AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Carmen’s overprotectiveness loosened something inside of Lyla. Unlike everyone else in the business, Carmen was unrestrained and passionate. Her husband, Vinny, was Gavin’s cousin. When they were younger, they double dated the Pyre men. That seemed like ages ago. Carmen was two years older than Lyla and a Las Vegas native. Carmen showed Lyla the ropes when her family moved from California when she was eight. They had been inseparable ever since. Carmen’s father, a second generation enforcer for the Pyre family, helped Lyla’s father with the accounting job at a Pyre Casino when they hit a rough spot.
“I’ve missed you,” Lyla said simply.
Carmen’s eyes filled with tears and she launched herself at Lyla, knocking the wind out of her.
“I’m here. It’s going to be okay. I promise,” Carmen whispered.
Lyla clutched at her. “I’m scared.”
Carmen made a shushing sound and brushed Lyla’s hair back like a mother would to comfort a young child. Lyla took a deep, shuddering breath and took in Carmen’s cotton candy scent.
“Do you know how he found you?” Carmen asked in a soundless whisper.
Lyla shook her head. Carmen pulled back and clasped Lyla’s face between her hands.
“We’re going to get through this.”
Lyla didn’t agree with Carmen’s fervent reassurance. She felt as if she might shatter into pieces. She wanted to be anywhere but here. She felt unsafe, frightened and desperate. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, no one to help. No one fucked with the Pyre family. You screwed them, they destroyed you. Whatever you did to them, they paid back ten times over. They were the crime lords of Las Vegas. The Pyres had a stake in every sinful desire you could dream up and the manpower and money to make anything happen. Why hadn’t she realized she was playing with fire?
Carmen tugged Lyla down so they sat side by side on the bed. She held Lyla’s hand in her lap and said, “Now, tell me everything.”
Lyla told her how she created a new identity, kept her head down, and about Jonathan.
“And Gavin knows about this guy you were living with?” Carmen asked incredulously. At Lyla’s nod, she asked, “And he’s still alive?”
At Lyla’s fearful look, Carmen quickly reassured her that Gavin probably wouldn’t bother Jonathan as long as she didn’t piss him off. Lyla regained a little color in her face and told Carmen about her father’s debt.
“Your father’s always been a dumb shit,” Carmen said.
In a quavering voice, Lyla finished her story by explaining what occurred in the kitchen this morning. Carmen’s baby blue eyes were alight with holy fire.
“He doesn’t get to treat you like this!”
“He can do whatever he wants,” Lyla said and couldn’t stop her shudder.
“Don’t take this lying down.”
“What do you mean?”
“Girl, you had him once.”
“Yeah, me and a hundred other girls.”
Carmen let out a disgusted sound. “You know what I mean. Gavin may have fucked around, but no man searches for their ex for three years unless he has feelings.”
“Or an ego the size of Texas,” Lyla countered.
Carmen tapped long, pointed acrylic nails together. “I don’t believe that. I still think he loves you.”
“Thisis love?” Lyla said, gesturing to her bruises. “Aside from the fact that heneversaid he loved me, he beat the crap out of my dad and blackmailed me into coming back to him. That’s fucked up, Carmen. This isn’t a fucking romance novel.”
“You have power.”
“Power?Are you high?”
“He wants you. If Gavin wanted to kill you, he’d kill you. If he wanted to make you pay he wouldn’t bring you to his home, feed you and then take you to your mother’s house. Comprende?”
“Who knows why Gavin does what he does? He’s losing it.”
