Page 13 of Crime Lord’s Captive

“Blade will be outside along with several other guards. You’re not allowed to leave here. I’ll be back to pick you up.”

Lyla nodded again and took a step back. Before she could walk away, Gavin grabbed her arm in the same place where she was already bruised. Lyla let out a hiss of pain. He instantly switched his grip to her elbow. He looked down at her discolored skin and brushed a thumb over it.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said quietly.

She shuddered and waited for the attack. He cupped her chin and lifted her face. Gold eyes swirled with conflicting emotions. The maniac who attacked her in the kitchen was nowhere in sight. If she hadn’t witnessed it for herself, she would have thought it was a hallucination. Right now he was the cool businessman and appeared to have all of his emotions under control.

“You make me feel...” He shook his head. “Everything. You make me crazy.”

Lyla tried to ease away, but he tightened his hold.

“Be a good girl,” he said and kissed her forehead before he released her.

Lyla didn’t bother to watch him leave. She turned on her heel and walked towards the kitchen. Her mother stood at the stove, stirring something in a pot. She wore white capris and a tight shirt that showed off her carefully maintained physique. Lyla was a mirror image of her mother. There was no sign of her father in her.

Mom turned. When she got a good look at Lyla, she dropped the wooden spoon, which skidded over the tiles.

“Lyla, what happened?” Mom whispered.

Bile rose and this time, she couldn’t stop it. Lyla turned and ran to the nearest bathroom where she retched. Her mother held her hair and murmured soothingly as Lyla gagged until there was nothing left in her stomach. Mom mopped up Lyla’s face with a warm rag and dabbed at her lip, which began to bleed again.

“Brush your teeth,” she ordered and Lyla did so.

Her mother led her back to the kitchen where she guided Lyla into a chair and made peppermint tea for both of them. Mom sat in the chair facing Lyla and tapped the top of her clammy hand.

“Tell me everything,” Mom said.

Chapter Four

Lyla wrapped trembling hands around the hot mug. She was shaking too badly to pick it up, but was grateful for the soothing smell and warmth. She surveyed her mother’s platinum blonde hair cut into a chic bob that framed bright blue eyes and animated face. When Lyla lived in Las Vegas, she rarely visited her mother after she moved in with Gavin. She had been too busy primping or partying to visit.

“I'm sorry,” Lyla whispered.

“For what?”

“I shouldn't have left.”

“Why don't you tell me why you did,” Mom prompted gently.

Lyla rotated the cup between her hands. “Carmen and I went to Malibu, a girl’s trip, but I missed Gavin and came back early to surprise him. I caught him having an orgy at a club.”

Her mother showed no sign of surprise. Gavin was a Pyre and this was Sin City, after all. The people of Las Vegas were as jaded as New Yorkers.

“I shouted at him, made a scene. I lost it.” Lyla had a vague recollection of smashing glasses and belting a prostitute across the face. “I drove home and he met me there. He apologized and told me it would never happen again. I wanted to believe him, but I asked if this was the first time he cheated on me. It wasn’t.” Lyla finally felt steady enough to take sip of tea. It coated her dry throat and warmed her from the inside out. “That week he bought me a new car, jewelry, more clothes. He told me we would go on a trip, just the two of us.”

Her mother listened without saying a word. There was no condemnation or anger on her face, just calm expectancy. Lyla buried these memories deep down and refused to think about them until now.

“One night, Gavin said he had to do something before bed. I was suspicious so I snuck past a guard and followed him to the basement. One of his security guards was tied to a chair. Gavin beat the crap out of him and injected him with something that forced him to stay awake. The guard fed information to the cops. Gavin questioned him and then beat him to death with his own hands in front of his men. I left the next day.” Lyla felt sick so she drank the rest of the tea, hoping it would banish the awful taste in her mouth.She witnessed Gavin systematically rip this man apart. She hadn't been able to eat for a week after.“I got a new identity and moved a lot, kept under the radar. I met a great guy in Maine.”

Lyla's voice broke and her mother reached out and squeezed her hand.

“We just moved in together. He’s so good to me... I came back to my apartment and Blade was there. He showed me a live video of dad. They told me he stole half a million.Gavin told me I would pay the price for Dad. I arrived yesterday.”

Mom got to her feet while Lyla sat at the table, staring into space. Lyla had always known that Gavin was involved in shady shit. His father owned casinos, hotels and clubs on and off The Strip. There were parts of Gavin’s job that were legit and other parts that weren't. Lyla turned a blind eye to it until she watched that guard die a slow, painful death. She couldn’t take her eyes off Gavin that night. She had seen him angry, but the detached, emotionless way he continued to beat the man to death chilled her to the bone. He never raised his voice, never lost control. The way he dealt out punishment that night made her realize she couldn't live this life any longer. She couldn’t get it out of her head that if she ever made Gavin that angry, he would do the same thing to her. Her fears were confirmed after the kitchen incident this morning.

“Here.” Mom set a sandwich in front of her. “It’s only peanut butter. Your favorite.” When Lyla made no move to touch it, she said, “You'll feel better.”

Willing to oblige her mother, Lyla took a bite.

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