Page 43 of Once A Crime Lord

“No, thank you,” Janice said as she continued to pick at Lyla’s food.

She didn’t have friends aside from Carmen because it was too dangerous, but as employees of Pyre Casinos, Janice and Alice fell into a different category. Janice and Alice threw her a baby gender party and baby shower. She wished she could spend more time with them. Also, Nora needed aunts to dote on her.

When Janice’s phone rang, she rose. “We’ll talk later, okay?” She said as she answered and hurried away.

She searched for Jonathan, but it was impossible to pick him out of the crowd. What did he hope to accomplish by researching her? Appearing at the event today was out of character for him. He wasn’t one to pursue or obsess over something, but then again, he probably couldn’t resist the mystery. If he really suspected that Gavin was a mob boss, he should have the sense to steer clear of her.

“Hey.” Carmen took the seat Janice vacated and ate the rest of her food.

“Where’s Kody?”

“Restroom.”

She gave Carmen a sharp glance, but she was too busy munching to notice. “You didn’t go to the restroom with him, did you?”

Carmen gave her a very catlike stare. “Why would I do it in a bathroom when there are beds everywhere?”

She blanched. “Please tell me you didn’t.”

Carmen crossed her legs. “Then I won’t.”

“Having fun?”

Carmen nodded and then got to her feet. “There’s Kody. We’re going to head out, okay?”

She watched Carmen rush across the lobby toward Kody, who had a foolish grin on his face. She watched them leave with a heavy heart and continued to watch the crowd before she pulled out her phone to check in with Carmen’s mom.

“Hey, honey!” Aunt Isabel said.

She relaxed. “Hey, Aunty. How’s it going?”

“We’re having so much fun! She’s adorable. I can’t wait for all my friends to meet her. She’s so much cuter than some of the babies I’ve seen.”

She laughed. “That’s mean, Aunty.”

“Telling the truth is a necessary evil, baby. Everything going good at the event?”

“It’s great. So many people volunteered to help.”

“That’s good to hear. There’s so little good to report these days.”

“Yes. How’s Nora? Did she cry?” She bobbed her foot nervously. It was the first time she had ever left Nora with someone, and she couldn’t enjoy herself fully. Of course, after all she had been through, it was a miracle she had the courage to leave Nora at all.

“No, she’s such a good baby. She’s very loving. You’re doing an excellent job, Lyla.”

That warmed her heart. Aunt Isabel filled the space left by her own mother. All her parents cared about was each other. Nora didn’t rank on their priorities as anything other than a way to get back into her inner circle so they could ask for money. Aunt Isabel and Carmen were all she needed.

“I’ll be home in an hour or two,” she said.

“Take your time. We’re doing just fine.”

“I love you. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

She hung up and took a fortifying breath. Nora was safe and being smothered with love. She looked around the lobby and watched celebrities mingling with patients and their families. Spirits were high. Alice flitted from group to group to make sure everyone was having a great time. It was clear that she was in her element.

Gavin walked toward her. People gave him wary or curious looks as he passed. Despite the fact that Gavin killed a drug lord less than five hours ago, his suit didn’t have any suspicious splotches and he was perfectly groomed. He didn’t appear to be worried, guilty, or anxious about his recent activities. On the contrary, the only thing he was agitated about was her. When he stopped in front of her, she got a whiff of his cologne. He smelled delicious. How the hell could he walk into the underworld smelling and looking like a million dollars? That would irritate the hell out of the criminal underclass for sure. Maybe he used his polished appearance to his advantage. No one who looked the way he did should possess the skills of an assassin.

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