I felt a slight tinge of guilt for digging through her personal belongings, but it was my only option. I quickly found her cell phone and did a silent happy dance when I discovered it wasn’t locked with a password. Reaching into my back pocket, I pulled out the card with Luke’s contact information and dialed.
“Luke Johnson,” he answered on the second ring.
“Luke, this is Layla, Layla East. I have some information for you.”
29
“She okay?” I asked Leigh when she came out of my room.
“She’s rightfully upset. I’m going to make her something to eat and see if I can get her to take a nap,” she said.
“She tell you about what happened?” I asked, desperate to know where her head was.
Leigh shook her head sadly. “Copper, I love you like you were my own son, but I won’t be getting in the middle of your relationship with Layla. What she says to me, stays with me. Same goes for you. If you want answers, go talk to her.”
I nodded and stepped aside so she could continue on to the kitchen. I knew Layla was pissed, and I couldn’t say I blamed her. I wanted to tell her everything, but I couldn’t. Not yet. I couldn’t risk Aim’s secret getting out, thereby putting her and Annabelle, not to mention Aim, in danger. I could only hope she would understand and forgive me once the truth was out.
Needing a distraction, I went to my office to get some work done. Unfortunately, I couldn’t focus on anything as my mind kept straying to thoughts of Layla. I picked up the phone to call Phoenix, hoping he could give me some advice on how to handle the situation, but I quickly canceled the call when I realized I couldn’t talk to him about it either.
Frustrated didn’t even begin to cover how I was feeling, and sitting in my office was doing nothing to help. So, I got my ass up and went to help with repairing the clubhouse. Hopefully, the physical activity would keep my mind busy until I was too exhausted to do anything other than sleep.
* * *
Poundingon my office door woke me the next morning. “Open up, Prez! It’s urgent!” Judge shouted through the door.
I jumped up and yanked the door open. For Judge to say something was urgent, it was more than fucking urgent. The big bastard barely gave me time to get out of the way before he charged into the room and went straight to the television hanging on the wall in my office. He flipped to a news channel and turned up the volume.
—arrested this morning. He has been linked to the human trafficking operation ran by former Senator Lawrence Hastings and businessman Harold Hensley. Sources tell us he is also the President of a local outlaw motorcycle gang—
“Fuck!” I roared. “How the fuck did that happen?” My own question was answered moments later when the news showed a video clip of a handcuffed Aim walking in front of federal agents, one of which I recognized immediately.
Luke Johnson.
Without another word, I blew past Judge and ran down the hall. Throwing open the door to my room, I found exactly what I expected. No sign of Layla.
My fist hit the wall, over and over, until I was physically restrained. Even then, I fought to rein in my emotions.
It was the sound of a female sobbing that brought me back to the present. I struggled against the hold Tiny and Batta had on me. I needed to know who was crying. Was it Layla?
My eyes frantically darted around the room, scanning and dismissing familiar faces, until my gaze landed on Leigh. She was tucked under Judge’s arm with one hand cupped over her mouth while tears streamed down her face.
I locked eyes with her. “Where is she?” I pleaded, not caring one bit how desperate I sounded.
She shook her head. “I don’t know, Copper. I didn’t know she was gone until just now.”
I twisted and jerked my shoulders. “Let me go,” I demanded.
The two fuckers holding me back looked to Judge for approval, and I almost lost it again. “I am your President. Let me fucking go, NOW!”
Tiny and Batta released me, and Judge stepped in front of his mother. “Are you serious right now? Do you actually think I would hurt her?”
Judge didn’t hesitate to respond. “No, I don’t think you’d intentionally hurt her, but you weren’t exactly in your right mind just now.”
“When was the last time you saw her, Leigh?”
“Last night around nine o’clock. She said she was ready to go to bed, so I left her and went to Judge’s room,” Leigh said.
“All right. Judge, check the camera feed. We need to know if she left on her own or if she was taken.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head. This couldn’t be happening.