The Grandmaster’s Legacy: Masters of Love and War (A Taylor Lee HOT Historical Romantic Suspense Collection) (The Grandmaster's Legacy)

by Taylor Lee

  “Wan, Bai, Nianzu, you likely have saved this campaign for us. Thank you. In the process, we may be able to save the lives of innocent children and bring down evil men in the process.” Wyatt stood and bowed respectfully. Tom, the Chief, and Alono followed suit.

  Wyatt resumed his seat, then glanced from one to another with a hard glare. “As much as this pains me, we need to turn to the question of these fliers of Lei. Wan, I presume you want to stay for this discussion? Bai and Nianzu, you are welcome to stay. That’s Wan’s decision.”

  Wan nodded to his men. They all stayed seated.

  Wyatt’s expression was sober, stern. “I have a recommendation for you to consider. Tom and I haven’t had a chance to hash this out so understand it is a preliminary idea. This is my thinking. Just as we responded to the ridiculous fliers of me, by underscoring who I really am, I propose we do the same for Lei. I need your help on this, Tom. I can picture a flier with a photograph of our family. We know Lei is extraordinarily beautiful. Likewise, Elena, Alex, and Nicolas Deshi are beautiful children. I think we need to blanket the state with a picture of the five of us. We can label it “The Wyatt McManus Family” with each of our names and our campaign line “Wyoming’s Governor.”

  He paused. Seeing that the others were nodding positively, he continued.

  “There is another element in the portrayal of Lei that can help us. There is something unseemly, unfair, and ungentlemanly to attack a defenseless woman, even if she is Chinese. If we play this right, we can make it clear that Grant is a disgusting bigoted misogynist. For those of you who don’t know the word, a misogynist is someone who hates or disrespects women.

  Tom was smiling broadly.

  “You are right, Wyatt. We need a flier or newspaper article or ad or all three that asks the question, ‘What kind of a man portrays a defenseless woman in this way?’”

  “Exactly, Tom. We can ask, ‘What kind of a man thinks about women in this way?’”

  Tom said in explanation to Wan and his men, “Lei and we agreed that one of our constituencies is women. We believe that women are more likely to vote for Wyatt than for Grant. We need to go to the women of Wyoming and ask, ‘Do you want Wyoming to have a governor that thinks about women this way?’”

  Wyatt continued, demonstrating why he and Tom worked together the way that they did.

  “We need to change the conversation from one about Lei being Chinese to one about how disrespectful Grant is of women. That will be a tough one for him to answer, given that he has blanketed the state with these hideous fliers.”

  Tom rubbed his chin thoughtfully and asserted, “We also should think about doing campaign meetings with Lei and the children.”

  Wan and Wyatt responded in unison with a resounding “No!”

  As Wan shook his head, Wyatt explained for both of them.

  “We need to see the reaction to the family photograph and our flier questioning Grant’s treatment of women. We need to see if people respond the way we hope they will. At that point, we can then decide if we will do rallies with the family or keep them in the background.”

  Tom nodded, “I agree at this point. But just as we are getting you out there Wyatt, to dispel the savage Indian portrayal, we need to think about putting beautiful Lei out there to dispel the ugliness of those horrible pictures.”

  Wan said, “Absolutely not.”

  “Let’s leave it there for now, Tom,” Wyatt said firmly.

  Tom said, “I agree for now, Wyatt. On another level, I am going to arrange meetings with you and newspaper people to discuss the fliers. Grant and his asshole buddies are going to be surprised when we take them on directly. They expect us to try to shove these under the rug, hope people will forget that you are a half breed and Lei is Chinese. And they are right. We don’t want to focus on that. Instead we want to focus on a candidate for governor who would print and say such vile despicable things.”

  “Set them up, Tom. I also think we should be talking with the national newspaper people. This is the kind of garbage that they crave. Like you, I think we can use it to our advantage. If people in Washington and New York and San Francisco are talking about the ugliness of the race, the people of Wyoming are not going to like it. They won’t want to be portrayed as backward racist people who hate women. Remember, we were the first territory to give women the vote. Those fliers of Lei should and I think will make every woman angry. Or at least uncomfortable.”

  As everyone was leaving, Wyatt said, “Wan, unless you disagree, I do not want Lei to see the fliers.”

  Wan gazed at the desk, his eyes steely, his jaw firm. He nodded.

  “Got that everyone? Tom, I hope to have Lei occasionally come to Cheyenne when I am unable to get home. Please make sure that everyone on your team understands I don’t want her to see the fliers. She can’t do anything about them now; they will only be painful.”

  That news was quickly transmitted to everyone in the campaign. Just as quickly it was relayed to Grant and his team by the people Charlie Morales had placed inside the campaign. Knowing Wyatt’s reputation with women, Charlie had made sure that his “eyes and ears” were good looking, unsophisticated young girls. They were hired to cook and clean and run errands. These girls wouldn’t know or understand the importance of the information they conveyed. They did what they were told, didn’t ask questions and happily took home the extra wages for work they didn’t understand.

  Chapter 12

  The tension in the campaign headquarters was palpable. The fliers of both Wyatt and Lei, particularly the ones of Lei, had thrown the workers off balance. The sheer ugliness was devastating. Tom and Wyatt hoped their staff’s reaction was similar to what other people felt when they saw the fliers. On the positive side, the pictures galvanized the staff, particularly the Caballeros, who were furious. The first two weeks of organizing had been a model of efficiency. When the fliers hit, everyone understood in real terms what they were up against. Only later would they understand that the fliers were just the beginning. The Forrester campaign did not intend to lose. This was their last and best shot at Wyatt. No matter what it took, they were going to take the half-breed down once and for all.

  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 mad
e 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 name 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 caricat
ured 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.