Secrets of Mine

Chapter Five - Freya

Freya's POV

Oz hangs up the phone. He slides it into his pocket and crosses his arms, not taking his eyes off Layla.

"Is Eli heading back?" I ask, feeling edgy at the idea of him out there on his own.

Oz shakes his head, distracted. "He's going to take a drive."

"Oh." I sit down on one of the dining room chairs, my legs a little shaky from the panic I pushed down when Layla was missing. She's safe now, leaning back against the table. Her hands grip the edge of the deep oak wood. I'm indescribably relieved but now I'm no longer worrying about her I'm back to stressing about Eli and how weird he was being before he left.

"So..." Layla taps her fingers against the underside of the table. "I'm gonna go up to bed."

"Stay," Oz orders as Layla goes to leave.

"Ozzie–"

"You were forty-five minutes late. Mom and Dad were out of their minds with worry. You didn't even call." Oz's face is so stern, I feel like I'm getting a glimpse into what he'd be like as a father.

"I told you my phone died." Layla's gesticulates as she speaks, sharp movements cutting through the air.

Oz keeps his arms crossed and pins her still with a stare. "And I've told you to always make sure your phone is charged. And to not go the back route after dark."

Layla sighs and hops up to sit on the table. "I know. I'm sorry."

The harshness on Oz's face slips away, showing the stress underneath. He takes off his glasses and presses a finger and thumb over his eyes. "Someone was murdered, Layla."

Layla's leg stops swinging. "Yeah, but, it's not like that's going to happen again. Murders are kind of rare and isn't it like with plane crashes? The safest time to fly on a plane is right after a crash because everyone is hypervigilant."

Oz's brows dip and his mouth drops open, a combination of horror and disbelief playing on his face.

I suppress a wince for Layla's sake.

Oz steps away from the counter and towards his sister. "You realize it is my literal job to hunt serial killers? Killers that kill more than once. It is not like plane crashes, especially not when it's personal."

My gaze shoots to Oz, my heart flipping. He wouldn't tell her, would he?

Layla looks between us. "What? What do you mean personal?"

Oz sighs. "It's not a coincidence the victim lived in Danville. The guy we're hunting knows this is my hometown, he's toying with us."

The tension in my shoulder's eases. I trust Oz and I love how open he is with his family, but I don't want them knowing who my father is. Up until everything went wrong, this evening is the closest I've ever felt to being normal, to being part of a family. I can't bear the idea of that being tarnished by my past.

"You need to be careful, Layla. Just... keep a low profile for a couple of weeks. Have friends over here rather than going out, for Mom and Dad's sake at least.

Layla nods, her slender neck bobbing as she swallows. "Okay. I promise." She hops off the table and goes to leave but stops when she reaches the door. She looks back at Oz over her shoulder. "You're going to catch him though, right?"

Oz opens his mouth, but no words come out. His gaze darts to mine then back to his sister. He opens his mouth again, then closes it.

"Yes," I say, keeping my eyes locked on Oz for a moment before turning to Layla. "We'll catch him."