Epilogue 5 Madam Alana

MADAM ALANA

"Alana, he's absolutely beautiful," Julianne whispered with awe. "Brenden would have been beside himself with love."

I pressed the phone closer to my ear. "And…" I waited with bated breath to hear their decision.

Prior to this call, Christophe and I'd had long conversations about Brenden's child. We then had them with Julianne and Giovanni. We were both in agreement that we didn't want the baby to go into child services. However, my goddaughter and her husband had many concerns about being the guardians to not only Brenden's biological child, but to Bianca's, and with good reason. Just the stain of Bianca's misdeeds, and the trauma she caused weren't easily forgotten. Bianca and Angus were the catalyst of most of the couple's personal losses. Their parents. The sexual assault. The explosion. Brenden.

It wouldn't have surprised anyone if they'd chosen not to raise Brenden's child. Which was why Christophe and I offered to become the child's guardians. We weren't exactly young, but we'd always wanted children and would love the child as our own, regardless of who was his biological mother. Christophe warned me not to get my hopes up, because he felt strongly that Julianne and Giovanni would take the baby under their wing. And since Julianne was officially next of kin, they were contacted first regarding guardianship of Bianca's child.

"We're going to raise him as our son," Julianne said with confidence.

My heart swelled and also cracked at the seams. It was the right choice for them and the baby, but that didn't take away the fact that a kernel of hope had taken root within me that I might become a mother. Alas, it was not meant to be. And I was okay with that. Had made peace with that fact over twenty years ago.

"I'm elated to hear that, my petite fleur ."

"Gio's already in love. To be honest, we both are, but it's hard…" She let her voice fade away.

"I know, my darling, but it is what Brenden would want. The brother you knew and loved before Bianca got her claws sunk into him."

"That's what we think too. I miss him. The him he was before her."

I smiled sadly while thinking back to the precocious young boy, then gangly teen, and later, driven businessman. Somewhere along the way, he lost himself.

"At least now he can be at peace, knowing his sister is raising his son. What did the she-devil name him?"

"Oh, she tried to name him after her father, but Gio's already contacted our lawyers. His name will be changed to Myers Lewis Falco."

"Lewis would be so pleased." My voice cracked just a bit with the emotion I wasn't able to hide.

I thought back to Lewis Myers. My first client. A busy businessman with big dreams, an even bigger bank account. None of that compared to his desire to find a mate for life. He laid eyes on Rachel that night, stood up and waved his paddle like he was an air traffic controller. Then he dared anyone in the room to bid against him and the woman he would marry. It was rather romantic and obnoxious at the same time, as I was trying to hold a respectable auction and he'd ruined it with his impatience.

In the end, he got the girl and the life he wanted. It was unfortunate that a revenge plan, connected to me, was what cut their lives short.

So much tragedy and loss.

I wasn't sure I could ever do it again. After all that we'd endured, not to mention all the people I loved who'd been hurt or I'd unknowingly put at risk, for lack of a better word, I was now gun-shy. And here we were, six months after the shooting in France, and I still hadn't hosted an auction. Jade had gladly stepped into my shoes and had done well in the last auction with candidates we'd already vetted and bidders we were familiar with. So far, all of those candidates had been chosen, had gotten married, and were happy with their partners.

Everyone was happy but me.

Lately I'd accepted the reality that there was an inherent dark side to the auction I might never understand, and that frightened me to my core. However, it also made me wiser and more thoughtful about the entire process. Which was why I was back to sitting behind my desk in my Las Vegas office. I could no longer hide from the job I loved or the company I'd built.

Christophe was on the couch in the corner, reading. I hadn't been able to be away from him since what occurred in France. He understood and took my neediness in stride. But it concerned me because he hadn't made art since then either. I tried to question his lack of interest in creating new pieces, but he shook his head and told me to, "Leave it." So I did. We were both working through our feelings on all that had occurred, and he was no different.

The sound of a baby crying in the background reminded me I was on a call, my thoughts having run rampant into the past. "I'll let you go. Send my love to Gio and please forward us pictures of our new nephew when you have a moment."

"I will…and thank you, Alana. For everything. Come visit us soon?" her tone held expectation within it and that mended my cracked heart instantly.

"We will evaluate our schedules and plan for a time to visit," I promised.

"I love you, Alana. Very much. Please don't be a stranger. I need you in my life now more than ever."

My throat went completely dry, a bushel of cotton wedged into my esophagus. I cleared it and smiled. "We will be there for whatever you need. Je t'aime aussi. Au revoir. "

"Bye," she said and hung up.

"They're going to raise Brenden's child," I announced loud enough for Christophe to hear and look up at me from the pages of his book.

"I'm proud of them. It was the right call."

"Me too." I agreed.

"It's okay to be a little sad."

"I'm actually happier than I am sad. They needed to do this. Prove that Bianca hadn't won in the end. And they'll be great parents. Plus, their own child is due in six months. The boy will have someone to play with.

"Boy?" He smiled so sweetly his eyes crinkled at the edges in that way I adored.

"Myers Lewis Falco."

"Lew would be so puffed up with pride you wouldn't be able to fit him through a doorway," he said of his old friend.

I chuckled, allowing the rest of my anxiety over the situation to dissipate along with our laughter.

"Okay," I let out a sharp breath. "Time to get back to work."

"Who's your first client?"

"Diego Salazar." I shivered at the mere mention of the man's name.

We hadn't seen Diego since he put us in a blacked-out SUV after everything had gone down and sent us back home. True to his word, we gave the authorities the exact information Angel's team had trained us to say. I didn't enjoy lying to Inspector Moreau, but since Bianca never spoke a word of what had occurred, we were only questioned regarding the kidnapping, the snipers shooting us at our home, and our dinner conversation between her and Angus, sans the shootout that occurred. True to his word, not a single peep had been mentioned about the bloodbath that we experienced in that hotel. I had no idea where or what they did with all the wounded or dead, but Diego made it clear it was not our problem to consider.

For once, I listened, did what I was told, and both Christophe and I walked out of the police station and never looked back.

The body of Angus Sokolov had also not been found and I suspected that it never would be. I did know that one of Diego's younger brothers, Xavier Salazar, had taken over Angus' empire. I hadn't the slightest clue what that entailed, and I didn't want to know. The further I was from their dealings, the better.

Only I couldn't exactly escape one hundred percent because I owed Diego a marker, and he intended to cash it in today.

He wanted a wife for life.

My phone buzzed, and Jade's voice came through crystal clear on the speaker.

"Mr. Salazar is here. Shall I bring him in?"

"Yes, Jade, I am ready."

I was nowhere near ready, but if I was going to go back to living my life, running the business I'd put thirty years of my soul into, I had to make myself do scary things.

Jade entered with Diego a few paces behind.

I stood up as Diego approached, a huge smile on his face.

We shook hands, he nodded at Christophe, and then clapped as if this was a celebration.

"So, who am I going to marry?"

"Please take a seat. Jade, this was your idea, and I've decided you will be running this new side of our business."

Jade blanched but adjusted to the change in stride, standing taller, nodding, then took the seat next to Diego. She sat primly, crossed her legs and put her tablet on her thigh.

"Have a seat, Mr. Salazar. I'd like to introduce you to our new division: The Marriage Auction: After Dark."

"Sounds intriguing." He sat and turned to face both me and Jade. "Please explain."

"The concept is a bit different than what we have now. You see, the current Marriage Auction offers a three-year period of marriage. Bidders bid on individuals and the highest bidder wins. Everything is on the up-and-up. We meticulously vet our bidders and candidates, ensuring there are no hidden skeletons in either of their closets, no previous entanglements with the law, and that their finances are as they say they are."

"I'm guessing I don't fit into one of your approved bidders categories." He smirked but didn't say more.

"No. As the leader of the Latin Mafia your alleged crimes…"

" Alleged is the key word, Ms. Lee," Diego interrupted with conviction.

"I understand, and I, for one, believe everyone deserves a chance at true love. The difference in your situation being we cannot in good conscience prepare a list of candidates that are not already familiar with your—how should I put it—"

"Lifestyle choices," I added.

"Thank you, Alana. Yes, your lifestyle choices."

"What you're saying is you don't want to put some innocent woman into an auction lest she end up with a man who allegedly runs a criminal empire?" Diego supplied.

Jade smiled. "Exactly."

"This does not make me happy, Alana." His dark gaze cut to mine. He started to remind me of my commitment. "You owe me a marker of my choosing—"

I lifted my hand. "Diego, I have every intention of providing you with exactly what you desire. Please continue, Jade."

"As I was saying, we cannot enlist our normal crowd. What I propose is we hold a private auction for you. This will be held "After Dark" or immediately following our normal auction. We'll have selected a series of women all willing to be tied to a man of your…" She tapped her lips. "Caliber and lifestyle."

"Noted. I like where this is going." Diego eased back in his seat, making himself more comfortable.

"We'll choose women who have a history of similar tastes," Jade shared.

"Meaning criminals."

"Allegedly," Jade continued. Then she pulled out a list of women she'd already vetted specifically for this job. Not only did it show pictures, but it was essentially each candidate's rap sheet. Some longer and more detailed than others, as they had a darker history, or more smaller convictions. All of them were free of any current sentencing, all of them having been to jail or arrested in their past, and all of them were interested in marriage for life, provided they got a lot of money out of it. None of them had even flinched at hearing Diego's name.

"I sat down personally and spoke to each of these six women. I showed them your photo. Two of them recognized you." She pointed to one on the top of the list and one at the bottom.

"Ah, yes," he rubbed at his chin. "This one," he pointed to the woman on the bottom named Christy. "She was one of my informants. Remove her from the list. Too many people are aware she's a snitch. She wouldn't last a day in my family."

"Okay, done. I'll attempt to replace her prior to the auction. Are there any others?" Jade was doing a phenomenal job running this meeting. I couldn't have been more proud or grateful.

"Do all of the women understand what they are getting into? I want a mother for my three children. A life partner that will stay faithful, or risk ending up in a body bag. Not that I need to remind you," Diego's gaze flicked to mine. "My world is dangerous. The woman for me should not shy away from it. She must be comfortable in it."

"These women thrive on danger. They are perfect for you," Jade's tone was confident as she lifted her chin haughtily.

Diego stood abruptly and buttoned his blazer. "Set it up. I'm ready for the auction whenever you are. Excellent work, ladies. I look forward to being part of The Marriage Auction: After Dark."

I stood as did Jade. We shook hands and then Diego held up a finger to Christophe. " Un momento ," he said then walked to the door. He opened it and snapped his fingers. One of his guards handed him a plastic container. " Gracias ," he mumbled to his man then went over to my husband. "Tamales from Mamá . She wants you both over for dinner soon."

Christophe's eyes lit up as he rubbed his hands together, practically licking his lips. "Homemade tamales?" he breathed as if Diego had just offered him a plate of precious diamonds.

"Pork and chicken, mi amigo ." Diego waggled his brows and grinned like a lunatic. It would have been scary if he wasn't so handsome.

"That woman is a saint. Tell Mamá she holds a piece of my heart." He took the container and practically hugged it.

Diego smiled. "She will be happy. And if Mamá is happy, everyone is happy. Dinner soon?"

"Absolutely. We'll bring the wine," Christophe agreed instantly, signing us up to become actual friends with the mafioso and his family.

Goodness gracious, we needed to have a very stern talk about who we allowed into our inner circle.

"Well, that went really well," Jade breathed excitedly after Diego departed.

"It did. You were phenomenal, Jade. I'm impressed. You've proven yourself as my protégé. I want you to run this new side of the business with an increase in pay and a new title, Madam Jade. Something tells me Diego isn't going to be the only morally gray character that wants to find love in the darkness."

"I mean, bad boys deserve love, too, right?" Jade grinned, genuinely excited about this opportunity.

"Agreed. Bad boys deserve love too."

"Can we talk about the next quarterly marriage auction? I've received a couple calls from Autumn Belanger. She's Summer Belanger, now Larsen's, sister. And from what I understand, a complete hippie."

"And Summer wasn't a hippie?" I recalled the woman entering my office, taking off her shoes and pulling her legs and feet up onto my couch. People at business meetings didn't remove their shoes unless they were extremely comfortable in their own skin and unbothered by societal norms.

"She's not our normal candidate. She doesn't need to be in the auction, she wants to be, and not for the money."

I frowned. "Then what's her angle?"

She smiled. "Love, of course. Plus, she claimed to have seen the future, and in it, she was being bid on at our auction."

"She claims to be psychic?" I asked.

Jade shook her head and chuckled. "Not exactly. I actually clarified it with Summer. She claims it's wild and unusual but that her sister has "the sight", which is what she called it. Apparently, Autumn also envisioned Jack before she met him and asked where his son was. He didn't have one then, but within two weeks he became the legal guardian of his friend's toddler when she suddenly passed away. I don't know if I believe it, but Summer and Jack both agreed she's harmless and well meaning."

I let out a long breath. "Okay, let's schedule a meeting with her to discuss the finer details. If her sister has already been in it and is happy with her match, there's really no reason not to allow her in the next batch of candidates provided she's vetted and her record is clear."

Jade scribbled notes on the tablet. "The next new bidder we have is a female and you'll recognize her. In fact, everyone will. We may have to host a private auction for her too."

"Who is it? Taylor Swift?" I chuckled, appreciating my own joke.

"No, but not far off. Juniper Ross."

"Stop it," I waved a hand at her trickery.

Juniper Ross was a Pop-Rock princess. Much like Taylor was a Country-Pop princess, Juniper had her own thing going for her. She was very much an Lzzy Hale meets Taylor Swift meets Tori Amos type of artist. Everything goes with her. She had a bad girl attitude, showed a lot of skin, hated the media, and was known for being spoiled rotten because she came from money. And not a little money, but a dynasty of music legends in her family. Her music reached far and wide, and she had several Grammys to prove it. The good girls loved to hate her but listened to her music anyway. The bad girls worshipped her because they wanted to be her. And men, well, she was every man's sex symbol. A role she excelled at and leaned into much of the time in her stage performance and music videos.

"Alana, I'm not kidding. Juniper Ross wants to choose a husband at the next auction."

"Seriously? How did she even find us? It's not as though we advertise. Everything is word of mouth."

"Yeah, and that word of mouth got back to her publicist who contacted me. Juniper wants a man in her life that is willing to go on tour with her, attend red carpet events, and let the public see their romance play out live."

"Is that what Juniper wants or her publicist? Is this one of those fix her image type of deals? Because that's not the business we're in."

Jade shook her head. "Nope. I spoke to Juniper myself. She claims no one knows the real her and she wants true love. She says she doesn't believe it's possible for her to find it, so she's going to buy it."

"Hmmm, I'm not sure about this one. Set up a meeting between me and Juniper and her publicist. I'd like to speak to them personally."

Jade jotted down the request. "The last thing is The Christmas Auction. You said you had a candidate in mind but didn't share any details."

I smiled remembering the bartender I'd met at that dive bar I happened upon by accident when the car I'd hired had blown a tire. The driver who'd picked me up had barely made it to the rickety locale. While he'd dealt with the car and waited for assistance, I went inside to have a drink.

Holly was her name.

She was incredibly beautiful with long blonde hair, big brown eyes, and a buxom body. When I sat down, she took one look at me and said, "We don't have fancy cocktails or martinis here. If that's what you want, you're in the wrong place."

I smiled and ordered a double shot of her best tequila. She added the lime, for which I was grateful. Then she asked me what a classy woman was doing on that side of town. We talked, and I found out she was a native to Las Vegas, having been born and raised in the desert. Her father was a card dealer. Her momma a waitress in the same casino.

When I asked why she bartended, she said it was the best money she could make that wasn't shaking her ass or climbing a pole. But she aspired to own her own bar one day. Then she playfully asked if I wanted to be her fairy godmother and bankroll her.

I told her not that day, but one never knew what awaited them in the future.

She was perfect for the Christmas auction.

And Bruno Castellanos would be the perfect bidder.

I tapped my pencil on my desk and played out a scene where I'd force the two to meet in advance. Some people thought my matches were all luck of the draw, or luck of the bidder. And in some cases, that was true.

Other times, like with this special auction, I knew exactly who to pair, I just needed to do some old-fashioned reconnaissance like I did in the past.

What was the first way to get back into the saddle if you've fallen off? Go back to what you know best.

And the best thing I knew how to do was matchmake.

" Mon Coeur, I'm feeling like a drink. Shall we head out?"

"Can I eat my tamales in the limo?" He gave me puppy dog eyes. Food was one of my husband's love languages. I'd never deny him.

"Of course, mi amor . Jade, you've got things handled. We'll see you tomorrow."

I linked my arm with my husband's and smiled as I mentally started planning in my head how I was going to finagle a meet and greet between Bruno and my soon-to-be new candidate Holly.

"I love my job." I sighed and cuddled next to my husband as we headed to a filthy dive bar on the outskirts of Las Vegas.

Holly and Bruno had no idea their lives were about to change forever.

The End of The Marriage Auction Season 2.