Page 115 of Once A Crime Lord

“Lyla won’t let me kill him, and he makes me a lot of money.”

“Still, he isn’t family,” Angel muttered.

She rolled her eyes at the Neanderthals and pulled back to give Marcus a tremulous smile. “What are you doing here?”

“Gavin told me what happened. Are you all right?”

“I’m okay.”

“Carmen?”

“Good. She’s home with Nora.”

Marcus cupped her face. “Be safe, dammit.”

“I will.”

Marcus kissed her on the cheek. “I have to get back, but I had to see you.” He looked at Gavin. “Let me know when it’s over.”

Gavin nodded. “I will. Now, get back to the casino. The cops are all over us.”

Marcus nodded and left without another word.

“He’s a ballsy bastard, isn’t he?” Angel muttered.

“He’s great,” she said defensively.

“You can’t touch men like that outside the family. It’s indecent.”

Her mouth sagged. “What did you just say?”

“Gav, you can’t let her—”

“Since when does a hug equal giving a guy head?”

“We don’t let our women—” Angel began.

“Not the time.” Gavin cupped her face and kissed her one last time. “I love you. Stay with Blade and Angel.”

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“Hunting.”

With that, he walked away, leaving her with mixed emotions.

“Can you walk?” Angel asked with false concern.

Blade elbowed Angel with enough force to make him gasp for air and sink to one knee. She tipped her nose in the air and walked back to the ICU. When she sat by her mother’s side and took her hand again, she felt more human and a lot less like a ticking time bomb.

Gavin would find Sadist and kill him. She had to keep that front and center in her mind so she wouldn’t go crazy. Despite the fact that Sadist always seemed to be five steps ahead, she had to remember that he was human and could bleed... and therefore die.

She looked up as two nurses walked in. She released her mother’s hand and took a step back so they could do what they needed to. She watched the nurse check her mother’s drip and noticed that her hand was shaking. Too much caffeine?

“Mrs. Pyre,” the other nurse said, drawing her attention. “Are you doing all right?”

“As well as can be under the circumstances,” she said.

“Do the police have any leads?”

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