Page 25 of Crime Lord’s Captive

So he blackmailed her to force her into a relationship that was over three years ago. Seriously, who could understand Gavin Pyre? “And if I don’t want to go back to our old relationship?”

Gavin’s face hardened and she saw him bite back whatever he wanted to say. She watched him rein it in with considerable force. His body was rigid with tension. “I want you to give me a chance.”

“Why?”

“Why?” he echoed in a dangerous voice.

“Yes. Why?” She threw her hands up, confident knowing that he couldn’t touch her and wasn’t able to kidnap her from Manny’s house. Gavin was her only obstacle in going back to a normal life. She wanted to get to the bottom of why he was fixated on her. There was no reason he couldn’t find someone more compatible for him. Gavin was good-looking, rich and could be charming when he chose. Surely, there was a woman in Las Vegas that could give him what he needed. “I’m nobody. There must be someone you’ve met since I’ve been gone... or even before?” He’d been with a crap load of women. Although he tried to conceal it, she could feel his anger rising. Why?

“You’re not a nobody. My father loves you like the daughter he never had. You make him happy,” Gavin said.

“Is that why you think you need to be in a relationship with me? Because of him?”

“No.”

He didn’t elaborate and she raised her brows. “Just,no?”

“Yeah.”

She shook her head. “I don’t understand you.”

“Likewise.” He stared at her as if she were a jigsaw puzzle. “I want to spend time with you. Come to dinner with me.”

“No.”

His eyes narrowed. “No?”

“Yes. My answer is no,” she said firmly and prepared to run when he tensed.

“What if Carmen comes?”

Lyla hesitated when she saw Manny watching them from a lawn chair. She didn’t want to go, but she wanted her life back, which meant spending time with Gavin and showing Manny that they weren’t meant for each other. Gavin wouldn’t change for her. He wasn’t capable of it. He was too far gone to be kind or considerate towards her and the sooner Manny saw that Gavin was a grenade waiting to self-destruct he would send her on her way.

“Where?” she asked.

“My club, Lux.”

“And Carmen will come?” she asked, needing to know she had a witness.

“And Vinny. Dad tells me he’ll send Ricardo as well.”

Lyla relaxed, knowing that Ricardo would report everything to Manny. “Okay.”

Gavin looked suspicious, but he didn’t know about her deal with Manny. If he knew that his lack of control would help her leave a second time, maybe he wouldn’t be so keen to face her again when she roused him to such anger. Lyla knew that stonewalling someone like Gavin was dangerous. He had been raised to take what he wanted and her resistance went against everything he’d been taught. Lyla was sure that tonight would put her one step closer to leaving Vegas behind.

“I’ll see you tonight, then,” he said.

“Yes.”

He hesitated and then, “Can I send you something to wear?”

Lyla hesitated and then shrugged since she didn’t have anything at Manny’s and Carmen’s dress had been destroyed. “Okay.”

He nodded and took a step forward, but stopped when she stiffened. His amber eyes flickered with some emotion before they became unreadable.

“I honestly regret that I hurt you. That was never my intention. I want this to work. It was never about the debt, it was just a means to get you here without fighting. You may not admit it, but this is your home, Lyla. It always will be.”

She didn’t deny it because it was partly true.

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