Queen of Hearts (28 page)

Flynn’s throat bobbed as he slowly lowered his arm, pointing the gun at the floor. “Let her come to me. She has nothing to do with this. I didn’t want to leave her behind.”

Doyle chuckled. “For thirty years I’ve built a legacy for you, and what do you do? You shit on it and hand it over to a greedy bitch.”

He shoved me forward, gun still at my head, and I stumbled into the door of another room. “Put her in there with the other girl and make sure she doesn’t make a sound.”

He turned to Flynn. “If that bitch doesn’t call in the next half hour, both of them are dead. You hear me?”

The door slammed behind me, and I staggered inside.

“Jayne?”

I looked over at the corner of the room where Kelsey was cowering on the bed. I flew toward her, grabbing her face in my hands and giving her a good once-over.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded. “They haven’t hurt me or anything. They’re just assholes.”

I laughed through the onslaught of tears and hugged her against me. “Fuck, yes, they are.”

“What are they going to do?” she asked.

“I don’t know, Kelsey. We just have to let Flynn handle this. I shouldn’t have come. I think I fucked it all up.”

“Please tell me Vince is with you!”

“Yes, he’s here. I don’t know where, but he’s here.”

“Thank God.” She breathed out a sigh of relief and sat back on her heels.

I took a moment to look around the room to see if there was any way to escape. The window looked easy enough, but knowing Doyle, it was rigged or something. I let go of Kelsey, pushed off the bed, and walked over to see if it’d budge. The frame was wood with a simple sliding locking mechanism.

Piece of fucking cake.

“Kelsey, come over here.”

She jumped up, confusion in her eyes. “What are you doing?”

Shaking my head, I flipped the latch over and pressed my palms against the panes of glass to push it up and open. “I’m not doing anything. You are. I need you to climb out and run as fast as you fucking can.”

I got the window to rise about six inches and had her put her arms through to see if she’d fit. “I’m not going to fit, Jayne!”

“Get back!”

She stood aside, and I braced myself to push harder to get the thing to open all the way. It was weather-beaten and the wood had swelled so it was tight and rough to move, but finally, I got a little leverage and pushed it up a few more inches.

The friction was too much, and I lost my footing and slid across the floor, falling on my face and knocking over the contents of the dresser sitting next to it.

“Go, Kelsey!” I hissed the words urgently. We only had moments before one of the thugs came in to see what the noise was, and she was standing there staring at me like she was in a trance. I didn’t have time for it, and neither did she.

“Go!”

She threw her legs over the sill and slid out just as the door flew open and men started rushing the room. I got up as fast as I could and stood in front of the open window, grabbing the lamp from the floor as I did so.

It wasn’t very intimidating, but it was all I had.

“Get back!”

They weren’t armed, so I figured it was now or never. I tossed the lamp in their direction and started for the window. I’d just gotten one leg outside when a burning pain shot through my shoulder and I dropped to the ground, slamming my head against the hardwood floor.

I remember screaming, and Flynn’s voice behind me, and then another shot.

And then nothing.

I
woke up several days later in a hospital bed with a bullet wound, a severe concussion, and Flynn at my side.

He was hesitant to tell me all the details about what had happened, but eventually, he broke down and told me.

I deserved to know.

While I tried to escape through the window, Doyle fired a shot. Flynn took him out seconds later. As he recounted the events that led up to him killing his father, he never faltered. There was no regret. I’d worried for nothing.

“The bastard never gave me anything. I wasn’t letting him take everything away from me.”

I was the everything. His everything.

Kelsey ran far enough away, and the authorities found her running down the driveway as they approached. Once they heard the gunshots, they rushed the cabin. I was grateful she’d gotten out of there when she did. If she would’ve been hurt, I never would have forgiven myself. None of us would have. Of everything Doyle had ever done, pulling an innocent girl into his corruption and sickness was about as low as it got.

The rest of his cohorts were apprehended and dealt with by the authorities—at least the ones that got out alive. Between Flynn, Vince, and Collins, the clean-out involved more than five body bags.

In other words—it was over.

Vince took on the task of getting Kelsey home. I mulled that over, and honestly, I was sad I hadn’t been able to say goodbye to her. We’d gotten close, and I was going to miss her. I just hoped she’d keep in touch, but only time would tell. I only had bits and pieces of her life with her family, but from what I gathered, it didn’t seem like she wanted to leave Vegas. I wasn’t even sure she had a home to go back to.

I worried how Vince would handle that whole situation. She was head over heels for him, and no matter how it came about, she had no control over her emotions. None of us did. I was proof of that. I only hoped he didn’t break her. Broken girls were hard to fix.

“You ready, baby?”

I turned from where I was staring out the window to face Flynn. He was in the doorway, my bag over his shoulder and his eyes tired. “Yeah.”

I slid off the bed, careful not to jostle my arm in the sling and walked out to him.

We were quiet as we walked out of the hospital. So much had happened, and we’d narrowly escaped in one piece. I knew how damn lucky I was that it hadn’t turned out worse.

We were finally able to move on, to start a life. I’d tried that before, and I was wary of our outcome.

Outside, he led me toward a large white SUV, opened the door, and lifted me into his arms. He sat me down, took a deep breath, and laid his forehead against mine.

“Thank God you’re okay. I don’t know what the fuck I would’ve done if...”

I pressed my fingers against his lips and smiled. “We don’t have to find out. Ever again.”

“You got that right.”

He kissed the top of my nose, took another deep breath, and pulled away. “Ready to go home?”

I nodded. That was an understatement.

I watched the scenery flash past as we drove, noticing that it was actually really beautiful up there. I had been too aggravated to pay attention before, but it was stunning.

We continued down a highway for about a half hour before I turned to ask where we were going.

“You’ll see. We’re almost there.”

I had no idea where we were, or which direction we were supposed to be going, but by the tone in his voice, I knew we weren’t heading back to Vegas.

“You’re not taking me back to that place! Are you crazy?”

He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “Let’s play a new game. I tell you what to do, and you listen. Whatta ya say?”

I scowled. “I’m the injured one here. I’m pretty sure that means I get my way.”

He shook his head and reached over, grabbing my hand. “I should’ve known you couldn’t do it—not even this one time.”

I huffed, pissed off. “Whatever. I’ll just sit here like a good girl.”

I could see the side of his mouth pull up in a smile from my periphery. Smug ass.

We pulled off onto another road and drove through a huge iron gate. Ahead of us, there was a humungous ranch house. It was a gorgeous, honey-stained log cabin nestled beneath mountain ridges and surrounded by a running creek and land for as far as the eyes could see.

“Where are we?”

He didn’t answer, but I could see his smile grow the closer we got to the house. Close up, it was much more impressive. Detailed with river rock and neatly trimmed foliage, it looked more like a palace than a house.

There were three stories, stacked and separated into distinguishable sections. I was in awe.

He turned off the truck and sighed. “What do you think?”

I shook my head slowly. “It’s beautiful.”

“Wait there,” he ordered.

He hopped out of the truck, and I stared at the house as he jogged around the front to help me out.

He lifted me out of my seat and carried me toward the house. “Who lives here? This is where we’re staying?”

“I hope so,” he said softly.

He took the steps two at a time, holding me steady, and stood in front of the door. He set me on my feet and followed suit, dropping down onto his knees and looking up at me.

“I’d get down on one knee, but you deserve better. More. I’m begging. I’m a fucking beggar, and I will plead with God almighty if I have to. Marry me. I won’t stop asking, and I won’t stop wanting you to be mine. Forever.”

I clutched my hand over my chest and felt a tear roll down my cheek. It was a moment I would never forget, a moment every little girl dreamed about—one I never in a million years thought I’d get. There he was, on his knees, bowed to me, but there was no reason to beg. I would give him anything.

“Yes,” I whispered.

His smile was a mile wide, the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Happier than I’d ever seen him, more relieved than living through his father’s evil. This was a new forever. This was real.

“There’s more,” he said. His eye quirked, and I shook my head.

“What?”

“Marry me and leave everything. Leave it all behind. I want to start over. Here.”

I cocked my head toward the house; my stomach fluttered like a flurry of hummingbirds had taken flight.

“Here? This house? Here?”

He nodded. “This house. Here.”

I looked around me, breathed in the fresh air, admired the spacious property, and there was no question. My answer was yes.

“But how?”

I was a realist. How could
he
leave everything behind? I had nothing. No family, no career, no life, no money...
nothing,
but him. He was the Prince of Las Vegas. He was a man in demand, a celebrity gambler, notorious and sought out. He had the Casino, his mother, his
life.

“We’re going to try that game again. You let me handle it, and you don’t ask any questions. Didn’t I tell you I’d take care of you?”

“Yeah, but...”

I wasn’t convinced. What the hell would we do on a ranch? He wasn’t a damn rancher, and I knew Jack shit. I could fuck, and I could lie. Anything else was a crapshoot.

“No buts. I’m sure if you think real hard, you’ll realize neither of us has to do anything. We could live the rest of our lives on what’s in my bank account at this very minute without a worry. If I could hand a pretty girl a million bills to have dinner with me, I could throw down a few more to take her to dinner for the rest of our lives.”

I took that in. Money. Yeah, he had plenty of it. No doubt. Plus, he would inherit whatever was left from his father’s estate. Between him and Cherese, there was a billion or more dollars floating around under the name Maguire.

Hell, he could’ve had a bag of peanuts for all I cared. He was mine for good, for real, and we were leaving Vegas.

I’d beaten the system. I was out. Done. I was Janie, free to be whatever the fuck I wanted to be. Free to love, to be in love, and to be loved.

Most of all, I had a home. A family. It was my own, and no one could take it away from me.

I’d paid my dues. I’d been a sinner and a whore. A fraud and a coward. My retribution was in the heart and arms of a bad man with a solid soul, a good heart, and a smile that took my breath away. In the end, we’d saved each other.

We’d save each other till the end.

Part #3 Coming Winter 2014

I
t’s hard to express the gratitude I have for my friends and family for the support and encouragement they continually give me. My team of Editors and Pre-readers are first and foremost dear friends, people I can rely and lean on and I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, be able to do this without each and every one of them. Every comma and awkward sentence is redlined with love, and for that, I will be forever in their debt.

Erin, Lynda, Kat, Mary and Andrea—thank you for spending so much time on this story to make it just right. Thank you, most of all, for lending your advice, ear, hearts and hands. I’m so very blessed to have each and every one of you in my life.

To my wonderfully supportive friends for pimping, cheering and reading my writing, I am so lucky to have you in my life! Casey, Maryann, Misty, Wendy, Beth, Kelli, Jo, Sue, and everyone else I’m missing.

L.J. Anderson—you rock. You forever amaze me with your talent, and I’m grateful to have you lend those talents to me and my books with your amazing book covers!

To my fellow authors of Romance Weekly #lovewritechat—I’m so honored to be a part of such a talented and supportive pool of writers. I’ve learned so much from you all, and wish you all the greatest of success!

To all the bloggers and reviewers—you are all truly angels. I have met so many wonderful people and I’m always amazed at the time and effort you all put in to support authors.

A special thanks to The Rock Stars of Romance for giving my story a chance, for loving it, and for aiding and supporting the release of this book. There truly is a special place in heaven for you!

And last, but definitely not least, my wonderful readers. Thank you for reading and enjoying my little story. I hope you enjoyed Queen of Hearts as much as I enjoyed writing it for you to read.

J
ami Denise is an up and coming writer from Southern California.

She writes Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, and Erotica.

She’s always had a strong desire to write. She fell in love with books at a very young age. She loves the freedom to express herself through her stories and share them with others.

Her books are always on the spicy side with a little bit of sweet to make you swoon. Her feisty kittens always give the bad boys a run for their money. She likes taking risks, pushing her characters into directions that challenge the reader and take them out of their element. You'll usually find the unexpected to happen in her stories. Life isn't always pretty, and she likes to layer her words with true grit.