by Mia Knight
He cupped her face. “I’m sorry.”
She blinked back tears. “It’s done. Go get him.”
He kissed her and then led her out of the hospital room. Blade and Angel were talking in the hallway. They turned when the door opened.
“Did you kiss and make up?” Angel asked with a lascivious grin.
“You’re annoying,” Lyla snapped.
“Lyla!”
She looked down the corridor and saw Marcus rushing towards her. When he reached for her, Angel blocked his way.
“Who are you?” Angel asked aggressively.
Marcus stopped and looked Angel up and down before he asked, “Who are you?”
“Angel Roman.”
Marcus glanced at Gavin before he held out a hand. “Marcus. We’ve never met. I usually deal with Raul.”
“Raul’s the businessman,” Angel acknowledged and shook his hand.
Marcus walked around Angel and engulfed Lyla in a tight hug. “How are you, honey?”
“You let him touch your wife?” Angel snapped at Gavin.
“Lyla won’t let me kill him and he makes me a lot of money,” Gavin said.
“Still, he isn’t family,” Angel muttered.
Lyla rolled her eyes at the Neanderthals and pulled back to give Marcus a tremulous smile. “What are you doing here?”
“Gavin told me what happened. Are you all right?”
“I’m okay.”
“Carmen?”
“Good. She’s home with Nora.”
Marcus cupped her face. “Be safe, damn it.”
“I will.”
Marcus kissed her on the cheek. “I have to get back, but I had to see you.” He looked to Gavin. “Let me know when it’s over.”
Gavin nodded. “I will. Now, get back to the casino. The cops are all over us.”
Marcus nodded and left without another word.
“He’s a ballsy bastard, isn’t he?” Angel muttered.
“He’s great,” Lyla said defensively.
“You can’t touch men like that outside of the family. It’s indecent.”
Lyla’s mouth sagged. “What did you just say?”
“Gav, you can’t let her—”
“Since when did a hug equal giving a guy head?” Lyla snapped.
“We don’t let our women—” Angel began.
“Not the time.” Gavin cupped her face and kissed her one last time. “I love you. Stay with Blade and Angel.”
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“Hunting.”
With that, he walked away, leaving her with mixed emotions.
“Can you walk?” Angel asked with false concern.
Blade elbowed Angel with enough force to make him gasp for air and sink to one knee. Lyla tipped her nose in the air and walked back to the ICU. When she sat by her mother’s side and took her hand again, she felt more human and a lot less like a ticking time bomb.
Gavin would find Sadist and kill him. She had to keep that front and center in her mind so she wouldn’t go crazy. Despite the fact that Sadist always seemed to be five steps ahead, she had to remember that he was human and could bleed... and therefore die.
Lyla looked up as two nurses walked in. Lyla released her mother’s hand and took a step back so they could do what they needed to. She watched the nurse check her mother’s drip and noticed that her hand was shaking. Too much caffeine?
“Mrs. Pyre,” the other nurse said, drawing her attention. “Are you doing all right?”
“As well as can be under the circumstances,” Lyla said.
“Do the police have any leads?”
She felt something tight grip her heart. “No.”
The second nurse rummaged in the cart beside the bed. Obviously not finding what she was looking for, she moved towards another cart in the corner.
“I haven’t seen a case this bad in years,” the first nurse said and squeezed Lyla’s arm. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you,” Lyla said and was dimly aware of the second nurse moving behind her.
“We’re going to do everything we can for your mother, okay?”
“Okay—” Lyla began and then hissed when something pricked her neck. She recognized the feeling since Blade sedated her only a couple of hours ago. She reached up to pull the syringe out, but before she could her legs gave out and she crashed to the floor.
“Hurry up, get her on the gurney. We’ll wheel her out under a sheet and then—” the nurse said and then everything went black.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Lyla
Lyla woke feeling like her arms were going to fall off. She moaned and realized several things simultaneously. She was on her knees on cold, hard concrete. She was also blindfolded, gagged and her hands were bound behind her. It took a full minute for her to think past the pounding in her head. She scooted backwards to ease the tension on her shoulders. Her hands hit cold stone and skated down to discover that the chain shackling her wrists together behind her back were threaded through a metal circle at the base of the wall. The length of chain allowed her to rest on her knees, but not enough to stand.
Lyla rested her back against the wall, but this did nothing to alleviate her cramping muscles. Memories of the nurses passed through her mind. She bared her teeth as rage beat back the fear. If those nurses hurt her mother, she would gut them herself.
Lyla shifted restlessly and heard the clink of a chain, which seemed unnaturally loud in the enclosed space. Unlike the cuffs Gavin used on her earlier, the metal shackles on her wrist were at least three inches thick and no joke. Her watch with the GPS was gone and so was her wedding ring. She was still in her jeans and button up top, but her leather jacket and shoulder holster was gone.
The sound of an agonizing scream reached her ears followed by another. Her heart leapt. Was this Sadist’s torture chamber? Her mouth watered as bile rose. She swallowed with difficulty since the gag was so tight that her mouth couldn’t close. Her lips ached. She tried to shift the gag out of her mouth by rubbing it against her shoulder. When her neck cramped, she straightened abruptly and let out an infuriated scream.
Fuck Sadist! If he was going to kill her, get it over with! Even as her emotions raged, an image of Nora appeared in her mind. She yanked savagely against the chain. Fuck. Nora... Nora needed her. So did Gavin. Oh, Gavin. He was going to Hulk out. And Carmen was going to freak out. She should have chilled at home like Carmen said, but no, she had to sit by her mother’s bedside and now here she was in... wherever the fuck she was.
She wasn’t sure if seconds, minutes or hours passed. Her shoulders burned, went numb and then came to life with a dozen needles stabbing into her, making her moan in pain. She tried to work the gag free without success. She went through every emotion possible, yanking at the chains and growling like a wild animal when rage obliterated all thought and then giving into tears of helpless rage and then despair.
Lyla heard the jingle of keys and thought she was hallucinating. Then, she heard the squeak of a doorknob and felt a slight gust of wind as the door swung open. Through the blindfold, she saw the faintest hint of light. She balled her hands into fists and waited for whatever came next. Would he stab her to death? Beat the crap out of her or just slit her throat?
She breathed heavily through her nose as she waited. And waited. The screams she heard earlier were loud and piercing now that the door was open. Lyla’s heart pounded with dread and fear. She scooted back and then stiffened when the door closed and she was thrown back into complete darkness. What the fuck?
There was no sound in the room. Was a guard checking on her? Someone had the wrong room? She didn’t hear the scrape of a key in the lock. Dizzy with fear, she waited for something to happen. Long minutes passed. She shivered and then moaned as a shaft of pain shot through her arms.
“Lyla.”
The soft voice came out of the darkness right in front of her. Lyla screamed and reared back so hard that she collided with the wall. It was him, Sadist. She would never
“It’s been too long,” Sadist crooned.
Lyla faced the direction his voice emanated from and screamed at him. If she weren’t bound, she would claw his eyes out and try to kill him with her teeth.
“I must say, I like seeing you like this.”
Of course he did. He was a sick fuck.
“You know, Lyla, you’re quite fascinating. You have nine lives. You’re my only victim who survived. The cuts I made were fatal and yet, here you are.”
Oh, God, he sounded closer. She imagined he had a knife held in front of him that she could impale herself on if she was stupid enough to try to attack him with her arms bound behind her. She tried to get away from him, but there was nowhere to go. She willed the wall to swallow her. She couldn’t be at the mercy of this man twice. God wasn’t that cruel, was he?
“Imagine my surprise when I bribe Gavin’s guards to kill you and even pregnant you survive. What are the odds?”
The touch of a smooth hand against her cheek made her stomach revolt. She edged away, but the stupid chains kept her in place. The touch came again, a finger stroking down her cheek and then her neck.
“You’re so beautiful. Everyone sees what you want them to see, but I know better.”
He grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled. Buttons popped off and then rolled across the floor. She scooted back, which did nothing to deter him. He ran his hands over her raised chest scars and hummed in the back of his throat. Her stomach heaved and she resolutely swallowed. Oh, God. What was he doing?
“You bear my mark, Lyla. What does Pyre think of that? I hope he thinks of me every time he touches you. The almighty Gavin Pyre brought to his knees by little old me.”
Sadist chuckled. She was lightheaded with rage. This monster killed Manny, stabbed her and was responsible for the brutal rape of her mother. He was right here, inches from her and she could do nothing.
“I heard you killed your father.” A pause and then, “That’s something you and I have in common, killing a family member, but they deserved it, right? You’ve become quite heartless, Lyla. I like it.”
His hand collared her throat and brushed over her fluttering pulse. She tried to evade his touch with no luck. She was powerless to do anything and he knew it.
“Such fire. What happened to the sweet innocent who pleaded for Manny Pyre’s life?” Even as her breath caught in her throat, he continued, “You still don’t know who I am, do you? I always wondered if you would figure it out, but you never noticed me. I thought you were different at first, but you turned out to be like every other woman. I hate women. I’m sure you’ve put that together already. I’ve never met one who wasn’t focused on the bottom line. My mom sold me to my dad for two thousand bucks and my dad abused the hell out of me, trying to turn me into a tough guy like Gavin. What dad never realized is I don’t have to be a tough guy like Gavin. I can be my own type of man and that’s even more powerful. I’ll never be able to kill Gavin, but I know someone who can.”
She felt a thrill of fear when she heard the hiss of a zipper. One hand slid through her hair and over her bruised lips.
“I approached your father. He was in deep, of course. He was about to lose his house and was ripe for the picking since he hates Gavin. Who doesn’t? He’s a rich, macho asshole who thinks the world should bow at his feet. He collects more enemies than anyone I know, but too many still fear him. So, they’re here tonight to watch the crime lord take his final bow.”
His hand traced her chest scars with frightening familiarity.
“Your father sold you and your daughter to me for five hundred thousand. We took your mother for insurance and raped her in front of him so he knew the score. I never intended to let either of them live. First you survive my blade and now your mother. It’s quite... aggravating.”
When she screamed her fury at him, he tapped her nose reprovingly.
“Tonight is my finale, the end of the Pyre Empire and the beginning of my reign. Lucifer will lure Gavin here after I’m done with you. Lucifer’s the only one who can take Gavin and he has a score to settle with him. I need Gavin’s end to be public so there’s no mistaking who’s in control now. Too bad you won’t be able to watch, but I promised Lucifer I’d give him a show in return for ending Gavin.”
He sank a hand into her hair and gripped as he pressed his cheek to hers and inhaled deeply. His skin shouldn’t be soft, smooth and warm. No human could be this evil. Lyla tried to knock him off balance, but the fucking chain kept her anchored and harmless. Fuck!
“Are you ready to give everyone a show?” A cold finger traveled over the scar inches from her heart. His breath hitched. “Lucifer taught me how to kill, how to prolong a death and how to make people respect you. You have to do it with flair. Gavin’s good at that, but then again, so am I.”
His voice was uneven. Her heartbeat slowed as if his voice was poison. Her body felt heavy with dread and hopelessness. This is how she would die, with Sadist’s voice in her ears.
“Unfortunately, Lucifer says I’m not allowed to touch you until everyone’s present to enjoy it. Shame. I’m going to enjoy this, Lyla. I always finish what I start, which means I’m paying your daughter a visit tomorrow.”
His hand gripped her hair and yanked back savagely. He groaned and then she felt a string of something wet and warm splatter over her face. She retched and tried to turn her face away, but Sadist kept her still until he was done. He panted as he examined his handiwork and then shoved her so she fell on her side on the floor.
“That’s for my father,” he said.
There was no sound of retreating footsteps, but she felt a draft when the door opened. She saw a flash of light through the blindfold and the sound of torturous screams before the door closed, enclosing her in hell.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Gavin
Gavin blasted the woman’s head off and allowed the warm spray of blood to splash over him. He waited for a flicker of satisfaction, but he felt absolutely nothing.
The nurse who had taken Lyla from him did this as a favor for her crack head boyfriend who worked for Marcel, a gangbanger Gavin had never heard of. Both nurses, the crack head boyfriend and Marcel lay at his feet. None of them had shit for him, which meant they were pawns being used by a higher up. It had to be Phantom. The thought of Lyla back in his grasp made his insides contract. He held up Lyla’s wedding ring and watch, which the nurse intended to pawn.
“What now?” Angel asked.
He called on every contact he had. Everyone’s phones were off. No one was at home, in their office or on the Strip. They were just... gone. Something was going down tonight. He sensed it with every fiber of his being. He had no leads, no one to hunt. Nothing.
His phone rang. He reached into his pocket, eyed the unavailable number and put it to his ear.
“Gavin.”
It took him a moment to place the voice. When he did, something close to fear shot through his system. “Lucifer.”
The man on the other end chuckled. “I’m flattered you recognize my voice.”
It had been years, but no one forgot the sound of the devil’s voice. Angel and Blade were watching him, but they didn’t ask questions, they waited patiently.
“I have something you want,” Lucifer said.
Every hair on the nape of his neck stood up.
“I’ll be waiting for you.”
Lucifer hung up. Gavin slowly lowered the phone and took a deep breath.
Blade’s hands balled into fists at his side. “Lucifer’s involved in this shit?”
“So it seems.”
“Who’s Lucifer?” Angel asked.
“I need to go home,” Gavin said and snatched the keys for the Bugatti out of Angel’s pocket.
“What the fuck? You’re going to get changed when you know where we have to go?” Angel asked.
“Lucifer won’t start until we get there. He likes an audience.” Gavin glanced at Blade. “Burn the fucking house down.”
Gavin got into the Bugatti and tore out of the neighborhood. In his rearview mirror he saw the flicker of flames.
Nine hours ago Angel forced his way into the ICU and found Lyla missing. It took too fucking long for them to figure out what happened and hunt these fuckers down. When he got the call about Lyla missing, Blade had a syringe ready, but Gavin’s wrath was ice cold. He couldn’t afford to lose his shit.
Gavin pulled up to his home. The guards that came towards the car froze when he emerged looking like an extra from Kill Bill. He walked into the house and took the stairs two at a time. He stripped off his suit, showered and redressed. When he was done he slipped on brass knuckles and strapped on a collection of knives. He walked out of the bedroom and hesitated only a moment before he entered the nursery.
Carmen sat in the rocking chair with Nora in the crook of her arm. Carmen’s expression was ravaged with worry and fear. Bloodshot eyes flicked to him when he entered. She rose.
“Did you find her?” Carmen whispered.
“I got a call from Lucifer.”
He didn’t need to say more. Carmen understood. All the blood drained out of her face.
“Lyla’s in Hell?”
Gavin didn’t answer. He didn’t allow himself to wonder what they’d done to her because that would shatter his control and he couldn’t go into Hell with anything but a clear head. He had to believe she was there, alive and whole. Any other alternative was unacceptable. He took Nora from Carmen. His daughter blinked up at him with Lyla’s eyes. The edges of his control began to fray. He had to suppress the killing haze. Not yet. He buried his face against his daughter for a moment and drank her in.
This would end tonight. If Lyla didn’t return, neither would he.
“Gavin,” Carmen whispered.
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