Troubled Paradise (Gray Tower Book 2)

by J. M. Brister

  “Damn it,” Jack grumbled. “How am I supposed to be effectively stealthy against these guys when I’m using my damned left hand to do all of this work? I wanted to be a stealth archer, but maybe I should have just gone with the hack and slash warrior like you said?”

  “I’m helping when you have problems,” Kat offered.

  “You shouldn’t have to help me. This is a stupid game. I should be able to do it.”

  “And it takes practice,” she reminded him. “Besides this ‘stupid game’ has had you enthralled for over an hour now.”

  Jack tensed and looked at the clock.

  “Damn. Has it been that long?” He asked, shaking his head. “I suppose this game is a bit more addicting than I realized.”

  “Nothing I should be worried about, right?” Kat asked, half-joking.

  Then, she realized how concerned she was about Jack’s past. He seemed so strong right now, but what if that changed? It was still in the back of her mind, especially when she had dreams about her father.

  “Katherina, I’m not your father, and I’m not going to go back to drinking. Okay?”

  She stared at him, feeling guilty about even bringing it up.

  “I’m sorry,” she told him. “I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything or rub your past in your face. That wasn’t fair.”

  “I don’t mind. I’m more concerned that you are concerned. How about that? What can I do to put your mind at ease?”

  Kat blinked.

  “Seriously?”

  “Dead serious.”

  “I only want one thing,” she told him.

  “And what’s that, beautiful?”

  “I want things to stay just like this forever.”

  “Consider it done.”

  And with that, Jack pushed her laptop to the side and went in for a long kiss.

  Epilogue

  Jack stood nervously next to his best friend on Logan’s wedding day, alter in front of them. Mercer and Ryan stood next to him as groomsmen, while Kat, Alex, and a few other Gray Tower gals stood across from him. Jack was absolutely thrilled for Logan. It wasn’t every day that your best friend got married to the love of his life. Despite the fact that the happy couple had met under tense circumstances, he had watched them over the last year and had been impressed with how their relationship had progressed.

  While they waited for Keira to appear, Jack couldn’t help but stare at Kat who was wearing a soft pink bridesmaid’s dress. He had to admit that Keira had done a great job picking them out. Or maybe that was Alex’s doing? She seemed good at that kind of shit.

  Kat had changed the color of her hair back to a more natural blonde, which he preferred, but had decided to keep the cut. It was the perfect combination of the old and new Kat.

  She really had transformed too. Gone was the meek girl who would barely look him in the eye. She could get right in there with the banter and had grown closer with a lot of the main guys at Gray Tower. They respected her with what she could do, and he knew that she loved having the group as her new family.

  The music in the church changed, and everyone looked to the back, expecting the bride to come out soon. The church itself was quaint and simple, though it was packed to the brim with mostly Gray Tower people and their significant others. The decorations were soft and light: pinks, yellows, and soft purples. Flowers hung at the end of each pew.

  It was beautiful.

  Logan’s parents sat in the front on one side, looking uncomfortable and a bit grumpy. They were a bit socially awkward from what Jack could tell about them. The two seemed a bit out of place in the sea of friendly faces.

  Jack watched as Keira entered, Miles at her side. It had been decided that he would give her away, seeing that her fake father was a dead homicidal maniac and her real father was God only knew where.

  She looked gorgeous in an off-white wedding gown that had a lace train that fell to the floor. Jack had to admit that Logan was a lucky bastard for marrying her. He would be jealous, but he had his woman standing across from him.

  As Keira went down the aisle, Jack couldn’t help but glance back over at Kat who kept doing the same thing to him. Damn it if he couldn’t stop grinning.

  Life was good.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  There were two uninvited guests at Keira and Logan’s wedding that day. Each stood in the back on opposite sides of the room. They didn’t know each other, but they were there for their family.

  John Stratton had donned a full beard for the occasion, hoping to slip in and out of the ceremony without being seen or recognized. He hated the fact that he couldn’t walk his own daughter down the aisle, but that couldn’t be helped. John was a wanted man, and he didn’t need Gray Tower breathing down his neck.

  Still, he couldn’t help but be happy for her. She was marrying a great guy, someone who would protect and cherish her. He couldn’t have picked a better man for her.

  Well, in a way, wasn’t he the one who had brought them together?

  John still got a chuckle out of that every once in a while when he wasn’t busy battling the Conglomerate.

  The other uninvited guest sat quietly on the groom’s side, keeping a low profile. There were a few people he didn’t want seeing him there, his brother, mother, and father included in that. Luckily, no one had noticed in such a crowded church.

  Nathan Slade was so happy for his brother. It was a happily ever after for him and his soon-to-be wife. He at least wanted to be there for his brother one last time.

  After today, he would have to go into hiding. The Conglomerate was pretty damned pissed at what he had done, and they were really ticked that he had their armor. After disabling the tracking system on it, Nate had hidden it where not a soul would find it. However, he couldn’t live without basic supplies, nor did he feel safe staying in one place for too long. The Conglomerate would catch up to him eventually. That was a given.

  At least he got to have one more moment of happiness, being able to share one last family moment, even if his family didn’t know he was here.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Miles had to admit that Keira and Logan’s ceremony had gone wonderfully and now the reception was in full gear. The two newly-weds looked so happy, and he was happy for them. After what they had gone through, they deserved some happiness.

  Speaking of happiness, he glanced over at his wife who looked radiant in a pale-yellow spring-time dress, her hair pulled back into one of those fancy ponytails. They were still living on opposite sides of the country, but the most important thing was that they were talking—every night in most cases. And, they were seeing each other more. Every chance either one could get, they would fly out and see one another.

  His absence at Gray Tower had put a bit of a strain on the company, but as Jack and Keira had both told him, “We’ve got this. Go see your wife.” He supposed they were right. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but it was a hell of a lot better than before.

  He smiled as he looked around the reception hall. He knew Alex had been the one to get it organized and decorated. She had volunteered to be Keira’s wedding coordinator, and she had done an amazing job as always. Beautiful flower displays were around the room and elaborate glass centerpieces were sitting prominently on each table.

  Miles noted Jade sitting in the corner, looking a bit defeated. She had not even wanted to go to the wedding, but Miles had insisted that she attend. He knew that she now felt like the social pariah of Gray Tower after what she had done, but he also knew that people were quick to forgive if you righted your wrong. She was certainly in the process of doing that.

  Jade had heard back from the Conglomerate, and they weren’t going to pursue anything against her. However, she was told that she better not mess-up the next time that she was called in for action.

  It was the best outcome for the situation, given what they had been threatening her with. Miles was also pleased that the Conglomerate had mentioned that they would contact her again at some point. Gray Tower could us
e that to their advantage when they chose to use her again.

  Orson Carr had disappeared into custody of the U.S. government. Miles wondered if they had gotten him into Witness Protection if he had decided to spill the beans on the Conglomerate. Veronica Carr had disappeared as well, though as far as Miles knew, Peter Knowles was back in the Bahamas, running his business.

  Despite how he felt about Carr, Miles was happy that he was being dealt with as well as the others on the island. Maybe one day, he’d be able to forgive the bastard, but today wasn’t going to be that day.

  In the meantime, Gray Tower had gotten another huge payday from the Carr bust. They would be receiving a large portion of Carr’s seized assets, which meant Miles could keep his company running for another day.

  Miles glanced up to see Jack and Katherina looking just as happy as the bride and groom. He couldn’t quite figure those two out. They were kind of the odd couple of the Gray Tower group. Never in a million years would Miles have guessed that those two would end up together.

  Still, he was happy for them. This may be a new era in Gray Tower where operations began to settle down, and the employees could actually enjoy their lives outside of work. Of course, there was the Conglomerate hanging over their heads, but that organization would be dealt with—eventually.

  He and Candice had even discussed buying a house close to Gray Tower Headquarters, so that they could maybe settle down there together—like a real married couple. She did have obligations on the west coast as she did a ton of charity work, but the idea sounded appealing to Miles. That would also mean that he’d actually have to go home from work instead of slinking off to his upstairs apartment whenever things quieted down.

  Miles looked down at his phone that was clipped on the belt of his suit. It was on silent for the wedding, but the thing was still lit up from a call. Even though Miles had promised himself that he wasn’t going to do any work, he couldn’t resist looking at who it was.

  He frowned.

  That was strange. Peter Cole was calling. He had been a college undergrad friend of Miles back in the day. They had kept in touch ever since then, but their contact was few and far between.

  He glanced at his wife, wondering if she’d get too mad if he stepped out for a moment. Miles was trying hard not to be a workaholic anymore—for both of their sake. However, it was tough going when he was running a large and growing company like Gray Tower.

  Candice shrugged and waved him away when he pointed to his phone. Well, at least she wasn’t too ticked. Maybe she was adjusting to this new life too?

  “Peter, it’s been a while,” Miles answered, getting up from his chair and walking out the door of the reception area so that he could have some privacy. The room was loud from all the chatter from the wedding guests.

  “Hi, Miles,” Peter began. “I hate to call you like this, but I’ve got a problem.

  Of course, you do, Miles thought. No one ever calls me unless there’s an issue.

  Miles was now the go-to for all his friends and former colleagues. He didn’t mind helping people—that was the whole reason he had started Gray Tower. However, it would have been nice if every once and a while someone would call him just to say, “Hi.” Was that too hard to ask?

  “What’s the problem?” Miles asked with a sigh, bracing himself for another mess that he’d have to clean up.

  “I’m in a bit of trouble. I need your help.”

  “What kind of trouble? You’re being pretty damned vague.”

  “Big.”

  Miles shook his head and rubbed his temple with one hand. There never seemed to be a break with Gray Tower, but would he really have it any other way?

  About the Author

  J. M. Brister lives in sunny Northeastern Ohio with her husband, daughter, and three Siamese cats. When she’s not writing romance novels, she enjoys hanging out with her family, editing for a gaming and geek culture web site, and spending way too much time playing video games. She is also very active on social media.

  Check out her website at: http://jmbrister.blogspot.com

  Author’s Note

  I hope that you enjoyed Jack and Kat’s adventure. The Gray Tower journey will continue with a third book and hopefully many more to come.

  If you appreciated Troubled Paradise, would you please write a review? I am a small-time, independent author and reviews are the life-blood for authors without big publishers. It also allows me to improve as a writer and as a storyteller.

  Thank you so much for taking the time to read my work. I hope that you will join me for Book 3!