Page 76 of Forbidden

“I can’t go,” I said firmly and sat up in my chair. “With the threat of Rex or not, I’m not leaving.”

Cyrus’s and Mum’s head snapped to look at me in disbelief.

“But you always said if it happened you were gone.” Cyrus reminded me of something I had said once when I was having nightmares about Rex getting out.

“And you said we don’t run from nightmares, we create them.” I repeated the words he said to me back to him and a slight smile spread across his face.

“You really are my daughter,” he said proudly. “Regardless, I’m putting a hit on his head.”

“No man that values life will take that hit.” Mum shook her head and looked at me. “You sure you want to stay? I’m sure he has tracks on Cyrus and knows where we are.”

I was going to face my biggest nightmare. The nightmare that would have me too scared to sleep.

I swallowed sharply. “If he comes, then I’ll tell him face to face he isn’t my father.” I looked at Cyrus. “He never was.”

And that was the truth. Because a man like Rex didn’t know love. If anything, he was the walking devil on earth. A heartless cold beast. If he loved me, he would have stopped killing. If he really loved me, he would have ended that side of his life when I was born.

Because surely he knew that that type of life—killing people for sport—would cost him me.

He picked killing strangers over being there for his daughter. And he thought he loved me! I would always feel bitterness and the familiar pain of disappointment when I thought about his actions.

If he really loved me, he would have stopped living that life. Then again, how could I expect a man to change who he is, regardless of whether he loved me or not?

And some people think they have problems... I picked up my phone and stood up.

“I’m going to get some more sleep. This is settled, right?” I asked Mum and Cyrus.

“You know I won’t let him hurt you. Not while I’m breathing,” Cyrus said, looking at me with a deadly serious expression. “The day I stop protecting you is the day I stop breathing. And even then you will be protected by the brotherhood, I’ll make sure of it.” Cyrus stood up. “If that means you have to live under the brotherhood’s protection to keep him away, then you will do it, right Layla?”

Cyrus was actually expecting his brotherhood, the club he lives and breathes, to protect me? Why would men who I didn’t know or know me put their life on the line for me? I didn’t even expect the members who did know and care somewhat for me to protect me.

“I don’t expect you or the club to protect me. At the end of the day, it’s my problem.” I paused in the dining room. “I love you, Dad, but Rex is my problem.”

“That’s where you are wrong, sweetheart. He is my problem. If you are staying, then you let me handle him. Don’t do something stupid by going to him to protect us from him or something, Layla. I mean it.” Cyrus looked at me, more determined. “If it reaches a stage where I can’t keep him away from you, then I will have you boarded and bound at our mother charter back in our home state where he won’t even be able to get in the city without getting fired at.”

I was taken aback by that. “What, you expect me to live the rest of my life at a clubhouse in another state?” Surely he couldn’t be serious.

“I want my daughter breathing and protected. So, yes.”

My mouth dropped open. “Cyrus, that is no way to live a life!”

“Well then, you better start praying that I am enough to keep him away. Cause as soon as I think he’s getting around me, you’re going to be shipped off.” Cyrus showed me the side he normally only showed his members: authority. “I will keep you breathing, Layla. That I promise you.”

I didn’t know what to say. Do I thank him? But at the same time, I’ve never wanted to live a life like that! Bound and locked up from the world! I think I’d rather be dead than shut off from the world because at least in death you’re at peace. Not trapped.

“I guess we will discuss it when the day comes,” I said and I knew then when that day came I wouldn’t be going to the mother charter. I would, however, run. I’d be running from Cyrus’s idea of what my life would look like, and what Rex wanted.

I thought about it. Hopefully when that time came, Hannah would be okay by herself. By that point, we would have faced the breast cancer and we would have won. Rex didn’t have a date yet, so I knew I still had months.

By time the appeal happened and all that, I would still have time.

Which meant I could keep my promise to Hannah, and if Rex did get released before Hannah recovered, well, he would have to kill me to separate me from her. I wasn’t leaving Hannah to face this alone, especially when she was more determined than ever to not let her family know.

I think she’d rather die in palliative care by herself than have her family knowing. In fact, some days I think that was exactly what she was thinking. Like she’d lose this fight and she’d never let her family know that she was fighting a battle to begin with until she had lost it.

Some days she really scared me. The situation we were facing really scared me. But then I would pick myself back up and not let her see the fear I felt. Because if she thought I thought we were losing, how was that going to give her faith?

At the end of the day, Hannah came first. My promise to her came first, which meant, with a threat of Rex or not, I would not be leaving town.

I would support her. I would be there for every appointment. And I’d be there when she finally received the good news or bad news in seven weeks. No matter what.

---