Текст книги "Slaying the Dragon"

Автор книги: T.K. Leigh

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Текущая страница: 19 (всего у книги 25 страниц)

“Who do you think it is?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but it must have some sort of connection to my time in Bosnia. I plan on going through my notes of everyone I ever came into contact with over there, every asset we had, to get to the bottom of this.”

“So what do we do?” Mackenzie pushed.

“We don’t do anything. Tyler needs to focus on getting better after that nasty accident, and you need to focus on that baby.”

“I have a whole team of people who can help track this guy down,” I offered.

“And I appreciate that,” he replied calmly. “But I don’t think it’s necessary.”

“It isn’t? Why?” Mackenzie interjected.

“Because he’s looking for one person, and one person alone.”

“No,” she breathed, covering her mouth to hide her quivering chin.

“He wants me? Well, he can have me. I’m not going to remain hidden away and put anyone’s life at risk anymore.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. “You know I love you very much, don’t you?”

“And I love you, too,” she choked out. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, Dad.”

“And I’ll do everything in my power to make sure it doesn’t, but nothing’s a guarantee. Just do your old man one favor first.”

“Anything.”

“Let me walk you down the aisle and see you get married.”

She nodded, wiping at her tears. “Of course.”

Mackenzie

I STOOD JUST INSIDE the foyer of the ridiculously opulent house in Palm Beach that Tyler and I had been staying at for the past several weeks. After he was discharged from the hospital, Eli returned to Texas to try and make sense of the story my father had told us. We, on the other hand, stayed away from home, away from any reminder of the bigger problems that we would soon have to face head-on.

“Is it time?” Melanie asked, looking back at me, her green eyes wide and rounded. Her dark hair was curled and styled for the occasion. She had been so excited when we asked her to fill this role for us today and had spent most of the morning practicing.

“It is. Go ahead, sweetie.” I smiled at her in her frilly white sundress with pink and yellow flowers adorning it.

She flashed her adorable smile, showing where she was missing a tooth, and walked out the front door and onto the picture-perfect white sand beach. Despite the jitters in my stomach, a sense of serenity washed over me as I glanced out the large floor-to-ceiling windows and absorbed the scene in front of me. The sun was setting behind the extravagant house on that late November day, casting the beach in a beautiful pinkish glow. There was barely a person in sight…except for the small group of friends and family who had dropped everything and flew out here to be with us.

“Are you ready, mi bichito?” a scruff voice asked, startling me.

I turned to him and smiled. “As ready as I’m going to be.”

Looking at me affectionately, moisture pooled in my father’s eyes. He placed his hands on my arms and surveyed me, his eyes growing bright. “For years, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, let alone be able to stand by your side during one of the most important days of your life.” Reaching up, he cupped my cheek. I leaned into his warmth, recalling all the times he would push me on a swing when I was a little girl. I didn’t remember much about my childhood, but that memory was strong.

“You look so much like your mother.” He let out a shallow sigh. “You always have, but today, it’s unmistakable that you are your mother’s daughter.”

“I’m your daughter, too, Dad.”

“I know, but I really see her in you today. She would have been so proud of the woman you’ve become. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become.”

“Thanks, Dad.” I squeezed his hand gently as our eyes remained locked. It was taking everything I had not to break into tears, my emotions on overdrive.

“I want you to have this,” he said, breaking the tension. Reaching into the pocket of his linen pants, he pulled out a small box and handed it to me.

“What is it?” I asked, caressing the black velvet.

“If you open it, you’ll find out.” He winked.

Letting out a small laugh, I shook my head. “I know where I got my sarcasm from, I guess,” I retorted, opening the box to see a beautiful turquoise bracelet. It looked to be an antique, the gold holding the turquoise stones together almost tarnished. I picked it up and felt its weight, wondering how he had come to own such a remarkable piece of jewelry. I looked up at my dad, my brows furrowed.

“Your mother wore that on the day we got married, as did her mother, and her mother, and so on. It’s been in your family for centuries, its roots dating all the way back to the Guaymi tribe in Panama. Ages ago, I promised her you would wear it on your wedding day, as well.” He reached for the bracelet and unclasped it.

“I’d be honored.” A lump formed in my throat as I held my arm toward my father and allowed him to secure the bracelet around my wrist. His fingers lingered on my skin and our eyes met. I had gone years without my father’s touch, and all I could do was pray that this wasn’t the last time I’d ever feel it. This moment was bittersweet for me, the reminder of all the troubles I had tried to ignore the past several weeks rushing forward. I didn’t want this to be goodbye between us, but I couldn’t help but shake the feeling it would be.

“Well…” My dad cleared his throat and I snapped out of it, adjusting my composure as best I could. “We better get going. We don’t want to keep the groom waiting.” He held out his elbow for me to grab on to. “Ready, mi bichito?”

I nodded. “Always, Papa.” I placed my hand in his arm and he escorted me out the front door and onto the large deck of the beach house. I lifted my floor length champagne-colored dress so as to not trip on it and made my way down the short steps onto the beach, trying to savor the moment of feeling my father’s warmth next to me.

With each step I took past the handful of people we invited, I grew more at ease. The nervous jitters that overwhelmed me just moments ago were absent, and I knew this was where I was meant to be…making this journey with my father at my side, my eyes glued to Tyler’s, the sea breeze blowing his white linen shirt just slightly.

“Hey,” Tyler said as I approached him.

“Hey,” I replied.

“Hey…,” he said once more, his eyes roaming to my cleavage that the halter top of my dress made more voluptuous.

“Hey,” I repeated.

“Hey,” Jenna said, giggling as she and Brayden stood next to Father Slattery, both of them grinning.

My father grabbed my hand, snapping me out of my daze, and placed it in Tyler’s.

“Take care of my girl,” he said with a slight quiver in his voice. “You’re her family now. Treat her like the princess she is.”

“Always, sir,” Tyler responded as my father leaned down and kissed me gently on my temple.

“Te quiero, mi bichito. Siempre.”

“Siempre,” I replied, wiping at the tear that had fallen down my cheek.

My father retreated from me, taking his place among our few guests, and I faced Tyler, unable to comprehend that we were finally here. Every little girl dreamt of the big extravagant wedding with the Cinderella gown and the posh reception, and I was no different, but I wouldn’t give this moment up for anything. Instead of a room full of distant relatives I only saw during weddings and funerals, I was surrounded by the handful of people I cared about the most. It was perfect.

“Now, it’s my understanding you two have written your own vows, correct?” Father Slattery said, breaking into my thoughts.

“Yes,” we responded in unison.

“Well, then, I’ll give you the floor. Age before beauty, so Tyler first.” He nodded at him to proceed, a low chuckle echoing around us.

With eager eyes, Tyler took a deep breath, his smile perfect, showing his brilliant white teeth. His bruises and scars had mostly healed over the past several weeks that he spent in the hospital and then recuperating here, soaking up the late autumn rays. His skin was tanned, his dark hair disheveled in the way that had attracted me to him from the very beginning.

“Mackenzie,” he began before leaning in and whispering, his voice barely audible, “Serafina…”

I warmed when my name rolled off his tongue in such a delicate manner.

“The last thing I was looking for when I took an assignment a little over a year ago was to fall in love, especially with the woman who was supposed to be the asset.”

Polite laughter sounded around us.

“And I am certain I was the last person you wanted to infiltrate your perfectly ordered life, but then something magical happened. We both let down our guard. I stopped caring about my job, and you finally threw out that blasted timetable. We finally did something we both thought we’d never do again. We loved… And that love has only grown stronger through the truth, lies, tears, miles, and heartache. And I know it will only continue to grow with every day that passes.

“I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. I can be stubborn as hell. I have good days and bad. I lose my temper. I can be completely irrational at times. However, you chose to look past all my faults and love me anyway. Every day from this day forward, I promise to do everything I can to make you fall in love with me all over again. You deserve the fairytale, princess, and that’s what I intend to give you each and every day until I’m turned into dust.” He closed the distance between us once more. “Serafina Galloway,” he whispered so no one else could hear him, “I love you.”

He pulled back and I met his eyes, nodding. I love you, too, I mouthed as I tried to maintain my composure, but it was impossible.

“How do you expect me to follow that?” I said through my tears.

Everyone laughed politely.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath before focusing them on Tyler, the one man who had seen my demons and had embraced the darkness within. And he would always be at my side. With him, I could get through everything, no matter what the future held.

“Once upon a time,” I began, my eyes remaining glued to Tyler, “there was a little girl. She dreamed of men in black tuxes, dancing in the moonlight, and falling in love. Then her world was ripped apart and she lost everything. Her friends, her family, her life. Worst of all, she lost hope. She stopped dreaming and believing in the fairytale because her life had turned into a nightmare, and she lived that nightmare for years. Then, one day, a charming and annoyingly persistent man woke her up from the spell that had been cast over her. She finally experienced what she dreamed about for years. Love.

“Tyler, you may not think you’re perfect, but you are in my eyes. I’ve loved you since I felt your soul. When you just wouldn’t take no for an answer, I fell in love with you a little bit more. When you thought you lost me and I saw the look of terror on your face, I gave you another piece of my heart. Even when I walked away from you after finding out the truth, I still loved you. Through all our ups and downs, my heart has been and will always be yours. From this day forward, I promise to hold you when you’re having a bad day or memory. I promise to love you even when you don’t think you deserve it. And I promise to give you everything I have…my heart, my soul, my love…because there’s no one more deserving of it than you are, Tyler Joseph Burnham.”

A look of serenity washed over his face and he leaned down, his lips hovering over mine. “I don’t deserve you, but I’m glad you think I do.”

“You do,” I murmured as he kissed me softly.

“Hey!” Brayden interjected. “Not yet, kids. There’s still a few more things to get through, isn’t that right, Padre?” He winked at Father Slattery.

“He’s right. The rings please,” he said, looking at Jenna, then Alexander, who stood beside Tyler. They both handed over the rings.

“Tyler, repeat after me,” Father Slattery said, handing him my wedding band. I lost myself in Tyler’s eyes as he made his vow to me, promising to remain true and honor me for the rest of my life. I barely made it through my own vows, the emotion overwhelming me as I thought back to the roller coaster ride our relationship had taken over the months. Regardless of the lows, the heartache of finding out the truth was worth it as I stood here, marrying my own Prince Charming.

“By the power vested in me,” Father Slattery said after I finished my vows, “I am happy to call you husband and wife.”

I grinned excitedly, looking down at the diamond band that now sat above my engagement ring.

“You can now kiss your bride,” he said, and before I knew what was happening, Tyler pulled me into his arms, his lips on mine, our kiss passionate and intense as the world disappeared around us. And that was what life with Tyler was like. My troubles vanished. I could live in the moment with him and our love. It was exactly what being in love was supposed to be like. He shielded me from everything, protecting me and keeping me safe.

“Thank you,” he murmured against my lips.

“For what?”

“For chasing away the lonely, once and for all.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“WELL, SINCE I’M THE man of honor,” Brayden’s boisterous voice broke through the chatter at the large table set on the upper deck of the house overlooking the beach. “I suppose I should say a few words.” He stood up, his tall and lean stature poised. A dapper smile on his face, he looked at all the important people in both Tyler’s and my life. He finally met my eyes, and his expression warmed. It brought me back to the day he moved in with Jenna and me.

“I’m beat from all that unpacking.” He plopped down on the couch in our living room, surprising me with the ease in which he made himself at home, even though he barely knew us. “I think I deserve a drink. You girls game?” He raised his eyebrows, looking between Jenna and me.

“You know what?” Jenna exclaimed excitedly. “I think a drink is exactly what we all need.”

“You two go ahead without me,” I mumbled, not looking up from the book I was barely reading. I had spent the past few months of our summer break moping around the apartment, having just lost my mother and finding out that my boyfriend wasn’t the man I thought he was. “I’m not in the mood.”

Huffing dramatically, Jenna grabbed the book out of my hand and threw it on the coffee table. “You’re never in the mood. I’ve put up with your excuses all summer, but I’m not going to do it anymore, Mack. It’s our sophomore year and it’s time to bring back the old Mack. That includes going out and meeting some hotties with our fake IDs. I can’t make you have a good time, but I can try my damnedest to at least get you out of this apartment. Especially now that we have a tall, strong man as a roommate who can probably carry you out of here.” She looked over her shoulder and winked at Brayden.

“Damn straight I can,” he replied jovially. “Just look at these guns!” He pushed back the sleeves of his t-shirt and began to flex. “Feel ‘em,” he said, coming up to me. “I know you want to.”

“Nope. No desire.”

“Feel ‘em,” he repeated, shoving his arms directly in front of my line of sight.

I tried to pretend I was irritated, but it was useless. A small smile cracked my lips and I reached out to squeeze his toned bicep.

“See,” he said, heading down the narrow hallway toward his bedroom. “Told you I’d be able to get you to smile.”

“Thank god you came into our lives, Brayden. I’ve been trying to get a smile out of her for months.”

“You were just looking for your missing piece, that’s all. Now that I’m here, there’s nothing else to worry about.” He winked and disappeared into his room. “We’re leaving in forty-five minutes, so you both better get a move on!”

That was the first night I finally began to feel normal again after all the loss and heartache I had suffered months earlier. From that moment on, I knew Brayden was my soul mate, the only man I had ever met who knew exactly what I needed, even if I didn’t. We spent that night bar hopping around campus, all of us checking out the same guys, although what we were attracted to in the opposite sex, or the same sex for Brayden, vastly differed. Still, on that Friday night over eight years ago, we had our first girls’ night, and barely a Friday night had passed since then that we didn’t have our girls’ night.

“I’ve known Mackenzie for nearly a decade.” Hearing his familiar voice broke me away from my memories. “And, during that time, I’ve seen many men come and go in her hunt for Mr. Right, but she was convinced they were all Mr. Wrong, mainly because she said it wasn’t the right time for her to date. Mackenzie’s always had a plan for how her life should go. She’s always been driven, and it’s been this drive that has helped her achieve the professional success she has. But that drive inhibited any long-term relationships. Maybe that’s because she was waiting for the right person to come along…her turtledove, as she always called him…and that’s exactly what she’s found in Tyler Burnham.” He gestured to Tyler as he sat beside me, clutching my hand.

“You two are all wrong for each other. You barely know each other but, like I’ve always said, the heart wants what it wants. You have given each other a piece of your heart. That’s a magical, beautiful thing. Love is a magical, beautiful thing. Listen to each other. Love each other with everything you’ve got to give because, without love, we are nothing. Without each other’s love, you are nothing. Mackenzie, Tyler, I wish you years of happiness. To Mackenzie and Tyler!” He raised his champagne glass, everyone at the table joining in and toasting.

“I’m nothing without you,” I murmured into Tyler’s ear, kissing his neck.

“Now that’s over, let’s kick this party up a notch,” Brayden exclaimed as he grabbed his smart phone, pressed a few buttons, and music began to blare from the speakers he had set up. Leading the way, as always, Brayden grabbed his beau, James, and dragged him toward the makeshift dance floor. His enthusiasm was contagious and, in seconds, everyone else had followed his lead and migrated away from the table.

The hours passed while everyone danced, my friends mingling with Tyler’s family as if they had known each other most of their lives. It particularly made me laugh to watch Brayden swing dance with Colleen. I think even he was surprised at how easily she kept up with him. It left no doubt in my mind where Tyler had learned to dance. He had his mother’s ease and grace.

Needing a break while Tyler danced with little Melanie, I looked around the crowd and noticed Richard off in the corner. I hated that he seemed to appear left out at a celebration of what should have been two families becoming one…and Richard was family to me. Excusing myself from my conversation with Eli, I made my way across the large deck toward where Richard stood next to the bar, a glass of scotch in his hand.

“Hey, Richard,” I said, sidling up next to him, savoring the cool ocean breeze. After dancing for hours, it felt refreshing.

“Hey, Kenzie,” he replied, his speech slurred. “Got married just in the nick of time.” He raised his eyebrows as he glanced to my stomach, a smile bordering between playful and snide crossing his lips. I didn’t read too much into it, though. Jenna had mentioned how stressed he had been with work. One of his newer hotels wasn’t doing nearly as well as he had expected and was in the red by close to a billion dollars. That would cause me to be somewhat irritable, as well.

“I guess so.” I placed my hand over my stomach, feeling the baby move around as he tried to get comfortable. “How’s everything going?” I asked, breaking the awkward silence that settled between us.

“As good as can be expected, I suppose,” he responded, his gaze and attention elsewhere…on my father. I was certain he had a thousand questions about how, almost overnight, I had a father when, from the beginning, I had told Richard he was dead. I was waiting for him to ask me what the story was, but I didn’t know if I was ready to tell him everything just yet. I had spent the last several weeks living in a state of blissful ignorance, able to momentarily forget about my past and the questionable future that lay ahead of me. I didn’t want my wedding night to be tainted by anything but happy memories.

The music changed to a slower number, Ella Fitzgerald’s sultry voice crooning the opening lines of “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” filling the air. “Come on, Richard. Let’s dance, like old times.” I winked and held my hand out to him.

For the first time all night, a genuine smile crossed his face and I saw the Richard I knew all those months ago before his job began to take control of his life. Jenna didn’t talk much about how their relationship was doing, but I couldn’t help but feel for her a little. No wonder she had been practically ignoring him most of the night, preferring to spend time with Brayden and James instead.

He escorted me out to the dance floor, other bodies swaying to the tune, and grabbed my hand in his, leading me with ease.

“It’s funny how things work out, isn’t it?” he commented after we had moved in silence to the classic tune for a while. Things felt awkward around him when, just months ago, I had been incredibly comfortable in his presence. Now he was aloof, standoffish, unreadable.

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing, really. Just how sometimes when you lose all hope of things going your way, of finally getting everything you’ve dreamed of and wanted for so long, something happens to bring the light back into your life, giving you that renewed drive.”

“Jenna told you about why I left Tyler, didn’t she?”

“Not the details, just that he wasn’t the man you thought he was, yet you learned to look past all that. It must have been difficult.”

“Actually,” I began, “it wasn’t. I realized that, despite the lies he told me, his love was still true.” I paused for a moment, trying to find a way to put into words how I felt. My eyes met Tyler’s from several feet away, a hammering starting in my chest from that one look. It told me everything I ever needed. How he loved me, craved me, cherished me, worshiped me. That he would walk through fire to keep me at his side, just as I would for him.

A warmth filled me as I tore my eyes from Tyler’s and back to Richard’s. “Have you ever loved someone so much that, even though you knew the two of you didn’t make sense together, you couldn’t stay away? Even when those around you said it would never work out, you couldn’t help but hold on to that small kernel of hope that it would?”

I looked up to see Richard staring off into the distance, his face relaxed, as if recalling some rather pleasant memories. Swallowing hard, he said, “Yes, I have.” His eyes glimmered from the reflection of the moon on the water and I could almost see the forming of unshed tears.

“Richard, is everything–”

“Jenna…” He cleared his throat, returning his attention to me. “Hell, look at the two of us. We’re not exactly your traditional couple, are we? I’m twice her age.”

I eyed him skeptically, trying to figure out if I caught him in a lie or whether he was really thinking about Jenna. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right about Richard. Maybe Jenna was on to something when she thought he had been cheating on her.

“Richard, are you–”

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” my father’s voice cut through as the music changed to a Spanish-influenced tune, the sound of drums and a guitar filling the air.

“Dad,” I said, tearing away from Richard’s arms. “This is Jenna’s husband, Richard. Richard, this is my father, Francis.”

Richard tentatively held his hand out to my father, studying him, lingering on the scars on the left side of his face. He probably had questions about what happened to him, and whether it had something to do with me lying about his existence. “Nice to meet you,” he said, his voice and motions guarded as he cautiously took my father’s hand in his.

“You, as well, Richard,” my father responded, returning his curious gaze, as if he had seen him somewhere before and was trying to place him. I knew exactly where he had seen him… Richard’s face was practically everywhere due to the success of his hotels. That was why he liked living in South Padre so much. No one there made a big deal about who he was. Most of the tourists were too drunk to focus on his face, and none of the locals cared.

“Well, you two enjoy your dance,” Richard said, pulling his hand away from my father’s. “Congratulations, Mackenzie.” He placed a soft kiss on my temple. “And congratulations to you, as well, sir.” He took my father’s hand once more and whispered something in his ear. A brilliant smile crossed my father’s face as he slapped Richard jovially on the back, his laughter echoing in the crisp night air. Then Richard walked toward Jenna, slinking his arm around her waist and kissing her affectionately. It helped settle my unease about his faithfulness toward her.

“Promise to take it easy on your old man?” my father asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“Are you sure you’re up to it?” I countered, giving him a playful grin. “If I remember Mom’s stories correctly, she said you couldn’t dance the Flamenco to save your life.”

“And she was right, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to dance with you.”

“Okay,” I said, placing my hand in his. “You asked for it. It’s a good thing I’m pregnant and ready to pop, or I’m pretty sure I’d be wiping the dance floor with you.”

“I have no doubt about that.” He led me a few steps toward the center of the now empty dance floor, the eyes of my friends and family on us. I hadn’t done this exact dance in years, but I settled back into it as if no time had passed at all, as if it were permanently ingrained in my muscle memory.

Glancing at my father, I noticed him almost in a trance, his eyes focused straight ahead.

“You’re not that bad,” I joked, trying to bring his attention back to me.

Slowly returning his gaze to mine, a small smile crossed his face as he continued to go through the intricate steps with a slight limp, forgoing his cane for the first time I could recall.

“Ah, mi bichito. Your mother was the picture of grace when she danced, much like you. I’m just an Irish bloke lucky enough to stumble across her one day and she changed my life for the better. Much like Tyler did for you.”

“You think he changed my life for the better?” I asked as the rhythm of the drums grew more intense and frenzied.

“I think you both changed each other’s lives for the better,” he said warmly. “And that’s something worth holding on to.”

“Mind if I cut in?” Tyler’s voice sounded and I stopped my motions to see his hand held out.

“Not at all,” my father said, releasing his hold on me.

“You know how to dance the Flamenco?” I asked in surprise.

“A wise woman once said that any man who learned to dance the Flamenco for her was a man worth marrying.”

My eyes went to my dad, a look of nostalgia on his face as he recalled my mother saying those words to him.

“So I figured it was only fitting that I learned this dance to prove to you that I was a man worth marrying.”

“You’ve already proven that, and then some,” my father said, placing his hand on Tyler’s shoulder. “You take care of my little girl, okay?”

“Of course, sir.”

A satisfied smile crossing his face, my dad leaned down and softly kissed me on my temple. “Goodbye, mi bichito,” he whispered. “I’ll be seeing you.”

“Wait!” I shouted as he turned to walk away from me. “You’re leaving?”

He nodded. “You enjoy your night. We’ll see each other again.”

“When?” I asked.

“At this point, I do believe it’s out of my hands.”

My chin quivered, a lump in my throat. I knew he wasn’t expecting to see me again, not in this world anyway. I refused to consider that to be a reality. My father had survived this long and I knew he would get through whatever other challenges he was about to face.

“Shall we?” Tyler said, breaking through my thoughts. I nodded, still distant as I tried to put on a smile and pretend everything was okay. I held my hand to him and he pulled me into his body, both of us pausing for a beat before moving to the rhythm of the music that had filled my soul for years.

My life had always been a strange series of tragic events, the memories of the happier times I spent with my family always painful. But as I stared into Tyler’s brilliant green eyes – those green eyes that wouldn’t leave my dreams from the first time I saw them – I no longer felt that pain. I finally had everything of which I had ever dreamed. I was living proof that fairytales did come true.

But even in a fairytale, there was always a struggle to overcome, and I knew mine could potentially destroy everything I held dear.