by Mia Knight
“He will,” Uncle Louie said with a curt nod.
“I don’t know how long she’s going to be out,” Lyla said, rubbing her throbbing forehead and then headed into the kitchen. “You should see her. I’ll start some coffee.”
Carmen’s parents went upstairs while Lyla started a much needed pot of coffee. The doorbell rang. She heard murmured voices, but focused on starting breakfast instead of seeing who it was.
“Baby girl.”
Lyla turned and saw Manny. The tears came again and she went to him. He rubbed her back as he held her tight.
“He won’t stop,” Lyla whispered.
“Let Gavin work out his rage,” Manny said.
“By killing people?” she asked, pulling back to see his face.
Manny looked as if he aged since she saw him yesterday. “It’s what we know.”
Lyla shook her head. “He blames me for Vinny’s death, for influencing his decision to pass the crime lord title off on someone else.”
Manny sighed. “He’s in pain, Lyla. Give him time.”
Lyla let out a long breath. “Sit. I’m going to make breakfast.”
“Where’s Carmen?”
“Asleep. Blade sedated her.”
“Carmen’s a passionate woman. If she was trained like Gavin, she would be hunting right alongside him.”
Lyla shuddered because she knew it was true. Aunt Isabel and Uncle Louie entered the kitchen and greeted Manny respectfully. They made small talk, but they fell into a weighted silence as they all wondered if Gavin had found Vinny’s killer yet.
***
The next few days passed in a rollercoaster of emotions. Lyla spent every waking moment with Carmen. She let her cousin rage, reminisce and grieve. Lyla forced Carmen to eat and even bathed her after outbursts that left Carmen weak as a baby. Through Aunt Isabel’s gentle suggestion, Carmen was able to plan a funeral, but it left them all exhausted. By the end of a week, Lyla was bone weary and heartsick. There was no word from Gavin, which increased her anxiety and stress, but she pushed that away so she could focus on Carmen. Lyla didn’t leave Carmen for a second. She slept at Carmen’s and used her cousin’s clothes.
The night before the funeral, neither of them slept. They lay side by side in Carmen’s bed, staring up at the ceiling. Lyla couldn’t believe how the course of their lives could change so drastically in so little time. She was haunted by the thought of Vinny being shot in the chest five times. How could one human being do that to another? In retrospect, it was now glaringly obvious that Vinny would be Gavin’s choice for crime lord since he trusted so few people. If she’d known that Vinny wanted to take over, would she have put a stop to it?
“How could God do this to me?” Carmen whispered.
“Things happen,” Lyla said, focusing on Carmen instead of her dark thoughts. “Did you know that Vinny agreed to take over that side of the business?”
“Yes, I knew, but...”
Carmen began to cry again. Lyla squeezed her hand.
“I never thought something like this would happen. He said he could handle it and I trusted him to be careful, to come home to me.”
“I’m sorry, Carmen,” Lyla whispered, heart heavy with guilt.
“It’s not your fault.”
“Gavin’s not going to give it up after this,” Lyla said quietly. “He doesn’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
Carmen turned her head on the pillow to look at her. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. He hasn’t called me in a week. He’s just gone cold.”
“Maybe after he finds who did this to Vinny he’ll come back to you.”
“We’ll see,” Lyla said doubtfully. “They kidnap me and then kill Vinny. What next?”
***
Carmen decided to keep Vinny’s funeral small, but with the large Pyre family there, there were easily more than one hundred people. Carmen wore a black dress, veil and red hooker heels. Lyla stood by her side as they greeted everyone. Uncle Louie and Aunt Isabel stood in the receiving line with them. It wasn’t a secret how Vinny died, which created an underlying tension that turned her stomach.
Lyla’s heart felt as if it were breaking. A week ago, Vinny was alive and now they were at his funeral. A week ago she tried on wedding gowns and now she was wearing unrelieved black. Lyla looked up as someone made a path through the crowd. Her heart lightened when she saw Gavin. He was alive... and pissed. He hadn’t called or stopped by Carmen’s house. A part of her wanted to think he was staying away because he didn’t want to intrude on Carmen’s grief and because he believed he was to blame, but the wrathful look he directed at her made her heart shrivel into a ball. So he still blamed her for Vinny’s death.
“Gavin?” Uncle Louie demanded.
“I got him,” Gavin said.
There were cheers and satisfied grunts from the Pyres and the dark energy in the room dissipated slightly. As everyone took their seats, Gavin went up to the podium and began to lead the service while Lyla sat between Carmen and Manny. Family got up to tell stories and honor Vinny’s life. Such a waste, Lyla thought and examined Gavin who stood off to the side as a cousin told a story about him and Vinny when they were kids. Gavin looked as remote as ever. He didn’t look at her. She called the wedding planner and dressmaker to let them know about the tragedy. She was shocked to hear that Gavin had already postponed the wedding until further notice. What did that mean? Lyla twisted the blue diamond ring on her finger.
After the funeral, they congregated at Carmen’s place where everyone could eat, talk and decompress. Lyla didn’t stray from Carmen’s side. Carmen had a few outbursts, but she quickly got herself under control. It was dark before Lyla was able to look for Gavin in the crowd. She found him in the back yard, staring at nothing. She walked up beside him. He didn’t acknowledge her presence.
“So you got whoever did this to Vinny?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Just him?”
“I needed to make a statement.”
“So you killed more than one.”
Gavin said nothing.
“I called Armand. He said we’re postponing the wedding,” she said gently. She wasn’t opposed to it, but he could have told her himself.
“I have to take back the reins for both businesses. I don’t have time to get married right now.”
His dismissive tone scraped her raw. Lyla ignored the pain and asked, “What do you want, Gavin?”
“Control.”
“Of?”
“Everything. And until I get it, I’m not going to stop.”
“Does that apply to me as well?” she asked.
He eyed her impassively. “I won’t allow you to sway my decisions anymore.”
Lyla beat back the anger. “Meaning you’re going to stay in the business and risk all our lives?”
“No one will cross me now.”
She shook her head. “There will always be someone that wants to topple you. You’re in more danger than ever. Within a week I was kidnapped and Vinny murdered. You don’t think that means something?”
“It means I never should have let myself be distracted by you!”
Lyla stepped back from the force of his shout. In the house, the remaining guests quieted. Gavin panted as he tried to reel in his emotions, but he was unraveling in front of her. Guilt and rage ripped across his features.
“Just leave me be, Lyla,” he said and walked away from her.
Lyla walked back into the house and began to clean up along with the staff they hired. She couldn’t stop moving. If she did, she’d break down. When the last guest left, she and Carmen collapsed in her bed.
“Its over,” Carmen whispered.
“Yes,” Lyla agreed.
“What did Gavin say?”
Lyla swallowed hard. “He postponed the wedding indefinitely and told me that he won’t allow me to sway his decisions anymore.”
“Dumb fuck,” Carmen said and wrapped her arms around Lyla. “
What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. He blames me for Vinny’s death.”
“It’s no one’s fault but the man who pulled the trigger,” Carmen said and let out a long sigh. “I’m not going to lie. I’m glad Gavin killed him.”
“I know.” She slept better knowing that Pervert and his partner were dead too, but the price Gavin paid was dear. He morphed from a man looking forward to his future back to a man who thought he had nothing to lose. All hope, excitement and love extinguished. Hate and rage took precedence over everything, including her. Where did they stand now? Another curveball in her life, another bump in their relationship. Did she bide her time until Gavin calmed down and try to coax him out of the darkness? Or, should she cut her losses and leave? Lyla hugged Carmen. She couldn’t leave, not when her cousin needed her. Plus, she wasn’t capable of making any decisions right now, not when grief weighed her down.
“I know I’ve been difficult. I’m glad you’re here,” Carmen said.
“Of course.” Silently, Lyla added, it’s the least I can do.
“You and Gavin will figure it out.”
“He’s human just like everyone else. He can be killed.”
“If I knew what would happen, I would’ve told Vinny not to take it, to get out of the business altogether.”
Lyla let out a long breath and tried to suppress the urge to cry. She’d shed too many tears in the past week. She drifted into uneasy sleep with Carmen reaching for a husband who would never sleep beside her again.
Chapter Fifteen
The next day Carmen urged Lyla to do something for herself. Lyla eyed Carmen critically. Although she was wan and thinner than she had been a week ago, Carmen looked steady. Blade drove Lyla back to Gavin’s where she showered and changed. The house seemed as cold and empty as she felt. There was no sign that Gavin had been sleeping in their bed. Lyla paced for a half hour before she asked Blade to take her to Manny’s. She found Manny sitting by the pool. Wordlessly, he opened his arms to her. Lyla fell into his embrace and wept.
“You’ve been taking care of Carmen?” he asked.
She nodded.
“That’s good. How are you doing?”
Lyla took the chair beside him and stared at the pool. “I don’t know.”
“Gavin’s preoccupied at the moment.”
“Preoccupied?” Lyla repeated with a snort. “He hates me.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“And it’s not his either!” she said passionately.
“I know,” Manny scrubbed a hand down his face and looked older than his years. “I can come out of retirement and—”
“No, Manny.”
“Gavin still has a future—”
“And you do too,” she insisted.
“I’m tougher than I look.”
“Neither of you should be doing this. Gavin should be running the casinos, not killing people for revenge. You should be enjoying your retirement, not contemplating going back to a life of crime.”
“I don’t want this to affect your relationship with Gavin.”
“That’s Gavin’s choice.”
Manny took both of her hands in his. “Don’t give up on him. He needs you.”
“He’s losing himself to these people. I want him, not all this crap that comes with his job.”
There was a soft popping sound. Lyla turned her head and saw Ricardo topple sideways. Before Lyla could comprehend what she was seeing, men in white masks and black suits glided through the house and joined them in the backyard. Lyla couldn’t catch her breath to scream as Manny rose and pushed her behind him.
“What do you want?” Manny asked.
Two men grabbed Manny by the arms and dragged him into the house. They didn’t touch Lyla, but with a jerk of their guns, indicated that she follow Manny inside. Mind a blank canvas, Lyla obeyed and stopped stock-still beside Ricardo who had been shot through the head. The men dragging Manny threw him on the polished marble like trash in the middle of a circle of men dressed in identical suits and masks. There was an ominous silence in the house and on the grounds. Where was Blade and the rest of Manny’s security? They couldn’t all be dead, right? Lyla opened her mouth to scream, but a soft voice caught her attention.
“I’ve heard stories about you, mighty crime lord.”
Manny faced a man who had a gentle, pleasant voice that didn’t belong to a killer.
“Funny how you look so harmless, but I know what you’re capable of.”
“Who are you?” Manny asked.
The man gave a mocking bow. “The new crime lord, of course.”
“What do you want?” Manny asked as he braced himself on his hands and knees.
“I want your crown,” the leader said, pacing around Manny with his hands clasped behind his back. “Gavin Pyre needs to be taken down a peg. Killing his cousin was just the beginning. It’s a bonus to find his little fiancé here today. Now I get to kill two birds with one stone.”
His men chuckled while Lyla tried to figure out a way to get out of this.
“But I think some payback is in order first,”
The leader’s leg flashed out and a moment later Manny’s head snapped back. Manny fell backwards, head hitting the marble floor with a horrible smacking sound. Lyla screamed and tried to move forward, but a man grabbed her arm in a bone crushing grip. When she continued to fight him, he shoved her to her knees and held her at gunpoint.
“I’m doing the unthinkable—scaling an all out attack on the Pyres, the crime lords of Las Vegas. No one thought it was possible, but here we are.”
The monster spread his arms wide and the men around him chuckled. Lyla fought back the urge to vomit. This couldn’t be happening. The leader stomped his foot on Manny’s chest. Lyla heard bones break as Manny gasped and tried to get away.
“No!” Lyla screamed, past the point of caring that a gun was being pointed at her until her captor used the butt of his gun to stun her into silence. The impact made her ears ring and her vision blurred. She blinked hastily, unable to rip her eyes from Manny who was being beat to death. Other men joined their leader and broke every bone in Manny’s body. Lyla fought against her captor and didn’t stop until he slammed her on the ground and sat on top of her. Lyla could barely breathe. The leader with the sweet voice used the butt of his gun to crush Manny’s features, as if he wasn’t a human being but a clay sculpture that needed to be remade. Bone crunched and the horrible sound of Manny’s screams faded into an ominous silence.
“Please, I’ll do anything! Please stop,” Lyla pleaded, heart shredding and terror eclipsing all rational thought. “Take me instead.”
The monster paused in his torture to look at her. “Don’t worry. We haven’t forgotten about you.”
“He’s old. He can’t take this,” Lyla said, still straining at the guard’s hold.
“Do you know what this man has done?”
The man jerked Manny’s head back, which flopped lifelessly. Lyla screamed and reached out for him even though she knew the gesture was useless.
“Please, please.” She was past pride or fear. She needed to get to Manny to touch and reassure herself that the man she considered her father was still breathing.
“This man has killed more innocents than a serial killer. The Pyre family doesn’t care who gets in their way. They don’t kill, they obliterate. Power hungry, arrogant... They forget that they’re human and can bleed.”
The monster dropped Manny, who fell to the floor and didn’t move. When he raised his booted foot, the scream Lyla released was filled with all the horror and helpless rage she possessed. She closed her eyes and struggled like a demon, but she couldn’t get free. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Manny looked like a broken puppet. His limbs were bent at odd angles. The man standing above him pulled out a gun and fired. Manny’s body jerked. Blood splattered the man’s pants and pooled beneath his feet.
Lyla retched and the man above her stood. Blood stained shoes cam
e into her line of sight. A black leather glove smeared with red reached out and gripped her hair. Lyla’s head tipped back at the vicious tug. She stared up at the dark mask that shielded the murderer’s eyes and poured all the hate she felt into that stare.
“You’re so beautiful,” the man said and brushed his gloved thumb over lips.
Lyla tasted the tang of Manny’s blood and retched again. The man clucked his tongue.
“It’s a shame you had to see that,” he crooned, stroking back her hair while she trembled in shock. He pressed his lips to her ear. “You’re at the wrong place at the wrong time, baby.”
He pulled back and clasped her clammy face. Lyla stared into the slits of his mask at fathomless black eyes. The man released her and she sprawled on her back, staring up at him as he pulled out a shiny blade from his pocket. Lyla tried to roll over and run, but a man pinned her wrists while the monster sat on her middle and held the knife aloft. Lyla stared at the blade, knowing she was going to die.
“You fucker—” she began before pain ripped through her abdomen.
She didn’t have enough breath to scream. Another stab and then another until her body felt as if it was being cut into pieces. Lyla struggled, all to no avail. Her body was on fire. The monster grabbed her face and kissed her through the mask before he shoved the knife into her chest. The arms pinning her down disappeared. Lyla’s hand went to the hilt of the knife. The merest brush on the blade made her want to reposition it to end her agony faster. Lyla curled into a ball, knowing she was near death. There was no surviving this.
Suddenly, there were shouts, scrambling feet and then gunshots. This mattered little to Lyla. Although her eyes were darkening with black spots, she focused on Manny. She didn’t care what was going on around her or register the fact that bodies were dropping around her. Lyla’s focus locked on Manny. Lyla dragged herself across the slick floor. She was going to die and needed to be near him. The blood spurting from her wounds helped her slide across the floor with more ease. When she reached Manny’s broken hand, she dropped her face onto it.