~*~*~*~*~
Lance
I’d never seen someone study so hard in my life. By the time we were coming onto the border that separated Niagara Falls, New York from Ontario, I had no doubt Gwen had every word memorized that was in her new identity file, and mine as well.
“Come on, you got to learn my birthdate Lance. How can a man marry a woman without knowing when her birthday is?”
“Virtually every married man on the face of the earth.”
“Oh please. My father knows my mother’s birthday.”
“I doubt that. I suspect the only way he remembers is because a week or maybe a month before the birthday she starts leaving hints. It’s what women do. That’s the man’s heads up that, oh shit, either our anniversary or her birthday is coming.”
“Shut up.” She laughed, swatting my shoulder with the folder. “We’re newlyweds, you need to know this!” I feigned pain as though she had severely injured me, and she rolled her eyes at me.
This felt good. Better than I could have imagined. Normal. Even before I entered my father’s world I’d never had a normal relationship. She’d asked me why it was so easy for me to turn off my emotions and not feel; if I were to be completely honest with myself it wasn’t hard at all. I’d spent a good chunk of my life feeling hollow and alone.
Growing up I had more than my fair share of women, but I never felt a connection with any of them, and certainly didn’t feel the affection and sense of devotion toward them that I felt for Gwen. I’d never felt the need to protect them at any and all costs, sacrificing myself if needed. I’d never needed their affection in return. With the exception of my mother, all of my relationships had been empty voids, devoid of emotion. I’d never actually been in love before.
“They’re not going to go into such detail sweetheart. We’re going to pull up to the window, they’re going to ask where we were and what we’re bringing back. We’re going to tell them, most likely pay some duty and off we go. Nice and easy.”
“Does it hurt to be prepared?”
“No. You’re right. But we have everything.”
“What if they recognize me at the border? My picture has been on TV like mad.”
“Won’t matter, you have plenty of legitimate identification that proves you’re indeed Lillian Louise Walters, even if they see the similarities they’ll chalk it up to you just looking like her. Plus you’ve lost a fair amount of weight so your face looks quite a bit different than the photos being posted.”
She frowned, pulling down the visor and examining herself. “Yeah, I look like a crack whore.”
I took her hand and gave it a squeeze; I hated seeing a frown on her face. From this day forward all I ever wanted to see was smiles on her lips and happiness in her eyes. I’d do anything to make that happen. Some might say I was redirecting my obsession with ruining the organization to one of bringing her happiness. Well, fuck them. There are worse things than having a husband who would do anything in his power to make his wife happy. Her hurt over not being able to go back to her parents nagged at me. It made me feel like a monster for keeping her away, even if it was for her own good.
“What’s wrong?”
Jolted from my thoughts, I glanced over and met her concerned gaze. “I’m fine. Thinking.”
“Oh.” Pulling her stare from mine she went back to studying the files.
We remained silent until we got to the border and took our place in line behind dozens of cars trying to cross. Her body tensed in the seat as she looked out the windshield.
“It’s okay.” I knew it was fine, the documents were as legit as they come. We even had tax numbers and a tax history. Acquiring the necessary documents wasn’t easy, especially for the two of us and on extremely short notice without anyone from the organization realizing, but with enough money and the right contacts anything is and was possible.
To my relief our customs officer was a female in her mid-twenties. The stars were aligned. She proceeded to ask the routine questions, keeping her eyes glued to me. I gave her the smile I gave women I intended on seducing and it worked like a charm. Always did, one of the benefits to being blessed with good looks and charisma – I’m not gloating mind you, but simply stating a fact.
When she asked why we had been in the USA I explained we were on our honeymoon, to which she proceeded to congratulate us and tell Gwen aka Lillian that she was a lucky woman. I corrected her saying I was the lucky one, which got a blush from Gwen and a giggle from the customs officer.
With the brief interrogation over we were waved through. We were now officially Canadians.
“Told ya.”
“Ohmygod, Flirt much?”
A wide grin crept onto my lips as I looked over at her glaring at me, although I noticed the speck of humor in her blue eyes. “It worked didn’t it?”
She groaned in exasperation. “You’re not going to be one of those flirty fake husbands that I’m going to need to keep my eye on are ya?”
I chuckled and shook my head. I didn’t like that she added the term “fake” to the sentence though. She was teasing of course, but there was an air of truth to it. We hadn’t done this right and she deserved it done right. My mind flashed back to when we first met and she had said she’d hoped for romance and the fairy tale first time, and proposal and marriage and all that went with it. Sure, it was a fairy tale, hence the term, but she deserved so much more than a piece of paper telling her she was married and a back littered with scars reminding her of the first time we made love. She deserved the story.
“You’ve never been to Niagara Falls, right?”
“No.” She sat up straighter in the seat as her eyes began to scan the buildings as we passed by.
“Don’t suppose you want to play tourist for a day or two? God only knows we both deserve a day to adjust and maybe begin to feel normal again.”
~*~*~*~*~
Gwen
“’bout time you got back, I was starting to think I was going to spend my first night as a Canadian alone!” I leapt from the bed and then grimaced as I landed on my feet and pain rushed up my injured leg. The painkillers Lance had given me helped, normally, but not when I was jumping from beds with the enthusiasm of a cheerleader at a big game.
“Seeing the falls at night is the best time to see them.” He rushed to me and slipped his arm around my waist, steadying me. “Are you sure you’re going to be able to walk?”
“I’m fine, just gotta be gentle with it.”
“I can go get you crutches. I should have done that already.”
“And have you leave me the rest of the night while you look for some, no thanks.” I flashed him a smile. It hurt, but I’d be fine. “So why don’t you have any bags? I thought you were going and getting something.”
“I was and did. Come on, let’s go see the falls, they’re all lit up and it’s beautiful out tonight. The perfect night if I’ve ever seen one.”
After slipping on my canvas sneakers we left the hotel and made our way to the falls, which thankfully was only a short five-minute walk, although the crowd of people was insane. He was right, it was incredible. The falls roared as the water toppled over the side and a spectrum of colours shone through the falling water.
“There’s a lot of people here, someone might recognize me,” I whispered to Lance when he slipped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his broad frame.
“They won’t. It’s night and I think they’re more interested in the falls than us.”
We came to an overlook that gave the most spectacular view of the falls. Looking over my shoulder there was a massive fountain and park area behind.
“This is breathtaking and there’s even a band doing classic rock covers over there.” I pointed to the stage set up, surrounded by tourists. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a romantic setting.” No wonder so many people went to Niagara Falls for their honeymoons. If there was any place in the world for new lovers this was it.
“I’m glad you
like it.”
“What are you planning Lance?” Looking up into his eyes I saw a glimmer of… something.
“Well, it occurred to me, you know, once you pointed it out a few days ago –” he grinned and gave me a wink “– that I hadn’t properly asked you something.” He leaned into me, “And if by some chance people decide to take pictures of this, keep your face away from the cameras so they don’t get a direct shot.”
“Huh?” I crinkled my nose up at him. What in the hell was he talking about, why would people take pictures of us? As soon as the thought came to mind he fell to one knee and my question was answered. I looked around us nervously, as a smile spread across my lips. Several people had already noticed he was knelt before me and more were taking notice.
“Lance?” I looked back down at him and watched him produce a ring case from the inner pocket of his denim jacket. “People are watching,” I whispered just loud enough for him to hear.
He opened the case to display an engagement ring in a platinum setting to match our wedding bands. “I know we haven’t travelled the easiest road to get here, we’ve gone through hell, but we’ve survived and we’re standing here together, despite it all. I have no idea what the future holds for us, but what I do know is that for the first time in my life I’m in love. I knew from the moment I first saw you that I needed you in my life. And I knew I’d do anything to make sure you’re safe and cared for.”
The group around us continued to grow in size, forming a circle around us. As Lance had predicted some had their phones out and were taking pictures; some were recording. I rearranged my hair so it hid my face from the cameras.
“This is crazy.” Despite my words I knew I was smiling like a lunatic. He was giving me my dream proposal. My heart swelled and I didn’t think I could have loved anyone more than him at that moment.
“What I’m saying is I want you to be my wife not because you have to be, or because it’s the safe option, but because you own my heart. And for the rest of my life I’ll do everything in my power to prove myself worthy of you.”
“Ohmygod!” We may already be married on paper, but that didn’t matter. As I extended my shaking hand to him and he slipped the engagement ring onto my finger to sit beside my wedding band I knew it was for real and that I’d never love anyone so fully and with such intensity as I did Lance.
He grinned. “So that’s a yes?”
“Oh God! Yes! You’re so crazy, of course.” As he stood I threw myself into his arms and was lifted from my feet into a hug so tight and enthusiastic that it left me breathless. As he set me to my feet his hand slipped to the back of my head as his lips came crashing down onto mine and I lost myself in his kiss.
I’d spent a month living a nightmare, but as the crowd cheered around us I knew I would have endured that nightmare a thousand more times if it meant we’d end up at this moment. I’d lost so much, the people I loved had lost so much, but there was a light and he was standing before me.
Epilogue
Gwen – 1 week later
“So what do you think?” Lance asked as he pulled the blindfold off of my eyes and gave me a moment to look over the house before me.
I squealed with excitement. “It’s everything I dreamed of having.” I barely had words to describe how happy I was at that moment. One of our conversations at the compound had consisted of what our dream houses would look like. It was as if Lance had jotted down every single detail of what I’d told him and had the perfect house built for me. It was a modern two-story house in the suburbs, white in color with a cute little fountain on the front lawn and a white picket fence surrounding the lawn. The windows even had flower boxes! It was sweet. It was quaint. It was perfect.
“You still need to see the inside.” He jingled the keys before my eyes then took my hand and led me up the cobblestone path to the front door… Can you imagine! Cobblestone!
“Unless it was formerly owned by an animal hoarder and never cleaned up I know I’ll love it!” When we reached the large oak door sporting a large stained glass window I was absolutely giddy.
“Here’s the keys.”
When he passed me the keys I was so excited I dropped them. Bending I snatched them up and fumbled a couple of times before finally inserting the key into the lock and unlocking the door. The front door led into a small foyer and immediately I sprinted for the staircase to check out the upstairs with Lance trying to keep up behind me.
After running frantically from room to room of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 2500-square-foot house I ended the tour in the center of the living room. “It’s perfect.” I did a complete 360-degree turn in the living room envisioning what it would look like furnished.
I turned to Lance and shared a smile with him. This was the first time I’d seen a smile on his face for a few days and I was beginning to worry about him. The news had been buzzing about the explosion at the compound as well as countless stories about the suspected disappearances and assassinations of high-profile political and corporate personalities from around the world. The stories of the political assassinations took precedence over the cheerleader gone missing story and I was more than okay with that.
Lance stepped up to me and pulled me into his embrace. “I’m glad you like it.”
Slipping my arms around his neck I pressed myself flush against him and brushed my lips across his. “It’s more than I could have dreamed of. You’re more than I could have ever dreamed of.”
~*~*~*~*~
Gwen – 2 weeks later
“It has been confirmed, Congressman Walter Winters died in an explosion that took the lives of over a dozen domestic and international politicians and public officials…” the reporter on the flat screen television mounted on the wall announced then proceeded to give an in-depth report on the incident.
Ohmygod! I had to cover my mouth to stifle the gasp that tried to escape me as I looked over Lance’s shoulder to the television set featuring a picture of the congressman, impeccably dressed and with a wide smile on his face; Congressman Walter Winters was The Boss.
“Lance.” Walking around the sofa I sat down next to Lance and snuggled tight. “Are you okay?”
“… In a twist to this story, anonymous sources have leaked documents linking the Congressman along with dozens of other politicians and public figures from countries around the world with a human trafficking and arms dealing ring. Investigations are pending, but as of yet no official charges have been made...”
“And no charges will be made,” Lance growled. Lance looked over at me and attempted a smile, but failed miserably. Pain and remorse filled his eyes, emotions I had never seen in his eyes before.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“It’s not that… Keep watching.” He redirected his attention back to the television.
“Civil war has once again broken out in the West African state of Liberia…” Lance shut off the television and tossed the remote onto the coffee table; it skidded across the table and fell onto the floor.
“Ten thousand people have died so far,” Lance said, thrusting a hand in his hair and giving his head a shake.
“I don’t understand.”
“The last deal I did was with a Liberian militia group. I knew they were going to go to war and sold them the guns anyhow. Those lives are on me.” He leaned forward on the sofa and laced his fingers behind his neck, bracing his elbows on his knees. “All of those lives.”
I slid from the sofa, to the floor and crawled over to him, situating myself between his legs and looking up at him so he was forced to look at me. I placed my hands on his thighs and stroked his outer thighs over his jeans. “No, they’re not. They’re on the people pulling the trigger. You didn’t cause the problems there.”
“I armed them.”
“And if you didn’t? Someone else would have swooped in and armed them instead. If they want to go to war, they’re going to war whether they use your guns or someone else’s.”
“That’s no
t the point.”
“It is the point,” I insisted. “We can go around and around debating the issue until we die of old age, but you need to take a page from your own book. While what you did was heinous, you fixed it, you’ve made the world a better place. In fact, what you did at the compound did more for people than most of us could ever dream of.”
I chewed at my bottom lip and the news articles I’d printed from various online sources came to mind. I got to my feet and walked to my purse. Rummaging through it I unzipped the side hidden compartment and pulled out the dozen printed articles, all with pictures that made my heart sing each time I looked at them and then brought it over to him.
Retaking my spot on the floor between his legs, I thrust the first printed article under his nose. He remained silent for over a minute reading the article and then staring at the picture.
“Her daughter has a mother again, because of you.” The picture was of Becca with her arms around her little girl Tia. I hadn’t known Becca had a daughter, until I noticed the article online and immediately printed article to save. The article spoke of the abduction, but she refused to comment on how she was freed to the press. My interest had been piqued so I’d searched out the other girls and found something on most of them.
He took a deep breath in and slowly released it. “Wow.”
“There’s a dozen more just like this one in various papers around the U.S. All of the abductees you saved. I spread the remaining articles with the faces of the women I’d lived with for weeks across the coffee table. None blame you, you’re a hero to all of them. They all say it to the reporters in interviews. It appears from what I read the twins have a fucking crush on you, and I have to say I’m slightly jealous,” I teased.
Slowly he nodded and a cocky smile spread across his lips, his mood lifting. I knew he’d be carrying the guilt for a long time, maybe for the rest of his life, regardless of what I said, but I could see the darkness fading from his eyes and that’s all that mattered. “For the record I never had sex with either of them.”
Bad & Bold - A 7 Book Bad Boy Romance Collection! Page 95