by Mia Knight
“Uh, yeah.” She ignored the pool of desire in her belly. He took her twice last night. How the hell could she still be horny? She thought once they had Nora their libidos would slack off. Not so, apparently. “You didn’t tell me you donated money to a hospital.”
Nora’s pacifier bounced as she yanked on her daddy’s tie. Gavin didn’t bother to snatch it from her chubby hands.
“It’s a good cause.” Gavin shifted his sleeve to glance at his watch. “Let’s go.”
Lyla bent down to kiss Beau and promised she would be back as soon as possible. On the way to the door, Lyla made sure the safety on her gun was on. Carrying a gun saved her life four months ago. She wouldn’t be caught without it. She was sure Carmen was packing as well. The world they live in forced them to take extreme precautions.
They walked into the crisp morning. Lyla automatically glanced around to take in her guards. She didn’t know what Gavin did to test what was left of his men and didn’t want to know. All she knew was a quarter of their security went on the run and several of them disappeared after Gavin interrogated them.
Gavin placed Nora in the car seat and rode shotgun while Blade drove. Lyla scooted in beside Nora while Carmen sat on her other side.
“This is going to be the first time everyone sees her. You like her outfit?” Carmen asked.
Nora wore black leggings with a knit sweater with a cute heart design, matching boots and cap. Lyla brushed the back of her hand against Nora’s cheek, which was toasty warm.
“She looks adorable,” Lyla said.
“Of course she does. I bought her that,” Carmen said proudly.
Lyla made faces at Nora, which made her giggle and reach for her. Lyla allowed Nora to mess up her hair before she pulled back and left her hand on her daughter’s lap to play with. Lyla couldn’t resist turning in her seat to look at the entourage of SUVs following them. It was normal to feel paranoid after what she had been through, right? Her eyes touched on the trunk. She had a vivid memory of lying back there, holding onto Beau, willing him to live after he had been shot.
Lyla took a deep breath and faced forward. She screwed her eyes shut and willed away the flashbacks, but they refused to be ignored. She could still hear the pop of gunfire as her guards turned on one another. Adrenaline flooded her body, which wanted her to go into fight or flight mode. Lyla sat back, closed her eyes and tried to calm down.
The flashbacks happened without warning. She had done everything in her power to avoid situations that would cause her anxiety, such as leaving the house. When she felt steady enough, she opened her eyes and saw Blade watching her in the rearview mirror. She looked away.
Gavin’s fortress lay on the outskirts of the city, far from the prying eyes of society. The desert was an unforgiving place, much like the people who occupied it. Lyla had come to appreciate its starkness and take comfort in the isolation of their home.
Las Vegas was an oasis in the middle of the Mojave Desert. The lure of money and sex enticed millions to The Strip to try their luck since the 1930s. Lyla resisted the urge to cover Nora’s eyes as they cruised down The Strip. Women with pasties on their breasts and skirts too short to cover their asses tried to make a quick buck by posing with nerdy tourists or preteen boys. Others dressed as popular characters while street performers tried to entertain the crowds.
Blade stopped in front of one of Gavin’s casinos. Gavin unbuckled Nora from her car seat and carried her inside. Lyla shouldered the baby bag while Blade followed with the stroller. Despite her excitement about leaving the house, she was on edge and extremely tense. There were people everywhere and the blast of sound was overwhelming. The smell of smoke was heavy in the air and even though it wasn’t even ten o’clock, cocktail waitresses held trays laden with liquor. There were no kids in sight, of course. Las Vegas wasn’t child friendly, a point she tried to impress upon Manny when she was young and naive. However, Manny allowed her to create a black stallion statue instead of another naked figure for the gamblers to touch for luck.
They made their way through the casino to the employee area and executive offices. Gavin’s employees stopped and stared at the sight of him with a baby. Several of the braver souls stepped forward to greet Nora who was fascinated by all the new faces. Gavin didn’t offer Nora to any of the cooing women gathered around him. Gavin was a possessive bastard and didn’t want to give his daughter to anyone for a second.
“Lyla!”
Lyla turned and saw Marcus approach. Before Gavin could interfere, his good-looking COO kissed her on the cheek and wrapped her in a tight hug. Marcus had become dear to her in the short time she’d known him. Not only did he shoulder Gavin’s workload, he was also unfailingly loyal, which he proved when Gavin was in jail for money laundering. Marcus was more aggressive in business than Vinny had ever been and was relentless in his ambition to expand the Pyre Empire. Marcus acted as if he was a Pyre and seemed determined to leave a brilliant legacy behind for the next generation.
“You’re good?” Marcus asked seriously, cupping her cheek.
She loved that about Marcus. He could be cutthroat in business, but he was affectionate and treated her like a long lost sister. He didn’t follow the rules of propriety where she was concerned, which drove Gavin insane.
“I’m good,” she said.
He stood back and beamed. “You look great!”
She relaxed and her anxiety fell away. “Thank you.”
“Where’s my goddaughter?”
Gavin scowled as he broke through the ring of female employees around him. “I never made you Nora’s godfather.”
“You should,” Marcus said, unperturbed by Gavin’s surly attitude. He bent to catch Nora’s attention. “Hi, baby, I’m Uncle Marcus.” He held his hands out to her.
Gavin began to smirk, but that vanished when Nora reached for Marcus, a complete stranger. Gavin started to turn away, but Marcus blocked his way and snatched Nora from her father who looked as if hell warmed over. Lyla wrapped her arm around Gavin’s waist so he wouldn’t harm Marcus who earned himself a bruised jaw in the past.
“Cool it,” she said and tried to hide her smile.
“I don’t like him touching you,” Gavin growled.
How many times had she heard that since she met Marcus? It was obvious there was nothing romantic between them, but Gavin never failed to comment on it.
“He’s like my brother.”
They watched Marcus talk to Nora who was taken by his smooth voice and All-American good looks.
“We should make him her godfather,” Lyla said and Gavin stiffened.
“Hell no.”
“Why not? Look at him with her. I trust Marcus with Nora.”
Gavin grunted. “I don’t want him to think he’s family.”
“You trust him with your business and money, but not your family?”
Gavin didn’t answer.
Marcus settled Nora on his hip and raked Carmen from head to heels while she spoke to a nightclub manager who was grinning like a fool. Marcus’s normally expressive face revealed nothing of what he was thinking.
“Lyla, you’re here!”
Alice, wearing purple slacks and an unflattering blouse with large flowers embraced Lyla and then backed away, clapping her hands. “You look great! Where’s the baby?”
Before Lyla could answer, Alice spotted Nora in Marcus’s arms. She rushed over and talked to Nora who flapped her arms and smiled so wide that her pacifier dropped. Like Gavin, Marcus didn’t relinquish his hold on Nora. Alice was disappointed, but she wasn’t about to play tug of war with a baby or snap at her boss.
“He’s hogging her,” Alice complained and then bounced on her toes, eyes lighting up as she remembered something. “Are you able to volunteer at the hospital next week? Carmen said she’d talk to you about it.”
“I’m not sure,” Lyla said and felt Gavin fist his hand in the back of her coat.
“I’m on my way to a meeting with Janice to discuss the event. It
“No,” Gavin said shortly.
Alice didn’t bother to hide her relief. It was clear she wasn’t comfortable around her CEO. She turned back to Lyla. “You want to come to the meeting?”
Lyla looked up at Gavin. His jaw was locked. Clearly, he didn’t want her out of his sight, but she was curious about the event and felt bad for not participating. Before Nora was born she had been extremely active in the Pyre Foundation and enjoyed volunteering.
“Lyla?” Alice prompted.
She went on tiptoe and kissed Gavin’s bristly jaw. “I’ll be back.” She glanced at Marcus who presented Nora to the casino workers as if she were his. “You’ll keep an eye on Nora?”
“Of course. Blade,” Gavin bit out and Blade materialized by her side, “bring her right back to me.”
“Yes, sir,” Blade said.
Lyla slipped away from Gavin, kissed Nora on the cheek and looked around for Carmen, but she was gone. Lyla tamped down her alarm. Carmen could take care of herself and she wasn’t a target like her. Alice waved tentatively at Blade who regarded impassively in return. Four guards joined him.
“Did I miss something?” Alice asked out of the side of her mouth. “I thought we haven’t seen you because of Nora. Is something else going on?”
“That’s just Gavin being Gavin.” Lyla didn’t hesitate to put the blame on him.
Revealing anything about the attacks wasn’t an option. Alice might keel over from the shock. Alice was a Utah native, a state known for its strict religion and conservative views. She never asked Alice what prompted her to come to Las Vegas, but she was glad to have her here. Alice was a beam of light in an otherwise dark city filled with greed and lust.
“You look great,” Alice said admiringly as they walked through the casino.
“Thank you. I’m starting to feel... better.”
Seeing Nora being fawned over by Marcus, Alice and the other employees made her feel as if she was a part of a community rather than a lone ranger. For the first time in months she wasn’t worrying about Gavin in the underworld or Nora’s future. She could live in the moment as she walked arm in arm with Alice through the casino, which was teeming with people.
“What are your plans today?” Alice asked.
“I’m not sure. Gavin said you and Janice have been asking about Nora so I thought we’d visit. Carmen came too, but I don’t know where she’s gone off to.”
“Oh, I should have invited her to the meeting.” Alice waved her hand. “Well, she’s been involved from the beginning so she knows everything anyway.”
Carmen had been in on the plans for the hospital event? How? She hadn’t left the house.
Alice steered her into a conference room where Janice was holding court. Gavin’s Public Relations Coordinator was a force to be reckoned with. Janice single handedly pulled Gavin’s tattered image out of the trash after Gavin went to jail and Manny’s grisly murder was splashed across the news. Between Alice and Janice, the Pyre name had become a beacon of hope in the communities that badly needed a benefactor.
“You’re back!” Janice exclaimed, running forward in spiked heels and a tailored suit. She gave Lyla a fierce hug and then looked past Lyla to Blade, the only guard who entered the room. “Where’s the baby?”
“With Gavin and Marcus,” Lyla said.
Janice’s eyes bugged. “You trust them with a baby?”
“I don’t think I could pry her away from them. Gavin’s obsessed and Marcus has elected himself her godfather.”
“Blade, make yourself comfortable,” Janice said, ever courteous, and led Lyla to the table.
Janice introduced her to six women who were managing this event and immediately began to outline the festivities. Gavin helped repair two wings of the hospital, which had been destroyed during a fire and made a sizable donation to build a new one. The hospital was celebrating the completion of the new wing, which Alice saw as an opportunity for the Pyre Foundation to reach out.
Alice spoke enthusiastically about the itinerary. It was clear that this had taken months to plan and the amount of people involved was staggering. Over one hundred Pyre employees were volunteering their time to pass out goodie bags and care baskets. Lyla was moved by the stories of the patients. Thanks to Carmen’s connections, they had an impressive list of celebrities attending the event to draw the press. Lyla's brows shot up when she heard Kody Singer agreed to make a little girl’s dying wish come true. Carmen was talking to her past fling?
Every person in the room possessed an abundance of love, caring and hope. It made the underworld seemed like an alternate universe. How could there be people with no souls on the same planet with someone like Alice who believed in the good in every human being? Just being in this room filled with compassionate, giving people made Lyla’s fear and worry fade. The best way to combat the darkness was to get involved and be around people who were trying to make a positive difference in the world.
As the meeting concluded, Lyla was hugged and kissed on the cheek by the staff and volunteers. She had been alone for so long that the simple show of support made her eyes sting with tears. Alice and Janice stayed behind to ask about Nora and how she was doing as a new mother. Lyla hadn’t been this relaxed in months and found herself wishing she could stay with them.
“So, are you coming to the event?” Alice asked.
“Yes!”
“Yay! I’m so glad. I’ve missed having you around.”
“Is Gavin coming?” Janice asked archly.
“No. He has other things to see to,” Lyla said.
Janice didn’t push. Lyla wasn’t sure how much Janice knew about the truth behind the rumors surrounding Gavin’s involvement in criminal activities.
“No matter,” Janice said briskly. “Gavin lets his money speak for him, which is what matters. He’s done wonders for the community through the Pyre Foundation.”
“We have to have a girl’s day,” Alice said.
“We should,” Janice agreed. “Carmen and the three of us... and Nora, of course. I gotta run.”
“Me too,” Alice said after a harried glance at her Minnie Mouse watch.
“Love you, see you soon,” Janice said and kissed Lyla on the cheek.
Alice copied her and both women disappeared at a fast trot. Lyla looked at Blade who stood by the door during the meeting.
“Not a good idea,” Blade said bluntly.
“It’s a good cause. I want to help.”
“Too many variables. Gavin won’t allow it.”
Her good mood was beaten back by cold, hard reality. She glared at Blade. “I can’t lock myself in the house for the rest of my life. People need help.”
“You can’t help anyone if you’re dead.”
Lyla stepped up to Blade and pressed her gun against his middle. Blade didn’t flinch. He just stared at her with cold, fathomless eyes.
“I am so sick of hiding from that bastard. If he comes for me, this time I’ll be ready.”
“You can’t be prepared for everything.”
Blade disarmed her so quickly she didn’t have a chance to hang onto the gun. Her pistol thudded to the ground several feet away. Blade grabbed her arm and yanked hard. Lyla whirled and found herself in a chokehold. Even as panic tried to grab her by the throat, the lesson her self defense instructor drilled into her took over. Lyla kicked her stiletto boot up hard and fast as if she was going to kick her own ass and felt it connect with her target. Blade released her instantly and sank to his knees, hands over his crotch. He didn’t make a sound as he knelt on the floor as if he was praying.
It had become a weekly ritual for Blade to surprise her at inopportune moments. The skirmishes were been unexpected and over quickly. Each time, she had responded correctly and today was no exception. It wasn’t easy to endure these tests, though. It triggered memories of the other attacks. Lyla shuddered and tried to shake off the chill.
“Are you okay?” Lyla asked.
Blade growled, but didn’t look up. Lyla fetched her pistol and put it in her purse. Lyla wiped sweat from her brow and brushed a hand over her scarf to make sure it covered her chest. Her hand brushed over the tip of a raised, ragged scar. She knew each and every mark by heart and could vividly recall the agony as Sadist inflicted the wounds, staring down at her with soulless black eyes. Lyla paced as she tried to suppress the memories. She turned on Blade who still hadn’t moved.
“I guess that really works,” she said.
If looks could kill, she would have perished. Blade's jaw flexed as he restrained himself. He rose slowly and took an experimental step before he waved his hand.
“Let’s go,” he said in a husky voice.
Lyla didn’t need to be told twice. She walked out of the conference room and was confronted by the rest of her security detail. Two guards took the lead and two fell behind while Blade kept pace beside her. They walked along the outskirts of the casino.
“I’m ready, don’t you think?” Lyla asked.
“Gavin won’t let you attend. I’d just shoot you from afar and get it over with,” Blade said, clearly still agitated from her crotch shot.
“But this guy likes to play.” Her stomach pitched as memories of the past began to wash out her surroundings. “He could have shot Manny and I the first time, but he didn’t. He drew it out. He wanted to torture Manny to teach him a lesson and he used his knife on me...”
Everything around her faded into nothingness. Memories of the day Manny was killed slammed into her. The elegant casino disappeared and she was once again in Manny’s mansion, hands pinned behind her as she watched Manny being beat to death. Her body broke out in a cold sweat and she was flooded with terror. Someone grabbed her arm and she wrenched away.
“Don’t touch me!” She backed up and tried to shake the visions away, but she could still hear the sound of bones breaking and the cruel laugh of the monster who systematically tore Manny to pieces.
“Lyla, it’s okay, it’s me.”
Lyla came up against a wall, braced her hands on knees and tried to catch her breath. She clenched her teeth against the need to scream. She felt exposed and vulnerable with the guards watching, waiting for her to get a hold of herself. Lyla wished Alice or Janice was here to chase away her nightmares.
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