Page 1 of Bodyguard My Heart

Samara London

“You’re saying we have to get married?” I stared at my father through the glass barrier separating the prisoners from the visitors. He had to be joking. My head turned to my brother’s best friend, Demetrius. My father had just dropped a load of information on us and neither was prepared for what we heard.

“Nah, I can’t marry my best friend’s little sister,” Demetrius replied. His face held the same confusion as mine as he shook his head. I knew something weird was going on when I arrived for my routine visit with my dad and saw Demetrius. I wasn’t expecting this, though. Married? I was only nineteen. I knew nothing about being married. I didn’t even take men or relationships seriously. I was in my ho phase.

“You two don’t have a choice. Blood or marriage must connect all leaders of the London Cartel. Meechie, as qualified as you are, you weren’t born a London. So, our only option is for you two to marry. Royale has stepped down. I’m in here. The next rightful heir is Samara.”

My father’s eyes locked on me. I stared at him, his words processing through my brain. Was he saying I had to get married or run the cartel alone?

“Me! I’m just a girl!”

“No stipulations in this family say a girl can’t run an organization.”

“But I don’t want to run this stupid cartel. I just declared my major!” I shouted through clenched teeth. I didn’t know why I was being discreet. My father had everyone here on payroll, so it wasn’t a big deal if anyone heard me.

“This stupid cartel is why you live your very cushioned ass life!” My father’s voice thundered.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” I defended myself. “I just… This is just catching me off guard.”

“You think I’m happy about this, Samara? I trained your brother to be my successor. Not you and damn sure not Meechie. These are our fucking circumstances now that Royale wants to play doctor!” he shouted.

I looked at Demetrius again. His face was unreadable. He’d been Royale’s best friend since before I was born. This news had to mess him up inside just as much as it did me. Royale had promoted Demetrius to caporegime before he had stepped down. There was no way my brother had known about this. Royale would never approve of me marrying his best friend under any circumstance. He didn’t want me involved in anything related to the cartel.

“I didn’t mean to yell, Samara. This is the only way. The only other option is to turn the cartel over to my cousin Smith. That’s not the best option for us. No cartel means no funds. Who will pay for your school or campus apartment?”

I stared at my father, taking in everything he had to say. I didn’t care about any of my material things, but school was a chance for me to have a better life. One that didn’t involvemoving cocaine up and down the highway. I hated the family business. It had taken my mother and my other brother away from me. Still, I understood the privileges it had afforded me.

“How long would we have to be married again?” I asked. The least I could do was entertain the idea. Demetrius taking over the cartel benefited him also. As Royale’s right-hand man, he would likely be without a job if anyone else took over.

“You won’t like this, but the minimum is five years. Don’t ask me why. This rule was set in place long before I was born. Five years married, Demetrius can fully control the business, blood or not.”

“Five years?” I rubbed my hand across my face. “And it just has to be on paper? I wouldn’t have to be involved at all?”

“Just on paper, but some business trips will be needed—mainly out of the country,” my father explained.

“Does Royale know about this?” I questioned. I was curious.

“No, I’m sure he doesn’t, or he would have never stepped down,” Demetrius interjected, and suddenly, a light bulb went off in my head.

“That’s your plan. When Royale hears about this marriage thing, he’ll step back in. There’s no way he’ll let me marry Demetrius or run the cartel.” The smirk on my father’s face revealed his answer.

My father knew his son would never go for this shit. My brother tried to protect me from everything. He’d always been my knight in shining armor. Despite our age difference, we were close. When he’d quit the cartel, I was so proud of him. It inspired me to enroll in college. Royale had such a bright future ahead of him. He was about to finish med school. I couldn’t allow him to give that up for me. I turned to Demetrius. My heart was heavy.

“It’s just five years.” I shrugged. “We don’t have to tell Royale anything.”

“No offense, Mara, but I’m not marrying my best friend’s sister! Especially not behind his back!” Demetrius slammed the phone back in its holder before storming off from his seat.

“Demetrius, wait!” I yelled behind him. If this was the only way I could help my brother live out his dreams, then so be it. I looked at my father.

“I’m going to go through with this, but only, and I mean only, if Royale never finds out. Despite what you think, Ro is doing something good for this family. I won’t let you jeopardize it.”

“Royale is disgracing this family! I raised him to be my heir,” he shouted. My father’s fucked up views about what made a black man worthy was the reason he didn’t have a relationship with Royale. Hell, he barely had a relationship with me.

“He never finds out!” I reiterated.

My father stared at me. He didn’t expect me to go through with his idea. He thought I would run to Royale and he would save me by quitting school and running the cartel. His plan had backfired, though, because I wouldn’t let him turn my brother into him.

“I can’t make any promises, Mara.” He stared at me.

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