Wild Cards
Page 31
“I have to ask you something.” I smiled to him. He blinked at me knowingly. “May I have your daughter’s hand in marriage?” I had been raised with traditional values. Even though my father didn’t respect the sanctity of marriage, I did.
“It would be my honor, Luc,” Bryce replied, giving my shoulder a squeeze. I stood up from the kitchen table.
“I have something to do.” I smiled widely. I don’t remember the last time I had this kind of smile plastered on my face. I had lived a sad decrepit life until Vicky came along. Now I hoped she was going to make me the happiest man on the planet. I climbed the stairs, two at a time, I couldn’t get to her fast enough. My heart fluttered as I made my way to her room.
“Hey,” I said softly, as I watched her packing up her things.
“Hey yourself,” she replied softly. I came up behind her and took her in my good arm. The other arm was still in a sling. Then I ran my hand over her belly and she placed her hand on mine. I hadn’t even asked her yet, and I knew she was mine. I turned her around and held on to her face. Her perfect face.
“Vicky, you came into my life when I least expected it, and you completely shifted the world around me. I had put myself in a fortress and convinced myself that my life was good, but I didn’t know and I couldn’t understand what love was until I found you. You have accepted every broken part of me, and you didn’t try to change me. I knew from the start that you wanted me, and that you grew to love me, even when you were too stubborn to admit it. You are the only woman for me. I feel so blessed that you will be giving me this child and the family I have always wanted, but I am a traditional man and I need to make you mine. Will you marry me?”
Vicky
I nodded my head, unable to speak. A few months ago I was a complete train wreck, lost and alone. Now I had everything that the old Vicky had always dreamed of before disease and death took the better part of me.
“Will you say something?” Luc urged me on nervously.
I laughed out loud. “Yes, Luc, yes, I will marry you.” I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him intensely.
Then he pulled his head back. “I’m sorry if this was inappropriate for a day like today, but I couldn’t get the idea of marrying you out of my head. I hope I have not disrespected this day for you. I know you are sad and grieving.”
“I am sad, Luc, but you make things better for me. You give me strength I thought I never had. My mama and papa were very traditional people too. They would want me to get married and give this child a family. You’ve filled an empty void in my life, and you’ve made me feel a part of you when I was lost. I thank you for accepting me for all my flaws,” I said wiping a tear away from my eye.
“You are not flawed, you are perfect. Perfect for me,” he sighed. “Your parents raised you to be the incredible woman you are today.”
As he said those words, I couldn’t stop the flow of tears from my eyes. He knew exactly what to say to make me feel better. I had been holding onto this anger inside me where my papa was concerned, because of how he dealt with Mama’s sickness and basically checked out on life. With Luc’s kind words, I realized that there was so much more to him than the pain of the last few years. Mama’s death had broken a part of all of us. It was something I would never get back because she would never see me as a bride or meet her grandbaby. I took comfort knowing that I had Luc in my life and a family to look forward to, and I was overwhelmed with joy to have Joe and Bryce too.
Chapter 33
We all boarded Bryce’s jet that day. For me it was a start to a new life. I was sad to leave Thunder Bay, but I knew I had exciting things waiting for me in New York, like moving in with Luc. Joe stayed in the apartment with Nessa for two full months. He had already healed, and I felt like he was procrastinating the inevitable, which was flying to Mexico to get Eva and Nelly back. While staying in New York, Joe hit the gym every day and engaged in vigorous workouts. The bullet had hit him in the center of the abdomen, and he and Luc made jokes about it, comparing their scars. They had bonded the night of my kidnapping, and they naturally fell into brotherly mode, which warmed me having two of my three favorite guys so close together. I had a feeling that Luc knew more about Joe’s story than I did, but I didn’t press it. I was pregnant and enjoying my time. I didn’t want to have something to worry about and make me nervous. I learned the night of the motel shooting that Joe was more than capable of caring for himself.
Nessa continued to live in the apartment after Joe had reinstated his position with the DEA. At one point, I was worried that something may be going on with Nessa and Joe. I told him not to go down that road, especially with Brad in the picture. Nessa and Brad continued to party together, although it was obvious that their friendship was deepening into something more. Luc and I were convinced that the two of them were too busy being oblivious to notice how much they were alike.
“Every wild card has its match,” Luc said while we lay in bed and he patted my growing belly. I knew exactly what he meant.
The only lose end I worried about now was Scott Wellington. After everything we had survived, I didn’t want that psycho messing with my family. Luc finally admitted to me that he had told Bryce that Scott was a threat. Apparently Bryce sensed something was wrong from the moment he introduced us and Luc only confirmed it. Bryce hired an investigator and it turned out that there were many more victims. Apparently they were all brunettes with either blue or green eyes. Three of the women decided to come forward and press charges. It was Luc’s convincing that got them to come forward in the first place. He said he didn’t want me to press charges because he knew how hard the court case would be on me, but he found the other women, who were willing to step forward. They told him that their therapists felt that it would be a good part of their healing process.
Scott was charged with three counts of aggravated sexual assault, and since one of the girls was underage, he was put on the list of sexual offenders against children. Luc and I both took comfort in the fact that he would be locked up for a long time.
***
Three months after arriving back in New York, Luc and I married in the Hamptons at Bryce’s beachfront mansion. It was a small wedding, despite the fact that Bryce tried to make it big every chance he got. He finally introduced me to my half-sisters and brothers and like Brad, predicted they were less than kind. Really a bunch of stuck up brats. That didn’t change my wedding day. At five months pregnant, I had a baby bump that barely showed through my flowing white lace gown. My hair was pinned with little loose tendrils that lay gently on my face. As Luc and I stood on the beach, under a beautiful canopy covered in white roses and lilies, everything was perfect. Joe even flew in from wherever it was that he was stationed to be there for our ceremony. He and Luc continued to whisper away. It made me laugh to think of my brother as the action superhero he always pretended to be when we were younger.
Luc was dashing in his crisp white tuxedo, with his tanned skin and vibrant green eyes that picked up color from the ocean in the background. He looked hotter than hell. There was a light wind brushing my face as we said our vows. I knew it was Mama and Papa’s way of being here from their place up in heaven. Everything was perfect. Joe was Luc’s best man and the day was filled with love and happiness as my father walked me down the aisle and delivered me into the arms of the only man I ever loved.
Epilogue:
Four months later
After twenty-four hours of labor our bouncing baby boy was born. I never really knew that my heart could be so big, until I saw my son and the way Luc watched him as if he were the most precious thing in the world. My man may have been groomed to be a rough mafia boss, but he was sweet, tender, and loved our child endlessly.
“What should we call him?” he asked me within minutes of giving birth. I had barely caught my breath from pushing. I didn’t know if it would be a boy or a girl, so we decided that we would meet the baby and then decide a name. “So what do you think?” he nudged me again.
“You have a problem with the French, baby?” Luc said kissing my lips.
“No problems with the French, they happen to be really good in bed. But to be honest, after splitting in two the way I just did, you ain’t coming near me anytime soon,” I said, holding up my finger to him and showing him that I meant business.
Luc threw his head back laughing. “You take all the time you need to heal, Vicky, I’m not going anywhere. Let’s be honest, the no sex thing is not going to hold long with you, you are addicted to me,” he said with a cocky tone.
“I am addicted to you, baby, but don’t hold your hopes up, I just pushed something the size of a watermelon out of a hole the size of a tangerine.”
“Seriously, Vicky, let’s cut out the fruit talk. I will not refer to your pussy as a tangerine.”
“Ssh,” I said smacking him in the chest. “Do not use that word in front of our son,” I demanded. Then we both looked down to our son and let out a contented sigh. I could sit all day and watch him. He was perfect.
“Let’s call him Kai. Luc, it has many meanings like strong and unbreakable,” I suggested. The truth was that at the end of the pregnancy I had trouble sleeping, so I stayed up on my phone at night and Googled boy and girl names and Kai just stood out for me. I knew that there were a lot of twists and turns in life. Nobody got everything they wanted, and nobody was free of disease or pain. We all faced something at one point or another. I wanted to give my son a name that I knew would be strong and represent a strong personality, just like his daddy.
His father had defeated Luc since he was a child. He grew up with abuse and later on his father pulled him into a life he didn’t want. Yet Luc was strong enough to persevere and he made the ultimate sacrifice of freeing his family from the bondage his father had placed on him. His mother and his brother, Justin, moved to Germany. They weren’t close to Luc and he didn’t seem to care, it was if he had wanted that part of his life completely erased. He focused on Kai and I, and he had a special relationship with my father. Once Kai was born, Bryce asked me if I would mind calling him Daddy, since he wanted little Kai calling him Grandpa. Of course I was happy to oblige.
Luc thrived on being an attentive father. He wanted Kai to have the close bond of family he never had growing up. He made it his life’s mission. He was my wild card and I would bet on him every time. Even though the dust had settled now, life was full of kicks and punches and with Luc by my side I knew that we would face those bumpy roads together. I knew I was stronger for having survived what I had survived. I knew that if something bad would strike, Luc and I were stronger together, and we would face this crazy life together.
Acknowledgements
I would first off like to thank my editing team. Ellie with Love N. Books. Her investment in the story helped me take it to the next level. Karen Hrdlicka of Barren Acres Editing, thank you for basically putting your life on hold to take on this project. You have no idea how much I appreciate your dedication and super amazing proofreading skills. I would also like to thank my cover artist Sarah Hansen of Okay Creations for making another cover that is simply put, Wow!
While writing this story my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. She was more than a grandmother to me because she spent a large portion of her time raising my sister and I. She was at my house having coffee and cookies this past March and by April 1st she was gone. It was incredibly difficult to watch. She instilled in me a love for books and she was very proud of my accomplishments. She had a copy of Bitter Sweet Love sitting on her coffee table at all times and didn’t hesitate to share it with friends despite the hot and steamy nature of the story. She herself was an avid romance reader and I remember her collection of romance novels on a bookshelf in her room. She was always very supportive of me and my endeavors and she will be missed.
I would also like to thank my husband and kids for putting up with the endless hours I spend on a computer concocting my next story or deeply embroiled in what I am writing. I know my kids appreciate the pizza dinners they sometimes get when things get too busy in the book world and I am thankful that they are so understanding.
To all the readers and bloggers who have taken the time to read and share my stories, I am internally grateful for your selfless generosity. I have to say that the world isn’t always a fair and happy place but the people I have met in the book world have been so kind, caring, generous, helpful, selfless - that I can go on with a longer list of adjectives but I don’t want to bore you. I will just say that your support is really heartwarming!
I would love to hear back from my readers. You can connect with me on my website: http://www.rcstephens.com
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Present
January 2013
Have you ever been at such a low point in your life when you saw the light to the other side? I thought it was something that people experienced when they were old and gray and had lived a life full of hopes, dreams, accomplishments, and family. I never thought that the angel would come for me at twenty-five. It’s my birthday.
It’s also the day I die.
She’s here. I can see the light around her and feel the warmth of her presence, amber liquid pouring too quickly over my head. The heat flows between my legs. What’s happening? So much blood leaves my body. I can’t feel pain. I see only light and crimson. This is my end, but I’m not ready. I have so many things left unfinished, so many mistakes to correct. This is all my fault. The baby will die and I did this.
He will never forgive me. I need to see him one more time. I need to tell him the truth. He needs to understand what happened. I thought life would be different. I thought I had more time. If only I had more time.
My life can’t end like this.
Chapter 1
The Backroom
Five Months Earlier
“Yes, yes! Oh, that feels good. You’re so fucking hot.”
Having sex in the backroom of Mickey’s bar is always fun and exciting. My body comes alive as my blood roars and my heart pounds, making me feel wanted and cherished, for a moment. The backroom is really Mickey’s office. From up against the wall, I see the black shelves that hold restaurant supplies. One wall has a desk and chair. If Mickey only knew how many times I’ve gotten laid on that desk, he’d be sick. The third wall is completely empty. Lucky for me the guy I brought back here tonight is tall and strong.
He picks me up, and I instantly wrap my long, thin legs around his waist. He pushes my blond curls to the side and feathers kisses along my neck, sending delightful shivers to my core. He pins me up to the wall. Fucking my brains out, he’s scuffing my back, but who the hell cares?
I’m in pure ecstasy when I hear my best friend, Anna, holler from the front of the bar. “Lexi, Mickey just called! He’ll be here in ten minutes. Get your ass out of the backroom and start working. You’re going to get your butt fired and mine, too, for defending you!”
Darn it, I don’t want this feeling to end.
Anna’s a Spanish beauty with glowing skin, straight dark brown hair that hits just above her behind, and her eyes are the most perfect shade of emerald. She’s petite and has the best body ever. We met in undergrad in a first year political science class and hit it off right away. She’s a waitress, and I tend bar. She’s been a little annoyed with the amount of time I’ve been spending in the backroom. It means she has to work harder waitressing and making the drinks. I feel bad about it, but I’ve been down on life lately and sex is the only thing tha
t makes me feel good. When a guy has himself buried in me, I feel cherished, a feeling that I used to have and now crave. The meaningless sex works because I am happy in the moment, but I don’t fear my heart getting shredded to pieces.
“Give me a minute, Anna. I need one minute.”
“Fine, Bandita, I won’t say I told you so.”
That’s all I need. One more minute to climax, which I do.
“That was amazing.”
And this time, I’m not lying. The guy was really good.
“You’re amazing. I’ll call you later,” he says with a huge, sated smile splayed across his face. He’s pulling up his jeans over his muscular legs, looking proud of himself. And he damn well should be. He zips up his pants and runs his hands through his slick brown hair.
As he turns the knob to open the door, I mutter, “Uh, yeah. Sure.”
I really don’t want him calling me later. I don’t even plan on giving him my phone number. He reaches over to give me a kiss, and I accidentally turn my head so he kisses my cheek. He probably doesn’t understand how I can turn so cold after what we just did.
“See ya,” he says, his earlier proud smile falling, replaced with a look of confusion. He should be thankful I’m only after a good fuck and be on his way.
After the guy walks out the door, I straighten out the jean skirt and slutty tank top that Mickey makes us wear and leave the backroom for the bar. I feel bad because the place is now packed, and Anna is behind the bar mixing a martini and pouring three shots of rum like a mad woman.