Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A Christmas Miracle

brUNO

I paced the halls of the hospital, waiting to hear something about the blonde stranger we happened upon on our way to the hotel from the private airstrip. I didn't even know how Alana Toussaint, otherwise known as Madam Alana, had conned me into this gig. Security management for the very private, very sought after Christmas Auction she held once a year was not my typical contract. If it wasn't for my cousin, Joel, demanding I accept the job on behalf of the Castellanos' good name, I'd be somewhere in the Maldives, hunting down an art thief that had stolen a priceless artifact from another one of my clients.

How a person could put themselves up for a marriage auction to the highest bidder for a period of three years was outrageous to me. Even more shocking was the price tag these candidates went for. No less than three mil a bid, with most of these individuals going for far higher. Hell, even my cousin Joel found his beloved wife, Faith, through this process. And what a shitshow that was. Kidnappings, mafia, a gunfight, exploding planes, not to mention the dozens of lives lost in that battle was not a situation I wanted to relive.

Whatever happened to meeting someone the old-fashioned way? See a cute girl from across the room, buy said girl a drink, and voila , you've got the start of something. Then again, if that worked, I'd be married a dozen times already. Yet, I wasn't the target audience for marriage. I never planned on getting married. It wasn't that I was opposed to a forever type of love, it's just that particular concept didn't fit in with my lifestyle. Commitment was not my thing. Which is why I hadn't been in a "relationship" with a woman other than the occasional bar hookup, in a solid decade. And at thirty-four, my options of changing that weren't looking any brighter.

I loved my work more than the idea of love. Perhaps it's because I haven't ever been in love. The type of woman I could truly fall for would have to be one in a billion. She'd have to be self-sufficient and prefer to spend more time on her own than with her partner. The work I did often took me all over the world for extended periods of time. It wasn't conducive to what society considered a marriage between lovers.

My company was a hundred-million-dollar elite security service that wasn't for the faint of heart or people with slim pocketbooks. Contracting with my outfit was designed for individuals that carried around shiny black Amex cards with no limits. Not to mention the high-risk environment I often found myself in. For example, the last job I was on had me working with the Latin Mafia to take down a Russian mobster who'd killed several innocents connected to friends of mine.

What woman could handle the type of man who had a job that often required the skills needed by an ex-military special operative?

Not a single woman I'd ever met.

"She's waking up," Alana called out, waving me over.

I wasn't even sure why I was still here. Alana, her driver, and I had already given our statements to the authorities regarding the two guys that had attacked the sleeping beauty. There really wasn't anything more for me to do, yet I moved one foot in front of the other to the entrance of the hospital room as though tethered to the woman. I needed to ensure her safety. Seeing her bruised and battered by a couple of assholes broke something inside of me wide open I didn't know how to explain. And I certainly wasn't prepared to dig any deeper into my psyche at that moment. I'd leave that bit of self-reflection for when I was alone with a glass of whiskey firmly clutched in my hand.

Alana was already by the woman's bedside, her hand on the stunning blonde's forearm, keeping clear of her bandaged palms. Sure, I'd noticed how damn gorgeous the stranger was. She'd passed out in my arms for chrissake. What was I to look at beside her unique features? High cheekbones, full pink lips, long slim nose, perfectly arched wheat-colored eyebrows that matched the long golden locks of her hair. But none of that prepared me for the combination of all of that paired together with the most serene, warm, brown eyes. They reminded me of the desert first thing in the morning, the earthy color striking against her skin tone.

"Holly, dearest, are you well? Shall I get the doctor?" Alana asked in that eloquent French lilt of hers that made people with the harshest of personalities and a chip on their shoulder relax at the comforting sound.

Holly.

A lovely name for knockout of a woman.

She blinked a few times, her brows furrowing as she assessed Alana. "It was you who stopped?"

Alana smiled and patted Holly's arm while nodding.

"You saved me?" she croaked, her bottom lip trembling.

I gritted my teeth, hating seeing the emotional turmoil that flooded Holly's face. Her eyes pooled with unshed tears.

Alana shook her head. "No, chérie , Bruno saved you." She smiled and then shifted her body so Holly could see me better.

"Bruno?" Her tone sounded confused as she sought me out. The moment our gazes met, my heart started to pound an unfamiliar staccato beat.

I lifted my chin in recognition but didn't dare approach. She'd been roughly attacked by two men. Seeing another unknown male could make her feel unsafe. Just witnessing her uncertain and fragile, lying in a hospital bed after being terrified and assaulted made me want to pound my fist into that drunkard's face all over again. This time until he had no recognizable face left.

Holly shifted her body, wincing as Alana helped her raise the back of the bed, maneuvering her in a seated position.

"Thank you," Holly said, her voice a bit raw. "For everything. I can only imagine what could have…" she shivered, and I could see her mind spinning with what might have been, had we not intervened.

"No," I clipped, raising my hand in a stop speaking gesture. "No thanks needed. I'm glad you're okay Miz…"

"Holly Knight. And you are?"

"Bruno Castellanos." I filled a cup of water at the sink and handed it to Alana, still keeping my distance.

Alana offered Holly the cup, and she drank swiftly.

"Why were you on my side of town so late at night anyway?" Holly asked.

That's when Alana's lips shifted into that impish grin. I could already see the gears turning.

"Funny you should ask, chérie . I had planned on making a visit to your establishment tomorrow in fact."

"To see me? Why?"

"To discuss a matter of great import. You remember when we first met, and you told me about your dreams to own your own bar in the heart of Las Vegas proper?"

Holly frowned, brought her hand up toward her forehead then stopped mid-air, seemingly noticing for the first time her hands were bandaged. She carefully lowered them to her lap.

"Um, kinda. Then you came in with your husband and we…"

"Discussed how all you needed was a large loan from the bank, but they wouldn't approve you because you were unmarried with limited resources," Alana finished.

Holly's cheeks flared the prettiest shade of pink as her gaze flicked to mine, clearly embarrassed at Alana's candor. Though she needn't have been. Starting up a new business venture wasn't easy. Especially when trying to go the bank loan route. Most banks wouldn't take a risk, especially with a single individual without a proven track record for success.

"I couldn't accept a loan from you. We barely know one another," Holly countered.

"Agreed. However, I am willing to offer you a very coveted position within my own business that will provide you with all the capital you need to make your dreams come true. Call it a Christmas miracle if you wish."

"I'm confused. You and your friend here, saved me from two men who wanted to hurt me in a way I likely would never recovery from, provided they didn't kill me, and now you want to offer me an opportunity to make enough money to see my dreams come to fruition?" She looked at the medical equipment and the IV hanging above her bed. "They must be giving me the good drugs. I think I'm hallucinating."

Alana chuckled, and it sounded like whimsical chimes blowing in the wind. "I assure you, you are not hallucinating." She pulled out a matte black business card and set it on the end table nearest the bed. "I'm going to leave this here. When you are feeling better tomorrow, give me a call and we can discuss this further."

"But I…"

"Oh my God! Holly!" a woman that looked almost identical to Holly screeched as she raced into the room. A stout man with grayish-blond hair followed not far behind, his face drawn in what could only be sorrow and fear.

The parents.

The woman's hair was cut into a shoulder length bob. She was dressed in a tight black skirt that hit her mid-thigh. She wore black pantyhose and black sneakers. On top was a tuxedo shirt with a black bowtie. The father was dressed similarly, though he had on suspenders with his crisp white dress shirt and black satin tie. They looked like they just needed a red jacket with gold buttons, and they'd be ready for their circus act. Technically, we were in Vegas, so it wasn't outside the realm of possibility, but they were far too old for that type of work.

"Mom! Dad!" Holly held both of her arms out and her parents went on either side of the bed to embrace their daughter.

"My baby! Oh, thank the good Lord you're okay. What happened?" her mother asked.

Alana backed up and came to my side, then proceeded to take my elbow as though I was her escort. "We'll just be on our way," she announced.

"Oh, no! I want you to meet my saviors," Holly stated. "Mom, Dad, this is Alana Toussaint and Bruno Castellanos. These two stopped in the middle of the night when I was being attacked by two men. They saved me. Bruno even took one of them out," Holly gushed. "The other, I tased, just like you taught me."

"You were attacked by two men?" Her mother sobbed, tears tracking down her face. "I told you that place was dangerous, honey. All the way out there on the outskirts of town, and you live and work there."

Holly's father left her side and approached us. He stood tall and put out his hand. "Adam Knight. I can't thank you enough for protecting our girl."

We both shook his hand while her mother approached.

"Noelle Knight," she said, and instead of taking my hand she waved it away and flung her arms around my shoulders then pulled me into a tight hug.

"May God bless you with all you desire. Thank you. Thank you for saving our only child." She pulled back, cupped both of my cheeks and smiled. She was a beautiful woman, and her gratitude made her effervescent, mirroring where Holly got her good looks from.

"It was the right thing to do," I murmured, feeling uncomfortable with all the praise. "Shall we?" I gestured to the exit, my need to flee this emotional scene becoming more compelling the longer Holly's grateful expression and pretty eyes searched mine.

"Holly, don't forget to call." Alana said as the happy family embraced once more.

The second we'd made our way through the hospital and out into the cool desert air, I let out the breath I'd been holding.

Alana laughed as we waited for her driver to roll up. "Uncomfortable in hospitals?" she asked nonchalantly.

"You could say that" I grunted.

"Or perhaps it was the beautiful woman you saved. Did Holly wiggle her way under your skin? She's very pretty…"

"Alana…don't," I warned. "I'm not here as a bidder nor a candidate in one of your auctions. I'm perfectly capable of finding a woman all on my own if that was, in fact, something I desired."

"Do you not desire a woman such as Holly Knight? I'd assume a woman like that was your type."

"That woman is everyone's type."

"Then what's the problem?" She turned to face me and crossed her arms over one another, one of her black brows arched in question.

"We're not having this conversation," I stated with an ounce of annoyance, so she'd get the hint.

"And why not?" Her voice rose slightly.

"Because I am only here to provide you with the security and invasive background checks you demand for each of your candidates and bidders. Remember the catastrophe that occurred in France months ago? You were the one that called in this favor. Do not think for a moment you're going to drag me into a matchmaking scenario. I am not in the market for a bride. Not now, not ever. Got it?"

Alana tilted her head and stared at me for a solid ten seconds, likely choosing her words wisely. "Such an impassioned speech for someone who is… not in the market ." She enunciated the last part as though it was a challenge.

"Well, I'm passionate about not getting married."

"Hmmm," she hummed as the car drove up.

I opened the passenger door for her, the two of us standing on opposite sides of the door. Two strong personalities staring one another down.

"I guess we shall see how the month goes." She pursed her lips.

"Guess we shall."