Page 11 of Recaptured by the Crime Lord

“Okay. I love you. You need me, you call me.”

“Same here. Love you. Bye.”

Lyla hung up the phone and turned to Gavin who hadn’t moved. He looked dangerous and tempting. His wedding ring caught her eye.

“Your father’s ring,” she said and swallowed hard.

“Yes.”

Lyla took a deep breath, braced her feet apart and looked him in the eye. “What am I doing here, Gavin?”

“I told you.”

She glared at him. “You said you wanted everything I promised.”

“Yes.”

“There were conditions,” she reminded him in case he forgot. “You broke your end of the deal.”

“I did,” he acknowledged.

“So you can renege on your end and Ican’t? Fuck you, Gavin!”

“Vinny was murdered. What did you expect me to?”

“I knew you would go after them.” Why were they talking about this almost two years later? Oh, right. Because Gavin married her and wouldn’t leave her alone. “I knew you would avenge Vinny, but you turned back into the man I ran from!” She tried to keep her voice even, but suppressed emotions were bubbling up, refusing to be contained a second longer. “You blamed me for Vinny’s death! Do you think I would have asked you to give up the title of crime lord if I knew Vinny would die?”

“It wasn’t your fault. I apologize.”

The calm delivery made her see red. She grabbed a mug and hurled it at his head. He sidestepped and it smashed into the wall.

“You apologize? That’s it? You think you can blame me for someone’s death, apologize nearly two years later and that’ll make it okay? It doesn’t work that way, Gavin!”

He took a sip of coffee, watching her with unreadable amber eyes.

“I don’t want to be here,” she said.

“I know.”

“And yet you force me to be. Why? How many times do we have to do this before for you realize this isn’t going to work?”

“As many times as it takes. I fucked up. I might in the future, but I’ll keep bringing you back. We’re meant to be, Lyla.”

She stared at him. “Are you crazy?”

“Some think so.”

“I can’t do this again,” she whispered and was ashamed by the surge of tears. She shook her head. “I can’t.”

“Lyla,” he began and rounded the island.

“No!” she shouted and held her hand up like a traffic cop. “Just... no. I learn from my mistakes. I won’t let you do this to me again.”

“After Dad’s murder...” Gavin trailed off and set his coffee cup on the counter. His eyes never left hers as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I couldn’t find out who was behind the attack. The trail was cold and the cops knew something big went down. They were trying to get their hands on a body to pin me for first-degree murder, but they couldn’t find one. They got me for money laundering instead. I let go of the underworld completely. I was going to tell you before I went to jail, but you were gone.”

Lyla shook her head. “The damage is done, Gavin.”

Gavin’s muscles shifted as he tensed. “I know.”

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