Layne's Capture (Blazing Outlaws MC, #6), page 2
Yelling and pounding wake me some time later. Opening my eyes, I sputter and cough as smoke fills my bedroom. I have no clue what’s going on as the pounding and yelling continues to fill the air.
“Layne!” is hollered as panic consumes me.
Venom. He’s still here and trying to get to me. Struggling to get out of bed, I rush toward the door as fast as I can with the heat from the fire filling my room and a ton of smoke filling the area causing me to cough and drop to my knees. I have to feel around the floor just to slowly make my way to the door as it splinters open. The last thing I remember is Venom’s face covered by a bandana as he makes his way to where I’m collapsing on the floor.
Chapter Two
Venom
SMASHING GLASS WOKE me up as flames and smoke filled the in the living room of Layne’s house. Struggling to get my jeans where they lay on the floor of the living room by the couch I’m currently sleeping on, I rush to find my bag and pull one of my bandana’s from it’s contents before making my way toward Layne’s room. It took me forever to bust her bedroom door down even as I heard her choking and coughing behind the door. Fear and panic filled me with the thought of not getting to her in time. With me being the only one here, I have no clue if the Molotov cocktails were thrown through her bedroom windows as well.
Seeing the young lawyer passed out on the floor of her bedroom, completely naked is not something I ever want to see again. Lifting her in my arms, her soft skin presses against mine as her head hangs back as if she’s dead and not just passed out from the smoke inhalation. I don’t pay attention to her naked body as I try to make my way out of the house as quickly as I can. Rushing through the house, I make my way toward the office portion of her home. Running through the door with Layne in my arms, I take in the flames licking up the walls of the office just far enough from the door I can make my way out.
As soon as we’re out of the house it’s engulfed by flames, I carefully place Layne on the ground. She’s still naked as the day she was born and there’s nothing I can do about it. Unless she’s got clothes hidden for some reason in her car. Racing there, I open the door since Layne never locks her doors. Even with the threat against her, she insists on keeping her car unlocked as it sits in the driveway. The first thing I spot is her purse. While it’s huge and I know it could definitely hold an outfit or two, there are no clothes in her bag. However, laying over the backseat is a blanket. Opening the back door, I pull the blanket out so I can cover her up. No one will see her naked if I can help it.
The wail of sirens fills the still night air as the heat from the fire still hits me even though we’re at least thirty feet from the burning structure. Kneeling down next to Layne, I reach out and check for a pulse. It’s there. Taking a deep breath, I pull out my phone and make a call to Satan. He answers on the first ring even though it’s the middle of the night.
“’Lo,” his gruff voice fills the phone.
“Satan, there’s a fire at Layne’s house. The entire place is up in flames. I managed to get her outside and sirens are already comin’. Not sure if it’s fire trucks, police, or an ambulance. Givin’ you a heads up,” I tell my President as I keep my eyes locked on Layne in front of me.
“We’ll be right there. Are you two okay?” he asks, shuffling noise sounding in the background.
“Layne is knocked out right now. I’m sure it’s from the smoke inhalation,” I tell him as Layne remains unmoving on the grass before me. “Ambulance is here. Gonna go.”
Hanging up my phone, I shove it back in my pocket but don’t leave her side. An ambulance and several fire trucks pull up and men begin racing around the yard. The paramedics race to Layne’s side and begin talking to one another in a language I can’t begin to understand with medical terminology. When the man closest to me takes in my appearance and the smoke stains covering my body from getting Layne out of her home, he moves from her side and begins checking me over. I want to yell and holler at him to keep his attention on Layne, but the weakness from inhaling smoke is beginning to hit me as the adrenaline fades.
“Get them in an ambulance and head straight for the hospital,” one of the paramedics says, his voice void of emotion as they begin to load Layne on the gurney they wheeled over to her.
As I sit on the grass and the men load Layne on the gurney, the blanket slides off her. A growl escapes without me realizing I’m pissed as hell half her body is now visible to all the firefighters, paramedics, and police officers. To all the bystanders standing along the road and on the porches of their homes as they watch all the action going on here. Including the men of my club racing closer toward us despite everyone trying to hold them back.
“Hospital,” I croak out, my throat hurting as I say one word.
They race back to their bikes as Layne, and I get loaded up in the same ambulance since there’s only one here. I sit on the bench next to our lawyer as they place an oxygen mask over her face before giving me one too. The EMT in back with us hooks her up to all sorts of machines and shit to monitor her on the way to the hospital. Sirens fill the air again as the flashing lights turn the dark of night bright as I look out the back doors of the ambulance to find every member of the club following us.
Layne and I have been released from the hospital. We both need to rest and take it easy before going back to the doctor in a few days to have them check us over once again. The doctor in the hospital told us how lucky we were to only have inhaled some smoke instead of going up in flames with the house based on what the EMTs and police told them. If I hadn’t woken up when I did, we wouldn’t have made it out of the house apparently.
Now, we’re heading to Gunner’s house. That’s where we’ll be staying for the foreseeable future until Layne decides what she wants to do. She can remain in Willow Creek and get a new home to start over with. Or she can leave here and never once look back. At least once she finishes working for the clients she’s already accepted into her new law firm. If I’ve learned anything about the woman who has plagued my thoughts since the day she walked into the clubhouse to hear about Grinder, it’s that she keeps her word and will never turn her back on someone she’s promised to defend. Layne is also choosey about who she takes on. Before telling a potential client yes or no, she hears what’s going on and gets the evidence herself to make a decision about who to take on and who to let know she’s too busy.
Gunner’s house is out in the middle of nowhere. It’s surrounded by trees and the driveway is very long. Honestly, the beginning of his driveway looks more like a dirt path than an actual road leading to a home. About a half mile down the road, the trees open up and his house appears. It’s a single-story home made to look as if it’s a log cabin. The front porch is large enough to fit a swing on one end, a small table and chairs, along with planters hanging off the railing.
When you walk inside, the floorplan is completely open with a living room, dining room, kitchen with all state-of-the-art appliances, and a breakfast nook. Off to the right of the kitchen is a small hallway with a laundry room, office, and a mud room leading to the attached four bay garage. To the left of the living room is another hallway with five bedrooms, a bathroom, and a game room. Gunner’s room is the only one currently furnished because he lives here alone. I think that’s about to change depending on what happens with Layne over the next few days until she figures out what she wants to do. Overall, Gunner’s home is the perfect place for her to hide out and recover from the fire.
A Prospect is heading to find a store that’s opened this late so he can grab us cough drops, bottles of Gatorade, water, and some clothes for Layne. Right now she’s wearing one of Gunner’s tee-shirts and one of the few pairs of boxers he owns. Gunner doesn’t wear underwear if he can help it. These are just here if he absolutely needs to wear something under his jeans. Hell, I’m wearing a pair of his sweats because there was no way I was heading to the clubhouse to get clothing to wear tonight. We don’t want to let her out of our sight until we know what’s going on. Even tomorrow when we’re going to have church about what happened tonight.
Gunner and I are hanging out in the living room with a beer in our hands and some movie playing on the TV in front of us. I’m lost in thought and not paying attention to what’s going on. I’m pretty sure Gunner’s not paying attention to anything either. Even though we haven’t touched Layne or talked about things more than the initial conversation when I first moved in with her, I know she’s getting under his skin. It’s almost impossible for a man to be in Layne’s presence for any length of time and not get under his skin. Layne’s hard, smart, sassy when she feels backed into a corner, and isn’t willing to back down when she believes she’s right.
There’s a knock on Gunner’s door, pulling me from the thoughts of Layne. We both grab our guns and make our way over to see who’s here. Looking through the peephole, Gunner puts his gun in the back of his jeans before opening the door. Axel is standing on the doorstep with a ton of bags in his hands. We stand back as Axel, Gunner’s brother makes his way in the house and heads straight for the kitchen to unload everything on the table sitting in the middle of the small breakfast nook.
“How’s she doin’?” Axel asks, starting to pull out food and other items he bought us.
“She’s sleepin’,” I tell him, my voice almost a whisper since my throat is still bothering me.
Axel hands over the cough drops to me and I rip the bag open before popping one in my mouth. Sucking on the medicated drop, I dump the rest of my beer in the sink and rinse out the bottle before tossing it in the bin Gunner has for bottles and shit. Before anyone can say another word, horrific screams fill the air. We all stop what we’re doing before racing toward Gunner’s bedroom where we put Layne earlier since it’s the only bedroom with furniture filling the room.
Pushing off the counter, I race to the hallway where the bedrooms are located and head straight for the door mostly closed at the very end. When I throw the door open, my eyes immediately land on Layne as she tosses and turns in the bed, tangling her body up in the sheet and blankets we covered her with. Gunner’s shirt raises up her body showing her smooth, toned stomach as the boxers ride dangerously low on her body showing the top of her pelvis.
Rushing to the bed, I try to wake Layne up without scaring her more. The only thing I accomplish is forcing her toward the middle of the bed as she continues to scream out and thrash in the blankets. I’m honestly worried she’s going to hurt herself if she doesn’t stop this. Climbing in bed with her at the same time Gunner does on the opposite side of the bed, we wrap our arms around her, and she begins to calm down as we murmur reassuring words to her and let her know we’re in bed with her. We don’t want her to freak out if she wakes up and knows she’s surrounded by the both of us. Layne has no clue we share our women and it’s normal for us. I’m not sure she’s that type of woman.
Axel is standing in the room watching on as I start to cover her back up. I’d try to change her into clothes that fit her, but I don’t want to wake her up. The best thing for her right now is rest and making sure she can get as much as possible until the smoke has completely left her lungs and she’s feeling better. I’m not sure how we’re going to work around court, but we’ll figure it out. Instead, we’ll leave her in Gunner’s clothes for now and in the morning, she can change into something fitting her better. Gunner is a large man, and his clothes make her appear even smaller than she already is.
“Do you guys want me to stay here tonight in case any of you need anythin’?” Axel asks, not walking further in the room as he keeps his voice quiet.
“Yeah. I think we’ll stay here in order to make sure Layne doesn’t have another nightmare like this. It’s not good for her throat. Can you bring in a bottle of water, a Gatorade, and the bag of cough drops? If she wakes up soon, I want to have this shit in here for her,” Gunner asks his brother, keeping his own voice lower than normal.
I lift my head and watch as the young Prospect races from the room to get what his brother asked of him. We need to find out if he got the soup, Jell-O, and pudding for us to eat. We’re supposed to eat soft foods for now, so we don’t hurt our throats any further than they already are. I’ll do whatever I have to in order to make this pain go away as quickly as possible. Axel is back before we know it handing over everything to Gunner. He hands me over a bottle of water and a Gatorade to have until I fall asleep.
“Did you get the soup and the other soft food I asked you to get?” I question Axel.
“Yeah. It’s all in the kitchen. Do you need somethin’ to eat?”
“No, not yet. I’m more concerned about Layne havin’ somethin’ to eat when she wakes up. She went almost all day without anythin’. With the letter she got, she lost her appetite and then locked herself away in her office,” I tell him, not wanting him here to wait on me hand and foot.
Axel is like a younger brother to me. With Gunner being my best friend, I spend a lot of time around his family. Including Charisma now that we know she’s Satan’s sister and Gunner and Axel’s cousin. She’s around the clubhouse more than we ever thought she’d be. The last thing she wants to do is take Grinder away from the club; away from his family. So, she pushes her shyness and being uncomfortable around the club in order to ensure he goes there for more than just church or other club business. Plus, she gets to spend time with her family instead of hiding away at home and making them go there to see her.
At the same time, Axel is a Prospect for the club. He’s used to doing our bidding and running all over the place to get us whatever is needed without us having to ask him. We’re not at the clubhouse and Layne is not club business. At least not for me. She’s a woman I want in my life as my ol’ lady and eventually my wife. Layne will give me babies and we’ll live our life together until we take our last breath. So, while we’re here, Axel doesn’t have to be at our beck and call.
“Go get some rest,” I order him, not wanting him to see Layne in case she has another nightmare.
With a nod of his head, Axel leaves the room, closing the door softly behind him. Gunner turns on the TV to some movie and turns the volume down low as I get comfortable on my side of the bed with Layne in between us. Closing my eyes, Layne places her head on my chest and wraps an arm around my torso. Her legs entwine with Gunner’s even though he still has his jeans on. He’s going to be uncomfortable as fuck tonight sleeping with them on. It’s not long before sleep is claiming me and I let the blackness pull me under with images of Layne filling my head.
Chapter Three
Gunner
LAST NIGHT WAS a clusterfuck of epic proportions. The fire at Layne’s house, Venom and her being transported to the hospital to get checked over, and then moving them into my house. Yeah, I could’ve let Venom take the sexy lawyer back to the clubhouse, but it didn’t feel right. For the first time since seeing Layne walk into the clubhouse to meet with Satan, I’ve seen her hair down and it’s long as fuck. Layne’s hair brushes against the top of her full, delectable ass. Seriously, I want to take a bite out of her ass and land my hand against her pale skin to watch it redden under my palm. Now is not the time for those thoughts though. Especially when she begins having a nightmare, screaming so loud we could hear her in the kitchen of my house as if she were standing right next to us.
There was no thought on my behalf when I climbed in bed next to her on the opposite side of Venom to offer her some comfort and try to get Layne to calm down. I didn’t even have a chance to change out of my jeans before she tangled her legs up with mine. Her head was on Venom’s chest with her arm tossed over his waist while her legs were in between mine. I wasn’t about to risk waking her up just to get my jeans off and be more comfortable. Layne is the one who went through something horrible and needs all the sleep she can get. Venom does to but I know without a doubt he’ll be up most of the night worried about the woman sleeping between us.
Waking up this morning, I find Venom still passed the fuck out as Layne looks between the two of us. Worry, fear, and something else shines from her eyes. I’m not sure if it’s because she’s waking up in bed between us or from everything going on surrounding her. There’s the fire, the notes, and the knowledge someone is after her because of the club and her helping Grinder get off on the false charges. We all know the charges are false and there’s no reason for any of us to be under the scope. Except for a viscous skank who has a vendetta against the club. Women need to realize we’re not their men to use and play against one another in an attempt to become an ol’ lady to one of us.
“You okay sweetheart?” I ask her as she continues to stare up at me with wide eyes.
Her lashes are fanning over her eyes as she blinks up at me while her long, dark hair is spread out over the pillows under her head and over my body. Instead of our legs being tangled together, her head is now cushioned on my arm with her arm thrown over my waist. Layne’s legs are tangled up with Venom’s with his body spooning her from behind. I’m the odd man out in the scenario because these two could have something; a real relationship to build on and make a future together. Not something I’m interested in having. I don’t do relationships and there is no way in hell I’m about to form a relationship with Layne or be the third wheel in a relationship between Venom and Layne.
“I’ve been better,” she says, her voice kind of hoarse and I’m not sure if it’s from the fire or if this is how she sounds when she wakes up in the morning.
There are a few nights I’ve spent at her house with Venom in the last week and a half and Layne is already showered, dressed, and ready to start her day by the time she exits her bedroom. To see her face rumpled with creases from the pillows and our bodies, her eyelids lowered in sleep, and her hair a mess is something I’m sure not many people get to see of her. One impression I get from Layne is she needs people to see her completely put together and wearing her suit of armor. Layne is not someone who is going to let people in very easily. She’s going to keep everyone at arm’s length and only let those in who earn her complete trust.
