by Grace Risata
“You might want to unglue yourself long enough to see what kind of reaction you’re getting, sis. This public display of affection is drawing a crowd.”
Once Ian’s words sank in, I abruptly pulled away and took stock of the situation.
“Shit,” I mumbled, now keenly aware that all eyes were on me and most of them did not look pleased.
Shorty’s face took on a deep burgundy hue, and I could tell the man was very close to losing his temper entirely. A large faction of my Irish soldiers displayed extreme disappointment that someone was clearly staking his claim on me, thereby taking them out of the running. Last but not least, the Barsotti group simply stared as though I’d lost my damn mind.
Maybe I had?
I’m sure it didn’t make the best impression for the ruthless leader of a crime syndicate to let her bodyguard grope and paw at her like she was a two bit whore.
There was a time and place for such things, and it certainly wasn’t right in front of a crowd that contained so many enemies. It made me look weak. It made me look like just another sleazy boss that preyed on an employee. But most of all, it knocked me off my pedestal as a legendary bad-ass and made me human.
“Time to go,” I demanded, snapping my fingers. “We’re done here.”
No matter what had just occurred, my band of misfits wisely fell in line behind me and we all marched out in a show of solidarity.
Everyone silently made their way to the exit with the exception of one person.
“Are the fights always this exciting?” Vera asked in astonishment. “I need to get out more often!”
Fuck.
Maybe I should stay home more often. That might make it a little harder to get in so much trouble.
What can I say? I’m a magnet for drama.
Chapter Forty
Leandra
To say I was annoyed would be the understatement of the year.
After getting a whopping five hours of sleep, my bodyguard dragged me out of bed at seven fucking thirty in the morning and started barking orders like he was in charge. Samuel picked me up, deposited my groggy ass in the bathroom, set down a pile of clothes on the counter, and told me I had five minutes to piss and brush my teeth.
Obviously I protested and began peppering him with questions, but the man merely shook his head and refused to give me any information.
“If you trust me at all, Lee, I’m going to need your full cooperation. We’re going somewhere, but it’s a secret and I can’t tell you. Please just go along with it.”
His use of ‘Lee’ instead of ‘Leandra,’ in addition to the desperately nervous behavior, convinced me to humor the man.
That’s how I found myself flying high above the United States in a charter plane with no fucking clue where I was headed.
Was I pissed? Fuck yeah. I do not like to fly. I do not like surprises. I do not like trying to solve mysteries while running on empty from lack of sleep.
Don’t go getting any wild ideas that Sam hauled me back to my apartment and we fucked like the energizer bunny all night long.
Nope.
Didn’t happen.
My whole crew ended up at one of my bars and we partied until two in the morning. Of course drinks were on me, since I had an extra hundred grand burning a hole in my pocket. Free flowing beer and an open bar tends to put everyone in a very good mood. My soldiers were eager to congratulate me on a job well done. I was more than pleased to hold court and accept their gratitude.
Over and over I had to hear Ian tell people about my crazy and devious plans. By the end of the night, my brother could barely stand up straight and he took credit for half the shit I accomplished.
“Did you know that Lee and I planned for Hawk to get his ass kicked?” he asked everyone who would listen. “That dumb fucker never even had a chance. We set him up because he’s a dirty thief. You guys thought we were fucking nuts, but we were damn geniuses, is what we were! We ‘let’ Barsotti get a win and took care of Hawk at the same time!”
Once my brother has too many drinks, he can’t keep his mouth shut. That’s why I somehow neglected to inform him of my other ‘coup’ of the evening. I knew Valentino was a force to be reckoned with, so I needed the element of surprise on my side in regards to Grizzly. We played up his goofy costume and I purposely put him in the pre-fight room next to Barsotti’s champion. I also made sure that the air vent was wide open and our voices would carry, giving them an earful of my ‘hesitation’ over putting Grizzly in the ring.
What can I say? I’m a good actress.
Yes, everything had gone perfectly according to plan. Until Samuel threw his monkey wrench into the entire operation by spontaneously kissing me. I made sure to stay a safe distance away from him at the bar, and we hadn’t had a chance to discuss anything afterward since I had to take care of my drunk brother.
But now I found myself stuck on a plane with the handsome man who refused to give me even the smallest hint about our destination.
“We’ve been flying over the country for three hours,” I complained bitterly. “Why won’t you tell me where we’re going?”
“Curiosity killed the cat,” he explained, stone-faced, not showing a hint of emotion. I liked to consider myself an excellent judge of body language, and I had never seen such a poker face on anyone in my life.
“Okay, fine. I’ll just have to figure it out myself. Maybe you’re an undercover FBI agent and you’ve finally got enough evidence to put me behind bars for a good long time. Is that it?” I pondered aloud. “Or perhaps you’ve realized how much money I have and you’re going to kidnap me and hold me for ransom?”
For some odd reason, my bodyguard relaxed a bit. Maybe a small part of him actually thought I would make a valid guess, and he was worried his ‘surprise’ would be ruined.
In all honesty, I trusted the man with my life. The only thing that bothered me was the unknown. Was he going to accept the fact that we were meant for each other, or leave me entirely? I had a strange feeling that it was now or never. Reel in the fish or cut bait.
After what seemed like an eternity, our plane landed at a small private airport and Samuel escorted me to a vehicle waiting in the parking lot.
But this was no ordinary vehicle. No, sir. It was a very familiar rusty old pick-up truck with Kansas license plates.
“What the hell?” I mumbled in shock.
“I didn’t like the way things ended from our last road trip, Lee. Too much was left unsaid. It’s time to have a resolution so we can both go on with our lives.”
Fuck. Go on with our lives together or separately? I stuck my shaking hands under my legs in order to hide my anxiety. Not much in this world truly frightened me, but the thought of living without Sam made me want to throw up.
I took a few deep breaths and forced myself to calm down. Yes, I did enjoy the thrill of the chase with my bodyguard, but that had lost its luster. I was tired of chasing after someone who might not even want me. He was right. We did need a final resolution. I just hoped it wouldn’t end with me getting a broken heart.
Driving down scenic roads and completely missing the beauty because my mind was preoccupied with more important things, we eventually pulled into a parking lot and my heart caught in my throat.
“Do you know where we are?” he asked casually.
Unable to speak, I simply nodded my head. We were at a beach. But not just any beach. This was the same place I proposed to Sam exactly one week ago.
Holy shit.
“Take a walk with me,” he urged, leaving the safety of the truck in order to come around to my side and open the door like a gentleman.
I bit my lip and hesitated. I knew I could handle whatever life threw at me. Suck it up, buttercup. You’re tough.
Without another word, Sam walked straight to the beach and gazed out at the ocean in a manner eerily similar to the last time we were here. I followed him, not caring about the feel of sand in my toes, the soft breeze on my face, or the soothing
sound of the waves.
None of that mattered. This could either be heaven or hell, and it all depended on whatever one man was about to say.
I stood at his side and opened my mouth, but he put a finger to my lips.
“Let me speak, Leandra.”
So I did.
Gazing down into my eyes, a look of sadness crept over his face.
“You deserve a proper explanation as to why I turned down your proposal. I’m here to give it to you. No more hesitation, no more hiding my feelings, and no more hot and cold behavior. Nothing but the truth.”
Good. I can’t go on like this either. I need him to be brutally honest with me, even if it’s not something I want to hear.
“In my entire life, I never pictured a woman asking me to marry her,” he explained. “It’s wrong and unnatural. The man proposes to his special lady, or he’s not a man at all. That’s the problem, Leandra. You’re a headstrong, stubborn, defiant, independent woman. You’re my boss. Never have I met someone with such a powerful and controlling personality. You deserve better than to settle for one of your lowly employees. Leandra Donahue should be with a proper alpha male that can sweep her off her feet and provide for his woman. Some guys would love to marry a rich lady and sponge off her for the rest of their lives, eagerly taking all she had to give without offering anything in return. I’m not one of them. Money would become an issue and it would destroy us. Do you think I want to ask my wife for a fucking allowance? No.”
Really? Are you fucking kidding me right now? He’d let something so trivial stand in the way of true love? Before I could rip him a new asshole, he had the nerve to keep talking.
“I can’t live like this with all the hot and cold. I can’t kiss you one day and then force myself to back off the next. We can’t keep doing what we’re doing. This isn’t working, Leandra. It’s killing me. I have no other option but to quit working for you. Effective immediately, I’m no longer one of your employees.”
I sucked in a deep breath, unable to comprehend his words. But he still wasn’t done speaking.
“As you’re well aware, I turned my sixty grand into a hundred and twenty thousand bucks by betting on Grizzly last night. I plan to use eighty of that to fully pay off my father’s medical debts. The rest of the money will go towards starting my new career,” he confessed. “I have no plans to be a farmer for the rest of my life. That won’t make me happy. After much soul searching, I realized that I’m pretty good at this whole bodyguard business. For obvious reasons, I can’t become a cop. So I figured I’d open up a private protection firm. There must be a lot of customers out there that could use my special skills. I’m taking Grizzly with me. He already agreed to be my partner.”
Just kick me when I’m down. Twist the knife a little bit more.
“I’ve actually gotten a solid lead on my first client,” he explained, cracking a small smile. “She’s a very powerful business owner and sexy Irish crime boss that recently lost two of her best employees. I’m willing to give the woman one hell of a bargain since she’s very special.”
Wait, what? Was he talking about me? I don’t understand…
Suddenly dropping to one knee, Sam took my hand and pulled out a black velvet box.
“Lee, I couldn’t let you propose to me as a woman asking her employee for his hand in marriage. That’s bullshit and no way to start our life together. I needed a week to get my head on straight and figure out a plan to turn the tables. I come to you now as a man kneeling in front of the love of his life.”
Sam cleared his throat and continued with a smile so genuine it made me melt.
“Leandra Marie Donahue…ever since the night you first walked into my life, I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you. Never has one person had such an impact on me. I whole heartedly believe in people having ‘soul mates’ and I have found mine in you. You are brilliant, loyal, beautiful beyond my wildest dreams, protective of all you hold dear, courageous in every sense of the word, never afraid to stand out in a crowd, and you’ve completely stolen my heart. There is not one quality I would seek in a life partner that you do not have. I can’t sleep at night unless you’re in my arms. I can’t live the rest of my life without you, or it won’t be worth living. It would be my honor and privilege to walk beside you in this life and the next. I love you for so many reasons, I could list every single one but we’d be standing here for hours. Will you marry me?”
In honor of the moment, and recognition of the fact that he proposed in the same place as I had only a week before, I figured it was fitting to also give him a one word reply.
“YES!”
Chapter Forty-One
Leandra
One Month Later…
“I still can’t believe we’re really doing this,” Chrissie declared for the seventeenth time since we met her at the airport in Kansas and grabbed a connecting flight to Mexico. “I mean…who does this? For my very first ever plane ride, I’m going to my brother’s wedding in Mexico! This is so freaking exciting!”
Sam squeezed my hand and mouthed ‘Thank you.’ I knew he was grateful that I practically moved Heaven and Earth to get everything in order for the social event of the year. Let me tell you, it was no easy task.
As soon as we got engaged, I had to call my parents and share the good news. My mom started screaming about wedding plans, grandbabies, and demanded to see Sam live on the phone in order to welcome her new ‘son-in-law’ to the family. Never one to sit on the sidelines, my father snatched the phone out of her hands and told my fiancé that he would personally fly back to the states and beat the living shit out of him. I guess my dad is old-fashioned enough that he wanted Sam to ask for his blessing and get permission before proposing. Needless to say, those two started off on the wrong foot.
My next move was to let Ian know of my engagement. He wasn’t super thrilled because of how long it took Sam to get his shit together. My brother only has my best interests at heart and he felt like we should have waited longer before officially tying the knot. Once I reassured him that I was thinking with my head as well as my heart, and that I’d kick his ass if he didn’t get on board, Ian reluctantly agreed to support us.
I figured I’d just tell everyone else in person after we got back to New York. However, we were in no hurry to return. Sam got us a beautiful hotel room overlooking the ocean and we celebrated all night long…and then woke up the next morning and continued to celebrate. It’s a fucking miracle I can still walk after all the ‘celebrating’ we’ve done in the past month. I really should have bought stock in the condom company.
But it wasn’t all sex, sex, and more sex. Do you have any idea how much work it is to plan a wedding? Normal brides get engaged, have a couple bridal showers, go dress shopping with their friends, do a lame as fuck bachelorette party, have cake tasting sessions with their grooms…and all that stupid shit that I wanted no part of.
So I called my mom, told her she had thirty days to plan a wedding in Mexico, and then expedited the process to get one very special guest her first ever passport.
The hardest thing has been watching my mouth when discussing the big event with Chrissie. I couldn’t exactly tell her that I wasn’t already married to her brother. So I had to lie my ass off and pretend like this was just a vow renewal and reception because my family was pissed they couldn’t be there the first time. I also had to invest in a set of earplugs for the shrieking, gasping, and general hissy-fit when I asked Sam’s sister to be my maid-of-honor.
Had I not known how much she appreciated the gesture, I would currently be regretting it.
“So, who am I going to be meeting?” Chrissie asked with concern as we loaded our luggage from the airport baggage claim onto one of those little trolleys. Although I’d had my concerns, she actually handled the flight better than I did. Remarkably there was not one single bit of nerves after the initial take-off. The girl was a pro. Her entire focus remained firmly fixed on the wedding. “I’m bad at remembering names. Wh
at if I mess up?”
“Relax,” Sam insisted. “I don’t know these people either. I’ve never met Lee’s parents. If anyone should be nervous right now, it should be me.”
He gave me an uneasy look, and I patted his arm.
“Don’t worry, tough guy. I won’t let my grandma hurt you. Some bodyguard you’re turning out to be!”
Even though Sam quit working for me in order to open his own business, I’m still his sole client. Now that he fully understands all the ways my body can pleasure him, the man has gotten even more serious about guarding it. Not that I’m complaining in the slightest.
“I’m being serious, Lee,” Chrissie stated firmly. “I want to make a good impression on your family. I mean…won’t they kind of be my family now too?”
She looked at me hopefully and I knew exactly what was going through her mind. Disappointment in the family she already had. Primarily her parents. Although Sam paid off his father’s entire medical debt and invited them both to the wedding, Katherine and Douglas refused to attend.
Either they still harbored resentment that their son chose to stay in New York instead of returning to farm the land, or they didn’t approve of the dirty whore he was marrying.
“You won’t be meeting too many new faces,” I explained, trying to make her realize that this wasn’t some flashy affair. “A lot of our…uh…friends…back home couldn’t take off work to join us, so this will be a small wedding.”
I couldn’t have every single Irish mobster abandon the city and fly to Mexico. Who would run things in my absence? After much careful consideration, we decided to do an intimate wedding on the beach and then throw the party to end all parties after our honeymoon. Everyone who was anyone in the criminal underworld would be invited to pay tribute to the Queen. Me.
“Okay. It’s just going to be really strange to go to my brother’s wedding and not know a single person there,” Chrissie grumbled, instantly brightening up when we left the main terminal and walked outside into the fresh air of Mexico.