Page 27 of Crime Lord’s Captive

Gavin cut a path through the swarm. Despite the chaos, workers appeared out of nowhere to show them to a large booth on the second tier. Lyla scooted in and was disconcerted when Gavin sat beside her, so close that she was pressed against him. Ricardo slipped into the booth while Vinny sat on the end with Carmen on his lap. Workers in small leather skirts, tops and hooker heels that lit up with each step brought trays of elegantly crafted appetizers and crazy-looking drinks that smoked.

Lyla wanted to ask Gavin what she was drinking or eating, but she didn’t want to engage him in conversation. She scooted further into the booth so they weren’t touching. The sheer number of people in the club was staggering. It was like New Year’s Eve in a club. After four drinks and clearing two plates of food, Lyla felt flushed and restless. A steady parade of workers and VIPs stopped by to talk to Gavin. There was a wealth of respect there. He answered several phone calls and she even saw him responding to emails. He was a busy man, always had been. So, why was he sitting with them in the middle of a club when he should be in an office?

As Lyla looked over the dance floor, she focused on a man that walked on the fringes of the crowd. He wasn’t dressed to impress. He wore jeans, a white shirt and sneakers. He ignored the women who tried to get his attention. Even across the distance, she could see that he was hot.Reallyhot. He was tall, had a great body and something about the way he moved reminded her of Gavin. As he approached, she saw that his eyes were a turquoise shade that stood out against his olive-toned skin. He had short-cropped hair and was clean shaven. Lyla straightened as he made his way towards them. Gavin’s security stopped him before he could reach their booth.

Vinny glanced at Gavin nervously a moment before the stranger lashed out. Two guards dropped to their knees. Ricardo and Vinny withdrew guns and more security rushed forward, but everyone halted when Gavin raised his hand. The man approached with an aggression that would have alarmed Lyla if she cared for Gavin’s well-being. When he stopped in front of Gavin, Lyla saw that the collar of his shirt was soaked with sweat as if he jogged here. He was wound so tightly that Lyla scooted backwards in the booth.

“I want names,” the man said, eyes trained on Gavin.

“What are you doing here, Eli?”

There was no deference in his attitude for the power Gavin wielded. Eli leaned towards Gavin, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

“Youknow.”

Eli’s eyes flicked to Lyla and her heartbeat skipped. Eli was hanging on by a thread. There was disdain in his eyes, but also a rage so potent that if Gavin wasn’t in front of her, she would have run like hell. Gavin shifted and Eli’s eyes flicked back to him.

“You should have set up a meeting, not approached me in public like this,” Gavin said.

“My mom’s in the hospital in a coma. You think I’m going to wait for you to set up ameeting?” The tendons on his neck stood out as he tried to rein in rampant emotions. “I want names, Gavin. I want them now.”

“And you think I know who did this to your mother?” Gavin asked in a cool voice that put Lyla on edge.

Eli’s tension increased. “Are you telling me you don’t know who did this to her?”

“I didn’t call the hit.”

“But you know who did,” Eli said, chest heaving as he tried to control his breathing. “Give me their names. Now.”

“I’ll take care of it, Eli.”

Eli cocked his head to the side. “Did you not hear me, Pyre? They tried to kill my mother. She’s not a part of this. This wasn’t supposed to touch her.”

Lyla’s skin rippled with goosebumps.

“I’ll deal with it.”

“No,Iwill.”

“You can’t. You’re a cop,” Gavin said.

“And you think I’m going to leave it up to you when this happened on your watch?” Eli hissed.

Gavin rose and Lyla’s heart nearly beat out of her chest. She knew Gavin was armed, dangerous and fully capable of blowing someone’s head off without a second thought. Vinny slipped Carmen into the booth and got between them. Vinny put a hand on Eli’s chest with a sympathetic expression.

“Eli, let Gavin take care of it,” Vinny said.

Eli ignored Vinny and didn’t move his eyes from Gavin, “Nothing happens without your say so.”

“I don’t handle low level thugs,” Gavin said.

“As crime lord, every fucking crime should be on your radar. This is unacceptable, Pyre,” Eli hissed.

“You don’t tell me how to run my business,” Gavin said, voice thick with threats. “We’ve been associates for many years. You know how I work, I know how you work. If anyone sees you here tonight, your testimony in court may not hold up. You’re putting everything on the line.”

“I don’t give a fuck,” Eli said through gritted teeth. “Give me the names, Gavin.”

“Grand, Frak,” Gavin said.

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