Page 45 of Ride or Die (The Shores #1)
CHAPTER
FORTY-FIVE
THREAT
LAYLA
After Colt’s arm cast was removed, he finally returned to classes on campus. Like old times, we went to our lecture and worked on our papers together. But since Colt is still healing, he falls asleep early while I continue studying at the desk in front of the window for a couple of hours.
Something catches my eye in the front yard, and I freeze.
Squinting, I spot a figure lurking in the shadows.
We have been told people want us dead, so I turn off the light and stand up, leaning closer to the window to see what they are doing.
A second later, the figure steps into the streetlight, and I see who it is.
Simone.
I grab my knife and head downstairs. I’ve had enough of this fucking bitch. So much for being a sister. She’s a persistent little needy fuck who’s throwing a tantrum because she didn’t get her way. And now it's time I put her in her place.
Tiptoeing downstairs, I listen as she tries to break into the garage. With a silent push, I slip out the back door of the house, planning to catch her off guard.
Quietly moving along the side of the house, I hear the garage door open. When I round the corner, I poke my head in to see her moving the car lift, a headlamp strapped around her head. She positions the lift on one side, pumping the car up bit by bit.
What in the fuck is she doing? Is she going to tamper with his car? The car I’m currently driving because my boyfriend is incapacitated?
She is such a psychotic bitch.
I'm getting really fucking sick and tired of these assholes coming into Colt’s house with their attempts to try and fuck with us as we mind our own business.
Simone gets the car half lifted and positions the creeper. It’s then I see her grab a tool from the workbench. Is she going to cut the brake line?
As she bends over, getting ready to sit on the creeper, I sneak up behind her.
Before she has time to react, I swiftly grab her arm and yank her up, twisting both arms behind her.
She yelps out in pain as I pull them just enough to aggravate the nerve clusters in her shoulders, elbows, and wrists, rendering her useless.
“What in the fuck are you doing, Simone?” I ask with hate on my tongue. I shove her forward against the workbench, pinning her there. She starts to laugh as I grab a zip tie from the bench and tie her wrists together.
“Layla?” She laughs so hard it sounds maniacal. I turn her to face me and place my knife up to her throat, scowling at her stupid fucking face.
There is something cathartic about holding others at knifepoint after what Bruce did to me.
Maybe Constantine was right. Maybe there’s been a badass within me this whole time that I was holding hostage in an attempt to break free of this place.
Because these days, it’s starting to seem more and more like this is who I really am.
“Look what we have here, the good girl holding a knife to her precious sister’s throat!” She continues laughing in disbelief, shaking her head at the sight before her.
“The ole lady of The Colton Hawthorne, taking over the world.” Her eyes flare as she antagonizes me. “I never thought I’d see the day.” She starts to calm down, but still doesn’t answer my question.
"Answer the fucking question! What are you doing here?!" I yell, but she still says nothing, she just smiles. She's getting under my skin and she knows it, so I push the blade tighter, just breaking the skin. But she doesn't flinch, not even a twitch of her lip.
"Come on, Layla, you don't scare me." She tilts her head.
“I'm sick of this shit. You’re a lazy bitch who’s jealous that Colton didn’t choose you. You’re fucking obsessed with him, and it needs to stop. I’m a different girl now, Simone. I work for Williams. I’m not one to fuck with.”
Pressing the blade tighter against her delicate neck, my body continues to hold her in place. I’m fucking wild with rage right now that this bitch tried to tamper with Colt's car to injure me. She stares me down, her eyes never wavering, never showing an ounce of fear.
What the fuck has this girl seen?
“Oh, little Layla. I just love how you’ve blossomed.
Looks like you’re no better than the rest of us after all.
You a big tough girl now?” She gives me a pouty look before she continues.
“None of this shit will ever stop. You’ve got a huge fucking target on your back now that you’re involved with Colt and Williams. You really think I’m here tonight because of petty jealousy over a guy?
You’re sadly mistaken. I couldn’t give two fucks about Colton.
People want you out of the picture, so watch your fucking back,” she spits out.
"Who the fuck wants us out of the picture? You're not the first person to say that."
"If I tell you that, then I'm fucking done for. So, no thanks," she says in a snarky tone. "Let's just say I was sent here. Consider yourself lucky it was me and not someone else."
“If you or anyone else comes around again, I’ll hurt you.
I have no attachments to you except blood, Simone.
I’ve come to realize we were never sisters or friends at all.
You spent your entire life reassuring me how small and insignificant I was, and it was your mission to make sure I remained a nobody.
Family, friends, they don’t do that.” I purse my lips and shake my head.
“Colt on the other hand.” My expression gets cocky, ready to rub it in.
“He builds me up, reminds me every day how perfect I am. Tells me while he fucks me over and over, saying he’s going to put a baby in me one day.
Mmm, can you imagine how beautiful our babies will be?
” Now I’m the one with the devilish grin.
“But you, Simone, you’ll get what’s coming to you working for Franky, pulling shit like this. ”
She keeps her head held high in defiance, maintaining her tough girl front. She’s stubborn, I’ll give her that much.
“If you're not careful, you'll get what's coming to you too, Layla. God, I’ve always hated you. You think you're so fucking perfect, think you did nobody wrong. You weren’t a good sister, either,” she seethes, glaring hatefully at me.
“I fucking hate you too. I run shit now, Simone. Stay the fuck away from us.” I pull her to the front of the garage and cut the zip tie, shoving her into the yard. She stumbles and starts to walk away but stops and looks back at me.
“Little Layla, you don’t run shit. Guess you will find out the hard way. Watch your back.” She eyes me up and down, then turns and walks away.
I swallow the anxious lump in my throat.
As much as I make fun of her for putting up a tough girl front, that’s exactly what I’m doing.
This is the second time we have been warned by enemies that people are out for us.
I have worked hard training to deal with this shit, but it doesn’t stop the nerves that fill my belly.
If she's not lying, who sent Simone after us?
Thursday rolls around and it’s time to pull off the Aston Martin job.
Axel has already parked the Corolla in an alley across the street and is starting his hack on the security system to this conference center where the car is set to be on display at a car show.
As long as the hack goes smoothly, tonight should be fairly easy.
We wait until midnight, watching the evening crew leave out the delivery bay door and head to their cars before I get ready to get into position.
“Okay, security is doing their rounds on the other side of the building, and everything is offline. You ready, Layla? We’ve got seven minutes tops.” He looks over at me as he opens his door. I nod and do the same.
Even though I have no proof, I’m wary of Axel since I found out the drugs went missing after Colt's accident. I am hoping that he doesn't fuck me over for his own selfish gain.
We’re both wearing all black with hats on so we can blend into the shadows. The streets in the convention district are quiet except for the occasional dump truck or street sweeper as we run sneakily down alleys and backstreets.
My heart is thundering in my chest, my pulse pounding in my ears. I’m laser-focused as my adrenaline takes over, making me feel invincible. When we find the back door, Axel uses a crowbar to force it open, keeping our backs to the cameras just to be safe.
“We have five minutes until the cameras reboot. We gotta move quickly,” he whispers.
I nod and we silently move through the convention center to the display where the beautiful car is parked.
Having studied the architectural drawings, we know exactly where to go.
He throws me the fob, then changes out the plates, and I get into the car.
When he’s done, Axel hops into the passenger side as I press the ignition button. The car rumbles to life beneath us.
"Three minutes," he says panting as I put the car in drive. We maneuver through the convention center hallways the same way they brought this car in until we reach the delivery bay.
"One minute." Axel hops out of the car, opening the doors for me. He waves me through, then runs after the car, hopping back in as we pull out onto the street.
I drive us back to the alley where we left the car and drop him off at the Corolla before leaving the city.
My sweaty palms stick to the leather steering wheel as I look around for any sign of danger.
Like a good girl, I stick to the speed limits and follow all of the rules of the road, and Axel follows closely behind.
We navigate the quiet city streets seamlessly and make our way onto the freeway for the forty-minute drive to the docks.
My heart thrashes against my ribcage the entire time.
Never has a drive felt so long in my life.
Relief fills me as we enter the docks and see the crews working, directing me where to go. As always, Williams is there waiting with a huge smile on his face and two envelopes, one for each of us.
My hands shake with excitement and nerves as I drive the car into the shipping container. When I exit, Williams approaches me as I head towards the Corolla. He puts the envelopes under his armpit, claps his hands, and then rubs them together.
“What a thrill, eh?! I must say, Layla, I love seeing a beautiful girl like you drive these cars in here. It looks good on you! Wish I could hire you full-time.” He smiles widely, beaming as he hands me the envelopes of cash.
“What drugs did I steal tonight?” I sass and it makes him smile. “You got us for one more job, Williams. Make it a good one,” I say blandly as I walk past him.
“That’s just another reason why I love ya, sweetheart! You know how to do business!” he calls after me. I wave at him without looking back and get into the Corolla, slamming the door shut and throwing the envelope onto Axel’s lap.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here.” He gives me his usual shit-eating grin and we head out.
I hate to admit it, but I’m loving the power position I sit in. Just by knowing Colt, my confidence has skyrocketed. I mean, I just chatted with a mob boss and didn’t even flinch. Old Layla would have been terrified.
Let’s just hope we can get out of here before this bad girl loves the thrill too much, and we end up trapped in The Shores forever.