made her feel that way.
‘Now I’m sore,’ she complained mildly.
‘I’m not,’ said Max, and she thumped him.
‘I have to get off this bed while I can still walk,’ she moaned, not wanting to.
She just wanted to lie there with him, to cling on to the dream. That they were lovers. That he wasn’t a jealous maniac. That there wasn’t danger lurking round every corner. That Layla wasn’t going to come looking for her soon, only to find her parents tangled together in bed, like guilty teenagers enjoying their first fuck.
That thought made her sit up and scoot to the edge of the bed. She looked over her shoulder at him. God, he was gorgeous.
‘What am I doing? I swore I was never again going to get into this,’ she said, clutching her head. ‘I promised myself I wouldn’t.’
‘Come back to bed.’
‘No!’
Annie told Layla at breakfast next day that she wanted her to go back to Ellie’s. She’d discussed it with Max and Alberto, she said, and it seemed the safest option.
‘What?’ asked Layla. This was ridiculous. She was feeling like a ping-pong ball, being batted back and forth without any say in the matter.
‘You heard. I think we were premature in bringing you here,’ said Annie. ‘I’ve talked this over with your father and he agrees. There’s safety in numbers you know. Anyone out to get you at the club would have to get past a lot of security, and your room’s up on the first floor…’
‘My room here’s on the first floor,’ Layla pointed out.
She didn’t mention that Dad had taken her room, the one adjoining the master suite that Annie occupied. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. For so long she’d prayed for her parents to get back together, and now… maybe it was finally happening. Or maybe it wasn’t. She didn’t want to get her hopes up only to have them dashed.
‘I’m sorry about this, honestly I am. But since the business with the shooting, and then the way we were all lured away… I just don’t want you put at risk, that’s all. The decision’s made.’
‘And if I disagree…?’ asked Layla.
She wouldn’t. She was rather keen to get back to the club, truth be told. She was getting on better with Mum these days, and she was impressed by the way Annie had handled herself throughout this fraught situation; but she was also missing the girls. Missing Precious, in particular.
Layla gave in. ‘OK then. Why not?’
‘Good…’ Annie paused. She’d been about to say ‘good girl’, but that no longer applied. Layla was a woman now.
So here Layla was once again, turning up at the club. Ellie and Chris welcomed her with open arms.