He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair, removing a piece of straw. “I’m so glad to have you back, Samira… I can’t even begin to tell you...”
Samira bit her lip and sat up. “Ivan, we can’t just pick up where we left off.”
“Why? I know you still love me. Every problem is always solvable – that’s what I’ve always said. It’s the Quinlan family motto.”
“Even if the solution means faking your own death?”
“I’m so sorry I put you through that, but I feared for your life, Samira. I honestly felt it was the best thing to do.”
“Well, now I’m facing deportation. My college course was the only reason I was allowed to stay in America. Mr. Langdon offered me a lifeline so I took it.”
“But you can marry me now. I’ll make sure you don’t get kicked out the country.”
Samira sighed. “I want to, Ivan – believe me, I’ve never wanted anything more than you. But it’s complicated.”
She reached out for her dress, trying to harden herself against the glorious aftermath of their love making that was still tingling between them. “I think you should leave. My priorities have changed now. I need to marry Mr. Langdon or I’ll be deported from America, and I need to stay here.”
“You don’t actually love him, do you?”
She stared at him. “No, Ivan. You’re etched in my heart forever, and I doubt I’ll ever love another man as I love you. But there’s someone else in my life who must take priority now.”
His face flashed with possessive envy. “Who?”
She stood and pulled on her clothes. “Come with me. There’s someone you need to meet.”
Chapter Six
The sun shone down on Ivan and Samira as they strolled across the ranch toward the staff cottages. Now that Samira had switched Ivan’s soul back on, he realized how stunning this place was – how amazing nature was. With her in his life, everything shone with a childlike haze. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard the birds singing so sweetly. He was from Upstate New York, and the only birds he usually heard were seagulls squawking over the rubbish dump – and that was only when the noise of the traffic quietened down enough.
He smiled contentedly. There were no traffic sounds around here. No honking horns or high-speed trains. This Laredo ranch was tranquil, and he could see why Samira loved it. The air smelt clean and rural, and he allowed himself to feel happier than he’d felt in a very long time.
He had no idea why she was bringing him out here to the little log cabins where his fellow ranch hands lived, but as far as he was concerned, now they were back together, she should leave with him as soon as possible. He understood she’d want to say a proper goodbye and thank you to Mr. Langdon for giving her shelter and an offer of a marriage of convenience, but it was clear she didn’t have any feelings for the guy. And she definitely needed to get out of whatever shady deals he was running.
Ivan glanced at her as they walked. He wanted to hold her hand or put his arm around her, but he refrained for now, knowing she wouldn’t want to make Langdon look stupid in front of his staff. “So what was in that suitcase, huh?” he asked.
“What would you guess?”
“Well, let’s see. We’re close to the Mexican border, and items are being exchanged in a secluded location in unmarked suitcases by desperate illegal immigrants… What could that imply? Let me think…”
She winced guiltily. “The truth is, I don’t know for sure. And I don’t want to know. I feel ashamed for getting involved in smuggling anything across the border, but Mr. Langdon only expects me to do it once a week. It’s the least I can do after all he’s done for me.”
“So you don’t ask any questions and he doesn’t give you any answers?”
“Something like that. It’s all I’m expected to do, and for that I get to stay in America and live on this beautiful ranch.”
“And if the cops ever stopped you? Wanted to take a look in your car?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“I need to get you out of here.”
She smiled thinly at him. “Let’s do this first.”
They halted outside a wooden cottage almost identical to his, but which looked as if it’d been occupied for years – there was a little garden around the perimeter with shrubs and flowers growing neatly. Samira knocked on the wooden door and a middle-aged lady opened it with a warm smile.
She had brown skin, and spoke with a Spanish accent. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Langdon.” Her eyes lingered over Ivan, then she gazed quizzically at Samira. “And who is this handsome man?”
Samira blushed. “Lola, this is… just a farm hand. No one. Can we come in?”
Lola stepped back and held open the door, smiling welcomingly. “Please to both come inside.”
Ivan followed Samira as they both stepped over the threshold. It was dimly lit and shady in here, but still very warm in this June heat. There was an electric fan standing in the corner of the room, blowing warm air around the space. Ivan caught the sound of mariachi music playing on the radio in the kitchen.
Lola gazed kindly at Samira. “I will leave you – I have baking that must be completed.”
“Thank you, Lola.”
Lola nodded knowingly, then strode into the kitchen, closing the door behind her.
“Why are we here?” Ivan asked.
She held his hand. “Come with me.”
She led him toward the back of the room and Ivan realized this place was much more homey than his own cabin – there was a well-worn couch in the corner, shelves full of books, and family photos on the walls. Lola had clearly lived here a long time. It was as if she came with the ranch.
At the back of the room, under the open window, Ivan saw a colorful play-mat on the floor, occupied by the six-month-old baby Samira had taken out earlier. He was lying on his back, totally naked, chewing on a green teething ring. The baby squealed with delight as he saw Samira.
She crouched on the wooden floor at the end of the mat. “Hello, chubby cheeks – has Lola fed you? Your tummy looks full!”
Ivan crouched down with her on the shiny floorboards. So this baby was definitely hers then – no doubt about it. Samira was a mom… he tried to take it in.
The baby was adorable – cute and cheerful. Being the eldest sibling of five, Ivan had always helped his own mom with the other kids, so he had a soft spot for babies. He’d dreamed about having a big family of his own, and he had hoped to do that with Samira. But now he realized with a heavy heart that she’d had a child with some other guy…
Ivan reached out and tickled the baby’s tiny feet, making him giggle and retract his legs. Samira laughed. The baby straightened his legs again, so Ivan tickled his feet once more, and the baby jiggled his entire body with happiness – which filled Ivan’s heart with joy.
“This helps to strengthen their leg muscles,” Ivan said, ticking his feet for a third time.
Samira smiled. “I didn’t know that. Lola’s been helping me so much. She’s had four kids of her own, so she knows what she’s talking about.”
“He’s adorable, Samira.”
“Thank you. I love him more than anything on this entire planet.”
They watched as the baby kicked his legs to one side and rolled himself over onto his stomach, then he started to drag himself toward his mom on his elbows.
“He’s refusing to crawl yet,” Samira said. “But Lola says they all develop at different speeds. I don’t know where he gets his stubbornness from… Hello, little one!”
She scooped her son up in her arms and held his bare body against herself, blowing a raspberry on his cheek and making him giggle.
“What’s his name?” Ivan said.
“Quin.”
“Cute name. Hi, Quin.”
At the sound of his name, Quin glanced up at Ivan, then he thrust out his arms and grasped his hands, making baby-talk noises to emphasize his desire to go to Ivan.
“He likes you,�
� Samira said, handing him over.
Ivan took him in his arms. “Hey, little guy.”
Ivan was totally comfortable with babies, but this one seemed particularly gorgeous. Probably because he was Samira’s. He held him close and kissed him on the cheek, making Quin laugh. Then Quin reached out and grabbed a handful of Ivan’s beard.
“Ow!” Ivan reached up and gently pulled Quin’s hands away. Quin found it hilarious and tried to do it again.
“Sorry about that,” Samira said. “I don’t think he’s seen a beard before.”
Ivan gazed at her. “His daddy still on the scene?”
“I hope so.”
“How do you mean?”
She smiled into his eyes. “He’s yours Ivan. This is your son.”
Time stopped as her words exploded in his brain. Did she really say that? His body washed with surprised elation. “Mine?” He grinned. “Really?”
“Well I haven’t had sex with anyone since you, so unless a miracle occurred...”
Ivan gazed at the baby in his arms, feeling his world shift in ways he’d never known possible. Endless undying love – coupled with an overwhelming desire to protect this little boy – swirled inside him. He had a child. A son.
Jesus.
He reached out and held Samira’s hand. “Then let’s get the hell out of here right now. The three of us. I’ll take care of you both. This is awesome, Samira!”
She shook her head. “Ivan, I want to… but how do I know I can trust you? What if you leave us again? What if you’re still in danger?”
“No… I told you, I only left for your safety. I’ve been miserable without you. I’ll never leave you again, and no one knows who I really am now other than my family and a few FBI agents. There’s no danger, I swear.”
Quin let out a squeal, demanding some attention, so Ivan blew a raspberry on his cheek, making him laugh. Ivan couldn’t drag his eyes away from the miracle in his arms. His heart and mind flooded with an overpowering sense of affection that he’d never experienced before – every cell in his body glowed with universe-sized pools of love. He had a son!
He wanted to study every little contour of his baby’s face – to search for himself and Samira in there – to never be separated from him or from her. This was the moment he’d been waiting to step into all his life. And there was no question of Quin’s heritage – the family resemblance was obvious. He looked exactly like Joseph when he’d been a baby – utterly beautiful. Ivan suddenly saw the future – his son would grow up to be handsome and successful, just like Joseph. And Joseph was going to be thrilled to find out about this… and his parents… god... His soul shone with a perfect feeling of peace, which penetrated his bones. He was a daddy!
Samira reached out and held Quin’s hand, chatting to him playfully in loving tones. “Yeah, you’re with your daddy, baby. How about that?”
Ivan realized his love for her had suddenly increased by the size of galaxies – which he never thought was possible. But as he realized what he’d missed out on, his joy was replaced with a tinge of guilt. “Sweetheart… you went through all this on your own.”
Her face crumpled with suppressed emotion. “I had no choice.”
His heart filled with slashing pain at the thought of the woman he adored going through the pain of childbirth all alone. He should’ve been there. He thought he’d left her for her own safety – to protect her from all the terrible things that were happening at the time. But he hadn’t realized how agonizing it’d been for her. His heart throbbed and twisted. The thought of her being in pain – of him causing that pain – disgusted him. He was going to make it up to her, and he was never going to hurt her again.
“I’m so sorry, Samira. I promise I’ll never leave you. And I’ll never let you down. Quin needs to be with his daddy and his mommy. We’re a family and you’re not staying at this ranch with these drug dealers one more minute.”
“Mr. Langdon might have something to say about that, Ivan. He wants to adopt Quin.”
“What?”
“We’re going to get married and he’ll take on Quin as his son.”
“No he fucking won’t. No one’s adopting my son. He’s my son. And you’re mine. And I’ll be very happy to tell him so if he thinks otherwise.”
“Ivan, he’s been good to me. Shown me nothing but kindness taking us in like this.”
“Turning you into a fucking drugs mule…”
“I told you, I don’t know what’s in the suitcases.”
Quin wriggled in Ivan’s arms, so he gently placed him back on the play-mat. “Look, I know Langdon’s been good to you okay, so talk to him. Tell him you’ve changed your mind. Or I will.”
“No I will. But you’ll have to give me some time. The thing is, he’s been looking into my visa application to stay here – he’s got my passport and ID papers. My driver’s license, my bank cards. Everything.”
“Has he?”
“Yeah. But don’t look so worried. He says he just wants to keep everything safe.”
Ivan reached out and caressed her shoulder. Samira was a brave and independent woman, but she trusted people too easily. She saw the good in everyone, which worried Ivan.
“I don’t like him. There’s something sinister going on here, sweetheart. You’re a sensible girl, but you needed help and now he’s exploiting you. I’m not going to let that happen any longer.”
“You don’t know him – you haven’t even met him yet.” She frowned. “Have you?”
“No, but something about this doesn’t add up. He’s offering you marriage for a visa – what does he get out of it? Apart from someone to carry his drugs to the border.”
Samira shrugged. “He gets me and Quin. He said his late wife was never able to have a child, so he just wants to be a husband and father.”
Ivan’s anger brewed inside. “I hate the thought of that asshole touching you.”
“Oh we haven’t actually… done anything. He’s been a perfect gentleman, actually.”
Ivan raised an eyebrow. “Right… But we still need to get you out of here. Talk to him.”
“I will – you need to just give me some time.”
“Just tell him you’ve changed your mind and you want your passport back – all your things.”
“But you’re not listening. Even if I leave here with you right now, it won’t solve the important fact that I’m an illegal immigrant and I’m not supposed to be in this country.”
“I know, but listen, my sister’s in Texas at the moment, working on a big project off the coast of Matagorda Bay – she’s a marine biologist.”
“Is she?”
“Yeah. Anyway, she’s got a friend who works in immigration at the Dallas field office who she’s been getting friendly with recently, so I was thinking maybe he might be able to help with your visa application.”
Samira’s face lit up. “Your sister has a friend in immigration?”
“Yeah. She’s always traveling the world with her job and this guy and her have become close, if you know what I mean? Clara can wrap men around her little finger. I’m meeting her for coffee later so let me talk to her okay. Hey, tell you what, you should come into town too – I’d love you two to meet.”
“That would be awesome. And I’d love to meet your sister, but I’m not really supposed to leave the ranch without Mr. Langdon’s permission – he says it’s for my own safety – in case the immigration people catch up with me. There’s been this guy following me around for the last few weeks. That’s who I thought you were.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen him. Why’s he following you?”
“I’m not sure – Mr. Langdon can be a bit short-tempered if I ask too many questions, so I haven’t gotten up the courage to ask yet. I think maybe he’s employing him to make sure I don’t leave or speak to anyone who might jeopardize my visa application. Like a private investigator, you know? I’ve been here for six months, so I’m not sure why Langdon’s suddenly gotten paranoid and possessive. M
aybe he heard you were back in town.” She chuckled and hugged him.
He held her close, knowing she was just joking. Ivan was technically dead in the eyes of most people, so surely Mr. Langdon – whoever he was – wouldn’t be expecting him? He couldn’t be.
“Alright,” Ivan said. “Don’t worry – we’ll smuggle you out of here when we go meet my sister. You, me, and our gorgeous son are going to be together – in America, I promise you that – nothing is coming between us now… or ever again.”
Chapter Seven
Ivan had arranged to meet Clara in a small town between Laredo and the Texas coast, so Samira asked Lola to watch Quin, then she got comfy in the passenger seat of Ivan’s truck – and this one thankfully had air-conditioning. They chatted during the hour-long drive about Quin’s development, and Samira was thrilled that Ivan was already so in love with their little boy.
Ivan glanced in his rear-view mirror as they cruised down the freeway. “Our friend in the BMW’s still following. I wonder if I can shake him off.”
“Don’t do anything stupid please.”
He smiled. “As if.”
Ivan changed lanes and sped up, but their pursuer followed with no problem, weaving through the traffic like a heat-seeking missile.
“He’s bound to tell Langdon I left without his permission,” Samira said.
“Who cares? You’re a free person and you can do whatever you want.”
“Let’s just keep him on side until I get my passport back. If Langdon asks where I went today I’ll say I was feeling cooped up wanted a trip out. Hopefully he’ll buy that.”
“Sure. And if he doesn’t, he can deal with me. But I guess we’d better be careful and not act like we’re in love.” He threw her an affectionate glance and squeezed her thigh. “That’ll be hard.”
She smiled. “No public displays of affection – regardless of how possessive you’re feeling, okay?”
“Agreed. But, I’m definitely going to find out who the fuck our stalker is, and then I’m going to force him to leave you alone.”
Samira shook her head. She didn’t know why he couldn’t just ignore him until they were able to leave the ranch for good and start their lives together properly. But that was the Quinlans for you – they always finished what they started.
The Billionaire's Heir: Billionaire Obsession (Tycoon Billionaires Book 4) Page 4
