Page 53 of Once A Crime Lord

“I can’t let him kill Jonathan. He didn’t do anything wrong.”

Blade shook his head. “You’re not in Kansas, Dorothy. You’re in the underworld where men mark their women by carving or tattooing their initials on her face. I’m surprised Gavin hasn’t pressed you to do it.”

She stared at him. “Tattoo my face?”

He shrugged. “Tattoo something. It doesn’t have to be your face.”

“Gavin’s not a thug.”

“Don’t kid yourself. Gavin survives in the underworld because he’s as ruthless and cruel as they are. He understands them because heisthem. He just has money, power, and a legit company to run.”

She ran a finger down Gavin’s rigid, menacing face. “What are you going to do when he wakes up?”

“See how he reacts.”

“You know he’s going to be pissed.”

“Yes.”

“Locking him up is going to make it worse, don’t you think?”

He flipped the switchblade with one hand. “You didn’t see him after Manny died.”

She watched the switchblade tumble through the air before Blade caught it and wove it through his fingers. He never took his eyes off Gavin.

“Gavin hasn’t been himself since Vinny and Manny were killed. He’s on a hair trigger. He calmed down once he got a ring on your finger and got you pregnant, but what you did today...” He shook his head. “It would push any man over the edge.”

“I can’t let him kill Jonathan!” she shouted.

Her outburst didn’t impress him. “Gavin demands unwavering loyalty from everyone he does business with. Why should you be the exception?”

Her mouth dropped. “I am loyal to him! What are you talking about?”

“You chose your ex over Gavin.”

“Not letting him kill isn’t choosing Jonathan over him! That doesn’t make sense!”

Blade shrugged. “When he wakes, you’re the one who has to face him. You have about four hours to figure out how you want to handle it.”

He walked out of the basement, leaving Gavin barefoot in slacks and a shirt. She knelt beside the bed and looked at her husband. Even unconscious and unarmed, he was a scary bastard. They had been through too much for this to break them. How could she make him understand that she wasn’t in love with Jonathan? She had feelings for him, of course, but she wasn’t going to leave Gavin for him. Killing Jonathan because of his insecurities was crossing the line. She accepted that he killed, but she couldn’t let him do this.

“I love you,” she whispered before she left the basement. She had four hours before he woke and all hell broke loose.

Aunt Isabel stood in front of the TV, which played live footage of the chaos at the hospital. She paused behind her aunt as a reporter spoke.

“The fire alarm activated. No one is quite sure why. Some witnesses say they heard gunshots, but so far, the police have not been available to confirm or deny that there was a shooting incident. It’s going to take a while for everyone to be accounted for, but right now, all seems to be well. The Pyre Foundation was here today with several celebrities spreading a little joy and hope.” The reporter turned to Janice who stepped forward with her million-dollar smile. “Janice here is one of the organizers for this event. Can you tell us what happened here today, Janice?”

“I didn’t hear any shots fired or see anything suspicious,” Janice said. “When the fire alarm went off, we all pitched in to make sure everyone got out safely.”

The reporter nodded. “And can you tell us about this event you had today?”

“Of course,” Janice said.

Despite the events of the past hour, her lips curved. Janice always managed to spin everything into a positive light for the Pyre Foundation’s image. Her faint smile faded. When would they find the hospital coordinator’s body? He was dead, along with some of her security and a bunch of gang members. Did Gavin have cops in his employ who would cover up the incident? The parking garage was far enough from the hospital that the isolated incident had gone unnoticed, but what happened when everyone found their cars decorated by bullets?

“Lyla, are you okay?” Aunt Isabel asked.

She let out a long breath. “Yes.”

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