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CHAPTER ONE

Lyla

Lyla Dalton strolled along a creek in Montana, willing the tranquility of her surroundings to ease her troubled mind. She didn’t sleep much anymore. No place, no matter how isolated or beautiful, made her feel safe. Most days, she felt like a walking zombie—no thoughts or feeling penetrated through the thick layer of white noise that shielded her from the outside world. Other times, she felt so much that she couldn’t stand it.

Once upon a time, she and her cousin, Carmen led privileged lives with men who loved them. That life shattered when Carmen’s husband and Lyla’s future father-in-law, Manny, were murdered. Lyla had been forced to watch Manny be beat to death and had been mutilated by the same killer who had been interrupted before he could finish her off.

Lyla felt the raised edges of her scars beneath the thin material of her shirt. Eight stab wounds and three slashes over six inches in length marred her abdomen. The horror she felt watching merciless criminals break every bone in Manny’s body and the memory of the blade sinking into her chest made her sick. She wouldn’t forget the sound of Manny’s screams being abruptly cut off as he drowned in his own blood.

Lyla stopped and put her hands on knees while she waited for the nausea to pass. When it did, she straightened and resumed her trek along the path. While Gavin was occupied with throwing cops off his bloody trail, Carmen withdrew money from her bank account, bought an RV and they went on the road. They periodically stayed in motels or rented cabins when they needed a break from the close confines of the RV. They paid for everything with cash so there was no trail. If they felt the urge to move on, they did so. They lived cautiously, avoiding big cities and populated areas. On the rare occasions that Lyla was forced to interact with others, her composure creaked under the strain of trying to appear normal.

Lyla settled on a flat topped rock along the creek and tipped her face up to the sun and took a deep breath of clean, fresh air. Montana was beautiful and had been their home for about a week now. She wished the warmth from the sun would touch her cold soul, which had holes in it that would never heal. Despite the fact that it had been a year and a half since they went on the road, she felt as fragile as she’d been the day Manny was murdered. Knowing there were people in the world capable of that level of brutality kept her up at night.

Carmen told her that Gavin went to jail for money laundering, the only charge they were able to pin on him since they didn’t have enough evidence for murder. Lyla didn’t ask how long he would be in jail. She didn’t care. When she woke in the hospital with fatal stab wounds, he didn’t ask about Manny’s murder or her well-being. All he wanted was information on the men he was hunting. Since the men involved in Manny’s murder wore masks, she had nothing to give him and hadn’t seen him again. Gavin blamed her for Vinny’s death and had been cold and remote while she lay in the hospital bed, held together with stitches and staples. She focused on getting better and left the moment she could with Carmen distracting the men so they could make their getaway. Slowly, her body mended, but not her spirit.

Lyla rose after the sun heat her skin and started back towards the cabin. After surviving the traumatic attack and skipping out on physiotherapy, she forced herself to explore her surroundings to strengthen her body and out of a need to make sure they weren’t being followed. Branches snapped beneath her sneakers. Her eyes swept the forest for bears, rattlesnakes, coyotes or cougars. She carried a pistol to defend herself against wildlife and any man who thought two women traveling alone would be fair game. Carmen taught her how to use a gun. Lyla became a decent shot, but hadn’t had the chance to put her new skills to the test.

She left the path and made her way back to their rented cabin and heard voices up ahead. She cleared the trees and took in the bizarre scene. There were a small army of SUVs parked next to the RV and there were at least twenty men in the clearing. For a second, she thought they were police officers until she registered that they weren’t in uniform but suits.

A large man prowled through the crowd. The other suits gave way to him. Even across the distance, Lyla sensed the air crackling around him. Fear shot through her along with a healthy dose of adrenaline. Even as her legs tensed to run, the man stopped in his tracks and spotted her. Lyla’s finely honed survival instinct kicked in. She whirled and ran back along the path as fast as she could. Between the burble of the creek and the sound of her heart, Lyla couldn’t hear anyone behind her, but she didn’t stop. Her mind was a blank slate of fear and denial. No, he couldn’t be here.

There was no warning. She was running headlong down the path and then something hit her hard from behind. As the impact sent her reeling forward, arms wrapped around her. Lyla landed against a hard body as they tumbled to the ground. Lyla tried to wrench away as they rolled, fighting tooth and nail. He spoke, but Lyla couldn’t hear over the ringing in her ears. She reached for her gun. He disarmed her without batting an eye and pinned her hands over her head. He sat on her stomach, taking her breath away. Lyla stared up at Gavin Pyre, the man she’d run from twice in her lifetime. He had an angular face, slick black hair and blazing amber eyes. He wore a gray suit now covered in dead leaves, twigs and dirt.

“Stop it,” he hissed.

Lyla panted beneath him, unable to find her voice. How did he find them? What was he doing here? What did he want? He didn’t look like he just got out of jail. He looked as pristine and polished as always.

Gavin tucked her pistol into his trousers at the small of his back. He rose and hauled her up with him. Before she had time to register that he was really here and touching her as if he had every right to, Gavin began to march her along the path back to the cabins. Fear and rage collided, giving her the strength she needed to break his grip. Her mind screamed at her to get as far from him as possible.

Lyla left the path and began to zigzag through the forest. She didn’t get more than a dozen paces before Gavin caught up to her. He grabbed her arm and swung her around. Lyla went for his face with her nails. He dodged and twisted one hand behind her back. Lyla wasn’t deterred. She balled her fist and clipped his jaw before he restrained her other hand. She glared up at him, chest pumping, daring him to retaliate.

A muscle ticked in Gavin’s jaw. “Don’t.”

“I hate you!” she shouted and struggled to no avail. “Why are you here?”

“Because you are.”

Lyla lunged at him, hoping to unbalance him so she could make another run for it. Gavin made an impatient sound and shoved Lyla in front of him with her hands locked behind her back. He propelled her forward at a pace fast enough where she didn’t have time to struggle. She had to focus on putting one foot in front of the other on the uneven terrain or fall face first. Gavin directed her back on the path and didn’t let up for a second.

When they walked into the clearing, Gavin’s men fell silent. Under their scrutiny, sanity reasserted itself and she stopped and looked at Gavin. Ice blue eyes clashed with gold. He hesitated before he released her. In the same breath, he gripped her arm in a painful hold she couldn’t break. Lyla didn’t struggle as he led her into the cabin. She came to a dead stop when she found Gavin’s head of security standing over Carmen with a gun. Carmen, once the arm candy of one of the wealthiest men in Las Vegas was unrecognizable. She chopped off her long blonde locks and wore jeans and hiking boots instead of cut out dresses and hooker heels.

“What the fuck are you doing, Blade?” Lyla demanded and tried to get to her cousin, but Gavin held her back.

“How’s it going?” Blade asked pleasantly.

“I'm assuming Carmen is the one who helped you escape the first time,” Gavin said.

Lyla didn't answer. What difference did it make?

“I've been searching for you two for six months. If it wasn't for your beauty, you probably would have gone unnoticed and untraceable forever,” Gavin said and gestured to someone outside.

An older gentleman walked into the cabin with a Bible clasped to his chest. He was sweating profusely and eyed Gavin and Blade as if they were savages. Gavin turned to Lyla with a placid expression that was completely at odds with the grip he had on her arm and the rage glittering in his eyes.

“I'm assuming you don't want anything to happen to Carmen,” Gavin said.

Lyla stiffened. “What are you talking about?”

“You care for your cousin, right?”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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