn’t you get to celebrate that when you were in college?” he smiled.
“No. I was invited to celebrate with classmates, not really friends. I didn’t have friends.
But classmates knew that I was alone and tried to get me to join their friends-giving but of course the bodyguards wouldn’t allow it.
I remember smelling all those glorious smells coming from my neighbors’ apartments. ”
“Well,” he chuckled, “you’re about to get an overload of smells here.”
They sat quietly for a few minutes, just listening to the rustling of the leaves as the cool fall breezes washed over them. The smells of the gardens had shifted from the spring and summer potency to the milder smells of winter coming.
“You know when I came here I felt lost as well. I knew some of the Robicheauxs, but I never, ever, expected to meet Sadie.”
“She’s beautiful,” smiled Layla. “She and her brothers look so much alike, and the uncles, and the cousins.” She laughed, shaking her head.
“Oh, I know. I had trouble for years telling all of them apart. You’ll get it down.”
“I’d like to figure out what it is that causes the multiples around here. Although, having only been around her a few times, I strongly suspect it’s some sort of angelic magic from Irene.” That made Ham really laugh out loud.
“I doubt it’s angelic, but it’s definitely magic. You’ll get you bearings and in time, things will feel as if you’d been here forever.”
“Is that why you came to speak with me?” she asked.
“Yes. And no. The team is going after your grandfather, Layla, and that includes Cole.”
“I see,” she whispered.
“You know that we have to do this.”
“I know,” she said nodding. “It’s not that I disagree with it.
I was just sitting here earlier thinking if I knew how to fight, how to defend myself, I’d go and kill him myself.
All the people I watched him murder, the families that were ripped apart, I can’t get those images out of my mind.
I should have done something. I should have run or fought or… something.”
“Honey, you were not in a position to do those things. We are. If he’s using the uranium and plutonium to poison villages, hoping to create something that he could use on a mass scale, we’ve got to kill him but also get the chemicals.”
“I understand,” she nodded. “Will you be going?”
“I will. Much to my surprise, I’m part of the new leadership team,” he smirked. “Someone said it had to do with my calming presence.”
“I can see that,” she smiled.
“My wife is a hot-headed Jordan,” he laughed. “You have to learn to be a calming presence. Plus, raising triplets helped.”
“Yes. That’s on my mind as well. What if I get pregnant with triplets? I mean, I’m a doctor, I understand the complexities but how will I be able to raise them?”
“Honey, we will raise them. All of us. Cole, me, Sadie, Bailey, Ambry, all of us. We are a family. Every person you see here. You will never be alone, which is also a problem sometimes.” She nodded, smiling at him.
“You know, it’s kind of funny that I was left alone for the most part. I didn’t even realize the opportunities I had to run because I never thought there was anywhere to run to.”
“Did he allow you to speak English?” he asked.
“Yes. Oddly, he was very progressive with my education, obviously. I could speak English, French, or German with him. He wanted certain members of his team to understand those languages as well.”
“It’s not uncommon,” said Ham. “Well, what can I do to make you feel more at home, safer?”
“You’re doing it,” she said leaning her head on his shoulder. Ham smiled, pulling her closer and kissing the top of her head. “I already think of you as my father, what my father would have done or said with me. It means so much to me.”
“I’ve had a lot of practice,” he laughed. “I don’t know if I was any good at it but I had practice.”
“He was amazing,” smiled Ambry walking toward them with Bailey. “We came to get our new sister for a spa day.”
“Ah, the notorious diversion spa day,” she smirked.
“What?” gasped Bailey. “You can’t possibly believe that.” Ambry laughed, winking at her.
“It’s alright. I don’t care. Diversion, girl time, whatever you want to call it, I’m in.” She stood and Ham stood as well. “Thank you, Ham. I love you.”
“I love you, too, honey.”
“Do me a favor?” she asked.
“Anything.”
“Bring my husband home safe and sound? I have a feeling we’ll be making an announcement sometime soon.” She rubbed her belly and the girls laughed, Ambry rubbing her slight bubble. Bailey smiled at her father, doing the same.
“Double for me, Dad. Make sure Angus comes home?” Ham just smiled at his girls, nodding.
“I’ll do my very best.”