Once A Crime Lord (Crime Lord Series Book 3)

by Mia Knight

  “What the fuck are you talking about? I did that. You left me without a word and I looked for you for three years! Yes, I fucking know how it feels and I brought you back twice because you belong with me.”

  She rubbed her throbbing temples. “This is pointless.” Gavin would never understand what Jonathan had done for her. She had been a lost, broken person after she left Las Vegas. She had been shattered by Gavin’s betrayal and spent years alone because she was terrified to let anyone in. Jonathan healed her with his steadfast patience. He was a good man and an even better friend, one she had left behind.

  “Do you love him?”

  Gavin’s question made her freeze. She turned back and saw him watching her with a predatory stillness that screamed danger.

  Gavin stirred her emotions into a tangled, seething frenzy. The love she had for him had the power to destroy her and it had in the past. What she felt for Jonathan paled in comparison. It was sweet, gentle and caring. Safe. That’s how Jonathan made her feel. With Gavin, she had to constantly go to war. Was it no wonder she clung to Jonathan? Gavin scared the shit out of her.

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t love him.”

  Gavin stared at her for a long minute, almost as if he was weighing the truth in her answer before he held out a hand.

  “Come here.”

  She saw the beast getting riled and couldn’t find it in herself to care. It had been a shock to see Jonathan. It was normal to wonder about a different path. If Gavin had given her some fucking space, she would have worked all of this out on her own. Of course, Gavin didn’t give her time and was determined to prod her open wound.

  “Come here, Lyla.”

  “No. I want to shower.”

  “I need you,” he said, his tone forceful and threatening instead of comforting and lover like.

  “Later.”

  She turned from him and slipped out of her clothes. There was no sound from Gavin as she stepped into the shower. When she glanced back, she saw he was gone and breathed a sigh of relief. How the hell had this day gone so wrong? She got ready for the day with a spring in her step and now she wished she never left the bed.

  It wasn’t until she was wringing out her hair that a disturbing thought crossed her mind.

  “Gavin!”

  No answer. She slipped into her robe and dashed into the bedroom, which was empty. With a growing sense of panic, Lyla rushed downstairs and burst through the doors to his office. Gavin sat behind the desk, a phone to his ear.

  “Don’t you dare hurt him!” she shouted.

  Gavin didn’t move the phone from his ear. She rounded the desk and didn't stop until she was pressed against him.

  “Don’t, Gavin!”

  Gavin stared at her for what seemed like an eternity before he said, “I’ll call you back.”

  He set the phone on the desk, folded his hands across his middle and gave her his full attention. Every instinct she possessed told her to back away, but she stayed put.

  “Who were you talking to?” she asked.

  “I don’t see why I should tell you since you clearly don’t volunteer such information yourself,” he said softly.

  Lyla felt the hit and didn’t acknowledge it. “Were you giving orders about Jonathan?”

  He didn’t answer, which confirmed her fears.

  “Gavin, you can’t—”

  “I can do whatever I want,” he interrupted silkily.

  “But he didn’t do anything—”

  “He touched you.”

  “What?”

  He rose from his seat. She couldn’t stop herself from tasking a step back. His control slipped enough for her to get a glimpse of his icy rage before his expression smoothed back into placid lines.

  “He knows what it feels like to be inside of you,” Gavin said quietly as he stalked her. “He knows what you taste like. That’s why he ran after you today. He thought there was a chance to get you back even though you left him. He knows who you are now. He won’t stop.”

  “Jonathan isn’t like you,” she said. “He’s not going to blackmail me. He’s a—”

  “Good man?” Gavin said sharply. “Yes, we know I’m not that.”

  “This is ridiculous! You can’t go after Jonathan because we used to be together.”

  It was clear from his expression that he didn’t agree.

  “How can you be so mad at him when you cheated on me with hundreds of women? I saw you fuck other women, yet you threaten the one man I’ve been with? How dare you!”

  Gavin came at her in a rush. He pinned her against the wall and raised her so they were eye to eye.

  “I told you about the other women. I didn’t want my shit to touch you.”

  “It doesn’t matter why you did it. You did and I have to live with those memories!”

  “Why are you bringing this up?”

  “You hate Jonathan enough to hurt him, but don’t think I should feel the same way over the women you’ve taken?”

  “Those women meant nothing to me,” he said through clenched teeth. “I got off and didn’t give a shit if they did. I never slept with them, never talked to them. I didn’t use the same woman twice—”

  Lyla slapped him across the face, shocking both of them. The awful silence made her heart race. She lowered her stinging hand and pushed against his chest.

  “Let me go.”

  Gavin didn’t move or speak.

  “Back off, Gavin!”

  He didn’t move and she lost her temper. She struck out again, but this time he caught her hand. Gavin hauled her over his shoulder and carried her to the couch. He dropped and mounted her in a nanosecond and pinned both her hands above her head with one of his.

  His hand collared her throat. “That part of your life is over.”

  “I know that.”

  “But it made you think about what you will never have, which is why you argued with me. You know I’m not a good man. I’ve done horrible things and will do more in the future.”

  His insight was scarily on point. Gavin was successful in business because he was a good judge of character and had a keen intuition that kept him a step ahead of everyone else. He had never practiced this talent on her before and it left her quiet and wary.

  “You’ve paid a price for being mine.” His hand left her throat and brushed over the scars on her chest. He undid her robe and stroked her stomach. “I should have let you choose, but I couldn’t. You belong with me.”

  “I’m not trying to get away from you, Gavin.”

  “You’re holding back from me because of him,” he said.

  “I’m not! Listen to me!” She couldn’t afford to be distracted by sex. “It was a shock to see him. I just needed time to think.”

  Gavin leaned down so their faces were less than six inches apart. “You don’t need to think about him. You don’t owe him anything. All you need to think about is me.” He was poised over her like a beast ready to pounce. Dangerous emotions flickered through his eyes. “I need you.”

  “Gavin—” She let out a shriek as his fingers tunneled inside of her. She tried to scoot away from his fingers, but it was impossible with his heavy weight on top of her. He still had her wrists pinned above her head, leaving her body completely open to him.

  “You feel this? This is all that matters,” he said as she gasped and bucked beneath him. “Even if you begged me, I wouldn’t let you go.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. Don’t hurt Jona—”

  “Don’t say his name,” Gavin growled against her cheek as his fingers played her expertly.

  “Promise you won’t hurt him,” she demanded and closed her eyes to block out the pleasure so she could focus.

  Gavin’s fingers stopped moving and she opened her eyes. If she didn’t trust him not to hurt her, she would have shrank away in fear.

  “You’re thinking of him while I’m making love to you?”

  “You’re trying to distract me with sex!”

  He kissed her

with a desperation that ignited her. She arched into his hand and when he released her wrists, she clasped his face and kissed him back.

  “I have to have you,” he growled as his hand went to the front of his pants. “I have to make sure you’re with me.”

  “I am with you.”

  “I won’t stand for another man in your mind.” He wedged his cock between her thighs, which were clamped together. “I can’t have you questioning what we have.”

  “I don’t, Gavin! Let me—”

  She tried to spread her thighs, but he wouldn’t allow it. She grasped handfuls of his shirt as he forged through her tight folds. They both moaned as he sank in to the hilt. He braced his hands on either side of her head as he thrust.

  “Who do you belong to?” he growled.

  “You.”

  “Who do you love?”

  “You.”

  “Say my name.”

  “Gavin Pyre.”

  He moved faster and she held on tight.

  “You wear my ring,” he said through clenched teeth, eyes alight with possessiveness. “You bear my name and had my child. You’ll never be his again.”

  She moved with him. “No, I won’t. I’m yours.”

  He planted himself deep and she moaned.

  “You won’t speak to him again.”

  “Gavin, it was a freak thing—”

  He cupped her chin. “Ever. You don’t ever talk to him.” He gave her a gentle kiss. “I love you too much. I need to know you love me back.”

  “I do,” she said and moved with him. “I’ve given you everything.”

  “I need more,” he said, burying his face in her hair. “I need everything. He can’t have even a splinter of you. He’s lucky he has fucking memories of you. If I could take that from him, I would.”

  “Gavin.” She dug her nails into his ass. “Make me come.”

  Gavin fucked her hard until she exploded beneath him, breaking a nail as she clawed his back.

  “Fuck, Lyla,” Gavin groaned as he ground himself deep and came.

  Lyla quivered as he rolled them on their sides. He tucked her against the back of the couch with his arm and leg tossed over hers. She brushed kisses over his face and ran her hand through his hair to soothe his beast. She suspected Gavin would be upset if he found out about her run in with Jonathan, but she never anticipated that Gavin would be upset enough to do bodily harm.

  “I love you,” she said against his mouth.

  Gavin cupped her jaw and opened his eyes. Despite their recent passion, his face was still hard and implacable.

  “You have nothing to worry about,” she said. “It was nothing. I’ll never see him again.”

  Gavin brushed his thumb over her lips.

  “The girl he loved doesn’t exist.” She searched his eyes. “He doesn’t even know my real name.”

  “You don’t love him,” Gavin said.

  “No.”

  “You’ll never leave me.”

  It wasn’t a question, it was a demand.

  “I promised you that before we had Nora.”

  “I need to hear it again. You didn’t have a reason to leave me before.”

  “Gavin, I promise,” she said.

  He pressed against her as if he couldn’t get close enough. His cock, which was still buried inside of her slid deeper.

  “You know I’d do anything for you, right?” he murmured.

  “I want to attend the hospital event,” she said promptly.

  Gavin cursed. “Lyla—”

  “Seeing Jonathan,” she began and squeezed him when she felt him stiffen, “made me realize how controlled my life is.”

  “There’s a reason for that.”

  “I know, but for how long?”

  “I can’t allow you to put yourself in danger.”

  “Then come with me.”

  “I’m working.”

  “Just a few hours, Gavin. You can be there and so will Blade.” She wanted him to feel the sense of community that she had in the meeting today. He gave generously, but didn’t witness the difference he made in the community. He needed to step into the light so the underworld didn’t consume him.

  “I said no.”

  “Please.”

  She tried to lighten his mood by pouting outrageously. His eyes warmed fractionally. She lunged at him, kissing the hell out of him and pushing until he ended up beneath her. She rocked against him just because it felt so fucking good.

  “Just let me go to this event and I swear I won’t ask for anything else for the next six months,” she begged.

  “Lyla.”

  “I love Alice and the Make A Wish people are gonna be there. There’s gonna be singing, games, dancing. Please, Gavin?”

  He smacked her ass and she stopped moving.

  A muscle jumped in his jaw. “You’re a pain in my ass.”

  “Please.”

  “What about Nora?”

  “I’ll ask Aunt Isabel to watch her.”

  Gavin considered for a full minute. “I shouldn’t let you go.”

  She sensed his capitulation and kissed the hell out of him to celebrate. She had finally won a fight! “You’re the best husband!”

  She rolled off of him and retied her robe. Gavin sat up and glared balefully at her.

  “What?”

  “Did you just manipulate me with your pussy?”

  “Yes,” she said smugly.

  Gavin tucked himself away and towered over her. Lyla wasn’t intimidated.

  “You manipulate me with your cock so we’re even,” she said.

  Gavin brought her against him and kissed her long and slow.

  “I want you to be happy,” he said.

  Her breath caught in her throat. “I am happy. I just... I wish Sadist was dead and you were here with Nora and I. I don’t like you being gone and...” Her hand brushed over the cut on his. “I’m worried all the time.”

  “Don’t.”

  Oh, like it was that easy. “This hospital event is a day of joy,” she explained. “It’s about hope. I need that. That’s why I want to go.”

  Gavin grunted. “Let’s shower.”

  They walked out of the office and didn’t run into anyone on their way upstairs. They showered together, both quiet and thoughtful. Gavin dressed in another suit, which meant he wouldn’t be spending the night.

  When they entered the dining room, they found Carmen feeding Nora a bottle, Beau at her feet. Carmen went into great detail about her gambling experience, which Lyla was grateful for since Gavin didn’t say a word. Carmen shot her a loaded glance. Lyla shook her head in warning.

  When Gavin rose from the table, Nora reached for him. He picked her up and headed to his office with Beau on his heels and closed the door.

  “What was that about?” Carmen demanded.

  “He found out about Jonathan.”

  Carmen’s eyes bugged. “And you’re still alive?”

  “He didn’t take it well.”

  “Of course he didn’t. It’s Gavin.”

  “I realize that.”

  Carmen glanced at the closed office. “He’s not happy.”

  She sighed. “No, he isn’t, but we’ll get past this. Maybe the hospital event will cheer him up.”

  Carmen’s eyes popped. “Gavin’s going to let you go?”

  “Yup.”

  “Damn, girl, you must be amazing in bed.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Gavin

  Gavin settled Nora on his lap as he typed on the computer. He was grateful for Nora’s presence because she kept him from losing his shit. Claiming Lyla on the couch did nothing to purge the dark, tangled emotions pulsing in his chest.

  The troubled, wistful expression on Lyla’s face as she breastfed in his office bothered him all day. She hadn’t been quick enough to smooth it off her face when she realized he was watching. He assumed Alice or Janice said something to upset her until he questioned Blade who mentioned that Lyla had an episode in the casino.

  He watched Lyla’s panic attack on the surveillance cameras earlier, but now that he knew the full context of what happened, he had to watch it again. He accessed the casino security cameras once more and enlarged the correct camera view. There was no way to isolate the audio, which pissed him off.

  Gavin watched Lyla stumble to a stop. He had to switch to a different camera angle to witness a startling blankness settle over her face. Blade touched her arm and she recoiled as if she had been shot. Fear and loss claimed her features. Gavin’s heartbeat accelerated with the need to react. Lyla backed up against the wall and braced her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Blade stood in front of her, obstructing Gavin’s view.

  A man stopped on the outskirts of Lyla’s security detail. One of the guards noticed him before the others and held up a hand to stop his approach. He was going to get a raise. Gavin changed camera angles again as Lyla straightened and recognized the man. She looked as if she’d seen a ghost. Gavin leaned close to the screen so he could capture every nuance of Lyla’s expression—shock, pain, regret. Her lips moved, forming the bastard’s name.

  Gavin stopped the video. He focused on Nora who smiled at him. Gavin rubbed his face against her soft skin and blew raspberries against her neck. She squealed delightedly and wrapped her arms around his head. He inhaled her innocence and it calmed the savage beast inside of him. He didn’t care that she yanked his hair or drooled all over him. He would take whatever she gave him. Nora wasn’t identical to the little girl in his dream, she was even better. He loved that Nora had her mother’s silver blue eyes and couldn’t deny that he was pleased that she inherited his black hair. He didn’t question his need to brand Lyla and Nora. They were his.

  When Gavin felt fortified enough he watched the rest of the video. It didn’t matter that her ex wasn’t handsome or a bodybuilder. Lyla wasn’t a superficial person. She cared more about the substance of the person, which is why she left him the first time. His money, looks and lifestyle hadn’t been enough to make her stay. It was obvious that the sight of this guy gutted her. She couldn’t conceal her feelings, which is why the ex followed, trying to speak to her, believing he had a chance. Did he?

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