Once A Crime Lord (Crime Lord Series Book 3)

by Mia Knight

  “I’ll hold them off until Blade comes and distract them if I have to. Here.” She tucked the second gun into the pocket of Carmen’s robe. “Go.”

  “Lyla, you can’t do this to me.”

  “I love you. Now, go!”

  They stared at one another. For a moment, she thought Carmen wouldn’t go.

  “If you get one fucking scratch on you, I’ll kill you,” Carmen hissed before she whirled and ran as fast as she could towards the mountains. The blanket from the house streamed behind her like a cape.

  Lyla circled around the house so she would see them arrive. She replaced the bullets in her magazine. Eight bullets. Eight tries to defend herself before she had to reload. She crouched behind a mesquite tree. Most of the landscape had only spotty coverage so they lucked out in this location.

  Lyla found a spot about thirty feet from the house. From this angle she could see the front porch and the ridge where they would appear. She went on tiptoes to search for Carmen, but there was no discernible movement and the only audible sound was her own ragged breaths.

  Lyla took a deep breath and let it out. She could do this. She had to. No Gavin, Blade, security guards or Beau. It was just her, a gun and her wits.

  Sadist had her mother gang raped. The walls around her heart shuddered under the weight of guilt, sorrow and rage that savaged her insides. Sadist killed Manny, kidnapped her mother and manipulated her father into murdering his grandchild. Lyla refused to look at the house, as if that would erase what she’d done. This had to be a dream. If this were real, she would be scared out of her mind. Instead, she felt nothing but the bite of fury and an icy coldness that obliterated all thought. She welcomed it because whatever came next, she couldn’t afford to have a conscience. The need to retaliate was a drum beat in her blood. For the first time in her life, she understood what drove Gavin when Vinny and his father were murdered. She didn’t feel like a person, more like a machine with a mission and purpose—survive, protect, and kill if necessary.

  Time passed. She didn’t feel the cold. She didn’t feel anything. The environment was unforgiving—just like her. These men belonged to Sadist. They were monsters who carried out orders to murder children. She wouldn’t go with them. She would die before she allowed them to take her to Sadist. Did he personally want to dismember her while she was alive? Fuck that. If anyone was spilling blood it would be her. What morals she had shriveled up and died in the house along with her father. No matter what the cost, she would protect her own. Neither Carmen nor Nora would die here. She wouldn’t allow it.

  Lyla scanned the landscape once more and then dropped into a crouch when she heard an approaching vehicle. Lyla was eerily calm. Headlights pierced the darkness and a minute later two SUVs pulled in front of the house. Doors opened and men stepped out, guns drawn. She slowed her breathing as if that would conceal her better. She was too far away to hear what they were saying but the rumble of their voices carried in the quiet.

  Two men from each SUV approached the house. She watched as they kicked the door down and walked in. Within seconds, they reappeared. They walked to the SUV and reported their findings to their comrades. Two more men exited the SUV, guns drawn. Eight men. They wore some kind of black on black ensemble. She couldn’t make out features, but listened to the rumble of their voices as they came up with a plan. In short order, the SUVs rounded the house with four men flanking them on foot. They headed towards the canyon, which sent a spear of unease through her until she saw that the SUVs were going to have a hell of a time finding a path between the massive cactus, mesquite trees and prickly shrubs.

  Lyla focused on the two men who stayed behind. Lookouts. They knew Blade would make his way back at some point and would alert the others if he approached. She couldn’t let that happen.

  “You think the daughter did it?” one man asked the other.

  “Her or the smoking hot cousin.”

  There was a pause. Her muscles ached as she moved slowly in a half crouch and closed the distance between them. She was about twenty feet away, close enough to see that the men were Hispanic and in good shape. She didn’t dare go any closer since there wasn’t anything higher than waist high shrubs to hide behind.

  “Must have been the daughter. Pyre married her for a reason. Word is she’s building up quite a tally. She killed some boys during the last two runs.” He elbowed his comrade. “You think he’ll let us try the daughter?”

  The other man shrugged. “Sounds like he wants her for something special.”

  He grabbed his crotch. “I’ll bet. The mother wasn’t bad. Took her twice before she passed out.”

  Lyla stopped breathing. He had a nice smile, couldn’t be over thirty and looked like a decent guy, but the words coming out of his mouth told the real story. This man raped her mother?

  “You think she’s still alive?”

  “If she is, she won’t be for long,” the other said as he pulled out a cigarette.

  “If she’s still at the compound, I’ll do her again before he buries her. I can’t believe these mental bitches went on foot.”

  Lyla began to raise her gun, but froze when he walked in her direction to look around the house to watch the progress of the search party. Headlights pierced the darkness while the men yelled to one another as they spread out. Lyla took her eyes off her quarry as worry pierced through the dull roaring in her head. Nora. Carmen. She prayed Carmen found a good hiding spot and managed to calm Nora. She should be following the search party to create a diversion to give Carmen time, but she wouldn’t last long without backup. Blade was their only hope of getting out of this alive and these two men were going to prevent that.

  “They couldn’t have gone far.” The cigarette bobbed in his mouth. “You got a light?”

  “No.”

  “You think the dead guy has one?”

  “He’s in his fucking pajamas.”

  “You think there’s something in the kitchen?”

  “No.”

  “One sec.”

  The man abandoned his post and jogged towards the house, leaving Lyla alone with the man who raped her mother. He was less than ten feet away and had no idea of her presence. She glanced at the search party. Would they hear the gunshot? The rapist jerked his head around and she heard it, the sound of an approaching vehicle.

  He reached into his pocket for his phone. Lyla sprang up and his head snapped around. Their eyes met for one heart stopping moment before she pulled the trigger. His head kicked back, black droplets spraying everywhere before his body dropped.

  “What the—?”

  Lyla swung the gun around and shot the second man in the doorway. He staggered back as she got him in the chest. Blade crested over the ridge and barreled around the house. The search party fired at the SUV.

  With their attention on Blade, Lyla used the commotion to run towards the canyon to find Carmen and Nora. There was a pained scream as Blade took a leaf out of her book and ran over a man. Three down, five to go. The enemy vehicles were trying to turn around to face the threat and not having much luck since the wild vegetation boxed them in.

  “Hey, there she is!”

  A man spotted her and she immediately dropped to all fours. Car engines roared, men shouted and bullets flew. Lyla heard a bark. She lifted her head in time to see Beau leap out of the SUV window and launch himself at a man who fell backwards with an agonized cry. Fuck it. Lyla focused on the bigmouth who noticed her. She popped up and pulled the trigger. The first shot nicked his shoulder, but the second put him down.

  “What the fuck?” someone shouted.

  Lyla focused on one of the SUVs that was trying to battle a cactus. The driver seemed to have given in for the moment. He had a high powered rifle balanced on his open window and was blasting Blade’s windshield, which wouldn’t hold up for long. Lyla used her last three bullets and the deafening blasts ceased. Lyla pulled a full magazine out of her pocket and slammed it in before she followed the sound of Beau’s growls. She p

ut the bastard out of his misery and nudged Beau away from the body.

  “Beau, come,” Lyla ordered.

  Blade rammed into the driver’s side of the second SUV with enough force to tip the SUV on its side. Blade slid out of the SUV and ran to the upended vehicle. Three shots and then silence descended.

  Seven down. One left. Where was he?

  “Lyla!” Blade rounded the SUV, chest heaving. “You all right?”

  “Yes. I split up with Carmen and Nora.”

  “Where?”

  Lyla pointed in the general direction she saw Carmen run. “There’s one guy left.”

  “Fuck.” Blade raced back to his SUV and whistled for Beau.

  Lyla went to the SUV with the driver who slumped half out of the open window. She made sure there were no surprises in the back seat before she took the wheel and followed Blade as he flattened shrubs. Lyla ignored the blood on the steering wheel and seat. Her entire being focused on any movement over the suddenly quiet, still desert landscape.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash accompanied by a popping sound. Lyla’s heart dropped to her toes. She wrenched the steering wheel to the left and plowed over everything in her path. Branches reached into the open window and scratched her arm and cheek. Lyla didn’t notice. She slammed the SUV to a halt when it couldn’t go any further and ran as fast as could, dodging through the monstrous cactus.

  She rounded a tree and tripped over a body. “No!”

  “Lyla.”

  She raised her head and saw Carmen with Nora strapped to her chest, gun in hand. Lyla squeezed her eyes shut as relief cascaded through her in a heady wave that left her lightheaded.

  “Are you hurt?” Blade asked.

  Carmen walked forward as if she were sleepwalking and didn’t answer. Blade took a bawling Nora from Carmen who did nothing to stop him.

  “She’s freezing. Come on, we don’t have much time,” Blade said and rushed back to the car with Nora.

  Carmen helped Lyla to her feet. They stared at one another for a long moment.

  “Okay?” Lyla asked.

  Carmen nodded.

  “Stupid bitches.”

  Lyla looked down at the man at their feet. How he could be bleeding to death and smirking at them was beyond her. She had been close to death herself and it wasn’t anything to joke about.

  “He won’t stop coming,” the man said through clenched teeth. “He’s going to destroy Pyre.”

  “Who is he?” Lyla demanded.

  His eyelids fluttered as he tried to stay conscious. “No one knows who he is. He isn’t stupid.”

  “Where’s the compound where they’re holding my mom?”

  He raised his dirty finger, stuck it in his mouth and hummed. Lyla’s stomach turned over.

  “She was great, by the way.”

  Lyla slammed her foot on his chest and heard something break. “Where is she?”

  Blood trickled out of his mouth as he convulsed. Lyla dropped to her knees, grabbed handfuls of his jacket and shook him.

  “Where?”

  “You’re too late,” he said before his body went lax.

  Lyla dropped him and knelt on the desert floor as emotions consumed her.

  “Lyla?” Carmen whispered.

  Lyla rose, took the gun from her and started back to the cars. Her mind was a blank slate as she opened the door to the second SUV, got in and slammed her foot on the gas. She heard Blade yell her name as she wrenched the SUV around and started back towards the cabin.

  Lyla slapped her hand on the GPS built into the dashboard. A map of their routes appeared on the screen. There was one location the SUV kept returning to, a large red dot in the middle of Las Vegas. Lyla set the course as she passed the safe house and started down the ridge. Her rearview mirror showed Blade’s flashing headlights far behind her. She didn’t stop. She couldn’t.

  When the SUV skidded onto the highway, the first hint of the coming sun brightened the sky. Lyla stared blearily at the bloody sunrise, which seemed appropriate after the night she had. Her body was coiled so tightly, she felt as if she might shatter.

  Lyla drove with such single-minded intensity that she didn’t realize Blade caught up to her until he tried to run her off the road. Lyla jerked the wheel to avoid him. Blade’s window was down and he was more furious than she had ever seen him. He shouted at her, which was pointless since her windows were rolled up. He jabbed his finger at her and held up his cell phone.

  Lyla slammed her foot on the gas even as she reached in her pocket for the forgotten cell phone she picked off her father. She turned it on and immediately saw Blade’s number on the screen. Apparently, there was enough distance between them for him to have a signal. She had less than twenty minutes between her current location and this fucking compound. She wouldn’t let anyone stop her.

  “Pull over,” Blade ordered.

  The lump of ice in her chest where her heart used to be weighed a ton. “No.”

  “What the fuck are you doing?”

  “They have my mom.”

  “We have men working on it.”

  “They have her at the compound.”

  “I don’t give a fuck where they have her. Pull over, Lyla.”

  “Fuck you, Blade. I’m getting her. The GPS tracks all their routes. There’s one place they keep going back to. It’s their compound. I know it. You want this to stop? Send as many men to this address.” She rattled it off and merged onto a freeway. “I’ll be there in nineteen minutes, with or without backup.”

  “Gavin said—”

  The ice splintered.

  “Fuck Gavin!” she shrieked and slammed her hand on the steering wheel. Emotions threatened to break her in half. She clenched her teeth to stuff it back in. She didn’t have time for a breakdown. That would come later when her mother was safe. “I’m tired of waiting for other people to take care of me. I can do that my fucking self. This is my mom. I got her into this, I’m getting her out. You want to help? Call the guys, get them there.”

  “Lyla,” Blade’s voice was controlled once more. “Let me—”

  “Get them there, Blade.”

  Lyla hung up. She was done playing this game. It had to end now. Sadist wasn’t allowed to claim the one parent she had left.

  The phone rang. Gavin’s number showed up on the screen. She barely resisted the urge to toss it out the window. She turned the phone off instead. Fuck him. Blade mentioned that he was in New York, which was too close to Maine for her peace of mind. If he went after Jonathan, therefore leaving her to deal with this shit on her own she would never forgive him.

  The GPS led her past downtown Las Vegas. At a stoplight, a pedestrian passing in front did a double take. Lyla couldn’t begin to imagine what she looked like. For the first time, she looked at her hands, which were rust colored with dried blood. She didn’t have to look down at her sweater and tights to know they didn’t fare much better.

  When the light turned green, Lyla slammed her foot on the accelerator. The compound was in the middle of a block of abandoned warehouses. Lyla’s senses prickled with an odd sense of déjà vu. Two thugs kidnapped and held her in a warehouse years ago. She had been unconscious when they brought her in and too distraught to notice when she left. Everything in her screamed that this was the same place. A glimpse of Blade’s SUV in the rearview mirror stabbed at her icy determination. Nora and Carmen couldn’t be here.

  The sight of a group of vehicles made her heart slam into her throat until one of the doors opened and she saw Barrett, an older guard who Gavin had put in charge of security at home. He was alive. Lyla lowered the window as he came around to her door. She couldn’t read anything from his implacable expression. He took in her bloody appearance without batting an eye.

  “We can take it from here,” Barrett said.

  She tightened her hands on the wheel. “No. I’m going in.”

  Blade appeared at her window and brushed Barrett aside. The vehicle with Carmen, Beau and Nora sped away. Her grip on the steering wheel eased slightly. At least they were safe.

  “Lyla—” Blade began.

  “We’re wasting time,” Lyla said impatiently. “I’m not leaving until I see her alive.”

  “You don’t want to see this,” Blade said.

  “Yes, I do.” It couldn’t be worse than killing her own father. She didn’t need anyone to shield her from Sadist’s work. She had firsthand experience and it was her mother. It was her duty to be here. When she caught up to Sadist, she would pay him back tenfold.

  “Gavin’s gonna—”

  “Gavin isn’t here,” she snapped. “We’re wasting time.”

  Blade examined her. She could feel him debating whether he should get physical with her.

  Lyla looked straight into his merciless black eyes. “Don’t.”

  Blade shook his head. “Fuck. You don’t move from my side, got it?” He turned to Barrett. “How many men do you have?”

  “Thirty. More on the way.”

  “It’ll be too late by then,” Blade said.

  “Blade, Gavin’s gonna—” Barrett began.

  “I got her. She can hold her own. You focus on directing the men.” Blade slid into the passenger side and looked at Lyla. “Let’s roll.”

  Barrett didn’t look happy about the situation, but he jogged back to his SUV. Lyla started through the maze of warehouses.

  “I have to do this,” Lyla said.

  “I know.”

  Blade said nothing more as he reloaded both their guns and watched the screen as Lyla navigated around car piles and garbage. When she was a block away, Blade told her to stop. She obediently parked. Blade slid out and spoke to the men who armed up and put on earpieces.

  Mom had to be here. The past six hours began to hit her all at once. Lyla rested her face on the steering wheel, took a deep breath and gagged when she smelled the stink of the driver’s dried blood and guts. She sat back, rolled down the window and took deep breaths of fresh air. Exhaustion threatened to drag her under.

  “Lyla?”

  She opened her eyes and saw Blade standing at her window.

  “Okay?” he asked.

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