The Proposal (Book 3 of The Arrangement series)

Amberleigh Dubois felt as though her brain was shutting down. It was so overloaded she couldn’t process one more fucking thing. The last few days had been nothing but an overwhelming clusterfuck, ever since she and her boyfriend Leonardo Clemonte had gotten the call that changed their lives forever.  Leo’s best friend-and the father of Amber’s unborn child- billionaire Grayson Godwin had been abducted and held for a hefty ransom. Since then, Leo and Amber had been sucked up into a violent whirlwind of emotions, battered and beaten, but determined to weather this fucking storm and bring the man they both loved home safe and sound.

                Further complicating matters of that whole fucked up situation, was when they learned the billionaire’s kidnapping was not so straightforward. It took an awful, gut-wrenching twist, when an old friend of Amber’s confessed Grayson’s kidnapping was an inside job, an elaborate murder for hire plot, meant to take the billionaire’s life and make his new wife Courtney and her family richer. The Van Tessin’s had set the railroad heir up to pay off some debts and save their failing company. Making this betrayal even worse, they’d known Grayson and his family for years, old family friends, Godparents to one another’s children. Talk about fucked up.

And worst of all, Amber had just been impaled with another piece of shrapnel in this fucking storm with her father’s latest confession a few minutes ago. This wasn’t the first time the Van Tessin’s were involved in a plot like this to snatch a Godwin and cash in. What the world believed to be a tragic accident eight years ago when nineteen-year-old Adam Godwin crashed his Porsche down a winding canyon, was actually caused by a botched attempt to abduct the teen. Orchestrated by none other than the heartless Van Tessin family.  A price had been placed on both of the brother’s heads it seemed, their lives valued at only a billion each.

Amber had thought things couldn’t get any worse only minutes ago. She had grown desperate and made a terrible fucking decision to infiltrate the warehouse Grayson was being held in. Her father’s gang the Psychos and their King Pin The Mad Hatter wouldn’t agree to rescuing Grayson until they knew just what they were walking into. Despite the fact, as far as Amber was concerned, this was their fucking mess to deal with after several psychos went rogue and snatched the Godwin right under their King Pin’s nose.

Time had been running out for Grayson. And Amber was willing to pay any price to get her unborn child’s father back, no matter how much Grayson drove her fucking crazy. She still loved that asshole regardless and had given up denying it to even herself.

So she had taken matters into her own hands once again, posing as a dog walker, and stumbling into the warehouse with a hidden camera. Of course, her plan had quickly gone to hell. But the worst part was when she fucked up so badly by not telling Leo her plan in the first place. The chef had grown suspicious by her last text and tracked her to the warehouse. It was basically her fault Leo had walked into the wrong side of a gun outside the warehouse. Now the man she loved most in this world clung to life, bleeding out from a bullet wound in his stomach.

Her father Giovanni and the Psychos had ultimately come to the rescue, but the damage had already been done to poor Leo. Hell, she and Grayson had already been damaged as well. None of them would ever be the fucking same after this. And Amber couldn’t handle another fucking thing right now. She was shutting down. Slipping away as the smell of blood filled the old warehouse. As Grayson’s pleas to his best friend not to die drifted from the back of the SUV. As her father stood before her telling her the details he knew about Adam Godwin’s murder.

Amber could see her father’s lips moving but her world had gone quiet. The edges of her world began to go black as the darkness crept in closer and closer. Her father grabbed her as she stumbled down towards the concrete floor. She could still see his lips moving, giving her a little shake, but she couldn’t make it make sense. The world no longer made sense. The back window to the SUV rolled down and Grayson stuck his head out. But Amber couldn’t hear what the billionaire said. But she could understand his frantic movements motioning them inside the vehicle. Her father scooped Amber up and set her inside the front passenger seat. Buckled in her seatbelt. But she was numb. A spectator in her own life. Removed.

Giovanni had barely made it into the backseat, before the man behind the wheel slammed the gas pedal to the floor. A squeal of tires, the smell of burnt rubber mingling with the scent of blood, and the SUV shot out the open bay. It swerved through a minefield of broken asphalt, barely slowing to even turn back onto the main road.  Past mostly abandoned buildings on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. The water was serene tonight as Amber watched it rolling calming against the docks.

“I know a place we can take him,” said Giovanni, “it’s not far from here.”

“He needs a fucking hospital!” argued Grayson.

Her father sounded like he was a million miles away, rather than only in the backseat. Amber swiveled her head around to look back at him. He sat in the last row of seats, running a hand through his black, oiled hair. Giovanni Costa had strong Italian genes which did great things for his skin tone. Her father was a handsome man, even more so now that grey peppered his hair and beard. His dark blue eyes had more smile lines around them these days. Giovanni could be an actor with his looks if he ever decided to stop dealing drugs. Too bad he’d been a shitty father most of Amber’s life, though he was trying to make up for that now.

Speaking of handsome men, but hopefully not shitty fathers, in the row ahead of Giovanni, Grayson Godwin was holding Leo’s head in his lap. The billionaire’s shaking hands were covered in blood as he pressed them against his friend’s stomach. The blood would never come out of his Armani suit, Amber thought. Grayson had actually tried his hand at acting in high school. He was one of the most beautiful men Amber had ever seen. Though he wasn’t as pretty at the moment and didn’t smell so good either. His thick brown locks were dirty and tousled, his straight jaw covered with more stubble than usual. But through the blood, dirt and grime, his icy blue eyes shined. Commanding attention and focus.

The man in the billionaire’s lap was his best friend since preschool Leo Clemonte. Grayson loved Leo and Leo loved Grayson. Both men were in love with Amber. Amber studied the features on the face of the gorgeous man who’d given her the promise ring. Leo’s normally mocha colored skin was washed of color. He was also in desperate need of a shave on his face and his scalp which he usually kept smooth. His full lips were tinged blue instead of rosy red. The chef’s usual pristine clothes covered in blood and dirt. He was far too still and quiet, usually on the go. And where the fuck was Leo’s aviator shades? He must have lost them. Leo loved those glasses and hardly ever left home without them.

“Do you think you can explain this at a hospital Mr. Godwin? Are you ready for those types of questions? The man I am taking your friend to see was a doctor. Well trained and very capable,” said Giovanni.

“Was? What the fuck do you mean was?” demanded Grayson, “I don’t want any back alley butcher fucking touching him!”

“Where are his glasses? Leo always has his shades,” said Amber.

“What? Amber what are you talking about?” asked Grayson, “are you feeling alright?”

“I think she is in shock. She will come around in time. But your friend will be well taken care of I assure you. Doc is the best. He lost his license for prescribing too much narcotics not from malpractice or negligence. You have my word he will help your friend,” said Giovanni.

“With all due respect sir, that hardly makes me feel any better. And I doubt his clinic has all the proper equipment needed to help Leo. He needs blood. And surgery. And God knows what else. I don’t like this one fucking bit. He needs a state of the art hospital.”

“Leo needs his glasses. We need to find them! The bright lights hurt his eyes,” said Amber.

Grayson took a deep breath, “Amber, Leo doesn’t need his sunglasses right now. He needs a doctor. We’re going to get him some help. Are you feeling anything? Contractions? Bleeding?”

“I’m fine. But we have to find Leo’s glasses! Grayson we have to find them!”

Amber’s eyes filled with bitter tears. This was all so fucked up. The lights would hurt Leo’s eyes when he opened them. He needed his fucking glasses! She would just have to find them herself. She unbuckled her seatbelt and made towards the backseat.

“Amber? What the fuck are you doing? Sit down and put your seatbelt on. It’s not safe. Please sit down before you go through the fucking windshield,” said Grayson.

“I need to check his pocket. Leo will need his glasses when he wakes up!”

 “Figila, please calm down. You have been through a lot today. Think about the baby. You must calm yourself,” said Giovanni.

“Can you take over here please? And I’ll get her,” said Grayson.

Amber could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks. She reached Leo and felt down in his jacket pocket. He was wearing the leather bomber jacket she’d bought him back in Gucci in Paris. But it was ruined now. And worst of all his glasses were missing as she frantically searched all his pockets.

Giovanni clamored over the seat and put his hands on Leo’s stomach, while Grayson gently moved his friend’s head from his lap. Only seconds later, Amber felt the billionaire wrap his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. She tried to shrug him off. But he held her strong and firm, dragging her away from Leo into the backseat. Amber screamed her frustrations.

“Leo needs his glasses! I have to find them! He’ll be awake soon!”

“SShhh. Amber, we’ll find Leo’s glasses I promise. But right now, we need to sit down. It’s not safe to be standing up while the car is speeding like this. Leo will be okay. We’ll help him.”

“Don’t make me promises you can’t keep Grayson. Don’t fuckin’ lie to me.”

“Never again Amber. I promise you.”

She surrendered and gave in. She stopped fighting against Grayson and collapsed against his chest. She could hear the fast thrum of his heart before her sobs drown out the sound. He placed a gentle kiss on the crown of her head. He rubbed her hair and back, held her as she cried.  And then the numbness started to wear off, bringing with it all the fucking pain. But for the first time in hours, Amberleigh felt safe.