29. West
Chapter 29
West
I wake up to the sound of Amelia’s laughter, a sound that’s become my favorite soundtrack in my mornings. She’s already out of bed, wrapped in my shirt, her hair a messy halo around her face.
“Come back to bed,” I groan, reaching for her. “I’m not done with you yet.”
She giggles again, dodging my grasp. “West, I can’t. It’s only my second day back at work. I don’t want to be late.”
“I’m the boss.”
She glances over her shoulder and smiles.
I prop myself up on my elbows, watching her move around the room. The past week has been a slice of heaven, just the two of us in this apartment, forgetting about the world outside.
News is, Giovanni Vincenzo is in Italy, and the weight on Amelia’s shoulders seems to have lifted.
“You know, we could always call in sick,” I suggest, wiggling my eyebrows. “I’m sure the company would survive without us for one more day.”
Amelia rolls her eyes, but I catch the smile tugging at her lips. “Nice try, Mr. Davenport. But some of us actually like our jobs. My boss is kinda hot.”
I chuckle, finally dragging myself out of bed. I wrap my arms around her from behind, nuzzling into her neck. “Can you blame me for wanting to keep you all to myself?”
She leans back into me, her body relaxing. “It’s been nice, hasn’t it? This past week...”
“More than nice,” I murmur against her skin. “It’s been perfect.”
Amelia turns in my arms, her eyes meeting mine. There’s a vulnerability there that I rarely see anymore. “I never thought I could have this,” she whispers. “Someone to wake up to, someone who knows everything about me and still wants me.”
I cup her cheeks in my hands, my heart swelling with so much love for this woman. “And you deserve all of this and more. I’m just glad I get to be the one to give it to you.”
She rises on her tiptoes, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “Thank you, West. For everything.”
“I’ve got a surprise for you later,” I say, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively. “And another one after that.”
Amelia’s face lights up. “Oh really? Care to share?”
I can’t help but grin at Amelia’s curiosity. Her eyes sparkle, and I decide to tease her a little more, enjoying this little game. “Nope. You’ll have to wait and see.”
She narrows her eyes. “You know I hate surprises, West. Come on, tell me!”
Before I can react, she pounces, her fingers finding my ribs. I burst into laughter, trying to squirm away from her tickling.
“Stop!” I gasp between laughs.
She doesn’t relent, her fingers dancing along my sides until I land on my back on the bed. She straddles my hips. “Not until you spill!”
In one swift move, I grab her wrists and flip us over, pinning her to the bed. Her hair fans out on the pillow, and her chest heaves with breathless giggles. I lean down, capturing her lips in a deep kiss that silences her laughter.
When I pull back, her eyes are dark with desire. “Please, West,” she whispers. “Tell me what the surprise is.”
I chuckle, brushing my nose against hers. “It’s only dinner, princess. The rest...well, you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Amelia pouts, but I can see the excitement dancing in her eyes. “Fine, keep your secrets. But it better be worth the wait.”
I kiss her again, softer this time. “Trust me, it will be.”
I adjust my tie as the helicopter touches down on the helipad in the Hamptons. Amelia’s eyes are wide, her hair whipping around her face in the wind from the rotors.
“West, this is incredible!” she shouts over the noise.
I help her out, my hand on the small of her back. “Only the best for you, princess.”
I lead her to the beach, my heart pounding in my chest.
The sun is setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. I’ve planned this moment for days, but now that it’s here, I’m suddenly nervous.
There’s a table underneath a gazebo, and dressed for an opulent dinner.
“West, this is breathtaking,” Amelia says, her eyes wide as she takes in the scene.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “Not as breathtaking as you.”
She turns to me, a soft smile on her face. “What’s all this about?”
I take her hands in mine, my thumbs brushing over her knuckles. “Amelia—“
Her brow furrows as I drop to one knee.
As the sand shifts beneath me, Amelia’s eyes widen, her hand flying to her mouth.
“I can’t let you go the rest of your life without this moment,” I begin, my voice thick with emotion. “The moment I tell you, I love seeing your face every morning when I give you coffee. The way you smile at me gets me every day, and I knew I was falling in love with you well before our little arrangement.”
She takes a deep breath, and I continue, “And the day you straddled me when my father came into the office.” I take a breath. “I desperately hoped you’d kiss me.”
She smiles as her hand covers her heart.
I continue, “But nothing made my heart sing more than you protecting me with your lie about the sex club. I knew then I was never letting you go.”
Tears are welling up in Amelia’s eyes now, but she doesn’t look away.
“I’m glad you agreed to my crazy plan. But what I really want is for you to make my life complete and let me look after you forever. I want you as my wife. I want to be your husband. I love you, Amelia. Will you marry me for real?”
She nods, tears spilling down her cheeks as she joins me on her knees on the beach. She whispers against my lips, “Yes.”
I leap to my feet, scooping her up in my arms and twirling her around. Her laughter mingles with the sound of crashing waves. I’ve never heard anything more beautiful in my life.
When I set her down, she’s beaming. I reach into my pocket.
“I already have a ring,” she says, staring at the box, holding up her hand.
“It’s beautiful but plain. It’s also tainted. It’s been thrown at me and left with a goodbye note. This one is your engagement ring. Anyway, this is more you.” I open the box to reveal a beautiful emerald cut 10-carat pink diamond. It’s sitting atop a platinum band covered in twinkling pink diamonds.
Amelia gasps, her eyes wide. “West, it’s...it’s incredible.”
I slip the ring onto her finger, my heart soaring, just as the heavens open. “Just like you, Princess.”
The rain never relented. So, we dined in a restaurant my mother suggested.
Inside it is a vision of elegance, all crystal chandeliers and white tablecloths.
We order champagne, toasting to our real engagement.
Amelia looks stunning in her cream dress, drawing admiring glances from other diners.
“You’re beautiful, wife,” I murmur.
“Not yet.” She blushes, a soft smile playing on her lips. “And you clean up pretty well yourself, Mr. Davenport.”
“It feels good to be away from the penthouse.”
“Definitely.” She smiles. “But I’ve loved every moment of our time there. I feel I know you so well now,” Amelia says, her eyes twinkling.
Just as our appetizers arrive, Amelia’s phone buzzes. She glances at it, frowning. “It’s Luca, I should take it somewhere private.” She excuses herself to take the call.
I watch her walk away, admiring the way her dress hugs her curves.
But when she returns, her face is pale.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, immediately on alert.
Amelia sinks into her chair. “Vincenzo’s back in the US. Luca and Gabe are on their way to New York.”
“Fuck!”
“I should’ve realized…”
“Why?”
She takes a shaky breath. “Because he called me this afternoon. Just two words: ‘Tick Tock.’”
My blood runs cold as I stare at the skyscrapers of Manhattan on the horizon. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to ruin our night,” she whispers. “I thought... With him being in Italy, it was nothing.”
I signal for the waiter. “We need to go. Now.”
Minutes later, I grip the armrest as the helicopter lifts off, my jaw clenched.
Amelia’s eyes are fixed on her lap, her shoulders hunched.
“West, I’m sorry,” she finally says, staring ahead. Her voice is barely detectable over the noise of the rotors. “You should forget about me. My life will always bring problems.”
I turn to her, my anger melting into concern. “Amelia, look at me.”
She turns and lifts her eyes to look at me, and my heart aches seeing them brimming with unshed tears.
“I’m not angry because of who you are,” I say firmly. “I’m angry because you didn’t confide in me. We’re in this together, remember?”
She nods, wiping at her eyes. “I just...I didn’t want to burden you or spoil your surprise.”
“You’re not a burden,” I insist, cupping her face and wiping at her tears with my thumbs. “You’re everything to me.”
The pilot’s voice crackles over the intercom. “Sir, we can’t land on the building. There’s another helicopter already there.”
Amelia’s face drains of color. “Oh God, West. It’s Giovanni. It has to be.”
She fumbles for her phone, dialing with shaking hands. “Luca? Where are you?”
I strain to hear the response. Amelia’s knuckles turn white as she grips the phone.
“Okay, hurry. Please,” she says before hanging up. She turns to me, fear etched across her face. “Luca and Gabe are on their way.”
I squeeze her hand. “It’ll be fine. I promise I won’t let him hurt you.”
I’m going to kill the man myself if he tries to take her from me.
As the helicopter circles Manhattan, adrenaline courses through my veins. I grip Amelia’s hand as the city lights blur beneath us.
Amelia’s phone buzzes again. She answers it with shaking hands, putting it on speaker.
“Luca, we can’t land. There’s another helicopter on the roof,” she says, her voice trembling.
“Shit,” Luca’s deep voice crackles through the speaker. “It’s gotta be Vincenzo. Where are you now?”
I lean in. “We’re circling Manhattan. The pilot’s trying to find a safe landing spot.”
“Listen carefully,” Luca says, his tone urgent. “We’re not far away now, so land somewhere else. Anywhere away from your building and get the pilot to turn the radios into incognito mode. When you touch down, stay put. Let us know where you are, and we’ll come and get you.”
Amelia nods, even though Luca can’t see her. “Okay. What about Vincenzo?”
“Don’t worry about him,” Luca growls. “We’ll get you and West somewhere safe first. Then we’ll deal with that bastard. Permanently.”
The call ends, and Amelia looks at me, her eyes wide with fear. I squeeze her hand to reassure her.
“Jack,” I call out. “Find us the nearest safe landing spot. Now. And keep the location off the airwaves.”
“Yes, sir,” comes the response. “There’s a cleared area near the East River. I can put us down there in two minutes, or would you prefer a rooftop?”
“East River is fine,” I reply.
“Yes, sir.”
I pull out my phone, my fingers flying over the screen as I dial Callum’s number. The helicopter’s blades whir loudly above us, but I can still hear the ring on the other end.
“Boss?” Callum’s voice comes through, clear and alert despite the late hour.
“Callum, I need you to bring a car to the East River, now,” I say, my voice tight with urgency. “We can’t land at the penthouse. There’s a complication.”
Amelia’s eyes are on me, her hand gripping mine tighter.
“Understood, sir,” Callum replies without hesitation. “Where exactly on the East River?”
I glance at the pilot, who holds up three fingers. “We’ll be touching down in about three minutes. I’ll send you our exact location once we land.”
“I’m on my way,” Callum says. “I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
I end the call and turn to Amelia, whose face is pale in the dim light of the helicopter. “Callum’s coming with a car. We’ll be okay.”
She nods, but I can see the fear in her eyes. “Shouldn’t we wait for Luca?”
I cup her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. “I don’t want to sit here, waiting for Vincenzo to shoot you. I’d prefer to get you home.”
Amelia leans into my touch, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opens them again, there’s a spark of determination there. “You’re right. I trust you.”
The helicopter begins its descent, the lights of the city growing closer. I can see the dark blue ribbon of the East River below us, a strip of emptiness between the sea of buildings.
“Brace yourselves,” the pilot calls back. “We’re coming in for a bumpy landing.”
Amelia’s pulse races where our hands are joined.
As we descend, the city grows larger beneath us.
My blood roars.
The helicopter touches down with a much gentler bump than I braced myself for. Minutes later, the rotors slow to a stop.
“We’re here,” I say, already reaching for my phone to text Luca and Callum about our location and our plans. “Now we wait.”
I help Amelia out of the helicopter, my eyes scanning the darkened area around us. The East River laps gently, but my heart pounds in my chest as we wait, every second feeling like an eternity.
Finally, I spot headlights cutting through the darkness.
“They’re here,” I murmur to Amelia, squeezing her hand.
A car screeches to a halt beside the helicopter, and Callum jumps out, gun already drawn. Jackson is behind the wheel, eyes alert.
“Boss. Miss Amelia. Quick,” Callum urges as he reaches us, ushering us toward the car.
“Quick.” Callum’s voice heightens as he helps Amelia into the backseat.
But the roar of another engine shatters the night. A blacked-out Range Rover tears around the corner, tires squealing.
My heart leaps. “Luca?” I wonder aloud.
But as the vehicle draws closer, dread settles in my gut.
“Vincenzo,” I breathe, the name tasting like poison in my mouth.
Callum’s reaction is instantaneous. He whips around, gun raised, positioning himself between us and the approaching threat.
“Get in the car, sir!” he shouts, his voice tight with urgency.
I hesitate, torn between self-preservation and not wanting to leave Callum exposed. “You first,” I insist, pushing him towards the open door. “Protect her. Give me the gun.”
Callum’s eyes flash with steely determination. “Get in the car, sir.”
He shoves me hard, sending me stumbling into the backseat, as a gunshot cracks through the air.
Pain explodes in my shoulder as I tumble into the car.
Another gunshot.
Callum cries out, clutching his arm as he falls against me.
“West!” Amelia screams. Her hands frantically pulling at my shirt, revealing the growing red stain.
“Get in, Callum, and shut the fucking door!” Jackson yells.
The door slams as another car screeches onto the scene, and a hail of bullets pepper our vehicle.
Amelia gasps as the windshield spiderwebs but holds.
Thank God for bulletproofing.
“Drive!” I yell at Jackson, gritting my teeth against the pain.
“You okay?” I ask Callum.
His palm is pressed on his arm. “Just a flesh wound.”
Amelia’s face is pale, her eyes wide with panic as she presses her hands against my wound. “Oh God, West, you’re bleeding so much,” she chokes out, tears streaming down her face. “We need to go to the hospital.”
“He’s losing…”
I blink. My eyelids are too heavy.
I strain to open my eyes again and see my bride.
Then my world goes black.