Page 11 of Silver Sinner

My toy lands to the side and I roll onto my back, panting while I gaze up at the ceiling and replay the walk home with him. It was so… simple. So nice.

What I would give to⁠—

Knock knock knock!

Three rapid bangs at the front door jerk me out of my post-orgasm haze and I sit up, my heart stuttering in my chest.

Who the hell is that?

Sliding from the bed, I grab my robe and cover myself up. I nearly trip over my shoes in my haste to leave my room as the knocks come again, and I rush to the door as the distant sound of crying rises up from the other side.

"What the…?” Unlocking the door, I haul it open. My best friend, Amy, stands at the top of the steps with tears pouring down her face and my equally tearful daughter, Madeline, in her arms.

"Amy? What's wrong? What happened?"

4

PIERCE

Three pies sit neatly stacked on the seat next to me, each one labeled in cursive by Taylor, the woman who took over Layla's shift at the front.

The walk home did nothing to calm the anger brewing in my chest; instead, it stoked the heat because Layla was missing the spark I'm so used to seeing in her eyes.

Those men hurt her with such a cruel joke, and the pain of that will linger longer than I'll be able to soothe.

My gaze lingers on the top pecan pie, tracing all the chopped pecan pieces that nestle into the sticky glaze.

Part of me wishes I'd taken all the pies, but money won't fix her pain or make me feel better about those cunts staining one of my favorite places.

"Got it." Moses' voice rises up from the front seat and he turns to face me, tangling himself in his seatbelt. "I know where they are. You wanna pay them a visit?"

I can't tell if it's shared anger that had Moses seeking out where those rats lived, or if he simply knows me well enough that I won't be able to settle until something is done about them.

I nod, just once, and Moses leans over to our driver and gives him the address.

It's not far from here, thankfully, and the driver does a smooth turn to get us right on track.

The following car doesn't even question the change in direction, but Moses sends them a quick text anyway.

I don't expect these men will be any trouble.

As we drive, I tug at the tie around my neck and loosen it so that my collar no longer hugs my throat. It's not enough.

The angrier I get, the more restricted my clothes feel and I can't get my thoughts off of Layla.

The open distress on her face when she stood there clutching that jug, the redness around her eyes when she tried to sneak away for the night.

If I was a better man, I would have hung back and watched her from the shadows to ensure she got home safe, but I couldn't help myself.

I had to be there in person.

At least the smile she gave me before we parted reached her eyes. I hope I was able to soothe her.

"We're here." Moses cuts through my thoughts with a click of his seatbelt and the car pulls to a gentle stop in the street.

Outside, an unassuming apartment building stretches up to the night sky. Most of the windows are dark since it's after midnight; only a couple show life gleaming through the curtains.

As I open the door and climb out of the car, distant thumping music greets me and I wince, then shrug my suit jacket from my shoulders.