“We need to talk. Now.” Wayne’s voice was rough, but not angry-sounding, a fact that left her brain scrambling to make sense of his words.
Why was he here? What in the world could he want to talk about?
“So this is the ex, I’m guessing?” Yasmin said in a hard tone.
“Please, Layla,” Wayne said, ignoring her friend. “I just want to talk. Is there somewhere we can go to speak in private?”
“She’s not going anywhere with you.” Yasmin stepped out of the booth behind Layla to stand next to Wayne, looking like a purse dog getting ready to attack a Great Dane. “I don’t know your backstory, buddy, but it’s obvious she’s not happy to see you. So I suggest you turn around and start walking before I have to get my manager.”
Wayne’s eyes narrowed in Yasmin’s direction, sending a rush of adrenaline flooding through Layla’s veins. She recognized the “about to lose his shit” look in his eyes, but there was no way she was letting him unleash his temper on her friends.
She scooted to the end of the booth and slid out, inserting herself between Wayne and Yasmin. “Come on. We can talk outside.”
“Good,” he said, the skin around his eyes relaxing now that he’d gotten his way.
“Are you sure, Layla?” Georgie asked, concern etched in her features. “I can go get Cutter from the kitchen. Won’t take me but a second.”
“No, it’s fine.” Layla forced a smile for Georgie before turning back to Wayne. “But I can only talk for a few minutes. I have to get back to work.”
She moved past him and headed toward the door, the place between her shoulder blades prickling, her body warning her that it wasn’t smart to turn her back on a predator. She took a deep breath and promised herself she’d stay outside just long enough to hear whatever Wayne had come to say before insisting she had to get back to check on her tables. Her shift was ending, but he didn’t know that, and she was willing to tell whatever lies she had to tell to get rid of him.
She led the way out the door and over to the right side of the building, staying within sight of the windows. She knew Yasmin and Georgie would be watching and would call for help if Wayne was crazy enough to lay hands on her in front of witnesses, but her throat still tightened as she turned back to face her husband.
Some habits die hard and her fear of this man was too deeply ingrained for it to be banished by something as small as knowing she had friends looking out for her.
“Why are you here?” she asked, keeping her arms crossed in hopes of concealing her trembling. “You said you would give me a week. I still have two more days.”
“I came to tell you I was sorry,” he said, his words enough to knock the breath out of her.
She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but this sure as hell wasn’t it.
“We got the test results back today,” he continued. “The police said you were poisoned, too, starting the same time I was.”
Layla blinked. “Oh. I…I didn’t know. I’m not allowed to carry my cell phone when I’m working. I have to leave it in my locker.”
“I got the call about an hour ago.” Wayne stepped closer, a wild look in his eyes. “I was out in the barn, but I dropped everything the second I heard the results. I tried your house, but you weren’t there, so I came here. I had to see you and tell you how sorry I am. I should have known you wouldn’t do something like that, not after everything we’ve been through.”
“Of course I wouldn’t.” Layla’s mouth filled with a sour taste as the lie slid off her tongue.
“I know that. I knew it before too. Deep down.” He pulled his hat off to run a clawed hand through his hair. “I was just so fucking angry I couldn’t think straight. But now I am, and it all makes sense.”
“It does?” She tried to imagine what he was talking about, but she didn’t have a clue.
“The poisoning,” he said, gesturing in the general direction of the Wheeler ranch before slipping his hat back onto his head. “I drink straight out of the tap and fill up my thermos for the day with ice from the freezer. But you have the water cooler in your office and drink from that when you’re working. That’s why I was so much sicker than you were.”
He reached out, capturing her hand in both of his, sending a fresh wave of fear shivering across her skin. “But now we’re both going to be okay. I’m going to find the fucker who did this and make him wish he was never born. And you can come home and we can get back on the right track.”
Layla pulled her hand from his, grateful when he let go without a fight. “No, Wayne. I’m not coming home.”
“But, baby, don’t you see,” he said, the pet name making her flinch. “It was the poison. That’s what was making things so bad between us. We weren’t in our right minds. I looked it up on the Internet. Arsenic has all kinds of crazy side effects. It’s no wonder the last year was so hard.”
Layla knew it was pointless to argue with Wayne once he had something stuck in his head, but she couldn’t seem to keep her mouth shut. “Things have been bad for a lot longer than a year. I’m sure the poisoning didn’t help, but I—”
“You’re not seeing this clearly,” he interrupted. “And I know that’s my fault for losing my shit at your house the other night. But I thought my wife had been trying to kill me, so I think I deserve a little understanding, too.” He leaned down, bringing his face closer to hers before adding in a softer voice, “And hell, I still wanted you back. Even then. If that doesn’t prove how much I love you, I don’t know what does. We’re meant to be, baby. You and me. Forever.”
She shook her head as she took a step back. “No. We’re not. Not anymore.”
“Come home,” he said, his smile fading. “Just come home and I’ll show you how good everything will be. I’ll do whatever it takes, whatever you want. Just name it and it’s yours.”
“I want you to sign the divorce papers,” she said, beginning to tremble again as she backed toward the door, ready to run the second Wayne’s control snapped. “I don’t want to be married to you anymore.”
“Is this about what my mom said to the police?” Wayne asked, anger thickening his tone. “Because I tried to stop her. I wanted to handle things my own way, but she wouldn’t listen. She’s a fucking bitch when she gets on the warpath, but she loves you. Once she learns the truth, she’ll—”
“She doesn’t love me,” Layla said, voice breaking as hot tears filled her eyes. “She loves you. If it were up to her, I would have died in that house. She would have let you kill me. I am never going back there. Never!”
“Then let’s go somewhere else.” Wayne held out his arms toward her in a silent plea. “We’ll go to Houston, move into my grandmother’s old house, start fresh.”
“No.” Layla’s breath came faster and her hands balled at her sides. “It’s over, Wayne. Let me go.”
“Or we could get out of the country.” Desperation crept into his expression as some part of him realized he was fighting a losing battle. “I’m sick of living in this shit hole and being stuck on my family’s land. I’m fucking miserable and it’s changed me, baby. It’s made me someone I don’t want to be. But I can change back again. We’ll go to Houston and empty out the safe at the plant. I know the combination.”
She continued to back away. Every word he spoke made her feel more trapped, but she wasn’t trapped. She was free and he was never going to control her again.
“We’ll take the money and run,” he continued, voice rising. “Go start fresh on an island in the Caribbean or a beach in Mexico. We’ll finally have the honeymoon you wanted and it will last the rest of our lives. Layla, please—”
“Leave me alone,” she said, fumbling behind her for the door handle. “I don’t ever want to see you again.”
“Fuck, Layla,” he shouted, drawing the attention of a man getting out of his truck a few spaces behind him. “What do you want? What the fuck do I have to say?”
“Sign the divorce papers. That’s all I want, Wayne. All I will
ever want.” She wrenched the door open and fled inside.
Behind her, she heard a loud thud and flinched as the glass door rattled on its hinges. She spun to see Wayne pound the door with his fist once more before he turned and stormed across the parking lot. She watched him go, her shoulders creeping slowly away from her ears as he kept walking away.
“Are you okay?” Georgie asked from behind her, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“I’m fine,” Layla said, but she didn’t take her eyes off the parking lot until she saw Wayne’s truck pull out onto the road with a squeal of tires.
“Jesus,” Yasmin whispered. “I’m so sorry Layla.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Layla moved back toward the booth, grabbing the bin full of wrapped silverware and starting into the kitchen, even more eager to get home to Cole than she’d been before.
“No, I do,” Yasmin said, her tone utterly serious, for once, as she followed Layla around the counter. “If I’d known that’s what you were coming from, I would never have teased you about Mr. Wonderful. You deserve wonderful. You deserve wonderful and your weight in chocolate and a medal for bravery.”
“I’m not brave.” Layla slid the bin into its place beneath the order up window and stood, untying her apron with a sharp tug. “He still scares me.”
“And that’s why you’re brave,” Yasmin insisted. “I bet it took some brass ovaries to leave him, but you did it. And you’re going to be fine. Georgie and I’ve got your back. Anything you need, you let us know.”
Layla nodded, fighting the tears rising in her eyes. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
“Oh, sugar bean, don’t cry.” Yasmin pulled her in for a hug. “Go home to Mr. Wonderful and have an amazing night and don’t spare that creep another thought.”
“Okay, I will,” Layla lied.
She was going home to Cole, but there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that she’d be able to put Wayne out of her mind. She hadn’t gotten through to him; she knew better. Wayne wouldn’t give up on her that easily, especially not now that he assumed she was innocent.
Maybe it would be better if he still thought she’d tried to kill him. Maybe it would be better if she had actually gone through with it.
Maybe it’s not too late to fix your mistake.
Layla shivered as she grabbed her purse from her locker, clocked out, and headed for the back door to the diner. She didn’t know what to do, but she could sense that time was running out.
The cool spring air outside felt charged with ominous possibilities and the sickle-shaped sliver of moon didn’t smile benevolently down from the sky the way it usually did. It looked like a grimace, the bared teeth of a creature that watched the evil going on in the world below with a yellow grin.
As she pulled out onto the dark road, aiming her car toward the Lawson ranch, Layla was possessed by the certainty that she had to hurry, to make a decision before fate stepped in and made a choice for her.
She was so preoccupied and so spooked, that the sound of the phone ringing was enough to make her jump and let out a bleat of surprise.
Keeping her eyes on the road, she dug into her purse with one hand, not bothering to pull over before she answered the call the way she normally would. She knew it was irrational, but it didn’t feel safe to stop the car, not until she was pulling into her parking spot at Cole’s house.
A glance down at her cell’s screen revealed the man himself on the phone. “Hey,” she said, putting him on speaker phone. “I’m on my way. Do you need me to pick up anything?”
“No, just come home,” Cole said, his usually warm tone strained. “And don’t go to my place. I’m at John’s. Meet me at his house and we can decide what to do next.”
“Okay.” Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “Is everything okay? Are you and John still fighting?”
“No, we’re not, I…” He broke off with a sigh. “Just get here and I’ll explain.”
“All right,” Layla said, dread swelling in her chest. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“I’ll be waiting on the front porch,” he said, before adding in a softer voice. “Drive safe, sweetness. I can’t wait to see you and just…know you’re okay.”
“See you in a few.” Layla ended the call and let her foot grow heavier on the pedal. She was going to drive safe, but she was also going to drive fast.
She didn’t know what was going on, but she could tell that Cole needed her. And that was all she needed to know for the primal creature inside of her to insist she had to be by his side. Now. Once she was, they would face whatever threatened their happiness together.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Cole
Cole paced back and forth in front of John’s house, eyes straining as he searched the darkness beyond the yellow glow of the porch light.
A part of him kept expecting to catch the drone of a four wheeler engine in the distance, heading toward the house. But the night remained quiet, nothing but the sound of his boots crunching in the gravel and the hum of insects buzzing and clicking in the dark to keep him company.
Still, he didn’t feel alone. It felt like there was something—someone—watching the house, observing as worry became fear and fear became a cold, nagging certainty that something horrible had happened.
God, where was she? Why wasn’t she home yet?
Cole closed his eyes, sending out another prayer for help, for answers. When he opened them, headlights were sweeping across the front lawn as Layla pulled up behind his truck.
She was out of the driver’s side in seconds, jogging up the driveway in her orange and white Nicky’s Diner dress, sending relief surging through his chest. He went to meet her, opening his arms and pulling her in for a hug, lifting her off her feet.
“I’m so glad you’re back.” He tucked his face into her neck, inhaling the smell of French fries and grilled meat that lingered in her hair when she’d just gotten off work. “I needed one of your hugs.”
Her arms tightened around him. “You can have as many as you need, but you’ve got to tell me what’s wrong before I go crazy. The whole way over I was imagining the worst.”
Cole sighed as he set her on her feet and met her worried gaze, knowing nothing he had to say would banish her fears. “Lily’s missing.”
Her eyes widened. “What? Since when?”
“We’re not sure,” Cole said, bringing his hand to rub at the stiff muscles in his neck. “She went out on a four wheeler to get clay for my mom this morning. She left around seven, so she should have been back by three or four at the latest, but there’s still no sign of her.”
“Oh my God,” Layla said. “Have you called the police?”
He nodded. “About an hour ago. My mom was busy picking the boys up from school and helping with homework and didn’t realize how late it was getting until Peyton started asking about dinner. She called John around six and he called the police. They said they’d come help look in the morning. John wanted to go out right away, but we managed to convince him to wait until we could get a search party together.”
He looked out into the darkness again, willing the night to offer up some clue, some sign. But the air was even more silent than it had been before, the sound of Layla’s car pulling up the drive having silenced the insects near the house for the time being.
“I keep hoping Lily’s going to show up,” he continued. “That maybe she ran out of gas or something and had to walk back and that’s what was taking so long but…”
“It could still be something like that.” Layla took his hand. “You know no one gets cell reception behind the ridge. She could have had engine trouble or something and just have no way of letting us know she’s on the way back.”
“I hope so,” Cole said, giving her hand a squeeze. “John’s tucking the boys in now, but after he’s finished, he’s heading up to Mom’s. Most of our hands and a few of their friends are already up at her place drinking coffee. They’re going to div
ide up the property and start looking tonight.”
“Good.” She twined her fingers through his. “What can I do to help?”
He smiled. “Just be here. Keep me from going crazy while I pace a hole in John’s carpet and wait for news.”
“I can do that,” she said. “But I could also watch the boys so you can go help your brother. If that will make you feel more useful.”
He pulled her closer. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“I can handle it, Cole,” she said, leaning into him. “Just leave me a shotgun and I’ll guard the door. Keep the boys safe until y’all get back.”
“No, I’m staying with you.” He pressed a grateful kiss to her forehead before leading the way toward the door, his arm wrapped around her waist. “John’s got eight men going out with him tonight. He doesn’t need me right now, but he might in the morning. Best thing I can do for him and Lily is try to get some sleep and be ready to take the second shift if they don’t find her by the time the sun comes up.”
“All right,” she said. “But feel free to change your mind. I know how hard it is to sit still when you want to be doing something to help.”
“I just wish she’d asked me to go like she said she would.” He silently cursed himself for not calling his mother and insisting she bother him instead of Lily. “I told her I’d go get the clay next time. She shouldn’t have been out there by herself, especially not when we know we need to be on our guard more than usual.”
Layla stopped beside him, her hand slipping from his as he took a step forward and she remained behind. “Is this my fault?” she asked in a pained whisper. “Do you think Wayne had something to do with Lily disappearing?”
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