Page 82 of Recaptured by the Crime Lord

Her therapist was a groovy hippy around her mother’s age who made her feel comfortable and safe. The therapist put her on a table with a cut out for her tummy. Lying on her stomach for the first time in months was heaven. Lyla fell asleep ten minutes into the massage and felt like a million dollars as she ambled into her facial. The esthetician was a Thai woman who spoke little English, which suited Lyla just fine since she didn’t feel like talking.

Lyla wasn’t allowed in the sauna, steam rooms or Jacuzzi so she sat on a heated lounger and dozed. Aunt Isabel and Carmen went from treatment to treatment like giddy schoolgirls. They finished off their trip with nails and hair. Lyla got a mani and pedi with pink and white designs and a blow out.

“I’m hungry,” she announced.

“For what?” Carmen asked.

“Burger and fries.”

Carmen shook her head. “You have the worst munchies I’ve ever seen.”

“Wait until it happens to you!” Lyla caught the almost imperceptible flinch. She put her arm around her cousin. “It could happen.”

Carmen took a deep breath. “You know, Vinny wanted kids and I wanted to wait?”

Lyla sighed. “It wasn’t meant to be.”

“I know.”

They walked out of the locker room. Beau jerked out of Blade’s hold and ran to Lyla. When she leaned over, he licked her face. She sputtered and laughed.

“I want a burger and fries,” she announced to Blade.

“Third time this week,” he said without inflection.

“Don’t judge me!”

“I’m not judging, I’m making an observation.”

She jabbed her finger at him. “You don’t need to tell Gavin.”

“He wants to know.”

“He doesn’t need to know everything that I put in my mouth!”

“I follow my orders.”

Lyla rolled her eyes as they piled into the SUV and drove to the nearest burger joint. They all ordered food and when they reached Aunt Isabel’s house, Lyla asked to use her bathroom. Her body ached so she stretched out on the couch and fell asleep.

Two hours later, Lyla woke to the sound of laughing. There was a heavy weight on her ankles. She didn’t have to look to know it was Beau. Her lips quirked as she listened to Aunt Isabel and Carmen singing with the radio. She sat up and winced as her womb clenched. She shouldn’t have ordered that second burger...

“What is it?”

Lyla turned her head and saw her shadow, Blade. “Did you take a nap?”

“I don’t nap.”

“When do you sleep?”

“When you do.”

She stared at him. “You don’t stalk me on the house cameras, do you?”

Before her mind could go nuts about the shit he must see, he shook his head.

“I used to, but I’m not supposed to access the cameras unless there’s an emergency.” He jerked his head at a diamond studded watch Gavin gave her a couple of months ago. “That watch has a heart monitor so I know when you’re sleeping or distressed. It also has a GPS.”

“And neither of you thought to tell me this?”

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