Light in Your Eyes

13 | comfort

L A Y L A

Luca crosses his arms over his chest. "Look who we have here. Kellan's slave, who is apparently a girl without the tattoo."

Everyone's attention is immediately on me, even more so than before.

I try to ignore him, focusing on pouring mushroom soup into a bowl.  My hand is slightly shaking when I proceed to grab the toasts. I pray in my heart that he will just go away, but unfortunately, he walks in my direction instead.

I'm about to grab the drinks when I collide with someone's chest. I almost drop the tray. I look up, only to find Luca looking down at me with a smug grin. He's accompanied by two guys, who stand on each of his sides.

"Well, then." He raises an eyebrow mockingly. "Did he treat you better than we did?"

Chills run through my skin as I remember what this man has done to me. They laugh.

"Come on," his friend says. "You need to tell us if he gets bored of you already so that we can start teaching you a lot of wonderful things without crossing him."

"Unless our king wants to share." The other guy smirks. "It's risky." He tsks. "But maybe it's worth a try."

"Careful, guys," someone interrupts, and when I turn my head, I see a tanned guy with curly hair shooting a warning look at the three of them. "As far as I remember, Kellan doesn't like to share. Do you not remember the way he challenged us to fight him over Layla? I would think a million times before going against him."

My chest is filled with relief. Finally, someone is trying to knock some sense into them.

Luca's face hardens as he thinks about it carefully.

Before Luca can make a move toward me, the guy who just stood up for me grabs my arm, dragging me away. "Come, Layla. I'll help you get the drinks."

I glance back at Luca and his friends. He mutters something under his breath before the three of them leave the kitchen. I sigh in relief.

"Thanks," I say to the person who just saved me.

He helps me put two bottles of water onto the tray I'm holding. "You're welcome." He smiles, and I'm thankful that there's kindness greeting me. "I'm Marco, by the way."

I follow him as he leads me back into the hallway. I thought that he would go with me upstairs, but then he lightly pushes me toward an area under the staircase, surprising me. He corners me against the wall but still maintains a safe distance from me, as though he's trying to tell me that he's not going to hurt me.

"You have to be careful, Layla," he says. "What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?"

I huff. "Well, surprise. I'm indeed Kellan's caregiver. He just doesn't want to admit it."

Marco frowns. "That's the truth?" His mouth twitches in disapproval. "What a fucking jerk."

"Do you think that everyone is going to believe me?" I ask genuinely.

Marco stares down, as if he's deep in thought. Then he returns his gaze to me. "I don't know." There's disappointment in his voice. "I'm sorry, but I don't think that they will, unless you have a tattoo."

"Can I not work as a caregiver for Black Wings leader without being a part of it?" I ask. "I mean, I don't even want to be a member."

"Not a chance," Marco says truthfully. "The rules here are very clear. Non-members are not allowed to enter the property. It's not negotiable."

I swallow.

"Stay away from Luca," Marco says. "He's dangerous. He's no good for you."

I laugh humorlessly. "I'm very aware of that. Do you know him well?"