My eyes opened to the sounds of screaming. I leapt up from the couch and without thinking I ran down the hall and turned into his room and my leash pulled tight and sent me falling to the floor. I recoiled against the hot pain. My throat throbbed against the sickening feeling of strangulation. Stars danced in my vision. I wanted to throw up. I laid down and took deep breaths to try to recover. Soon I felt normal, pained, but normal.
I had made it to his bedroom but I couldn't get to his bed. I awkwardly reached out to grab his foot and ease him onto the floor.
"Layla," He groaned.
I laid his head on my chest. His sweat soaked through my clothes. I stroked his hair slowly, the tips of my fingers gliding down to caress his cheek. His breathing was shaken. Suddenly he wrapped his arms around me and we were on the floor. His face was buried into me. He continued to mutter that name in a way that brought tears to my eyes. I knew he lost her. I held him tighter and wrapped my body around his, letting him softly weep.
I laid onto my back and turned my head to look out the window as the sun soared through the sky to bleed hot red and pink across the sparse clouds. Soon sleep took me again. When I woke I was back on the couch with a bowl of fruit and nuts before me. He set down a mug of coffee.
"I'm sorry about last night," He said as he sat beside me with his own breakfast.
"That's what you apologize for?"
He gave a slight smirk as he ate. Still he refused to look at me. Things felt different between us now. I felt the urge to ask him about her but it was alarming how quickly I came to his aid. I didn't need any more reason to care for him.
He finished his meal after me and unlocked the chain. He motioned for me to follow him and he took me into his room. He gave me a shirt of his, a pair of leather pants, and a belt. I changed in the bathroom and when I came out he handed me a leather jacket. He then fastened a leash onto my collar and locked it in place. He led me to the ground floor, past the lobby, and into what was once the staff room where five people sat at a table.
"Alex," A tall, muscular woman greeted my captor, "How are you?"
"Guess."
"Stupid question."
"Oh, yeah," He said as he sat at the table.
I sat down next to him and crossed my legs.
"You had news?"
The woman pulled out a map and laid it flat on the table. With a pen she circled a beach a fully day of driving away.
"That's the target."
"Recon?" Alex asked.
"They have a lot of reinforcements but they're seemingly nonviolent. Their space is gated with a tall lookout tower."
"That makes one of us," He growled, "Get everything ready; we're leaving tonight."
Silently he stood and we started for his penthouse. I looked up at him as we walked. His eyes were dark and his face that of stone.
"What's going on?"
He ignored me and we stepped into the elevator. He punched the button for the top floor. We waited in silence until we were finally in his apartment. It was then he brought me into his bedroom and began to gather his things. I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall as I watched him.
"I need to know what's going on if I'm coming with you."
He ignored me and continued to pack. Eventually I sat on his bed and tucked my arms under my head.
"I need to shower first. So do you."
I followed him into the bathroom and he turned to let me undress in privacy. I stepped under the stream and massaged shampoo into my hair. I then rinsed it and applied conditioner that I let sit as I washed my body.
"She's my daughter."
I paused. I looked down and watched as the suds slid down my body to pool at my feet.
"Oh. I'm sorry."
He was quiet again and I rinsed my hair. I stepped out and dried myself off. Once I was dressed I let him know and I sat on the chair while he pulled off his clothes. I looked down at my hands but still I could see too much from the edges of my vision and my mouth turned dry. It was when he stepped into the shower that I let myself breathe.
"How old is she?"
"Four."
"Is she Layla?"
"She is."
I nodded though he couldn't see me. I could see his outline from behind the curtain. Suddenly he stepped out and I averted my gaze as he dried himself, chuckling as he did. When he was dressed he held out a photo for me to take. I saw him on a tractor with a little girl on his lap. She had thick blonde hair and tan skin with big brown eyes. I couldn't help but smile as I stared at her grin filled with broken teeth.
"She's perfect."
"Thinking my woman cheated, huh?"
I bent over as I laughed, "No," I said as I gave back the photo, "I know she did."
He grinned. He put the picture back in his wallet. He held my leash and we left the apartment with our suitcases in hand. We met with ten others in the parking lot. The woman from the meeting came forward to speak to him, craning her neck to avoid blowing smoke in his face.
"You sure you want to bring her?"
"She's tough."
She looked down at me, then to him, cocking her brow.
"Trust me."
"Fair enough."
He took me to his bike and fastened the suitcases to the back. He locked my leash to the back of his belt before he set his helmet onto my head. He opened it enough to see my eyes. He turned to look at the others before turning to me.
"Now isn't the time to cross me. Understand?"
"I know."
"Good puppy."
He climbed onto the bike and I followed. I wrapped my arms around him. The bike hummed as it came to life beneath us and he took off with his gang in tow.