Page 39 of Ride or Die (The Shores #1)

CHAPTER

THIRTY-NINE

RIDE OR DIE

LAYLA

Two days have passed, and Colton still hasn’t woken up. The doctor blamed it on the concussion, assuming there must be more damage than he initially thought.

Axel never came back, and neither did any of Colt’s other friends. I am infuriated with them and will remember this when they need us for something. This just reinforces that a life with only Colt is all that matters. Leave all these fucks in the past.

I hop into the shower and get into some comfy clothes I had Williams' goons get for me from the house. The maids bring up meals three times a day, keeping me well-fed, but I don't have an appetite.

All I do is wait.

I’m drying my hair with a towel, staring at the TV, when I hear a groan from the bed. My heart skips a beat and I rush over to Colt to see he’s finally awake, his eyes squinting in the light, looking around the room.

“Babe, I’m here,” I say softly, standing above him, my hand resting on his shoulder.

“Layla?” he murmurs hoarsely, his bruised face scrunching.

“Yes, Colt.” Tears start to fall from my eyes. “Oh my god, I’m so glad you’re awake. I was so scared. I love you, Colt, I love you so much.” I lean over and lay kisses all over his face.

“I love you too,” he whispers against me.

“Let me get you some water.” I rush over to the tray they brought up for breakfast and pour him a glass with a straw. He takes a couple of sips, still trying to wake up.

He looks down at himself as things start to fall into place. “I’m so fucked. Williams is going to lose his shit,” he grumbles, then sighs in frustration.

“Oh my god, have you seen yourself? And that’s what you’re worried about? Colt, you were shot!”

“I know. It was Constantine Torres and his crew. Franky and Williams’ number one competition. I don’t know how they knew we were there. They chased me, shot up the car, and I crashed it.” He tries to move but winces and lets out an exasperated breath, realizing his limitations.

“I just…fuck! What am I going to do?!” he says angrily, looking down at himself again. He lifts his arm, examining his cast, and then winces in pain again. He lets out a deep breath and his eyes meet mine, full of hurt.

“Fuck, Lay, I’m so sorry.” His voice cracks as tears fill his eyes and spill down his cheeks.

Seeing him this way tells me how fucking serious this is.

He’s worried about the consequences of crashing a three-hundred-thousand-dollar car.

Car chase or not, Colt was the one driving who didn’t get away.

You either pay the debt or you’re dead.

“It's okay, Colt. We’ll figure it out,” I reassure him while I caress his cheek, wiping his tears with my thumb. I swallow the hard lump in my throat, refusing to let myself cry any more.

I have to be strong for us.

“We’re at his place now. He hasn’t said anything yet, but I’m sure something is coming. We can’t worry about that until we see what he presents,” I say, and Colt pushes his head back into the pillow, growling at himself.

“I’m so fucking sorry, Layla. I brought you into this, and now, like right into it. I should have finished this long ago. I let you down. I can’t believe I fucked this up!” he says angrily, his poor bruised and cut face looking over at me with remorse.

I kiss his lips gently and brush his thick hair out of his face as more tears fall from his eyes.

Watching him like this is gut-wrenching.

He’s normally so strong. Everything he does is so calculated and this derails everything in his plans.

I know it infuriates him. I know he feels like he’s disappointed me.

“Colt. I know you are, but honestly, I don’t even care right now.

I’m just happy you’re okay. Seeing all that blood in the car…

I thought you were dead. You’ve been out cold for two days.

I was so worried you wouldn’t wake up. I’m just thankful you’re fine and in my life at all.

I don’t know why you chose me, but even in this shit, I don’t regret a thing with you.

I fucking love you. All of you. Flaws and all, we will get through this.

Together.” Another tear slides down his cheek, and he gives me a gentle smile.

“I’m the luckiest son of a bitch alive to have you.”

I cup his cheek again. “I know.” We both crack up, but poor Colt winces in pain.

“Seriously though, I am. The fact you put up with a piece of shit like me. I promise when I’m better, I’m going to do good by you. Give you the life you deserve. What do you think about Hawaii? Open a little beach bar.” He gives me a small smile, rubbing my cheek with his left hand.

“That sounds amazing,” I say quietly. We sit here staring at one another, our moment interrupted by two knocks and the door opening.

“Good morning, I’m here to check in,” the doctor says, walking in and taking notice of Colt. “Ah! Glad to see you awake, son.” A nurse follows him in, and I watch what she does to learn how to clean the wounds and change the bandages.

The doctor checks his vitals and does some neurological tests. He gives us a bottle of pain meds and tells us we can go home. We just have to come back in three weeks to check the wrist and six weeks for the leg, and call if there are any questions or changes.

The nurse goes over everything else I need to do, including signs of infection to look for, how to wash him and move him. I figured I’d do this when we’re old, but here we are a few months in, and I am Colt’s caregiver.

While we wait for Axel and Drai, Colt falls back asleep, and I email my professors to inform them of the situation. Thankfully, they approve me to do some of the classes and assignments from home.

A firm knock at the door startles me from my task, and I get up from the desk, opening to see Williams standing there. He gestures for me to follow him and leads me down the hallway to a door closer to the stairs.

I follow Williams, the walk feeling long and full of doom.

When we reach the end of the hall, he opens a door, ushering me into an office.

He rounds the large desk and sits, indicating for me to take a seat across from him.

Swallowing hard, I sit on the edge of the chair, knowing this is the conversation I’ve been dreading.

His hands clasp in front of his face, his index fingers tapping together as he sits there staring, examining me.

“So, Hawthorne owes me a car, plus a couple more.” He gets right to the point, and I shift uncomfortably. “Clearly he is incapacitated at this time, so you will have to figure something out.” My eyes widen, and I can’t help but chuckle and shake my head.

“Me? You can’t be serious.” I point at myself. “I know nothing about this field of work. I don’t steal cars, I’ll just get caught.” He smirks and leans back in his chair, putting his feet up on the desk.

“You’re dating Colton Hawthorne. I know he’s been teaching you how to race.

I know he’s teaching you how to fight, and what you did to Nate Campbell…

you’re just the person I’m looking for. You’ve got spunk, kid, and I like that.

Plus, my team needs diversity.” He chuckles as I stare at him in shock.

He can’t be serious, can he?

“Figure something out with Axel. But he still owes me those cars. It’s almost a million dollars on the line in his contract.

If you want out when you’re done with college, it needs to be delivered whether it be from him or you, and right now he’s not capable of driving,” he says like the smug motherfucker he is.

“Why can’t Axel do it for us and I help him?”

He scoffs and takes his feet off the desk, sitting up straight.

“Because Axel is an idiot. He’s a degenerate drug-addicted gambler.

Hawthorne is the brains behind the operations and he delivers the merchandise.

I know all about you, Layla. I know how smart you are, and I know you’ve been doing the quarter-mile races and doing really well at them.

You are the next best candidate. I just fucking love that I’ve got my own little Bonnie and Clyde couple on staff.

” A devilish grin curls on his lips, and revulsion knots in my stomach.

The blood drains in my face when I realize the magnitude of the situation. All the pressure is on me, and I’m not sure I can pull it off. I feel nauseated, and my mouth goes dry.

“I-I c-can’t do this. You must have other drivers in the meantime. We can stay longer if it means Colt can do the jobs when he’s better.” My voice is hoarse and cracked. His face turns angry as he places a gun on the desk pointed at me. He’s not touching it but the message is there.

He stands up behind his desk, leaning onto his fists.

“I don’t negotiate with my drivers’ bitches!

You can and you will do this, or your boy, he’s fucking dead!

He made a business deal when he signed a fucking contract with me!

He crashed a three-hundred-thousand-dollar car, he lost me a lot of fucking money!

” he screams as he slams his fists down, making me jump.

“He owes me the cars or his life. So are you going to help him? Or are you going to let your lover boy die? Because let me tell you, Layla, I can make it happen. Like that.” He snaps his fingers and raises his eyebrows at me as he resumes his position in the chair.

I swallow over the lump forming in my throat, and a hundred ideas of how to get out of this run through my mind.

“And if you try to run, I will find you. I’ve got people all over the country.

My reach is powerful and extends farther than you can even imagine, Miss White.

It’s just a matter of time before we figure out where you are, and when we do, I’ll kill you both.

No one fucking betrays me. You ask Hawthorne yourself.

He knows what I’m capable of doing,” he adds, staring me down as he awaits my response.

Is this really happening? Is he making me choose car theft for Colton’s life? For our lives? Like I have any other choice. Despite trying to avoid this side of The Shores for as long as I have, here I am being dragged into it. But not for money or the need to escape.

No, I’m doing this for love.

If the good girl is going to officially cross over to the dark side, of course it’s going to be for motherfucking love.

Jesus, my life is a cliche. And I’d do it over and over again to have Colton Hawthorne by my side.

“And if I get it done, you let us walk. We just want to start a new life. We don’t want any trouble.”

He shakes his head and chuckles.

“Ah, young love. I was stupid and in love once.” His eyes flick away for a moment as if he’s remembering a time when he knew what it was to have what we have.

“But yes. You get this done, the contract is finished and you’re out. You have my word, and I’m a man of my word.” He puts his hand out to shake. My brows furrow, suspicious of his easy agreement, but I take his hand and sit back, taking a deep breath.

“Okay. Tell me how it works.” That sinister grin stretches across his face again as he explains everything. He tells me about the research and intel, and the plans that go into play to pull off the thefts seamlessly and completely under the radar.

What he has put into this car theft operation really is a work of art.

Private investigators watch the target’s habits for weeks, then they tap phone lines and access computers remotely.

Based on their routines, the drive teams put a plan in place for the best opportunity to steal the car when it’s least likely to be noticed.

The goal is to get the car into the shipping container before it's reported stolen.

How he chooses his targets remains to be seen. I’m too low in the chain to be privy to that information, but he pays his workers well and they do just about anything for him.

This guy has all sorts of connections. He doesn’t need to tell me that his hand is involved in many different things. He is a true businessman who seems to have thought of everything, and it’s paid off for him.

I leave Williams’ office feeling weak and overwhelmed. As I close the door behind me, I lean against the wall. Rolling my head back and forth with my eyes closed as I try to figure out how all of this is going to work.

I need to take Colton’s car out and practice driving.

As I’m trying to calm down in the hallway, Axel and Drai come up the stairs.

“Hey, Layla, we’re here to take him home.”

“Nice to finally see you,” I say with a snarky tone as I lead the way, still in shock.

I watch as they help Colt into a wheelchair, down the stairs and into the car, and then the same process back as his place.

I carry his crutches and meds behind the boys as they maneuver him.

Colt has so much shame on his face, needing help from the guys, but he doesn’t understand how fucked up he looks.

Once I get him settled and cleaned up, I let him sleep for a while, making us some pasta while I contemplate how to do all of this. Colt is dozing in and out, which I’m grateful for because he hasn’t picked up on my mood yet. I know it won't go over well when I finally tell him what I have to do.

Walking over to the window, I look out at the light snowfall and sigh, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

Layla: Axel. We need to meet. I’ve been hired and I need your help. Colt needs your help.

Ax: You know I’ll help you. We will get him out of this, I promise.

Layla: Thanks, Ax.

I crawl back into bed and stare at the roof.

It doesn’t matter that I'm nervous or angry or sad. What matters is I have to buck up and be the bad bitch I need to be for my man. He needs me, and it will all work out for us. Life is full of challenges, ours is absolutely fucked up, but I’m smart, I can learn this and master it like I do everything else.

I have to steal these cars. It’s not even a question, there is no choice. I have to do this for Colt, and I have to do it for myself. It's time to prove I'm the bad bitch that I am. It's time to Ride or Die.