Page 27 of Silver Sinner

She's gasping for air, choking on tears that stream down her face and mingle with the blood from the cut on her brow.

Each gasp pierces through me like a cold blade, and I can't stop myself from crowding next to her and gently cupping her damp face.

"Layla."

Her wild eyes finally settle on me.

"Take a deep breath, like me." I exaggerate my breath and she gasps, jerking in my grasp before she tries to mimic me. As I hold her focus, the car rumbles to life around us.

"P-Pierce," Layla croaks out once she gets another breath inside her.

"I'm here. Layla, I need you to tell me exactly what happened."

"I-I left… I let my purse inside. I put Maddie in the car and I went to get it and I came outside and these men w-were breaking into my car! I-I yelled and tried to stop them but he—" She coughs sharply. "He punched me!"

My eyes dart up to the weeping wound at her brow. That explains that.

"I fell and then he kicked me!" Both her hands suddenly wrap around her middle while the coils of anger deep inside my chest start feeding into my gut. "I t-tried to tell them. I begged for Maddie. They could have the car, I don't care but they didn't listen. They just took off! Oh my God…"

Tears pour down her cheeks and soak into my thumbs while I hold her, not once letting her sag forward. I need every single detail.

"What were they wearing?"

Her eyes dart back and forth between mine. "I-I don't know."

"Yes you do, Layla. Tell me what they were wearing."

"Uhm… uhm…. black. All black. No—" She hesitates suddenly and frowns. "I thought they were black, but one of them had a sweatshirt or a hoodie and it was dark red. I-I'm pretty sure."

As we talk, Moses weaves through the city and eventually pulls us to a stop outside Layla's apartment.

"Layla, tell me about your car."

Her face crumples. "I-I don't know! It's a car!"

"Then tell me what you do know." I slide one hand down to the side of her neck where her frantic pulse beats against my palm. "Everything and anything."

She blinks and gasps, then her eyes close and she starts reciting everything she remembers.

The make, the model number, the license plate, and even the great detail that one door is a darker shade of green than the others due to the car being second-hand.

As soon as she finishes, Moses climbs out of the car with his phone to his ear.

"Layla, does Maddie know how to get home?"

Every time I say her name, her eyebrows twitch ever so slightly. Opening her eyes, she gazes up at me. "She's only six."

"Does she know the address?"

Layla nods shakily. "She uhm…" She sniffles. "She doesn't know the way b-but she knows our address by heart. I made sure. I did. I made sure. Oh my God, what if they hurt my baby?" Her hands lift and hook around my wrists as a wail throbs out of her chest.

"Car thieves don't tend to like getting their hands dirty," I reply gently. "They might have let her out nearby."

"They'd dump her in the city?" Layla's eyes widen in horror, highlighting my mistake at making such a suggestion. I try to distract her by easing out of the car and bringing her with me.

"Oh God, we have to call the police! My phone… my phone is broken, oh my God. Can I use yours?" Layla clutches at my arm and then glances up at her apartment. "You brought me home?"

"This is the best place for you in case Maddie comes home, or in case someone brings her here if she knows the address—Layla!"