Locked Away (Living With Lies Book 2) (33 page)

Isabelle

Six Months Later

“I can’t believe you’re getting married before me,” Kate says, smiling at me in my wedding dress.

“You don’t have long.”

Kate told Gavin she wanted to wait until after she graduated college to get married, which almost didn’t happen on time due to the shooting a few weeks before Kate’s finals.

“Alex will be here in a few minutes,” Kate adds, keeping her eyes locked on mine. “You knew,” she responds. “You knew he was alive before that man kidnapped you?” I’m guessing Kate is thinking back to the conversation we had about Damian the same day Manuel showed up at my door.

Our lives have been hectic at best, and for whatever reason, this topic hasn’t come up. But now it’s time for me to walk down the aisle, something I always thought I would do with Damian. He’s been on my mind for days, and I guess he’s been on Kate’s, too.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she sadly questions.

I grab Kate’s hand and give it a firm squeeze. “Because he wasn’t coming back. He might be living out in the world somewhere, but he’s as good as dead to us.” I exhale loudly. “It has to be that way.”

Kate raises her chin and nods. Damian didn’t raise Kate, but he’s still her biological father, and she feels a connection to Damian. Just like me, she’s still reeling from the loss of him.

“We’ll always love him as he will us.” The day I woke up in the hospital and spoke to Damian, I knew I’d never see him again. Damian knew the same thing and because of that, he wasn’t able to leave without saying goodbye to Kate.

Where Damian Paasch is concerned, people either love him or hate him, but the few that love him always will because that’s the kind of man he is. The kind that no matter how hard you try, you can’t ever let go of.

Kate sniffles as the door to my room opens and Alex steps inside. After Damian left my hospital room, panic for my son set in. It wasn’t until Hayden was safely in my arms that my panic for Alex occurred. Somehow, with everything going on, I forgot how he showed up to save me. Once the memory set in, all I could think about was how he almost died because of me.

Kiran told me later that Alex shot the man who shot me as I was trying to run out of the room Manuel had me in. He more than likely saved me from getting shot a second time, which probably saved my life.

Unlike Hayden and myself, Alex didn’t bounce back as quickly. A bacterial infection formed in his liver, causing him more internal bleeding and a second surgery to repair the damage the infection caused. He remained in a coma for twenty-three days, causing all of us to worry he wasn’t going to wake up. When he finally did, he wasn’t the same person he was before. He smiled, but not often. Thanks to playing a significant role in my son’s life, we’re starting to see some of the old Alex again.

“You ready, sis?” Alex questions with a grin. Alex is walking me down the aisle, and I couldn’t have asked for a better replacement for Damian. My biological father—Alex’s father—is here today, but the role he plays in my life has been slim to none.

Sometime after I was taken as a child, David Johnson turned to alcohol to deal with the mess his life was in and he continued to drink until shortly after Alex claims he found me. Alex said David was close to agreeing to give rehab a try then I up and left. When I returned pregnant with his grandchild, he was finally ready to seek help.

I actually met David for the first time in Alex’s hospital room. Our reunion was bittersweet but nowhere near the one I first had with Alex. David was caught up in how much I look like my birthmother, Shelley, but for some reason—and I think it had a lot to do with my love for Damian—I didn’t immediately connect with him. Now, after six months, I’ve seen him a handful of times and each time he grows on me even more—but today...today I want Alex to walk me down the aisle.

“I’m ready.” I exhale a deep, calming breath. Alex holds out his arm and we make our way out to the small chapel.

What none of us knew at the time was Damian joined forces with the Gutierrez cartel, a group that Miguel and Manuel thought they had tied to them. Whatever Damian promised was enough for them to take down Miguel. When that happened, Manuel was forced to step up, and as I later learned, he wasn’t ready for the power he held. Manuel made promises of his own to anyone still willing to support him, and when he didn’t deliver on his word, he offered me as a bargaining tool.

When news first broke about my real identity and a DNA test confirmed I was really Hayden Johnson, our lives broke out in more chaos. Everyone wanted to hear my story, but it wasn’t only my story they wanted. It was Damian’s, and that is something I won’t share.

The world speculates whether Damian is dead or alive, but I’ll go to my grave never admitting that I saw him. I don’t know the power he holds or the life he now lives, but I hope wherever he is, that he’s happy.

“You look beautiful. He’s lucky to have you,” Alex says with pride in his voice. “We’re lucky to have each other and that wouldn’t have happened without you.” I lean in and kiss him on the cheek.

“Let’s get you married,” Alex adds with a gorgeous smile in place—one I haven’t seen in a long time.

“Let’s do this,” I agree.

If happily ever after’s really do exist, then I’m on the journey to living mine.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to all the amazing readers, reviewers and bloggers that have read and reviewed my books. Your love and support mean the world to me.

Thank you to my talented editor Edee M. Fallon. You’ve gone above and beyond for me and I absolutely adore you. Thank you for not only having patience with me but for being my friend.

Jules Cabrera, you’ve once again blown me away with your talent. The cover for Locked Away is another masterpiece to add to my collection.

I want to say a special thanks to my beta readers and spellcheckers. Mel, from BookSmacked, Gina Leech, Lainey Da Silva & Colette Trainor. Locked Away wouldn’t have been the same without your help and advice.

Last but never least, I need to thank my family for their support. Writing, publishing and promoting are never ending jobs but my family never complains. Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Riann C. Miller is a wife and a mother of two. She was born and raised in the Mid-West where she still lives today.

Shortly after she discovered her addition to reading romance novels she started writing reviews and it wasn’t long before actively blogging turned to a desire to write her own romance novels.

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/authorriannmiller

Website:
https://riannmiller.com/

“Oh, my God, she canceled.” Like normal, my mother’s voice screeches over everyone else’s. “That little bitch canceled less than ten minutes before we’re supposed to leave!”

“Leeta! Not in front of the children.” My mother’s arms flap around wildly in anger.

“James, we have to go now if we’re going to make it on time and we can’t take them.” Not that I need clarification, but her hand shoots out and points at my brother and me sitting on the sofa.

“I’ll call a neighbor to see if I can find someone to come over.”

Before my mother can start yelling again, a calm, peaceful voice speaks up. “I’ll stay with them.” Everyone in the room turns toward the beautiful lady with long black hair who mo-ments ago was snuggled up with my brother.

“Mandy, don’t be ridiculous. You don’t want to stay home with three kids.” My mother practically sneers her comment from across the room.

“Actually, Leeta, I was already feeling uneasy leaving Kate with someone I don’t know. Now that you’re asking random neighbors, I definitely feel uncomfortable. You three go and I’ll stay here.”

Uncle Marcus walks up to the soft-spoken lady. He looks at her in a way I’ve never seen my father look at my mother. “Mandy, are you sure you’re okay with this? I don’t have to go—”

“No. No. No. I’ll be fine. You go and enjoy the evening. You know how I feel about leaving Kate.”

“Okay, it’s settled. We need to get going or we’ll be late,” my mother yells, sounding every bit her normal, irritable self.

My dad picks up his keys from the table. “I left my car out front. We can just take it.”

“No!” I watch the soft-spoken woman wince at my mother’s crazy behavior. “Sweetheart, we should take the Mercedes. I had it detailed for tonight.”

My father, who for the most part tolerates my mother’s rude behavior, seems miffed at how she is acting. “My Jag is out front, Leeta. Like you said, we’re already running late. There’s no reason to take your car. Now let’s go.”

My mother is shocked stupid, apparent by her gaping mouth and wide eyes. She almost looks like she has seen a ghost. My father gives her a solid push on her back then my parents and Marcus quickly head out the front door. I stay in the same spot on the sofa, closely watching the woman we have been left with. She’s smiling at the two of us, almost like she is happier to stay here with us than go out with my parents.

“The time change is really messing up Kate’s sleeping schedule, but I bet she’ll be up from her nap any minute. What do you boys want to do when she gets up?”

I turn my head slowly toward my older brother Tanner and see he is just as uncertain of what to say as I am. I’m only eight years old, but I don’t remember my parents ever asking me what I want to do. As the two of us sit here not saying a word, I hear a little voice coming from a monitor.

“Just like I thought, Kate is awake. Stay here and I’ll be right back.”

Mandy pops up then takes off up the stairs, leaving both Tanner and I confused in her wake. I’ve never seen a person that acts concerned and caring before, which has my guard up.

“She seems...nice.” I live in a world where people come and go, and the ones that stick around aren’t usually nice unless they want something. I look over at Tanner, who seems just as unsure of this woman as I am, but I’m brought out of my thoughts when I hear her voice again.

“Okay, boys, I want you to meet my baby girl. This is Kate.” I can hear the pride in her voice as I turn away from Tanner and back toward Mandy. She’s once again smiling, only this time she’s carrying a little girl on her hip. A mass of blonde, wavy hair covers most of her shoulder while the girl keeps her face tucked tight against her mother. “She’s not quite awake yet,” Mandy says in a singsong voice as she slowly rocks the little girl back and forth. Maybe Mandy is genuinely nice, or at least it’s starting to appear that way. I watch as she starts softly singing a song that I can’t quite make out.

With her smile still in place, she looks down at her little girl. “Kate, can you say hello?”

My eyes stay locked on the little girl as she slowly lifts her head. When her eyes find mine, I feel a jolt through my whole body. Her eyes look like emeralds—a shade of green I’ve never seen on a person before.

“Her eyes...” I mumble as I feel my heartbeat thumping inside my chest.

“Kate’s eyes are very beautiful, but then again, I love everything about my little girl.” Man-dy’s eyes dance back and forth between Tanner and myself, like she’s waiting for one of us to say something.