My Fiancé’s Bodyguard by Ivy Wild

"Oh,careful! There's a delicate item inside. I need it to stay safe." She looked at me with those big blue eyes of hers and I just knew she'd done what I told her not to fucking do.

Goddamnit, I was so pissed at her. How could she be so clever and yet so stupid? Rule number one of spying was you never ever took something that people would look for. It would raise suspicions right away. And if what she said was true, Mark used this book every fucking day.

But, at the same time, if this damn book had what she claimed it had, then maybe we'd be okay. Maybe I could get it turned over to the Feds who were investigating the Family in enough time for them to make sure Madelyn was safe. Because, I really didn't care about myself at this point. She had put herself in harm's way to get this journal to me and I understood that this little stunt of hers meant staying at Johnny's house overnight.

It was obvious that she was all in on getting justice for Billy and for her mother. There was just no way in hell I was all in on Johnny touching her.

"Okay, princess," I replied before turning around and walking the luggage out to the car. As I was loading the thing into the Escalade, the boys followed me and started milling around outside the restaurant.

"Well, what the fuck are you boys supposed to be doing?" I asked them.

A few of them just murmured lame responses. "Get the fuck outta here. I know all of you have work to do that you're sitting on."

There was a bit of scuffling and some groaning but they all finally cleared. I might not have real rank within the organization, but the fact that I worked so close to Johnny on a daily basis did give me some level of authority over the foot soldiers.

More than anything, I did not want them seeing me driving off in the opposite direction of Johnny's penthouse apartment. Because, I was not going to be taking the luggage immediately there. I needed to take it to a place where I could search through it without being seen. I had no idea where this fucking journal was hidden inside and more than that, I needed to actually read it and get it over to the Feds as soon as fucking possible.

I really wish she could have given me some goddamn notice. I grimaced as I wondered whether she'd tried to call the burner phone last night. I'd been on an all-night job and had arrived at the restaurant in the morning to check-in and make sure I was there when she arrived. I hadn't seen the inside of my apartment for the last 24 hours, so even if she had tried to call, I wouldn't have known.

I ground my teeth as I tried to think of where to go. I hated driving the fucking Escalade. It was such a target. I decided I would just head home because pulling the journal out anywhere in public was far too risky. I didn't trust anyone these days, not even fucking pedestrians.

As the miles ticked by on my way to my apartment in Chelsea, I thought about what my next steps would be. Or, at least I tried to. Because more than anything, the knowledge that Madelyn was alone with Johnny right now at the restaurant, and the knowledge that he was going to take her back to his house this evening, was causing me to grip the steering wheel hard.

I hated that she had stolen the journal. If she hadn't, she would have just come by the bakery for an afternoon lunch and then she would have gone home and she would have been safe. I had no way to protect her when she was at Johnny's house. I had no way to even know if she would be in danger.

But, more than anything, I hated the fact that I was the one that had pulled her into this mess. I still couldn't get what I'd said to her on the phone out of my head. I'd never said that to anyone.

Someone like me didn't deserve to say it to anyone.

And nobody deserved having someone like me say something like that to them.

My life was dominated by a quest for revenge. My heart was dead. It had to be. Because, I was the one who had killed it. So then, how could I possibly be feeling this way towards Madelyn Dimes? How could I even be feeling at all?

I pulled the car up to my apartment and let my head rest against the headrest. I closed my eyes and tried to even my breathing. Everything about this woman rushed me.

My pulse ran fast.

My thoughts swarmed.

And, she'd rapidly accelerated the timeline as far as Johnny was concerned.

I squeezed my eyes shut. In a few short weeks, Madelyn had become everything to me. And all I'd done was take everything from her.

I forced myself out of the vehicle and grabbed the pink case and hauled it up the stairs to my apartment. I did a sweep of the area and drew all the shades before putting the thing on my bed and opening it up.

I started unpacking the suitcase item by item, looking for the journal. I had no idea what shape or size it was so I wasn't sure if it had been wrapped up in something else. But, as I got to the bottom of the suitcase, I still hadn't found anything.

I started to worry that there had been some mix-up or worse, that someone had discovered the journal in her luggage and had removed it without her being aware. But, as I looked at the lining of the little case, I noticed that part of it appeared to be tucked back in at an odd angle.

Careful, I pried it back and found that the journal had been slipped between a false backing and the hard plastic casing of the bag. Another smart move by whoever had packed the thing.

I pulled the book gently out of its hiding spot and repacked the luggage. Then, I sat down next to the pink case and opened the journal.

It wasn't what I had expected. On the outside it was worn brown suede, but on the inside, it was just a collection of lined pages held together by a plastic spiral spine so that pages could be added or removed. The number of pages was fairly large and the little book barely closed given its thickness.

All that to say that there was likely something in here that could be useful, but whether or not I'd be able to go through it all was questionable.

I started leafing through the pages of the journal. Madelyn's information was correct. The thing did go back several years. But, as I continued turning the pages my hope for what I might find began to diminish, until finally, it was snuffed out.

At most, the journal might be able to confirm that Mark did have telephone calls with both Henry and potentially with Johnny. But, besides that, there was nothing in the journal that detailed any of these calls.

Every single day was just a table of tasks and the associated amount of time Mark had spent on the task. It was, essentially, a lawyer's timesheet.

0.3 Telephone call to Governor's Office

1.2 Attend press conference

0.7 Review memorandum regarding zoning violations

It was this for pages and pages. Mark certainly did write everything down in this journal. But, whether it could secure a conviction of illicit behavior on its own was doubtful.

I was devastated. Madelyn had risked it all for this book. And it had gotten us no closer to our goal. Not only that, but this stupid thing being in our possession put us both in potential danger. Having seen the journal's contents now I knew it might not be as worrisome to Mark that it had gone missing. But, it certainly did tend to point the finger at Madelyn.

After being caught in her father's office, Mark's journal disappears just before she leaves the house for a trip that was only supposed to last an afternoon?

I sighed. I tucked the journal inside my gun safe and made my way back outdoors with the pink luggage. I needed to get this thing over to the house and prep the staff. I'd have to think of some way of letting Madelyn know what had happened. And more importantly, I needed to figure out how to keep her safe.

Johnny livedin a restored Victorian in Cambridge. It was a very large house by Boston's standards, at just over 8,000 square feet. I'd been there only once before and had never been allowed inside.

Another way that Johnny embezzled some of his funds was through home projects. He was a large donor of the local Historic Preservation Society and his house had apparently even won some award for turning an old house into something a rich person would want to buy.

Everything Johnny did was a front. With each passing day, that was becoming clearer and clearer to me.

As far as I understood it, Johnny kept a staff on the premises for basic tasks like cooking and cleaning. If nothing else, this trip at least gave me the opportunity to get inside the house and see if there were any weaknesses I could exploit.

Unlike most Boston residences, Johnny's house had a driveway but access to the house was gated. One of the boys sat in a gatehouse just outside. I nodded to him and he recognized me. "Dropping off shit for Johnny and gotta talk to the staff," I said.

I got a nod in return and the gate opened up for me. I was glad to know that there was a gate guard and I hoped that by the time I made my way back to the bakery, I'd be able to figure out if there was also a rover. Knowing Johnny, the answer was yes.

I parked the Escalade in the driveway and pulled the suitcase up to the front porch. The exterior of the home was a mix of red brick, olive wood siding and far too many window grilles. I never understood why New Englanders insisted on putting the stupid wooden criss-cross things on their clear window panes. It was like they enjoyed obstructing their view.

I rang the bell and a woman that sort of reminded me of Madelyn's old maid friend at the mansion opened the door. I guess there was a certain look for matrons of houses. She was a little taller than Doris, though, with greying hair and a face that said not to mess with her.

"You boys aren't supposed to be coming to the house," she said in an exasperated tone.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, but Johnny asked me to drop this off," I said, holding the piece of luggage in the air. "And also asked me to tell you that you'll be having a guest over."

"Oh, for Christ's sake," the woman said before reaching for the piece of luggage.

"Sorry, ma'am," I said, pulling it back. "But, I was told to place it directly where she'd be staying." It was bullshit, but it was worth a shot. This woman clearly had not been given any information by Johnny about the guest, so she wouldn't have known that I was just supposed to deliver the case, But, if she bought it, I'd know where she intended to put Madelyn.

"Fine," she huffed and motioned for me to follow her. I stepped inside and she closed the large oak door behind me. "Follow me and don't touch anything," she said in a harsh tone.

"Yes ma'am," I replied in a flat voice. Not like I'd want to touch anything in this house. God, it was disgusting. Every single room had a different patterned wallpaper. The old-style molding throughout the house was painted a subdued almond rather than bright white, and the dark wood floors made the thousands of square feet seem small and oppressive. Basically, the entire vibe of the place was old money.

We walked through the hallway to get to the spiral staircase at the end and I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be Johnny's home office. When he didn't work at the Bakery, he worked at his home. What I wouldn't give to place a tap on one of his phones. That's what would really seal the case for us.

I followed the woman up a flight of stairs and down another hallway. I oriented myself as she opened up the door and thought about which window and its location on the outside of the house. When I stepped inside, I looked out the window and confirmed my thinking, as well. The good news was that there was a large oak tree that butted up to this side of the house that would make reaching Madelyn a little easier.

The room had deep red silk walls and sconces with flouted edges gave the room a cringey touch. A wooden poster bed and small writing desk along with a black shaded lamp were the pieces of furniture. None of it looked comfortable or even remotely functional. I knew Madelyn would hate it.

"Go ahead and place the suitcase in here," the woman said in an irritated tone. "I need to see to dinner preparations. I trust you can find your way out?"

I nodded my head. "Yeah, thanks."

She didn't spare me a second glance before leaving the room and heading back downstairs to the kitchen that I assumed was to the rear of the place.

I knew I couldn't risk staying too long, but I spared another glance around the room to orient myself and then made my way back down the stairs. It was too risky to leave Madelyn a note saying anything about the journal in a place like this. No, I'd have to get information to her tonight the old-fashioned way.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, Johnny's office was off to my right and my hand reached into my pocket. I rolled the wiretap against my fingers before making a split-second decision to do something probably stupid, and definitely reckless.

I stole into Johnny's office and didn't spare a second thought to the horrid green wallpaper or antique desk that looked like it was old during the Civil War. Instead, I located his office phone, unplugged the ethernet cable and within two seconds, had the entire thing back in place and was making my way out.

"I thought you said you could see yourself out?" a harsh voice said as I entered the hallway.

"Sorry, ma'am," I said, "Dropped something that rolled on the hardwood and didn't want anyone to trip."

"I also thought I told you not to touch anything," she said, brushing past me with folded napkins in her hand.

I nodded. "Was just something of mine, that's all. Thanks, ma'am. I'll be leaving."

I made my way out of that house and into the car as quickly as possible. I took a few minutes to watch for the rover schedule and as soon as I had it figured out, I backed that car up and drove off, a new plan forming in my head.

One that was also stupid, and definitely reckless, but might just work.

"How much longer do youplan on staying here?" I asked Mark as he closed the door. I sat down at one of the sofas at the center of the room. Mark took a moment to pace around nervously before finally sitting down himself.

I could tell he was nervous and it always surprised me that he was the District Attorney for the county. In public, he put on a good show, but in private, his nerves were stretched thinner than the threads of a Mariah Carey stage costume.

"I don't know," he said a bit frantically. "Until the Feds stop pestering me, I guess?"

"I'm not sure how staying here is going to help with that," I pointed out. "Especially since they're interested in Johnny and your connection to him and Madelyn is engaged in all but name."

"Well, obviously I didn't know that when I asked you to come here. Had I known I wouldn't have made the request. But, it would look more suspicious for me now to suddenly call off the home renovations."

"Well, I suppose it has given us an opportunity to have candid discussions without fear of someone listening in."

Mark nodded. "So you said Johnny wanted you to expand delivery routes into Rhode Island? Isn't he worried about encroaching on others' territory?"

I shrugged, but internally I knew that Mark had a point. Johnny and I had been working together for some years. The operation started out small enough. He owned a bakery that he used to launder his street money from drug sales through and my family still operated a flour mill. The business was no longer profitable, but it had been what gave this family its name and fortune, and it wasn't something I would ever abandon.

Connecting with Johnny had become what the company needed. My trucks delivered flour supplies to the bakery. The products were manufactured and loaded back onto the trucks, which then delivered baked goods across the city for its most loyal customers as well as a few wholesale operations.

This arrangement had worked well for the last decade. Getting involved in something like this was never something I had planned. But, the 2008 financial crash and the extended recession afterward were not something I had anticipated. Most of the family's money was tied up in real estate projects across the city and when things went belly up, so did the bank account. When Johnny approached me with his deal, I was desperate. It's likely that he knew that, too.

We started small at first, with just local deliveries and expanded as we had greater success. But, this latest request of Johnny's was into a territory that he didn't control. And that would require protection for my own guys. Of course I wasn't going to be able to bring in outsiders, so in an incestuous business relationship that definitely benefited Johnny, he hired me for a job that required me to hire his own guys.

That's what had led to him coming to the house in the first place. His interest in Madelyn was a welcome surprise. I hadn't been able to marry that girl off for the life of me. She was a brat and that was putting it mildly. She turned down every offer that was put in front of her, but even she knew when Johnny took interest in her, there was no way for her to say no. It was too perfect.

Mark's arrangement with Scarlett had just made sense. Johnny always had a need for ensuring that the authorities weren't going to investigate certain incidents. That sort of stuff always worked its way to the top. Boston had been around for a long time. The city had its own pulse and those that lived within it understood that the mobs still existed. Mark knew it too and did the smarter thing of joining in. The alternative wouldn't have been great for his health.

He also knew that if he played the game right, his pieces would be on the board for as long as he wanted them to be. More than anything, that's what made this life so lucrative. It wasn't about the fast money that Hollywood tried to sell you on. It was about the long game. The guaranteed income and retirement for the rest of your life. So long as you could keep your head above water.

That's what Mark was currently dealing with and it put us all at risk. Federal agents sniffing around our operation was a bad thing. And Johnny not being concerned and still trying to push into neighboring territory was worse. Mark was nervous and I didn't blame him.

But, I wasn't going to be the one to tell Johnny "no."

And neither was Mark.

So here we were.

"I'm sure if Johnny wants to push into a different territory, he's got the authority to do so," I replied to Mark's question.

Mark rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "You don't believe that for a second, Henry. Don't bullshit a bullshitter."

"There's no use talking about something that can't be helped," I pointed out. "Better to focus on what we need to do to protect ourselves from an investigation, especially given Johnny's stance on the whole thing."

Mark nodded but looked helpless.

I sighed. "Who's investigating? Do you have an idea on which agency it even is?"

"I think it's the U.S. Attorney's Office," Mark said. "They were the ones poking around previously."

"Well, at least it's not the FBI or the DEA," I said. "We should be able to deal with a few kids who couldn't land big law jobs out of law school so had to find work at the government level."

Mark gave me a bit of a harsh stare, and I realized I'd inadvertently offended him as well. I waved my hand to dismiss the whole thing. "Anyways," I said. "Aren't you in touch with the local Federal District Attorney's Office pretty regularly on things?"

Mark nodded. "Yes. But it's not them. It's a different office. One based out of Miami. I don't have sway down there and I have no clue how they do things there, either. It's not like here."

"Yeah," I said, mulling over the new information. "That could be a problem."

"So, how do you think we should handle it?" Mark asked.

I was silent for a minute as I thought the whole thing through. "There's nothing we can do at the moment," I said. "Other than keep the status quo. I'll try and delay this new territory push from my end as much as possible, but I don't know how long I'll be able to do that. Otherwise, just continue to act as if everything is the same. They went away once before, didn't they?"

Mark nodded. "Yeah. But I don't know why. Could’ve been a fluke or maybe they were just waiting for a chance to collect more evidence. Henry, the number of murders I've had to cover up, your wi--"

I held up my hand, cutting the idiot off. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Mark. You are clearly exhausted and delusional. You should get some rest," I said, standing.

Mark stood as well but looked at me with wary eyes. "Yes, perhaps I should," he said, before exiting the office quickly.

I sighed and touched my hands to the cool glass of my desk. Mark being here was getting to me, but it also revealed a few things that were not good. He'd become more loose-lipped over the years. He should have known not to say something like he just did in a house full of people.

There was a reason the Feds were probably targeting him. Because they knew he was the weakest link. Something needed to be done, and fast.

Spendingthe afternoon alone with Johnny was an odd experience. In all honesty, the conversation was pleasant and polite, but that was to be expected. Johnny hadn't risen the ranks as fast as he did and hold onto power for as long as he had by being awkward.

Plus, the entire time we talked I kept thinking about the fact that he was sixty and I was twenty-two. Oh, and that he likely had Max's friend and my mother murdered. So, there was that.

But, he'd walked me around the North End of Boston and pointed out various landmarks. The Paul Revere House was our first stop. The old grey colonial looked wildly out of place next to the dated, but not quite as dated, brick apartment buildings. But, it was still a cool piece of history. Then he took me to the Old North Church, which was the oldest surviving church in Boston and the irony was not lost on me. Finally, our afternoon ended with drinks on the Wharf, overlooking the Bay.

The sun started its slow descent down to the horizon, turning the sky all sorts of colors that played out over the Bay. It was a beautiful sight made tragic by what it signaled for me.

"I'll have the car brought around," Johnny said to me as I sipped my drink.

I nodded my head. "Yes, okay," was all I could muster. I still had no plan for how this evening would go. I hadn't really thought this far ahead. All I knew was that I needed to get that journal into Max's hands and the rest would be up to him. But, fending off Johnny when he took me back to his house for the evening was not something I was prepared to handle.

"Did you enjoy your time today, my dear?" Johnny asked me.

I smiled at him and nodded my head again. "Yes. Thank you." I knew I was acting shy, but I wasn't sure how else to act.

His hand ventured out over the top of the table to rest on mine. "I am pleased that you've decided to spend the night."

A blush crept up on my cheeks. "I feel so embarrassed by the situation," I said, sidestepping the obvious language he'd used. "It was so presumptuous of me."

"Not at all," Johnny said. He looked behind him as the car arrived. I took a moment to take in his features and sighed. He hadn't aged well, but Mafia Dons usually didn't. He was mostly bald, about my height, which was only around five foot six, and it was obvious he didn't follow Scarface's rule about not sampling your own stuff as far as the bakery went.

Trying to picture doing with Johnny what I'd done with Max made me blanch. I looked up and saw Max climbing out of the car to open the door. "Wasn't aware I was your new chauffeur," he mumbled as Johnny approached the car.

Johnny just ignored him and helped me into the backseat. When he entered and closed the door he finally said, "I like to keep the number of people who know my whereabouts to a minimum, Max," Johnny said. "Since you were informed earlier, you're afforded the honor of driving me and my guest home."

"Yeah, whatever," Max replied.

I was burning up with anxiety at seeing Max. Had he found the journal? Had he been able to look through it? How was I supposed to deal with Johnny tonight? Had he really said he loved me on the phone the other night?

I pushed that last thought out of my head. I really didn't need to be thinking about that when I was dealing with--I looked at Johnny sitting next to me and internally grimaced--this.

The drive from the North End over to Johnny's house in what I knew to be Cambridge took about twenty minutes. We pulled up to a heavily gated and secluded area and only as we drove up the driveway did the house reveal itself from the road.

Max parked the Escalade and climbed out, opening the door for me and Johnny. I tried to hang back, hoping to steal a moment to whisper with Max, but Johnny grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the house. "Don't be shy, my dear," he said. "This will eventually be your home, too. So, it's good that you're spending the night."

Max continued to look down like the grass was the most interesting thing in the world as Johnny and I walked further and further away from him.

"What am I supposed to do, Boss?" he called out to Johnny.

Johnny turned as we reached the front porch to look at Max. He waved his hand as if to dismiss him. "I'll call you tomorrow about picking us back up," he said before giving me a grotesque smile. "But, it might be a little later in the morning than usual."

I tried desperately to smile but I knew I looked like Drake after Madonna kissed him at Coachella. I tried to catch Max's eye but he shrugged and got in the car and backed the vehicle up without even hesitating.

"Come," Johnny said to me as he put his hand in the small of my back and led me towards the door. I had no choice but to walk through.