by Mia Knight
Marcus hadn’t visited her since their late-night encounter, but he called almost every day. Their conversations were quick and casual. There was no awkwardness between them. She began to believe this could work although she caught the skeptical look her assistants exchanged when she explained their arrangement.
She pulled up to the Pyre estate. She put the car in park and was about to open her door when Beau dashed around the corner of the mansion, barking madly. She hastily got out of the car and put her hands up to shush him. She glanced at Honey to see how she was handling this and was stunned to see her standing on the seat with her ears perked up. Beau jumped onto the driver’s seat, sniffed Honey, and gave an excited bark before he jumped out again. Honey didn’t move, so Beau jumped back in. He lunged playfully at her before he dashed out again, and this time, Honey followed. Honey stood in the middle of the drive as Beau ran circles around her and then took off around the house. Honey hesitated only a few seconds before she followed. Carmen stared after them, mouth open. What the hell?
She walked into the house with Frederick and Mickey on her heels. She peeked in the kitchen and saw that the door that led into the backyard was open. Beau and Honey ran across the yard, barking and leaping on each other. Blade had his gun out and was standing protectively in front of Lyla who was carrying Nora.
“It’s okay, she’s with me,” Carmen said as she walked outside to join them.
Lyla turned. “Look how happy he is! I’ve never seen him like this.”
Nora smiled and drooled as she approached. She took her goddaughter and covered her face in loud, smacking kisses. Her guards drifted toward Blade and talked in low mumbles.
“What’s her name?” Lyla asked as she went on her haunches to pet Beau who sat at her feet.
Honey stopped a few feet away and examined them all warily.
“Her name’s Honey. I brought her here because she hasn’t moved in five days,” she said dryly.
Lyla gave her a puzzled look. “What are you talking about?”
“Frederick had to carry this dog to the car because she won’t walk on her own. She doesn’t eat unless I leave the room, and she just sits in the corner facing the wall all day. I brought her here to get some pointers from you, but when she saw Beau, she lit up.”
“Come on, Honey,” Lyla coaxed.
“I’ve tried that—” She broke off as Honey inched forward and hit Lyla’s palm. “I can’t believe this.”
“Maybe she needs another dog to teach her how to trust people,” Lyla mused as she stroked Honey’s head.
She sat and bounced Nora on her knees. Blade stood nearby, watching the dogs play with his gun still out.
“You’ve settled into your new place?” Lyla asked.
“Yup and it’s gorg.”
“I’m sure it is.” Lyla let out a long breath as she stroked the dogs. “I had a panic attack today.”
Carmen kissed the baby’s cheek and watched her mother closely.
“It was a bad one,” Lyla continued. “I swear, I thought I saw a man in the nursery. I grabbed my gun and was ready to shoot, but no one was there.” She shook her head. “I’m going crazy. Blade heard me scream and came with his gun. When he told Gavin, he almost left work, but I made him stay.” She shook her head. “I’m a fucking mess.”
“Have you been sleeping?”
“Probably not as much as I should.” Lyla plopped on the bench beside her and leaned against her. “I’m glad you came over and brought your new baby. Liven things up around here. I definitely need a distraction. Tell me something interesting.”
“I’m going to have three step siblings. Levi is a mechanic and too hot for his own good, the second son lives in Japan, so they’re holding off the wedding until his wife gives birth, and Maddie is a freshman in college and has the same shoe size as us so she may steal some of yours.”
Lyla scrunched up her nose. “That’s all you got?”
She hesitated before she dropped her bomb. “I’m banging Marcus.”
Lyla didn’t react. “Marcus who?”
“Marcus Marcus.”
“His name is Marcus Marcus?”
“No, Marcus Fletcher.”
Lyla sat up so fast, Carmen was surprised she didn’t fall off the bench.
“What?”
“We’re friends with benefits.”
Lyla shot up from the bench and held up both hands like a traffic cop. “What? How? When?”
“The first time was the night you were in Hell. He came over to keep me company.”
She put her hands on her hips. “When I was in Hell, you were getting busy?”
“Pretty much. Sex is a great stress reliever.”
“You two hooked up that night, and now you’re friends with benefits?”
“Well, we hooked up a couple of times before we agreed to be friends with benefits.”
Lyla threw up her hands. “And only now you’re telling me?”
“We’ve both been busy.”
“Bitch, this is the kind of shit I want to know as soon as it happens.”
“Well, now you do.”
“What does this mean?”
“It means I have sex on tap.”
“But what changed?”
“I decided to live, and he’s helping me with that. We finalized a few things at the event at Cimarron Elementary. By the way, the animal adoption was great. Over one hundred pets found homes.”
“Aw, I’m so glad,” Lyla said and then narrowed her eyes. “Stop trying to change the subject.”
“I’m not. I’m segueing.”
“No segueing. You’re just banging him, and that’s it?”
“Yes.”
“You know I love Marcus.” Lyla smiled suddenly and leaned forward. “How is he?”
“Girl.”
“Really? Well, if friends with benefits works for you, and you’re happy, then I’m happy too.”
“Thank you.”
“Speaking of segues.” Lyla shoved her shoulder. “What the hell’s up with you killing the leader of a biker gang?”
“He said shit about Vinny.”
“And you shot him in a room full of people?”
“Pretty much,” she said as she made faces at Nora.
Lyla shook her head. “We’re really messed up.”
“We’re badass motherfuckers.”
Lyla scowled. “Don’t swear in front of Nora.”
“We’re bad mothers,” she said gravely.
Nora grinned and tried to stick her hand in her mouth.
“You look good,” Lyla said, taking in her knee-high gladiator sandals, white shorts, and skintight top.
“I feel better now that I’ve settled somewhere. If Marcus hadn’t offered me his place, I don’t know what I would have done.”
“Hold up. Marcus offered his place? The place you’re staying is his house?”
“Yes.”
“You’re living with Marcus?” Lyla looked stunned.
“No, he lives at the casino. He offered me his place since it was a risk to stay with Mom and Marv.”
“But technically you’re living together.”
“He’s been there once this whole week.”
“But you two have slept under the same roof?”
“For one night.”
Lyla stared at her for a full minute before she smiled so huge, it must hurt her cheeks. She clapped her hands together and did a little jig. “My day just perked up.”
“Because I’m banging Marcus and staying in his place?”
“I’m happy because you’re happy to be banging Marcus and living with him. I never would’ve thought… and now you are! I love Marcus. I love that you two are together… I mean, are friends with benefits. I don’t have to worry now because he’ll take care of you.”
“I don’t need to be taken care of.”
“We all need someone to watch out for us,” Lyla said and took Nora from her. She put the baby on her hip. Mother and daughter sta
red at her with identical silver blue eyes. If Gavin had more daughters who looked like Lyla, he would definitely become more psychotic.
A happy yip made her look at the dogs who were running to their heart’s content. “I’ll take them both.”
Lyla stiffened. “Excuse me?”
“I’ll take Beau and Honey.”
“You can’t take Beau. He’s mine.”
“But Honey needs him.”
“Then I’ll take both of them.”
“But I just got her.”
“And she wasn’t happy. You can adopt another dog.”
“You’re gonna take my dog?” she asked, outraged.
Lyla glared at her. “You bring something into my house, they’re fair game. Isn’t that the Pyre way? Claim what I want?”
“Gavin’s not a crime lord anymore.”
“So?”
“Fine. You can have Honey. It’s just… I was hoping I would be the one to help her.”
“You did. You found her the right family. I was thinking about finding Beau a friend anyway, so this is perfect.”
Hours later, she headed across town as the sun began to set. Honey picked a new home, and it wasn’t with her. Her fantasies of going on the road with Honey in the passenger seat disappeared in a puff of smoke. Lyla was right. It was best for Beau and Honey to be together, but she had been looking forward to having a companion. This was just another thing that didn’t pan out. She parked in the garage, walked in the house, and paused to take it all in.
Her style had always been over the top, bold, and a mishmash of different elements. Nothing had changed. Pops of color meshed with metallic gold and white. Each room made a statement and was filled with knickknacks from her travels, one-of-a-kind art, and love. Marcus didn’t know it, but his house held a quarter of a million dollars’ worth of art. She wasn’t about to tell him since he would probably freak out. Art wasn’t supposed to be admired but experienced. She was having a painter come by next week to paint a wall mural of the ocean in his office. Maybe if Marcus saw it enough, he’d feel the urge to see it in person.
Nothing had been left untouched. The empty rooms had been filled with furniture, and all of Marcus’s boxes had been emptied and tidily put away. His office had been made into the ultimate man cave. She couldn’t wait to see his reaction. She was a little disappointed that he hadn’t visited, but even during their short conversations, people were always interrupting. He was hella busy. It hadn’t been that way with Vinny. Back then, everything had been on automatic, and Gavin was in control. Now, Marcus handled most of the load and with all his new business endeavors and expansions, Pyre Casinos was busier than ever.
She walked down the hallway, now lined with dreamy oil paintings of land and cityscapes. The master bedroom had a gold, black, and red theme. It was a sultry haven she was proud of. She sat on a chaise lounge to unzip her sandals and strip. While the tub filled with water, she poured herself a glass of chilled white wine. She drank while 90s R&B bounced off the walls and she soaked. She was building brand-new memories here, and therefore, everything felt warm, comfy, and new—exactly what she needed.
When she finished, she pulled on her silk robe from the life-size geisha standing guard in front of her closet. She refilled her glass and climbed into bed. She played Psych on the brand-new massive flat screen mounted on the wall and opened her laptop. She laughed at Shawn’s shenanigans as she clicked through her bank statements and checked her stocks and other investments. She checked in with Kiki and several other local business partners that included local pizza parlors and helicopter rides along The Strip. When she had enough, she set the laptop aside and called Maddie.
“I’m watching Shawn and Gus,” she said.
Maddie laughed. “I’m re-watching season four.”
“You want to come over?”
“I can’t. I have a test tomorrow morning.”
“On a Saturday?”
“Yes, it’s my only class. I’ll be free after that, though.”
“Okay, I’ll think of something.”
“What happened with you and the COO?”
“You mean Marcus?”
“Yes.” A pause and then, “He seems really nice.”
“He is.”
Marcus was definitely a puzzle she wanted to explore, but was trying not to. They were friends with benefits, which nixed deep, meaningful conversations and emotions. But what he revealed the other night had been on her mind all week. It didn’t make sense for Marcus to come from such a background because he emerged from the ghetto unscathed. There was no sign of it on the surface, which meant there was something internal that she couldn’t see. She hoped he had major flaws because he was almost too perfect to be real. She was missing something about him, and it was bothering the hell out of her.
“He seemed upset,” Maddie hedged.
“Just a little.”
“Levi said you two were probably low-key dating.”
She snickered. “I like that. Low-key dating. No, we’re not dating, just banging.”
Silence on the other end. “You’re sleeping with him?”
“We’re friends.”
“Oh.”
“He’s really nice. If you’re interested in an internship, he’ll hook you up. He’s good at what he does.”
“Okay, I’ll do that.”
“Okay, Smarty, I’ll let you study.”
“Okay, bye.”
“Bye.” She dialed Mom next. “Hey.”
“Hey, baby. The house looks fantastic.”
She looked around the room. “It does.”
“How you been? How’s your new baby?”
“She wasn’t doing good with me, but she came alive when she met Beau, so Lyla took her.”
“Oh, no. Are you gonna adopt another?”
“I don’t know. I felt like I couldn’t really go anywhere since I didn’t want Honey to be home alone. Maybe I’ll wait a while and see.”
“That sounds good.”
“I just talked to Maddie. I’m hoping we can do something together tomorrow. You know, sister time.”
“Carmen.” Mom took an audible breath on the other end. “That makes me so happy.”
“I know. She’s a good kid. I like her.” She tipped her foot from side to side. “What are we gonna do about the house? Neither of us is there now.”
“It’s up to you. Marv and I have cleared out almost everything.”
“You want me to take care of it? Sell it?” It would be official—letting go of the past.
“Are you okay with that?”
“I have this place, and even if I have to move later, I can always find something.”
“Okay, well, if you need me to help, just let me know.”
“I will.”
“I’m so happy, Carmen.”
Her heart lightened. “I know you are. I’m happy for you too.”
“I didn’t think I could feel this way again after your dad died. You can too. I think you’re on your way.”
She cleared her throat. “Yes, I feel better now that I’m settled, and I have Marcus on tap.”
“He’s good in bed?”
“Better than good.”
“He’s compatible with you?”
“Very.”
“I always liked that boy.”
She laughed. “I know you have. I just wanted to check in.”
“Yes, thanks for calling, baby. Marv says hi. We’re going out dancing with friends.”
“That sounds great. I think I’m going to turn in early tonight.”
“You do that. You’ve been working hard all week. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mom. Have fun tonight. I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”
“I love you more. Sweet dreams.”
19
Two Years Ago
He should have been home hours ago. She paced around the living room with her phone in hand, willing it to ring. She called Vinny twenty-three times. His phone stopped
ringing and now went straight to voicemail. Maybe he forgot to charge it. Six hours ago, he said he would come home after his last meeting. She dressed up in new lingerie and waited. She was tempted to call Gavin, but she couldn’t reveal how worried she was. She insisted Vinny get the position, and now she had to live with it.
There was a tight ball of dread in her stomach. This was so unlike him. He always called to let her know he’d be delayed and he wasn’t the type to forget to charge his phone. He was compulsive about things like that. Is this what her life would be like now? Long nights waiting up for him? How did Mom do this?
A knock on the door stopped her in her tracks. Maybe Vinny got in touch with one of the guards instead because he didn’t want to wake her. She rushed to the front door and opened it. Gavin and Lyla stood on the front step. She was vaguely aware of SUVs parked in her driveway and the unusual amount of security milling around. It took her a split second to take this in before she focused on Gavin. She knew him well enough to know something was very wrong. The light cast his face into stark relief. His hazel eyes were fixed on her, unwavering, trying to communicate something… There was only one reason he would be on her doorstep at this hour, only one reason he would be staring at her with a mixture of pity and rage.
Her heart stopped. Color bled out of her world. She stepped back, shaking her head.
He reached for her. “I’m sorry, Carmen.”
“No!” His hollow apology echoed in her head. This couldn’t be happening. It wasn’t possible. “No! Don’t say it.”
“I’ll find who did this and—”
His placid calm ripped at her. She launched herself at him and beat her fists against his chest. “You promised me, Gavin!”
Someone pulled her back, but she wasn’t finished with him. She lashed out and was nowhere near satisfied when her open palm cracked against his cheek. She ripped herself away from whoever was tugging on her. She didn’t want to be touched. She reached for the closest object and hurled it at the wall. The sound of smashing glass was satisfying so she grabbed something else and then another. She embraced fury and denial because she couldn’t handle the guilt ripping her soul to shreds. This was her fault. If she hadn’t convinced Gavin to… She picked up another object. She didn’t care what it was because it could be destroyed and that’s all that mattered. She maimed, slashed, stomped, and demolished everything she could get her hands on. Art she worked so hard to acquire and preserve wasn’t safe from her. Her perfect, beautiful life was shattered and so was she.
