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The day Vincent Pyre died,her heart stopped beating. It lay still and heavy in her chest for two years and eight months. She observed life passing her by with little interest. In her darkest hours, she wondered if the world would notice her absence.
Carmen sat on a rocking chair in her goddaughter’s nursery with her heartbeat thudding in her ears. She was vibrant and achingly alive. Her senses were so jacked that her skin tingled. She was very aware of her goddaughter’s body heat seeping through her sweater, the luxurious wool carpet beneath her bare feet, and the gold clock on the wall, which was ticking ridiculously loud.
The monster who called the hit on her husband and brutally murdered Emmanuel Pyre was back with a vengeance. The trail of carnage he left in his wake would go down in underworld history. Lyla had been kidnapped from the hospital while visiting her mother who was in the ICU. Hours passed with no word of her whereabouts.
The monster had Lyla. She knew it. He would finish what he started. The knowledge of what he was capable of made her tremble. The ferocity of her emotions was so intense that she was afraid to move for fear of losing control. She tightened her hold on Nora who stared at her with her mother’s eyes.
Her senses prickled a moment before she noticed Gavin standing in the doorway of the nursery. His impeccable suit, slick hair, and remote expression revealed nothing, but the wrath shining from his gold eyes told her all she needed to know. Lyla was still missing.
Carmen rose as he started forward. She already knew the answer, but she couldn’t stop herself. “Did you find her?”
“I got a call from Lucifer,” Gavin said.
“Lyla’s in Hell?”
She was glad Gavin took Nora because her arms went lax with fear. She grew up hearing tales of what lurked in Hell, the taboo underbelly of Las Vegas that no one spoke of. Lucifer was the current king of Hell, and if the rumors were true, he was even more deranged and cruel than his father. Only one with no regard for their life dared venture into the notorious death club.
Gavin cradled his daughter close before burying his face against her. Nora grasped handfuls of his hair and tugged. Light bounced off the brass knuckles that adorned his hand. She saw the glint of knives beneath his jacket instead of guns. The rumors must be true. No modern weapons were allowed in Hell. Panicked thoughts raced through her mind, but she didn’t voice any of them.
Gavin raised his head and stared down at his daughter who waved her arms and kicked restlessly. The hands that held Nora trembled ever so slightly.
“Gavin,” she whispered.
He may be an A-class asshole, but witnessing him with his daughter had gone a long way to making up for his past sins. He stared at Nora for a long minute before he tipped the baby against his chest.
“Gavin,” she said again, and his eyes flicked to her. “Bring her back.”
He nodded and handed the baby over. “Take care of her.”
“Gavin,” she whispered.
“No matter what happens, you take care of Nora.”
Fear grabbed her by the throat, and twin trails of wet slipped down her cheeks. “Gavin.”
“Promise me,” he snapped, eyes blazing.
“Gavin, you can’t do this to me.”
“Promise me, Carmen.”
She grabbed a handful of his shirt and yanked him forward so they were face to face. He was a badass motherfucker. She had no doubt that he would do whatever was necessary to save Lyla, but if he was too late … She thrust that thought away before it could fully form. She glared at Gavin, a man she loved and loathed with equal passion. He had been her brother, enemy, and friend at different times in her life, but all of that faded away. Right here, right now, she had to believe he would come out of this whole with Lyla by his side. No other outcome was acceptable.
“You bring Lyla back to me,” she said fiercely as the tears continued to fall. “And you make that motherfucker pay.” For Vinny, for Manny, for all the hell he had put the Pyre clan through. The monster needed to pay for his sins.
He nodded, and she released him.
“You got this, Gavin,” she said and willed both of them to believe it.
“You armed?” he asked.
She lifted her sweater to show the gold gun in the waistband of her pants. It didn’t matter that the property was crawling with security. After what had occurred in the past forty-eight hours, she wouldn’t be caught without a weapon.
Gavin strode away, head held high and back straight. An invisible cloak of violence clung to him. People would die tonight, she was sure of it. There was a trap lying in wait for him in Hell. Lyla was the bait, and Gavin was armed with only knives and brass knuckles.
“Be safe, Gavin,” she called.
This was the finale, the last battle in a war that had been raging for almost three years. Vinny was the first victim the monster claimed. Tonight, it would end. Fragmented thoughts of encouragement, threats, and demands raced through her mind. She took a breath to call out one last time, but he was gone.
