by Nia Arthurs
“Can you save him?”
“I don’t know.”
Her words fill me with fear.
Lelita reaches over and grasps my hand. This woman and I have had a rocky start… and middle, but in the end we both love this man.
“I’ll do everything I can to save him.”
A shadow casts over our huddled forms.
“Thanathus cannot return to the fort but there is a friend that can help to treat him and offer the medical equipment you’ll need. I’ll lead you there.”
Raven, whom I earlier learned was a close friend of Alistair’s before he left the league, stands to his full, impressive height.
He looks like an assassin, though he’s dressed in jeans and a polo. A long scar falls down his eye.
I wouldn’t want to be on his hit list though I am glad for his assistance.
A few hours ago, I approached the new chief of the Scottish assassins for help. Damien and I were barely allowed to leave with our lives.
Chief Yang was fiercely protective of his seat and forbade us to employ any of his assassins in our cause.
It would mean internal conflict and he had just wrangled all the assassins to his side. Their loyalty would be guarded at all costs.
Damien and I were ready to leave the fortress with our tails between our legs when the menacing man, now speaking with Lelita, turned things around.
We were surprised when Robin and a few others stepped out of the shadows and declared they were coming along whether Yang liked it or not.
Their determination amazed me. Damien and I wasted no time relaying the address that Lelita, who had followed Maveth and Alistair, gave.
On our way to Howard’s hideout, we were met by the full set of Chief Toqueph’s assassins. I convinced them to rescue Lelita and so Howard’s mobsters were vastly outnumbered.
“Is that acceptable?” Raven asks me.
“Yes, yes of course!”
In the rustle of booted feet and male voices, I hear the tortured mewling of a little girl.
“Daddy!”
I look over my shoulder and find a small child with blonde hair and green eyes bawling over the body of a man.
Miriam?
I scramble to her side. Lelita is taking care of Alistair and, though I long to follow them to the assassins’ medical bunk, I must tend to the girl.
Damien follows me and stoops down to feel Maveth’s pulse. He looks up with a grim expression.
“I know I’m dying,” Maveth coughs.
“Daddy,” Miriam bawls.
“It’s okay,” I cradle her in my arms and she cries against my chest. “It’s okay, baby.”
Maveth grasps my hand. “Take care of her.”
“I will.”
“I mean it. She has no one. I want her far away from this life. You take her out of here and you keep her close to you.”
Tears well in my eyes as Miriam kisses her father’s forehead.
Maveth’s breath is wild and uneven. He tugs me closer.
“Did I kill him?”
“Who?”
“H-Howard. I put a sucker in… his head... but I need to know.”
Damien and I exchange glances and he goes off to check.
Maveth smiles at Miriam. “You stay with Kendall, you hear? She’s going to… take care of you for a little while.”
Miriam sniffs and nods her understanding.
Damien returns and kneels solemnly. “Howard is dead.”
“Good.”
Maveth stares at Miriam until his gaze films over.
Damien closes Maveth’s eyes as the little girl screams for her father.
“Come, we must leave before the police arrive.”
Damien carries Miriam in his arms and we hurry out of the hall, leaving the stench of death and the tang of blood far behind.
Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
I grasp Miriam’s hand as we crane our necks to see the planes landing in the Belize City Airport.
She claps her hands over her ears as the engines rumble and the plane coasts to a stop.
“It’s this one?” she points.
“Yes, Alistair’s on that one.”
I can’t wipe the grin from my face. Two years ago, after Alistair recovered in the underground medical center in Scotland, he turned himself in.
Alistair promised to keep the league out of the spotlight, but insisted that the only way to avoid becoming like his father was to own up to his crimes.
I’d been thoroughly against the decision. Alistair was about to throw himself into a den of wolves.
I didn’t care about the government or Interpol or even the prison mates he would share cells with.
An assassin’s life was far more complicated.
The leagues all around the world would stir at the secrets he could unveil. I knew the task would be more dangerous than simply waiting his days out in prison.
I was right.
A few months ago, assassins broke into Alistair’s cell and tried to kill him. He fought them off, but not before they did serious damage and he was rushed to the hospital.
I was out of my mind with worry, but Alistair instructed that I never visit him. It was for my safety and for Miriam’s.
No one knew that we were married and he wanted it to stay that way.
While he fought for his life, I prayed every day that he’d survive and he did.
We were all expecting Alistair to return to jail so when the orders came to release him, I was completely astounded.
Damien was still investigating the “technicality” that resulted in Alistair’s freedom, but I didn’t want to question it.
It was the miracle I hadn’t dared to hope for.
“I see him! I see him!” Miriam hops up and down.
I’ve shared tons of stories about Alistair so Miriam has been anticipating his return right along with me.
I’ve still not adopted her. Since Miriam lived in Scotland, it was a headache to even approach the topic.
Thankfully, Maveth’s dying request went a long way with social services and I was awarded tentative custody.
Until the social workers find Miriam’s living relatives, she’s mine.
Returning with a little girl after a few weeks’ vacation threw my family for a loop last year.
I wonder how they’ll react when I introduce Alistair as my husband?
“Let’s go!” Miriam tugs me out of my musings.
We rush downstairs and stand amongst the crowd waiting for their loved ones.
When Alistair sees me, he holds up a bundle and starts running. He nears me and I see that he’s holding the letters I sent him while he was in prison.
We dated through those words and I can honestly say that I fell in love with my husband after being separated for a year.
“Hey, you.” he says, looking so fine I want to gobble him up right here.
“Hi.”
“Hello!” Miriam breaks our intense staring contest.
Alistair stoops down and offers his hand.
“Hi, I’m––”
The little girl cuts him off and flings her arms around his neck. Alistair blinks in surprise but eventually he squeezes her back.
“We missed you,” I say.
Alistair stands, still holding Miriam’s little body.
“I missed you too,” he kisses my forehead. “Both of you.”
I smile, overcome with happiness.
I know the risks. I’m married to an assassin and everyday has the potential for disaster and chaos.
Which is why I cling to the good moments with everything in me.
Undoubtedly, the bad times are going to come. And they’ll probably come quite often thanks to Alistair’s past and the choices we’ve made.
But if I’ve learned anything in this past year, it’s that redemption is possible as long as there is life.
Each day is an opportunity to start over and I, for one, am not gonna waste it.
THE
END
A Word from the Author
Hello! Thank you for coming along on this journey with me. If you enjoyed this story, I would be honored if you would let others know by writing a review on Amazon. Word of mouth is important for an author’s success. Thank you for your support!
I would love to hear from you at [email protected]
You can also follow me on IG: Nia Arthurs @nia_bks and Twitter: @niaarthurs
Other Books by this Author
Available on Amazon…
The Taming Series
Taming Mr. Jerkface
Taming Mr. Charming
Taming Mr. Know-it-all
Taming Mr. Darcy
The Seven Realms Series
Genesis
Revelations
The Tree of Knowledge (coming soon)
Love & Reggae
Amid the Noise
Count Me In
Buffalo Soldier
Confessions of A Church Girl
Glass Houses
Fitting In
Standing Out
Standalone
Whiter Than Snow
Married By Science
Tsea
Fool Me Never
Audrey’s Choice
Scarlet
Love In Many Shades Series
Cece & David
Cece & David 2
Cece & David 3
Boyfriend By Series
Boyfriend By Blackmail
Boyfriend By Midnight
Boyfriend By Design
The Redo Series
That Was Then
This Is Now
Read on for an excerpt from Cece & David: Love In Many Shades Book 1
Belizean Creole Glossary
A chips – Belizean reference to a bag of chips
Anime – Japanese animation
Carib – A group indigenous to the Caribbean
Chetumal or “Chet” – a city in Mexico that Belizeans often travel to for the variety of shops and cheaper wares
Cut her eye - Glaring or looking at someone with the eyes narrowed and looking to the side instead of looking straight ahead at the intended person. Often done to show displeasure
Dalla chips, biscuit – an item that costs a little more than a dollar, seen as very expensive to seven year olds with a limited allowance
Garifuna - mixed-race descendants of West African, Central African, Island Carib, and Arawak people. One of the cultures in Belize.
Junior college – Belizean high school students normally graduate secondary school between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. Junior college allows them to mature and gain their Associates degree so that they can find jobs or pursue further education
Pibil – roasted pig marinated in seasonings and cooked underground shredded and garnished with diced onion sauce, eaten with avocado and fresh tortillas
Salbutes – fried corn dough disc slapped with shredded stewed chicken meat in gravy and topped with finely cut cabbage, pepper, and jalapenos
PROLOGUE
The dust rose like a wave, covering each of the children racing about in a coat of fine sand.
The shouts and giggles of little girls playing “running race” rang across the green buildings standing sentinel over the burgeoning generation of future teachers, lawyers, and prime ministers.
The voices of little boys stooping in the dirt and shooting tiny balls that glittered in the sunlight carried over to the classrooms a few feet away.
Far from the noise and the activity outside, seven-year-old David Kim remained indoors with a book open before him.
Every few minutes, he turned the pages of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald, murmuring at the revelations each chapter revealed. His angular eyes were hidden behind the thick volume and only the top of his thick black head could be seen by passersby.
“David? David?” his teacher, Mrs. Foster, stooped to David’s level and put a hand on his shoulder.
The boy looked up with a startled grunt.
Mrs. Foster’s kind brown eyes peered into his. “Wouldn’t you like to go outside and play with the other children?”
David glanced toward the open doorway, where the sun sliced the green and brown scenery outside.
He shook his head emphatically, hoping that his teacher would leave him alone so he could continue with the story.
David was shy and the other kids teased him mercilessly, calling him all manner of things. He preferred being by himself.
Mrs. Foster stood and straightened her teal blue work pants and matching shirt. She knew that David was having a hard time of it with the other students.
His best friend, another Chinese boy named Harry, had gone to the States to live earlier that year. David had withdrawn into himself and refused to interact with the other children beyond their forced conversations and group projects in class.
She worried for his social development, knowing instinctively that compromise needed to be met by both parties.
Mrs. Foster tugged the book from David’s grasp. “Why don’t you go outside for a minute? The novel’s not going anywhere.”
David pouted, but his parents had taught him to respect his elders. Despite how badly he wanted to stomp his foot and demand the book back, he ducked his head and obediently walked outside.
The young boy squinted against the sharp difference in light and slunk to the edge of the school yard, hoping to blend in.
The sun’s rays battered his body and sweat immediately began to form on his forehead. David wiped the tiny drops and checked his watch. It had a bright green band with his favorite hero on it and he was quite proud of it.
Great…
Only five minutes until the bell rang and they had to return to class.
“Hey, chini!” someone said. The young boy heard the call, but chose to ignore it.
David’s great-great-grandparents had moved from China to Belize, a small country in the Caribbean, to meet the rising need for indentured servants in the late 1800’s.
David, with his pale skin and slanted eyes, looked different from most of his peers. His parents always told him to be proud of who he was and to ignore ignorant people.
Unfortunately, that was hard to do when the kids at school kept calling him stupid names.
“Chini!”
David whirled around to face the bane of his existence. Shawn Anthony sauntered up to him, swaggering with a sneer on his face.
Shawn bullied everyone, even girls, and David had no respect for him. Still, David was small for his age and Shawn was huge. He tried his best to keep out of Shawn’s way.
“Chini!” Shawn drew abreast of the younger boy and shoved his chest. “Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
Shawn’s friends, Harold and West, snickered when David stumbled backward.
“Leave me alone, Shawn!” David squeaked.
The boys laughed.
“Leave me alone, Shawn.” The bully mimicked in a high-pitched voice. David tried to walk away but Shawn followed him. “When I go to your shop will you give me a free chips?” Shawn taunted.
David folded his arms and wished for the time to fly faster so that the bell would ring. Once they headed into class, Shawn would leave him alone.
“Make sure you give me a good chips too.” Shawn laughed, sensing that David was getting upset.
David’s family owned a small grocery store a couple blocks away from the school. Last year, his father had trusted him to tend to the store alone a couple times a month and he was very proud of that.
Shawn lived around his house too and when he came to the store, he would talk down to David. David hated how Shawn thought he was better than him just because he had to serve him in the shop.
“I’ll tell Mrs. Foster on you.” David threatened when Shawn followed him into the middle of the school yard.
“Ha! Sissy! You’re such a girl.”
“I am not!” David insisted, his eyes blazing with fire.
&n
bsp; “Hey!” A girl entered the fight, cutting through the tension with her voice. “Shawn, you’re standing right on our finish line.”
The girl tilted her head to the side and placed her hand on her hips. Her light brown skin and big brown eyes identified her as a part of the Creole population, one of the biggest ethnic groups in Belize.
She was very pretty.
Her hair was braided in six thick plaits that fell to the small of her back. Her nose flared when she stared Shawn down. Even though she was about his height, she held herself like an adult.
“I’m sorry, Cecilia,” Shawn grinned, but his bluster was fading beneath the pretty girl’s disapproval.
“I told you don’t call me that, Shawn. Now, leave David alone,” she brushed a fat twist behind her ear and the gold bracelet on her hand sparkled in the light, “or I’m never sharing my fruit pops with you again.”
“Okay,” Shawn slapped David on the back and stepped a little away from them. “I was just playing with him.”
“Well, now you’re done. I have a race to win.” She waved her hand dismissively, shooing the big bully. He ran away.
Cece huffed and then turned her attention to David. “He’s so annoying. Don’t be afraid to tell Mrs. Foster when he gets like that. He’s a jerk.”
“I- I will,” David replied, staring at her with new eyes.
Cece blinked at him and a half-smile lit her face. “You need to move so I can do my race.”
“Oh, right.” David nervously slapped his hands against the pockets of his khaki trousers and backed up until he was out of Cece’s way.
She nodded her little chin once and returned to the starting line.
David watched in awe as Cece kicked up her feet and, along with five other girls, flew toward the middle of the yard where a line had been toed into the sand.
Her white uniform kicked up around her legs as she raced. True to her word, Cece won. She celebrated to the ringing of the bell which called them to line up in front of the school buildings.
David kept his eyes on Cece for the rest of the day. The next morning, he brought her a lollipop from his parent’s shop.
