by Taylor Lee
He leaned down and kissed her; first her eyes, then her cheeks, and then her lips. She kissed him back and they held each other for a long moment. “Christ, Princess, I’ve missed this mouth,” he said with a grin running his finger over her lips. Tears welled up in his eyes. He didn’t try to hide them.
“I love you, Lei. I love you more than anything in the world.”
“I love you, Wyatt. I always have and I always will.”
Chief came over and handed Wyatt a glass with an herbal mix.
Wyatt helped her raise her head. “Okay, honey, I want you to drink this. It’s going to make you sleepy. Then we’re going to put this cloth up close to your nose. It has medicine on it. Chief can tell how much you need by how fast you go to sleep, okay?”
She said in a sleepy voice, “Wyatt, will you be okay if it is a girl?”
“Oh yes, honey, as long as she looks like you. But it isn’t. I know it’s a boy. He has come to me several times in dreams.”
Lei smiled and nodded. Within minutes she drifted off to sleep. Wyatt quickly went into a different mode.
“Okay. Let’s get her on the table. We’re going to need to move fast. I will tell you now that I’m worried about the baby. Chief, if you have any trouble getting him to breathe, give him to me and you do what you can to stop Lei’s bleeding.” He motioned to the women Wan had brought in. “You two. You’ve birthed babies, right?” Both women nodded. “Probably not like this, I imagine,” Wyatt said with a grim smile. He continued, “If everything is okay with the baby, I want the two of you to take him, clean him up and make sure he’s warm.”
They nodded.
“Wan, you and Ri can stay if you want. I recommend it because there is no bigger miracle than a new born baby, particularly if it’s your first grandson and your first nephew. But if you would rather wait outside, I’ll call you as soon as the baby is born.”
Ri said, “I want to stay.”
Wan nodded, his face tight with fear.
“If you don’t mind, please stand back over there so Alono can hold her down. Chief is going to help me stop the bleeding as much as we can. I’m going to wash up and then soak my hands in this carbolic acid. Chief soaked everything we’re putting in her body in it. This is how we’re going to keep her from getting an infection. I wasn’t lying when I told that bitch we haven’t had a single infection with our mares. Oh, and by the way, Wan, this is my first Caesarian on a woman. But I have done, what Chief, four so far on mares?”
He stood up and soaked his hands in the carbolic acid while Chief scrubbed Lei’s stomach with the liquid. When they finished Wyatt moved over beside Lei. “Okay, Chief, any time that you want to start that chant, I’m ready to go.”
Chief began to hum, softly chanting a prayer of grace and blessing. Wyatt picked up his knife.
He took a deep breath and made a five inch cut above her pubic bone. “I’m going into the womb now. Get ready. There will be a rush of fluid. It’s going to help keep her clean. How’s her breathing, Alono? Okay, stop with the medication. I don’t want her to have any more until I get the baby out. Okay, here goes.”
Both women stepped forward with towels as Chief instructed.
Wyatt expertly spread the skin from the cut. He cut through the muscle underneath and exposed her womb. Taking another deep breath he made another cut releasing a flood of bloody amniotic fluid. Wyatt reached inside. In a choked voice he said, “Okay, little man, time for you to come out of there.” He pulled out the baby; a tiny blue gray little creature. It was a boy.
“Stop the bleeding, Chief. I need to work on the baby.”
Wyatt held the silent little body up to his face. First reaching a finger in his mouth to clear the airway, he blew in his mouth and nose while pressing softly against his chest. He did this for what seemed like hours, but was less than a minute when they heard a small cry, and then a lustier one.
Tears ran down Wyatt’s face. He kissed the baby and said, “God bless you.”
He tied off the cord connecting the baby to the placenta and then cut the cord. He handed him to Chief who kissed him and held him close to his body. Wyatt looked over his shoulder at Wan who had his head in his hands crying. “I told you, Wan. It’s a fucking miracle.”
Wyatt expertly delivered the placenta then with a large syringe flushed out the cavity and started to stitch up the incision. Chief handed the baby to the women and turned back to help Wyatt. Between the two of them they repeatedly flushed out Lei’s abdominal cavity. When Wyatt gave the word, Chief handed him another needle and suture thread. He carefully closed the incision on her stomach as the blessed sound of the baby’s cries filled the room. Lei’s breathing was slow and regular.
Wyatt stood up and put his arm around Chief who was shaking and crying softly. Wyatt sighed. “We did it, Chief. We fucking did it.”
He embraced Alono, who like Chief, was crying. Wyatt leaned over and kissed Lei on the lips. He held her face and said, “Wake up, Lei. I have something to show you. Wake up soon. Your men need you, Princess.”
He motioned to the women to bring the baby to him. Nodding to Lei, he said, “After Chief finishes bandaging her please wash her body and put warm dry clothes on her. Make her bed comfortable. Alono will carry her back to bed when you are finished.”
He turned with the baby in his arms and walked away from the group. They could hear him murmuring softly. The baby stopped crying and opened his eyes. Wyatt laughed out loud. “Oh, God, Lei is going to kill me. His eyes are as blue as mine. Are you going to be as much trouble as your dad, little man? Hope so!”
He held the baby for several minutes whispering to him. He walked over to Wan and said, “Do you want to hold your grandson?”
Wan’s hands were shaking and his face was pale. He looked at Wyatt uncertainly but Wyatt gave him an encouraging grin. “Hell, Wan, it’s almost as easy as killing someone with your bare hands.”
After everyone had a chance to hold the baby, Wyatt put him next to Lei and crawled in beside them. He said over his shoulder, “Lei will wake up any minute. If you don’t mind, I would like to introduce her to our son, just the three of us.”
~~~
EPILOGUE
Nicolas Deshi Chang McManus was an anomaly, at least by Wyoming standards. By historical standards, he represented a racial heritage that had played out many times in the past. Over the centuries, continents and bloodlines were crossed to create a physical combination that must have been much like Nick’s. Only his eyes, straight from Wyatt’s mixed uncertain past, broke the pattern.
If his panoply of physical characteristics was complicated, so was his cultural heritage. Only time would tell if being the grandson of Wan Chang and son of Wyatt McManus would be a blessing or a curse.
Wyatt came from the cottage to a familiar sound. Elena was struggling with the feisty two-year old, imploring him to get dressed. She looked up and saw Wyatt.
“Daddy, Deshi won’t put on his riding clothes. He says he wants to fight more.”
Wyatt grinned at the half naked little boy twisting and turning from his sister in a fierce mimic of kung fu moves.
Alex said in exasperation, “Dad, now he won’t wear a shirt. He’s trying to wear a bandana like you.”
Wyatt laughed as the bandana Deshi had tied on his head fell over his eyes and the frustrated child fell to the ground crying.
Wyatt swooped the little boy up in his arms. “Come here, little guy. If you are going to wear this thing, you’re going to have to learn how to tie it. But Elena’s right. Now you need to put on your riding clothes.”
The four of them headed off to the training ring, where Alono was saddling the children’s horses.
Wyatt looked up and saw Lei coming from the barn, leading her Arabian. He handed Deshi to his sister and went to Lei.
He swept her up in his arms and kissed her full on the lips, as if it had been weeks since he had seen her not hours before.
Two days after Nicolas Deshi was born, Wyatt b
rought Lei and the baby back to the ranch. Closing the door physically on the previous six months, he was determined to wipe out the sadness and horror of her pregnancy. Her recovery was challenging, but Wyatt would have died himself before he let her die.
Day by day, he declared the break from the past to himself and to Lei. In time, the sanctuary that had been Wyatt’s and Vivian’s became his and Lei’s invaded only by the raucous presence of their three children.
When he lifted her up on her horse, she smiled at his solicitousness. “You know you’re hovering, don’t you?”
With a leer, he said, “I’ll show you the difference between loving and hovering tonight when I have you begging for mercy. You got that, honey?”
“Promise?”
“Yeah, Princess, that’s a promise.”
~The End~
~~~
Afterword
Thank you for reading Struck by Thunder. Since you got to this point, I hope you are as intrigued with the McManus/ Chang families as I am. If you enjoyed the book, don’t stop here. Join Wyatt, Lei, Wan, Elena, Bai and the rest of the entourage as the saga continues. As does the action.
In the world of Chinese Tongs, outlaw gangs, and skirmishes with the mob, the Grandmasters are out to rid the world of evil — and heat up the sheets in the process. You already know these are not your mama’s soft edged romances with swashbuckling heroes and blushing heroines. Heck no! These guys are arrogant alpha males and the feisty women who bring them to their knees –and vice versa… They fight hard, love hard and don’t mince words.
The language is rough, the sex explicit, and the violence is often gratuitous. But these are dangerous men in dangerous times. Sex, violence, and ridding the world of evil? What’s not to like?
P. S. If you enjoyed Struck by Thunder, do me a favor. Go back where you purchased this book, (Amazon, Barnes and Noble etc.) and please leave an honest review. Authors live and die by their reviews. The few extra seconds it takes really helps us authors out. Thank you!
~~~
The Grandmaster’s Legacy
by Taylor Lee
Masters of Love and War -- Passionate in both
Dangerous Men in Dangerous Times
In a time and country marked by corruption, prejudice and evil, the Grandmasters stand apart. Stripped of their guns, knives, and swords their most powerful weapon remains -- their killing machine bodies.
If you like Hot Men and Hotter Women Kicking Up a Storm — you’ll love the Grandmasters
Released: November 2011
Book 1: Struck By Thunder
Book 2: Race for Redemption
To be released: December 2011
Book 3: The Frenchman’s Woman
Book 4: The Frenchman’s Revenge
To be released: February 2012
Book 5: The Joker is Wild
Book 6: The White Son
~~~
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 by Taylor Lee
idesire publications
All rights reserved
Edited by Russell James
Cover art by Kate Sterling
This book is a work of fiction. Characters, incidents, places and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No portion of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Any inquiries can be made to: www.taylorleebooks.com or [email protected]
~~~
Acknowledgements
Jennifer – my first reader and constant supporter. Always there to praise, encourage, cajole, and kick my ass when necessary.
Julia – an old soul who has strengthened my spirit and taught me to fly since the day she was born.
Lisa – who showed me the way to live my dreams and forget the word boundaries.
Barb and Robin – who insisted I could write great books and weren’t afraid to criticize and give me the tools to do so.
Lynn, Susan and Rue – who not only read my books in every stage but eagerly waited for the next one.
David and Joe – always there when they didn’t have to be.
Kevin -- who stayed the course.
A special thanks to Carolyn McCray, my advisor, Amber Scott, my mentor, and Rachel Thompson, founders of IBC, the Indy Book Collective. Three formidable women, who saw the future, claimed it, and are passing it on to writers like me.
Kudos to Kate Sterling, who designed my glorious cover art. And to Russell James, my editor and historical consultant, who asked after editing a particularly explicit love scene, “Why can’t you write ‘nicer’ books?” I replied, “What fun would that be?”
~~~
About the Author
My stories are the stories of my heritage. From the residue in my blender of mixed races, cultures and world views, my characters emerge. The penchant to root around in the past is a blessing. It comforts me to know that while evil slinks in the shadows, the warriors of the world sniff it out – and snuff it out.
Can it be so simple? Deshi (The Joker Is Wild) asks in disbelief, “That’s the goal of the Grandmasters? To stamp out evil? Sorry, Father, I prefer poker. It has better odds.”
Ah, youth. Fortunately there is love and, yes, it does conquer all, but not without a hell of a fight -- at least for my warrior men and women.
I am as real as the words on the page. ~Taylor Lee
~~~
Sneak Peek:
Race for Redemption
Prologue
Cheyenne, Wyoming
July 1892
Bernie Catron was dead. He was too young to die. It made you think. In Wyoming politics, it made you think a lot. Bernie had been governor for little more than a year. Damn, you wouldn’t think Bernie could have pissed off anybody bad enough in that short time to make them want to kill him. But the signs were all there. Hell, at least Lincoln got himself shot. It would have been better if Bernie had been shot, too. Cleaner, not so many questions. The coroner ruled that Bernie died from natural causes. Doc Hanson saw the body. Said it was the first time he heard arsenic poisoning called a natural cause. Doc Hanson reminded anyone who would listen that the coroner was a staunch Democrat.
Bernie was forgettable in life. More so in death. His probable murder was the topic of conversation for a couple of days. The real interest was in who would succeed him. All the buzz was around Wyatt McManus. It was a given that whoever Wyatt chose to support had a ninety-nine to one chance of winning. Money ruled Wyoming politics. When it came to money, the word was Wyatt. But this election might be different. The guy who lost the last election to Bernie had already thrown his hat in the ring. Shit, if anyone had almost as much money behind him as Wyatt McManus had personally, it was Grant Forrester.
~~~
Lei excused herself to put the children to bed. When they were safely tucked in, she escaped to the empty dojo. Like Wyatt, she found peace in the strenuous ancient choreography of kung fu. She knew Tom and the others were correct. If Wyatt didn’t run, Grant Forrester would become governor. But the thought of subjecting Wyatt, the children, and herself to what she knew would be a brutal campaign, was daunting. Putting it aside, she threw herself into the fierce strikes, kicks, and aerial acrobatics of her practice.
Joey Chen saw her leave the cottage and came over to the dojo office to work while she practiced. Lei moved with grace and power across the mat. Her intensity and concentration were apparent. She was caught totally off guard when a strong arm caught her leg and reeled her in. Before she could scream, a huge hand clamped across her mouth. He brought her to her hands and knees, her ass up in the air, and held her with an iron grip. She heard her sparring pants rip as a rush of air hit her bottom.
Kneeling up behind her, his powerful thighs pressed against her
bare ass, he said in a harsh whisper, “How do you want it, honey? Hard and fast? Or hard and slow?”
“What if I don’t want it at all?”
He laughed a hoarse sound. “Sorry, baby, not one of the options.” He added, his voice gruff, “Did you have my permission to come in here tonight?”
“Why do I need your permission? I do what I want, when I want. As long as Joey knows I’m here, that’s all that matters.”
