Stranded: A Mountain Man Romance

by Piper Sullivan

  Could I throw them off of my lack of experience by dressing and acting the part? It was worth a shot, right? I had spent the last few days looking for the perfect outfit and accessories for this meeting. I wasn’t sure that I had gotten it right. Just then, I caught my reflection in the window beside me. I had to admit that I did dress the part. I could pass as a businesswoman. I stood there wearing a navy blue hand-me-down Chanel suit from my sister. The tailoring of the suit made it fit me in a way that made me think the seamstress had a vision of my curves when designing it. Even my sister couldn’t deny having to part with it after seeing me try it on. I had paired the outfit with my classic nude pumps, which I consider my “Power Shoes,” giving me a few more inches and making me feel more powerful. All in all, my appearance was the one thing I was confident about. Even in my forties, time had been pretty good to me, and my looks.

  The large door to my fate was right in front of me. The hallway was freezing, and it was not helping me to call down as I tried to get all of the butterflies out of my stomach. It was pure torture. What were these people going to say when they find out that the only experience on my resume was working as a waitress for my father at the family restaurant? Over the years waiting tables, I had spent countless hours daydreaming about what it would be like to be a businesswoman working in an office. Here I was, at the beginning of the road in my daydream, and I was terrified.

  I thought about the comfort of the restaurant, and how I had stayed to help with the family business, because it was safe and comfortable… and what I knew best. I was far from my hometown of Muleshoe, Texas, and the culture of the big city was extremely overwhelming. After all of the years of staying in my hometown, I thought about how I had stayed because I knew deep down that my father enjoyed spending our work days together, as did I. I always wanted to be there for him, but I had never imagined what it would be like when he wasn’t there for me. Now here I was, alone, trying to find the career I was determined to have.

  These executives are going to eat me alive. I had to get my shit together. I had no choice, but to go through with this interview and hope for the best. With Dad’s passing, and the selling of his business, this was my chance, my chance to make something of myself. It was the chance to stop wondering, and just do it. It all had to start somewhere, and it was going to start with this meeting, in this boardroom.

  The chill from the eighth floor air conditioning vent blew heavily on my neck, offering a feeling of relief as my sweat started to dry. I had to go in. I looked at my watch, 9 o’clock on the dot. They would be expecting me. I tugged my jacket down to relieve the garment of any slightly wrinkles, and grabbed the door handle. I’ve got this, I thought. It’s now or never.

  Entering the room, which was even colder than the hallway, I gazed around, not prepared for what was in-store. Around the table sat a handful of people, all younger than me, and definitely dressed better than me. The gaze of their eyes on me as I stood there, had me wonder if they could see the fear in my face. It was hard to imagine them as executives, as some of them could have been young enough to be a kid of mine, in another life. What had I gotten myself into? The ridicule I was preparing myself to accept was keeping me from being completely aware of my surroundings.

  It was then that I saw a dark figure in the corner of the room, looking out the window, with his hands in his pockets. It was difficult to see the details of his features, as he stood in the shadow. His stature said it all though. He stood much taller than the average man: and he stood proud. He gazed out on the city, and even with his back to the group, he gave off the feeling of having power over everyone in his presence. As he heard the door close behind me, he turned, and I realized… it was him. It was Gavin.

  Epilogue

  After the interview, which I have to say that I rocked, Gavin asked me to wait for him outside. After a few short moments he joined me in the hallway, took my arm, and we walked to the lobby. He explained to me that he had arranged for the interview as a way to entice me to move to New York.

  “I arranged the interview”, he said, “but it's up to the board whether they want to hire you or not. I didn't want you to feel like you got the position based on our relationship, and if you are hired, you won't be working directly for me.”

  “I wasn't aware that we had a relationship.” I said.

  “That's what I'm trying to tell you Teresa, I want to be part of your life.”

  “It's not just about us,” I said, “it's more complicated than that.”

  “What could possibly make it more complicated?” He said. “I love you Teresa, I have for a very long time and I know it's probably a shock to you, but all I've ever wanted was you, a life together, and hopefully a family. I have everything, success, money, a home, but it all means nothing to me if I don't have you to share it with.”

  I couldn’t hide the emotion that his words evoked in me, they gave me hope that I wasn't going to be alone, that I could have love, a career, and a family. Did he really mean all of this though? There was only one way to find out, so with a tear sliding down my cheek, I looked up at him and said the words that I was scared to death would send him running in the other direction. “Gavin, I'm pregnant.”

  The shock on his face almost sent me bolting away, but I held my breath, waiting for him to process the information that had just been dropped on him out of the blue. Slowly, the look on his face transformed to something more hopeful.

  “You're sure?” He whispered

  I nodded, unable to speak, and afraid to look at him, “Since the first time we were together.”

  Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, his face lit with a joyful smile, and he slid his arms around me, “I'm going to be a father!” He exclaimed quietly.

  Gavin’s happiness at the news gave me real hope for the first time, and I finally believed that it could all work out.

  “Excuse me, Sir?” One of the women from the interview approached Gavin, “May I speak to you a moment?

  Gavin stepped away and they had a brief conversation before he returned to her with an ecstatic look on his face. “The position is yours. If you still want it…”

  It's been a year now, and everything has worked out even better than I had hoped. I started my new career, and while it wasn't easy, I have been steadily working my way up the ladder.

  Gavin Jr. was born healthy, and he has two happy parents, that were married shortly after he was born. You could say I’ve had my Boss’ baby…

  THE END

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  Irish Daddy

  Alana

  A shiver shot through me as I walked through the deserted streets on campus towards my apartment in residence. This is absolute madness; I should have left the party a lot earlier, now I’m stuck all alone at 3 AM. I wasn’t even much of a party freak to be honest, but somehow I’m always invited. Of course it was as obvious as daylight that they all just invited me because of my status. You see, my dad is one of the wealthiest men in Boston, Fergus O’Devlin. And just because of that, people seem to think I’m equally well off. They aren’t too wrong about that though. Having a rich father comes with many perks. I’m one of few students with her own apartment, a gorgeous car, which I wish I had right now, and a wardrobe that would make Paris Hilton jealous. Naturally every guy on campus wants a piece of me, but I’m not like most girls. Frankly, unlike most of my peers, I want to stay a virgin until the day I get married, and being shy and conservative doesn’t help either. In today’s day and age, it’s almost impossible to stay innocent, but I’m all about impossibilities and proving society wrong.

  I pursed my lips as I tried to stifle a yawn and tears blurred my vision. Just a few more blocks and I’ll be home, then I can crash and burn for the rest of the day. Classes wo
uld have to wait; there was no way I would even be remotely interested or awake enough to sit through Dr. Richardson’s 9 AM class. I was about to cross the street to my apartment, when I spotted a black SUV, one I haven’t seen before, but then again, I never really paid much attention, much less walk around campus during the early hours of the morning. I kept a watchful eye on the vehicle and decided to stay on this end of the street until I was well past it before crossing. As I approached the entrance to the residence, I glanced over my shoulder and let out a relieved sigh. I slipped in and hurried to my place. It was pretty much the entire ground floor, or rather two apartments my father had merged into one. The Dean was opposed to it at first, but when my father offered a sizable donation for the upgrade of their football locker rooms and fields, he didn’t think twice.

  I dumped my handbag on the kitchen counter, kicked off my shoes and headed straight for my king-sized bed, flopping unceremoniously down on it with a loud satisfied groan.

  “Home at last,” I mumbled to myself as I tucked my pillow under my head. The way I felt now, I knew it won’t be long before I dozed off.

  I had just started to drift off when hushed voices filled the room.

  “Quick, get her!” Someone muttered in a hushed tone.

  My body went numb with fear the moment I realized I wasn’t alone. But before I could move, two strong hands had me pinned face down on the mattress.

  “No, let me go!” I screamed as he flipped me over on to my back.

  I kicked with all my might, but I was no match for him. The masked villain had reached for something in his pocket, which I assumed would be a gun or a knife, so I bucked my hips wildly and tried to push him off. It was then that he hit me with such force it felt as if my head was being ripped off my spine. I could taste blood in my mouth and I groaned in pain. Again, my attacker tugged and pulled me, and then there was a second one who grabbed my feet. The one closest to me smelled like old sweat and whiskey. He stuffed a foul-tasting rag into my mouth before pulling a black bag over my head while his partner tied my feet together. It sounded like cable ties being zipped and tightened far too harshly around my ankles, and then around my wrists. The plastic was literally cutting into my flesh. I tried to fight them but it was impossible, tied up and gagged there was no way I was going to get out of this. My brain was in shambles, I couldn’t form a single thought as panic shot through every part of me.

  With my tongue, I forced the cloth out of my mouth and cried, “What do you want with me?”

  “Shut up bitch before you wake up the entire fucking campus. One more peep from your sorry little mouth, and I’ll show you exactly what that mouth was meant for,” one attacker ground out.

  Terrified, I shut my mouth and tried to stay calm, that’s what a person was supposed to do right? Not to panic, as if that was even possible.

  Why me? I kept asking myself as he gathered me up and flung me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

  “I can give you any amount, I swear, name the price…” I tried.

  “Shut that fucking bitch up or I’ll gut her myself!” came a disembodied raucous voice of the other attacker sounded.

  This can’t be happening, I told myself. It was like movie scene, something I never expected. I decided to stay quiet, but tried to listen for anything familiar, any voices or sounds. Maybe, just maybe, it was a bunch of college kids playing a prank, but there was nothing familiar about these men. The cool air hit my skin as they carried me out, and the next thing I know, I was being dumped ungraciously into a vehicle. The engine revved and the vehicle pulled away, causing me to tumble and crash against the side of the vehicle.

  “Get a move on!”

  A sob tore through my lungs, but I had this sinking suspicion that my tears would win me no favor. Whoever this was, they were out to either use me for ransom so that my dad can pay some ridiculous sum of money, or they were human traffickers, and I was going to be sold to some pathetic rich foreign bastard, to be his whore.

  As we sped off, all hope to be found or saved diminished. It would be at least three hours before anyone discovered I was gone. That is if I was lucky enough for someone to come look for me. By then we could be halfway to the next state. The way my heart was beating felt as if it was going to crush right through my rib cage. I realised I was never going to see the light of day again, and I started to cry hysterically.

  “Shut the hell up! Jesus you’re fucking annoying!” one of the hoodlums shouted.

  “I don’t want to die!” I cried.

  “Well then shut your trap and I might spare your fucking life,” he muttered.

  Just then screeching tires, followed by a loud bang sounded. My whole body jerked and I crashed into the seat in front of me. My bones and muscles felt like they were being crushed. My lungs contracted with such force that it felt as if I was suffocating. If I wasn’t bound, my arms and legs would be flailing, but now I was at the mercy of gravity and velocity. As if the cloth over my face wasn’t enough, my world kept flickering from semi-darkness to complete darkness. The only sound that filled my ears was the crushing of metal and glass. Then suddenly, everything stopped and the strong smell of gasoline filled my nose. I frantically tried to move, but to no avail. Out of the blue, two strong hands gripped me under my arms and hoisted me up before tugging the bag off my head.

  Oh my god, it was Irish! He worked for my father, it all made sense all of a sudden. He’s trying to play my dad and using me as bait! Frantically I tried to back away from him, hopping with my bound feet until I crashed to the ground.

  “Easy Alana, your dad sent me, we don’t have much time,” he said calmly.

  “What do you mean we…?”

  He snapped the cable ties with a quick flick of his wrist and picked me up, cradling me in his arms, “I would love to explain it to you, but now is not the time,” he interrupted and stalked over to a BMW parked not far from the crash.

  Around us the street was deserted, considering the accident I was surprised that no one came out to investigate. Other than the smashed-up SUV, there was no other vehicle involved. From what I could see, they must have swerved out of Irish’s way and hit the barrier on the side of the street.

  “Where’s my dad?” I asked instead as he gently put me into the passenger seat.

  “Are you hurt anywhere else besides your head?” he asked ignoring my question. But the way he carefully felt down my legs for any broken bones made me feel all warm and fuzzy, despite the circumstances we were facing.

  “I-I don’t think so, just my head and my jaw,” I whispered.

  “I’ll see to that cut as soon as we are out of harm’s way,” he reassured me and then walked to the wreckage. He pulled a gun out of his jacket. Two shots rang in the air as he pointed it to the injured men, shooting each one at point range in the head. Fear ricocheted through me again and I covered my head with my hands, smothering a scream.

  When the driver’s door opened and closed next to me, I looked at Irish, “Who were those men?”

  With one hand on the steering wheel, and the other resting casually on the center console as he half leaned to the side, he simply stared straight ahead. The way his brows were drawn together and his lips were set in a tight line, he looked dangerous to say the least. Clearly, he was not going to answer my questions right now.

  I pulled the hem of my shirt up and tried to wipe the blood from my face.

  “Here,” he said and handed me a handkerchief.

  Talk about strange days and weird people, I thought as I patted the cut above my brow and wiped the blood from my face. He just killed two men in cold blood and then he hands me a handkerchief like a real gentleman.

  Liam “Irish”

  That was too fucking close for words; I should have been there much earlier. I was pissed with myself for almost losing Alana to those fuckers, god knows what I would have done if that was the case. Fergus had trusted me with the safety of his daughter, and not even 12 hours later, she’s abducted.
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  I drove for about an hour before turning off onto a small dirt road. I stopped the car and got out to pull some branches and leaves across the open path to obscure it from passers-by. If I was going to protect Alana, I was on my own; I couldn’t trust anyone, not even my own men. Fergus’ men were working on clearing his name, his best legal team was on this, but getting past the FBI was no easy task. Look, Fergus was no innocent bystander, he’s a king pin, but so far, he has avoided the Feds, and they haven’t been able to pin him to any of the underground crime syndicates. Until now. The thing is, this current mess was not his doing at all.

  A wickedly devised plan by one of the rival gangs had placed his name at the center of one of the biggest scandals to ever hit the city. His hands may be dirty with laundering real estate money, but he never gotten involved in the drug scene. That was one thing O’Devlin avoided at all costs, and now the FBI was hunting him down for just that. Someone who posed as O’Devlin imported illegal drugs and pharmaceuticals and now his name was more tainted than ever. Not even our FBI informant could get Fergus out of this one without being caught himself.

  With Fergus in exile God knows where, I am the one to protect Alana, at least for now. Unfortunately for her, and with the current state of affairs, she would not be able to attend college and she would have to be in hiding too. Alana would serve as excellent bait for both the Feds and the Bronx Raiders to lure Fergus out of hiding.