Chapter 4
Laylee had never been so afraid in her life.
Now, hours later, she still couldn’t stop shaking.
The worst fear hadn’t been for herself, though the thugs had definitely frightened her.
She’d been mostly afraid for Knox. When she’d realized he planned to face off with all three men, she’d badly wanted to intrude, to try to help, but the boy, whom she now knew was named Wade, had wanted to do the same, and she couldn’t allow it.
So she’d prioritized and urged him out of the line of fire. All the while her heart had tried to beat out of her chest.
Now, as she and Knox were finally able to go home, it was all she could do not to cry. Knox looked so beaten up.
Her voice sounded hollow when she said to Marcus, “He fell off the roof, you know.”
Marcus, who was driving them home, said, “Uh, no. Didn’t know that.”
He’d accompanied them to the police station—after the EMTs had given up trying to get Knox to go to the hospital first. Bray, who apparently had some knowledge of first aid from being in mixed martial arts, had declared that Knox would be colorful but overall he seemed fine.
His poor face, though …
A black eye, a busted lip, bruises everywhere—he looked more like a fighter than Bray did.
Sitting beside her in the back seat, Knox put his arm over her shoulders and held her close. “That was earlier today,” he explained to Marcus. “I got a few scratches, that’s all.”
“Then this,” Laylee said, laying her head on his shoulder, feeling his warmth, his vitality. He’s okay. She had to keep telling herself that over and over again.
Guilt ate at her. It was her call that had caused his earlier fall, and if she hadn’t needed another test, they wouldn’t have been at the pharmacy when troublemakers came in.
She’d told Knox so earlier, but then he’d asked who would have protected the kid if they hadn’t been there. Yes, Wade probably would have reacted differently, so for that reason alone, she was glad she’d been there.
“We haven’t eaten,” Knox said.
“The gang’s taking care of it.”
Dropping his head back against the seat, Knox asked, “The gang?”
Marcus laughed. “Don’t say it like that. You’ll have Laylee thinking you don’t love us.”
Knox cocked open his one good eye to glare at the back of Marcus’s head. “She needs food and rest, and the dogs—”
“The dogs are fine. Concerned, I’m sure, but Bray, Karen, and Lucy are with them. Lucy drove over after she got some food together.” To Laylee, he explained, “Lucy loves to cook for everyone. No idea what we’ll be having yet, but I’m sure it’ll be good.”
Laylee’s smile was only partially feigned. She did appreciate Knox’s friends, but right now she was having a hard time fighting tears.
They wouldn’t help though, and crying would certainly bother Knox.
“That kid, Wade, was so pumped about meeting Bray,” Marcus continued. “His poor mother was rattled, but Wade was getting everything autographed.”
“Everything?” Knox asked.
“His shirt, his sneakers, any receipts or napkins he could find in his mom’s car.” Marcus laughed. “I think he was ready for Bray to sign his forehead, but Bray suggested a photo with him instead.”
“He’s that well known?” Laylee asked.
“Around here, yeah.” Marcus sent her a grin through the rearview mirror. “And his popularity grows all the time.”
The conversation with Marcus helped to distract her until they were home. It was late enough now that all the outside lights were on, though she wasn’t sure of the actual time. In some ways, it was as if three days had passed, and in others, the moments blurred together like the blink of an eye.
Marcus got out first and was about to assist Knox, until he grumbled, “Don’t even think it.”
It reassured her that he moved just fine, giving her a helping hand and then hauling her close. He kissed her forehead. “You’re okay?”
“Knox.” She put her palm to his cheek, feeling the dark bristles rasp against her skin. “I’m not the one who got hit repeatedly.”
“Not repeatedly,” he gruffly complained. “You’ll have Marcus thinking I had my ass handed to me.”
So she turned to Marcus and said, “He was pretty amazing, actually. Nothing seemed to slow him down. I’m sure he gave better than he got.”
Marcus laughed. “No doubt. Remember, I saw the other guys.”
Knox said, “I took them by surprise and the older man helped with his cane.”
The second they reached the front door, it opened, and there stood Bray holding Tank with Maybelline beside him.
Both dogs were joyous to have them back home.
Laylee went in first, shrugged off her purse on the entry table, and then dropped to her knees for some doggy loving.
While the dogs were busy twisting, turning, licking, and occasionally yapping, Knox spoke quietly to Bray.
She hugged Maybelline first, embracing her so long, the dog seemed worried.
Then she picked up Tank and kissed him on his head.
Beyond the animals, she saw Bray clasp Knox’s chin and turn his face this way and that, poke at his ribs a few times, and then lightly prod the area round his eye.
Knox barely suffered his examination before griping. “You already did this. Leave me be.”
“You’re more colorful now, so I was just double-checking.”
Even more worried, Laylee glanced up.
“He’ll live,” Bray announced again. “But I’m getting him some OTC pain meds—whether he wants them or not.”
“In the medicine cabinet above the sink,” Laylee said.
“Ice for his eye, too,” Bray instructed Marcus, who saluted and headed to the kitchen.
Music played in the background, and she could smell something delicious cooking.
Since Knox was still grumbling, Laylee admitted, “I like that they’re all pampering you.”
He held Tank and stroked Maybelline. “Ford would be worse if he was here.”
“Will they tell him?”
“We all agreed not to, which means he’ll raise hell once he’s home. That is, unless you want to call your sister? It would be fine, of course.”
Laylee shook her head. “I’d rather not worry her.” Again she leaned into Knox. “Besides, I’ve had you to talk to.”
Just then Bray came out of the bathroom looking somewhat shell-shocked. “Getting you water,” he muttered as he went right past them with the aspirin bottle.
“Shit,” Knox said. “You left the test on the sink?”
Her eyes flared. “Ohmigod.” How in the world had she forgotten? She started to jump up, but Knox held on to her. “Too late now.”
Suddenly all of them—Bray, Karen, Marcus, and Lucy—were standing before them.
After a brief hesitation, Bray stepped forward and said in an overly bright tone, “Here you go.” He handed a bottle of water to each of them, then the pill bottle to Knox.
Lucy cleared her throat. “I made barbecue sandwiches, fries, and pasta salad. It’s all ready now if you want to eat.”
When Laylee glanced at Karen, the other woman grinned.
Laylee gave up. “Knox and I have never …” No, she couldn’t announce that they hadn’t yet been intimate. “That is, we haven’t even dated.” Of course, a date wasn’t a requirement for sex, so she added, “We’ve never even kissed!”
Marcus frowned at Knox. “So you’re not the father?”
Knox laughed. “You sound disappointed.”
Good grief. They were all goofy. She said, reasonably, in her opinion, “I might not even be pregnant. That’s why we were getting the test. I mean, a second test. Because the first one was faulty.”
All eyes turned to Knox.
“He’s a friend!” The kind of friend who’d gone the extra mile and then some. “He … he was with me for moral support. Just in case.”
“But if she is pregnant,” Knox insisted, “it won’t be a problem.”
Everyone seconded his assurance, all of them talking at once, yet Laylee got the gist of it. They didn’t automatically expect her to embrace motherhood, and they weren’t dismissive of her feelings, but they were supportive no matter what. Emotion gripped her throat and made her eyes burn even more.
In their own unique ways, they each made it clear that they weren’t judging her.
How special was that? “You’re all incredibly terrific. Thank you.”
Bray helped her up, then hauled Knox up, too, much to Knox’s disgruntlement.
“Let’s go eat, and you can tell us all about it.”
“Maybe she doesn’t want to tell you about it, dumbass!” Knox glanced at the women. “No offense.”
Lucy laughed.
Karen said to Laylee, “We’re friends now, so just know if you want to talk, we’re here.”
Given the way they were all so attentive to her now, it seemed possible that even the men wanted to be included. Her sister had told her they were like that, all very close and involved with each other. From what Laylee had seen from the periphery of their circle, it was true.
They included her when she was around and when the gatherings were at Ford and Skye’s house; after all, she lived right next door.
But between modeling and traveling and just overall staying busy now that she was a homeowner, she couldn’t always join in.
Plus, Ford and Skye were a couple. Yes, she saw them when she watched the dogs, which was often as per their agreement, but it was usually in passing as they headed out to work or returned home.
At the end of a workday, they were all about each other. It was almost hilarious how much they were in love, and how happy they were with their dogs—as a family.
So Laylee had tried not to intrude too much. And yet, here she was now with a party in her house, following an attempted robbery and assault, and a botched pregnancy test, all after causing Knox to fall off a roof.
Yeah, she couldn’t get over that last part. Actually, she couldn’t get over any of it.
Marcus pulled out a chair for her. “Here you go, Laylee. Take a seat.”
Bray nudged Knox out of the way, saying, “Drink your water, okay? You need to hydrate after all the chaos.”
“I’ll get your plate,” Karen said.
Lucy objected. “I was going to get it for her.”
“You should tell her about your dessert.”
“Oh, good idea.” Lucy sat beside her and regaled her with the recipe for her chocolate brownie pie. She said she’d wanted to make a cheesecake, but that took more time and was more complicated. Lucy was really into her different recipes.
With an indulgent smile, Knox took the seat beside her, his shoulder deliberately touching hers, his thigh pressed close—and it helped.
The problem, of course, was that she should be helping him, not the other way around. Knox was the one with multiple injuries. She wanted to pamper him, to show him how much she appreciated him.
Yet, at the same time, she loved that his friends were treating her as one of the gang.
While everyone ate the delicious food and then lingered over the decadent brownie pie with a fresh pot of coffee, Maybelline and Tank enjoyed the extra attention.
Once they’d finished, Laylee tried to pitch in with cleanup, but they all insisted she and Knox should sit and “recover” from their ordeal. Only she hadn’t had an ordeal—because Knox had charged in like a true hero.
“You guys realize Knox was the only one hurt, right? I mean, I wanted to lend a hand, but I’ve never really been in a physical fight, and I figured I’d just be in the way.”
“Smart,” Bray said, nodding his approval.
Hmm. That wasn’t something Laylee heard often. Skye was always known as the smart twin. Laylee was just the carefree, fun-loving one—at least, according to her family.
“Retreating when you can is always the best option,” Bray explained.
Marcus disagreed with a snort, saying, “As if Bray ever would.”
“Depends on the circumstances.” He shrugged, shifting noticeable muscles in his shoulders. MMA kept him in prime physical shape. “I wouldn’t put anyone else in danger, but yeah, if I saw an opening, I’d take it.”
“Same,” Marcus said, “though I’m always armed.”
“He’s a cop,” Lucy reminded her.
That wasn’t something Laylee would ever forget.
Bray regained the group’s attention by saying to Laylee, “You should only engage if you’re trained, or if you’re not given a choice.”
“She protected that kid,” Knox bragged. “The one impressed with Bray. If it wasn’t for Laylee, he’d have been in the middle of it, probably getting hurt.”
“Scary,” Marcus said. “I remember being that age and thinking I was invincible.”
“Me too,” Bray agreed.
Karen rolled her eyes. “Girls usually have better sense.”
Knox laughed. “Unlike those two”—he nodded at Bray and Marcus—“at that age, I never had reason to fight, but then I led a very different life from them.”
“You still know how to handle yourself.”
He agreed with Bray. “When necessary.”
“Your parents really are terrific,” Karen said as she dried her hands after cleaning the table.
Lucy paused while loading the dishwasher to come lean against Marcus’s chair. “His brother and sister are nice, too. You’ll like them.”
Did everyone assume she’d be meeting Knox’s family? “I, um …”
“Come on.” Knox took her hand and tugged her from her seat. “They’ll have their way so we might as well go put our feet up.”
“I feel silly.”
Marcus paid no attention to that as he ushered them both to the couch. “Bray is making a run to the store. Do either of you need anything?”
Knox shot him a look, but Marcus kept his attention on Laylee.
“No, I’m fine, thank you.” They still hadn’t been able to do that pregnancy test, and no one was talking about going home. She resisted a yawn and allowed Knox to tug her down on the couch beside him.
As tired as she was, she didn’t want the day to end. She liked being with Knox, and right now she needed him near.
“Okay then.” Bray looked back and forth between them, jostled his keys, and said, “I’ll be right back.”
Knox gave her a knowing look. “You realize where he’s going, right?”
She had no idea. “Where?”
“To get you another test.”
“He … what?”
Putting his arm around her shoulders, Knox brought her close against him. “It’s what I would do for Lucy, Karen, or Skye. He understands that you need to know, so he’s getting the test. Everyone will probably clear out shortly after that.”
Sitting there with her, chaos reigning around them, he leaned close—close enough that his lips touched her ear, giving her shivers—and promised, “It won’t matter, you know. Whatever we find out from that test, I’ll still be here with you. As long as you don’t tell me to go.”
Whatever we find out. God love him, he really was in this with her. She turned toward him so that now it was their lips almost touching. “Good,” she whispered right back. “Because I’m nowhere near ready to let you go.”