Page 1 of Awakened by Sin

1

Seven Months Ago

From her vantagepoint in the VIP section, Carmen Pyre took in Incognito, the newest nightclub to open on the infamous Strip. The grand sweeping staircase and elegant chandeliers gave the club an upper-class feel, but the staff’s uniform of leather and lace put off any notions that this was a run-of-the-mill club. An unholy crimson light set the mood and transformed the club into a decadent hell that encouraged them to indulge in their darkest fantasies. The atmosphere reeked of mystery and carnal delights, but she felt none of it.

Her nails dug into her leather clad thighs. It felt as if someone had picked up the blueprint for the dream house she planned with her late husband and invited her to do a walk-through without warning her that they picked up her discarded plans. Every detail was achingly familiar. She could feel it, those fucking tears just beneath the surface. The night she came up with the concept for Incognito played out in her mind in vivid detail. She’d always had a thing for costumes and had Vinny’s full support in role playing. One night while ‘serving’ Vinny as a flight attendant, she came up with the idea of a club that would encourage people to conceal their identities and take advantage of the “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” mentality. Incognito was her husband’s last project, one he never finished before he was murdered.

You look beautiful, baby.

Her body locked as Vinny’s familiar, reassuring voice drifted through her mind. She hung her head as memories cascaded through her. She spent a year and a half trying to outrun the memories of her husband. Now that she was back in Vegas, there was no escaping him. He was stamped into every square inch of this place. His voice whispered in her ears, stirring up a flurry of pain and loss that caused her chest to contract with the need to scream. She had been looking forward to attending this event, to let loose and forget her troubles. The Strip was her playground, an environment where she had thrived in since she was sixteen. She’d hoped to be invigorated by the manic energy from the crowd, not be reminded of everything she had lost.

A striking couple made their way in her direction, distracting her before she lost her shit. The woman had honey blond hair, a slinky black halter dress, and a black lace mask with diamonds highlighting silver blue eyes. The man at her side was built like a linebacker and wore a dashing tux and black mask that made him seem even more dangerous than normal.

Lyla’s eyes lit up as she rushed forward with a big smile. “You look great!”

Carmen hugged her cousin like a child in desperate need of reassurance. Lyla was the sister she never had and a beacon of hope in her otherwise dreary world. It had only been a few hours since they parted ways, but she wouldn’t take anything for granted, not anymore. She pulled back and felt her pain recede as she took in Lyla’s sparkling eyes. Her cousin was happy. No one looking at her would guess she’d been viciously attacked by a psychotic killer or that the high-necked gown she wore covered gruesome scars. The image of Lyla lying lifelessly in a hospital bed would be etched into her memory for all time.

She dredged up a smile and gave Lyla’s ass a sharp smack. “You too.”

She switched her gaze to Lyla’s husband. Gavin Pyre, CEO of Pyre Casinos and former crime lord of Las Vegas, glowered at her. She had known Gavin for nearly a decade, long enough to see the good, the bad, and the downright evil in him. Gavin was on her shit list at the moment, despite Lyla’s reassurances that her new husband wasn’t abusing her.

Vinny’s murder kicked off a series of bloody events, which left Uncle Manny dead, Lyla mutilated, and Gavin in prison. She spirited Lyla out of Las Vegas, and they went on the road. Four months ago, Gavin showed up in Montana and forced Lyla to marry him while also announcing that her father had died from a heart attack. They returned to Las Vegas, and she moved in with her grief-stricken mother. She hadn’t recovered from losing Vinny and now had to cope with another staggering loss.

“Carmen,” Gavin said, voice tight.

She gave him a cool look to show that he didn’t intimidate her. “Gavin.”

“Don’t get into trouble tonight, Carmen.”

Her temper, which had begun a slow burn the second she saw him, ignited. “Excuse me?”

“You look like—”

Lyla clapped a hand over her husband’s mouth. “You look hot, and you’re going to cause a commotion. He’s nervous.”

She flipped her hair and adjusted her boobs in her lace bustier. “He should be.” There was a two-inch gap between the bottom of her top and the skintight leather pants. A glance in the mirror before she left the house told her that she looked sexy, confident, and in control. No one would see beneath the slutty exterior to her shredded insides. The white mask she’d been handed before she entered the club added just the right touch to her outfit.

Gavin yanked Lyla’s hand from his mouth. “I just want to get through tonight without drama. Got me?”

His orders never failed to get on her nerves. He ordered everyone around. Vinny had always deferred to him. How Lyla put up with his autocratic ass, she would never know. The only way she could handle him was to view him as an overbearing, annoying big brother. And like any irritating sister, she did her best to irritate the hell out of him.

“I’m not making any promises,” she said.

His eyes narrowed into slits. He opened his mouth to threaten her but was distracted when a man joined their group. The newcomer was dressed in a scarlet tux, cape, and red mask. He kissed Lyla on the cheek. Carmen glanced at Gavin, the possessive psycho. His jaw clenched, but he didn’t go for the guy’s throat, which piqued her interest. Vinny was the only man Gavin allowed to touch Lyla. Who was this guy?

“You look great,” the stranger said to Lyla and turned toward her. “I don’t think we’ve met.”

Dark green eyes glittered through the slits of his mask. The man gave her a once-over that was curious rather than slimy. She was used to getting a reaction out of men, but he wasn’t giving her one. Maybe her outfit wasn’t slutty enough?

“This is Vinny’s widow, Carmen,” Gavin said.

Widow. The label smacked her in the face, causing a combination of pain and anger to tangle in her belly. Before she could snap at Gavin, the man in the red mask distracted her by taking her hand. Before she could pull away, he kissed her knuckles. It was a dignified, old-world gesture.

“My condolences,” he said.

She shot Gavin an irritated glance before she focused on the mysterious stranger. “Thank you. And you are?”

“Marcus. I’m the new COO.”

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