Awakened by Sin Read online

  She grinned. “I’m Carmen, Vinny’s wife.”

  Luci’s mouth formed on O. “I’m sorry about Vinny, honey. I know what it’s like to lose someone you love. It’s the worst pain in the world. You never really get over it.”

  Luci’s sincerity radiated through the phone and made her nose sting with tears, but she forced a smile and said, “Thank you.”

  “I can’t wait to meet you two! I need to be around women. It’s been my brothers and me for so long. I can’t believe Angel left me here with Raul. I mean, Raul’s fine and all, but all he does is work. Angel was my lifeline. I don’t know when Raul will tell Roque that Angel took over Las Vegas. Roque is gonna be pissed, but, hey”—Luci shrugged—“Angel wants to make his own way, and it’s perfect since Gavin wants out. That’s his right.” Luci beamed at Lyla. “Gavin is so gone for you. I never thought he’d get out of the game, but family is more important. Besides, you and Gavin need to give me more cousins. We’re supposed to have big families. We need the next generation to take over, you know? Besides, it sounds like the fuckers in the underworld need a new flavor of crime lord, yes? Angel loves fucking with people. He’ll do well there, I’m sure.”

  Luci was clearly confident about Angel’s ability to take over the underworld. Even as they stared at her, something cold and calculating replaced her friendly warmth.

  “I heard what happened to Uncle Manny. Everyone involved will pay,” she said simply. “You don’t fuck with our family.”

  Lyla looked awed by Luci’s unapologetic creed. Maybe Luci was exactly what Lyla needed to help her come to terms with her bloody deeds. Speaking to another woman who had grown up in the underworld and adopted the same cutthroat principles as her brothers was breathtaking to behold.

  “You know, Luci,” Carmen said. “I think we’re going to be best friends.”

  The ruthlessness vanished, and once again, Luci’s face flooded with warmth. “I know, right? I haven’t seen Gavin in years, and when he showed up and told us he was married with a baby, I was like, ‘we need to reconnect with our family outside of New York.’” Luci looked hopefully at them. “Sounds like I can’t come there, but maybe you two can visit me here!”

  “I’ll come,” she said promptly.

  “You will?” Luci was clearly thrilled. “When?”

  Lyla clamped a hand on her thigh and squeezed. Apparently, Lyla wasn’t ready for her to be on the other side of the continent.

  “Maybe in a couple of months. I’ll keep you posted,” she said smoothly and squeezed Lyla’s hand. Of course, she wouldn’t leave when her cousin needed her.

  Luci looked a little disappointed, but she nodded. “Yes, keep me posted. It’s probably for the best since it hasn’t even been a week since Angel left, and things are a bit out of sorts here.”

  “Where did you get your earrings?” Carmen asked.

  “Oh! You like them?” Luci did a close up of the gorgeous, glowing jade. “I made them.”

  “What?”

  “I’m a jewelry designer. I take on clients every now and then and make custom pieces. I spend most of my time sketching.”

  “They’re beautiful,” Lyla said.

  “I can make anything! What’s your favorite stone? Do you want a ring, earrings or necklace—?”

  An incoming call interrupted the video. Angel materialized behind the couch and snatched the phone from Carmen.

  “Luci, you’ll have to chat with them later,” Angel said.

  “Give them my number and call me tonight, asshole!” Luci snapped.

  “Will do,” Angel said indulgently and answered the call before he ambled away.

  She looked at her cousin. “Well, that was interesting.”

  Lyla nodded. “For sure.”

  “You should talk to her about”—She waved her hands—“your stuff. Sounds like she’s been there, done that.”

  “Yes.” Lyla stared fixedly at the glass coffee table. “She called us family.”

  “Well, she is your family. She’s first cousins with Gavin.”

  She blew out a breath. “It would be nice to have more family, especially after…”

  After Lyla was forced to kill her own father and her mother was on the skids? Yes, family was important. It was time to rebuild after years of terror and death. “Yes. I’m gonna head out, okay?”

  “Okay. Tell Alice and Janice I said hi and give my apologies for not being able to help with this event.”

  She kissed Lyla’s temple. “It’ll get better, babe. Call me if you need me.”

  “Okay,” Lyla said softly.

  Beau jumped on the sofa, interrupting Lyla’s solemn contemplation. He licked her face, making her sputter and laugh. Carmen walked out of the house and saw her car parked beside a black Lamborghini Aventador. She paused to admire the sweet ride and heard the front door slam. Angel sauntered down the front steps with his hands in pockets.

  “Yours?” she asked.

  “For the moment. I’m trying it on for size. Nice Ferrari. I should have known you would have a gold car.”

  Angel lifted the door, and she got a whiff of that new car smell that anyone who gave a shit about cars craved. She liked luxurious things and fast cars. Put those things together and she was close to orgasmic. It was surprising she hadn’t married a race car driver. She attended the Formula 1 race every year since she was a kid.

  “I got a place on Grove Crest Lane. You want to see it?” Angel asked.

  “Grove Crest?” It was an exclusive community where the most affordable homes were in the twenty-million-dollar range. Her interest was piqued. “Sure.”

  He gestured at the Lamborghini. “Want a ride?”

  She hesitated for a second before she shook her head. “No, I’m good. I’ll follow you.”

  “Suit yourself.” He climbed into the car and revved the engine.

  She slipped into the Ferrari and raised her brows as he roared past. “Oh, no, you don’t.”

  She put her car in gear and chased after him. When they reached the deserted highway that led back to the city, she cut in front of him. Angel didn’t like that and tried to overtake her, but she didn’t give him an opening. When a truck approached, he was forced to fall into place behind her, which made her laugh maniacally. She loved winning, fast cars, traveling, and so much more. How could she have forgotten how to play?

  Once they reached the city, she allowed Angel to lead the way to the exclusive community. He pulled up to a gated property and punched in the code. They drove up the drive and parked in front of a lavish house. Palm trees offered shade and privacy. The mansion was a two-story monstrosity with a cascade of water on either side of the front door.

  “This place is ridiculous,” she said.

  He grinned as he unlocked the front door. “I know. It’s Las Vegas at its finest.”

  The house had a European flair mixed with gaudy Las Vegas. The shiny marble floor was cream colored. Elaborate chandeliers hung above their heads while candelabras and mirrors reflected light. Marble columns gave the place an elegant, stately feel.

  “Oh, my God,” she said, voice echoing in the massive foyer.

  A curved double staircase led to the second story. She walked beneath the staircases into a massive living room. The main feature was an eight-foot water wall that splashed gently into a pool and trickled into a larger outdoor one.

  “How big is this place?” she asked.

  “Six bedrooms, eleven baths.”

  “Decadent,” she said as she peeked into the rooms decorated with luxurious furniture and custom chandeliers.

  “It’ll do.”

  “Are you planning to host pool parties while handling the underworld?”

  He slanted her an amused look. “I always make time to play. I never had the chance to have anything this massive in New York, so I wanted to take advantage.”

  “No kidding.”

  “It has a movie theater, gym, elevator… you get the drift.”

  She turned
to face him. “Did Regal show up at his husband’s house?”

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  “And he understands that his services are no longer needed.” He cocked his head to the side. “Do you always jump into situations like that?”

  “I wasn’t in danger.”

  “The assistant could have turned on you.”

  “I would’ve handled him.” He gave her a skeptical look that made her inwardly bristle. “My dad was an enforcer. He taught me how to fight dirty and shoot a gun. Also, I’ve been training with Blade for months.”

  “It still could’ve gone wrong.”

  “But it didn’t. You should be thanking me.”

  He slipped his hands into his pockets, which made him appear proper and boyish, an appealing mix she wasn’t falling for.

  “What did you think of my sister?” he asked.

  The abrupt change in topic was odd, but she went with it. “I love her.”

  “I thought you might.”

  “I’m going to visit her.”

  He didn’t look surprised. “She’d be over the moon to have company. I’ll have to warn Raul before you visit.”

  Vinny had mentioned the Roman brother who handled the legitimate side of the Roman empire in the past. “Warn him? Why?”

  “Dealing with Luci is almost more than he can handle. If he has both of you, he’s going to need reinforcements. Besides, I have a feeling Luci’s going to try to convince you to move to New York. She’s always trying to befriend…” He paused and shrugged. “Hired help.”

  She mulled over that telling pause for a few seconds before she arched a brow. “Hired help? Does that include prostitutes?”

  He grinned but otherwise ignored her question. “Raul prefers to deal with figures and paperwork. He won’t know what to do with the two of you.”

  “I don’t need a babysitter. Why doesn’t she have friends? She’s obviously friendly.”

  “It’s safer for her not to have much contact with the outside world. We have too many enemies.”

  Now she really wanted to see Luci. God, it sounded like the poor girl had been locked up for years. “That sucks. I’ll make a point to call her.”

  “She’d like that.”

  Angel Roman might be an undercover ruthless asshole, but his love for his sister was genuine. She didn’t like the spear of warmth that spread through her chest. She turned away and toured the massive kitchen he would never cook in and the stately library filled with books he would never read. The house, like so many things about him, didn’t add up. It was an expensive prop to intimidate, attract, and manipulate.

  She and Angel were chameleons. They used their pretty exteriors to get what they wanted and took great pains to conceal their dark insides that had the ravenous cravings of a junkie. She hid her intelligence while he concealed his ruthlessness by portraying an amused, controlled façade.

  She turned and found him leaning against the wall, watching her.

  “Dinner?”

  He threw that out there so casually. Her inner devil jumped up and down and clapped her hands in excitement. The look in his eyes promised it would be a night to remember. The silence stretched. Her toes curled, and she resisted the urge to shift restlessly. He was doing it deliberately, using his magnetism to reel her in and make silent promises with those dreamy blue eyes. It would be easy to accept the invitation and see where the night took her, but…

  “I’m meeting someone tonight.” Alice needed her, and the animals at the shelter needed homes.

  One eyebrow rose. “Another night on The Strip with your friends?”

  “I have a meeting.” She couldn’t stop herself from running a hand through her hair. She was sorely tempted to forget the animal adoption and indulge in some dark fantasies.

  “A meeting.”

  His tone implied that she was lying. She narrowed her eyes. “There’s a meeting to discuss an animal adoption event being put on by the Pyre Foundation next Saturday. I’m helping.” She made a show of looking around the huge room and pointed at a spot in front of the window. “That would be a great spot for a scratching post.”

  He blinked. “A scratching post for what?”

  “A cat, silly. A cat would really add to the crime lord thing too. When you invite people over, you can answer the door with it in your arms. No one would suspect how evil you are.”

  He coughed. “Uh, I’m not a cat person.”

  “A dog, then.”

  “I’m not an animal person.”

  “What kind of person are you?”

  “A busy one.”

  She sighed theatrically. “Fine.”

  He shook his head. “You’re something else.”

  She put a hand on her hip and posed. “I know. You can’t handle this.”

  His eyes moved over her. “Vinny was a lucky bastard.”

  Her husband’s name was as effective as a slap in the face. One moment, she was enjoying the sexual tension and banter, and the next, guilt had her by the throat. Suddenly, the colors in the room seemed less bright, and her lightheartedness drained away.

  “Oh, fuck.” He was suddenly in front of her. “I’m sorry.”

  She dropped her face to hide the pain twisting her features into something ugly and uncomfortable to witness.

  “I’m sorry,” he said again.

  Anger came to her rescue. She slammed her hands on his chest and shoved. He hissed through his teeth as he rocked back. His hand trembled as it hovered over his chest, face screwed up in pain. Only then did she remember his wounds from Hell.

  “Oh my gosh! I forgot,” she said and reached for him only to stop several inches shy of his body. “What do I do?”

  He gave her a pained smile. “Not hit me again. I know I deserve it, but…” He took a deep breath and fisted both hands at his sides.

  “Did you go to the doctor?”

  “Yeah, I’ll live.”

  “You have pain medication?”

  “I can handle it.”

  She wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “Yeah, you did,” he said easily. “But I deserved it.”

  She tried to compose herself. She couldn’t break down every time someone mentioned Vinny’s name.

  “I’m sorry,” he said again.

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Let me make it up to you. Dinner. I swear, I won’t fuck you unless you beg me.”

  She stared at him. “What?”

  “We’ll do whatever gets you off. Toys? Audience? Dirty talk?” He grimaced as he glanced down at his chest. “You definitely need to be bound. Fuck. That was a damn good hit. You weren’t holding back either.”

  “I don’t pull punches for anyone.”

  “Good to know. So, dinner?”

  “You’re insane.”

  His mouth crooked at the corner. “It distracted you.”

  He was right. His talk about sex definitely distracted her from having a breakdown.

  “Dinner?” he pushed. “I won’t fuck you.”

  “No.” She headed for the door. “I have stuff to do.”

  He followed. “I don’t get off on making women feel vulnerable. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have said his name.”

  She tried to put a cap on her embarrassment. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “We’re good?”

  She nodded. “Yeah.”

  He took her hand, and she jerked.

  He slanted her an amused glance. “Jumpy, are you?”

  She scowled. “I’m not jumpy.”

  He laced their fingers together and squeezed. His hand was warm and a little calloused. She was close enough to smell his cologne. It wasn’t the same one he wore yesterday. It was darker, spicier. Did he change his scent to match his suit? The hand-holding was odd, something high schoolers did. Why was this simple gesture more effective than a kiss? She tried to stifle the warmth in her chest. She didn’t want to like him. He
was the new crime lord.

  “I don’t even know you,” she muttered.

  “You will,” he said as he led her to her car. “We’re not going to be able to avoid one another.”

  “Why would we run into each other?”

  “Besides Lyla and Gavin? I get the feeling you and I have a lot in common. Vegas isn’t New York. We’ll be seeing a lot of one another. It’s inevitable.”

  He opened her door. She started to duck into her car and paused. She looked up at him. He looked refined and invincible, but she knew he was as human as Vinny had been. A memory of Vinny’s lifeless body flashed through her mind, and her heart clenched.

  “You need to be careful,” she said.

  “I know.”

  “No.” She searched for the right words to make him understand. “Vinny thought his name was enough, that Gavin’s support was enough, but it wasn’t. You don’t know these guys. They’ll test you, try anything to kill you to make another mark against Gavin. Even though everyone knows your family, even the lowest drug dealers aren’t gonna come running if you whistle. You have to start from scratch. You need as much help as you can get.”

  He searched her eyes. “I’m not an easy mark.”

  She knew he wasn’t but… “You need a second, someone who knows the players in the underworld, someone to watch your back. Gavin had Blade. You need a beta.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “Are you volunteering?”

  She blinked. “Me?”

  “You know the players, and you say you can fight.”

  “Hell, no.”

  “Why not? You obviously get off on danger.”

  “Dodging bullets isn’t my idea of fun.” The memory of clutching Nora to her chest as she ran for her life chilled her even though she was standing under the warm sun.

  “What’s your idea of fun?”

  “Anything that doesn’t include me running for my life. Just… get a beta, okay?”

  “Worried about me?”

  “Yes.” They lost Vinny and Manny to the underworld. She didn’t know Angel, but she didn’t want him to be the next victim.

  His amusement faded, and a taut silence fell between them. It took a concentrated effort to break their eye contact. It was easy to fold into the car since her legs were a little weak. She didn’t look at him as she buckled herself in.