Page 105 of Once A Crime Lord

“You’re going out again? It’s not safe!”

“You don’t know what they did to her, Carmen. I can’t leave her there alone. I owe her more than that.” She focused on Nora who was chewing on Carmen’s shirt. “Can you stay here and watch her?”

“Lyla, you took on those guys at the cabin, your dad, and then went on a rampage to find your mom. You need to eat and chill.”

“I don’t have time to chill.” She slipped on a shoulder holster and put her leather jacket over it. She slipped ammo and a magazine into her purse and went into the bathroom to fix her hair, which was wet, limp, and in her face.

“Let Gavin do what he does best. You’re putting yourself at risk—”

She slashed her hand through the air. “Mom’s in the hospital because of me. If I wasn’t with Gavin, this wouldn’t have happened in the first place. If it was your mother, would you leave her there alone?”

Carmen sighed. “You’re running on fumes.”

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”

“Not funny.”

She grasped Carmen’s face between both hands and rested her forehead against her cousin’s. “I need you here with Nora. You’re the only one I trust to carry this out. I could do what I had to at the cabin because I knew you would protect Nora with your last breath. I need you to do this for me.”

Carmen sniffled. “I’m supposed to be the protector, not you.”

Her lips twitched into a small smile. “Once all this is over, I’ll let you take the lead again.” She kissed Carmen and then Nora. “I’ll be back.”

She yanked the bedroom door open and came face to face with Blade. His eyes flicked over her.

“You’re armed,” he said.

“I’m going back to the hospital.”

“Lyla, you’re exhausted. Maybe you should…”

She ignored him and marched downstairs and out the front door. Her attention fixed on Gavin’s silver Bugatti, which rounded the drive. Her heart slammed against her chest. She had only a fuzzy memory of what went down between her and Gavin in the ICU, but it hadn’t been pretty. The sight of him made her lightheaded with rage. He not only sacrificed the future of their relationship by going after Jonathan, he had put all of them at risk and this was the result. She would never forgive him.

Before she could decide what to do, the Bugatti stopped and a man unfolded from the driver’s seat. It wasn’t Gavin. He was gorgeous and looked fresh off the cover of Bad Boy magazine. He was tall and lean and wore a black tee with jeans and a thick leather belt riding low on his waist. He gave her a brilliant smile as he strode toward her. She glanced at the guards who were watching their interaction closely. Nobody made a move to stop him.

Before she could move back, he grasped her shoulders and kissed her on both cheeks. She had been treated to this gesture in the past by Manny, but she was nonplussed by this greeting coming from a stranger.

“I’m Angel,” he announced as if that was supposed to mean something to her.

An apt name for a man with a face like that. “Who are you?”

“I’m family.”

“Excuse me?”

He looked her over. “Where are you going?”

“Who are you?”

“Where are you going?” he repeated.

“To the hospital.”

He nodded. “Your mother?”

She stepped away from him. “Seriously, who are you?”

“Angel Roman.”

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