Tommy's Angel

Paper trail

Tommy and Layla stood in her mothers neat house and looked round. It had been decided that they would sell the house with all the furniture except a few pieces that Layla wanted. Reena's clothes had been boxed up and donated to charity. Layla had giggled at the thought of her mothers face if she knew all her expensive suits and dresses were being given to poor people. Reena really had been a snob.

Layla had found it hard to re-enter her old bedroom but Tommy had held her from behind as her steered her through the door. Nothing had changed here. The closet and drawers were empty nothing of her remained, just an uninhabited room with pink walls and a soft white bed. Layla remembered laying in that bed after it had happened and crying for what felt like an eternity. Reena had given her no sympathy. She might have died in this room if it had not been for her aunt and uncle who had offered her refuge. An escape from her past and her present.

She turned to Tommy and rested her cheek on his broad chest. His arms came round her and she sighed heavily before turning away and walking out of the room. He followed her down the landing and watched her stop outside a heavy door. Layla's hand gripped the handle but she didn't turn it. She heard Tommy step closer and she took a deep breath. Turning the handle firmly, the door swung open revealing a study with walls lined with books and an intimidating desk. In this room Layla had been brought when her behaviour needed addressing. Her father would rise from his desk chair in fury and loom over the terrified girl like a leviathan. He wasn't here now, long dead but the ghosts of his presence here made Layla shudder.

'He's not here, baby.' Tommy said calmly. Layla turned her face to him.

'How do you know what I'm thinking?' she asked with a slight hint of amusement on her lips.

'I can read you like a book, lil darlin' I can see exactly how you feel written all over your face.'

Layla turned away again and looked at the desk. If anything was to be found then here it would be. The drawer in the desk was locked but a quick search uncovered a small bunch of keys. The second on they tried fitted and the drawer slid free. Inside was deeds of other properties that her father had owned and now she would inherit. That, however, threw up a new question. If she was to take control, Reena had to sign them over or be proven dead. If she was found dead now attention would be cast upon them and police would investigate. Charles' sudden disappearance might also be called into question.

No, Reena had remain alive for now. Layla couldn't think about that now but the documents were gathered carefully and put into a file for future reference. nothing else of interest was found in the small drawer. Layla sighed heavily as she straightened and looked around.

'They have to be in here somewhere.' Tommy said gruffly. His huge rough appearance was so out of place in this room it made Layla smile. 'What's so funny darlin'?' he asked her.

'Just thinking of what my father would think of you. He'd have beaten me black and blue just for looking your way yet here you are in his private space.' Layla smiled again and Tommy smiled back.

'Why did your mother keep this room untouched? It looks like he's only just left and could be back any second.' Tommy asked absently, looking at the spotless surfaces and the neat piles of papers. Layla shuddered and wrapped her arms round herself. Tommy cursed his foolish words and pulled her against him. 'He's dead baby, remember that. Neither of them can hurt you anymore. Even if that bastard did walk in right know, I'd pound him into the ground for what he did to you.'

Layla snuggled closer into her husband and sighed happily. Her eyes had been closed but now she opened them and what she saw made her gasp harshly. She pushed away from Tommy with a small cry and dashed to the opposite side of the room. Tommy frowned as he watched her. She touched the books along the shelves but couldn't seem to find what she needed.

Standing on tip-toes to see the next row, he heard her muttering to herself.

'Its here. I know its here somewhere. I'd forgotten. I only saw it once, I must have been about eight.' she rambled. Suddenly her fingers stopped moving. Tommy stepped behind her to get a better look at what it was she had found. 

The whole shelf was false, that much was obvious but just below one 'book' was a small catch disguised by the ornate carving in the wood. Layla's fingers hovered over it as she tried to control the adrenaline coursing through her. Tommy didn't wait though. he reached past Layla's hand and pressed wood. A loud click echoed through the quiet room and the whole shelf front swung out revealing a concealed compartment. Layla's hands trembled as she reached into the dark space. 

She gasped as she felt the dryness of paper. Quickly the compartment was emptied and the documents spread out on the floor. Layla was on her knees rummaging through them rapidly. Suddenly she had it. City of San Francisco, it said in bold letters on the top. 

They read down the page detailing Layla's birth.

Name: Layla May James

Born: 23 July 1998

Mothers name: Kelly-ann Downs, Texas. 1980

Fathers name: Julian Shaun Ryan, Texas. 1968.

Layla burst into tears. Her name and birthday were the same but the parents were different. Her parents. Her real parents, where were they now? Why had they given her up? Tommy searched through the papers again and found a letter drafted a few months after Layla's birth. It outlined a contract between Layla's birth mother and the wicked couple that had adopted her. It would appear that the adoption was not quite legal. Martin and Reena had quite literally bought the baby from Kelly-ann. They had paid Kelly-ann several thousand dollars and she was to give up all rights to the baby.

Layla's tears had stopped and a she was reading the words over Tommy's shoulder. 'She sold me.' She said flatly. 'She just gave me up, to them.'

'You don't know what happened baby, you don't know why she would do something like that. She must have been desperate.' Tommy said softly.

'Would you ever give up your child?' Layla asked 'You wouldn't would you. My fathers name isn't even on that letter. He didn't care about me. She didn't care about me. No- one ever has and no-one ever will.' she ranted as she got up and stormed out.

Tommy was quick to catch up with her, grabbing her round the waist, he spun her so she faced him. He thrust her chin upwards so her face was inches from his.

'Listen to me now, Layla. I know you're angry and you damn well have a reason to be but saying no-one cares about you is unfair. What about the club? Violet, Nash, Honey? What about Ellis and Mari. Fuck, Layla, what about me? Do you think we don't care? Do you think I don't love you?' Tommy's voice had been hard, her words had hurt him but now he was softening. 'I'll help you find out what happened to them. It might not be as you think it is.'

'How will we find them? I was born in California and they were from Texas and now we're in Nebraska. They could be anywhere. They could be dead. No Tommy. I don't want to find them. I don't care about them.'

Tommy sighed. He couldn't make her care and she was right. They had sold her and walked away. He would quietly ask the questions for her though and maybe in time, she would want the answers and he could give them to her. Layla had walked away from him and into the lounge. He hadn't followed her because she needed space but the sound of breaking glass had him running.

Layla's beautiful face was twisted in fury as she grabbed a large vase and hurled it against the wall. It shattered into smithereens but Layla still wasn't done. She grabbed at another china object and slammed that into the same place. The pieces scattered everywhere in rainbow colours.

'She collected all this shit.' Layla spat. 'Spent thousands on this fucking house, filling it with ugly fucking shit. Do you know how many times I was made to polish this fucking room as punishment. Everything had to sparkle. Everything had to be perfect.' Layla paused to smash something else. 'I wish I could smash it all but it doesn't make me feel better. It doesn't make me feel more wanted. I don't mean you Tommy, I mean my family. I was nothing to them. Just something to trade. Nothing more than this fucked up house.'

With that she turned and walked away. Again Tommy let her go. She had to work through her anger and heartbreak. Tommy knew one thing though, if he ever found her parents he was going to make them sorry. No-one, absolutely no-one hurt his girl and despite everything she had gone through, he knew this was the worst.