Page 18 of Crime Lord’s Captive

Lyla said nothing.

“I’ll come for you after work.”

Again, she didn’t reply. What was there to say? He called the shots and she did as she was told. That’s what he wanted, right? A submissive doll to dress, fuck and control.

“Lyla?”

“Yes?”

Gavin cursed and hung up. Lyla wasn’t sure what that meant and didn’t care. “Let’s go,” she said to Carmen who cheered.

“Lyla,” Mom began.

Lyla kissed her mother on the cheek as she passed. “I’ll see you later, Mom.”

Lyla got out of her family house as fast as possible. She felt better once she was outside in the sun. She paused for a moment to brush off the effect Gavin’s voice had on her and saw Blade in the driver’s seat of the SUV, ready to go. Gavin hadn’t wasted time informing his security about their outing. Carmen put on a pair of pink sunglasses and jumped into a gold convertible. Lyla’s lips quirked at the ridiculous car. Of course Carmen would have a gold car. Lyla belted herself in and held on for dear life as Carmen drove like a reckless demon.

“You don’t know how happy I am that you’re back,” Carmen shouted over the sound of the wind and traffic. “I mean, I know you don’t want to be here. You never liked the way they do business and it sucks that you saw the worst of Gavin, but that’s the way it is. This is home and if you want, I know you can be happy here again. You were before. You were happy before you found out about the other girls. You have the power to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

Had she ever been happy here? It was hard to remember since the events that caused her to leave overshadowed the good. She didn’t want to think about making a life in Las Vegas with Gavin. She wanted to believe that this was a fucking mistake that would go away. She would be set free and then... Then what? She would reinvent herself again. She couldn’t go back to Maine, to Jonathan. Not after this. Fucking Gavin made her feel like a whore. Was it rape if she had an orgasm? Her body welcomed Gavin back as if the time in between had never been. Apparently, her body didn’t realize that they belonged to Jonathan now. Well,usedto belong to Jonathan—

“Are you listening to me?” Carmen shouted and narrowly avoided rear ending a Ferrari. When the driver honked, Carmen flipped the bird and resumed lecturing Lyla about her new life. “Vinny adores me and everyone knows it. I keep him topped up, you know what I mean? He’s part of the underworld, but we’re happy, girl.”

“But I don’twantGavin!” Lyla shouted back.

“You wanted him once and if you can overlook some things, he’d make a solid man. He’d provide for you and protect the fuck out of you. He would never take you for granted since you left him once already.”

Carmen parked with a screech of tires in front of a salon. She bustled out and linked her arm through Lyla’s. Blade was on their heels when they walked in. The salon played hip hop music shockingly loud. Hairdressers wore the craziest wigs and hairstyles Lyla had ever seen. A large woman wearing a skintight dress and heels ran to them. She and Carmen exchanged air kisses before Carmen shoved Lyla forward.

“This is my cousin, Lyla. She’s with Gavin,” Carmen said.

The hairdresser’s eyes widened. “No shit?”

“No shit,” Carmen said solemnly. “She needs the works. Don’t cut her hair and no dye or he’ll have my head.” Carmen gestured to Blade and the two other guards in the entrance. “Her bodyguards. She should be in eyesight at all times.”

“No problem,” the hairdresser said. “I’m gonna give you to one of my best. Keenan!”

A muscled black man in zebra tights and a sagging tank top stomped towards them with a sulky expression.

“Keenan, she’s with Gavin Pyre and needs the works.”

Keenan lit up as if he’d been offered a million dollars. He kissed Lyla on the mouth and wrapped an arm around her.“Girl!”

“No kissing,” Blade barked from the entrance and the noise in the salon dimmed a bit.

Keenan blew Blade a kiss. “You got it, big boy.”

“Trim, no dye,” Keenan’s boss ordered.

“You got it. Come, baby, and tell Keenan all about it,” he said and ushered Lyla into the back of the salon to a private corner. “Let’s condition that gorgeous hair. So, did Gavin rescue you from a rough customer?”

“Customer?” Lyla echoed blankly.

“You’re an escort, right? Gavin took you in?” Keenan gestured to her neck, lip and arms. “Were you working for him and a customer got out of hand?”

Apparently, the salon catered to the Pyres and weren’t concerned how they made their money. The elite of Las Vegas were willing to get their hands dirty. Escorts, drug dealers, con men, strippers and high rollers were the ones who rose to the top in Las Vegas. Lyla wasn’t sure what to think about Keenan’s conclusion. Did she look like an escort? Did Gavin take in a lot of girls? Her stomach clenched when she realized he didn’t wear a condom last night. He could give her an STD. Thank God she had an IUD. She got it in her teens before she and Gavin had sex for the first time. She should have been a slut after Gavin so she would be immune to him now. At least she had been Jonathan's, even if it was just for a short time.

“No, I’m not an escort,” Lyla said.

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