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“Memph, please stop pacing. I’m getting sick watching you,” Cara whimpers from Xav’s arms. He’s been trying to comfort her on the couch, and I stop. She has been crying off and on since Lay walked out the door. That was ten hours ago. We’re supposed to be having a press release and then getting on a plane to Paris, but I’m not going anywhere. Connor walks into the room shaking his head. He had called my mom and Harry to see if Lay was there.
“Okay bro, I think we need to call Jase. He knows him better than we do. I know what happened was fucked up and what Penny pulled was disgusting, but Jase loves Layton. He needs to be here,” Xavier pleads and I give in.
“Yeah, call him.”
We wait thirty minutes for East and Jase to arrive, and I shut the door to the bedroom. I’m worried about Cara. She’s supposed to be staying calm and quiet. At this point she may not be able to finish the tour if the doctor says no. I rub my eyes and groan. I can’t think of that right now. I need to find my guy.
“When did he leave?” Jase asks me the second Connor lets him in the door. I shuffle over to the kitchen and pull out a bottle of scotch. I don’t bother with a glass as I move over to my chair in the living room. I unscrew the cap then take a sip ignoring the eyes on me. These past few weeks have been the hardest of my life. I’m scared. I’m fucking terrified about so many things and I'm struggling to keep my shit together.
“He took off around eight this morning. Said he had to call someone. We didn’t think anything of it until around ten,” I mutter and he gives me a nod.
“Is there a carnival or amusement park around here? Or even just a place with a carousel?” Jase asks and I shrug. I may live here but I’m barely home. I haven’t had a chance to really explore much.
“Yeah, there’s an outdoor carousel about fifteen minutes from here,” Xavier says, and Jase sighs.
“That’s where he is then. His mother used to sneak him out on Saturday afternoons to a small mall that had a carousel. His dad would be out banging his secretary. He once told me it was one of the best days of his week. She’d let him get all clean and wear clothes that didn’t have stains or holes in them. She’d buy him a milkshake on the way home.” He sighs and I take another gulp of the burning liquid. Him replaying Layton’s past and trauma is like a bowling ball to the gut. I never got Saturday afternoons like that, but my mom would take me out to the park to play every Tuesday as she would talk to the local pastor. I tremble and a small hand rubs my shoulder. I grip her wrist and gently tug her on my lap.
“I thought you were resting,” I mumble into her neck and she shakes her head with a sigh. I pull away and look into her blue eyes. She is so strong but the exhaustion and stress of the unknown is starting to show. “You need to rest, shortcake. You need to take care of yourself and our little girl.”
She gives me a soft kiss then pulls away and looks out at the room. “A lot has happened since yesterday morning and I still need some time to process things, but Lay comes first. East and Jase, I need you to go to the store and pick up the ingredients for Lay’s favorite cookies and a bunch of snacks. Xavier and Con, can you move all the beds from the bedrooms and place them out here by the fireplace, then get the bedding from the hall closet? Memphis we need to cancel the flight.”
“Already done, shortcake.”
She shivers and I wrap a throw blanket over her shoulders, with a frown. It’s eighty degrees in here. The guys all nod and start to talk but I ignore them. She turns to look at me and I can see the love in her eyes.
“Let’s go get our guy.”
Carson
Jeeves pulls us up to a small playground and I immediately spot my missing piece. My sad, broken boy. Memphis helps me from the car and I shuffle over.
“Can I have a minute?” He gives me a nod and steps back as I continue my waddle across the wood chips to a small carousel. He doesn’t look up but I know he feels me here.
“How did you find me?” he says so quietly I fight to hear him. I wiggle into the space beside him and he smiles, pulling me close.Well that’s a good sign.I spin as best I can and hold his cheeks in the palms of my hands, resting my forehead against his.
“You scared me, Lay,” I whisper and he kisses me softly.
“I’m sorry,” he breathes against my lips then pulls back, glancing over his shoulder to Memphis. “I needed a few minutes to think,” he mutters and I snort, smacking him on the back of the head.
“You were gone for hours, Layton! We didn’t know where the fuck you were. You could have left a note or texted someone. I understand the need for some time alone, but that was not nice,” I snap and he winces. Tears are running down my face, but they are angry tears. Memphis comes over and pulls me into his arms.
“Shh, baby, you need to calm down.” I take some deep breaths in but I still feel the anxiety and fear rushing through me. I nod and he lets me go, taking my seat. I turn and walk back to the car. Now that I know Lay is okay it’s time I had a chat with some other idiotic boys.
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I finish up the cookies and East stomps over to me. I’ve been ignoring the guys since I got home. I needed some time to calm down before I went all momzilla on their asses. I know they deserve it, but I need to keep my heart rate calm and Dallas safe.
“Can we talk?” he grunts and I shrug, shutting the door to the oven. I set the timer then move over to the sink to wash my hands. He comes up behind me and presses me into the counter. I lift on my tip-toes careful not to squish Dallas when he bends over me, whispering in my ear. My body is on fire just from his touch and I know my panties are a mess. “We need to have a serious talk with you. I know you're pissed. I get it and I deserve it, but Cara I am not going anywhere.” He shifts his hips and his hard dick rubs against my ass making me whimper, biting my earlobe before he kisses down my neck, making my head spin. The front door slams shut and pulls me from my lust filled thoughts. Stepping back he groans and I spin, slapping him hard against the cheek. He looks shocked, but I don’t care. I yank his hair in my palm and pull his face to mine.
“I swear to my mama, Easton Hawthorne, this is your last chance,” I growl before dominating his mouth with mine. I nip. I suck. I take control and he lets me. He grips my hips and lifts me onto the counter, pulling my leggings down my thighs. I wrap my legs around his waist and let him feel how wet I am. I pull away from his mouth panting and he gazes into my eyes with heat but also adoration and love. He opens his mouth to say something but I’m not ready for that. I release his hair and run my hands down until reaching his nipples. I give his piercings a strong tug and he yelps. I smile into his kiss and he growls, gripping my ass harder, pulling me closer to him.
When he starts to unbutton his pants, I push him away with a wink and laugh, then try and hop off the counter.
“That was not nice,” he groans, then helps me to my feet. I shrug as I pull up my leggings and move to check on the cookies.
“Those need to be out in five minutes,” I mutter, then turn and leave the kitchen. I need a shower after that.
I quickly wash myself and change then go back to the living room. Xavier and Connor did a great job getting the beds set up. After everything Lay pulled today, I need all the guys close to me. I may still be hurt, confused and upset, but I need to make sure they are safe and in my sights.
