Page 21 of Crime Lord’s Captive

“How?” Manny bit out.

Lyla shook uncontrollably. “I-I don’t know.”

“He beats you?”

“N-no.”

“Don’t you dare lie to me.”

Lyla took another step back. Manny had never used that tone of voice with her before. How could so much change in so little time? How could she have thought of Gavin and Manny as family? They were capable of killing her without a second thought. She was a lamb in the lion’s den. She was a fool. Once she walked into their lair, they would never set her free. She knew too much.

Voices echoed through the open doors that led to the backyard. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gavin, Carmen and Vinny walk out of the house and come to a stop at the sight of her and Manny facing one another with her face covered in tears.

“Uncle Manny, what—?” Carmen began and would have run towards Lyla, but her husband pulled her back.

Lyla had never felt so alone. She was surrounded by people she once considered family and there was a large possibility that she would be beaten or killed by one of them. She huddled in on herself and wished she could disappear. When would this hell end?

“Dad?” Gavin asked.

“I see Lyla’s back,” Manny said tonelessly.

Gavin didn’t answer. Manny closed the distance between himself and Lyla. Memories of the guard’s brutal beating flashed in her mind and she bit back a moan of fear. When Manny withdrew a gun from his suit and pointed it at her, Lyla stared at the man she considered a father in shock and then numb defeat. Her biological father despised her and her mother’s loyalty was to him despite his gambling addiction. She was no one’s first choice. She was disposable, replaceable, a pawn. Lyla closed her eyes. She couldn’t watch Manny pull the trigger. She hoped it would be quick. Her ears were ringing so she didn’t hear the commotion around her, but she heard a gun blast and fell, screaming. She hit the ground hard and waited for the pain, but it didn’t come. Was she dead?

Lyla opened her eyes and found that she was on her knees in front of Manny. Gavin was several feet away, shouting at his father who had the gun trained on him. Vinny had Carmen locked in his arms as she fought him to get to Lyla.

“What the fuck? Are you insane?” Gavin shouted.

“Isn’t this what you want?” Manny asked. “You want her frightened and down on her knees, right? You want to punish her for leaving you?”

Manny turned the gun back on Lyla who wrapped her arms around her middle and bowed her head. Why prolong this? Was Manny toying with her for his own sick enjoyment?

“This is how you treat someone you hate,” Manny instructed as if he were showing Gavin how to balance his checkbook.

“I don’t hate her.”

“Really?”

Manny knelt with effort and jerked Lyla’s face up. He roughly wiped off her lipstick with his sleeve and ripped Carmen’s dress to show Lyla’s bruised arms and neck. Lyla tried to get away from him, but his hand tightened on her in warning.

“Why is Lyla here?” Manny hissed.

“She’s here to pay her father’s debt.”

“How?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“You disappoint me, son.”

There was a stark silence.

“This is how you treat my daughter?” Manny asked softly.

Gavin looked as if he’d been struck. He paled and his eyes flicked between Lyla and his father.

“This is how you treat someoneIlove?” Manny roared.

Lyla whimpered, overloaded with terror. Manny dropped the gun and ignored Lyla’s startled cry. He drew her into his arms and brushed gentle kisses over her face.

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