Splintered Oak (Winsor Series Book 3) (3 page)

3
. ROULETTE

JAKE

Feeling the rug on my cheek was
the first clue I had fallen. My chest constricted one more time before air finally filled my lungs, leaving me heaving and coughing.

The excruciating pounding in my head was only second to the crushing pain in my chest. I concentrated on getting my breathing regulated, allowing the room to once again come into focus.

Reaching for my discarded phone, I found enough strength to pull myself up to the couch.

There were six missed calls from Issy spanning a thirty-minute period. I didn’t even hear the phone ring.

By force of habit, I ran my fingers through my hair, realizing it was now wet with perspiration.

I threw a nearby pillow across the room. T
he medicine was supposed to get these under control.

C
lutching the phone as if it had been the cause of all my torment the last few months, I stood and paced.

Married? It isn’t possible. How could she do it?

She had to have been coerced in some way. She had been alone and Grant exploited her vulnerability for his own agenda.

My
anger moved to a new target—a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I had helped Grant, grieved with him when Issy broke things off. What was his repayment? He stole her right from me like a heartless thief.

Their
marriage meant nothing. I knew Issy; she would bore of him in weeks.

Feeling more confident and in control, I dialed Grant’s number and couldn’t help but smile when I heard her snarky greeting.

“Really? You’re going to ignore my calls? How old are you?” Issy irritated voice dripped with worry.

“Sorry, you took me by surprise. Married, huh? When did this little venture take place, and how much do you think you’ll get when the ink dries on your divorce paperwork? Internet says Grant’s worth a lot of money now.”

I tried to disguise my anger with sarcasm, but I could feel the tension all the way to my fingertips, teetering on the edge, just waiting to erupt.

“Jake, this isn’t like before. I love him.” I could hear the cool confidence in her voice, which just made me grit my teeth harder
.

I fought for control.
“You know, if you wanted to tick off your father, there are less extremes you could go to. Although, I must say, he’s going to blow his top when he finds out you ditched the rich kid for his ex-assistant. I guess I can now see why you had to run away.”

“Jake, you don’t know what you’
re talking about. It’s far more complicated than just trying to get back at my father. A lot happened that I never…”

Her voice trailed off, but i
t didn’t matter what she planned to say, because the rise of rage nearly choked me. Its red-hot haze blurring my vision.

“AND WHY
DON’T I KNOW, ISSY? Maybe because you lied to me, didn’t trust me, and left me ignorant to everything happening in your life. I mean, you were here just weeks before you ran and never said a word!

“
And Grant, that piece of work, coming here, acting heartbroken. What is his role in all this, Issy? Did you ever think about that? How could you trust him over me? It’s you and me against the world. It always has been!”

She was silent, giving me the time I needed to calm down.

When she finally spoke, her voice was soft and apologetic. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you more. I should have.”

I grunted into the phone, unwilling to accept her weak apology.

“I’d like to see you,” she continued.

“Well, I’m right here. The same place I’ve been for months. You’re the one hiding from me.” My voice had come down an octave and my hands were no lon
ger shaking uncontrollably, but I was still within an inch of losing my temper again.

It was
concerning how little control I had on my emotions.

“Grant and I are flyin
g to Hollywood tomorrow. There’s a movie opening, and we plan to make our first public appearance there as husband and wife.”

I started laughing in disbelief. I knew Issy had become somewhat of a tabloid star since her disappearance, but this was over the top. “You’re kidding me, right?”

“I want you to come too. Listen, Jake, my father is going to be waiting to strike and you’re likely his first target.” The urgency in her voice did nothing but irritate me.

“I can take care of myself.
” I started pacing the room again. “Besides, there’s not a whole lot more your father can do to me, apart from taking my freedom. Oh wait, he’s planning to do that too.”

“We’re not going to let that happen. Grant has already talked with his lawyers and we’re going to get you off, Jake, I promise.”

“Hear me clearly, Issy. I don’t need Grant’s help, and I don’t want yours either. Of all the people in the world, you are the last one I thought would let me down. Shows what I know. I guess all that time in your father’s house changed you after all.” Bitterness dripped from my voice, and I was grateful she wasn’t around to see the tears in my eyes.

“That’s not fair. I did change at my father’s house, but not in that way. I love you, Jake. You are my family and my best friend.” Her voice shook, and I heard Grant ask in the background if she was okay.

The obvious intimacy between the two of them punched me in the gut. “I don’t want to hear it, Issy. Call me when you’ve tired of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.”

I hung
up on her for real this time and put my phone on silent. I had ten thousand dollar day. It was time to celebrate and forget all about my selfish cousin.

Issy’s photo was everywhere—
magazines, television, and of course, Facebook and Twitter were going crazy.

Somehow, my world managed to trudge on without much change. I wrote David the rent check and paid on the Mercedes, which meant my account was back down and I needed another great day in the market. Yesterday was a disaster with almost every stock in the DOW taking a plunge.

I made my picks and set up the automatic controls on my brokerage account before I sat back and watched the markers tick by. I tried stretching my neck to ease the tension, but nothing worked.

Every day felt like a roule
tte game.

Red hit the screen and I cursed, selling off all my meager stocks. I tried two more sets of trading, but in the end lost
five thousand dollars before calling it quits.

Rigid from head to toe, every muscle in
my body strained, my throat constricting. If tomorrow didn’t pick up, I was finished.

Trying to stretch out my aching back, I stood and rolled my neck before resigning myself to watch business news.

The sound of knocking was barely audible over the television, and I first ignored the noise thinking it was next door. The banging came again, louder this time, and with more urgency.

“Just a minute, I’m coming.
”

I checked the peephole, making sure it wasn’t Ammie
. I’d been desperate and stupid and had called her after my disastrous phone call with Issy.

Grateful it wasn’t her, I eyed the regal looking gentleman in expensive sunglasses and a white dress shirt. I couldn’t quite place where I knew him, but there was no doubt he held some familiarity.

I opened the door and stood on the step. “May I help you?”

His stature wasn’t anything special, but the cool confidence he exuded was slightly intimidating.

“Jake, I presume?” He extended his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Do you have a second?”

I shook it firmly,
noticing his tight grip. This was a man who knew what he wanted and how to get it.

“Come in.
” I stepped through the door and left it open for him.

He
strolled in and removed his sunglasses, taking in each angle of the space.

I stayed perched by the front door with my arms crossed. “I’m afra
id I’m at a disadvantage here since you seem to know who I am. I think we should even the score. Who are you?”

“Robbie Marsh.
” He settled himself into one of my club chairs and looked perfectly comfortable with his arms spread wide. “I believe we have a mutual acquaintance.”

Hair prickled on the back of my neck
. I knew the name and could now place his face. He was the slimy jerk Issy’s father wanted her to marry. “And who might that be?”

Robbie’s face went from a casual calm to an intense glare. “Andrew Summers.”

The sharp tone of his voice left no doubt his hatred towards Andrew matched mine.

I took a seat across from him. This changed things. “I’m listening.”

Robbie sat back in casual aristocracy. “I’m sure you know he and I had engaged in a business venture that went terribly south.”

“I know one of your smaller companies, Stone Electric, was supposed to merge with his. I always assumed you were one who pulled out since most of the gains were Summers’. Honestly, I never understood why you went that direction to begin with.”

“I’m impressed. You seem to know your stuff,” he said, nodding my way in approval. “While we were the ones to walk away, Andrew made promises he didn’t keep, and I invested far more energy and restraint into that deal than I ever should have.”

“It seems you already got your revenge. Andrew’s stocks took a huge hit when you pulled out. Despite his recent upswing, he still hasn’t fully recovered.”

Robbie stared at me intently. “I don’t like being lied to, and I don’t like to lose.”

Since the business side of this wasn’t making any sense, I began to wonder about his motives. “You sure this doesn’t have anything to do with
Issy announcing her marriage this week? She has been known to break a few hearts.”

I kept my voice light,
but my fists were clenched. I’d dealt with guys like him before—rich, arrogant men who thought they could buy and sell people like mutual funds.

Robbie dropped his head back and laughed. “Oh please. Andrew pushed that
hoax of an engagement. Isadora is a beautiful girl, but a little unpredictable for my taste.”

“Her name is Issy.
” No wonder she dropped this guy. “Listen, I have things I need to do today.” I stood and walked towards the door, opening it for him.

Robbie stood as well and straightened his already immaculate white shirt. “I looked you up, Jake. Andrew Summers sure did a number on you. Lost your job, your reputation, and now it looks like he’s pressing full changes on
an assault case.”

Feeling anger rip at my stomach, I
pushed the door, the sound bouncing off the walls as it slammed.

“
Your point?” I demanded, taking deep breaths to get under control.

“We want the same thing—to take down Andrew Summers. I have the resources and contacts; you have inside information. T
ogether, we can ruin him.”

“As much as that appeals to me, Robbie, I’m not exactly close to the guy, if you know what I mean.”

“Yes, but you are close to his old assistant. Grant, I believe his name is.” Robbie seemed to be choosing his words carefully.

H
e strolled casually to stand next to me at the door. “It’s amazing what you can learn from a fun game of basketball with the boys, especially from one who’s now family.”

My stomach knotted at the term. Grant
would never be my family.

Robbie faced off with me, his easy mannerisms a vast contrast to my rigid stance.

“You want me to milk Grant for information?”

He nodded calmly
.

“If I do this, what’s in it for me? I already don’t like the guy, so being all chummy with him isn’t exac
tly appealing. Besides, there’s no guarantee it will lead to anything on Summers.”

“Grant knows more than you think. You hand me him
, and I’ll hand you Summers.”

“Not enough,” I insisted. It would be one thing if I thought for one s
econd he could deliver, but I’d seen Summers overcome too many times.

“Ok. Let’s say…information for information. You give me the details I need
, and I’ll give you inside financials that will prove helpful to your current position.” He eyed my laptop as if he knew the dwindling size of my portfolio.

A pit formed in the center of my gut, pushing aside the devil on my shoulder who perked up at his words.

“Insider trading is a crime.” I opened the door again, ready to send him on his way. “One court date is enough.”

Robbie put bac
k on his sunglasses and smiled, although it was more of a chess move than a smile, aggressive and calculated. “We just contracted with Arrow Intelligence today for all the computer chips in our satellite division. The procurement was last minute, so even though it’s been announced publicly on their website, the stock will probably remain unnoticed for another hour or so.”