by Storm, Sloan
Still, no matter how much I despised them, this was something I never saw coming.
What would Grams think now?
"Gentlemen!" Grant bellowed, addressing Mitchell and the executives. "I sense there's been clear intent to defraud here. As a result, I am going to be forced to conduct a thorough investigation. There will be no further action with the trust until it is completed."
When he finished speaking, he looked at me.
"Mr. Foster, sir. Please accept my sincere apology. This type of behavior will not be tolerated."
Whatever. It wasn't my problem. My mind shifted gears. I had a good feeling that the fraud, if the firm could prove it, would be enough to guarantee I'd walk away with the estate.
Won't lie. It was a sweet fucking moment. But like most victories, it didn't last long.
I looked at Grant. "Do you need me for anything else right now? If not, I've got somewhere I need to be."
"No sir. I will be in touch with you once we can get to the bottom of what's happened."
Crisis averted, I slid my fingers into the crook of Tabitha's elbow. One more stop to make.
When we walked through the conference room doors, I hadn't expected to need her help there, but I was glad to get it. I tried not to think about how close I'd come to losing everything. Without her there with me, they would've gotten away with their scam.
I wasn't sure how I'd repay her for it, but I would.
Now, there was only one thing left to do…
39
Old Wounds (Lily)
I hadn't heard a thing from Griff for days. Our last conversation, if you want to call it that, left me with more questions than answers.
While I was certain our relationship was over, I decided keeping him from the baby was a mistake. Of course, Mom disagreed and pretty much begged me to change my mind every chance she got. I finally put a stop to it, warning her that if she didn't leave me alone about it, I'd move out and get a place of my own.
She backed off, but I knew I'd have to face him again before long. It wouldn't be easy, but the baby was innocent and shouldn't have to suffer because its parents aren't together.
In the end, I couldn't justify keeping the child from him.
Knowing Griff, he was probably pouring all of his energy into some elaborate plan to win me back. So, I made a promise to myself. I'd give him an ultimatum.
I wouldn't keep the child from him, but in exchange for that, he'd have to agree to let me get on with my life.
There was no way I could care for the baby and deal with the tsunami of emotions seeing him stirred in me. Whatever we had was destroyed, set on fire by his uncontrollable urges and malevolent behavior.
My life would never be what it once was, but it could be normal again. It had to be, for my baby's sake.
Anyway, the time away from him gave me back some of the strength I needed. I only hoped it'd be enough to see my decision through when the time came.
Believe it or not, I'd also decided to give Carl a second chance. Maybe life had worn me down so much I just didn't have the energy to care. Who knows? Mom seemed happy, and so for now, that was good enough for me.
We'd just finished lunch, and I was in my bedroom, getting changed to go out for a run. One of my friends from the high school cross country team was back in town for a few days, and I was going to pick her up to get in a workout.
Not at the trail though. I'd stopped going for the time being. Maybe I never would again. Right now, I needed a break from all things related to Griff Foster.
I laced up my shoes, grabbed my things, and headed to the bathroom before leaving. While I was in there, I heard the muffled sound of a knock against the front door.
"Carl!" my mom's voice called out. "Can you get that?"
I continued getting ready, pulling my hair into a high pony and putting on my waist belt. After opening the door, I switched off the light, and that's when it happened.
"Ohhhhh no!" Mom erupted. "No, no, no!"
Immediately, Carl tried to calm her. "Honey, don't get excited."
I leaned against the doorjamb knowing only one person could get her that upset. Shit.
"Don't get excited?" Her rage built. "How can you say that after what this bastard's done to my baby! Get out of here! I told you not to come back!"
There would never be a perfect time. Whatever he was here to say didn't change what I had to do. Right now, I had to diffuse the situation before it got any worse. I knew Mom was only looking out for my best interests, but this was my fight, not hers, and it was time to put an end to it.
Seeing him was never easy. Maybe with time that would get better, but when I came around the corner and our eyes met, I knew it wouldn't be today. Carl stood between Griff and Mom like a human shield. That hadn't stopped her insults. Or her fury.
She pointed at the open door. "Who the hell is she?"
From where I stood, I couldn't see anyone.
"What? Is that your slut of a girlfriend? The one you cheated on my daughter with?"
Mom hadn't seen the pictures. But once the words left her lips, they were the only things in my mind's eye.
He couldn't have.
He wouldn't.
Would he?
My legs turned to concrete, holding me in that dark place I'd tried so hard to escape. It was one thing to see a picture. I could escape from them. But bringing her here? In the flesh?
Not even Griff would stoop to such a level.
Right?
Mom's rage boiled over. "Answer me!"
"Mom…" I edged forward. "It's okay."
My heart jackhammered in my chest. With each step, I worried I might lose control and do something crazy when I saw her. And I didn't even know why. It was his fault after all. The feelings were irrational, but they were there.
Mom and Carl stepped aside, I saw the two of them and everything changed.
The anxiety, the anticipation… They disappeared like harmless early morning fog. My insides stopped churning, and a placid stillness took its place.
For whatever reason, I didn't care.
Mom grabbed Carl's arm. "Come on, let's go."
She snapped me out of my zen-like state. "Where are you going?"
"Out!" she barked. "And he better not be here when we get back!"
In a matter of seconds, they pulled out of the driveway, leaving me alone with Griff and… her. Part of me was flabbergasted he'd gone to such lengths to continue this pitiful charade. Incredible. Even after finding out we were having a child together, his ego wouldn't allow him to lose.
Let's get this over with so I can get on with my life.
I gestured toward her. "Let me guess…"
The entire time my mom berated him, Griff didn't utter a word. I didn't give him a chance either. Now, I couldn't wait to hear what they'd cooked up.
Really, I couldn't.
"How much did he offer you to lie to me?" I folded my arms across my chest. "A million? Five? Ten?"
"Sneaks…" Griff finally spoke, blowing out a sigh. "Christ, come on."
"You know he's worth billions, right? Or, I guess at least he used to be. Not anymore, though. Or wait a second… Is that why you're here, Griff? The money's still in play, isn't it? "
"Lily, goddamn it… Shut the hell up!" Veins throbbed in his neck while he breathed fire at me. "Yes, I've done some things I'm not proud of in our relationship, but what happened with Tabitha is not one of them. The reason I'm here has nothing to do with money and everything to do with you and my child."
Tabitha. The name suited her. Whatever.
"You're pathetic." His hot tempered response had an odd, soothing effect. "Please continue, though. I can't wait to hear these lies."
Tabitha took a step in my direction. "Hey look. I am not a liar! Straight up, I got hired by some sleaze to prank Griff at his bachelor party. We didn't even fuck, okay? It was all supposed to be a big joke, a bachelor party gag."
Well, that's creative, at least. Sounded p
lausible enough. Gotta give 'em an 'A' for effort.
Raising my hands in front of my body, I gave them a sarcastic clap. "Bravo. Well done. Anything else you two want to add to this performance?"
That shut her up. She gave Griff a sideways glance and a shrug. Now what?
Griff lifted hands to his face, touching his fingertips to the temples. "I don't understand what your problem is. This is her! This is the woman who took those pictures!"
He wasn't getting it. "Yeah, again, how do I know you're not paying her off, just like you tried to pay me off to be your fake wife? When are you going to realize that life isn't all about power and winning at all costs? There's collateral damage with those choices, and the biggest one of all is growing inside of me. Now, get out of here and take this pathetic excuse for a liar with you."
"Okay, so again, I am not lying!" Tabitha stepped between Griff and me. "I'm telling you the truth about what happened between us… But, that's not the only reason I'm here."
Oh please. "How much more of this is am I going to have to endure?" This was going nowhere. Whatever little scam they had in mind when they showed up, I wasn't interested.
"It's time to go. I'm done with this conversation." I paused and looked at Griff. "And to think, I was going to…"
And then, she uttered four little words keeping the ones I was about to spew at him lodged in my throat.
"New Year's Day, 1999."
"What did you say?" I looked at her before glancing at an expressionless Griff.
"Does it mean anything to you?"
I never told him the details. There's no way he could have known. How did she…
"It means something to me," she continued. "It's the day I was born."
My blood chilled. What the hell is going on?
"It's also the day my mother died." She paused, her words choking off my oxygen supply. "Just like your father did when he stopped by the side of the road to help her."
Tremors shook me. I stood there, trying to wrap my mind around the depravity of these people. What kind of sick freak must he be?
"How could you!" I screamed, tears already slipping out. "What is this? Another twisted game for your amusement?"
Griff's expression never changed. He didn't even blink.
And this bitch?
Reaching for my face, I smeared away the salty despair. If this is what he'd brought her here to do, he'd underestimated me. Through raw, red eyes, I glared at them ready to fight until the very end. My breath had only started to settle when she reached into her clutch. Hypnotized by what might be coming next, I watched her pull something out.
"Here." She offered it to me. "I keep it with me at all times."
My fingers quivered while I took it from her. Spinning it around, I noticed it was an old laminated newspaper clipping about the accident.
"Good Samaritan, Expectant Mother Die in Roadside Crash. Child Survives, Condition Critical."
"D—Daddy!" The headline sent me to my knees. I dropped the clipping and my head fell into my hands. Heat poured from my eyes while decades old wounds blistered open.
"Lily," I felt a presence kneeling in front of me. "The reason I'm here today is because of what your dad did. Griff was right. I owed a debt, and that's why I've come. To repay it. He's telling you the truth, just like I am."
Through tear-blurred eyes, I glanced down at the clipping, realizing it wasn't fake.
How did I know? My mom had the same one.
Griff spent the next few minutes explaining the details of the scam as he knew them. Everything had been an orchestrated fraud to get control of Foster Holdings, but not even one dollar of his fortune would matter without me.
He'd flown halfway across the world and back again only to be with me right now, asking for my forgiveness.
He took a step toward me.
“What’s it gonna be?”
40
Trust Again (Lily)
Later that night, we were back at the Foster estate.
Not only were Griff and I back together, but I'd gained an unexpected new friend in Tabitha. She'd also been affected by all the crazy events of the past few weeks. Before heading home to Chicago, she told Griff and me it was time to change her life for good.
As a way of saying thanks to her for sticking her neck out for him, Griff sent her back to Chicago on his private jet along with a check for five million dollars - more than enough to become whatever she wanted to be in this world.
Griff said it was a small price to pay to have me back in his life. He would have paid one thousand times that amount.
We cuddled up on a huge sofa near one of the grand old fireplaces. A red-orange flame and the crackle of burning wood soothed me. Of course, being in his arms again didn't hurt either.
I nuzzled my cheek into the hardness of his chest. "Now that Papa's gone, what's going to happen to the estate?"
"Hmm?" Griff glided his fingers across the top of my head. "I really haven't given it much thought. Why?"
"I dunno. It's such a beautiful place. It would be a shame to just get rid of it or whatever."
"Mm, hmm." His response rumbled in his chest, tickling my ear. "Well, there's plenty of time for that. Right now, I want to spend precious time with the mother of my child."
Lifting my chin, I looked up into his eyes. Fire reflected in his baby blues, drawing me to him. We kissed, and his hand began to wander. Pulling my mouth away, I grabbed him at the wrist.
"What about the staff?"
He smiled and gave me another tender kiss.
"It's just us."
Our mouths met again, and I melted into the passion I'd been missing. His tongue slid inside with a satin-like smoothness, dancing with mine and gliding along the edges of my teeth.
My body softened, surrendering to the hard man who'd fought and won in every way he had to - never giving up and never backing down. Griff moved over my body, pushing me down into the soft, plush leather of the sofa. Only the occasional pop of a log from the fireplace burned hotter than the passion his touch, taste, and tongue awoke in me again.
God, I love this man.
It was all I could think about while my hands meandered, groping and fondling, off on a journey of their own which culminated in them winding up on the waist of his jeans. I curled my fingers around the first button and freed it, moving on to the next and the next…
Griff moaned in my mouth, sliding his fingers through my hair. He curled them under at the back of my head, pulling his mouth harder into mine while heated breath puffed from his nostrils.
The last button came loose, and I reached inside, wrapping my hand around the impossible bulge barely restrained by his boxer briefs.
His lips broke free of mine with a groan. "Shit, that feels good."
With one hand still grasping his cock, I pushed myself up with the other and whispered into his ear.
"You haven't felt anything yet. Lie back."
He eased off me and sank his hard body into the couch. Climbing off it, I grabbed at his waist, tugging on his jeans and briefs, working both of them down the length of his legs until they slid off. I tossed them aside and returned my attention between his thick thighs, where his dick stood hard and straight.
Griff looked at me with a soft focus in his eyes while I positioned myself on my knees in front of him.
Starting slow, I curled my fingers around his shaft and moved my lips up and down, kissing and savoring his musk as I went. Griff watched me for a few seconds until his head drifted back, relaxing into the cushions.
I started to stroke him, long and slow at first, moving my hand up and down the full length of his ever-hardening cock. My mouth hungered for more pleasure, and I moved closer, bringing the tip to the precipice of my lips. Lingering there, I swirled the head with my tongue and pressed into it with the pad of my thumb, coaxing some of his pre-cum out.
Griff exhaled, flexing his powerful thighs. "Baby," he grunted.
I kissed the head of his cock with a te
nder touch of my lips. "Yeah?"
Before he could respond, I swallowed his thick shaft, taking in all I could. The girth and hardness filled my mouth, and I delighted in the feel of his pelvis hardening in response. Griff slapped one hand hard on the couch, crushing a handful of leather in his thick mitt. The other found its way around the back of my head, where he twisted his fingers into my hair and squeezed.
The minutes ticked by and with each one that passed, his cock swelled, growing harder and longer. Jerking his dick in one hand, I cupped his balls in the other, pausing to glide my tongue along the ridges and grooves of the shaft. Glancing up, I noticed Griff looking at me with a come hither look in his eyes.
I released the tip from my mouth with a slow, wet pop and stared right back at him, moving my hand up and down.
He didn't need to tell me what to do, and I didn't need to ask.
Standing up in front of him, I quickly removed my pants and climbed on the couch, straddling him. I spread my fingers and planted them, leaning against his cannonball shoulders. Griff grabbed my hips and squeezed when our eyes met once more.
I closed mine, and my lips fell forward, swallowing his face in tendrils of my hair. My mouth met his while he pressed the tip of his cock into my folds - holding it there.
Meanwhile, our tongues danced, and his tender lips sent my senses into overdrive. While I curled my nails into the meat of his delts, subtle shadows and bursts of orange from the nearby fireplace illuminated his striated, sinewy muscles, causing them to glisten like cords of twisted steel.
I moved away from his mouth with a lick of my lips and leaned in to his ear with a whisper, "Fuck me."
Griff released a hand from hips and reached for the base of his cock, pushing it up but stopping just short of giving me what I needed.
"Bad man." I tried to force myself down on top of him, but he held me there, giving me a teasing slap across the ass cheek.
"Bad girl."
The sensation sent a chill down my backside, and I leaned in to his mouth again. Inhaling his sweet breath, I hovered above him, safe in his grasp, and began teasing his hair with the tips of my nails. They meandered in every direction, gentle strokes moving, stroking, caressing.