Shackled Lily (32 page)

I smiled warmly at him. “I know this first hand. I’m glad he was there for you.”

“After a couple of days, I slowly pulled myself together. I called Pastor Boyd again and he helped me adjust my thinking. After a lot of repentance, I was ready to put one foot in front of the other, and try to get my life back together. Then before I even left the condo, your dad came storming in demanding to know where you were. As soon as Jake realized that you disappeared, and that I had been telling him the truth, he went after your father. I was able to pull him off, but
not before Jake did a good amount of damage to your father’s face.”

“Am I wrong for being glad that Jake hurt him?” I asked with a smirk.

Grant didn’t smile back at me, and I felt butterflies in my stomach again. “Normally, I would say yes, but your dad pressed charges. Jake was arrested for assault. He spent two nights in jail before we could get him out. That little account you set up pretty much saved the day. All this happened before I had the deal with Mark, and neither of us had the liquidity to get him out.”

“He told me he would ruin anyone I loved if I messed up his merger. Of course Jake would be his first target,” I whispered, nausea filling my stomach.

Grant pulled me to him and settled us next to each other on the couch. “We can finish talking about this tomorrow if you want,” he offered.

“No. I need to hear it.”

Grant hugged me tighter. “Things just spiraled from there. Jake lost his job and took up day trading to try and pay the bills. I don’t think it’s going well for him, because David called to tell me that if someone didn’t get Jake under control, he was kicking him out. I tried to talk to him, even offered to get him a job in our financial department. He said he was fine and that I needed to stop worrying about him and stay focused on finding you.”

“How long ago was that?” I whispered.

“Three weeks ago. I haven’t heard anything since, but I guess that’s a good thing.”

My stomach turned again. Jake and I had been connected for years, and now he felt so far away, I wondered how our relationship would ever recover. Grant squeezed my hand in support
, reminding me he was still there. “Where were you all that time?” I asked.

“I was in New York, making appointments with every investor I knew. Somehow, I got them to hand me thousands of dollars for my software. I used every tactic you taught me and it worked. It wasn’t until the fifth one that I heard about the recommendation letters your father had sent.”

“Did they help?” I asked softly.

“Yes, baby, they made all the difference in the world,” he assured me. “In just a few days, I had all the money I needed to test the software and that is when I first approached Mark Stonewall. Your father’s stock had been soaring ever since you and Robbie started making the papers, so Mark was eager to have something that could help them compete. We did the test run on his system and it was a complete success. Mark offered to buy the software for millions, but I knew better. I wasn’t going to be someone’s paperboy anymore. I offered him a deal. I’d sell him 49% ownership of the technology, and he had to make me vice president of the new division. He was already so impressed with me that he took the deal, and it’s been remarkable. I’ve made more money in two months than most people do in a lifetime, Issy.”

“Grant, you know I don’t care about that.”

Grant reached out and touched my face, assuring me that he understood. “It’s not the money, Issy. It’s the freedom. We are no longer dependent on your father. You can go back to Winsor and finish your school. I have the freedom to work anywhere I want to, but mostly, we can be together.”

Grant’s words sent warmth through my body, but it felt wrong to be happy when everyone else had suffered because of me. “What about my mom? My father threatened her too.”

“Your mom is in rehab. She admitted herself a week after you disappeared. Jake said he had been taking her pills away when he found them, but she always found a way to get more. But your dad did take possession of the house. I’m not sure if she’s still
hospitalized because she needs to be or if she’s there because she has to be.”

I stood up from the couch, fury starting to flood my stomach. “How is it possible that he gets to win, when all of us suffer?” I demanded. Grant tried to console me, but I was too angry. “You have no idea how much I hate him…how much I want to make him suffer the way I have.”

“I think he is suffering. I ran into him two weeks ago. His company is a mess, Issy. Stock prices have practically bottomed out and it doesn’t look good for recovery. I didn’t realize how much I actually did for him until I left. Your father never knew the computer stuff. That was all me. I was the interpreter for him, which explains why he never was willing to let me go.”

I walked towards the window, staring out across the city lights. “I don’t feel sorry for him. He deserves everything he gets,” I stated coldly.

Grant wrapped his arms around me and I leaned into him, feeling the anger start to dissipate a little. “One day, you’re going to have to forgive him, Issy, for your own sake. Bitterness is no way to live, and I want you to live the life you’ve never been free to have.”

I turned around and threw my arms around his neck pulling him towards me. The fire that had been ignited earlier raged with new fury as we consumed one another. We somehow managed to stop before it went too far, even though both of us we breathing heavy when we separated.

“Stay here,” he said, kissing my hand with a grin before running back to his bedroom. He was back in seconds and carrying a small black box. “You once asked me to give you the names of two couples that were happily in love.” Grant opened the box and watched for my reaction. I didn’t move. The box held a gold ring with a larger square diamond in the middle and two smaller, round diamonds sitting beside it. “These two diamonds are from my grandmother’s and great grandmother’s wedding rings. Together they represent over a hundred years of marriage, commitment and love. The middle one is for us.”

I stared at the ring, unable to find the words. Grant took it out of the box and slipped it on my finger. “Say yes,” he whispered as he put his forehead to mine.

What else could I say? He had stolen my heart and I never wanted it back. “Yes.”

I watched Grant close his eyes and finally breathe again before bringing me in for a kiss so tender and intimate that my knees would have buckled if Grant hadn’t had me cradled in his arms.

“Grant?” I whispered as he kissed me, his lips trailing down my neck.

“Yes baby?” he answered, never stopping the fire he was sending down my body.

“I know this seems crazy since I’ve never wanted to wait before, but I kind of feel like we’ve been given a second chance, and I want to do things right.” My voiced trailed off as he kissed me, my resolution already starting to wane.

Grant took
my face in his hands and stared lovingly in my eyes. “Sweetheart, I’d wait for you forever.”

I grinned at him and then moved as clo
se as I could, “Well, I’m not as patient as you,” I whispered, kissing his ear. I felt his breath catch in response. “I was thinking Vegas.”

He jerked back and stared at me is disbelief. “Are you serious?”

“You’re not planning on changing your mind are you?” I asked with my eyebrow raised, my mischievous grin already consuming my face. 

“Not in a million years,” he assured me before picking me up and spinning me around. I felt the laughter echo through my entire body as we collapsed on the floor. My wish had finally come true. The life I always wanted was here.

epilogue

I woke up with a smile on my face. Grant was still sleeping peacefully next to me, and I took in his flawless face. I glanced at the gold band adorning his finger and sat in amazement that this wonderful man would be mine for the rest of my life.

We had said our vows on a beach in the Virgin Islands right as the sun began to set. It was fitting to marry on the beach since that’s where it had all started for us.

I thought of our first night together and blushed. I never understood why Parker and Avery wanted to wait, but now I did. Everything about the night had been beautiful. There was no insecurity in his touch. We were one flesh under God and able to express that love to each other without regret or fear. I softly kissed my sweet husband before dawning my robe.

             
The smell of salt water assaulted me as I stood on the balcony holding Grant’s phone in my hand. I still hadn’t called Jake. It had been three days since Grant found me, and I didn’t know why I was waiting. I took a deep breath and sent him a text.

Me:
This is Issy. When I call, please pick up.

Jake picked up on the first ring. “He found you,” he cried, his voice shaking. “
I’ve been going out of my mind, Issy!”

Then he started ranting. First at me for not calling him, then at Grant for not telling him right away that he found me. Finally, he started cursing my father and threatening to hurt him even more. Once he finally calmed down, he asked, “Where are you? I’m coming to get you.”

I let out a sigh, not sure why I felt so nervous. “I’m in the Caribbean, Jake. Grant and I got married last night.”

There was silence on the other end until I heard
an echoing click.

“Jake?” I asked, but it was too late. The line was
already dead.

TO MY WONDERFUL READERS

I hope you enjoyed Issy and Grant’s story. Please take a moment to leave a review on Amazon.

To see how it all began, check out the first book in the Winsor Series,
Shattered Rose
. Available now on Amazon.

The final book in the series is Jake’s story, coming early 2014.

I’d love to hear from all of you. Connect with me on Facebook to hear all about my upcoming projects:

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A
BOUT THE AUTHOR

T.L. Gray is a freelance writer who also serves as a pastor’s wife in Ennis, Texas. It was her desire to see young girls know and experience Christ’s unconditional love that led her to write her debut novel,
Shattered Rose
. She strongly believes that sometimes the greatest stories are told from the heart of those who have lived them. T.L. Gray is currently working on Book 3 in the Winsor Series which is set for release in early 2014.