The Perfect Gift: A Bad Boy Christmas Romance

by Mia Ford

  “Will you be taking Joe’s advice?” I asked nonchalantly, peering over my cup at Dex.

  “Of course,” Dex said, swallowing his water with a gulp. “I plan on going directly over there before the meeting and sending guards up to the doors. This is all very unexpected, I should have kept a better watch on things.”

  I laid my hand on his leg and smiled, trying to show him I had the utmost confidence in the situation. Inside, however, my nerves were surging and I quickly realized that being married to a billionaire businessman required a lot of restraint when it came to how I expressed my emotions. It wasn’t so much for the people around us but in support of Dex, so that he could feel more comfortable and be able to concentrate on his business. If I knew anything about Dex though, it would take a lot more than a confident look from me to calm any nerves he might have, especially when he was already pissed about having to come back here so soon.

  “I’m sorry about this,” he said, leaning over and kissing me on the cheek. “I promise we will get this done as quickly as possible and I’ll whisk us all away to a safer place to continue our family vacation.”

  “We will be fine,” I replied. “Just focus on the business, we will be fine. It’s an adventure, right?”

  “Well, that wasn’t quite the adventure I had in mind for my wife and son.” He chuckled. “With the wedding happening so quickly, I didn’t take the time to pay attention to the political status of where we were headed. I guess I’ve never had to really pay attention to that before now.”

  I shook my head, trying to make him feel better. I poured more water into his glass from the pitcher on the table and offered him some of the salad. He refused, his nerves obviously too high to eat anything. In fact, I wasn’t feeling much like eating but I needed to stay calm for all three of us, especially since I didn’t want Seth to know anything was going on. I wanted him to be carefree and have a good time while we were out there, something all five-year-olds should be able to do. In the meantime, Dex would take all the measures we needed to keep us safe should anything start to happen.

  “Dex,” I said, leaning over to him and kissing his cheek. “You cannot take all the blame for this. You did not know anything like this was going on. And besides, I’m equally to blame, I didn’t want to be separated from you for even a second. I haven’t reached that point as your wife yet, I guess.”

  “I know,” he said, smiling at me with that same charming smile. “I just feel bad that you’re going to have to be locked up in the hotel the whole time.”

  “Oh, no,” I said sarcastically. “You mean I have to stay in a luxurious suite with room service out the wazoo, more room than the penthouse, and every movie I’d ever want to watch at my fingertips? How will I manage? Did I get the rich wife thing down?”

  “Perfect.” Dex laughed, wiping his face and standing from his chair. “I have to go my love. I’ll be back as soon as possible and I’ll send the guards over to your door.”

  I watched as Dex kissed Seth on the top of the head and then turned to me, pressing his lips firmly against mine. As he walked away, I sighed and watched him until he disappeared. My love for him was stronger than ever. I knew he would do everything in his power to keep us safe but part of me still worried about his safety. He was so absorbed by everything going on, I hoped he would remember to keep himself safe during all of this as well. I looked over at Seth who was building a town out of potatoes and shook my head, wishing we could all stay together.

  When I was finished with lunch, I ordered some hot tea to be sent up to the room and walked through the lobby hand in hand with Seth. He had never seen anything as amazing as the architecture of these buildings so getting from the restaurant to the suite took us quite a while. He asked a million questions that I didn’t know the answers to and told myself I would do some research when we got upstairs. Inside the elevator, I leaned against the wall, watching the floors tick by on the screen. My thoughts were lost in Joe’s warning and I wondered if there would be anything on the news about it. On second thought, I knew I should probably keep all that to myself so there was no chance that Seth caught wind of it and became scared. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin this for him, he was having the time of his life. He thought the penthouse was the fanciest thing in the world but when he got here, he just about lost it with all the amazing things to do and look at. Not to mention, everyone catered to him directly, making sure he was having fun and always had a full belly. By the end of the trip, we are all going to have to go on a diet.

  When we got into the penthouse, I asked Seth to put his trucks back in his bags so we could keep everything together. In reality, I wanted to get our things settled so that if we had to leave suddenly, there wouldn’t be any issues. While Seth did that, I grabbed our passports and ID’s and stuck them in my pocket so that no matter what, I had them on me at all times. The last thing I wanted was to end up stuck at customs not able to get back home because we didn’t have any of our identification. Seth wandered through the suite, looking at all the different pictures hanging on the walls. I offered to turn on a movie but he wasn’t really a movie kind of kid, so I grabbed his sketch book and his pencils and sat him down in front of the floor to ceiling windows so he could draw any building he wanted to. He was almost overwhelmed by the amount of choices so I suggested he start with the smaller dome-shaped building below us in the center of the city. He shook his head excitedly and went to work on his masterpiece.

  In the meantime, I went through the rooms and repacked our things in case we had to leave in a hurry. I folded our laundered clothes and placed them neatly in the suitcases, daydreaming about our time on the yacht. I peeked out the bedroom door and noticed Seth was lost in his art so I flipped on the television and watched the news. There wasn’t anything big, that I could tell since they spoke a different language, that was going on at the time so I clicked off the television and moved to Seth’s room. His toys were scattered everywhere so I grabbed his bag and began to neatly pack them, though I knew within an hour he would pull all of them back out. As I packed, Seth walked into his room holding his drawing in his hand. He lifted it up to me and I smiled, looking at the building in the courtyard below. I squinted at the surrounding drawing, looking at little circles all around the building.

  “What are these?” I asked, pointing at the circles.

  “All the people,” he said. “They all started coming. There must be something important down there.”

  My head popped up and I handed the drawing back to Seth, slowly making my way back to the windows. As I approached, I could see lines of people marching across the city streets and collecting at the foot of the hotel. They were carrying signs, flags, and some of them were wearing masks. I could see they were chanting but from that high up, I had no way of knowing what they were saying. I took in a deep breath and looked at the enormous scene forming below us. The protests they were talking about had brought themselves to our doorstep and fear immediately shot up my spine and rested on my chest. I couldn’t move as the scene unfolded before me.

  Chapter 25: Dex

  Immediately after kissing my wife and child goodbye, I knew I needed to do what Joe advised. I jumped in the car and had the driver take me over to the security firm’s office. I didn’t want to waste any time getting guards sent over to the hotel. I regretted bringing Casey and Seth along on this trip but at the time, I could only think about how much I didn’t want to be away from Casey so soon after our wedding. I was more tense than I had been in a very long time and part of me just wanted to say screw it, pack up Casey and Seth, and get the hell out of here. However, my partner and I had put in a lot of work on this deal so I needed to at least see it through to the end. Either way, from now on, I would be doing some serious research before I brought my family along to these meetings. I would never put them in this kind of situation ever again if I could help it. I knew Casey was keeping her cool for my sake but I also knew her better than that. I wanted to make sure she felt as saf
e as possible.

  When I arrived at the security office, the driver opened the door and ushered me straight inside, having called them in advance to let them know who I was. They nodded their heads and walked me to a room at the back to go over the logistics of their services. I used a security service a few times before but it was only for the safety of the dignitaries I was working with, not for myself or my family. I was told this was the best service in the city so I was ready to receive some assurance of Seth and Casey’s safety.

  “Hello, Mr. Canton,” a large man in a black suit said, shaking my hand. “I am Sebastian Mateo, the owner of this company. I have been told your family is staying at the Hotel Cayena and needs our protective services.”

  “Yes, it is my wife and my child,” I said with a nod.

  “It is a very dangerous time for us here in Venezuela,” he said, typing on his laptop. “I am sorry your family has to go through this. This city is usually such a lovely place to visit.”

  “I was unaware of what was happening,” I said. “I just want them to be safe.”

  “Not a problem,” he replied, looking up at me. “We have dispatched a team over to the hotel. They will be stationed at the elevator and any other entrances that lead up to the suite. I have also taken the liberty of calling Mateo. He will be escorting you to your meeting and wherever else you need to go while you are here.”

  “Thank you,” I said, nodding my head at the large man standing in front of me.

  I signed the papers for the services and headed back to the car, Mateo in tow. We jumped in and headed through the streets of Caracas, noticing several groups of people along the way. They were all holding signs and headed in the same direction. My chest felt tight and I wondered just how bad things could get. I had seen many protests in New York but I knew they were completely different in other countries, especially out here. I knew that violence was prevalent and many of the people carried weapons. I tried to take a deep breath and remember that Seth and Casey were safely tucked away in the hotel and that the security would be arriving at any moment to make sure they stayed that way. It was difficult, knowing how much I loved them and how vulnerable they were, especially this being their first real trip out of the country.

  When we pulled up at the offices to sit down with my partner, I rushed inside, not wanting to waste any time. Joe had everything set up and I assured him I had sent security over to the hotel to protect Casey and Seth. He began going over the details of the deal, which the seller had completely changed since the last time I was here. It was incredibly frustrating since he was taking advantage of my time away with my family. This guy thought he had us over a barrel but there was no way I would agree to his terms. I knew he wanted to sell and he thought he could pull one over on my partner, not realizing I was the one who made the decisions. I glanced over at Mateo who was answering his phone, a look of determination crossing his face. I put down my pen and looked at him as he approached.

  “I need you to see this, sir,” he said, handing me his phone.

  I looked down at the screen and watched the video playing. There were thousands of people marching through the streets, chanting and carrying signs. There were police on the other side with large weapons and riot gear, striking fear into my heart. I watched to the end, recognizing the domed shaped building they were surrounding.

  “When was this from?” I asked, handing the phone back to the guard.

  “Sir, that is a live feed,” he said. “They have gathered at the foot of the hotel. The police are surrounding them but my people say they are expecting a standoff. Things have escalated quicker than we could have foreseen. It is getting very dangerous out there. Here in Venezuela, the police shoot first, they don’t ask questions like in your country.”

  I rubbed my face with my hands, realizing this situation just got dire. I picked up my cell phone and texted my pilot, telling him to pick us up in the helicopter on top of the hotel. How did I not see this beforehand? How did I miss an extremely dangerous situation unfolding around us without seeing the danger in it all? Caracaras was in bad shape. It was like a powder keg surrounded by flames and from the looks of it, it was about to blow. I flipped to the call screen and dialed the airlines, letting them know we would be leaving as soon as possible so get the jet ready and I would call back with a destination. Everyone seemed to already be expecting the response, as news of the uprising had spread through the city like wild fire. I didn’t know what the political issues were but the protestors were angry and the police were ruthless, a mixture that promised nothing but disaster right at the feet of Casey and Seth.

  “Where are you going?” Joe said, watching me stand and gather my things. “We have to give word for this deal.”

  “I’m leaving and I’m taking my family to safety, I suggest you do the same thing,” I said abruptly. “Joe, it isn’t safe here. Your life is worth more. As far as the deal goes, it’s off.”

  “Hey, wait!” he yelled after me.

  “Tell the seller to go fuck himself, we’ll take our resort somewhere else,” I hollered over my shoulder as Mateo showed me out of the office and to the car.

  The driver took off immediately but it didn’t take long before he hit traffic. I looked out the window and watched as hundreds of protestors marched past, screaming and waving their signs. On the outskirts of the blocks, I could see armored vehicles rolling forward and armed police in riot gear readying themselves for a fight. I was pretty sure the vision of men in gas masks holding rifles would be burned into my mind forever but I didn’t care about me, I just wanted to get to Casey and Seth as fast as I possibly could. I pulled out my phone and pressed Casey’s number, holding the phone to my ear. It rang three times and went to voicemail. I hung up and dialed again, getting the same response. I flipped over to the hotel’s web page and called their front desk but I got nothing more than a busy signal. Frustrated, I tried Casey’s phone again but got nothing.

  I tossed my phone across the car in anger, not knowing what to do. I guessed the only thing I could do was get there as fast as I could. Casey and Seth were my life, they were everything that I always wanted and I had finally gotten it. I loved those two more than my own life and as I thought about their sweet faces, regret started to surge through my chest. I never even thought twice as I cruised around the world, landing deals, seeing the sights, and going places. I never considered whether the places I was going were safe or not. But now, with a family, that should have been my first question. The world wasn’t a friendly place anymore and I was blinded by my luxury hotels, security, and cars, not even thinking about the fact that the world continued outside my little bubble and often not in a safe and secure manner.

  Now, with Casey and Seth in my life, I had a responsibility to make sure they were safe and comfortable. I had the responsibility to look into these things before I packed them up and rushed them across the world. This was my first real test as a father and I felt like I completely failed. I walked my family directly into harm's way and didn’t even realize it until it was too late. The hotel was surrounded by angry people and angrier military and Seth and Casey were trapped on the top floor. The entire place was made of windows and there was only one real way out unless she drug Seth down a hundred flights of stairs. At that moment, I let the fear hit me straight in the heart. I felt completely vulnerable and helpless. I couldn’t do any more than I was already doing but it should have never come to that. I should have seen this coming and never come here in the first place. That asshole seller knew what he was dragging me into and when I got back, I would make sure he never sold that property to anyone. You don’t mess with the Canton family.

  I took a deep breath, trying to push the fear out of my mind but it was no use. Losing Seth and Casey would be worse than losing my own life. I would be done, there would be nothing left of me. These two people were my life now and my heart and soul were invested in them. I looked up at Mateo who was listening to his boss’ instructions through his ear piece
. When he hung up he looked over at me with a startled face.

  “The security haven’t been able to get anywhere close,” he said. “We will have to take this matter into our own hands. The good news is, the stairwell is behind locked door from the bottom and the elevator will only work with your key, so they should be safe if they stay in their room.”

  “Should be?”

  “These protesters are not going to play nice and neither are the police,” he said. “When the police start moving forward, the protestors will go anywhere they can to find safety, breaking down doors, taking over businesses. I’ve seen it before. I’m being honest with you. The only thing we can do is get there and get them out.”

  I nodded my head, not feeling any better at all about this situation. The helicopter I called wouldn’t be there for at least two hours. In two hours, it might be too late. We rolled through the city, getting closer as my stomach churned with fear.

  Chapter 26: Casey

  Things looked like they were starting to get out of hand. I watched in shock as police officers attacked protesters in the street, throwing them down and handcuffing them. There were fights breaking out everywhere and it was so jumbled that I couldn’t even tell who was who anymore. Large armored vehicles could be seen in the distance rolling toward the hotel, men in riot gear with large guns perched on top. Sirens were blasting loudly all over the place and the city’s emergency alarms were blaring from the speakers hanging off poles all around the city. I could see the merchants packing their things and running for cover, realizing this was no ordinary demonstration. Helicopters flew past the windows, shaking the glass, and playing recordings in Spanish aimed at the protesters below. Seth looked down as a man stood in the center of the street waving his flag high in the air as officers ran straight toward him with guns pointed in his direction.