Page 83 of Recaptured by the Crime Lord

He shrugged. “It’s better than following you around the house or sleeping right outside your bedroom. I get alerts when you’re asleep or awake. Gavin deactivates it when he’s with you.” He gave her a piercing look. “Your nightmares are becoming less frequent.”

Finding out he was privy to something so private, she paled. She had known Blade just as long as she knew Gavin. Blade had been Gavin’s personal bodyguard before he became hers. She spent more time with Blade at her side than Gavin, but she knew next to nothing about him. The day Manny had been murdered, Blade had been shot five times and managed to alert Gavin in time to save her life.

“I never thanked you,” she said quietly.

“I did my job.”

“Both of us almost died that day.”

“I’m sure it won’t be the last time I’ll be shot.”

“Why do you do it?”

“That’s my job,” Blade said.

“But why choose this? Is it the money?”

Blade didn’t respond immediately. The smell of fresh baked oatmeal cookies drifted into the living room, stroking Lyla’s appetite, but she resisted.

“I threw my life away before I hit puberty. I was a junkie going nowhere when Manny executed everyone in my gang, but decided to give me a chance since I was so young. I watched the Pyres take control of all the local gangs.” Blade shook his head. “If you think what the Pyres do is bad, you should see what the local gang lords did to their members. They infected them with HIV, got them hooked on drugs or made them commit murders to prove their loyalty. If you tried to leave, they raped or killed your wife, mother, neighbor, anyone you cared for. Life means nothing to them. All they care about is territory, respect and money. The public is fair game. The Pyres put a stop to that. They make it... civilized, if you will.” Blade’s eyes gleamed. “Yeah, they kill and torture, but only if you’re stupid enough to betray them. They don’t cut off limbs, pluck out your eyes or make you watch as your son is bled out in front of you.”

Her skin rippled with goose bumps. Blade showed no emotion and his voice held no inflection. She stared into fathomless black eyes and could almost hear the echoes of the horrors he had seen. In the kitchen her aunt and cousin began to sing, Gimme More by Britney Spears.

“I know what the streets used to be like before the Pyres claimed full control. I’ve known Gavin over half my life. I taught him how to shoot and fight. He was conditioned to walk into a daily hell and be able to function under pressure. You don’t know what Manny did to him to accomplish that.”

Beau ducked his head under her arm and nudged her hand. She took a shaky breath and stroked his head.

“Emotion is a sign of weakness in my world. When you started dating, Gavin didn’t change so you weren’t seen as a weakness to exploit, just a piece of ass.”

Lyla gave him a baleful look.

“When you left, Gavin went completely cold and got heavily involved in the underworld dealings. He wasn’t like Manny who ran the show and had people carrying out his orders. Gavin got his hands dirty. He dealt with everything personally. Everyone knows his face. The things he did to bring the criminal underclass to heel are legend. He became the most feared man in the state. The fact that he was able to transition from the merciless crime lord to the polished CEO in the boardroom scared the shit out of everyone. When he brought you back, his image began to crack.” Blade shook his head. “The filth in the underworld can smell weakness a mile away. Vinny got gunned down and then you and Manny were attacked.”

“So it’s my fault?”

“Your effect on Gavin has caused a ripple effect through the city. The underworld is in chaos and the man whose taken the throne is a sick fuck who encourages chaos and destruction. They lace candy with drugs and hand them out to kids, they slaughter and steal... The new crime lord is good at keeping his identity a secret. So far, all we’ve been able to discover is that he has a fondness for leaving mutilated victims in his wake.”

Lyla’s stomach twisted. “So, what’s the answer?”

Blade’s eyes flicked to her stomach and then her eyes. “Most men who have seen what Gavin has can’t live normal lives, but he’s managed to do so through you. He made his choice. He won’t give you up. The whole city could go up in flames and he wouldn’t go back to the underworld if it meant losing you.”

“What do I do?”

Blade didn’t answer for a long minute. Their gazes held. She gripped the back of Beau’s neck as something built inside of her.

“I don’t know,” Blade said finally. “All we can do is bribe someone who will give up the identify of the new crime lord, kill him and hope whoever takes the throne isn’t as sick as he is.”

Lyla moaned as a cramp dragged at her insides.

“What is it?” Blade asked sharply.

“I’m having these pains,” she said and Blade stiffened.

“Are you sure it’s not labor?”

“It’s probably that Braxton hicks thing.”

“What?”

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