*Layla*

  I flinched as the loud crack sounded through the air, biting my lip I wondered where Gunner, Thomas and Ariel were. Ian cursed pulling me to a stop and I froze staring wide eyed at the person pointing a gun at us, biting my lip I reached up and gripped my necklace pressing the panic button that was hidden on the back that alerts Gunner that I need him.

  "What do you want?" Ian demanded moving so he was in front of me.

  "RCIT will cease negotiations," the person said and I swallowed gripping Ian wrist praying he doesn't do something stupid. "Cease negotiations or receive the consequences."

  "What consequence?" Ian demanded and I shifted when I heard the small click of the gun.

  "Down!" A voice demanded and I dropped as Ian covered me with his body and two loud pops sounded followed by a dull this. Swallowing I looked up to see the gunman on the ground before Gunner's familiar black boots came into my line of vision. "You two alright?"

  "Yeah," Ian mumbled as I sat up and Gunner nodded shoving his gun in the hip holster.

  "Layla?" Gunner asked lowly and I wrapped my arms around his neck clinging to him as I started shaking. "Let's get you two to safety."

*Ian*

  I watched helpless as Layla clung to her friend shaking like a leaf and whimpering. Clinching my fist I tried to call down knowing if I snapped I'd scare her even more than she already is.

  "Layla!" Two voices yelled and I looked up to see Thomas and Ariel running over with worried expressions. "What happened?"

  "Bastard was pointing a gun at them," Gunner growled tightening his arms around Layla's waist. "She's hyperventilating and I don't have her inhaler."

  "Shit," Ariel cursed and Thomas ran off. Confused I followed after him while Gunner carried Layla into the building and over to a table dropping down in a chair mumbling words to Layla.

  "Ian, you alright?" Amir asked and I nodded watching Thomas run over dumping a backpack on the table causing everyone's attention to turn to him.

  "Don't just stand there help me find her inhaler, it pink and purple." Thomas snapped and I glanced at Amir before quickly shuffling through the mess grimcing when I heard Layla's breathing quicken to a startling pase and a second later Efraim and Darek started helping.

  "Got it," Efraim yelled picking a little black and purple inhaler off the ground and handing it to Thomas who shoved it in between Layla's lips pressing the button.

  "Deep breaths," Gunner said softly pushing Thomas's hand out of the way and slowly got Layla's breathing back to normal just before she passed out laying her head on his shoulder.

  "What just happened to my daughter?" Joe demanded staring at us as my parents and Marcie walked up.

  "She had a panic attack and need her inhaler," Gunner said calmly as he shifted Layla so he was holding her bridal style. "She'll be fine in a couple days. Ariel the notebook?"

  "Already wrote down," she said softly as she took the helped pack everything back in the backpack. "That's the first one in seven months."

  "Fuck," Thomas groaned slamming his fist onto the table. "She was doing so much better,even the nightmares were going away. How did those gun toting lunitics get in here?"

  "I plan on finding out," I said and went to walk off.

  "No," Gunner said lowly standing up. "You're taking Layla back to castle and keeping an eye on her until I come get you. Thomas, you and Ariel are going through all the footage to see if you can get me images of the gunmen and someone get me you're damn head of security."

  I stood there holding Layla close to my chest as Gunner walked off, I glanced at Amir and he nodded pointing towards the back nodding I followed him out and into a van.