“My father has run my life and controlled everything I’ve done from the minute I was born,” she said through a sniffle as she swiped at red-rimmed eyes and turned a stony gaze on Layla. “Who I dated. Who I married and divorced. Everything. My money, where I live—he has controlled it all. Every time I found happiness, my father found a way to ruin it, and every time I ended up alone.” She crossed her arms over her breasts and leaned against the fence. “When I heard about what happened to Rosie, I confronted him. I knew he’d been planning to speak to her about the farm, and when I asked him about it, he went crazy.”
“I know,” Layla said quietly. “I saw what he did to you.” Sylvia’s hand went to the red mark by her eye, and shame washed over her face. “It’s not the first time he’s hit you, is it?”
“No.” Sylvia shook her head, and the tears fell freely. “He’s known about my telepathic ability since I was a child. He told me that I wasn’t normal and that if people ever found out, I would be hounded and dissected like a freak. He had me convinced that he was the only thing keeping me out of the loony bin.” Her tear-filled eyes looked pleadingly at Layla. “But hurting Rosie? That was the last straw.”
“Why on earth would you stay under his roof?” Kerry asked. She placed both elbows on the picnic table, rested her chin on her folded hands, and leveled her bold gaze on Sylvia. “Seriously. Haven’t you been married as many times as Elizabeth Taylor? What the hell? Why didn’t you just ride one of those guys out of town?
“Oh I tried,” she let out a bitter laugh, before turning a dead-serious gaze at them. “But Daddy has a way of getting what he wants, especially from me. My husbands were all lured into big money jobs in Daddy’s company, but soon enough… Daddy would get bored with them, or they’d say something he didn’t like, and they’d be on the chopping block.” Her eyes darted from Kerry to Samantha. “I know how pathetic I must seem to you,” she said shakily. “I should’ve stood up to him years ago when he told those lies to Raife, but I couldn’t, and by then Raife was so mad at me… he wouldn’t let me explain. He told me to stay the hell away from him,” she said, her voice edged with bitterness. “So I have.”
“The wedding,” Layla mused. “You didn’t want to call it off, did you?”
“No.” She shook her head adamantly. “Daddy did. He told him that lie about me going away for the weekend to get rid of him. I was in love with Raife, and I wanted to marry him more than anything in the world.” Her gaze landed on Layla. “He’s the only man I’ve ever loved,” she whispered and lowered her eyes. “The only reason I flirted with William was to try and make Raife jealous.” She made a sound of disgust. “If he disliked me before, he’s really going to hate me when he finds out that Daddy is the one who put Rosie in the hospital.”
With the numerous revelations, Layla had almost forgotten about this particular part of the web of deceit. “What exactly did your father do?” Layla thought maybe he’d hired some thugs to toss the house or threaten her. She couldn’t imagine that Frank had done it himself. “Who did he send over there?”
“No one,” Sylvia insisted and let out a long breath. “He went over himself to talk some sense into her because she’d told him that she had decided not to sell him the farm. Daddy was desperate to get the land. It had nothing to do with my granddaddy and that stupid bet from years ago.” Her eyes narrowed, and her features sharpened with unmistakable anger. “It was all about the money. Daddy doesn’t have any left.” She laughed through her tears. “It’s all gone. Everything. In addition to gambling in the stock market, he’s taken to hitting the casinos as well. He’s lost almost everything.”
She flicked her gaze to Dante and Kerry, who were listening with rapt attention.
“Rosie’s farm is smack dab in the middle of Daddy’s other properties, and if Rosie didn’t sell, then the developers couldn’t do what they wanted to do.” She clapped her hands together sharply. “No deal equals no money, and Daddy would be up shit’s creek without a paddle.”
“Oh my God,” Layla said. “He did it. He actually did it.”
“He says he didn’t mean to, of course, that he shoved her. She fell and hit her head.” The tears came again, faster this time, and her words rushed more frantic as the memory of what he told her came barreling back. “He panicked and tried to make it look like a robbery or something.” She turned her pleading gaze to Layla and grabbed her hands. “I would never want anything bad to happen to Rosie. I swear it. Daddy has been home since it happened, and I couldn’t get away until he left tonight for some stupid card game.” She squeezed her hands. “Please, Layla. You have to believe me. I’ll go with you to the police and turn Daddy in,” she said quickly. “I’ll tell them everything. I know how much Rosie means to Raife, and I would never want anything bad to happen to her.”
Layla studied her intently, but found no sign of deception. I believe her. William’s deep baritone touched her mind like a fresh winter breeze. Even though he hadn’t said a word, his presence was much appreciated, and his energy bolstered hers. Layla glanced at him. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I do too. She reached out to Kerry. Kerry, are you buying this?
Kerry extended her arm onto the table. “Gimme your hand.” She snapped her fingers at a teary Sylvia. “Let’s go. Fork it over, blondie. I’ll find out whether you’re telling the truth.”
Sylvia didn’t move but looked at Kerry with genuine confusion until Kerry’s voice cut into her mind. Right now. Sylvia’s eyes widened as she looked around the table.
“You guys aren’t the only freaks at the table.” She sighed loudly and wiggled her fingers impatiently. “We’ll explain it all later. Let’s go. Hold my hand so I can see if you’re being straight with us.”
Layla gave her a reassuring nod, and with a deep breath, Sylvia placed one shaking hand in Kerry’s open palm. Kerry closed her eyes, curled her long fingers over Sylvia’s, and her body jolted as the connection was made. Dante rubbed her back in soothing circles as Kerry’s eyes flickered furiously behind her eyelids.
After several minutes, Kerry released her hand and let out a long whistle as she opened those huge dark eyes and zeroed in on Layla. “Your old man is one cold-hearted bastard,” she bit out through a shaky breath. Kerry looked at William and then Layla. “After what I saw, I’m surprised she’s still alive, let alone has found the nerve to turn him in.”
Sylvia closed her eyes and let out the breath she’d been holding. “Thank you.”
“We need to go directly to the police station so you can tell them what you just told us,” William interrupted. Sylvia looked at him with that same panicked expression she’d had earlier, but William wasn’t backing down. He turned that penetrating gaze onto Sylvia. “Right now.” It came out as a command, not a request.
Sylvia nodded, tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and rose from the bench obediently. Layla shuddered at how quickly Sylvia followed William’s command. She’d been controlled and manipulated for so many years that it seemed like all she knew how to do was follow orders. Sylvia had always presented an image of being in control, but it was clear that she had been anything but that.
Now Layla really felt sorry for her. As much as her own life had been manipulated, Layla had never suffered the kind of abuse and domineering control that Sylvia had.
William took Layla’s hand in his and linked his fingers with hers. He said nothing, but he didn’t have to. The simple gesture of holding her hand spoke volumes. Layla swallowed the lump in her throat and rose to meet him. She popped up on her toes and placed a quick kiss on his warm lips. Thank you. Her words whispered along the edges of his mind as a smile softened the sharp edges of that handsome face.
“What did it?” Kerry asked. She leaned into Dante’s comforting embrace as they crossed the courtyard. “What made you decide to end this?”
“Raife,” Sylvia said softly. She looked over
her shoulder at them briefly. “It would drive him crazy to never know who did this, and feeling the pain he’s been suffering over the past few days has been driving me crazy.”
They exchanged curious looks with one another as they walked back into the bar and out toward the gravel parking lot. Layla could sense Raife’s emotions? Sylvia definitely wasn’t a hybrid. Her clan image would’ve come through in the pictures, but she was one hell of a strong psychic.
She thought back on the different pictures she’d taken over the years, and all were blurred. At the time, she’d thought it was because Sylvia was so nasty, but now, in hindsight, she realized it was from her efforts to keep people from seeing the ugliness and violence that she lived with.
She’s his mate. William’s matter of fact tone cut into Layla’s mind with cold precision, but as much as Layla hated to admit it, she knew deep in her gut that he was right.
Sylvia was Raife’s mate.
Chapter 15
After spending much of the evening at the police station with Sylvia while she made her statements, William wanted to take Layla straight home, but she wouldn’t hear it. As he suspected she would, she insisted on going to the hospital to check on Rosie and speak with Raife. William pictured himself throwing her over his shoulder and dragging her home. However, one look at that ferocious glint in her eye, and he quickly dismissed the thought. He doubted it would help his cause.
Kerry and Dante had gone back to the farm hours ago to get some sleep and fill in Malcolm and Samantha. Based on the evidence they already had and Sylvia’s statement, the police had arrested Frank Clark at his house when he returned from his card game. Since he was such a flight risk, he’d been denied bail and would likely be spending quite a long time in jail.
The others had offered to come by the hospital, but since Rosie’s attacker was in custody, and there didn’t appear to be a looming Purist threat, things were under control at the moment. William adjusted the blanket on the hospital bed.
There was justice for Rosie after all.
“You better stop hoverin’ over me, boy,” Rosie rasped weakly. “Or folks are gonna start talkin’.”
William poured a cup of cold water for her. She’d come out of the sedation early that morning as spunky as ever. She’d calmed down once they’d told her what had transpired, and the only person more surprised than she was by Sylvia’s confession was Raife.
William glanced to the door of the room, waiting for Layla to return. She’d left with Raife a while ago, and not having her near him was causing a ridiculous amount of anxiety.
“She’ll be back soon.” Rosie laughed softly, but it quickly turned into a cough. “Damn. That hurts.” She winced as her hand went to the bandage on her head. “That son of a bitch is lucky he knocked me cold ’cause I was about ready to whip his ass.”
“I don’t doubt it.” William chuckled as he helped Rosie sit up and sip her water. “Looks like you’ll have to keep from whipping any ass for a while. That shoulder of yours is going to take some time to heal.”
William kept his sharp eyes fixed on her as he sat down in the chair next to her bed. His brow furrowed, and he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I could reach out to one of our Amoveo healers… Bianca must have told you about them.”
Rosie stilled, and her smiling eyes latched onto his as a grin spread over her face. Her gray eyes studied his brown ones, and in that moment, William knew that Rosie was privy to more than she’d let on.
“I guess Layla found the note?” She made a grunt of approval. “Good. Bianca asked me to let her know when her mate came to find her and promised me that she’d tell Layla everything then.” She huffed. “Some horseshit about mate-bonding and full strength—blah, blah, blah.”
“I’ll be damned.” William leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. “You do know Bianca. All this time, you’ve known who Layla’s family is?”
“Hold on there, just one damn minute.” Her heart monitor beeped faster as her heart rate picked up, and she wagged a finger at him. “I knew something was up when a woman from social services,” she said, making air quotes with her fingers, “shows up on my doorstep with a scared little girl.”
William made a face that reflected his confusion.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake.” She sighed. “I was never registered as a foster parent. I adopted Raife and Tati. Why in the hell would a social worker show up on my doorstep out of the blue with some kid? Get it?” She waved a wrinkled hand at him and lay back on her pillows wearily. “Besides, I could tell that Layla was a hybrid right away.”
“What?” Layla’s shaking voice cut through the air as she barreled through the hospital room door. “Rosie, what are you talking about?” Layla came directly to the other side of Rosie’s bed with an equally confused Raife right behind her. “What do you mean, you knew?”
Layla’s confused and stressed-out energy waves filled the room along with Raife’s as they stared down at Rosie. “Answer me, Rosie. You said you didn’t believe any of it until puberty hit the house.”
“Well, I may have fudged things a little bit.” She pursed her lips. “I did realize you were different like Raife and Tati. I may not have the second sight like my sister did,” she huffed. “But I do tend to pick up on things that other people overlook. I knew you were a hybrid as soon as I laid eyes on you.” She looked at Raife. “Just like I’ve always known that Sylvia was hiding something, aside from the fact that she’s crazy in love with you, Raife.”
She let out a tired laugh as Raife shifted his weight and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans, visibly uncomfortable at the mention of Sylvia. Rosie turned her attention back to Layla, who stared down at her intently.
“And that Bianca broad was no regular person—no way. I knew she was full-blooded Amoveo like Raife and Tati’s daddy, and she wasn’t some damn social worker.”
“Why wouldn’t you tell us this?”
“Layla, honey,” Rosie said weakly. “You didn’t know anything about the Amoveo, and I sure as hell didn’t want to scare you more than you already were.” She smoothed the sheets over her lap. “I decided to let nature take its course and see how things played out, and sure enough, when you hit puberty, the floodgates opened.”
William touched Layla’s mind. Are you alright? To his great relief she responded immediately and kept her mind open to him for the first time in days. Can anyone be honest with me about anything?
Before he could respond, Rosie continued her explanations and reclaimed Layla’s full attention.
“I’ve spoken with Bianca only twice. Once, the day she brought you to live with me, and then just a few days ago when William showed up.” Her mouth set in a firm line. “Listen, girl.” She sighed. “All I know is that when she showed up with you, she knew about Raife and Tati, and don’t ask me how, because I haven’t the foggiest notion.”
Rosie lowered her voice. “I do know that Bianca believed you’d be safe with us, and you needed a loving home.” Her gray eyes wrinkled at the corners as she reached out, took Layla’s hand in hers, and gave it a squeeze. “She told me your parents were gone and that you shouldn’t find your clan until you had bonded with your mate.” Rosie nodded toward William. “She gave me an address with a post office box and said that when your mate found you, to let her know, and then she’d handle the rest.”
Layla, wide-eyed, looked from Rosie to William as she wrapped her brain around yet another revelation. He could practically see the wheels turning in that sharp mind of hers, and he knew exactly what she was thinking about—the Council meeting.
“Bianca came by to see me the night Frank showed up.” Rosie’s face darkened at the memory.
“So, Bianca’s energy signature was the only Amoveo we sensed at the farm,” William surmised. “And it was mixed with Frank’s signature.” His brow furrowed
. “All this time, we were looking for another Amoveo—a Purist—and it was a human.” He made a sound of disgust at his obvious error.
“Man,” Raife mused with a sidelong glance at William. “Malcolm and Dante were right about you.” He delivered a crooked grin. “You hate being wrong.”
“We weren’t entirely wrong.” William sat up straighter in the chair, and his jaw clenched. “There was an Amoveo at the farm that night, just not a Purist.” He flicked some lint off his jeans. “The possibility that a human attacked Rosie was admittedly overlooked.” He locked eyes with Raife. “But you can rest assured that won’t happen again.”
Raife chuckled and folded his arms over his chest. “Slice it any way you want, brother. Wrong is wrong.”
“Whatever,” Layla said through an exasperated sigh at their childish sparring match. “Can we please get back to Bianca and why she was at the farm?”
“Happily.” Rosie gave Raife a scolding glance before continuing. “I told Bianca to leave the letter for you and said that you would get in touch with her, if that was what you wanted,” Rosie said, pointing an IV-draped hand at Layla.
Layla’s shoulders relaxed at the mention of it being her choice, and her energy waves softened. She sighed with relief. In that moment, William realized how important having a choice was to her, and he knew that their bond could only be completed if she specifically requested it.
The voice of doubt crawled into his heart. What if she didn’t?
“Bianca pulled her disappearing act when she heard the car in the driveway.” Rosie shrugged her uninjured shoulder. “She’s kind of flighty around humans, I guess, and maybe she didn’t want to be exposed to more people than she already was. Now, I don’t know much about her, but I do know she’s extremely protective of you, even of Raife and Tati.”
“Protective and manipulative,” Layla huffed. She ran her hands over her face and turned her tired, but determined, eyes to William. “I’ve had enough of this secrecy bullshit. I can’t wait to face this woman and the rest of the Council.” Before William could even respond, she looked at Rosie, and her features softened. “What happened next?”
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