Chapter 63
Karl and Layla were shooketh when a gang of rough-looking dudes approached them. They were rocking leather jackets with gang symbols that Layla recognized all too well. One of them, a tatted dude with messy blond hair, immediately recognized Layla and grinned victoriously.
"Well, well, well, look who it is, Layla. It’s been a week. You know the rules," the guy said, shooting Karl a sneering glance.
Layla looked nervous, and Karl could sense the tension on her face. He could feel Layla’s almost unbearable fear. For a moment, Layla seemed like she wanted to step back, but the dudes moved closer, forming a circle around them.
"You got a new man, huh? Maybe he can cover your ’protection money’ this time," one of them said mockingly, looking down at Karl with disdain.
Layla tried to say something, but her voice caught in her throat. The tatted guy gave her a cold look. "Don’t talk too much. You know what to do when you don’t have the cash." He smirked. "Let’s have a little ’private’ chat."
Before Layla could refuse, one of them grabbed her arm tightly, pulling her to follow them. Karl was pushed to walk alongside them, surrounded by the dudes who made sure they couldn’t escape.
"What the heck?" Karl muttered to himself, "What is this supposed to mean?" He didn’t understand what was really going on.
They were taken to a secluded corner behind an empty building, far from prying eyes. In that dimly lit place, the dudes stopped, and one of them pushed Layla harshly against the wall. Layla was shocked and turned her face away, fear evident in her eyes.
"You know the rules, Layla. If you don’t have the money, you pay in other ways," the tatted guy said, grinning smugly. His hand started moving towards Layla’s shirt collar, intending to pull it. "Let’s just settle it here this time. After all, you’re used to it, right?"
Layla closed her eyes, her body tense as the guy started pulling at her shirt. Witnessing it all, Karl clenched his fists. Anger and frustration welled up inside him, but he knew that fighting back outright wouldn’t be easy.
The dudes noticed Karl and laughed mockingly. "Take it easy, hero. This is just between us and Layla. You don’t need to get involved, in fact, you should be happy because your chick here will save your life."