Page 46 of Forbidden (Wicked Billionaires #1)

LORENZO

After I find the right town in South Carolina, I locate the correct street. Martha’s home is cute and it’s good her garden has grown. After leaving NYC, and working for me, for a decade, I paid for her home.

Martha had found it, and she was going to buy it with all of her savings.

She is originally from here, and she wanted to retire back in the cute town.

Martha was reluctant I pay for the home at first, but I told it was the least I could do. I could afford it. I also reminded her, she’d done a lot of late nights, coached me on a few non work-related things in my life, and that it was an honor.

It was the least I could do.

Martha helped me build the movie companies up, and in some ways I could not have done it without her.

There is also the matter of Tommy, her dead son. I think in some ways, when he died in Iraq, I filled part of the gap.

The day we heard about Tommy, was a day I will never forget.

I’d found the broken woman in the office, and I took her to stay in The Hamptons. Alfred and I looked after her, and it was hell.

Tommy was almost all Martha had in her life, and seeing the sweet loving woman go through such pain, almost broke me.

Maybe that is why I feel so protective over women in my life.

After circling the home for several minutes, I decide to land in a park, and break another law. I drop the chopper between trees, and opposite her home, and I turn all systems off.

No doubt the small town, has few choppers and I’m embarrassed with the intrusion. As I cross the small tree lined street, I get a few weird looks.

That’s the least of my concerns. I’m nervous, and my breathing is scrappy, as I walk up Martha’s steps. I pat myself down, and try to look less rough. I’d stopped for outdoor clothes, and I have not shaven in a week.

I tell myself a white lie, that everything will work out fine.

It won’t, because I’m a complete fuck up.

As I step up to the old door, it slowly creeks open.

Our eyes meet, as Martha opens the door, slow. For the first time in a decade, she is not smiling, or even asking me in.

Oh shit, she knows!

But how much?

My mouth is dry, and I’m ashamed. “May I come in?” The woman in her sixty’s nods, and I follow her inside.

As she makes tea in the kitchen, I lean awkwardly against the old-fashioned sink and finally our eyes meet.

Man up.

Before I can speak, Martha does. “You need to leave her alone.” The words slice my heart in two. “Unless she is the one.”

“I never intended for anything to happen.” I say. “And I did try to stay away. She’s just, just so… loveable.”

The woman crosses her arms. She knows how many models I bedded. Also, how many celebs and heiresses.

I know there’s a good chance she will tell me to go, and never come back. I will then lose the only mother figure I’ve ever had, or will ever have.

If I screw this up, and lose Martha and Storm, I may as well kill myself.

I gulp, as I plan my words. After a hundred board-type meetings where I commanded men, and women, lawyers, and bankers with ease, this here, is making me sick.

“Look, I know she is upset… ”

“Devastated, Lorenzo. You’ve broken the young girl!”

“I know, I know,” I say as I pace. “But it’s not as clean cut as that.”

“It never is.”

I don’t want to explain how crazy it got with the French woman trying to blow me. Martha is a conservative, sweet, woman, and she should never hear the details.

“Well?” shakes me out of it.

I don’t know what to say, so I pace to hack my mind. “Look, all I know is, I’ve never felt this way. I don’t want to live without her, and there’ll never be another.”

I look out the kitchen window. I can’t look into Martha’s eyes. The field in the distance is wide, and open, and I see horses graze.

A tear starts down a cheek, and I let it fall.

Suddenly, the foster trauma floods back. It starts with the ruthless cigarette burn torture. The days of being tied up. The humiliation. The days, and days of being burnt. The laughing at me. The drug taking behind me. The endless tears. And me… the center of entertainment.

And all while my skin burnt, and melted.

And the thousands of times, I tried to work out, why my real parents never wanted me.

All the times I was strapped or beaten in other foster care homes.

All the times I cried myself to sleep.

All the times I slept hungry.

All the times I ran from homes.

And later, all the times I hid hungry on the streets of NYC, like a dog.

As I wipe the salty tears from my face, I sniff, embarrassed. I should be stronger than this. Maybe I’m just weak, useless, and no good to anyone.

As the tears stream down both cheeks, I give up caring. What is the fucking point?

And why not tell her, now.

Just after I give up hope, I feel a soft, warm, body against my back. It is soft, and caring. Arms wrap around my stomach, and they hold me from behind. I’ve never been held so softly, and gently, and slowly I turn.

I hold the woman in her cardigan, and I let go. I don’t understand what’s happening, and maybe, just maybe, I want to be loved.

By someone.

For the first time in my life.

I’ve never hurt anyone in my life, and I don’t understand. It’s not supposed to be this hard.

No one should have to have a tattoo made, to cover cigarette burns and torture. The intricate dragon carved into my back was not done by choice.

It covers endless pain and torture.

But it now acts as a shield… a shield to protect me from the past.

After telling myself to act like a man, and to suck it up, I manage to finally get a grip. I inhale, sniff and apologize. As I kiss the head of the woman below me, I sigh, and whisper. “I’m sorry.”

We pull back, and we stand there together. The woman wipes her own eyes. “Nonsense, and I’m sorry dear. I’m so so sorry. I had no idea.”

“It was a lifetime ago.”

As we look into each other’s eyes, she uses a handkerchief and looks up at me. “So? First things first.”

“I love her, Martha.”

Martha gets a twinkle in her eye, and maybe, just maybe she can tell I mean it. “And… ”

“She’s the one.” I say. “I’d like to marry her, if… If it’s alright with you.”

Martha laugh-cries and finally smiles. “That’s very sweet dear. But it’s really up to her.”

As I nod, Martha returns to the tea. She pours two teas, and hands me one. “Are you sure? You can only do this once.”

“I’ll never love another. Actually, that’s a lie. I’ll always love you, and her.”

Martha smiles over her tea, and we both sip, and process, our eyes still wet.

After we talk for a few more minutes, Martha asks if she can call Storm’s mother. As I pace nervously in the living room, I look at photos of Martha and her own extended family.

Most are with Tommy, her late son, she has no other children.

Martha lost her husband in her thirties, and it’s really just her. My mind churns as I pace, and I feel nervous about the outcome.

Finally, Martha walks back in, and she crosses her arms. Our eyes meet.

“Storm’s mother is like me. She is rather old fashioned. She would like to know your intentions.”

I nod, trying to imagine what they both need to hear, and where this is going. I pace, and then stop. I finally notice Martha’s eyes on me. There is something she’s not giving away.

She then lightens, just before I plan my verbal pitch. “She is just nervous and protective, Lorenzo. You have my blessing, and I am sure you will have Storm’s mother’s, as long as you are honorable, and honest.”

I sigh, and start to breathe again. “What’s her name?”

“Her name is Florence.”

“Florence,” I say inhaling, and getting ready for the next obstacle. “Well, if it’s alright with you, I have a woman to find, and get back.”

“You do,” Martha says, her tea steaming under her wet eyes.

“Thanks,” I say, as I walk forwards. “You’re the closest thing I’ve ever had to family, and I love you with all of my heart. I love you like a mother.”

Martha nods, and I know it means a lot to her.

Tears run down her cheeks, as she turns to a photo of Tommy. I take her tea off her, and I hug her tight.

Like me, she lets out a little pain. I hold her in my arms, as I think about Tommy. I remember him kidding around in my office.

I also remember teaching him to sail, and teaching him a few other things. He was younger than me, and the plan was he’d come work for me, after the military.

After another minute to ease our pain, and settle our energy, we pull back, and wipe our eyes. Finally, Martha walks me to her door, and she pats my arm. “It’s good to see you, son.”

Our eyes meet, and her words mean more than she’ll ever know.

“Now, you go get her, Lorenzo, and don’t ever let her go.”

“I won’t.”

“Good,” Martha says. “Because for what you’ve put her mom, and me through, we need grandchildren.”

“What?” I say before realizing.

“I’m kidding,” Martha says, with her perfect and gentle energy. “Kind of.”

We laugh, but this time it’s short, and I’m on a mission.

As I run down her steps and towards the chopper across the road, I hear, “A boy and a girl!” I run for the chopper, and I leap into the pilot’s seat

“Buckle up!” I say to the Peregrine, as the chopper’s blades turn.

As I fly towards the mountains, I think about my next move. Because Storm has ignored my calls, and messages, the only way I can find her, is her friend Madison.

Not wanting to alert the entire small town in South Carolina, or create unseen drama, I land in a field. It’s half a mile behind the main road, and I head off on foot.

After getting two more steak sandwiches for myself and Falcon to go, I walk down the main street.

Storm once mentioned Madison, had a small cafe, and it’s all I have to go on.

As I walk into one of the only cafes in the small town, the old school doorbell rings. A woman Storm’s age, walks from out back, wearing a yellow dress.

She is holding a half iced muffin, and the muffin hits the floor.

As I dust off the muffin, I step up to her. “You must be Madison. I’m Lorenzo, and I’m here for Storm.” Madison says nothing, but she lifts her chin, and eyes me with caution.

“I love her, and she’s meant to be with me,” I say, laying down the law.

Again, nothing. I have not slept for twenty-two hours, and my patience is low.

“Where is she, Madison?” I step closer, and her eyes take me in. “Look, I’m going to marry her, I’ll never love another. What do I need to say?!”

“Okay!” she says with a sigh. “Okay!”

“Where?” I growl.

Ten minutes later, and with a badly drawn map of roads, a river and some mountains, I leave. An hour later, I’m lost, but it’s likely my mistake.

I flew up the old mountain road, and I tried to take all the right forks. To make every turn. Finally, I lost patience, and now I’m fucking lost.

Lost in the mountains.

As I burn through fuel fast, I start to worry about putting the chopper down. That is, if we can find somewhere to land in the endless forest.

As I push on, and sweep along endless valleys, I get deeper and deeper into the stunning mountains, but further from help.

It is now obvious, I have only one chance.

I change my strategy, and look for a landing spot. It seems to take forever, but finally, I find a patch of grass on a plateau. As I nervously let Falcon out, I make it clear. “You have one job to do, and that’s find her before dark.”

The Peregrine is slow, and it cries out.

The sound carries across the valley, and it echoes again and again in the mountains.

I start to get worried, as the sun drops lower across peaks. Finally, the falcon runs, flaps, and takes off.

As I leap in the chopper, I yell. “How about a little warning?”

The blades spin fast, and I lift the chopper straight up. I have to maneuver radically, as I try to find the falcon in the sky.

After sweating buckets, I see a flash of feathers over the trees. I finally have him.

I still have no idea, if the Peregrine will lead me to water, a rabbit, or back to fucking NYC.

It’s all I have.

Because falcons have some of the best eyes in the animal kingdom, there’s a chance, we can find her, before I run out of daylight.

As I turn to the horizon, I gulp. The sun is starting to set, and when it’s gone everything goes black.

When the sun is gone, I will be gone from this world.

There is nowhere to land. Just trees.

And darkness…

The end of life…

As the sun drops lower, my stomach clenches, and I breathe deep.

This is it!