by Mia Knight
The killing rage shattered as Huskin’s words penetrated. Lyla was his and she wouldn’t leave him for Huskin. He didn’t like loose ends or the fact that Lyla had history with another man, but that couldn’t be helped. The only thing that would alter her love would be to hurt a man who clearly had no chance with her.
Huskin pushed himself away from the door, set his phone on the counter and slumped on a kitchen stool. “You want to kill me on principle, don’t you?”
Perceptive bastard.
Huskin met his gaze boldly. “I've read a lot about you. From what I saw in the hotel room, it must be true.”
Gavin said nothing.
“The media insinuated that you’re involved in organized crime. I know you’ve been to jail and your father was murdered.” Huskin paused for input, but continued when Gavin merely watched him. “When I met Lyla I couldn’t understand why such a beautiful woman couldn’t look me in the eye.”
Gavin stirred, but forced himself to stay still. He had been trained to control his heartbeat to fool lie detectors and lay in wait for his prey for days. Huskin was clearly suicidal. He’d be damned if he showed Huskin that the bastard hit a nerve.
“I figured she had been abused by her family or,” Huskin inclined his head, “by a boyfriend.”
Gavin leaned forward slightly. Huskin’s tone was cool and clinical, but the insults were anything but.
“It took me months to gain her trust, but she never told me who she was running from. It was you. That’s why she got a new identity and started a new life.”
Gavin rose. If Huskin wanted to die, he would do it up close and personal as he had been fantasizing about. Huskin was calm personified, as if he was fine with meeting his maker right here and now. It was unnatural. Even those who worshipped the devil didn’t want to be in hell with him.
“She’s changed,” Huskin stated and ran his hand over the countertop absently. “The way she walks and talks... The woman I knew wasn’t capable of telling someone off, much less killing a man.”
Blade recounted Lyla’s latest kill to him. Knowing that she could handle herself in an emergency allowed him to focus on his shit. He was damn proud she was his wife.
“What have you done to her?” Huskin asked.
Gavin advanced slowly. “The world we live in demands that we adapt, so we do.”
“Your world? Meaning the criminal world?”
Gavin stopped a few paces away from Huskin. “You’re better off not knowing.”
They eyed one another in silence. The air pulsed with accusations and charged emotions.
Huskin shrugged one shoulder. “I guess I should warn you that you're being recorded.”
Gavin raised a brow. “Why are you warning me?”
“Because you have to tell someone they're being recorded before the evidence can be used in a court of law.”
Fuck. The nerd pulled a fast one on him.
“I’m glad you didn’t destroy that picture on my nightstand. It’s the only copy I have,” Huskin said.
He was impressed and intrigued despite himself. He was always informed about the latest technology and whatever Jonathan was using was something he had never heard of. “You knew I was here. Why didn't you call the cops?”
“Curiosity. You didn’t wreck the place and you didn’t have the gun pointing at the door when I came upstairs. Besides, if I don’t counter my command in the system, whatever the cameras record in the next three hours will be sent to the police. Lyla would be free to live her life with you in prison for first degree murder.” Huskin tapped the screen of his cell phone. “Even if you look like you’re in control, I know differently. The system is picking up your vitals. Your heart rate has stabilized, but it’s still elevated.”
Huskin was too strait-laced to make up stories, which could only mean that he had access to an extremely sophisticated security system. He reflected on Huskin’s office of tech gadgets and made the mental leap.
“You created it didn't you?”
Huskin hesitated and then admitted, “After Morg—I mean, Lyla, disappeared, I couldn’t stand not knowing what happened. It didn’t make sense for her to leave. I was obsessed with the thought that she had been kidnapped. I called in the cops, but had no proof. Creating a sophisticated, undetectable security system has become a hobby of mine.”
Gavin didn’t like the fact that Lyla was behind Huskin’s creation, but he was a businessman and a paranoid one as well. “How many cameras do you have?”
“Enough.”
Huskin may be naive, but he had a backbone. This shouldn’t have pleased Gavin, but it did. “Quit your day job. I’ll be your investor, but I get first dibs.”
Huskin blinked. “You have to be kidding me.”
“I run casinos, among other things. You don’t want to be an IT consultant for the rest of your life, do you?”
“You’re not going to kill me?”
“Who said I was going to kill you?”
“You’re armed.”
“You can never be too careful.”
“I’m not going to be part of the mafia,” Huskin said staunchly.
Gavin’s mouth curved despite himself. Huskin was a self-righteous little thing. He appreciated Huskin’s candor. It wasn't often that he met someone with morals and standards. Meeting someone like Huskin reminded him there was a world beyond the criminal underworld and Las Vegas. To balance out the evil he faced every day, there had to be light in the world. For him, that was Lyla. Jonathan was also a representative of the good that very few possessed. He could almost understand Huskin’s appeal for Lyla. Huskin was his antithesis. Gavin had to comfort himself with the fact that Huskin would never again have the pleasure of being buried inside his wife.
His phone rang. Gavin pulled it out of his pocket. Lyla. He couldn’t afford to speak to her in Huskin’s presence. Huskin hadn’t revealed his presence to her, but he didn’t want to push Huskin more than he had already. It was clear that Huskin loved Lyla, enough to sacrifice his life so she could be free. It was romantic and idiotic. How would Lyla respond if she found out that her nerd was willing to put it all on the line for her? Did she already know and that’s why she fought so hard for Huskin? Huskin was intelligent. He couldn’t match Gavin physically, so he fought in his own way—with intelligence and technology. Little surprised him, but Huskin managed to do the impossible.
Huskin regarded him steadily as he tapped his fingers on the countertop. “You're going to hurt her.”
Gavin said nothing.
“You're out of control.”
“You're alive, aren't you?”
Huskin shook his head. “What does she see in you? It can’t be your money or looks.”
“Lyla and I have history.”
“I always knew she was too good for me.” Even as Gavin nodded, Huskin added, “And she's too good for you too.”
Fuck. Gavin resisted the urge to laugh. “She is, but I’m not letting her go.”
“You live in a dangerous world. You could get her killed.”
He didn’t need a fucking lecture from Lyla’s ex, but he could see that the guy was genuinely worried. Heartbreak was written all over his face. Gavin decided to do something nice for the first time in his life and give the poor schmuck some reassurance. “I have something important to take care of before I get out of.”
Huskin gave him a derisive look. “How do I know that’s true?”
“Because it's Lyla’s ultimatum.”
Huskin examined him keenly. “That’s why you’re letting me live. She said she’d leave you if you killed me.”
Fucking smart bastard. “Lyla wouldn’t leave me.”
“Are you sure?”
The desire to be nice fled as quickly as it came. “Don’t push me, Huskin.”
“I’m not going to let you invest in my security system.”
“You need an investor, especially since your mother has pancreatic cancer and you’re thinking about moving back to Boston to help.”
&nbs
p; Huskin froze. “How do you know that?”
“I have a tech guy named Z. He’ll contact you.”
“I won’t be forced into this!” Huskin got to his feet, jaw set.
Gavin raised a brow. “You know I run casinos. My investment will be legitimate with papers and lawyers involved.”
“I can handle this myself.”
“How can you when you have a full-time job and a mother who doesn’t have much time?” He paused for emphasis and twisted the knife. “Lyla’s in danger.”
Huskin’s brows bunched together. “I know that. Because of you!”
“You know my father was murdered.”
“Yes.”
“Lyla was with him that day.”
Something flickered in Huskin’s eyes.
“She was stabbed eight times. I nearly lost her.”
Huskin sank back on his stool as if his legs were too weak to hold him up.
“The killer is still on the loose. That’s why I’m in the underworld, to finish this. He attacked Lyla for the second time four months ago when she was seven months pregnant.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” Huskin snapped. “You need to catch him.”
“He’s smart and careful and sends out troops while he cowers in the dark.”
“Maybe I can...” Huskin’s voice died out and he glared. “I’m not doing this for you, Pyre, I’m doing it for Lyla!”
Gavin nodded gravely. “I know. Your security system could be handy not only in my casinos, but in our home.”
Huskin didn’t speak for several minutes. Gavin waited patiently.
Huskin sighed. “I’ll give notice tomorrow.”
“I’ll have my lawyer contact you.”
“I won’t be a part of the mafia.”
Gavin started towards the door. “Who said I was part of the mafia?”
Huskin cursed under his breath and then stood. “Why aren’t you asking me to destroy the tape of what we just talked about? Aren’t you afraid I’ll talk to the cops?”
“No.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Gavin paused with his hand on the door. “Because I know what kind of man you are.”
Huskin frowned.
“I know why Lyla trusts you.” The knowledge still felt like someone was carving up his insides, but he understood why Lyla fought for Huskin’s life. He was a good person and there were too few in the world. “You’re an honorable man. You’d never do anything to hurt her.”
Huskin said nothing. His pain filled the room. Gavin opened the door so he could take a breath of fresh air. He knew what Huskin was going through. They were in love with the same woman and they both lost her at some point. Unlucky for Huskin, he wasn’t an honorable man. He would fight and kill to keep Lyla by his side. This time, he didn’t have to.
“Move to Boston to be with your mother,” he ordered and then softened the blow by adding, “I lost my dad. I know what it feels like. You should be there for your dad when it happens.”
Huskin took a deep breath and nodded.
“I’ll have Z contact you,” Gavin said and closed the door.
Gavin walked out of the building and approached his private car. A guard got out of the passenger seat and opened the door for him.
“Clean up, sir?” he asked.
“No,” Gavin said as he got into the backseat.
“No?”
Gavin met his startled gaze. “No need for cleanup.”
The guard inclined his head. “Yes, sir.”
As the car left Huskin’s apartment behind, he called Z.
“Sir?” Z answered wearily.
“A man named Jonathan Huskin has developed a sophisticated security system I want you to take a look at.”
Z sounded a bit more awake as he answered, “Sure.”
“Let me know what you think of his program and assess his skills. If he’s good, you may have a partner.”
“I’ll get right on it, sir.”
Gavin hung up and made a few phone calls before they reached the runway. He boarded his plane and accepted a glass of water and popped aspirin as his men took their seats. His phone began to ring. He glanced at the unavailable number on the screen and answered, “Pyre.”
“Where’s my mother?”
He hadn’t talked to Eli Stark in years, but he still recognized his voice. It took less than a day for Stark to realize his mother was MIA.
“So you finally decided to return my call,” Gavin said.
“You called me?”
“I did the talking while you played possum last night. I told you that you fucked up.”
“What are you talking about? I haven’t talked to you in years. I’m a free agent.”
“Cut the crap, Stark. Santana’s brother ratted you out. I know you were feeding Santana information.”
His men fell silent once they heard Stark’s name. They all knew Gavin wanted his head.
“I don’t know jack shit about this,” Stark said.
“This isn’t the first time your name’s come up.”
“I’m not involved in anything to do with Santana.”
“How are you paying for your mother’s medical bills?”
A pause and then, “That’s none of your fucking business. Give her back to me.”
“Who’s the crime lord?”
“I don’t know. I’m not working with him.”
“How much does it cost to make you talk?”
“I don’t know who he is.” Eli sounded as if he was speaking through clenched teeth.
“Call me when you determine a price.” Maybe Stark would be good for something before he gutted him.
“Did you—?” Eli’s voice was thick with rage. “If I find out you killed my mother, Gavin, I’ll end you.”
“Not if I end you first,” Gavin said as he hung up.
His men waited for orders, but dispersed when he didn’t give any.
Once upon a time he would have trusted Stark with his life and now, very soon, he would kill a man he once considered a friend. It wasn’t the first time and it wouldn’t be the last.
Gavin eyed his men as the engines revved. He was ninety percent certain the men in his employ were loyal, but there was always a chance that he had a rat in the bunch. He couldn’t get Paul Vega’s words out of his head. How many can you kill? You think your name will protect you? You have nowhere to turn. Like Paul, people were hedging their bets on him or Phantom. The fact that Phantom was still alive and made successful hits on his family hurt his reputation and made him look weak. Men like Stark would sell him out in a heartbeat. He didn’t know who he could trust. Aside from torturing and killing every man in the underworld, the only way to solidify his claim to the title was execute Phantom publicly.
The Phantom had to be someone he knew. No outsider could roll into Las Vegas and take the underworld from him. The Phantom slipped into the underworld too easily. It had to be someone who was already established. When he bowed out and Vinny took his place, the Phantom saw his chance and took it by calling the hit on his cousin before going after his father to win over the bloodthirsty underworld. Gavin couldn’t trust any of his former contacts. Like Paul, they had been bribed in some way. Fuck, Paul joined up with the man who carved up his son. It was unbelievable. He had no backup and no one to turn to...
“Tell the pilot to head to New York,” Gavin ordered his men.
“You got it, boss.”
Gavin pulled out his phone and tapped into the surveillance cameras at home. Their master suite was dark. He could barely make out Lyla beneath the covers. He still wasn’t sure how he wanted to deal with her. He switched to another camera and saw Blade prowl through the hallway. He paused in front of Lyla’s closed door before he went into the nursery to check on Nora. He stood over the crib for a minute before he pet Beau and then went downstairs. Blade was the only man he trusted implicitly, which is why he was Lyla’s shadow. He wasn’t sure how Blade would react if he tried to give hi
m another job.
All was quiet at home. He was too close to New York not to stop by for a short visit. His battles in Las Vegas could be delayed a few hours.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Gavin
Two hours later Gavin stepped out of a taxi in front of a townhouse. Memories of his childhood and teenage years skipped through his mind. Gavin was dimly aware of slamming doors as his men joined him. Gavin started towards the townhouse that belonged to the Romans, one of four families that ran New York’s underworld. It had been a second home to him as a child. Before his hand touched the front gate, three men in suits and trench coats stepped onto the front steps. Gavin opened the gate and approached, even as one guard raised his hand in warning.
“Hold it right there,” the guard began.
“Mr. Pyre?” An older guard pushed the younger man aside and gave him a respectful nod. “It’s been a long time.”
“Yes, it has,” Gavin said. “Are they here?”
“They are, sir. Are they expecting you?”
“No.”
“Let me escort you.”
“Thank you.” Gavin passed the younger guard who took a step back now that he knew his identity.
Gavin stepped into the townhouse, which was warm and smelled of fresh cookies. A gleaming wooden staircase led to upper and lower floors. The townhouse was five stories tall. A grand chandelier lit the entrance hall. There was a hushed quality to the richly furnished home despite the fact that it was milling with security.
A large painting framed in gold caught his attention. Gavin walked towards it and was dimly aware of the older guard requesting that his men wait in the formal sitting room. Gavin gave his permission with an absent nod and surveyed the family portrait of the Roman family. A severe Italian-Spanish man in unrelieved black sat beside an English woman with a sunny smile and brilliant green eyes. A little girl with dark brown curls and her mother’s eyes was held possessively close on her father’s lap. Three boys stood behind their parents and sister. Roque, the oldest, looked to be in his early twenties and took after his father with broad shoulders, black hair and his mother’s eyes. The second brother, Raul, was in his late teens and had a lean figure and keen hazel eyes. The third brother, Angel, had pale blue eyes and olive toned skin.
