by Mia Knight
Lyla glared at Blade as he cut the ropes. Her father tipped forward into her arms. She fell back on her ass as she took his full weight.
“He needs a doctor,” Lyla said as she held her limp father in her arms. He moaned pitifully.
“No.”
Lyla glanced back at Gavin who had his arms folded across his chest.
“The price for stealing is death. Healing naturally from his beating is small recompense for what he owes me.” Gavin's eyes narrowed on her. “Don’t look at me like that, Lyla. You know how our world works.”
“Your world,” she shot back.
“And you’re back, so it's our world.”
“I came back to pay his debt, not stay here permanently.”
“You saved your father’s life by coming back to me. I think its fair to say a life for a life.”
Lyla went cold with fear. “Life?” Was he going to kill her? Torture her? Turn her into a prostitute?
“Lyla?” her father croaked.
Lyla turned her back on Gavin. “It’s me, Dad.”
Dark brown eyes focused on her. “You shouldn’t have left.”
The venom in his voice battered at her.
“You ran off, leaving your mom and me to fend for ourselves, you selfish bitch—” he ranted, blood trickling out of his mouth and over her pristine robe.
“That's enough, Pat,” Gavin hissed as he appeared at Lyla’s side. With one quick, ruthless shove, Gavin caused her father to topple backwards onto the concrete. Lyle heard her father’s head smack the concrete. She screamed and tried to go to him, but Gavin jerked her against him. “Your daughter is the only reason you're still breathing.”
Lyla was sure her father was unconscious. The way his limbs were bent at unnatural angles made her stomach heave. She fought Gavin’s hold, but he easily controlled her. Her father moaned and she dug her nails into Gavin’s arm, but he didn’t budge.
“If she stayed, I wouldn’t have borrowed money from you—” her father garbled through his mouth filled with blood.
“Borrow?” Gavin asked in a dangerous voice.
“She used to give us half of the allowance you gave her every month.” Her father's voice took on a whining note. “I've been having a hard time paying the bills.”
“You think I don't know how much money you gamble away every week?”
Gavin’s rage was ice cold and even more terrifying then Lyla remembered. She wanted to tell her father to shut up, but he wouldn't listen to her. He never had.
“I thought if I could just make more money, I could hire my own investigator to find Lyla for you and—”
“Shut your mouth,” Gavin said and her father went silent. “The only person you care for is yourself. You never cared for Lyla. The only time you remember she exists is when you need money.”
Gavin pushed Lyla behind him. She stumbled and was steadied by Blade. Gavin crouched down and grabbed her father's face between one huge hand and squeezed.
“Gavin, no!” Lyla tried to go to her father, but Blade wrapped an arm around her waist to stop her from interfering. Lyla was close to hyperventilating. She knew what Gavin was capable of.
“Don’t you ever talk to Lyla like that again,” Gavin said in a calm, even tone. “Even if your stupidity brought her back to me, deal or not, I'll end you.”
Gavin released her father who turned his head to the side and coughed up blood, which splattered the already stained floor. Gavin rose and turned. His expression darkened when it lit on her. Blade released her instantly. Gavin grasped her hand and hauled her in the opposite direction. When she fought him, he hauled her over his shoulder and carried her upstairs into his beautiful home that was untouched by the horror in the basement. Gavin didn’t stop until they were back in the master suite. He set her on her feet with a jarring thud.
“Your father is a piece of shit,” Gavin said as he took off her robe, which was stained with her father's blood.
Lyla didn’t agree or disagree. Gavin pulled her into the bathroom and washed her arms with warm water and took care of himself before he conjured up another cashmere robe and slipped her into it.
“You hungry?” Gavin asked.
Lyla shook her head. Had she expected her father to change since she left? Wasn’t distance supposed to make the heart grow fonder? Fuck that shit. Apparently, that didn't apply to her father. Even after all these years, she hadn’t earned a crumb of his affection. He had always loathed her. Apparently, even sacrificing her life for his didn’t inspire any emotion from him. After Jonathan's gentle caring, her father’s disgust felt like a slap across the face. Didn’t her father know why she was here? He didn’t care. Even if she'd known that her father didn't change, she still would have come back for him. He was her father—a liar, gambler, thief... and her downfall.
“I have work to do,” Gavin said abruptly.
Good, she thought. She needed to be alone.
“If you need anything, let me know.” Gavin pointed to a cell phone on the nightstand. “My number is speed dial one.”
Lyla nodded. When he moved towards her, she went rigid, but that didn't stop him from cupping her face and giving her a quick kiss. She didn't react. He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip and searched her face. What the hell was he looking for?
“I wish the circumstances were different, that you came back to me on your own, but I’m glad you're back,” he said.
Lyla didn't respond. Gavin gave her another kiss before he walked towards the door. He opened it, paused and turned.
“No contact with anyone from your old life,” Gavin said, face hardening. “That’s done now. You don't want anyone to get hurt, do you?”
How could he go from protector and lover to threatening her? Lyla glared at him, but he didn't back down.
“You're back in my world, under my rules. You disobey, I'll know. You got me?”
Lyla nodded.
“I’ll see you soon,” he said and left.
Lyla wanted to lie down, but she couldn't bear to sleep in a bed that smelled of their lovemaking. By fucking her, Gavin severed her tie with Jonathan irrevocably. Did he do it on purpose? By staking his claim on her through ties of the flesh, he separated her from her old life and brought her back into his. There was no going back. She could feel it in her bones.
Lyla stretched out on the window seat again and stared out over the moonlit grounds. There was a nagging ache between her legs. Why did her body respond to Gavin as if he were her soul mate? Lyla covered her face with her hands and moaned in self-loathing. She thought of her father who blamed her for his financial woes. He had always been greedy, but half a million? He was a bastard, but she loved him enough to leave her safe life behind. But, a part of her had always feared that coming back would be inevitable.
Chapter Three
“Lyla.”
A hand stroked her hair. The touch was so gentle that she smiled before she opened her eyes. She stared up at Gavin and her new reality snapped into place. The smile vanished from her lips. Gavin brushed a finger down her cheek.
“This is the second time I’ve found you on the window seat. You got a problem with the bed?”
“No,” Lyla lied and sat up, fixing the robe that had come undone. She flushed under his regard, even though he was more familiar with her body than Jonathan.
“You must be hungry. The clothes you brought with you are old and tattered so Blade got rid of them. Your old clothes are still in the closet.” He gestured to the double doors. “Get dressed, come down to the kitchen and we’ll talk.”
Lyla slid off the window seat and winced as stiff muscles protested. She didn’t say a thing as she went to the closet and disappeared inside to escape his probing eyes. The closet was exactly as she left it. One wall was dedicated to individual cubbies of outrageous heels while the other walls were filled with racks of designer label clothes. These clothes belonged to a different person—someone who didn’t have a care in the world. Back then she didn’t give a s
econd thought to using Gavin’s money or care that she was glorified arm candy. That felt like a lifetime ago. Lyla ran her hands over the fashionable, edgy garments and fought the urge to tear the closet apart. What would be the point? It wouldn’t change her circumstances and she had to find out what plans Gavin had for her. Last night he said a life for a life. Surely, he didn’t mean forever?
Lyla chose one of the most conservative outfits—a long, skintight black skirt that had high slits on both sides and an electric blue crop top. She gave the wall of shoes a cursory glance before she chose a pair of strappy black heels. When she emerged from the closet, Gavin was gone. She took a deep breath and went into the bathroom to look for an extra toothbrush and paused. Last night she’d been too distraught to examine the countertops. Now, she saw that just like the closet, her perfumes, lotions and makeup from her other life were here as well. She looked at herself in the mirror. She was pale and her light blue eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion. Lyla didn’t feel like herself in the bright, revealing clothes. For three years she tried to blend in and now she felt exposed on so many levels. Lyla reached for the makeup and sifted through the shimmery eyeshadow, lip gloss, fake eyelashes and playful lipstick shades. More reminders of the frivolous life she once had. Lyla settled for mascara, chapstick and lotion.
When Lyla left the bedroom, she half expected to see guards outside the door. To her surprise, the hallway was empty. It made her skin prickle with alarm. Was Gavin planning to do something that he didn't want them to witness? For a moment, she thought of making a run for it. Her muscles tensed and her heart beat accelerated. The front door was so close... Common sense reasserted itself a moment before she heard footsteps and Gavin appeared.
“There you are. Come, breakfast is ready,” he said.
Lyla took a deep breath before she started downstairs, heels clicking on every step. Gavin's eyes moved over her. He looked pleased. Lyla averted her eyes as she passed him. The marble island in the kitchen was filled with an assortment of breakfast foods. Despite recent events, Lyla was starving. She made a bowl of oatmeal with fresh cut strawberries, a bagel heavily doused with cream cheese and a plate of sausages. She carried her food to the table and ignored Gavin who sat beside her. She refused to let his stare unnerve her. He didn't eat, which meant the food was poisoned or he ate earlier. Lyla set out to demolish everything in front of her. Gavin said nothing and waited patiently.
“Do you want more food?” Gavin asked as she finished.
Lyla shook her head.
“Look at me.”
Lyla clenched her teeth before she obeyed. Today he wore a blue shirt with the first two buttons undone and no tie beneath a black suit jacket. His carefully styled hair framed his attractive face and he was freshly shaved.
“Do you want to see your mother?” he asked.
Lyla's hands fisted on her lap. Was this a trick? “You'd let me see her?”
“Of course.”
She searched his eyes. “Why?”
“I want you to be happy here.”
She was nonplussed by his simple answer. “What?”
“Why do you look so surprised?”
Lyla folded her hands on the table and braced herself. This was the moment of truth, the moment she learned what her future looked like. She met his eyes and asked, “What am I doing here, Gavin?”
He frowned. “I want you here.”
“For how long?” she asked, heart threatening to beat out of her chest.
He didn't answer and her palms dampened as anxiety slid through her veins. Gavin watched her like a wolf daring its prey to make a move. One wrong step and he’d eat her.
“I can give you what money I have and make payments,” she said.
“I don’t need your money.”
“Then why—”
He reached out and captured her chin in his hand. She resisted the impulse to jerk away. She was extremely vulnerable and at his mercy. She hated the feeling of helplessness that filled her, making her want to lash out.
“I can buy, bribe or steal anything I want,” Gavin said.
It was true. Knowing the power he wielded kept her still and silent.
“Your dad stole a chunk of change he didn’t earn and pissed it away. If he won, I would have charged him interest.”
Which meant he’d known about her father stealing and allowed it to continue until he saw an opportunity to use her father’s betrayal to his advantage.
“In the end, your father’s stupidity and greed worked in my favor. I wanted you to come willingly—”
“I didn’t,” she snapped and he tightened his hold.
“I have the manpower to have you watched day and night, but I need more insurance than that.” He leaned forward until he was only inches away. His eyes seared hers and his hold tightened fractionally. “And I still have yet to discover how you escaped me the first time. Do you want to enlighten me?”
“No.” She would take it to her grave.
“No matter,” Gavin said as if it didn’t matter, but she knew better. “Your love for your worthless father gives me the insurance I need that you will do what I say, when I say. Isn’t that right, baby girl?” His thumb stroked over her lower lip.
She wanted to bite, but was too busy sifting through his statement. “And how am I supposed to pay off my dad’s debt?”
“I told you.”
He had? Lyla frowned and his eyes flashed.
“I want what we had.”
Lyla jerked out of his hold and surged to her feet. She clutched the back of the chair and tried to keep herself from shouting. “What did we have, Gavin?”
“A great life together.”
She wanted to slap him. “I don’t understand you! You have women begging to give you blowjobs. What do you need from me that you can’t get from them?”
“There’s no one like you.”
She wanted to tear her hair out. She released the chair and began to wave her hands as she paced the kitchen. “There’s hundreds, no, thousands of women like me.”
He said nothing and she wondered if pride made him act impulsively. He didn’t really want her. He wanted a submissive woman who doted on him. That wasn’t her, not any longer.
“I want you, Lyla.”
She shook her head. “You had me, Gavin. I wasn’t enough for you.” She gave him a sugary sweet smile while her blood began to boil. “Or did I imagine you having an orgy in the club?”
“I told you, that was a mistake.”
“And there were dozens of mistakes before I found out!” she shouted and turned away from him to regain her composure. How could she be so mad after all this time? She thought she put it behind her, but seeing Gavin in the flesh and having him say he wanted what they had made her chest burn.
“That’s over.”
“Yes, it is,” she agreed and desperately tried to rein in her temper. Why were they even having this conversation? Oh, yeah, because he wanted things to go back to the way they’d been three years ago when she was a naive fool. “I’m not the same person, Gavin. Whatever you think you’ll get from me... I can’t. Within a month you’ll be back to your old ways. Maybe there’s another way I can pay off dad’s debt. Maybe I can—”
“No.”
She turned as Gavin rose and stilled when she saw his implacable expression.
“I took you for granted,” Gavin acknowledged as he slowly rounded the table, closing the distance between them with deliberate steps. “I didn’t want to change. I admit that. I liked having you in one section of my life and the business and girls in the other. I had it all and then Min fucked up when he let you into the club without checking with Blade first.”
“It was kind of hard for Min to check with Blade when he was getting sucked off by two women,” she said and glared at him. “I can’t believe you shot Min. It wasn’t his fault!”
Gavin shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal, and to him it wasn’t. Gavin grew up in the cutthroat underworld. He was taught t
o fight, fuck and deal before he hit puberty. She tried to shy away. Gavin wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and plastered her against him.
“I thought you’d been taken by one of my enemies. I thought you’d been killed.” His eyes hardened. “How could you, Lyla?”
“I wanted out,” she said. Her heartbeat accelerated as Gavin’s energy began to pulse in the air around them.
“I was tortured by thoughts of what my enemies did to you before they killed you. Three years of regret and then my investigator finds you in Maine with a different name, working as a bank teller.” His eyes raked over her face. “And living with another man... a fucking nerd. You let another man touch you, make love to you? How could you do that to me?”
“You expect me to be faithful to you after you cheated on me?”
Gavin’s eyes flashed with rage. Gavin lifted her off her feet and shook her like a rag doll.
“What does he have that I don’t, Lyla? You leave me for a guy that makes fifty-thousand a year? Who I could beat to a pulp?”
Lyla struggled to get free, but Gavin didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were glazed with fury and his hands were moments away from crushing bone.
“Your life belongs to me. No other man is allowed to touch you.”
Lyla trembled in his grasp. “Gavin, you’re hurting me.”
“And you hurt me!” he shouted and shoved her away from him.
Lyla staggered back and hit the glass door that led into the back yard hard enough to make it bow and shudder in its frame. She shook like a leaf. She knew what Gavin was capable of. The night before she left him, she witnessed him kill a man with his bare hands. Gavin was a savage beneath the polished veneer. He could kill her easily. His ragged breathing filled the kitchen. She bowed her head and waited for him to come after her, to finish her off.
“Don’t push me, Lyla. I’m so fucking angry at you. Look at me.”
She was too afraid to raise her head. Suddenly, he was right in front of her and once more, his hand shot out. She screamed as his hand closed around her throat. His hair was mussed and he looked like he was seconds away from strangling her. She wrapped both hands around his wrist and struggled to get away.
