"Where are Layla and Joey?" Enzo asked confused.
"They should have been out here" I said still looking around to make sure that I didn't miss anything.
"Where could they have gone?" he asked looking around as well.
"The fuck should I know" I snapped in frustration.
I had just gotten her back and lost her all at once. This must have been a cruel joke that the universe was enjoying. I had finally cared about someone and I was unable to protect her. I couldn't keep her around me if she would always be in danger.
My mother always told me that if I loved something then I should let it go.
Love.
That felt like a foreign word on my tongue. I had only loved two people in my entire life, my mother and my sister. Could it be that I loved her too?
Of course I love her, or else I wouldn't be here. She made me feel like my old self when I was a child, before my father started training me to take over his empire.
How could I not love her? Her smile was bright enough to light up a whole room. Ever since that night when she gave me her innocence, something had changed between us.
She didn't look at me like I was a monster anymore. She never tried to escape or escape me. If I didn't know any better I'd say that she actually enjoyed my company or was that all in my head.
There were two problems now.
Could she love me back?
Will I find her?
I started to think if it could be possible that she was running away from me. Maybe she didn't want anything to do with me and my lifestyle. I wanted to believe that was the reason, but deep down I knew something was wrong.
So following my gut I began asking everyone that was outside if they had seen her.
"Joey said that you had ordered him to take her back to the villa" one of my men said stepping forward.
"Is that so?" I asked in a calm voice.
Everyone knew that when I was calm, that nothing good would come from it. That's why people fear me even more when I am calm then when I blatantly show them what I was really feeling, anger.
Joey had gone behind my back and took her from here. He was up to something and I was about to find out what exactly it was.
We were at Joey's apartment now. I kicked down the door and found him packing frantically with his daughter watching him. I put away my gun, not wanting his daughter to see it.
"We need to talk" I said walking back outside, leaving no room for any discussion.
"Where the fuck is she!?" I asked through gritted teeth pinning him against the wall.
He didn't say anything as I held him against the wall. He held his head down in shame as he opened and closed his mouth lost for words.
"I had to do it or else he would have killed my daughter" he said guiltily.
"Who?"
"Oliver. Oliver Stone" he said in defeat.
I eased up off him as I recognized that name. He was a billionaire and also Tayler's father. I knew him very well. We've had dealings in the past. He was a fucking loose cannon and now he had what was mine. He was a fucking dead man.
I knew that Joey had betrayed me, but at the same time I understood his reasons. I didn't want his child growing up without both parents.
"Leave town and make sure that I never see your face again or I will kill you" I threatened as I walked away.
I knew where Oliver lived, so I knew exactly where she was. What business does Oliver have with Layla?
I swear it felt like everyone wanted to kidnap her and I don't know if I'll keep her around when I got her back.
We were 20 minutes away when I got a notification of a live video feed. I opened the link and my blood boiled when I saw what was on the screen.
Layla was handcuffed to a bed, struggling to get free. She was only in her underwear looking helpless.
"Drive faster" I order Luca, as I continue to watch the live feed.
She turn her head in the direction of the camera and mouthed 'I'm sorry' before she looked away with tears in her eyes.
She was then joined by Oliver on the bed in his underwear. I was now seeing red as he leaned over her and used a knife to cut open what was covering her up. She began begging and pleading with him not to do it, but he ignored her as he began kissing her.
I couldn't watch anymore of this. She was being assaulted and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I sat in the back of the car helplessly, hoping that I would get there in time.
We pulled up to the house and I sprinted out of the car to where Layla was. When I got in the room, he was naked and was about to enter her when I shot him in the head.
Layla squeaked in surprise. The man fell to the side revealing my angel. She looked at me in relief before she passed out.
I ran over to her now unconscious body, which was had blood splattered all over her naked body. I quickly undid the handcuffs and covered her body with a nearby blanket.
Her body was covered with bruises and this made me regret killing that bastard so easily. I wanted him to suffer as much as he made my angel suffered.
I wasn't about to make the same mistake as last time. I wasn't planning on taking my eyes off her for not even a second.
"You killed my father!?" Tayler exclaimed from the doorway crying hysterically.
"You're not leaving here alive" she said as she pointed a gun to me with shaky hands.
I didn't have time for this. I shot her, before she even had the time to pull the trigger. She fell on the ground with a thud and I turned my attention back to Layla.
I took her up in my arms carefully, not wanting to hurt her. Her face scrunched up in pain when my hand touched her side. I carefully carried her to the car.
I got inside with her and sat down.
"Is she ok?" Enzo asked with concern written on his face.
He and Layla had gotten close, so I could understand why he would be concerned for her safety. He was always protective of her.
Seeing her naked body covered in bruises broke my heart. I couldn't imagine what she had been through these past few days.
"I don't know" I answered honestly.
"We need to get her back to the house now and also call the doctor, so that he'll be there when we get there" I said looking at Layla.
She looked peaceful like this with no hint of being in pain. Those monsters had abused her and it showed. I just hoped that she would be ok.
When we arrived at the house, I got out of the car quickly with Layla securely in my arms. I rushed inside and brought her to the emergency room reserved for when anyone got injured.
I laid her on the bed and the doctor requested that it would best that I stayed outside. I reluctantly left the room to give him the space to work.
Two hours later, he came out of the room looking dejected. I prepared myself for the worst as he walked up to me.
"She has suffered a great deal of trauma and because of this it is uncertain when she will wake up. She has a sprained ankle and three fractured ribs, however, the baby is perfectly fine_" he explained when I cut him off.
"She's pregnant?" I asked in shock.
"Yes. She's three weeks pregnant" he said with a little smile on his face.
"Her vitals are normal, so now all we have to do is wait until she wakes up. You can see her now" he said before he walked off.
She was pregnant?
But how did that even happen?
I always used protection, except that one time. I guess one time was really enough.
Was I really ready to be a father?
I couldn't even protect Layla for fuck's sake. How the hell was I going to protect my own child?
This was too confusing. I needed some time to think this over.
"Look after Layla while I'm gone" I said to Enzo as I grabbed my keys and left the house.
This was all too much to take in. I had always said that I wouldn't have any kid of my own, because I was afraid to turn out like my father.
No child should go through what I had to endure as a child. I don't want my child to grow up without a father either, so I guess the decision was already made.
I would be there for my child. I wasn't going to treat my child as my father had treated me.
I had to protect her and our child.