by Mia Knight
Gavin cradled Nora in one arm as he watched Blade propel Lyla through the casino. Blade hadn’t told him about the ex because he wasn’t a stupid man. Blade said Lyla had a panic attack and suggested Gavin talk to her. Blade left it up to Lyla to tell the truth.
The first time he watched the video he assumed the guy had mistaken Lyla for someone else. He hadn’t been paying attention to Lyla’s reaction since he assumed she was shaken by the panic attack, not the man. Now, he catalogued everything about the encounter. Lyla was clearly shaken and when the guy finally stopped his pursuit, he looked heartbroken. Welcome to the club, fucker. That’s how he felt the first time Lyla left... and the second time. What had Blade said to make the ex stop dead in his tracks? Gavin wanted to know every word that was said, but it wouldn’t cool his rage. He was already dangerously close to hunting the bastard down and making sure he didn’t see the next sunrise. He could already imagine the warm, slow drip of the worthless bastard’s blood on his hands. He should have sent Blade back to Maine to finish the job years ago.
Nora rubbed her face against his shoulder, bringing him back to himself. Lyla wouldn’t leave him, but that look of remorse on her face made his soul feel as if it was being shredded. He had done everything possible to redeem himself for past sins, but now fear and panic were coursing through him. In the past, his only competition had been himself and now... Now, the only man on the planet she had feelings for had surfaced and caused Lyla to feel... what? What if she tried to leave him for the normal guy? She was crazy enough to do it. She was gnawing at the bit, trying to get out of the house. She wanted to volunteer at the hospital. Just the thought of her in a crowd made his palms sweaty with fear, but if he prevented her from going it would be another strike against him and he had enough of those already.
Gavin clicked on his email and read the report on Jonathan Huskin. Huskin was five foot ten, one hundred eighty pounds with brown hair and eyes. Graduated from Boston University with degrees in Computer Science, Business and Computer Engineering. He made eighty five thousand a year, paid his taxes and spent a lot of time traveling for work. He was the only child of Mark and Jackie Huskin who lived in Boston and were retired college professors. Had Lyla met his parents? Gavin sneered at the screen. This guy didn’t even have a parking ticket. Huskin had never been in a car accident, arrested for public intoxication or been late on his fucking rent. He had no debt and made some investments that were doing fucking splendid.
If he killed the crime lord, he could give Lyla what she wanted. Every time he came home, he dreaded the inevitable question: Any leads? Did you find him? There was no trace of the fucker he called Phantom. Why would this man scale an all out attack on his family, mutilate Rafael Vega and put twisted leaders in positions of power only to disappear when Gavin showed up to reclaim his title? It didn’t make sense. He wanted to believe the crime lord was dead, but life never handed anything to him gift-wrapped. The Phantom was out there, biding his time. For what? For another chance at Lyla? Fuck that.
“Da, da, da,” Nora chanted.
Gavin kissed his daughter on the forehead and walked out of the office. He could hear the distant murmur of Lyla and Carmen talking in the dining room. They spent everyday with one another and still managed to find shit to talk about. What the fuck?
Gavin climbed the stairs and headed to Nora’s nursery with Beau on his heels. He sat in a rocking chair and settled Nora against his chest. She rubbed her face against his shirt and fussed a little. When he put his hand on her back, she calmed instantly. He rocked back and forth, staring straight ahead.
The fact that Lyla ordered him to go back into the underworld lifted a weight from his shoulders. It saved him from breaking his promise to her. Lyla knew he was a killer and still welcomed him home with open arms even though his hands were still wet from washing off the blood.
Gavin stroked a hand down Nora’s small back. They were a family. They were happy, right? Uncertainty gnawed at him. The urge to dominate and control warred with his need to give her what she wanted. When Nora was asleep, he settled her in the crib. Beau got to his feet to greet someone. Gavin didn’t need to turn to know who entered the room.
Lyla came to a stop beside him. “You have the magic touch.”
His chest tightened. Sometimes he wondered if God designed him just for her. She made his life light up in color. Every smile, every touch made him crave more. He loved everything about her and couldn’t imagine being without her. He wanted to ask about Huskin, but he didn’t want to hear her answers. It didn’t matter anyway. Lyla was his.
“I have to go,” he said.
She took a deep breath and let it out. “I know.”
He wanted to brand Lyla again, until he was certain there was no other man on her mind, but he had shit to do. He shouldn’t have stayed last night or come home this evening, but dealing with Lyla was more important than the shit going down in the underworld.
Lyla stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. “So the next time I need to get laid, should I call or text?”
“Both. Immediately.”
She laughed as he leaned down and kissed her. He stroked her tongue with his and absorbed her taste, hoping it would tide him over until he could make time to come home again. When he raised his head, he was pleased when she rose on tiptoe to prolong the kiss.
“I love you,” he said.
“Love you too. Hurry home to us,” she said.
He gave her one last kiss before he walked out of the nursery with the feel of her imprinted on his body.
When he walked out of the house, he strode towards his waiting car. He cast a glance over the small number of guards. With so many of his men turning traitor, he had to rebuild his army from the ground up and even brought in some retired talent from his father’s time.
Gavin nodded to Barrett, a man in his late sixties who was built like a tank. Barrett knew the score. He had been an excellent asset in the past months as Gavin made his way through the underworld. Barrett stood by his side, cracking heads as if he hadn’t retired fifteen years ago when he found out he fathered a child with a prostitute. Barrett hadn’t lost his edge.
On their way to the Strip he made phone calls and checked his email. Marcus was the most efficient, annoying bastard on the planet. He kept Gavin apprised of every little detail of what was going on with the casinos. Gavin sifted through the information and made a mental note to talk to Marcus when his door opened.
Gavin nodded to the bellboys, valets and other staff. Three of his guards accompanied him into the hotel. His head of security for the casino waited just inside the door.
“Lance,” Gavin said and inclined his head.
Lance handed over a room key. “Here it is, sir. Room forty two twenty one.”
Gavin walked towards the elevator with his men on his heels. The doors opened to reveal Marcus who looked as perky and alert as he had this morning. He smiled at them.
“Twice in one day? This must be a record,” Marcus said cheerfully and made no move to exit the elevator.
Gavin glared at his COO. How Marcus was aware of every move he made, he would never know. Gavin pressed the button for the forty-second floor and examined Marcus who wore his suit as if he had been born in it.
“What are you doing here, Marcus? It’s almost midnight.”
“I’ve taken up residence in one of the suites since there’s always an emergency.” Marcus messed with the handkerchief in his suit pocket. “There’s a rumor that you’re dead so I make sure I’m always around to squash the rumors.”
Gavin couldn’t care less about the rumors surrounding his absence. He had a mission and he wouldn’t stop until it was completed. He had to admit that if it wasn’t for Marcus’s cooperation, there was no way he could spend as much time in the underworld as he was.
“When you’re burnt out, let me know,” Gavin said.
“Burnt out? I live for this,” Marcus said, rocking on his heels with his hands in pockets.
“One day business won’t be enough.” He felt ancient and craggy beside Marcus who seemed full of life and optimism.
“I can’t imagine that.”
“Do you need my signature for something?” he growled as the elevator doors opened.
“No. I learned to forge that months ago.”
Gavin gave him a sharp glance before he exited the elevator. A year ago a comment like that would have gotten Marcus a beating, but now he had bigger problems on his hands. Lyla was right. He trusted Marcus with his life and business, so why not trust him with Nora? If someone had the dogged determination to see things through, it was Marcus.
“You want to be Nora’s godfather?” he ground out.
“What are you talking about? I am her godfather.”
Gavin stopped in his tracks and fisted his hands at his sides so they wouldn’t go around Marcus’s throat. “You aren’t.”
“Of course I am.”
Gavin bared his teeth and continued down the hallway with his guards and Marcus who seemed determined to tag along. If Marcus weren’t so intelligent, he would have killed him months ago. He was a fucking know-it-all.
“Lyla looked amazing today, by the way,” Marcus said casually.
He tensed. “Don’t.”
“And my goddaughter knew who I was. Remember, she even reached for me even though you were holding her—”
Gavin stepped into Marcus’s space. “I haven’t gone into the boxing ring for months and I’m due. You want to schedule an appointment?”
Marcus grinned at him. “Nah, I’m good.”
“Motherfucker.” Gavin continued down the hallway and ground his teeth when Marcus strolled by his side, whistling. “What do you want?”
“Nothing.”
“I thought you had an endless list of shit to do.”
“I took care of it.”
“I can give you another list.”
“No problem.”
Too bad Marcus had the Pyre Casinos organized to the tee. Gavin dumped all his duties on Marcus four months ago. Aside from a few excellent questions, Marcus handled Gavin’s workload with little effort and hadn’t made a peep of protest.
“Remind me to give you a raise,” he muttered.
“Already gave myself one.”
Gavin would have taken exception to this, but he saw the room number he was looking for. He put the key card in the slot and walked in. The guards stayed outside as Marcus followed. Gavin surveyed the hotel room, which was tidy aside from a blazer tossed over the chair and the rumpled sheets on the bed.
Gavin slipped on gloves and glanced into the bathroom, which showed a toiletry kit hanging from the towel rack. A sleek suitcase perched on the luggage rack. Gavin opened it and quickly rifled through the contents. Either this guy was boring as hell or he was an undercover agent who had the most mundane set of props to bore anyone hoping to find anything interesting.
“You want to tell me why we’re in a guest’s room?” Marcus asked.
“No.”
His tone didn’t dissuade Marcus from remarking, “There doesn’t appear to be anything out of the ordinary. Looks like a standard businessman.” He nodded to the crisp shirts hanging in the closet. “He’s probably here for a conference. Why are you interested in him?”
Gavin didn’t answer. He opened the laptop on the desk and stuck a drive into it before pulling out his phone and pressing speed dial five. Z, his tech genius answered halfway through the first ring.
“Boss,” Z said without preamble.
“Can you hack it?”
“Give me five minutes.”
The laptop screen flickered as Z did his thing. Dozens of screens opened and closed at a rapid pace. Gavin turned from the laptop to find Marcus watching him closely.
“Business,” Gavin said.
“Is that so?” Marcus didn’t look convinced.
Perceptive motherfucker. He wasn’t going to tell Marcus why he was hacking Huskin’s laptop. To distract them both, he said, “The Monk deal?”
Marcus’s face instantly cleared. “What about it?”
“Up the stakes by fifteen percent. He’s a slimy bastard. Monk loves to back out at the last minute. Make him put his money where his mouth is.”
Marcus’s eyes were sharp. “Anything else?”
“I’m hoping to wrap up my business soon so don’t penalize the construction company for the delays. It’s normal and we’re not in a hurry. As for the guy that slapped us with a penalty from the Nevada Gaming Control Board you mentioned in an email last week, I’ll deal with him.”
“Terry? I can handle him.”
“He’s dirty and he’s gunning for us. I’ll have a chat with him and find out who his employer is.”
“He was appointed to his position by the governor.”
Gavin raised a brow. “Then I’ll pay him a visit as well.”
How the Phantom managed to do so much damage in so little time he would never know. What did the Phantom offer to recruit so many people? For the past four months, he worked his ass off and was no closer to discovering the Phantom’s identity than he had been a year ago. His days were filled with paranoia, blood and violence. Uncovering the deals the Phantom made with the filth of the underworld made him sick. He thought he knew what evil was, but it was nothing compared to the twisted fucks he was currently dealing with.
“Anything else I should know?” Marcus asked.
Gavin glanced at the laptop and saw computer codes flashing across the screen. “The amenities for the homeowners are generous and well worth the fees. And Falkner designed the floor plans so I know it’s the best use of style while still maintaining our signature and keeping it classy. Good job, Marcus.”
“Wow. You really do read my emails.”
“They do the trick when I need a nap. In the future don’t write that formal shit. Get to the point. I don’t have time to rifle through fifty emails a day.”
Marcus nodded. “You got it.”
His phone rang and he picked up. “Yeah?”
“There’s a lot of security on this laptop. I’m going to need more time,” Z said.
“Have you found anything interesting?”
“Am I looking for something in particular?”
“No.”
There was a pause on the other end. He could feel Marcus watching him, probably trying to figure out what the hell was going on. The sane, civilized part of him knew that he had a dozen other things to do besides rifling through Huskin’s shit, but he couldn’t stop himself. He had to know everything there was to know about this guy.
“It looks like the laptop owner likes to write programs,” Z reported.
Gavin frowned. “What type?”
“I’m not sure yet, sir.”
“How much time do you need?”
“I don’t know.”
Gavin hung up and called one of his men. “Where is he?”
“At the Bellagio fountains.”
“I’m on my way. Let me know if he makes a move.” Gavin headed to the door and over his shoulder said, “When the files are uploaded to that drive, hand it to the guards outside.”
“Where are you going?” Marcus called.
“Hunting.”
Gavin strode down the hallway to the elevators. He made his way through the casino and inhaled clouds of cigarette smoke, cheap perfume and alcohol. A drunk stumbled into his path. Knowing that the man was making him richer allowed him to shove the man out of his way instead of killing him. His skin felt too tight for his body. The beast inside of him demanded blood. It took every ounce of control he possessed to walk calmly through the crowd, a demon amongst lambs.
The lights and noise along The Strip were as familiar to him as his own home. Gavin made his way to the Bellagio fountains where most of the tourists congregated to watch dancing water accompanied by music. Gavin spotted one of his men who turned his head to the left. Gavin followed his line of sight to a large German speaking family. A lone figure
leaned against the stonewall, staring blindly at the show.
Gavin made his way to a spot adjacent to Huskin so he could examine the man who seduced Lyla into believing he was a good guy. Huskin looked like a nerd who played video games in his spare time. He was ordinary in every way from his brown hair and eyes to his facial features and build. He wasn’t tall or short, fat or skinny. He was just... average. Huskin didn’t seem aware of the crowd or the change in songs. He just stared blindly at the water, arms braced on the wall. The possibility that Huskin was remembering his time with Lyla made Gavin’s hand edge towards his weapon. Only the fact that he could still taste her kept him from losing his shit.
The show ended and the crowd began to disperse. A man from the German family tapped Huskin on the shoulder. Following the German’s exaggerated hand motions, Huskin nodded and took the man’s camera to capture multiple shots of the family who kept switching positions. When the German thanked him profusely, Huskin smiled and waved as they walked away. Huskin appeared to be a nice guy, but everyone had a dark side. What was it about this guy that made Lyla feel something for him?
Huskin moved into the crowd and Gavin followed. Huskin didn’t look around him at all the distractions Las Vegas had to offer. He was too deep in thought. Gavin stalked him for a block before he spied an alley. Gavin reached for his switchblade as Huskin drew near. Lyla reassured him that he had nothing to worry about, but he wouldn’t take chances when it came to her. He would keep fucking up. It was inevitable. If she decided to leave him, he wouldn’t allow her to have someone to run to. Fuck that.
Three men on the sidewalk created a rhythmic racket on tin buckets that was drawing a crowd. Huskin slowed, allowing Gavin to get close to him. He extended his hand to propel Huskin into the alley and paused when he saw it was already occupied. Two Mexicans stood in the entrance and they were both staring boldly at him. Gavin’s instincts pinged a moment before one of them reached into his jacket. Fuck. Gavin didn’t hesitate. He threw the switchblade and saw the man’s head kick back. His partner’s eyes bulged and he too reached into his jacket, but it was too late. Gavin barreled into him, shoving him out of the shadow of neon lights into darkness. The man shot wildly, narrowly missing Gavin’s leg, which pissed him off.
