Page 23 of Recaptured by the Crime Lord

“I’ll see you at the house,” Carmen said when they rose at the end.

Lyla kissed her cheek and nodded. Gavin pulled her out of a side door. Blade pulled the SUV around and they were off before they could be waylaid by anyone.

“That was a good speech,” Gavin said, squeezing her hand.

She let out a long breath. “He really was a great guy.”

“He was. I talked to him several times. He liked Vinny.”

“Yes. What did you say to Aunt Isabel?”

“I’ll cover the cost of the funeral and whatever else she needs help with.”

“What?”

Gavin glanced at her. “She’s family.”

“My family,” Lyla corrected.

“She’s Vinny’s mother-in-law. He isn’t here to help, but I am.”

Family loyalty. She was surprised and touched by his generosity. Who was this man?

They reached the house as Carmen and her mother pulled up. Carmen gave Gavin a frosty look before they went inside and prepared for their guests. Gavin and the men stayed out of the way as Carmen talked to the caterer. Lyla reluctantly acted as hostess and greeted people at the door before ushering them into the backyard where everything was set up. Lyla recognized some of her family from her mother’s side. No one asked about her life with Gavin. Everyone knew he had been in the press on suspicion of murder and criminal activity. They seemed to realize it was best they didn’t know.

Seeing familiar faces should make her feel warm and fuzzy inside, but she felt anxious and weary instead. Making polite chitchat was something she used to do so effortlessly. Now, she wanted to go into a dark room and shut the door. Smiling took more effort than it should and she had a raging headache. After mingling for an hour, Lyla made her way towards the house for solitude and came face to face with her father.

“You got nothing to say to me?” Pat asked.

Lyla crossed her arms over her chest. “Am I supposed to go out of my way to say hi to you?”

Her tone, derisive and sharp, caught him off guard. She’d never spoken to him like this in her life and it felt damn good. He always treated her like dirt, but no longer. She sacrificed herself to save his ass after he stole half a million from Gavin. Her father’s gambling addiction made him reckless and stupid. Gavin had every right to end her father’s life for embezzling, yet Gavin let him get away with it because she came back to him. Her father’s punishment was broken bones, a tap on the cheek for his sins. Now, Gavin paid his bills since no one would hire an accountant with a tarnished reputation. Her parents didn’t ask about her well-being, the rumors swirling about Manny’s death or her disappearance. All he thought about was himself. Typical.

“You can’t talk to me like that,” her father snapped.

“I can talk to you however I want,” Lyla said crisply. “What do you want?”

“We have to talk.”

“About what?” she asked suspiciously.

“That shit allowance you have us on. It’s too small.”

Of course he wanted to talk about money. That’s the only reason he bothered to talk to her. When he had a string of bad luck in her senior year and couldn’t pay the mortgage, she started working for Pyre Casinos. That’s where Manny came in. He and Gavin had been there for her ever since. When she began to date Gavin, he gave her an allowance that she used to help her parents pay their bills when they came up short. Gavin was still paying their bills and her greedy father wasn’t satisfied.

“You shouldn’t have an allowance at all,” Lyla said and turned away.

He whirled her back to face him. “Don’t talk to me like that, you bitch.”

Lyla wrenched her arm out of his hold. When he reached for her again, she knocked his hand away. Her hand tingled from the impact, but she didn’t shake away the pain. She endured mindless agony when she was carved open. This was nothing in comparison. She looked death in the eyes and lived to tell the tale. She faced off with her father and sensed someone approach. She had no doubt who it was when she felt the force of his fury.

“You don’t touch me,” Lyla hissed at Pat.

“I need more money.”

Gavin gripped her waist and squeezed. Her father took a step back and his righteous fury died down a bit, but was still evident when he looked at her.

“I need more,” her father said again.

---