by Mia Knight
“It’s over, Manny.”
He nodded. “It is. Vengeance was served, and you and Gavin are starting a new chapter. You’re two halves of the same whole. You’re both strong in different ways. You’re good for each other. Your path isn’t an easy one, but you have friends and family to help you through the dark times. As a unit you’re invincible. Trust each other and you’ll pull through.”
She heard a noise in the distance and knew instinctively it was from the waking world, a world she didn’t want to return to yet. She focused on him with every fiber of her being. This dream was so precious, she would give anything for more time.
“You finally let yourself love him the way he needs, the way I never could. I did things to him you wouldn’t agree with, but it was for the best. He wouldn’t be who he is today without his training, and I don’t regret it. He’s a man who will never give up, which is what he needs to survive.”
Manny stared at her with his son’s piercing gaze.
“You have no idea what’s coming.”
“What do you mean?”
“Be strong for me, baby girl. You can take it.”
“I don’t understand.”
He spoke faster. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You know who you can trust. Keep them close. Create the family you need.”
His image began to blur, and the fear of losing him rose up again, choking her.
“Wait, don’t leave me,” she begged and fought the paralysis as the colors of her world began to bleed.
“I’ll never leave you. You were always my light, Lyla. Shine bright.”
4
Lyla lurched up in bed, hands outstretched, tears rolling down her cheeks. She knew without opening her eyes that she wasn’t by the pool. She was in bed in the master suite with the rumpled sheets wrapped around her naked body. She dropped her face in her hands and sobbed. It was like losing him all over again. Manny was the first person to see something special in her. He gave her the confidence to express her opinions and listened to her when everyone else had ignored her. He was an integral part of her life, her father in every way but blood, and he was gone like so many others.
She rolled out of bed and splashed water on her face before she dressed in mommy attire—yoga pants and another oversized shirt. When she found the nursery empty, she trotted downstairs. Her somber mood lightened considerably when she found Gavin on the floor with Nora in the living room. Nora scooted determinedly while Honey and Beau watched avidly.
Gavin looked up with a smile that made her heart sore. Like father, like son. Manny was right. Gavin was happy. Happier than she could ever remember him being, even when they were together before. Back then, he’d been so guarded and mired in deception and underworld shit and now … Now, he was just himself. CEO, husband, father, and it looked fucking amazing on him.
“Morning, baby,” he said.
She went to him and kissed him. “Thanks for letting me sleep. You’re not going to work today?”
“No, I’m taking the day off.”
She scooped up Nora who wasn’t happy about being interrupted during her crawling attempts. She pet the dogs and ambled into the kitchen. As she made herself a cup of tea, her gaze wandered outside to the pool where the sun highlighted the red and gold striped loungers she and Manny had been on. She couldn’t help herself. She walked outside and looked around, almost expecting him to appear out of thin air. Everything was just as it had been in the dream. She sat on the lounger Manny occupied and closed her eyes. It was warm from the sun, but she imagined it was from his body heat, as if he had just walked away. Wistful longing laced with heartache filled her, and her breath hitched.
She felt a whoosh of air as a furry body burrowed between her legs. Beau rested his chin on her ankle and sighed loudly. He was never far from her when she was having a hard day. He knew her moods better than she did. She sent her hand through his fur and let the anguish drain slowly. She wasn’t sure whether the dream was a blessing or a curse and didn’t care. The sorrow was worth the price of seeing him. She hadn’t had a dream like that since before Nora was born. Though it had been three years since his death, it felt like yesterday. Fuck, she missed him.
A psychologist would tell her that it was her subconscious supplying these fantasies and that her mixed feelings about her father caused her to conjure the only loving parental figure she had. Did it really matter why she dreamed of Manny? If her brain wanted to create an illusion where Manny encouraged her to move forward, love her family, and forgive herself, why shouldn’t she? She wanted to believe that Manny was at peace and watching over them. It was the only thing she would accept.
When she went in the house, she found Nora perched in a baby seat on the kitchen island. Gavin had cereal smeared on his shirt and was trying to feed his daughter who kept grabbing the spoon before he could reach her mouth.
“You okay?” he asked.
She wrapped her arms around him from behind and sighed. “Yeah.”
She drew in his scent and grinned. His cologne was overpowered by the smell of baby powder.
“Let’s go out of town,” she said.
Manny was right. She had to stop hiding in the house, waiting for the next shitstorm. Traveling would distract her from her worries and snap her out of her melancholy.
“We can go wherever you want,” Gavin said.
“Really?”
“Anywhere. France? Greece? Japan?”
“I want quiet, no crowds.”
“Mountains or beach?”
She peeked around him and eyed Nora. “Sand.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you.” She squeezed him and ran her hands over his toned stomach, allowing her hands to dip past his waistline. She grinned wickedly when his muscles flexed. He whipped his head around to look at her.
“What are you doing?” he rumbled.
She gave him a guileless look. “Nothing.” She took the cereal from him. “You need to make some calls?”
“Yeah,” he said distractedly.
“Go ahead. I can take it from here.” She widened her eyes at Nora who mimicked her and then babbled excitedly. She ignored Gavin who watched her for a full minute before he stalked from the room. Gavin reacted so beautifully to her. No matter how small her come on was, he noticed immediately. She had never been the aggressor at any time in their relationship, and there was no way she could ever be, but she could do other things … Like rile him up with deceivingly innocent touches and act oblivious about her effect on him.
“How’s my baby girl?” she cooed.
Nora smacked her hands against her rubber seat and shouted at the top of her lungs. As a natural blonde, she was fascinated by her daughter’s jet-black hair. She secretly hoped Nora’s hair would always have a hint of curl. Nora’s animated silver blue eyes shimmered with curiosity. Her round cheeks were rosy with color and even though her face was covered with cereal, Lyla couldn’t resist. She covered Nora’s face in loud, smacking kisses that caused her to scream in delight.
After breakfast, she decided Nora needed a sponge bath. The dogs accompanied her and licked Nora’s toes when they could. After putting Nora in a new outfit, she nabbed her phone and settled on the floor in the nursery as Nora scooted around, surrounded by a ridiculous number of bright toys.
A call to the hospital to check on her mom revealed that she’d been sedated in the middle of the night. Beatrice had an episode and damaged some machines. Lyla stared at Nora who faced Beau. He lay on his belly, watching her with adoring eyes. Honey paced around the perimeter, watching her warily. Apparently, Honey sensed her mood change. Lyla gave her a reassuring smile and swallowed the lump in her throat.
“Do you think I should come down?” Just last night, she agreed to stay away from her mother, but if she needed her …
“Personally, Mrs. Pyre, I think it’s best that you take a break. I know you’re a new mom, and after what happened yesterday … I think she needs to rest with no visit
ors or other stimulation.”
The relief she felt made her feel like a crap daughter. “Okay, please keep me updated.”
“Will do. You have a great day now.”
Lyla lowered the phone and stared at it. Whatever the nurse told her was definitely watered down. She let out a long breath and dialed Carmen who didn’t answer. Carmen moving out of the house had been hard for her. She was her best friend, cousin, and sister all rolled into one bundle of crazy. Carmen’s support had been invaluable when Nora was born... and during all the crazy shit that had happened since. No one could replace her. Although she wished her cousin was with her every day, she could see Carmen needed to move forward with her life. And damn, she grabbed the bull by the horns. Carmen had moved in with Marcus. Seeing her cousin in a relationship after all these years was a miracle. Marcus was a good man, one who Lyla believed could help Carmen heal. If Carmen ended up breaking his heart, she’d have to kick her cousin’s ass.
Nora screamed when she couldn’t reach one of her toys beneath a chair. Lyla retrieved it before the sound of his daughter’s distressed cry brought Gavin upstairs. She gave Nora the toy and plopped the baby in her lap. There was unavoidable pain in life, but there was also unspeakable beauty. She held it between her hands. Nora slobbered over her toy and stared at her with inquiring eyes. She’s gonna lead the pack, a born leader. Manny had predicted what she already knew. The independent tendencies Nora was exhibiting at such an early age were freaking her out. Nora was definitely Gavin’s daughter. He was so proud of her headstrong ways. She wanted to put Nora in bubble wrap and protect her for as long as she could, but she knew life would find her. All she could do was love her to make the hard times hurt less. She hugged Nora to her. Her daughter allowed this for a moment before she pushed off and abandoned one toy for another.
When her phone rang, she picked it up immediately. “Hey.”
“What’s up, chick?” Carmen asked.
She rubbed her temples. “Oh, you know, just trying to be a ray of sunshine.”
“How’s that working for you?”
“Not well.”
“You want to go to a dance class? It’s super dirty, way worse than my pole class. We fuck the shit out of these chairs.”
Lyla snickered. “I hope they sanitize the chairs after each class.”
“No. That’s why I like it.”
“You’re gross.”
Carmen laughed. “I know.”
“I think I’ll pass today. Gavin’s home.”
“Good. Get some nookie and report back.”
“I got some last night.”
Carmen hummed. “Nice.”
She relaxed. Carmen’s teasing never failed to lighten her mood. “There was boxing involved.”
“Go on.”
“And a weight bench.”
“I think Marcus needs a home gym,” Carmen said thoughtfully, and Lyla grinned. “Hey, I’m pulling up to the class now. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? Lunch?”
“Yeah, that sounds good.”
“Okay, love you.”
“You too, bye.”
Lyla tidied up the nursery and kept an eye on Nora who had an unhealthy obsession with the carpet and kept trying to lick it. Beau followed her around and bumped his nose on the back of her leg for attention while Honey observed. Honey was a recent rescue she stole from Carmen. For the most part, Honey seemed to be adapting well. She’d regressed several times to a timid state, but Lyla wasn’t bothered. She hadn’t adapted well from things in her past. She stopped what she was doing to pull Nora away from the chair leg she was gnawing on.
When Nora was ready for a nap, she decided she needed one too. The dogs followed her into the master suite and climbed on the bed. She curled around Nora and stroked her hair. Nora’s long lashes fanned her face as she fought sleep. Lyla grinned as her daughter tried to roll away from her. She brought her back into place and continued to stroke her hair until Nora gave in with a scowl.
“Don’t be in such a rush, baby girl,” she murmured as she rested her cheek on her hands and watched her baby sleep.
Knowing Gavin was near allowed her to drift off much easier than her daughter. She woke an hour later to Nora’s hungry howl. She changed her before they trooped downstairs with the dogs rushing ahead of her and dashing out to the backyard. After she fed Nora, she made herself a sandwich and was halfway through it when she realized something was wrong. With Nora on her hip, she walked into Gavin’s office.
“Where’s Blade?” she asked.
Gavin rose from his desk, took Nora, and gave her a quick kiss. “He needed to do something.”
She stared at him. “Do something? What does that mean? Is that why you took the day off?”
“Yeah.”
She followed him into the kitchen where he finished her sandwich while fending off Nora’s seeking hands. “What is he doing?”
“Does it matter?”
She put her hands on her hips. “Uh, yeah.”
“Why?”
“Because …” She struggled to find a reason why Blade’s disappearance disturbed her so much. “He’s never left me before.” If she hadn’t been so distracted by the dream of Manny, she would have noticed much sooner.
Gavin dug around in the fridge. “He’ll be back.”
“When?”
He gave her an odd look. “What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is he’s my shadow, and he’s here day and night. Is there something wrong with him? Did he have to go to the doctor or something?”
“Don’t be dramatic, Lyla.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not being dramatic. I just want to know where he is. Why won’t you tell me?”
“I’ll let him decide what to tell you when he gets back.”
“And when does he get back?”
He cocked his head to the side. Nora copied him, which almost made her laugh, but she was too preoccupied with Blade’s whereabouts.
“You don’t get like this when I leave you,” Gavin observed.
“Because you have to leave me. You need to run Pyre Casinos and kill people. Blade doesn’t. I’m his job, right?”
“You’re his main priority, but he has other tasks.”
“That come before me?”
“Of course not.”
“Then where is he?”
“Give it up, Lyla.”
She waved her hands. “That’s not fair. He’s on my ass all day, telling me to work out or when to sleep or eat. He’s like you, but nicer.”
He scowled. “What?”
“He’s my shadow. He should tell me he’s gonna leave me.”
“You don’t need to know,” he said and patted her butt before he grabbed a flaky croissant.
“Gavin!”
“Here.”
He held his phone out to her. She took it and stared at the screen, which had an image of an island on it.
“What’s this?”
“Bora Bora. I think you’ll like it.”
She flipped through the images of white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters and was convinced within two minutes that this is exactly where they needed to be. “It’s gorgeous. When are we going?”
“Couple of weeks. It’ll give me enough time to take care of things at work and make sure Angel’s good.”
She looked up quickly. “Why? Is something wrong?”
Gavin glanced at Nora, who was watching them intently. It was almost as if she could understand what they were saying.
“It’ll take time for the underworld to accept him, so I’m just biding my time and showing my support.”
“And how are you doing that?”
The monster looked back at her. “The way I’ve always done it.”
“Are the Black Vipers taken care of?”
Aside from that mishap with the Black Vipers, Angel seemed to be doing well as crime lord. She saw the fear and dread on Gavin’s face when he got the call because it was history replaying itself. Another
cousin filling his shoes nearly gunned down. Gavin had spent some nights out with Angel. She didn’t question him at the time because she knew he was ensuring his cousin’s well-being. Whatever Angel needed, they’d provide. The fact that Angel was willing to take on the underworld after witnessing the damage Steven wrought on the city was mind-boggling. She shouldn’t be surprised, though. He was a Roman and ruling was in his blood, same as Gavin.
“It’ll take some time before they’re contained,” Gavin said.
He bit into an apple and continued to talk, but she was distracted by his fitted jeans. He should dress down more often. He wore a soft gray shirt that clung to his biceps. He looked more like a bodybuilder than a CEO. Maybe when Blade came home, he could babysit Nora, and they could box …
“Is Blade doing something for Angel? Is that why you won’t tell me where he is?” she asked.
Gavin tossed his apple core and shook his head. “You’re obsessing.”
“I learned from the master,” she retorted.
“If only you were this interested in my whereabouts.”
“Seventy percent of the time, you’re at work. Ten percent, you do underworld stuff, and the other twenty, you’re with us.” She grit her teeth when he dug in the fridge for something else to eat. “You know, it’s not fair that you guys can track and spy on me anytime and you won’t even tell me where he is.”
The sound of the front door closing shut her up. Seconds later, Blade entered the kitchen with a black bag slung over one shoulder.
“He left last night, and you didn’t tell me?” she snapped at Gavin.
“Christ,” he growled. “What does it matter?”
“It matters because we could have been attacked, and I didn’t even know he wasn’t here!”
“You know,” Gavin drawled. “I know how to use a gun too.”
“That’s not the point.” She walked up to Blade and smacked his chest with her palm. “And where were you?”