Save Me by Abigail Stone Page A

had finally asked.
    "I'm Laura Beth," she said cheerfully. Then she turned, facing the other three girls and pointing at them one by one.
    "And this is Caitlin, Kristina and Stevie."
    Stevie, the most unfriendly of the three girls, rolled her eyes at the introduction.
    "I'm going to smoke. You guys coming?" she asked, standing up and facing the other two girls, who nodded, timidly following her outside and leaving Laura Beth and Layla in their wake.
    "Oh don't mind Stevie," Laura Beth said with a laugh.
    "She gets jealous so easily. She can't stand seeing Leo with girls."
    Layla raised an eyebrow.
    "We're not–" she began, but before she could finish her sentence, Leo entered the hallway followed by Chase and the three other men.
    "What's going on?" Layla whispered to Leo.
    "Don't you think I deserve to know?"
    Leo nodded, a look of distress spread across his face as Chase’s eyes burned holes into the back of his head,  "Richie is fine," he finally said, clearing his throat.
    "But the boys...they've decided it's up to you and me to uh...dispose of the bodies."
    Layla backed away frantically.
    "No fucking way!" she shrieked.
    Suddenly, Chased paced towards her, grabbing her roughly by the neck.
    Leo reached forward to stop him but was held back by the other three men.
    “Look, bitch," he began, his voice slow and menacingly.
    "Chase! Stop it!" Laura Beth cried, grabbing for him.
    He pushed her roughly off of his back, turning his attention back to Layla, who struggled to breathe beneath his grip.
    "You'll do what you are told. Both of you. This is your fault," h e looked up at Leo, hatred heavy in his eyes.
    "You betrayed us," he said to him,  "and you..." Chase looked down at Layla, his spit making contact with her face.
    "I know your type. You distract men. Make them lose focus of what's important. And that's exactly what you did to Leo."
    He paused, looking Layla sternly in the eyes before turning his attention over to Leo.
    "Do this and maybe you'll still hold a place in this club. But consider yourself demoted."
    Leo nodded as the three men roughly threw him forward.
    "You're free to go," Chase said, nodding at Layla, who stumbled towards the front door behind Leo.

LUST

    ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼
    Present

    S tevie and the other two girls laughed quietly as Layla and Leo pushed past them, climbing on his bike. Layla braced herself as Leo sped onto the gravel road, dirt and pebbles flying around them.
    About a mile down the road, halfway to his cabin, Leo pulled off onto the shoulder, climbing off of his bike and pacing back and forth.
    "I just need a minute," he called out to Layla, his voice strained. Layla ignored him, setting his helmet on the leather seat as she slid off his bike, approaching him.
    Leo glanced over at her, a glimmer in his eyes that was an odd mixture of fear, sadness and desire.
    "I'm so sorry I dragged you into this," he finally said, wracking a hand over his face,  "I fucked up."
    He kicked at the ground, yelling in frustration.
    Layla grabbed Leo by his jacket, forcing him to stop moving. His eyes found their way to hers and his breathing began to even out. There was something about her. Something soothing.
    "Tell me why you did it," she said sternly, "I want to know why you came back for me. Tell me!"
    Leo didn't answer. Instead, he pulled away from Layla sharply.
    "After everything that's happened I think I deserve to know!" she yelled after him as he paced.
    Layla yearned to understand him. Knowing so little about the man that had both saved and threatened her life wasn't sitting well with her. Nor was the desire she felt for him.
    The glimpse she had gotten back at the cabin of Leo's solid, smooth body had flipped a switch inside of her, sparking a reaction Layla wasn't sure she could ignore.
    There was no going back to the way things had been before. They had witnessed a double homicide. They had fled the scene of the crime. And now, they had been put in charge of disposing of the