Page 48 of Recaptured by the Crime Lord

Impulsively, Lyla reached for Alice’s hand and pulled her out of the booth. Blade sighed but made a path to the dance floor and stood nearby like a statue. Lyla felt a twinge of shame as she pulled Alice back against her and felt the other woman go rigid. Had Alice never danced or partied in her life? Everyone had to let go sometime. That’s why she was here, after all. She came out tonight so her brain could shut off and she could justbe.

“Listen to the beat,” Lyla said and moved her hips.

Alice tried to copy, but her movements were stiff and awkward. Lyla kept it up until Carmen materialized with a hot man wrapped around her, his hands moving greedily over her body. Lyla felt a shaft of pain course through her at seeing Carmen with a stranger. It was inevitable that Carmen would move on, but it felt so wrong. Lyla buried her face in Alice’s hair so she didn’t have to witness Carmen losing herself in another man to drown out her grief. Alice stopped moving and gawked at Carmen who was clearly trying to drive her companion insane.

Lyla glanced around at the constantly shifting crowd. A man stood on the sideline, watching the dancers. He stood mostly in shadow, but the intensity emanating from him snagged her attention before she registered that she knew him. Eli was a cop who approached Gavin at Lux because some thugs beat his mother into a coma. One of her kidnappers had also participated in the attack on Eli’s mother. Eli killed the thug before Gavin could. Was he still on the police force? Unlike the first time she saw him, Eli was dressed all in sleek black. As if he sensed her regard, he turned his head and met her gaze through the throng. She wasn’t sure whether Eli was a good or bad guy and wasn’t willing to take chances. She caught Blade’s eye. He immediately muscled his way towards her.

“Eli,” she shouted.

Blade searched the crowd. “Where?”

“He’s there—” Lyla began and stopped when she saw that Eli was gone. “He was right there.”

“And he saw you?” Blade demanded.

“Yes. We made eye contact.” Lyla released Alice who was now moving to the beat on her own. “Is he good?”

Blade sneered. “Eli went off the rails after his mom was attacked. He quit his job as a cop, went on a bloody rampage and disappeared off the grid.”

Lyla’s heart skipped a beat. “You mean no one’s seen him until now?”

“Gavin has unfinished business with Eli, but we thought he’d been killed while he was chasing down the gang members who targeted his mother.”

“Why did they attack his mom?”

“He was scheduled to testify in court against a powerful drug lord. Gavin didn’t hear about the hit on Eli’s mother until it was too late.”

Lyla searched the dancers, but it was impossible to find anyone in the crush. She edged closer to Blade. “So...?”

Blade brushed a hand over his weapon. “So we keep our eyes open. I’ll let Gavin know.”

Lyla wished she’d brought her gun. She was distracted by Marcus who appeared at her side, eyes narrowed on Carmen and her horny companion. Marcus walked up to Carmen and her partner who stopped their bump and grind. Carmen’s mouth dropped open and the guy backed away with his hands up. Marcus tried to pull Carmen off the dance floor, but she shoved him away. Carmen pulled Alice into the crowd, leaving Marcus behind, looking irritated.

Hard hands circled Lyla’s waist. She jumped as Gavin pulled her back against him.

“I’ve been looking for you,” Gavin said into her ear. “I want to show you the private rooms.”

“Gavin,” Blade said.

Gavin leaned towards him and Blade spoke. Lyla witnessed the change in Gavin as he glanced around and then swept her under his arm and carried her off the dance floor. He pulled her through the crowd to a room manned by two security guards. Blade waited outside as Gavin waved a key card over the lock. Gavin pulled her into a dimly lit room with a stripper pole, black love seat and a wall that looked out at the club. It took Lyla a moment to realize that she was looking through one of the large mirrors mounted on the club wall.

“Can they see us?” Lyla asked.

She could see the dance floor. There were tables around them with couples making out, drinking and laughing. Music penetrated through the walls and kept her blood fizzing.

“There are about ten of these hidden rooms. Each one is different,” Gavin said. “Are you okay?”

“Because of Eli?”

“Yes.”

“I’m a little creeped, but I don’t think he was looking for me.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I noticed him, but he was searching the crowd. He felt me looking at him and then I called Blade.”

“He used to grease the wheels in the police department for me. He’s always been dependable, but now he’s a loose canon. I don’t know what his agenda is.”

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