The Grandmaster's Legacy (HOT Historical Suspense, Box Set)

by Taylor Lee

  “I’m sorry, Wyatt. I should have stayed. I was scared. I wanted you to come back and then the more I thought about everything, I got mad and wanted to hurt you.”

  “You succeeded, Lei.”

  They lay together without speaking for several minutes. Then Wyatt leaned down and lifted her up on top of him, her legs straddling his hips.

  “You know what, baby? In a way I’m glad you didn’t tell me.”

  “Why?”

  “I might not have spanked the hell out of you and I’m really turned on by this bright red ass of yours.”

  “You bastard.”

  “Yeah. Get up here, honey. Let this horny bastard show you what none of those other women will ever see. But don’t tell them or I’ll have to beat them away with a stick.”

  What he didn’t tell her and wished that he could, was that every day he had the urge to fuck one or the other of them, didn’t much matter which one. But it didn’t mean anything. It was just fucking, like scratching an itch. With her he was making love. He wished he could explain it to her. But thinking about it, it didn’t sound convincing, even to him.

  ~~~

  Chapter 16

  “I’ve always known you were a first class bitch. You’ve never made a secret of that. But, I didn’t know that you were a cruel bitch. There’s a big difference. I will tolerate a bitch; I won’t tolerate cruelty.”

  Sarah’s expression ranged from an embarrassed bright red to pale with fear and back to an angry red. She couldn’t believe the things Tom said to her.

  “You know we are working with two people who are up against the fight of their lives - for their lives. They are being attacked by evil men from five states. The pictures blanketing this state are the ugliest, most vicious that I have seen in twenty years of fighting destructive evil assholes.

  “Wyatt asked me to come and help him because I begged him to run for governor. I knew, or thought I knew, what he was up against. I was convinced that he could win and for the sake of this state, needs to win.

  “When I brought the people I rely on most to help me, I never dreamed that the person who has worked with me the longest and who I thought I could trust, would do everything she could to undermine me and Wyatt. Why, Sarah? Because even though you have been walking around this place for nearly a month with your legs spread and your cunt hanging out, he’s not interested? Because he would rather be faithful to the woman he loves and is the mother of his children?

  “That’s why you tormented a woman who is being maligned because of her race, because of who she is? Who has to travel with an armed guard because of who her father is and who she’s in love with? All because Wyatt won’t fuck you? Do you have no shame?”

  Tom’s face was hard with anger. Sarah had never seen him like this. She was furious and fearful. She knew she made a mistake going after Lei. She never thought that Lei would run away like she did. Or that Wyatt would go after her and skip out on two days of campaign appearances. Everything was turned upside down and everyone in the office blamed her. Ella told her that Tom believed she put the pictures out for Lei to see. Goddamn, that was so unfair. Yes, she wanted to hurt the haughty bitch. She deserved it. But she would not have done that.

  Tom continued, as though he hadn’t said enough hateful things to her.

  “You are convinced that if you can get Wyatt to fuck you once you will have him helpless, tight in your web because that’s who you are. The sexual tigress our handsome tiger has been aching for? Let me tell you something and you should listen well. When a man like Wyatt, who has probably fucked three times as many women as you have men - and that is saying something - chooses to be faithful to one beautiful woman, it isn’t only because she has a lovely face. Since you think you are tuned in sexually to the planet, you should pay attention to clear signals, Sarah. Forget for a moment that Wyatt and Lei are deeply in love. The reason we men stare at Lei with our mouths hanging open and our tongues out is because we know that beneath that elegant, and yes, haughty exterior, is a sexual tigress that makes you look like a hard up alley cat. I used to be your friend. Take my advice. Stop embarrassing yourself.

  “Now, I am going to ask you once, and know that if the answer is yes, you will be gone from this office by the end of the day and I will never speak to you again. If you tell me no and I find out that you lied to me, I will not only fire you, I will ruin you. You will never find another job except cooking or cleaning up after people for the rest of your life.

  “Did you put those fliers out on Wyatt’s desk for Lei to see?”

  Sarah’s face flamed, this time with anger.

  “No, I did not. I can’t believe that you think I would, Tom. Yes, I was inappropriate yesterday. I apologize. Ella and Keith can tell you that I was in this office the entire time you were gone with her.”

  “I see. Do you have any idea who did?”

  “No.”

  “Sarah, I presume you understand the concept of probation. You are officially on probation. However, your probation may be the shortest on record. I expect Wyatt back in the office in two days. If he says you are gone, you will pack your things and leave immediately. Please go back to work now.”

  The strain was felt throughout the office. Tom upped the workload intentionally to distract people with hard work. His goal was to have every flier of Lei and Wyatt replaced by a scandal sheet asking one of several questions: ‘What kind of a man would create pictures like this, or ‘What kind of a man attacks a defenseless woman’ or ‘What kind of a man thinks this way about women?’. Each of the headline questions was followed by the additional question ‘Is this the kind of man we want as governor?’ Tom and Wyatt had written the sheets. They were compelling. The Caballeros distributed the posters and went over the talking points with the volunteers. The goal was to make every voter who saw the pictures think about the kind of man who created them. The Caballeros reacted to the despicable fliers the same as they would a physical assault on Wyatt or Lei. They intended to destroy the people who created them.

  Wyatt sent word that Lei agreed to do a family photograph. Tom arranged for the Cheyenne newspaper office to run thousands of copies as fliers. The Caballeros planned to have the fliers, along with new talking points, out by the middle of next week. In the meantime, Wyatt had one interview with the Laramie newspaper and Tom had scheduled five additional interviews. By the end of the following week, they expected every one of the state’s newspapers to feature an interview with Wyatt, discussing the fliers. How they affected him. How they affected his family. And, not incidentally, the impact they had on the reputation of the state.

  ~~~

  Tom and Wyatt met in the hotel bar the evening Wyatt returned to the campaign. It was the first opportunity they had to discuss what had happened to Lei.

  “Wyatt, I don’t have to tell you how I feel about what happened. I know you know. Goddamn, I hope you do. I take full responsibility for my staff. At this point, I have put Sarah on probation, unless you ask that I fire her, which I will do immediately. She assured me that she did not put out the fliers. I have threatened her with her future if she is lying to me; I don’t think she is.

  “The fliers are my major concern at this point. Someone put them out deliberately. The most sinister explanation is that we have a spy in our midst; the second is that someone is out specifically to hurt Lei. Either option is unacceptable.”

  Wyatt nodded.

  “Let me know what you want me to do about Sarah.”

  “I will after I talk to her tomorrow. If you do not think she put out the pictures, I will trust your judgment. If she didn’t, then I agree with you - we have a serious problem. Planting someone within our organization is what we should expect from Grant. You brought most of them from Washington. Can we assume that all of them are trustworthy? If so that leaves fifteen of so people from Wyoming that may have connections to Grant.”

  “I would like to think that my Washington staff is above reproach. We can’t assume that. My recommen
dation is that we make no assumptions. Until we find out who it is, we assume it could be anyone.”

  “Thank you, Tom. If you had come to any other conclusion, I’d be disappointed.”

  “And you should be. This is serious, Wyatt. Whoever did this, did us a favor. We are being reminded on a daily basis not to underestimate the Forrester campaign. By damn, we won’t.”

  Wyatt’s expression was grim but thoughtful. “I agree, Tom. Fortunately, we have them on the defensive. They may have tipped their hand for a reason. I believe they miscalculated how we would respond to the pictures. They thought we would pull back. That is why they made sure that Lei saw them. Whoever is informing them from within our campaign told them that I ordered the pictures kept from Lei. Unfortunately for Grant, Lei was more concerned about the pussy quotient in our office than about the pictures.” He shook his head with a sigh, “She’s as tough as they come, Tom.”

  “Except when it comes to you, Wyatt. You are her weak spot, her vulnerability.”

  “Yeah, Tom, you are right about that. It is a big responsibility.”

  ~~~

  Wyatt looked up when Sarah knocked and asked if she could come in. He nodded and pointed to the chair across from him. She closed the door behind her and went to sit down. He lit a cigarette, leaned back in his chair and waited for her to speak. Her face felt hot. She was embarrassed and angry. She knew she had to do this if she wanted to keep her job, but she was a proud woman. Glaring at the half smile on his face made her want to scream, not apologize. He clearly intended to make her grovel. It infuriated her.

  “I came to apologize.”

  “You owe Lei an apology, not me.”

  Sarah was surprised at his coolness and his response. He held her gaze. She couldn’t look away.

  “Tom said that you would decide if I will be fired or not.”

  “He’s wrong. It’s Lei’s decision. She will be here later today. You can ask to speak with her. It’s up to her if she will see you and if she will accept your apology. It is also up to her if you will be fired.”

  He took a drag off of his cigarette and then looked down and picked up the report he had been reading. She was stunned. It was up to Lei? The woman she hated and who she was sure hated her? She was forced to apologize, beg her? Sarah grew even angrier. Wyatt glanced up as if surprised to see her still there.

  “You may leave.”

  “That’s it? That’s all you have to say to me?”

  “Please, close the door after you.”

  Sarah stood outside the door shaking. She saw people watching her and knew that they were all wondering if she had been fired. She had never been so humiliated in her life. She was caught between wanting to scream in anger or burst in tears. She stood for a moment, then turned and marched into Tom’s office without knocking. She closed the door behind her and glared at him.

  “You told me that Wyatt would decide if I would be fired. He said it is up to Lei. That she will decide whether she will accept my apology. And if I will be fired. You told me Wyatt would decide.”

  “Apparently, I was wrong. Let me know what she decides.”

  Tom went back to his work and didn’t look up again until he heard the door close behind her. He thought to himself, hell, I can’t think of a worse punishment for someone as proud as Sarah. Christ, Wyatt is not only the toughest man around, he is a brilliant manager. I never would have thought of that. Talk about rubbing her nose in it. In the most appropriate way possible.

  Ella came up to her. “What happened? Did they fire you?”

  Sarah hesitated almost too embarrassed to speak but couldn’t refuse to answer her friend.

  “Wyatt said it’s up to Lei to decide.”

  “Oh, shit! You have to ask her if you can stay? Damn, that has to be worse than being fired. Sorry, Sarah. I know you are embarrassed. This makes it even worse. Let me know how it goes.”

  ~~~

  Once again, Keith was the first to see them coming. Lei rode up with her entourage, only this time in addition to the Caballeros, Alex and Elena were riding beside her. Alono also was riding with them holding Nicolas Deshi in front of him. Wyatt and Tom heard the commotion and came out of their offices. Eagerly, they went outside to greet them. As the staff crowded at the window to watch, they heard all three children shout out in excited voices, “Daddy, Daddy!”

  Wyatt reached up and lifted Alex down with a big hug. He then went to Elena and did the same. He reached up for Nicolas Deshi and tossed him in the air as he took him from Alono. When all three children were safely on the ground, crowding around him, Wyatt went over to Lei, who had remained on her horse. He reached up for her and lifted her down. He clasped her close to him then leaned down and kissed her. Their embrace was spontaneous. Only the most hardened observer wouldn’t have been touched by the way they looked at each other, as if it had been years since they had been together, not a single day. What everyone saw was what Tom wanted every voter to see. Two people who were deeply in love, and their three beautiful children.

  ~~~

  Sarah waited until she saw Wyatt leave to take the children to get an ice cream cone, then knocked on the door and entered when Lei said to come in.

  Lei looked up, surprised to see Sarah in the doorway. Seeing her flushed face, Lei knew immediately that she must have been forced by Tom to apologize. Knowing Sarah was accustomed to being in charge and how proud she was, Lei knew that this was hard for her to do. She sat at Wyatt’s desk in silence, not wanting to make it any easier on Sarah.

  Sarah was angry and embarrassed. She was furious that she was forced to grovel before this woman but she wanted to keep her job.

  “I came to apologize.”

  “For what?”

  Sarah was surprised. She saw that Lei wasn’t going to make it easy for her.

  “For what I said the other day.”

  “Are you sorry that you said it or sorry that you lied about what Wyatt had said?”

  Sarah was angry. She should have known that Lei would be like this. She was a fucking princess after all.

  “Both. That I said it and that I lied about what Wyatt said to me.”

  “Why did you?”

  Sarah was horrified. She had been asking herself the same thing. Ever since Tom had said the things he did, she had tried to figure out why she had gone after Lei the way she did. She knew now. Her only question was if she would say it to Lei.

  Lei waited not speaking.

  Finally Sarah said, “Because I wanted to hurt you.”

  “Why? What did I do to you?”

  Sarah was mortified. She felt like she might cry. Lei continued to look at her without speaking. She saw the range of emotions crossing Sarah’s face and waited to see if she would give in to them and speak honestly.

  “You didn’t do anything. I...I was angry at Tom. I have always been Tom’s right hand person, the one he goes to for everything. Since we have been here, he has excluded me from everything important.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Wyatt only wanted Tom as an adviser – along with you, Chief, and Alono.”

  “It sounds to me like you should be angry with Wyatt, not Tom.”

  “I am!” she blurted out and then blushed.

  “Is there another reason you are angry with Wyatt?”

  Sarah looked at her for a long moment and saw that she wasn’t going to stop.

  “Yes, I am angry that he wouldn’t fuck me.”

  “I see. Do men always fuck you if you want them to?”

  “Yes, they do. But Tom told me I had to stay away from Wyatt because of you. I…I thought I could make him - make Wyatt, that is. But he didn’t want me.”

  Lei was quiet for several minutes.

  “I accept your apology.”

  “Can I keep my job?”

  Lei looked at her in surprise.

  “Wyatt said it was your decision if I would be fired or not.”

  “Hmm. I see. From what you have told me, it doesn’t
seem to me that you are happy in your job. You feel dismissed both as Tom’s aide and as a woman. I doubt if I was in your position that I would want to stay. But that would be my decision. Whether you stay or not, Sarah, is up to you.”

  Sarah’s eyes widened in surprise. She waited for the conditions that were sure to come; They didn’t.

  With an enigmatic smile, Lei added, “Two things you should know. Wyatt is the smartest, most strategic man you will ever meet. He sizes people up immediately. He knows within seconds if he needs or wants their input. He has decided that he does not need your advice. Nothing you do or don’t do will change that.

  “The second thing you should know is that I am a Kung fu master warrior. I do not take kindly to women who think they can fuck my man.”

  Sarah stood, still staring at her.

  Lei smiled a slight smile that was reminiscent of Wyatt’s this morning.

  “As I said, it’s up to you if you stay or go. We are finished. You may leave.”

  Sarah walked out and went back to her desk. She was astonished. She sat at her desk trying to decide if that slender young woman had truly threatened her. She realized with a start that she had.

  ~~~

  That night Alono slept with the children in the adjoining room to give Lei and Wyatt privacy. Wyatt heard from Tom how Lei had let Sarah decide if she wanted to stay or go.