The Grandmaster's Legacy (HOT Historical Suspense, Box Set)

by Taylor Lee

  There was another tension afoot at the headquarters. It was a more personal one. Sarah and Tom were barely speaking. Given their customary, outrageous banter, the rest of the staff felt the ill-disguised chill. In Washington, Sarah was the go-to person. Even before they went to Tom, most people found they could get their answer from Sarah. But in Wyoming, it was clear who the boss was. Tom issued all the directives and insisted that each decision be approved by him. The real boss was Wyatt. He and Tom had a symbiotic relationship built on twenty years of mutual liking and respect. They were often holed up for hours discussing strategy, joined by Chief and Alono. The people who were not included were Sarah and Ella. Sarah, for one, was furious.

  Ella knew how angry Sarah was. She also knew an angry Sarah was a dangerous one. Or at least, a most unpleasant one.

  “Look, Sarah, I know you think that we are being punished in some way by Tom. From what I’ve seen, this is about Wyatt, not Tom. I don’t think Wyatt lets anyone into his circle unless they have known him for years.”

  “Huh! Admit it, Ella. If I didn’t have these great tits and ass, I’d be included in each and every conversation with Tom and Wyatt. You know it. I know it. Tom is protecting the “Prince” because he knows damn well that if I got that sexy ass one time I’d be inside that circle in a way that Tom never could be!”

  “I don’t know about that, Sarah. From what I can tell, Wyatt is damn selective about who he confides in. Don’t forget, he and Tom have worked together for twenty years. Much as I hate to think about it, we’ll be back in Washington in two months. We’ll probably never see any of these great looking cowboys again. My advice is, forget the Prince, and enjoy the rest of the stable. Let’s face it, Sarah. We’ll never have access to this much sexy ass again. Admit it!”

  Even though she conceded Ella made a good case, Sarah was convinced that she was on the outside because she was attractive. She was sexually aggressive and proud of it. Her motto was if you wanted it, go and get it. Get it she did. Except for Wyatt. He read all her signals correctly and stayed out of her way. He was polite, but remote, slightly dismissive. Not what Sarah was accustomed to.

  The final straw was the Chinese invasion—as Sarah called it. She was as stunned as anyone in the office at the arrival of twenty plus Chinese men apparently guarding Lei’s father. They had heard of the Tongs, but never appreciated that one of their leaders would be in their midst. As usual, when she met any man, Sarah expected a positive response, particularly from Chinese men, who seemed to have a preference for large breasted, blond American women. When Wan Chang arrived, however, she was shunted aside, as though she was part of the cooking staff, not one of the highest ranking members of the team. She was not permitted to be in the vicinity of the Tong leader or his men. To add to the insult, Tom refused to include her in the clearly important issues being discussed by Wyatt and his tight circle—that now included Wan Chang.

  The tipping point came when Lei arrived. Tom had arranged for eight full days of campaign stops for Wyatt. The only way he would agree was if Lei could come to Cheyenne for several days. He insisted they spend their evenings and nights together between campaign appearances. Both Tom and Wyatt knew at some level it was a mistake. Wyatt ignored the warning signs in his excitement to see Lei, his need to be close to her. Even though Lei didn’t know about the hideous fliers, Wyatt couldn’t get them out of his mind. He was more protective than ever of the woman he loved.

  When he heard about Lei’s plans, Chief took his concerns to Tom rather than Wyatt.

  “Do you think that is wise, Tom? What do you plan to have Lei do during the day when Wyatt is gone? Spend time with the ladies in the office?”

  Tom shook his head in frustration. He conceded, “I know it is a concern, Chief. But Wyatt gets more and more wound up the longer he is away from her. I think they both fear what will happen when they’re not together. Hell, I’m not sure what to do. I just hope I’m not making a mistake conceding to his demands.”

  ~~~

  They had been told that Lei was beautiful, but no one on the jaded Washington staff was prepared for her entrance. Keith saw her first. She rode up with two men in front of her and four men close behind. All the men were apparently guarding her, as though in a royal caravan. None of the staff had met her, but they had seen the grotesque fliers. That made the reality of Lei even more sensational.

  “God, everyone. Come and look at this.” Keith stood at the window staring open mouthed at the group riding up to the office front.

  Ella and Sarah crowded next to the window to see Lei and her entourage arrive. It was an impressive sight. Even without the six men accompanying her, Lei caused a stir. She rode Stealth, her astounding Arabian. She sat astride the stallion with the authority of someone who had been riding since she was three years old, and always on extraordinary animals.

  All of the men dismounted, then stepped back as she dismounted. When she turned to come into the office, more than one person gasped. She wore a rich green riding habit that could only have come from a European clothier. None of them had seen anything like it. It was specially made for her and revealed in exquisite detail her astonishing body. Lei was tall for a Chinese woman and slender. She had long slim legs. While her hips and ass flared in delicious curves, they had been contoured by years of Kung fu practice. Her waist was slim. Perhaps the most incongruous parts of her body were her full firm breasts. She wore a fitted white shirt under her riding habit. It emphasized the fullness and upward tilt of her breasts, revealing a slight hint of golden skin. Every man in the room strained to see more. Completing her outfit were a pair of green lizard-skin knee high boots that, again, likely came from Europe. Topping it all was a glorious cowboy hat. Without a doubt, as they all discussed later, she was likely wearing clothes that cost more than most of them made in half a year of work, and they were well-paid.

  When she came in the door, she removed her cowboy hat and smiled at the group of people who were all staring at her. She was even more stunning close up than she had been on her horse. Her lustrous black hair was pulled back from her face in a sophisticated twist. Her wide green eyes were framed by long lush lashes and beautifully arched brows. There was a slight flush on her cheeks and her full sensuous mouth had a natural rosiness that never faded. She was one of the most beautiful women any of them had seen.

  Tom heard the commotion and came bursting out of his office.

  “Oh, my god, Lei. Am I glad to see you! That man of yours has been downright ornery these last couple of days. I didn’t know if he was going to make it until you arrived.”

  She smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then turned in expectation to the people in the room. Perhaps as remarkable as her appearance was her regal bearing. Lei looked and acted like a princess. In the world of the Tongs, that’s precisely what she was.

  “Lei, this is our campaign office staff. Rather than trying to introduce everyone, you can get to know their names at your own pace. Please know how honored we are to have you here.”

  Turning to the staff, Tom said simply, “Everyone, this is Lei Chang.”

  Sarah flushed an angry bright red. She was stunned that Tom chose not to introduce her or Ella or Keith as his senior staff. Rather, he lumped them together with twenty year old girls who had worked for him for less than a year. His actions cut her to the core. She reacted from that hurt place.

  Stepping up next to Lei, she extended her hand. “How do you do. It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Sarah Pritchard. I have worked with Tom on political campaigns for the last fifteen years. I am working closely with Wyatt on this campaign, which we all expect to be successful. You may call me Sarah. What would you like us to call you?”

  Lei felt and saw the confrontational manner of the large buxom woman who stepped forward. The tension in the room was palpable. She knew the undercurrent had to do with her, and she realized with a start, likely with Wyatt. Instead of trying to respond in any depth she said, “As Tom indicated, my n
ame is Lei Chang. You may call me Lei.”

  Tom stepped up and took hold of her arm with a smile. “Let’s walk over to the hotel coffee shop, Lei. You are probably hungry, or at least thirsty, after your ride. We can come back later and show you the way we work around here.” As they turned to leave, Tom looked over his shoulder and glared at Sarah with what could only be considered a warning look.

  When they were gone, Sarah turned to Ella and Keith. She said loudly enough for everyone to hear, “I’m surprised she didn’t tell us that we could call her ‘Her Majesty’ and be done with it. Tell me the last time you have seen a haughtier bitch than that one?”

  “Sarah, stop it,” Ella admonished. “You know you’re jealous. She is beautiful and, my god, she is so young. I know Wyatt is thirty six, but she can’t be more than twenty four or twenty five. Did you see those clothes? I remember Tom saying once that she looked like she stepped off the cover of the French Vogue. By god, he wasn’t exaggerating.”

  “You didn’t mention, Ella, that she has one of the most gorgeous bodies I have seen. Christ, did you see those bubbies?” Keith whistled in appreciation. “No wonder Wyatt is going crazy without her. She is amazing.”

  “Good god, you two. She is a mixed Chinese woman with unusual features. And someone spent a lot of her life telling her she is better than anyone else. I can’t believe you don’t see that!” Sarah said. She walked into Tom’s office and closed the door behind her with a distinct slam.

  “Jeal-ous, jeal-ous,” Ella said with a grin. “Okay, everyone, let’s get back to work.”

  Keith was shaking his head. “Now I can see why Wyatt and Tom and all the other men who know her were so upset by those fliers. Nothing could be further from reality.” He sighed and continued, “She is so fragile looking. God, it must kill them to see her caricatured like that.”

  ~~~

  When Tom and Lei returned, he asked Keith to give Lei an overview of the campaign, particularly the volunteer component across the state. Keith and several of the young staff members agreed, eager to be close to the beautiful woman. They took her over to the large map on the wall and began to describe the organizational miracle they had performed across the state.

  Ella and Tom went into Tom’s office. Sarah looked up when they entered, then immediately went back to work on the papers in front of her.

  Ella grinned at Tom. “Sarah is sitting in here by herself, Tom, thinking how lucky Wyatt is to be in love with a lovely young woman like Lei. That is what you stormed in here to think about, isn’t it, Sarah?”

  Sarah turned bright red, struggling with her anger. She made a valiant try to make light of the situation.

  “Look, Ella. Yes, she is beautiful, but you can’t tell me that haughty bitch can keep that sexual tiger satisfied!”

  Tom grinned and winked at Ella.

  “Whoa, whoa, Sarah. I had forgotten how blind jealousy can be. I happen to know Wyatt’s appetites and proclivities. The fact that elegant young woman can satisfy them tells me a lot. In fact, it makes my prick hard just thinking about it.”

  Sarah flushed even more and glared at Tom.

  “First of all, I am not jealous. Second, the only reason I haven’t fucked that hot-assed cowboy is because you threatened me. Trust me, Tom, if I ever got hold of that sweet ass of his, the last thing he would be thinking about is that skinny bitch.”

  Tom smiled. “Hmm, that’s the first time I have heard someone sum up Lei’s amazing body like that, Sarah. If you don’t believe a Washington freak like me, you might want to ask any of those cowboys out there how they would describe her. And what they would do to have five minutes with her.”

  Ella squirmed in delight at the exchange between Tom and Sarah. It was like old times, only with a distinctly harder edge. She decided to throw kerosene on the fire.

  “C’mon, Tom, have pity on us women. Surely you can see that she’s not playing fair.”

  “What do you mean, not fair?”

  “To start with, to have legs and an ass like that, and tits twice the size of mine? What’s fair about that? Why can’t she have thighs a size that matches her tits? At least that would be fair! Hell, her tits are bigger than Sarah’s and Sarah is accustomed to taking that prize no matter who is in the room. Right, Sarah?”

  “Goddamn you, Ella. First of all, hers are not bigger than mine. Even if they are, I don’t give a shit. Any guy who likes a skinny ass like that probably lusts after those cowboys as much as we do. How about it, Tom? Is that why you and Wyatt spend so much time holed up in his office?”

  Tom threw back his head and roared with laughter. “My God, Sarah. You have it bad, don’t you? Okay, Ella, we better stop teasing her. No telling what the green-eyed monster will make her say next.”

  At that moment, Lei knocked on the door.

  “May I come in?”

  “Of course, Lei, please do. Sarah here introduced herself to you earlier and this is Ella Davis. Along with Keith, whom you met out there, Ella and Sarah have been with me the longest.”

  Ella smiled at her. “What did you think of the volunteer structure we have put in place?”

  “I am impressed, Ella. Tom, you have done precisely what you said you would. The fact that you have done it in less than a month is unbelievable.”

  “He didn’t exactly do it by himself, you know. He had a “little” help from the rest of us,” Sarah said with barely disguised scorn.

  Lei turned and looked directly at Sarah. She stood silently for a moment, considering her, then said in an even tone, “That is not what I meant to imply, Sarah. Like Wyatt, Tom is an outstanding leader. As Wyatt does, Tom inspires the people who work for him to do remarkable things. I am confident he is as impressed as Wyatt and I are by your excellent work.”

  Tom arched an amused eyebrow at Ella. He turned his head to cover the smile that crept to his face. It was the first time he had seen another woman take on Sarah and come out on top. He was glad that Lei had put her in her place. He just hoped Sarah wouldn’t feel compelled to hit back, but he should have known better. She was Sarah, after all.

  “Actually, the work that I do is more directly with Wyatt than with the volunteers. My job is to present the best possible picture of Wyatt to the people we want to vote for him.”

  Lei smiled pleasantly. “In that case, I think you may have the easiest job on the campaign, Sarah. Wyatt does a remarkable job of presenting himself. The fact that he does it without help from any of us speaks to the extraordinary man that he is.”

  Sarah’s face flushed angrily. She seemed to consider what she wanted to say and then plunged on.

  “You may be too close to the situation, Lei, to see the challenges we face. For example, one of the most difficult jobs I have is to describe your relationship with Wyatt, without making it seem temporary, or, somehow less than honorable.”

  She smiled when Lei’s face blanched and ignored the fact that Tom had swung back to her, a threatening cloud of anger on his face.

  “You have to admit that it would be easier if I could just say that you are his wife. I know Wyatt and I have discussed the situation many times. The best we have been able to come up with is that at least you are the mother of one of his children.”

  Lei backed away. She stood as though frozen, staring at Sarah.

  “Okay, Sarah, that’s enough,” Tom jumped in, clearly furious.

  Sarah looked at them both with a satisfied smile.

  “Whatever you say, Tom. I am confident that as smart as Lei is, she is aware of the challenges we face, given Wyatt’s personal life.”

  With that, Sarah turned and walked out of the room, her head in the air. Her satisfied smile was even broader, if possible.

  “Goddamn, Lei, I’m sorry. Sarah is used to being the top dog in my operation. Since we came here, she has been relegated to a staff position. You know how carefully Wyatt chooses the people he confides in. So far that is me, Chief, and Alono. His most important confidant, of course, is you. Sarah is un
happy with the role she has been assigned here by Wyatt, and by me. I’m afraid she is taking it out on you. I apologize for her, as I’m sure Ella does.”

  Ella had stood quietly to the side, truly surprised by Sarah’s overt rudeness. She knew that all hell would break loose when Tom got Sarah alone after Lei left.

  She gave Lei a comforting smile. “Sarah can be a real pain in the ass, especially if she feels dismissed. But she is committed to the success of this campaign as we all are. I want to underscore what you already know, Lei. Wyatt is an impressive man and will be an excellent governor.”

  Lei nodded, but was pale. Both Tom and Ella saw that she was shaking.

  “Tom, I think I will go and wait for Wyatt in his office. I want to be alone, if you don’t mind.” She left the room and walked into Wyatt’s office, closing the door behind her.

  Tom was white with anger. “Goddamn her. You tell your friend that I want to see her, but not now. No telling what I would say to her as angry as I am at this moment. Go back to work, Ella. Please close my door as you leave.”

  ~~~

  Lei stood with her back against the door. She tried to control her shaking body and the tears streaming down her face. Dear God, she couldn’t believe this. Why hadn’t Wyatt or Tom or Chief or someone, warned her? There must be twenty or thirty women in this office. From local girls fresh off the farm to sophisticated East Coast professional women. It wasn’t only angry Sarah who had to be lusting after Wyatt. As hard as Lei tried not to, she found herself giving in to her fears and what she knew was her jealousy. Even being aware of what she was doing to herself, didn’t help. Goddamn, Wyatt. Why had he let her walk into this, alone, without any warning?