Page 9 of Crime Lord’s Captive

Lyla nodded.

“I’ll see you soon,” he said and left.

Lyla wanted to lie down, but she couldn't bear to sleep in a bed that smelled of their lovemaking. By fucking her, Gavin severed her tie with Jonathan irrevocably. Did he do it on purpose? By staking his claim on her through ties of the flesh, he separated her from her old life and brought her back into his. There was no going back. She could feel it in her bones.

Lyla stretched out on the window seat again and stared out over the moonlit grounds. There was a nagging ache between her legs. Why did her body respond to Gavin as if he were her soul mate? Lyla covered her face with her hands and moaned in self-loathing. She thought of her father who blamed her for his financial woes. He had always been greedy, but half a million? He was a bastard, but she loved him enough to leave her safe life behind. But, a part of her had always feared that coming back would be inevitable.

Chapter Three

“Lyla.”

A hand stroked her hair. The touch was so gentle that she smiled before she opened her eyes. She stared up at Gavin and her new reality snapped into place. The smile vanished from her lips. Gavin brushed a finger down her cheek.

“This is the second time I’ve found you on the window seat. You got a problem with the bed?”

“No,” Lyla lied and sat up, fixing the robe that had come undone. She flushed under his regard, even though he was more familiar with her body than Jonathan.

“You must be hungry. The clothes you brought with you are old and tattered so Blade got rid of them. Your old clothes are still in the closet.” He gestured to the double doors. “Get dressed, come down to the kitchen and we’ll talk.”

Lyla slid off the window seat and winced as stiff muscles protested. She didn’t say a thing as she went to the closet and disappeared inside to escape his probing eyes. The closet was exactly as she left it. One wall was dedicated to individual cubbies of outrageous heels while the other walls were filled with racks of designer label clothes. These clothes belonged to a different person—someone who didn’t have a care in the world. Back then she didn’t give a second thought to using Gavin’s money or care that she was glorified arm candy. That felt like a lifetime ago. Lyla ran her hands over the fashionable, edgy garments and fought the urge to tear the closet apart. What would be the point? It wouldn’t change her circumstances and she had to find out what plans Gavin had for her. Last night he said a life for a life. Surely, he didn’t mean forever?

Lyla chose one of the most conservative outfits—a long, skintight black skirt that had high slits on both sides and an electric blue crop top. She gave the wall of shoes a cursory glance before she chose a pair of strappy black heels. When she emerged from the closet, Gavin was gone. She took a deep breath and went into the bathroom to look for an extra toothbrush and paused. Last night she’d been too distraught to examine the countertops. Now, she saw that just like the closet, her perfumes, lotions and makeup from her other life were here as well. She looked at herself in the mirror. She was pale and her light blue eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion. Lyla didn’t feel like herself in the bright, revealing clothes. For three years she tried to blend in and now she felt exposed on so many levels. Lyla reached for the makeup and sifted through the shimmery eyeshadow, lip gloss, fake eyelashes and playful lipstick shades. More reminders of the frivolous life she once had. Lyla settled for mascara, chapstick and lotion.

When Lyla left the bedroom, she half expected to see guards outside the door. To her surprise, the hallway was empty. It made her skin prickle with alarm. Was Gavin planning to do something that he didn't want them to witness? For a moment, she thought of making a run for it. Her muscles tensed and her heart beat accelerated. The front door was so close... Common sense reasserted itself a moment before she heard footsteps and Gavin appeared.

“There you are. Come, breakfast is ready,” he said.

Lyla took a deep breath before she started downstairs, heels clicking on every step. Gavin's eyes moved over her. He looked pleased. Lyla averted her eyes as she passed him. The marble island in the kitchen was filled with an assortment of breakfast foods. Despite recent events, Lyla was starving. She made a bowl of oatmeal with fresh cut strawberries, a bagel heavily doused with cream cheese and a plate of sausages. She carried her food to the table and ignored Gavin who sat beside her. She refused to let his stare unnerve her. He didn't eat, which meant the food was poisoned or he ate earlier. Lyla set out to demolish everything in front of her. Gavin said nothing and waited patiently.

“Do you want more food?” Gavin asked as she finished.

Lyla shook her head.

“Look at me.”

Lyla clenched her teeth before she obeyed. Today he wore a blue shirt with the first two buttons undone and no tie beneath a black suit jacket. His carefully styled hair framed his attractive face and he was freshly shaved.

“Do you want to see your mother?” he asked.

Lyla's hands fisted on her lap. Was this a trick? “You'd let me see her?”

“Of course.”

She searched his eyes. “Why?”

“I want you to be happy here.”

She was nonplussed by his simple answer. “What?”

“Why do you look so surprised?”

Lyla folded her hands on the table and braced herself. This was the moment of truth, the moment she learned what her future looked like. She met his eyes and asked, “What am I doing here, Gavin?”

He frowned. “I want you here.”

“For how long?” she asked, heart threatening to beat out of her chest.

He didn't answer and her palms dampened as anxiety slid through her veins. Gavin watched her like a wolf daring its prey to make a move. One wrong step and he’d eat her.

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