Chapter 11
LAYLA
Two hours later, Beast helps me off his bike as we follow the rest of the Savage crew inside the large compound.
The door opens and we all go inside. I’m instantly hit with the smell of fresh coffee, pie, old books, and pine. The air crackles with life, voices, and the heavy relief of being safe.
There are cheers and whistles that ring out.
“Come on, baby.” Beast ushers me deeper into the living room and there are so many new faces.
All the ladies are gathered there handing out food, bottles of water and coffee to the men.
“It’s a new day, Savages,” a woman calls out from Reaper’s side. “Now we can finally breathe. Thank you, my dear family. And thank God no one on this side met an untimely end.”
Another wave of cheers rings out, and Reaper holds a hand up. “And thank God we brought home a new member. Layla, welcome home, sweetheart.”
I only have a second to secure my glasses on the bridge of my nose before I’m passed around and hugged by anyone and everyone. I hear names, but my brain doesn’t register them. I’m too caught up in the feeling of having a family.
Dawn is a slow blush of gold through the kitchen windows, gilding the polished floors and the leather sofas piled with club jackets. Everywhere I look, there’s proof of survival and happiness.
The ladies pull me into a tight huddle as they all talk about Veles and the Vultures. They share the stories about what they and their men went through in order to fight against the men who kept me as their hostage.
I tune out the chatter a moment so I can gather my thoughts. There’s a battered coffee table stacked high with some romance novels in front of me. All that man meat and the sexy title makes me want to take up my writing habit again.
The men kick off their muddy boots by the door, and laughter echoes through the halls. I drink it all in, letting the sounds and scents soak into the battered places inside me that still don’t believe I’ve made it out of hell.
Beast is across the room, surrounded by his brothers, their voices low and fierce as he recounts what happened last night.
I look on as Reaper leans in, tattooed arms folded, nodding as Beast describes the Russians, the fight, Veles’s last moments. The others listen, their attention unwavering—not just as soldiers, but as brothers. Pride for Beast shines in their eyes.
I guess Beast is to the part where I either ask about shooting a man in the balls or where Veles had his final moments before I ended his reign of terror because all the Savages look at me.
There is awe and humor in their gazes as they take in the small book nerd with her glasses and cup of coffee like there’s no way someone like me could do what I did.
I wrap my arms around myself, half in awe, half in disbelief that this is real, too.
This strange, dangerous family has opened its doors to me.
My heart swells and pinches all at once.
I don’t know how to belong in a place like this, but watching Beast with his brothers, the way they care, the respect in every word, every slap on the back makes me want the same.
Tears burn hot behind my eyes as I watch Beast. I blink hard, trying to hide them, but too late.
Beast glances over, instantly reading every emotion on my face.
He crosses the room in three long strides, takes my hands, and pulls me close until I’m wrapped up in the security of his chest, his scent, his presence.
“Hey. None of that, baby,” he whispers, brushing the tears from my cheeks with his thumb.
“You’re safe here. I promised you, didn’t I?
” He presses a kiss to the corner of my eye, then another to my forehead.
“No one’s ever going to hurt you again. You have me and an entire army backing you. Trust me.”
For a second, all I can do is cling to him, soaking up the safety I never thought I’d find in this lifetime. Around us, the brothers go quiet, watching with soft grins and a few pats to my shoulder.
I catch Harlow’s gaze from where she stands with Cipher. Her smile is warm, fierce, and full of understanding. She crosses the room, wraps me in a hug so tight it knocks the air from my lungs.
“What he said. Understand?” Harlow says, her voice thick with the same emotions I’m feeling. “You’re a damn miracle. I’m so glad you made it home.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, blinking back fresh tears. “For not giving up on me and fighting to help find me. It was touch and go there for a while.”
“You’d do the same,” she says, squeezing my shoulders before stepping back.
Then the floodgates open. Charli, with her wild curls and wicked sense of humor, winks at me and presses a fresh steaming mug of coffee into my hands.
The club candy surrounds me with excited chatter, gossiping about weddings, babies, and the last wild party at the compound.
I spot Everly and Isa laughing with Phantom and Ash.
Err…I hope I got their names right.
Even Arabella, with that steel in her spine, gives me a nod of approval.
It feels like being wrapped in a blanket of belonging. Like every wound is being sewn closed, stitch by careful stitch, with hands that know what it means to be hurt and to heal.
The front door opens, and a woman walks in. Her presence shifts the mood to a more serious tone as she walks to the center of the living room.
She’s taller than me, a heart-shaped face, jet black hair pulled back in a nice braid that accentuates her perfect cheekbones. She has a cream shirt that she has loosely tucked into a nice pair of black jeans. Her boots are nice too, but what has my attention is the badge hanging around her neck.
She turns to Storm and throws the man a wink. “Good to see you, old friend.”
“Detective.” Storm nods at the woman but I can sense a thin layer of friction between the two.
Charli walks up and offers her a cup of coffee, which means the woman can’t be all bad, right?
She surveys the room, then finds me in the crowd.
“Ms. Wren?” Her light Louisiana drawl softens the edge of the badge. “It’s good to finally put a face with the name. Our mutual friend Harlow has told me a lot about you.”
I offer a shaky smile. “Good things, I hope.” I bet she’s here to take me in for questioning about what happened with Veles. I inhale deeply and try to settle my nerves. It was all self-defense so…
“We all pitched in and tried to locate you. I gotta say, that wasn’t easy. Thank God Beast was tenacious as he was or we might still be looking. I had to stop by when Storm called and let me know you were found. I needed to see you for myself.”
She gathers my hands and holds them when she says, “I’m sorry for everything you went through. You are a tough lady.”
“Umm. Thank you.” I look to Beast and then to the ladies standing at my side. “They kept moving us. If you need, I can show you how they did it, how they hid the drugs, moved the girls, laundered the money. I kept notes. Maybe it’ll help. I have lots of notes.”
She studies me a moment, then nods, respect flickering in her eyes. “That would help a hell of a lot. If you’re willing, we can build a bible of how these bastards operate.”
“Are you talking about those papers you have?”
I nod. “Would you mind getting them for me from your saddlebags?”
Beast heads outside and comes back in record time. “Thank you.”
I signal Harlow to join us and I hand them both everything I wrote down over the last five months.
“Everything you need to know about the formula, about how they operated, and what you need for an antidote for the people who have overdosed are all in these papers. I tried to send this information to you, but the formulas were incomplete.”
I turn to Harlow. “That envelope I had a friend drop to you didn’t contain the full antidote. I’m sorry. I messed up somewhere in the formula.”
She looks to Reaper and then back to me. “I turned it into the Feds and they had some chemist work on it. They worked up something that they say works. But I’m sure they would love to see your full notes.”
“Yes. I would love that.”
Beast tucks me tighter to his side, his palm broad and possessive over my hip. He kisses the tip of my nose, a private promise just for me. “I think my woman will do anything it takes to help those in need. And you’re right, Detective, she’s something special.”
Detective Lafleur smiles at me. “I agree. Make sure you keep this one close, Ms. Wren. He’s one of the good guys.”
I look up at Beast and smile, my heart hammering against my ribs. “I plan to.”
As Lafleur drifts away, the brothers gather around, asking questions, cracking jokes, celebrating being on this side of the grave and the Euphoria problem firmly behind us.
Someone pops a bottle of whiskey and drinks start going around despite the early morning hour.
Laughter rings out. Music thrums from the speakers.
It’s something old, full of gravel and soul.
I let myself lean into Beast, basking in the comfort of his arms and the warmth of his world.
But as the morning gives way to afternoon, I can feel Beast’s attention shift as if he’s got something on his mind.
“Beast?”
Beast
Layla fits into my world like she was always meant to be here.
I watch her in the kitchen, trading stories with Charli and Harlow, laughing at something Reaper says. She glows from the inside out. After everything, she should be bitter and closed off.
Instead, she’s sunlight after rain and brighter for all the darkness she’s survived.
My chest aches with something I can’t name. Love? I never believed in it. Not really. Lust, sure. Loyalty, always. But this need to see her smile, to give her every good thing I never thought I’d have is a new feeling that consumes me.
She catches me staring and grins, then ducks her head, a shy blush creeping across her cheeks. God, I want to spend the rest of my life making her blush like that.
I clear my throat and nod to Reaper. “We good here?”
He claps me on the back. “You did right by her. By all of us.” His eyes are knowing, a little teasing. “Go on, Beast. Go get your girl.”
I cross the room, take Layla’s hand in mine, and lean in. “Come with me. There’s something I want to show you.”
We step outside, leaving behind the noise.
The air is crisp, sweet with the scent of blooming wildflowers and the tang of rain lingering from last night’s storm.
I lead her down a narrow path, the earth soft beneath our feet, sunlight dusting the ground in various shades of gold.
The compound fades behind us, replaced by the hush of the soft rustle of grass underfoot.
We step out of the treeline, and a meadow opens up before us. I always thought of it as a hidden secret in plain sight and now it’s something I get to share with the woman I love.
Wildflowers sway in the breeze, blue and gold and violet beneath the watchful eye of the sun. Layla gasps, eyes wide with wonder.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispers, her hand tightening in mine.
“This is the first time I can breathe in a long time,” I say, my voice rough. “I hunted for you. Prayed for you. Wore a thousand miles off my bike tracking you down.”
She steps closer, her gaze bright with unshed tears. “And you never gave up.”
“How could I?” I brush my thumb along her jaw, savoring the feel of her skin. “You needed someone on your side, and I wanted to be that someone. I spent five months digging into your life. It felt like I knew you before I even met you.”
Layla laughs, a light sound full of relief and joy. “I prayed for someone to help me, and you rode in and pushed a gun into my hand.”
I chuckle, pulling her close. “You saved me, Layla. You gave me something to fight for besides revenge.”
She shakes her head, cupping my face in her small, strong hands. “No, you saved me.”
I take her hands in mine, press kisses to each palm, feeling my heart pound out a new rhythm meant only for her.
“You saved me,” I say again, softer this time.
I walk her deeper into the meadow until we are in the center of all the wildflowers.
She stands on her toes, wraps her arms around my neck, and kisses me, slow and sweet and deep.
She pulls back, wearing a radiant smile on her lips. “I would do it again. Every time.”
Emotion clogs my throat, fierce and unexpected. I cup the back of her head, rest my forehead to hers. “I love you, Layla. More than I ever thought I could love another person.”
Joy bursts across her face, and she laughs, tears sparkling in her eyes. “And I love you. Beast. I didn’t know I wanted love. Books were always the center of my world. Until you. Until us.”
I dig in my pocket, my fingers trembling.
The ring is old gold, warm in my hand, the princess cut diamond catching the sunlight.
“This was my grandmother’s. It’s the only thing I have from my past that ever meant something good.
” I hold it up clutched between my thumb and forefinger.
The glittering light catches every finely cut facet and reflects in Layla’s beautiful eyes.
“Will you complete my life, fill my future with happiness and love? Will you marry me and let me be the man who gets to love you for all time?”
I slip to one knee and hope for the best.
Layla’s eyes widen. She falls to her knees in the flowers, throws her arms around my neck, tears streaming down her cheeks as she laughs and cries all at once. “Yes! God, yes. There’s nothing I want more.”
Her tears fall hot against my skin, and I make a silent vow that she will never shed another tear in her life that isn’t from pure joy.
The brush behind us rustles. Suddenly, Arabella’s voice rings out, wicked and triumphant. “Looks like we have another wedding to plan, ladies!”
The rest of the crew spills into the clearing, laughter and cheers following them. Charli waves her phone, snapping photos. Harlow whoops and Everly claps, while Reaper just shakes his head with a rare, crooked smile. For a moment, the world is nothing but joy, laughter, and the promise of forever.
Layla curls into me, holding on tight, her smile brighter than the sun overhead as I slip my ring onto her finger.
She tips her head up, her voice soft and a little awed. “Where do we go from here?”
I press a kiss to her temple, cradling her close as I pull us both to our feet. “How about you come home with me? Let’s start there.”
I look at her. The bruises are fading from her skin. I hope the love and hope burning in her eyes never fades.
I never wanted love. Never thought I’d deserve it. But now, with Layla in my arms and the future stretching out before us, I can’t imagine wanting anything else.
I hold her close and promise myself and to us that this is just the beginning.