Page 9 of Once A Crime Lord

“You’re asking for trouble,” she said with a grin.

Carmen beamed and posed with her hands on the stroller, looking like a seductive MILF. “I love trouble.”

Carmen ruined her image by twerking in her tight skirt. Apparently, Carmen had been feeling the effects of cabin fever and had finally cracked.

“Okay, so you’re dying for trouble. I get it. You packed Nora’s things?”

Carmen gave a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am, and I dressed Nora too. Let’s get the hell out of here!”

She laughed as Carmen wheeled everything toward the hallway. Blade, Lyla’s bodyguard, efficiently folded the stroller and shouldered the bag.

“You’re getting good at that, Blade. When are you going to become a daddy?” Carmen asked as she sashayed past.

“When hell freezes over.” He glanced at Lyla who had her arms crossed. “No offense. Babies aren’t my thing.”

“But Nora loves you,” she said.

“I like her well enough since she’s my goddaughter,” he said with a straight face, “but she needs a lot of everything, and I don’t have time for that.”

She patted his chest. There was a time when Blade scared the living daylights out of her, but those days were long gone. Blade took a bullet for her and was fast becoming part of the family, something he didn’t seem thrilled with.

“Maybe when things calm down, you can have your own life,” she said.

His dubious expression clearly stated that he didn’t believe there would ever be a time they wouldn’t need his services. When they walked into the kitchen, they found the cook finishing up fresh omelets.

“I miss coffee,” she said.

“You can have some, can’t you?” Carmen asked as she ate a banana.

“Not much and I want to load it with creamer, so it’s best not to.”

Her weird pregnancy cravings were gone, thank God, but she was still eating more than she used to. The workouts with her instructors and breastfeeding were burning off calories, but her body still needed more to produce milk. She was a bit self-conscious with the extra weight, but if Gavin didn’t mind, then why should she? She was a mother, after all, not a supermodel. She jolted when Beau flopped at her feet. She glanced down and received a baleful look from the dog who realized they were leaving him behind.

“I don’t think Daddy’s going to let you in his casino,” she said to him.

“I’ve been texting Alice,” Carmen said.

“About what?”

“Some of her volunteer projects.”

Alice, the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Pyre Foundation, was in charge of charitable events for the Pyre Foundation and making a positive impact on the community. She and Carmen had volunteered at several events, but after the last attack, she retreated completely.

“Next week, Alice has a volunteer day at a hospital. Gavin gave a generous donation to add a new wing.”

Gavin walked in with Nora cradled in one arm. She was momentarily sidetracked by his slick appearance. He wore a crisp gray suit with a light blue shirt and silver tie. There was nothing hotter than a man with a baby.

He raised a brow. “Ready?”

“Uh, yeah.” She ignored the pool of desire in her belly. He took her twice last night. How the hell could she still be horny? She thought once they had Nora their libidos would slack off. Not so, apparently. “You didn’t tell me you donated money to a hospital.”

Nora’s pacifier bounced as she yanked on her daddy’s tie. Gavin didn’t bother to snatch it from her chubby hands.

“It’s a good cause.” He shifted his sleeve to glance at his watch. “Let’s go.”

She bent down to kiss Beau and promised she would be back as soon as possible. On the way to the door, she made sure to check the safety on her gun. Carrying a weapon saved her life, so she wouldn’t be caught without one. She was sure Carmen was packing as well. The world they live in forced them to take extreme precautions.

They walked into the crisp morning air. She automatically glanced around to take in her guards. She didn’t know what Gavin did to test the loyalty of his men, but she was aware that a quarter of them mysteriously disappeared after he conducted some interviews.

---