AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s been a long night,” Blade said.
“Yes, yes,” Lucifer said and clapped them on the back. “The city lost some prominent leaders tonight. Watch your back.”
“That’s a given,” Gavin said.
He led her past a group of men smoking cigars and playing cards. A dark, gloomy hallway led to rickety stairs, and then Gavin pushed on a wall, which swung open. She walked into a... closet? She heard the distant pulse of stripper music and glanced at the minimal costumes. She grabbed a feather boa and draped it around her neck as Blade’s phone rang.
“Lyla.”
She turned from her perusal of the empty dressing room. “What?”
“That was the hospital.”
Fear grabbed her by the throat. “What happened? Did someone…?”
“She’s awake.”
She froze. “What?”
“Your mother. She’s awake.”
“We have to go now. How do we get out of here?” she demanded.
Gavin took her hand. “This way.”
He led her through the dressing room into a strip club with strobe lights. She didn’t glance at the strippers or the patrons. She hauled ass toward the door and emerged in a deserted parking lot. Blade beeped the lock on an SUV, and they climbed in.
“They weren’t sure she would wake up,” she whispered.
“I know. This is good,” Gavin said quietly.
“You think she remembers?” She closed her eyes. “I hope she doesn’t.”
“We’ll see.”
The SUV was silent as Blade drove to the hospital. Since this was Las Vegas, no one glanced twice at the stripper with three hippy companions as they walked through the halls.
“You should all get checked out,” she said absently.
None of them responded or broke away from their group. The ICU nurse didn’t miss a beat when they walked up to her counter.
“Has she spoken?” she asked urgently.
The woman’s expression softened. “No. Let me take you to her.” She glanced at Gavin, Blade, and Angel. “We don’t want to overwhelm her.”
Gavin nodded and squeezed her hand before he released her. She walked swiftly toward her mother’s room. Her mother looked worse, if that was possible. As she approached, her mother’s eyes opened. The color of her eyes didn’t seem as vibrant as before, but she didn’t care. Her mother was alive.
She took her mother’s hand carefully in hers and kissed her scarred fingers. “Mom, it’s me.”
Her mother blinked slowly. There was no flash of recognition.
“It’s Lyla,” she said.
Her mother stared at her for a long moment. Her eyes were dull and lifeless.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” she whispered.
Her mother closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again. Her bruised lips formed a word. She leaned in close.
