Page 10 of Bodyguard My Heart
“Let’s get this party started!” Aliza screamed, heading toward the living room. I didn’t move. My feet remained still as I fondled the letter in my hands.
“Are you sure you’re good, Samara?” She turned to question me. Her eyes jumped from me to the envelope.
“Um… Yeah, I just need to use the bathroom. I’ll be in there in a minute.”
I turned and hurried down the hallway toward my bedroom, leaving Aliza standing there. She’d see me fall apart if I didn’t escape her soon. My heart ached. I couldn’t believe what I had in my hands. I closed my door and tore the envelope open, revealing the thick stack of folded papers. My eyes immediately found the bottom of the page. Sure enough, Demetrius’s name was sketched on the signature line. Tears immediately slid down my face. I’d been waiting for this, but I didn’t feel happy.
I stared at the divorce papers for what seemed like forever. This was his way of saying he was done, and though that was what I wanted, it was bittersweet. Our six-year marriage had run its course. I wanted to pull out my phone and call him, but what would I say? Did he want to hear from me? Tears drained from my body as I sat on my bed, crying uncontrollably. In a perfect world, Demetrius and I could work, but this wasn’t perfect, and I wasn’t cut out to be a kingpin’s wife forever. Still, my heart didn’t hurt any less.
“Samara! Would you come on?” My room door flew open, and my eyes bounced to Monroe. I tried to wipe my face and hide my tears, but it was too late—she’d seen me.
“Samara, what’s going on? Are you crying?” She neared me, but I was at a loss for words.
“What are you looking at?”
Before realizing what I was doing, I handed her the divorce papers. Her eyes roamed the documents, and I just watched. This was a good time to finally air out my big secret.
“Samara, these are divorce papers.” Her face was glazed with confusion. Monroe and I had only hung out a few times, but we talked a lot. She knew enough about me to know I wasn’t supposed to be a married woman.
“Yep,” I said through my sobs. Monroe’s eyes fell back to the papers.
“I’m confused. Who the hell is married? Who is Demetri…” Her words trailed off, and her hand immediately flew to her mouth.
“No, it’s not! Meechie! Samara, are these papers saying that you and Meechie are married?”
“Was married!” I corrected her. “We’re getting a divorce.”
Monroe stared at me momentarily before she handed the papers back to me and walked away.
“Nope! I’m not in this! Forget I walked in here. I just came here for drinks and book talk, that’s it.”
“Too late, you’re involved,” I called behind her, causing her feet to stop moving. She sighed and turned to face me, moving back in my direction.
“What the hell, Samara? I know your brother does not know about this. When did y’all get married? Please explain.”
I stared at Monroe as she joined me on the bed. I tried my best to reel in my emotions and control my breathing, but I couldn’t get a grip. I’d been keeping everything about Demetrius and me inside for so long. Nobody knew. Not even Rebecca and I considered her my closest friend. I’d only given her bits and pieces of the truth. She had no clue I had been venting to her about Meechie or that we were married.
“It’s a lot.” I didn’t even know where to start.
“Start at the beginning.”
I stood from the bed and walked to my nightstand to retrieve my wedding ring. I didn’t wear it often, usually only when we were conducting cartel business, but for some reason, I wasbeing called to it. I glared at my five-carat, white gold diamond ring, and more tears streamed from my eyes.
“Ro doesn’t know,” I said, placing the ring in my left hand. I walked over to the bed. Monroe nodded and kept her eyes on me, letting me know I had her undivided attention.
“For Demetrius to take over the cartel, he had to marry into the family. I was the only option,” I blurted. Monroe’s mouth dropped.
“You’ve been in an arranged marriage with Demetrius for what…” She counted in her head. “The past six years?”
I nodded. Monroe had experience with arranged marriages, having been in one herself before meeting Royale. So I could see why she would label this as one, but I didn’t see it that way.
“Royale said y’all family didn’t do arranged marriages.”
“We don’t. My marriage to Demetrius was more of an agreement than an arrangement. We both wanted Royale to go to college and become a doctor. My father was trying to push him back into the cartel. This was the only way we could think of to free him.” I sat on the bed and opened my hand to show her my ring. Nobody close to us had seen it. Monroe stared at it, and a smile appeared on her face.
“Meechie got this for you?” she questioned.
I nodded my head. “On the day we got married. I told him I didn’t need one, but he wouldn’t let me go without it.”