by Shandi Boyes
Enigma: The Wedding
Shandi Boyes
Edited by Swish Editing and Design
Illustrated by SSB Covers and Design
Beta read by Carolyn Wallace
Contents
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Also by Shandi Boyes
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue
Bonus Epilogue
I. Nikolai: A Mafia Prince Romance Sample
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Acknowledgments
Also by Shandi Boyes
Dedication
To those who have been on this journey with me from the beginning.
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Thank you xx
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Much Love,
Shandi
Want to stay in touch?
Facebook: facebook.com/authorshandi
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Instagram: instagram.com/authorshandi
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Email: [email protected]
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Reader’s Group: bit.ly/ShandiBookBabes
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Website: authorshandi.com
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Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/AuthorShandi
Copyright © 2020 by Shandi Boyes
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All rights reserved.
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No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Written by: Shandi Boyes
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Cover: SSB Covers and Design
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Beta: Carolyn Wallace
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Editing by Nicki at Swish Design & Editing
Created with Vellum
Also by Shandi Boyes
Perception Series
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Saving Noah (Noah & Emily)
Fighting Jacob (Jacob & Lola)
Taming Nick (Nick & Jenni)
Redeeming Slater (Slater and Kylie)
Saving Emily (Noah & Emily - Novella)
Wrapped Up with Rise Up (Perception Novella - should be read after the Bound Series)
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Enigma
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Enigma (Isaac & Isabelle #1)
Unraveling an Enigma (Isaac & Isabelle #2)
Enigma The Mystery Unmasked (Isaac & Isabelle #3)
Enigma: The Final Chapter (Isaac & Isabelle #4)
Beneath The Secrets (Hugo & Ava #1)
Beneath The Sheets(Hugo & Ava #2)
Spy Thy Neighbor (Hunter & Paige)
The Opposite Effect (Brax & Clara)
I Married a Mob Boss(Rico & Blaire)
Second Shot(Hawke & Gemma)
The Way We Are(Ryan & Savannah #1)
The Way We Were(Ryan & Savannah #2)
Sugar and Spice (Cormack & Harlow)
Lady In Waiting (Regan & Alex #1)
Man in Queue (Regan & Alex #2)
Couple on Hold(Regan & Alex #3)
Enigma: The Wedding (Isaac and Isabelle)
Silent Vigilante (Brandon and Melody #1)
Hushed Guardian (Brandon & Melody #2)
Quiet Protector (Brandon & Melody #3)
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Bound Series
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Chains (Marcus & Cleo #1)
Links(Marcus & Cleo #2)
Bound(Marcus & Cleo #3)
Restrain(Marcus & Cleo #4)
Psycho (Dexter & ??)
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Russian Mob Chronicles
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Nikolai: A Mafia Prince Romance (Nikolai & Justine #1)
Nikolai: Taking Back What’s Mine (Nikolai & Justine #2)
Nikolai: What’s Left of Me(Nikolai & Justine #3)
Nikolai: Mine to Protect(Nikolai & Justine #4)
Asher: My Russian Revenge (Asher & Zariah)
Nikolai: Through the Devil's Eyes(Nikolai & Justine #5)
Trey (Trey & K)
K: A Trey Sequel
The Italian Cartel
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Dimitri
Roxanne
Reign
Mafia Ties (Novella)
Maddox
Demi
Rocco
Clover
Smith
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RomCom Standalones
Just Playin’ (Elvis & Willow)
Ain't Happenin' (Lorenzo & Skylar)
The Drop Zone (Colby & Jamie)
Very Unlikely (Brand New Couple)
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Short Stories
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Christmas Trio (Wesley, Andrew & Mallory -- short story)
Falling For A Stranger (Short Story)
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Coming Soon
Skitzo
Blurb:
My reputation was fierce, a force not to be reckoned with. To my competitors, I was a ruthless, coldhearted man whose devotion only ever centered around his empire.
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Then she unmasked me by forcing a bar into the cogs that would have seen me spiraling out of control.
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When Isabelle Brahn fell at my feet, I knew in an instant my life would never be the same. With an ability to see through the shield others couldn’t, she taught me my greatest accomplishments weren’t measured by my power or wealth but by the man beneath the enigmatic mask.
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But with change comes challenges.
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I fought to get where I am—I fought for her—so when secrets and betrayals threaten the very thing I want the most, you can be assured I’ll fight to the death to keep it.
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Enigma: The Wedding is the final installment of the tumultuous relationship between Isaac Holt and Isabelle Brahn. It’s a story about unifying as one through rawness, honesty, and hot kindle-melting scenes that will unravel more than the enigma you’ve grown to know and love. It is not intended to be read as a standalone.
1
Isabelle
Families are the compasses that guide us.
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The exhaustion of my first official day is swept aside when I enter the foyer of Isaac’s private residence—our home. There’s something surreal about seeing the man you love lying on the floor, playing babies with a girl who doesn’t have a drop of his blood but is his family in every sense of the term. Isaac has removed his suit jacket, and although the vest I dream about with my wonderous imagination remains, the sleeves of his crisp white business shirt are rolled up to his elbows, his tie removed, and he is barefoot.
With his hair overdue for a trim, and the stubble on his chin showing the effects of two days’ worth of growth, he’s about as casual as you’ll get him. It’s rare to see him out of a suit. I don’t mind. My fiancé is a powerful, ruthless business mogul, who just happens to dote on me with every essence of his being.
The past six months have been a crazy, wonderful adventure. Callie has slotted into our lives so profoundly, I honestly
can’t remember what life was like without her being a part of it. She loves Isaac fiercely, and shockingly, I’m okay with that. She loves him in a way I can’t. The bond a child has for their father-figure is starkly contradicting to what I feel for Isaac. He is her guardian angel—her protector. He is my lover—the man I can’t live without.
Callie is proof those horrid words I spoke to Hugo a little over six months ago weren’t close to the truth. Isaac is too much of a man to ever be half of one. The way he loves Callie so unconditionally without dampening his love and protectiveness of me proves this without a doubt.
If anything, her inclusion in our life has strengthened our bond. We’re so fortified, not a single thing can come between us. We walked through the fire and came out uncharred. What more testimony do you need than that?
When the front carved French doors close with the slightest creak, Callie’s head pops up from the LOL dolls she’s playing with. It seems as if she’s spotted me first, but it’s all a ploy. Not only did Isaac’s thighs bunch when I first stepped into the foyer, his heated gaze has my inner vixen digging herself out of the trench Ryan’s ruse this morning threw her in.
It took over an hour for the heat on my cheeks to settle then another three to calm the pulse between my legs. It wasn’t just patting the girth Isaac assures ‘is all him’ that had my mind spiraling. It was wondering how Isaac would respond to me returning home with the cuffs he requested.
I didn’t miss Ryan’s snicker when I snuck them into my bag at the end of our shift, but I was too excited to care. Isaac and I have unearthed many rigorous positions the past few months, so I’m dying to see where my cuffs take us.
“Izzy!” When Callie leaps into my arms, I playfully fall to the ground with a grunt. She’s still a tiny little thing, but Catherine’s doting has added some much-needed pounds to her svelte frame. Her hair is glossy, her cheeks are rosy, and she has the gleam of love in her eyes. I’m not the only Popov who gets flustered when bombarded with Isaac’s attention. “How was your day at wark?”
I giggle at the mispronunciation of her last word. “It was good, baby girl. I gave out three speeding tickets, ate more donuts than my jeans can handle, and almost arrested a baddie in a tempting three-piece suit.” I glance over at Isaac during my last sentence. “Ryan assures me things will pick up soon, but for now, I’ll enjoy coming home minus any unnecessary kinks.”
My reply isn’t one hundred percent accurate. Although Isaac has Ravenshoe virtually on the straight and narrow, the towns dividing his empire are full of riffraff. Hopeton is by far the worst.
Even with Col Petretti being killed in the joint FBI-Ravenshoe sting when I was kidnapped, mob activity is recorded there almost daily. For the most part, it’s Col’s predecessors keeping Ravenshoe PD on their toes, but there are also rumblings of a new Russian counterpart hoping to regain a foothold in a once Russian dominant stronghold
Ryan’s disclosure earlier tonight had me wondering if that was the reason Enrique left the note on Isaac’s town car last week. Is he attempting to resurrect an old affiliation he was part of, or was he warning me to remain cautious? I discovered answers to my questions before my shift ended tonight, but since Isaac is in my radar, I’ll have to update you on my findings later.
My knees knock together when Isaac assists me off the floor. His eyes are holding the same commanding allure they had today when I frisked him, but with a playful edge that only creeps into them on special occasions.
“Isabelle, how was your day?” My god, his voice still drives me crazy—so rich, deep, and penetrating.
I wait for Isaac to reach my side before replying, “Good. I’m glad to be home, though.”
My heart flutters when he tilts his head like he’s preparing to kiss me. I’m left hanging when the lips I fantasize about multiple times a day brush the shell of my ear instead of my mouth. It doesn’t lessen the zap between my legs, though. Not only are his lips astounding enough to have me on the brink of ecstasy just from taking in their plumpness, the words they speak are a sure-fire sign I’m as lost to this man now as I was the day I ran into him at the airport.
“I see you brought home your cuffs as requested. We’ll eat first, devour later.” The rasp of his voice sends a revitalizing bolt of electricity through every inch of me.
When I lean closer to him, needing more, never getting enough, a little person slips between us, momentarily breaking the spell Isaac forever places on me. As much as I’ve accepted that Callie loves Isaac as only she can, she’s yet to get a handle on her jealousy issues. She loves us both, but her affections for me are placed on the back burner if I hog an ounce of Isaac’s attention.
My inner vixen stomps her feet in disgust when Isaac tilts back. It isn’t just Callie lodging a foot of air between us, it’s the buzzing of a doorbell. I stop pouting like a child when I realize who’s knocking. Catherine is here to take Callie for a sleepover as Isaac revealed earlier today.
Catherine is Isaac’s personal assistant-housekeeper-grandma. Isaac loves her dearly, but this is the first time he’s entrusted anyone with the care of Callie overnight. That might have more to do with the fact Monotone Roger will be staying with Callie and Catherine tonight than anything, but I’m still excited. An entire night with Isaac all by myself, and I don’t have to start work until six o’clock tomorrow morning.
Oh god, I think I just had a mini orgasm.
Isaac’s prowess still amazes me, but knowing we have all night to ourselves is more invigorating than the two cups of coffee I need every morning to return normal cognitive functions to my brain. With Callie needing a stable, nurturing environment, I’ve had to get inventive with my insatiable need to have Isaac at every waking moment.
Showering has a completely new meaning now than it did six months ago, and I very much feel a part of Isaac’s empire since I’ve attended multiple ‘business meetings’ with him. I don’t pay any attention to what anyone is saying. I’m too busy endeavoring to unravel Isaac under his desk to listen to acquisitions and sale margins. I always knew Isaac had outstanding control, but the way he can come in my mouth without his voice hitching still amazes me.
Goosebumps rise on my nape when Isaac whispers into my ear, “Perhaps you can eat while I devour you.” His teeth graze my earlobe before he gives it a quick tug, sparking a rush of excitement to whiz down my spine. “Say goodnight to Callie, Isabelle, because your pussy is mine for the next twelve hours.”
After a final tug on my earlobe, he moves to the door to let Catherine in. I should be embarrassed by how inflamed my cheeks are, but for some reason, I’m not. Catherine has worked for Isaac even longer than Hugo. She’s also caught us in many compromising positions the past six months—enough, I’m stunned she can maintain the eye contact she’s awarding me now.
“Isaac. Isabelle.” She bends down, bringing her gentle eyes in line with Callie’s glistening ones. “Good evening, Callie.” She makes a gasping face before pretending to pull something out from behind Callie’s ear. The surprise on her face jumps onto Callie’s when she realizes it’s a gold coin. It’s fake, but real enough a soon-to-be four-year-old doesn’t know any different. “What do you think, Callie, will this be enough to get us a pint of ice cream on the way home?”
Callie nods without pause, her excitement as palpable as mine.
“Then you better get your things. Roger is bringing the car around, and we all know how much of a bore Roger is about tardiness.”
I laugh at Catherine’s comment before I can stop myself. I love Roger. He’s good at his job and has never once had any slip-ups like Hunter and Hugo, but the guy doesn’t have a snippet of a personality. Hugo was right. He has the personality of a wet blanket.
“Protecting my most valued possessions isn’t a laughing matter, Isabelle,” Isaac scorns, peering my way with narrowed eyes. “Besides, we all recall what happens when you grow a bond with the men paid to protect you. I’d hate for Callie to reach the same level of fascination.”
His dry, lowered tone shouldn’t turn me on, but it does. It has my thighs touching and a desperate need to get Catherine and Callie out of here as soon as possible. I’ve always said a jealous Isaac is as sexy as sin. I wasn’t lying. Jealousy may be hitting him hard in the gut as he recalls my kiss with Hugo, but it’s also unleashing his natural dominance. It is beaming out of him in invisible waves, making me the hottest I’ve ever been. I’m burning up everywhere and am five seconds from giving Catherine and Callie their marching orders in a not-so-polite manner.