My Fiancé’s Bodyguard by Ivy Wild

"Careful now,"one agent said to the other as they helped me down from the chains on the wall. A blanket was wrapped around my shoulders before I was ushered out of the room.

"Please," I tried to say to the two agents helping me. "Where did you take Max?"

Within minutes after the door had been busted open, Max had been disarmed, and both he and Johnny had been led away in handcuffs. I'd been given no information about where he was or what was going to happen to him.

"You don't need to worry about that," one of them said but I shook my head frantically.

"No, you don't understand. He was there to help me. Please, I need to talk to him! I need to know that he's okay."

Neither agent responded to my pleas, and I was brought upstairs, placed into a patrol car, and driven off without any answers. I looked out the window at the city lights. I had no idea what time it was. It could have been hours that I was down in that room. It could have been minutes. My senses had been turned off and I felt completely out of sorts.

The lights whirled past me and I felt sick. Max had been taken away. They probably thought that he was with Johnny or that he was trying to kill Johnny. Well, the latter part was true, but with good reason. I also didn't trust the cops in this town at all. Johnny had told me himself how much he'd been able to get away with. Who knows who it was that raided the bakery. Maybe the whole thing had just been for show.

"Where are we going?" I asked the officer who was driving the car, but I shouldn't have bothered. He pulled the car up to a gate that lifted before parking and getting out. I ducked down and peered through the windshield, but it was hopeless to try and make out where we were.

The door opened and I stepped out of the car gingerly. I'd had enough of walking into places I didn't recognize for one day. "Please, just tell me where Max is," I begged the officer. He closed the door behind me and simply gestured for me to follow him.

We walked into a pretty standard-looking office building. As I walked through the lobby, I looked down to see a large logo etched out in the granite floor.

U.S. DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION

"Where am I?" I asked the officer as I continued to follow him through the dark lobby. It was obvious that it was late at night and everyone had gone home because the place barely had any lights on.

The officer gave me a sad smile and opened the door to our right. Through it, one single light was on all the way to the back. We walked quietly through the rows and rows of desks until we made our way to the back office, encased in glass.

Lettering was painted on the panes and I squinted my eyes in the low light to try and make it out. "Special Agent in Charge," I read aloud as the officer opened the door for me. As I passed him, I finally took in his appearance and realized that he wasn't a police officer at all. Rather, his badge said, "DEA Police."

A woman was sitting behind the desk. Her dark hair was pinned up neatly in a bun and she was wearing a fitted pantsuit. Her jacket was open, sleeves rolled up, and it was obvious that she was exhausted. Even still, she did a good job hiding it.

She looked up as I entered and rose up out of her chair. "Madelyn Dimes," she said as she made her way towards me. I recoiled a bit as she reached out for me and she backed up. "I'm sorry. I know you've been through a lot this evening. Please, sit," she said, gesturing to the chair in front of the desk.

I took a seat and looked around the room, trying to take in my new surroundings. The situation didn't feel wrong, but nothing felt right these days.

"That's all for now, thank you, Peter," she replied. The officer who had brought me in nodded his head and closed the door behind him.

"Can I get you something to eat or drink?" she asked me. I shook my head no.

"Can you please tell me where Max is?" I asked her.

She smiled sweetly at me before taking a seat across from me. "Madelyn, I know you've been through hell today. But, I was hoping I could talk to you about everything that's gone on."

I shook my head. "Only if you tell me where Max is first," I said to her. "Otherwise I'm going to demand a lawyer," I added, trying desperately to flex with what little leverage I had.

She sighed. "I'm not allowed to give out information like that."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "And I'm within my rights to demand my lawyer. The moment I do that, you won't get anything out of me for days. I know you need information from me. That's why you brought me in here in the dead of the night after your raid. Tell me where Max is and I'll tell you what you want to know."

"Max's been arrested, as has Johnny. But perhaps, if you cooperate and answer my questions, they won't share the same fate," the woman in front of me replied.

"Who are you? Are you from here?" I asked her. She didn't have the Boston twang.

She shook her head. "No. I'm Laura Piro, the Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration."

"That's quite a title. And you're a pretty far way from home. Why are you here?" I asked her.

She hesitated for a moment. "Because," she finally began. "It seems like crimes in this area that are right under the nose of some people aren't getting prosecuted. Corruption exists everywhere, but there's nothing I can do outside of my jurisdiction. Unless, of course, certain acts started occurring within the limits of my city. You and Johnny had a trip to Miami recently, didn't you?"

I nodded my head.

"Tell me about it?" she asked.

I nodded again. And then I told her everything I knew.

"Oh my goodness, Madelyn,"Doris exclaimed, running forward to wrap her arms around me. She pulled back and I looked over at Laura.

"Thank you for your assistance this evening, Madelyn. It has helped a tremendous amount. I'll be in touch as things move forward."

I nodded my head and Laura headed back inside the building. I looked at Doris and tried to give her my best smile. "Maddie, what in the world happened? A bunch of agents raided the house this evening. Mark and your father were arrested. Scarlett is in absolute hysterics. And then you called me asking me to pick you up here? What on earth is going on?"

I wrapped Doris in another tight hug and sighed. "Nothing, Doris. Nothing's going on, anymore," I said. "Can you take me home, please? They didn't take my bed in the raid, did they?" I asked.

Doris laughed. "No. Your bed is still there."

"Good," I said. "I'm exhausted."

When I got backto the mansion, I realized that Doris hadn't exaggerated. The house was completely torn apart. I walked past my father's office. The files I'd been so careful about putting back were all missing, and the empty drawers were up on his desk. The entire place looked like it had been ransacked.

I made it past Scarlett's room and saw that she was sleeping. Even from the door I could see that her eyes were red and puffy. I knew Mark being arrested would be upsetting to her, but deep down, I really hoped that it was for the best.

Doris stuck by my side the entire time. Even as I took a shower, she sat on the toilet lid and waited for me. I tried to bring myself to talk about what had happened over the last several hours, but I just couldn't. But, Doris didn't push me. She just stayed by my side and didn't ask me any questions.

"Hey Doris," I said as she pulled the covers up over me, tucking me into bed as if I were a small child.

"Yes, dear," she replied.

"I think I should be upset, but I'm not," I admitted.

She sat down on the edge of the bed and took my hand. "What aren't you upset about, dear?"

I sighed. "The fact that father and Mark have been arrested. Johnny too. I'm the one that did that. Well, they did it, but I helped in some ways. But, I don't feel bad." I looked up at her in the dark light and a few tears started to well in my eyes. "Shouldn't I feel bad that I got my own father arrested?"

Doris gave me a sad smile. "Every child deserves a family, but not every family deserves their children." She squeezed my hand softly. "You did what you had to do, love. And you did right in my book."

I nodded my head. "Thank you, Doris." We embraced for a long time before she finally pulled back.

"It's almost four in the morning," she said to me, finally putting me into the right timeframe. "Try and get some rest. We'll talk when you're ready," she said.

I nodded and she closed the door behind her. I stared up at the ceiling for a long time. I'd told the agent everything I knew and in return, she'd given me some valuable information.

Apparently, Johnny had been on the DEA's radar for a long time. But, he'd bribed enough agents in the New England area that he'd been able to continue to operate relatively untouched. However, he'd recently expanded his operations into Miami. The purpose of his visit there had been to smuggle illegal gold into the country and have it processed at a local refinery. The Miami DEA and the U.S. District Attorney had been working together to uncover this new method of laundering drug money. He’d been tipped off that the Feds were watching him in Miami, which is why our trip had been cut short.

Max had apparently been the one to make the final connection for them. Earlier that day, he'd made a phone call. It apparently had been to the state and not the Federal side. But, when the information got relayed to Laura's office, they were all ready to move in. She'd gotten on a jet as soon as she was notified and had landed in Boston in the late afternoon.

It had taken her a few hours to round up loyal officers and suss out the ones that were under suspicion. But, the raid had been successful. They'd gotten Mark, my father, Johnny, and a number of his underlings. His four sons, unfortunately, they’d been unable to pin down with any charges that stuck.

Max had been under investigation the entire time. Johnny had started the Miami gig about a year ago, and at that time Laura planted her own spy inside Johnny's ranks. A young man that had been assigned to follow Max. I didn't think Max had ever suspected that he was under investigation. I especially didn't think that Max even knew who it was, because when she told me his undercover name, I almost laughed because I remembered Max complaining about the kid multiple times. I’d turned over the pendant Johnny had given to me. Laura said they could run some tests on it, and it would likely become a key piece of evidence to connect Johnny to the illegal gold trade over and above the numerous transactions he’d facilitated with a government official in the country.

Apparently, Max's sudden release of information coupled with my testimony was enough for Laura to agree to release him. If we both continued to cooperate, he wouldn't be held accountable for the things he'd done under Johnny's orders.

I wasn't sure what any of this meant for us. Johnny's sons were still out there. Laura said that with Johnny gone, a power vacuum would emerge and there would be a fight for the top spot. And that fight wouldn't just be between his sons. It would involve rival families and gangs, as well. In some people's eyes, an established dictator was preferable over the alternative. Perhaps that's how Johnny managed to stay in power for so long.

But, your state-sponsored dictatorship will only take you so far. Because just like Cuba's Fulgencio Batista, Johnny took things too far and his luck ran out. Laura offered witness protection, but that's not something I was going to agree to. I wasn't going to live my life as someone else. I was done doing that. For the first time in my life, I was the only one in charge. I wasn't going to give that up for a new identity.

All of this meant that I had no idea what things between me and Max would be like now. Would he be angry that I told Laura everything? Would he go into witness protection himself? Would I ever get to see him again? The questions swirled in my mind and I wished I could get them to stop. More than anything, I just wanted to see him.

I really just wanted him to hold me.

I turned over in my bed and reached between the mattress and the headboard. I fished out the little phone and sighed as my fingers wrapped around the hard plastic. It was still here. I switched it on and waited for it to power up.

I didn't know when Laura would release Max from custody. And, I didn't know if he'd be home or even around the phone this one was connected to. Most of all, I wondered if he'd even pick up for me. The questions continued to circle as I waited for the thing to start up and my anxiety grew.

But, as soon as the light was steady on the phone, it started to ring in my hand. I recognized the number and I smiled.

"Hey," I said as I put the phone to my ear.

"Hey." I could hear the relief in his voice. "Been trying to call you."

"Sorry," I said softly. "It's been a busy day."

"Tell me about it? How about over breakfast?"

I let out a small giggle. "It's almost time to wake up."

"Good," he replied. "Then I'll head over now."

"Hey Max," I said quickly, afraid he'd hang up the phone.

"Yeah?"

"You told me when all this started that the only way out was through."

"I did."

"Are we through it?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "We're through it. And safe on the other side, princess."