by Taylor Lee
“Tom, when you have a beautiful family like I do, it’s the only way to say good morning.”
The children were chattering all at once. As Lei and Wyatt turned their attention to them, Chief caught Tom’s eye with a meaningful shrug. He and Joey had done their best the evening before to explain the controversy between Lei and Wyatt over whether they would marry. Neither Chief nor Joey minimized the seriousness of the disagreement. They both hoped that at some point Lei would consent, knowing that Wyatt would not give up until she did. For the moment, it was a long running battle, always present at a subterranean level. No one knew when it would flare as it had last evening. Unfortunately, Tom thought with a heartfelt sigh, it seemed as though the campaign was going to put the issue squarely in view—not a good place for it to be.
~~~
That afternoon, Wyatt, Chief, and Tom sat in Wyatt’s office making preliminary plans for the campaign. They needed to decide how much time Tom should spend in Wyoming, how much he could do from Washington.
Tom pressed for roles and responsibilities. “Look, Wyatt, we all know you’re the best political strategist around. Lei is a close second. Hell, Chief, do you think I don’t know who taught him everything he knows? But there is such a thing as being too close to the situation. I can give you perspective. God knows, Grant’s an asshole, if there ever was one. For better or worse, he is part of the breed I deal with on a daily basis.”
Wyatt concurred. “Tom, I want you here as much as you can be. Your advice and, yeah, your perspective, is essential. Go back to Washington on Monday. Arrange for Mike and Sheldon to get up to speed on everything you are doing. You need the freedom to come as often as you can. Better yet, I’d like you to stay. The special election is less than three months away—you can leave that hell hole for that long, can’t you?
Tom glanced up from taking notes. “I need to, Wyatt. That isn’t much time to put this whole damn thing together.”
Wyatt nodded. “Before you leave on Monday, I want to map out the guts of the campaign. Most important, we need to agree on how we’re gonna deal with the issues we face.”
He added with a grin, “One of those issues is due to arrive any minute. I don’t want to miss the first conversation between you and Wan Chang for anything.”
Chief nodded and grinned in agreement.
A serious frown eased the grin off Wyatt’s face. “Let’s face it, Tom, Wan Chang is one of the most powerful men in the country. The fact that his territory happens to be underground and illegal is beside the point. He yields enormous influence. Few people are aware of the extent of his influence. He can be a terrific asset. He also can be our worst nightmare. Grant is sure to make an issue out of Lei’s Chinese heritage. The best way to do that, with the most negative impact, is to play up Wan’s Tong leadership. All we need is a few more gang wars to hit the papers like the ones in New York and San Francisco. The “violent Chinks” will be on everyone’s mind. Not good for us.”
Tom grimaced. “Is he aware of the danger he poses to your campaign?”
Wyatt snorted. “Five minutes after you meet him you’ll know there isn’t a goddamned thing he isn’t aware of.”
Chief smiled. “He may remind you of someone, Tom. In fact, I’m sure he will. The rest of us—including Lei—have a hard time telling them apart. Only difference is that Wyatt works on this side of the law. Wan works his side. Oh, and Wyatt smiles. I don’t think I have ever seen Wan smile, except at Lei, and now the children.”
Tom shook his head and a wicked twinkle flashed in his eyes. “Not to put too fine a point on it, but isn’t he the guy who sent the strongest Kung fu grandmaster in the country to kill you in a death match?”
“Yeah, that would be Wan Chang, the man I am hoping will soon be my father-in-law,” Wyatt said, taking a drag off of his cigarette. “To be fair, and the last thing I want to be is fair to the son of a bitch. If anyone did to Elena what I did to Lei, I wouldn’t have sent someone to kill him. I would have sent three people, in addition to myself.”
Chief raised his eyebrows at Wyatt’s admission.
Wyatt gave him a cocky grin. “Hell, Tom, Chief here probably kept Joey and Alono from doing the job for Wan, didn’t you, Chief?”
“No, Wyatt, none of us wanted to kill you. But, yes, we were damn mad. In your defense, you didn’t know at the time that Lei was pregnant. And you’ve never been exactly what I would call a one-woman man.”
Tom grinned. “A question I’ve had: is there a good looking woman in Wyoming or New Mexico or anywhere in the West, for that matter, between the ages of twenty and thirty that you haven’t screwed?”
Wyatt put up his hands in dismay. “Hey, that was then, this is now. Look, Tom, I know you know about Lei’s refusal to marry me, and why. And, goddamn, I can understand. But, Christ, there is no one in the world for me now but her. I just have to figure out how to convince her of that.”
Tom shook his head, disagreeing. “Wyatt, that woman is as much in love with you as you are with her. Hell, it’s embarrassing to be in the same room with you both. You are one lucky son of a bitch. But even I can tell she’s scared, probably still angry.”
Wyatt agreed with a sigh. “Yeah, I know that. I have to prove it to her. I tell you, I’m about out of ideas. I have done what I can, including keeping this prick so close to home it’s afraid to come out to pee unless he hears Lei’s voice. It won’t even get hard unless it sees Lei first. Hell, that’s saying something.”
Chief and Tom laughed in appreciation.
“Back to Wan.” Tom’ expression was serious. “Will he support you? He could do a hell of a lot of damage intentionally, as well as unintentionally.”
“Tell you what, let’s ask him. I think I heard them ride up. Just so you know, Tom, I ride with six Caballeros. Wan’s never without ten or more protective guards. Remember, that’s how Lei grew up. One of the first things Wan is gonna want to know is how the hell I’m going to protect her. He knows I can take care of myself, but he has spent his life worrying about her. By the way, those hard-eyed white guys who always seem to show up no matter where we are when Lei’s with us? They’re Wan’s men. He’s never left it up to me to protect Lei. He sure as hell won’t now.”
~~~
They heard Lei and the children on the porch. A man’s deep voice answered Elena’s and Alex’s shrill excited questions.
“Grandfather Wan, Lei taught me to do a flying devil. She told me you taught her that when she was seven like me,” Elena said.
“That’s excellent, Elena. That is a difficult move, particularly for someone your age. You must show me tomorrow. I want to see how all three of you are progressing.”
Lei said, “Theresa, will you please take the children upstairs. Have Millie take care of them until dinnertime. I know my father and Wyatt will want to talk.”
A moment later, Lei came into Wyatt’s office followed by three Chinese men. Two of the men stepped aside and opened a path for Wan Chang. Wyatt came from behind his desk and bowed respectfully, as did Chief. Tom looked surprised, but quickly followed suit. Wan bowed slightly in return, nodding to Wyatt and Chief. He looked directly at Tom without acknowledging him.
“Good to see you, Wan. Bai, Nianzu, welcome,” Wyatt said, bowing to the two guards.
“Wan, this is Tom Caldwell. Tom has the distinction of being the first Caballero to join me, Chief, and Joey nineteen years ago. Tom is the biggest asshole you’re likely to meet. Also, the best man anyone could have to deal with the pricks in Washington and the rest of the East Coast. There isn’t a corrupt politician or financial insider he doesn’t know personally. No one who tangles with him once wants to do so again. It’s why I pay him what I do. Hate to make him even more cocky, but he’s worth every cent.
“Tom, this is Wan Chang, leader of the Sing Leon. More important, Lei’s father. I’m pleased to add, along with Chief, he has kindly taken on the role of grandfather to Alex and Elena, as well as Nicolas Deshi.”
“I�
��m honored, sir.” Tom nodded to the stern man in front of him, who had yet to acknowledge him.
Everything about Wan Chang spoke to his power and to the deference he commanded. He was tall for a Chinese man, but still five inches shorter than Wyatt. He had the lithe, muscled body of a man who had practiced Kung fu since boyhood. The only thing harder than his strong body were his eyes. They were as cold as they were hard. He was fifteen years older than Wyatt, similar in age to Chief. Wan was a handsome man, darker than Lei. Although there was a resemblance, seeing them together, it was clear Lei’s mother had played an important role in creating Lei’s extraordinary looks.
Wyatt moved back behind his desk. He motioned for them all to sit down. Wan pulled out a chair for Lei, nodded to Chief, then took a seat. He ignored Tom, clearly relegating him to subservient status. Bai and Nianzu stood respectfully off to the side.
Wyatt grinned at Tom. “You have to prove yourself to Wan, Tom. The only reason he allows me to sit first is because it’s my house. And, of course, he likes Lei and Chief.”
Lei and Chief smiled, but Wan did not.
“I appreciate your coming, Wan. As you know, I’ve made an important decision, and that is to run for governor. This will no doubt have an affect on you. I wanted to consult with you personally to see how we can minimize the negative impact we have on each other’s enterprises.”
Wyatt took a cigar out of the humidor on his desk and offered it to Wan, who accepted it with an imperceptible nod. Wyatt offered Chief and Tom a cigar, and then looked inquiringly to Bai and Nianzu. Both refused.
Wyatt lit his cigar, took a puff, and was about to speak when Wan turned to Lei. “Why did you agree to this? Do you have any idea what they are going to do to you? To Nicolas Deshi?”
Lei started to speak, but Wyatt held up his hand. “I will let Lei answer that question, but…”
Wan interrupted him. “I asked Lei a question. Please let her answer it now. Lei?”
Wyatt leaned forward in his chair. Without looking at Lei, but looking directly at Wan, he continued, as though he had not been interrupted. “We all know what they are going to do to Lei, Wan. To you and to me. And, God help them if they do, what they will try to do to the children. This was not a decision that we made lightly. As you well know, I would not go forward if Lei hadn’t agreed. Lei and I made our decision fully aware of what they will try to do to each of us. You also know that anyone who insults Lei, the children, or you, will have to deal with me.
“I asked you to come here because I know you are concerned about Lei and the children. I hope that, together with Tom, Chief, Joey, Alono, Bai, and Nianzu, you and I can create a team that will scare the shit out of the sons of bitches before they ever get started. As to why we made this decision, I will let Lei answer for both of us.”
He leaned back and puffed on his cigar, without taking his eyes off Wan.
Lei spoke up. “Father, this wasn’t a difficult decision for me. It was a harder decision for Wyatt. Like you, he is concerned most about me and the children. My decision was easy—for two reasons. First, if Wyatt didn’t run, Grant Forrester, one of the most disgusting, bigoted men I know, would win hands down. If he did, our lives even on this ranch would be measurably more difficult. As it would be for other Chinese, and yes, Indian people in Wyoming, who aren’t protected the way Wyatt and you protect us.
“The second and most important reason is that Wyatt will be the finest governor this state or any state has. Wyoming deserves to have an honorable man like Wyatt as governor. I intend to do everything I can to help him get elected. I’m asking you to help us, Father. Though it will be difficult and ugly at times, I know if we work together, we can succeed.”
There was a long pause. Wyatt said with a grin and an appreciative nod at Lei, “You were right, Wan. I should have been quiet and let her answer.”
He turned to Lei and said with a wry grin, “Sorry, baby, but there’s something about your father that brings out the rooster in me.”
The slightest smile touched Wan’s eyes. “How many public events will you do, Wyatt, that includes either Lei, or Lei and the children?”
Wyatt smiled and nodded to Wan. An indication he agreed they were done circling one another for the moment and ready to talk about the campaign.
“Tom has agreed to be my campaign manager. I will defer to him on the kinds and size of the events we will do. If you agree, after dinner I want Chief and Alono to meet with Bai and Nianzu to create a security plan. Obviously, I need protection. The Caballeros will be responsible for that. I also want Alono and Chief to make the primary decisions about protecting Lei and the children. Anything you, Bai, and Nianzu can add is all to the good. I don’t think we need the subterfuge of white men guarding Lei, although Will and the men always do a hell of a job. There is no reason for us to skirt the Chinese issue. I want to hit it head on.”
“We’ll continue that discussion after dinner,” said Wan. His stern expression and firm jaw made it clear that the discussion was just beginning.
Wan nodded to Lei and the two of them moved to enter the dining room, greeting the children, who had come barreling down the stairs.
Tom turned to Wyatt and Chief and said in a low voice, “Christ, Wyatt, I thought the dustups with Grant were going to be the most interesting part of this campaign. Hell, that won’t be half as interesting as the ones with this guy. He is on our team, right?”
Wyatt puffed on his cigar, the lines around his eyes crinkling. “Sure as hell hope so, Tom. Sure as hell hope so.”
Chapter 6
Wyatt reconvened the discussion after dinner. He wanted to focus on how to protect the family. The prejudice against Wyatt and Lei’s Indian and Chinese heritages was at the center of their discussion. They all acknowledged it would be ugly, but Wyatt insisted they take it on directly. Tom indicated that he would work with each of them on how best to respond to questions. At least in the beginning, he wanted Wyatt to do all interviews with the newspaper men.
When Lei left to put the children to bed, Wan indicated he wanted to speak with Wyatt privately. Both Chief and Tom stood up and started to leave.
“Chief may stay,” Wan said pointedly.
Wyatt demurred. “That’s not gonna cut it, Wan. I understand you don’t know Tom, but you are going to have to trust me on this. By the end of the campaign, you will be asking him for advice. Tom belongs in an elite circle. He’s at the center of the small group of men I would entrust with my life, and Lei’s, and the children’s. He also is one of the smartest men I know. In the political arena, no one is better, including me.”
Wan responded with a dismissive shrug. “I find it hard to believe, Wyatt, that you think anyone is smarter than you, in any arena. I don’t question his credentials. However, I wish to speak with you privately.”
Both Tom and Chief signaled their agreement. With a cordial smile, Tom bowed to Wan and followed Chief from the room.
Wyatt’s expression was impassive. He waited without speaking, expecting Wan to underscore his displeasure with the fact that he was running.
He was surprised when Wan said, “One of my primary concerns, Wyatt, is that you and Lei are not married. It opens her up to a particularly vicious line of comments that I will not tolerate. I would think it would be enough to dissuade you from this campaign.”
Wyatt saw Wan’s anger, but his own also flared. Wan had struck directly at the painful issue that troubled Wyatt more than any other. He tried to be calm, but his anger got the best of him.
“Look, Wan, like every other goddamned person who has spent five minutes with Lei and me in this last two years, you know how much I want Lei to marry me, how much I want Nicolas Deshi to have married parents – not be the bastard son.”
He stood up and began to pace. He tried to control his anger, but there were too many issues between them boiling just below the surface to stop now.
“It is ironic that you are throwing this issue at me now, given what you have done to
prevent Lei from marrying me. At this point, you have succeeded. I have done everything I can to convince her that I love her, that I want her to be my wife. She has refused. And yes, I do know the things that she will be called. They are calling her those names now. It infuriates me. I’m confident you see the things that are sure to happen in the campaign as just punishment for my being unfaithful to Lei. Have at it. There is not a goddamned thing I can do about it. And no, it will not stop me or Lei from this campaign.”
Wan was silent. Wyatt sat down and lit a cigar, his face contorted with anger and frustration.
After several minutes, Wan responded, choosing his words carefully. “You won’t believe this, Wyatt, but contrary to your understanding, I have done everything in my power to convince Lei to marry you. Unfortunately, Lei’s experience with what happens to the women of powerfully violent men, especially if they are married to them, hasn’t been a good one. I am more responsible for that than anyone is.”
Wyatt frowned and stared at him with genuine surprise.
Wan continued, “Like you, Wyatt, I have had many women. Lei has seen first hand the pain philandering can cause. While her mother was unable to tolerate the violence in our lives, she was even less tolerant of the women who surrounded me. Flagrantly, I might add. When she left us –never to return, she made it clear to me, and, to Lei, who was only four years old, why she was leaving, why she refused to see us again.
“Yes, I am deeply angry you were unfaithful to my daughter. I am also aware that my actions are as responsible as yours for creating her resistance to marrying you. The campaign, in my opinion, is one more way for your actions and mine to hurt Lei. This is why I ask once more that you reconsider.”
Wyatt was stunned. He waited several moments to respond. “I am surprised by your insights. I appreciate your taking responsibility for your actions, Wan. I apologize for my intemperate words. I let my frustration get the better of me. I’m sure you’re correct. It is unfortunate that the two men in Lei’s life who love her the most have caused her the most pain. But I refuse to let the past determine the future. I love Lei more than anything in the world, as you do. But she needs to give me a chance to prove that I can be worthy of her love. Stopping the campaign is not the answer. I hope at some point you will agree.”