Page 15 of Light in Your Eyes (Romero Brothers #1)

Layla

I hear the door being knocked, and once I open it, I am greeted by a girl.

She looks about the same age as me. She has shoulder-length brown hair and pretty green eyes.

She smiles at me, and I can already feel her kindness.

When I see the tray of food she's holding, I quickly open the door wider to let her in. I watch as she places the tray on Kellan's desk.

"Thank you so much." I approach her, grateful that she did come to bring me food.

I'm expecting her to say something back, but then she points at the door, as though she's trying to tell me that she still has something else for me. A moment later, she drags my suitcase into the room, and huge relief washes over me. I feel like I can burst into tears.

I was worried that I had lost my belongings.

"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me." I want to hug her, and since she doesn't show any reluctance, I wrap my arms around her .

When I pull away, I see the same happiness skating on her face. This girl seems like a genuine person. I feel like I can be her friend.

"Did Kellan tell you about this?" I ask.

The answer is obvious, but I just want to hear it from her. She only nods, and I assume that she's not a talkative person.

"I'm Layla, by the way." I stretch my arm for a handshake, which she accepts. "And you are?" I raise my eyebrows.

To my surprise, instead of answering my question, she pulls out a pile of small notepapers and a pen from her pants pocket. My curiosity kicks in as she starts writing something. When she shows me what it is, my heart sinks.

I'm Zoe. Nice to meet you, Layla.

I'm mute, by the way. I can't talk. I hope you don't mind talking to me like this.

I shake my head and smile. "Of course. I'm so happy to meet you, Zoe. Thank you for helping me out."

To answer your question, yes, Kellan did tell me to do these things for you.

Honestly, it's rare to see him do something like this.

"Is he a nice person?" I ask. "Please be honest."

Zoe shakes her head in amusement.

Sometimes he acts like a pain in the ass, but he's actually a good person. Don't worry .

I let out a sigh of relief. Talking to Zoe is already making me much calmer. I need someone like her in a place like this.

"My job is to take care of him," I say. "But he doesn't let me."

A frown touches her lips.

Why?

"I don't know." I shrug. "I'm pretty sure that he found me annoying."

This time, Zoe shakes her head in disagreement.

Don't let that get into your head. Please don't give up. I think he needs someone like you. Just let me know if I can help you with anything.

There's so much more I want to hear from her about her sentence, but I decide to focus on one point first.

"I really appreciate your help," I say. "Can you tell me more about him and this place? He's blind. How does he usually get help around here?"

With enthusiasm, Zoe writes me, and her answers are long.

Kellan has been living here since he was born.

He lost his eyesight when he was only nine years old in a car crash that killed his parents and his sister.

After that, he changed into someone who was always angry.

Many people saw him, and still see him, as a lost cause because none of them knows him better.

He's traumatized, and not many people can understand that.

Please don't give up on him. Behind his harsh exterior is a kind and caring person.

As for his daily needs, he usually takes his meals in his room unless he wants to eat in the kitchen occasionally.

All Black Wings members do their laundry by themselves, but that doesn't apply to Kellan. My father does that for him.

I ponder in thought. Zoe's father might not have to do that anymore because it's now my job.

Curiosity builds up inside me. "I'm sorry for asking this, but what does your father do? And what about you? In which part of the house do you two live?"

It's very tempting for me to sleep in her place. It sounds better than here, on the same bed with Kellan. But I don't want to barge into her privacy—I just met her.

My father is a tattoo artist. He does the tattoo for Black Wings leaders and members. Sometimes, I help him with that.

We live in the basement, but not the one where the boxing ring is. It's another basement.

I can't help but give her another hug. "Thank you for coming here. I hope we can be good friends."

She smiles sweetly, returning my hug. Then she writes again on another note.

Of course :)

I have to go help my father again now. Before I go, there's something else I want to give you.

I frown, wondering what it is. Zoe reaches for something in the other pocket of her pants. My eyes widen as she hands me a phone. It's not mine, but it looks brand new.

I read a note from her.

This is from Jaxon. He'll call you.

I'm sorry that your phone was taken. Black Wings members are not supposed to have personal phones other than the ones given by their leaders, and not everyone in here can have them.

I take the phone from her. "Thank you."

I'm glad that I can finally talk to Jaxon. I never expected that I would be shoved into this kind of dangerous environment when I first accepted this job. Hopefully, Jaxon can give me an explanation.

My heart leaps with delight as I think that I can talk to Nana and Archer again. I remember Archer's number, so even though I don't have my phone with me anymore, I can still call them by using this phone from Jaxon.

Zoe writes to me again.

I'll see you again.

I nod as she gives me another reassuring smile. She excuses herself, steps out of the room, and closes the door.

I plop myself on the bed, going through my new phone with excitement. I know that everything I do with this phone —all my calls and all my messages—may be tracked by Black Wings, but I don't care.

I proceed with setting up the phone first, including putting my fingerprint and passcode for security.

I know that they can do anything, but this is just for precaution in case the horrible guys out there suddenly want to take it again.

The thought of them harassing me still makes me think twice before going out of this room.

My heart sinks as I realize all over again that I am no more than a prisoner here.

Just as I'm about to dial Archer's number, the phone rings. I stare blankly at the unknown number showing on the screen, wondering if it's Jaxon.

I swallow, answering the call. "Hello?"

"Layla," a man's voice echoes in my ear.

It's Jaxon.

I have so many questions in my head that I don't even know what I should say to him. Before I can make up my mind, Jaxon is already speaking again.

"I may not have enough time because I'm in a hurry, but I have to talk to you about Kellan.

" I can hear the sound of people speaking in the background distinctly, so I'm guessing that he's in a public space but currently excusing himself to make this call.

"How is he?" he asks, concern in his voice. "How is my brother?"

I want to say that Kellan is being a pain in the ass, but then, I decide to choose the words wisely. I'm talking to the first heir, the King of Black Wings.

"To be honest," I begin. "He's a difficult person. Did you even tell him that I was going to be his caregiver? Because it didn't seem like he agreed to it. "

Jaxon sighs and curses. "I had no other choice. He's pulling away from me, and I just want to know that he's okay. He needs someone to take care of him, no matter how hard it is for him to admit that."

I remember very clearly that Kellan hated to feel that he was incapable. That was why he told me to get lost.

"I know that you paid me in full amount, but I don't think that I can—"

"Listen to me," he cuts me off. "I don't care about the money. You don't even have to return it should anything happen before the contract ends."

Jaxon sounds pissed, and it makes me think twice before crossing him again.

"My brother has been in agony since he lost his eyesight," Jaxon says. "And the surrounding environment—that fucking house—is not good enough for him to heal. There are only a few people I can trust there, and they cannot give him the help that I want."

I listen intently, sensing that what he's about to say is going to be important.

"Kellan is constantly angry with everything, but mostly with what happened to him.

I don't think that he'll ever accept the fact that he's blind," Jaxon says heartbreakingly, I can almost feel the pain myself.

"He's angry that he can't be normal. He thinks that he's incapable, which is far from the truth.

I always knew that he had a protective nature since he was a kid, so I taught him martial arts.

It helped him a lot. He learned so hard.

I taught him, and I taught him, until he became even better than I was. "

Jaxon sounds like he's speaking through gritted teeth, like it hurts him to the core that his brother is suffering .

"Right now, he can fight better than me, and I can't be prouder of that. But it's not enough."

I swallow, waiting for him to say more.

"He doesn't let go of the grudge inside him, and he always thinks less of himself. Waiting for him to fall apart is like a ticking time bomb. I don't want to lose my brother," he emphasizes every word of the last sentence.

I hear the sound of a gunshot from the other side of the line, and my heart almost stops. Shouts are ringing, and someone tells Jaxon to leave the place.

"Shit," Jaxon curses in a low voice.

It sounds like chaos over there. People are screaming. Someone is crying. More gunshot sounds are heard.

"I have to go," Jaxon says. "Please stay with Kellan.

Help him see that he's not the person he thinks he is.

You have a family who went through a similar experience, and you fucking know how I feel.

Just bring his light back. Bring my brother back.

" Another curse, and just like that, the call abruptly ends.

My heart is racing, and I realize that I've been panting. I don't know what is happening with Jaxon right now, but I hope that he makes it out alive. He's the only one who can help me out of this place.

While I'm trying to compose myself, I ball my fist tightly. I can't back down now. I have a family that I have to return to, so I'm going to nail this job, whatever happens.

Because Jaxon Romero doesn't want me to give up on his brother.