Chapter Forty

Leandra

To say I was annoyed would be the understatement of the year.

After getting a whopping five hours of sleep, my bodyguard dragged me out of bed at seven fucking thirty in the morning and started barking orders like he was in charge.  Samuel picked me up, deposited my groggy ass in the bathroom, set down a pile of clothes on the counter, and told me I had five minutes to piss and brush my teeth.

Obviously I protested and began peppering him with questions, but the man merely shook his head and refused to give me any information.

“If you trust me at all, Lee, I’m going to need your full cooperation.  We’re going somewhere, but it’s a secret and I can’t tell you.  Please just go along with it.”

His use of ‘Lee’ instead of ‘Leandra,’ in addition to the desperately nervous behavior, convinced me to humor the man.

That’s how I found myself flying high above the United States in a charter plane with no fucking clue where I was headed. 

Was I pissed?  Fuck yeah.  I do not like to fly.  I do not like surprises.  I do not like trying to solve mysteries while running on empty from lack of sleep.

Don’t go getting any wild ideas that Sam hauled me back to my apartment and we fucked like the energizer bunny all night long. 

Nope.

Didn’t happen.

My whole crew ended up at one of my bars and we partied until two in the morning.  Of course drinks were on me, since I had an extra hundred grand burning a hole in my pocket.  Free flowing beer and an open bar tends to put everyone in a very good mood.  My soldiers were eager to congratulate me on a job well done.  I was more than pleased to hold court and accept their gratitude.

Over and over I had to hear Ian tell people about my crazy and devious plans.  By the end of the night, my brother could barely stand up straight and he took credit for half the shit I accomplished.

“Did you know that Lee and I planned for Hawk to get his ass kicked?” he asked everyone who would listen.  “That dumb fucker never even had a chance.  We set him up because he’s a dirty thief.  You guys thought we were fucking nuts, but we were damn geniuses, is what we were!  We ‘let’ Barsotti get a win and took care of Hawk at the same time!”

Once my brother has too many drinks, he can’t keep his mouth shut.  That’s why I somehow neglected to inform him of my other ‘coup’ of the evening.  I knew Valentino was a force to be reckoned with, so I needed the element of surprise on my side in regards to Grizzly.  We played up his goofy costume and I purposely put him in the pre-fight room next to Barsotti’s champion.  I also made sure that the air vent was wide open and our voices would carry, giving them an earful of my ‘hesitation’ over putting Grizzly in the ring.

What can I say?  I’m a good actress.

Yes, everything had gone perfectly according to plan.  Until Samuel threw his monkey wrench into the entire operation by spontaneously kissing me.  I made sure to stay a safe distance away from him at the bar, and we hadn’t had a chance to discuss anything afterward since I had to take care of my drunk brother.

But now I found myself stuck on a plane with the handsome man who refused to give me even the smallest hint about our destination.

“We’ve been flying over the country for three hours,” I complained bitterly.  “Why won’t you tell me where we’re going?”

“Curiosity killed the cat,” he explained, stone-faced, not showing a hint of emotion.  I liked to consider myself an excellent judge of body language, and I had never seen such a poker face on anyone in my life.

“Okay, fine.  I’ll just have to figure it out myself.  Maybe you’re an undercover FBI agent and you’ve finally got enough evidence to put me behind bars for a good long time.  Is that it?” I pondered aloud.  “Or perhaps you’ve realized how much money I have and you’re going to kidnap me and hold me for ransom?”

For some odd reason, my bodyguard relaxed a bit.  Maybe a small part of him actually thought I would make a valid guess, and he was worried his ‘surprise’ would be ruined.

In all honesty, I trusted the man with my life.  The only thing that bothered me was the unknown.  Was he going to accept the fact that we were meant for each other, or leave me entirely?  I had a strange feeling that it was now or never.  Reel in the fish or cut bait.

After what seemed like an eternity, our plane landed at a small private airport and Samuel escorted me to a vehicle waiting in the parking lot.

But this was no ordinary vehicle.  No, sir.  It was a very familiar rusty old pick-up truck with Kansas license plates.

“What the hell?” I mumbled in shock.

“I didn’t like the way things ended from our last road trip, Lee.  Too much was left unsaid.  It’s time to have a resolution so we can both go on with our lives.”

Fuck.  Go on with our lives together or separately?  I stuck my shaking hands under my legs in order to hide my anxiety.  Not much in this world truly frightened me, but the thought of living without Sam made me want to throw up.

I took a few deep breaths and forced myself to calm down.  Yes, I did enjoy the thrill of the chase with my bodyguard, but that had lost its luster.  I was tired of chasing after someone who might not even want me.  He was right.  We did need a final resolution.  I just hoped it wouldn’t end with me getting a broken heart.

Driving down scenic roads and completely missing the beauty because my mind was preoccupied with more important things, we eventually pulled into a parking lot and my heart caught in my throat.

“Do you know where we are?” he asked casually.

Unable to speak, I simply nodded my head.  We were at a beach.  But not just any beach.  This was the same place I proposed to Sam exactly one week ago.

Holy shit.

“Take a walk with me,” he urged, leaving the safety of the truck in order to come around to my side and open the door like a gentleman.

I bit my lip and hesitated.  I knew I could handle whatever life threw at me.  Suck it up, buttercup.  You’re tough. 

Without another word, Sam walked straight to the beach and gazed out at the ocean in a manner eerily similar to the last time we were here.  I followed him, not caring about the feel of sand in my toes, the soft breeze on my face, or the soothing sound of the waves.

None of that mattered.  This could either be heaven or hell, and it all depended on whatever one man was about to say.

I stood at his side and opened my mouth, but he put a finger to my lips.

“Let me speak, Leandra.”

So I did.

Gazing down into my eyes, a look of sadness crept over his face.

“You deserve a proper explanation as to why I turned down your proposal.  I’m here to give it to you.  No more hesitation, no more hiding my feelings, and no more hot and cold behavior.  Nothing but the truth.”

Good.  I can’t go on like this either.  I need him to be brutally honest with me, even if it’s not something I want to hear.

“In my entire life, I never pictured a woman asking me to marry her,” he explained.  “It’s wrong and unnatural.  The man proposes to his special lady, or he’s not a man at all.  That’s the problem, Leandra.  You’re a headstrong, stubborn, defiant, independent woman.  You’re my boss.  Never have I met someone with such a powerful and controlling personality.  You deserve better than to settle for one of your lowly employees.  Leandra Donahue should be with a proper alpha male that can sweep her off her feet and provide for his woman.  Some guys would love to marry a rich lady and sponge off her for the rest of their lives, eagerly taking all she had to give without offering anything in return.  I’m not one of them.  Money would become an issue and it would destroy us.  Do you think I want to ask my wife for a fucking allowance?  No.”

Really?  Are you fucking kidding me right now?  He’d let something so trivial stand in the way of true love?  Before I could rip him a new asshole, he had the nerve to keep talking.

“I can’t live like this with all the hot and cold.  I can’t kiss you one day and then force myself to back off the next.  We can’t keep doing what we’re doing.  This isn’t working, Leandra.  It’s killing me.  I have no other option but to quit working for you.  Effective immediately, I’m no longer one of your employees.”

I sucked in a deep breath, unable to comprehend his words.  But he still wasn’t done speaking.

“As you’re well aware, I turned my sixty grand into a hundred and twenty thousand bucks by betting on Grizzly last night.  I plan to use eighty of that to fully pay off my father’s medical debts.  The rest of the money will go towards starting my new career,” he confessed.  “I have no plans to be a farmer for the rest of my life.  That won’t make me happy.  After much soul searching, I realized that I’m pretty good at this whole bodyguard business.  For obvious reasons, I can’t become a cop.  So I figured I’d open up a private protection firm.  There must be a lot of customers out there that could use my special skills.  I’m taking Grizzly with me.  He already agreed to be my partner.”

Just kick me when I’m down.  Twist the knife a little bit more.

“I’ve actually gotten a solid lead on my first client,” he explained, cracking a small smile.  “She’s a very powerful business owner and sexy Irish crime boss that recently lost two of her best employees.  I’m willing to give the woman one hell of a bargain since she’s very special.”

Wait, what?  Was he talking about me?  I don’t understand…

Suddenly dropping to one knee, Sam took my hand and pulled out a black velvet box.

“Lee, I couldn’t let you propose to me as a woman asking her employee for his hand in marriage.  That’s bullshit and no way to start our life together.  I needed a week to get my head on straight and figure out a plan to turn the tables.  I come to you now as a man kneeling in front of the love of his life.”

Sam cleared his throat and continued with a smile so genuine it made me melt. 

“Leandra Marie Donahue…ever since the night you first walked into my life, I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you.  Never has one person had such an impact on me.  I whole heartedly believe in people having ‘soul mates’ and I have found mine in you.  You are brilliant, loyal, beautiful beyond my wildest dreams, protective of all you hold dear, courageous in every sense of the word, never afraid to stand out in a crowd, and you’ve completely stolen my heart.  There is not one quality I would seek in a life partner that you do not have.  I can’t sleep at night unless you’re in my arms.  I can’t live the rest of my life without you, or it won’t be worth living.  It would be my honor and privilege to walk beside you in this life and the next.  I love you for so many reasons, I could list every single one but we’d be standing here for hours.  Will you marry me?”

In honor of the moment, and recognition of the fact that he proposed in the same place as I had only a week before, I figured it was fitting to also give him a one word reply.

“YES!”