My Fiancé’s Bodyguard by Ivy Wild

She was waitingin the foyer, standing there in an elegant pink gown next to her father. The dye that had lingered in her golden locks had finally fallen out and her hair had returned to its previous brand of sunshine.

To anyone that didn’t know her, she looked calm and totally at ease.

And I didn’t know her.

But, I knew her better than anyone standing in the stupid foyer. Including her father. And I could instantly tell something was up.

She was standing next to her father, who was standing next to a man I'd never seen before, but I'd seen his pictures plenty of time. It was Mark Stagg, District Attorney for the Suffolk County. The man who should have ordered an investigation into Billy’s murder, but sat on his hands and declared there was nothing suspicious.

I had no idea when I’d get the chance to speak with her. I hoped that her father, Johnny, and Mark would hole themselves up in an office for a few hours so I’d get a chance to see what was up. At the moment, I was just trying to hold myself back from landing a punch to the side of Mark's face.

Stupid prick had smug bastard written all over his face. Him not willing to meet with me or even take my fucking phone calls was what ultimately led me to where I was currently standing. The irony of it all was not lost on me.

“I’m glad we were all able to make it today,” Johnny said. He walked over to Madelyn and reached out his hand. She placed hers in his gracefully and I hoped that the fuckers couldn’t see how hard I was clenching my teeth.

Fuck, being around her being around other men was far more difficult than I anticipated.

“It’s good to see you again, my dear,” Johnny said to her with a sly smile. “I see you are looking much better after some rest. I'm sorry I couldn't visit sooner, but work had other plans for me.”

Madelyn nodded shyly and gave him an innocent smile that had my heart smashing against my rib cage. “Yes, I’m feeling much better,” she replied.

“Well, the men need to talk business but I look forward to meeting with you after.”

She nodded, her bright hair catching the smallest bits of light in the darkened foyer. “I look forward to it. I think I’ll take a walk through the gardens while I wait.”

“Max, do accompany her,” Johnny said to me.

“Oh, that really isn’t necessary,” Madelyn said quickly and I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Nonsense,” Johnny said, patting her hand. “We can’t have you wandering off on your own. Besides, this way I can just call Max and he’ll bring you back to me without delay.”

Madelyn hesitated but finally nodded. “Alright,” she said.

The trio of men moved into Henry’s office, closing the doors and leaving me and the princess outside. She didn’t say a word to me. Instead, she just turned and started making her way towards the back of the house.

I fell into line with her and felt my anger start to increase. She didn’t turn around to even acknowledge me as we entered the maze of hedges. Finally, when I knew we were out of earshot of the house, I took several quick steps and grabbed onto her hand. She tried to pull free from me but I wrapped my arms around her firmly.

“Madelyn.” I said her name and shook her slightly. “What the hell is this?”

She wouldn’t look up at me, but I could see that her eyes were starting to fill with tears.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, my anger vanishing at seeing her cry. “Is it your father? Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head and her movements stilled. I pulled her into me and started to look around for somewhere more private. There was an outcropping of trees a few feet off with a weeping willow at the center. The long, sad branches hung down, creating a bit of a curtain.

“Come on,” I said, pulling her towards the area.

She tried to pull away and I was about to fight with her again, but she shook her head. “Hold on. I need to grab this.”

I let go of her hand and watched her run forward to a white stone garden bench a few yards in the distance. She knelt down on the grass and reached beneath it, producing a file folder. She walked back to me and I instinctively put my arm around her and guided her behind the curtain of leaves.

She pushed the folder into my hands before leaning against the trunk of the tree. I could see the tears begin to fall down her cheeks and I put the file on the grass and went to her immediately.

The way I was reacting to her probably should have been a warning sign to me at how stupidly caught up in her I was. But, I didn’t care about that right now. I just cared about knowing why she was crying.

“Madelyn, please,” I said, brushing aside bits of golden hair that stuck to her tear-stained face. “I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“I just don’t know if I can do this,” she finally replied through unsteady breaths.

My heartbeat wildly in my chest. "Do what?" I asked her, desperate for her to clarify.

She pointed at the file folder lying in the grass. "That," she said. "I'm just not sure I'm cut out for this sort of thing, Max," she said honestly.

I pulled her into my arms. She fought me at first before finally relenting. I wished I could have felt her more easily but the heavy tactical vest I had on formed a rift between us.

"You were so sure the last time we spoke," I said to her. "What happened?"

She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. I brushed one aside that dared to fall down her cheek.

"I went for that folder last night," she said in a hushed whisper. "My father came into the office while I was there."

"Did he see you?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No. I hid under his desk until he left, but it was the scariest thing I've ever done, Max. I thought for sure he was going to find me."

I squeezed her into me again. "I never said this was going to be easy. I live this way every day."

She pulled back and looked up at me. "I guess I never really thought about it that way. Aren't you scared?"

I thought about her words for a moment. "Maybe I was at one point. But, I think that when you have something you really care about, the fear of what others could do to you just melts away. Because, deep down you know, if you don't accomplish your goal, the demons that will haunt you for the rest of your life are far more terrifying."

"I miss my mother," she said in a sad voice.

"I know," I said to her. "I miss my friend."

"I want to help you," she said and I nodded.

"You are helping me."

We parted for a brief moment and she went to retrieve the file that I'd dropped. Her attitude seemed a bit renewed after hearing my words. I couldn't tell if I was being manipulative or supportive. I didn't want to manipulate her. If she was scared and wanted to back out of this whole thing, of course I would let her. But, I also needed her. The trail had gone cold on me for years now. Her presence gave me renewed confidence that I hadn't voluntarily become a mobster for nothing.

She turned around and made her way over to me with the folder.

"If you want out, you know I won't stop you," I told her.

She gave me a sad smile. "I know, Max. But, there's no getting out of this for me."

I knew exactly what she meant. She flipped the file over to me and I took it, opening it up to look through it quickly. I placed the thing on the ground and opened up an app that encrypted things instantly before I started snapping photos with my phone of each of the pages.

"Why was your father in his office in the middle of the night?" I asked her as I continued taking pictures.

"I don't know."

"What did he do?"

"He made a phone call."

"Can you tell me what he said? Any information about who was on the other end?"

She wrung her hands. "I was so nervous about being caught. I wasn't listening too carefully."

I gave her a reassuring look. "Just try your best."

She nodded her head. "He was talking to someone on the other end, but I don't know who. He was swearing. I'd never heard him talk like that before." She paused, clearly trying to remember more details. "He was asking about delivery routes. If this person could take on another one. Something about wanting to be sure before he agreed to it with Johnny."

My eyes widened. "He specifically mentioned Johnny?"

She nodded her head. "I think so, yes."

I finished up with the folder and closed the thing, handing it back to her. "You're going to need to put that back," I told her. "Otherwise, if your father sees that it's gone, he's going to instantly become suspicious."

She looked nervous but nodded her head and took back the folder. I fished a small device out of my pocket and handed it to her. "Don't let anyone see that. Hide it out here and come back for it if you need to."

She held it up and looked at it. "What is it?"

"It's a listening device," I said.

Her eyes widened. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

I nodded my head. "I've been around Johnny long enough. I know the sorts of devices he sweeps the rooms for. This one gets around all that." I watched her turn the little plug over in her hands.

"Your father has an office phone, yes?"

She nodded her head.

"In the back of the phone, there's going to be an ethernet cord. It plugs into the phone with a little clear plastic clip. It's what connects the phone to the internet."

She nodded her head. "Yeah, I think I know what you're talking about."

"Take that plug out and insert this first, then plug the cord back in. It should fit snuggly and your father won't be any wiser."

"What's it do?"

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it. Just know it will let us listen in on all of your father's conversations which could be extremely valuable."

"Okay," she said quietly. "I think I can do it."

"Wait a night or two if you need to work up the nerve, but not more," I warned her. "The longer that folder is missing, the larger the chance he notices."

She nodded her head as she hugged the little bits of paper to her chest. I could tell how out of sorts she felt about this whole thing and my chest tightened, which was a weird sensation.

I dared to pull her in close to me and she didn't fight it. I wrapped her in my arms, all while my conscience was telling me that I shouldn't be doing this. Honoring her wishes at the hotel was one thing. It was her who had initiated because she didn't want to give a piece of herself to Johnny if the worst happened. I could understand wanting to make that choice. Me taking her the night after had been a mistake on my part. And so was me touching her right now, but I couldn't stop myself.

For years, my life had become darker, colder, quieter. Madelyn showed up with her bright hair and bright attitude, and I was helpless to refuse her. I lifted her chin with my hand and brushed my thumb against her lips. I so wanted to kiss her and she was looking at me like she wanted that, too.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" I asked her in a hushed voice.

"I think so," she replied.

We stood there for a moment, neither of us moving, neither of us wanting to break the quiet that was building between us.

Her lips were so soft against the calluses of my finger and I couldn't stop myself from moving forward to claim them. She didn't stop me, at least not at first. But then she pulled away, and my heart could barely take it.

"I, um," she started to say before my phone buzzed against my pocket.

Her demeanor shifted back to quiet as I pulled the device to my ear. "Yeah?" I asked.

Johnny told me I was to bring Madelyn back to the house if we were not on our way back already.

"Go hide the folder," I told her as I stuffed my phone back into my pocket. "We gotta get back up to the house."

I could see her swallow thickly before she made her way outside of the tree's branches and over to the stone bench where she'd hidden the thing in the first place. I tried to push down the feelings of guilt that were welling up in me as far as this girl was concerned. It was an emotion that was going to get me nowhere.

She'd chosen this path too, I reminded myself.

We made our slow return up to the house in silence. When we got up there, Johnny invited Madelyn over to the bakery in one week's time for dinner and she was helpless to refuse. As much as I knew she hated how things were progressing with Johnny, they were still going much slower than any other wife I'd seen him take, which was positive for our plans. Plus, her coming by the bakery wasn't the worst thing in the world. It at least gave us another fixed date to exchange information, if necessary.

Everyone said their goodbyes as I kept my mask firmly in place. I watched her walk towards her rooms from the corner of my eye, that stupid lacy pink dress of hers billowing behind her. My heart clenched again as I was forced to turn away from her, but I ignored it.

Falling for the princess was not a smart move. In fact, I was pretty sure it was going to get us both killed.