Chapter 6

                  Logan's P. O. V. 

    

    The thick smoke from the cigarette between my lips coaxed my nostrils and I shut my eyes. I couldn't stop thinking about her and even as Astrid talked endlessly at the other side of the table, I couldn't pay attention.

    

    Layla. She was all I was thinking of and strangely enough, with every thought about her came this anger. Astrid had one job. Just one job and he screwed up.

    

    That day plays in my head again like it was just happening. My most trusted worker and Cyber computer guru, Dani, had informed me about some missing numbers in some of my drugs. I'd asked him to follow it up and get back to me before the end of the day. But he'd come back with something more interesting. I'd expected him to report to me that the missing drugs was just a miscalculation or loss which I could easily overlook as expected but instead, he'd informed me that one of Astrid's boys, a youngster named Vincent had been sneaking some of my drugs and giving it to a woman who worked below him to sell and send back to him.

    

    Normally, I'd overlook this but when I looked at Vincent's background check, I'd been irritated by the kind of life he was leading. He spent all his money on women. Pubs, women, clubs, women. He was just twenty! I'd taken my anger on him and killed him the instant he got summoned. Then I'd ran a background check on the woman who was involved with him.

    Unfortunately, she was a nobody who stole other people's money. 

    I'd stormed her house that night to take what I have to and kill them afterwards but had to think twice when she'd said these words : " please, I have a daughter, she'll be home soon. You can take her, please don't kill us, we're all she's got "

    

    And imagine my surprise when she walked in that door. But she was a fool and too weak. And I knew she stood a chance of becoming a liability if I kept her for too long, I saw that earlier when I visited her. She was a fighter, but a foolish one.

    

    " All I'm saying is that if you hadn't brought that boy in, the boss wouldn't be in this mess right now! " Astrid screamed at one of his men whose name I didn't know.

    

    I peeled my eyes open and looked to the side to see Dani sitting against the table at the other side of the room, a small smile tucking at his lips as his eyes met mine. He was just as tired about this whole meeting as I was.

    Dani was one of my brightest men. I'd picked him up myself after he'd tried to hack into my system and steal some money to pay for his sister's hospital bills. He'd done a fine job, penetrating my security and I let him take the money. Then I had some men follow him. The next few days, I asked my men to bring him to me where I offered him a lifetime opportunity to work for me and he'd agreed immediately.

    

    Dani was a fine man, the center of attention for the women whenever we went out together. Born to an Asian mother and a Canadian father, he was the true definition of beautiful. Dani barely talks except we were together and when he did, it was extremely necessary.

    Dani was three years younger than me and most of the time, he filled the void of a best friend that I never had. 

    After he'd agreed to work for me four years ago, I'd transferred his little sister to China for a better medical attention and put her in school there, paying all of her fees and bills. And for the first time, I actually did something without thinking twice about it.

    

    " You think I know who he was? " The other guy retorts, fueling my anger.

    

    " You think you're in the position to talk back? " Astrid replied, the only reason why he's not beating him up probably because of my presence. So I decided to do it for him.

    

    Pulling out my silencer, I pointed it at the middle of his head and fired, the quiet sound of the silencer echoing in the room, the bullet hole in the middle of the now dead man's forehead oozing out blood as he fell limp against his chair.

    Silence rang through the room as Astrid turned a shocked look at me, so did the other three men seated around.

    Positioning the gun directly towards Astrid, I said " you still have anything to say, Astrid? "

    

    Shaking his head negatively, he replied " no Boss."

    

    " Then don't screw up again, you won't have a chance to talk again " I replied.

    

    The door pushed open and Antoniette walked in. " She's ready sir " she said.

    

    Hissing angrily, I rose up and put the gun back where it belonged before striding towards her.

    I disappeared from the room and stepped outside. The meeting house was built at the far back side of my mansion, covered in the properties' numerous trees, it was almost impossible to know there was another building there.

    

    Folding up my sleeves, I stepped on the outside wall elevator that would take me directly to the top floor where I was supposed to have dinner with Layla. I wasn't sure why I was doing this but I found it completely necessary to. I knew she wanted nothing to do with me, she wanted to be as far away from me as possible and it gave me sheer joy to see the discomfort in her skin. That is why I'm going up there to see her now.

    

    Stepping off the elevator, the metal doors slip open for me and I stepped in to see the back of Layla turned to me as she sat at the table where assorted food had been organized.

    

    Hearing my presence, she turns around quickly to see me, her eyes captivating mine in a way nobody else could have ever done.