Escaping Shadows, page 22
A tape measure appeared and Kord assumed the position and felt as if he were getting frisked as Izaak moved the tape measure with speed and surety. Although, Evan had been faster.
“Got it. Let me pull some things.”
“Now,” Miss Tibbie said, patting the chair next to her, “your education is about to begin.”
An hour later, Kord sat with his eyes almost crossed and his brain filled with more information about life in high society than he ever cared to know. Plus, he had one amazing suit with two dress shirts and two ties. He had new shoes, socks, slacks, and so-called casual shirts as well. It had cost about what he made in a month, but he fully understood the old proverb, clothes make the man. He felt powerful in the suit and looked damn good, too.
“Thank you so much, Izaak.” Kord shook the new designer’s hand.
“Come back for your wedding tuxedo. I can already picture it in my head. I’m going to sketch it out now.”
“I will for sure.”
Kord offered his arm to Miss Tibbie as they walked out of the store. “Where’s this jeweler?”
The sound of an engine revving down the street drew Kord’s attention to the boat of a car barreling toward them. “Is that Miss Ruby and Miss Winnie?”
“Oh good. They made it. I texted them that we were going to look at rings.”
The tires squealed as the car skidded to a stop and double-parked outside the shop. The door pushed open and Miss Ruby waved her hands as if Kord couldn’t see her. “Stop!”
Miss Winnie and Miss Ruby looked near panicked as they waved Kord down. “Is everything okay? Is it Georgie?” Kord called out.
“Yes!” Miss Ruby yelled.
Miss Winnie yelled, “No!”
Kord looked to Miss Tibbie who shrugged as if saying she had no idea what they were saying either.
“You are not buying a ring!” Miss Ruby yelled as she pulled herself up and out of the front seat.
Kord frowned. “You don’t want me to marry Georgie?”
“Of course we want you to marry her!” Miss Winnie called back as people began to honk at them for being double parked.
The two elderly women ignored the honking as they hurried to the sidewalk.
“Tibbie, for the love of all that is holy, check your phone after you send a text like that.” Miss Ruby looked as if she were still trying to catch her breath.
“You see, we have something for you,” Miss Winnie told him. “Your grandmother, rest her soul, gave us one final task before she passed away.”
Kord had never heard of this. His heart ached for his grandmother. Why didn’t she tell him whatever this was? “What was it?”
Miss Ruby reached into her giant purse and pulled out an old black velvet box with worn edges. “Your Grandma gave her wedding ring to us to keep safe until you met The One.”
Kord held out his hand as he held his breath. He didn’t know his grandmother had done this. Emotion hit him hard as Miss Tibbie placed a hand over her heart. Kord looked down at the box. He knew exactly what was inside. He had seen that ring on his grandmother’s finger every day she was alive. He knew the story of it as well. His grandfather had worked three jobs for six months to buy it. It wasn’t big or showy but it was special. It was a single princess-cut diamond with the most beautiful rose gold setting with engravings that wrapped around the stone. The ring was worn. There were nicks on the band, but the diamond still shone and it was obvious the ring had been worn with love.
“It’s beautiful,” Miss Tibbie said with a little sniffle. “Now, let my jeweler make it shine.”
Kord never looked away from the ring as they walked three stores down. He’d never once considered marriage, but he’d known the moment he’d met Georgie she was special. Now he couldn’t imagine not marrying her. He only hoped she felt the same way after her life had been turned upside down . . . and he guessed right side up again.
29
Georgie didn’t sleep. She tried. Goodness knows Kord tried to put her in an orgasm-induced sleep, but thirty minutes later her eyes had popped open. Now it was five in the morning. She was still curled up in Kord’s arms, but her mind had not stopped racing all night.
Kord had handled this upheaval of her life with calmness and flexibility that she couldn’t tell if he didn’t care or cared too much. He’d rescued her, twice. He’d gone to jail. He was facing criminal charges. He took a backseat as her support system as she set the stage to oust her parents. Whatever she’d needed, he’d given her. But, what did he need? It certainly wasn’t all the chaos she was bringing to his life.
“I can hear you thinking,” Kord whispered in the dark as he pulled her closer to him and rested his chin on the top of her head.
“I’ve been such a bad girlfriend,” Georgie blurted.
Kord reared back as if he could see her in the dark. “What are you talking about, G?”
“I feel as if our whole relationship has been you giving me what I need. I haven’t done anything for you.”
“You’ve loved me. That’s all I need.”
“I’ve been forging ahead,” Georgie said into the dark, “trying to battle my parents and take control of my family’s legacy. I never once asked if you wanted to be a part of that family legacy. A part of all this craziness.”
“I told you, G. I want you. That’s all I care about. If that means I have to rescue you from your parents a time or two, it’s worth it.”
Georgie snuggled closer to him and Kord rested his chin on her once again. Something about being in the dark was freeing as she spoke. “I’ve wanted to be with you for so long. After our first date, I was floating on air. I dreamed of a future here in Shadows Landing. Me at the bar. You at the sheriff’s station. Nothing fancy. Just a good, happy life together. We could walk home holding hands, saying hi to all our friends we pass on the street. Now my time will be taken up a lot more with work. I’ll be traveling. And what if we have children? Would you want them to be a part of my life and the social circles I’ll be in? How will we handle that?”
She had to tell him her worries and fears. She felt Kord begin to gently run his fingers up and down her spine, but he didn’t speak for several long minutes.
“That was my dream too, G. It still is. The only thing that is different is I’ll pick you up from your office instead of the bar when we walk home. Plus, there might be a few more fancy dinners. But you, me, our children, our lives here in Shadows Landing . . . that’s still our future if you want it to be. And if you need it to be in New York or Boston, we can do that. The important thing is, if at the end of the day, it’s me that you want to spend the rest of your life with. Everything else is just secondary. I’ll love you in Shadows Landing. I’ll love you in New York. I’ll love you in Boston. I’ll love you anywhere we go. As for our children, we’re a team. We’ll discuss it, come up with a plan, and implement it so we protect them from the unhappiness of your childhood. Plus, do you see Miss Ruby or Miss Winnie letting any child become spoiled on anything besides love and apple pie?”
Georgie nodded against his chest with a little smile forming on her lips. “That’s what I want too. And I think Shadows Landing is the place for our future.” She paused because there was one more thing she was afraid of. She needed to just spit it out. “What if I’ve cost you your job? What if you go to jail? I’d wait for you, of course. But what if I am the reason you lose everything?”
“I would have only lost my job, not my everything. I still have you. I still have my friends. I still have my town. And Olivia is pretty sure she’ll get the charges dropped this morning. But if not, we’ll handle it together. The punishment is a fine and up to a year in prison. With my clean record, prison is unlikely. I would probably be fined and have to serve community service hours.”
“But you’d be guilty of a crime and would that mean you’d lose your job?”
“It’s possible, but I don’t see Granger firing me. Hell, most of Shadows Landing was in on the rescue. All this will be settled in,” Kord rolled over and looked at the clock, “three hours.”
Georgie took a deep breath. “I want to be there with you.”
“They could make you comply with the court order and send you away.”
“I don’t care. You’ve risked too much for me. I want them to know I’m willing to risk my life for yours too.”
Kord kissed her forehead. “Only if you stand by the door and make a run for it if things start to turn that way. Promise?”
Georgie smiled at the thought of her running from a courthouse full of sheriff’s deputies. “I promise.”
“Do you want me at your meetings?”
Georgie shook her head. “That I have to do myself. But there will be a dinner at the Bells’ tonight. I am hosting and I would love it if you’d go with me. And then again the next day when I meet my parents, we will need to figure something out.”
“I’ll be right by your side, forever and always.” Kord kissed her again, only this time his lips began to travel. First to her temple, then to her lips, down to her neck, and then . . . oh goodness. What a way to pass an hour.
Kord felt Georgie slip her hand into his as they walked into the courthouse. Dell walked behind them along with a team of medical professionals. Ahead of them, Olivia strode in as if she owned the entire building.
Kord smiled and Georgie snickered when there were several whispered curses, a couple of signs of the cross, and some people who literally ran from the room all because of the legend that was Olivia Townsend-Fox. Olivia acted as if she neither heard nor cared about their reactions as she walked by the desks straight to the head prosecutor’s office.
“Hello, Perry,” Olivia purred, but more like a lioness who was about to devour her prey than a cute, cuddly kitty cat.
The prosecutor sighed as he ran one trembling hand through his perfectly cut brown hair. “Always a pleasure Olivia. So, you’re here to get a case dismissed?”
“That and then something else which will make you look very good on the evening news. The election is next week, is it not?”
The prosecutor looked flummoxed and Kord had to not laugh. “You want to help me get re-elected?”
“Oh, Perry. You might be egotistical, but you at least care about the law. You’ve done a good job.” Olivia was reeling him in, hook, line, and sinker.
“What could be good enough for me to stick my neck out?” Perry was clearly hesitant.
“Abuse of power by a judge in Massachusetts who placed one of your constituents in a conservatorship, thus allowing her family to kidnap her from the streets of Shadows Landing in front of her friend, Mrs. Elijah Cummings, her own grandfather, Wendell Greyson, and her boyfriend, Sheriff’s Deputy Kordell King. Their illegal actions brought charges against Mr. King for simply saving the love of his life,” Olivia explained to Perry.
Kord watched as Perry looked around the room. “Which one of you is Mr. King?”
Kord stepped forward. “I am.”
“Did you know about this order granting conservatorship?” Perry asked.
“No. How could I? It was ordered in Martha’s Vineyard by a friend of Georgina’s parents while Georgina was in Shadows Landing. It was not sent to the sheriff’s department, the town’s doctor, or to Georgina herself.”
Perry nodded and looked down at a paper on his desk. “Drug addiction and mental breakdown,” he said, reading from the order. “So, you’re saying Georgina has none of these problems and wasn’t interviewed for the court proceeding?”
“That’s right, Perry.” Oliva reached into her bag and pulled out a thick stack of papers. “Miss Georgina Greyson has been estranged from her parents for a couple of years now and they kidnapped her a week ago. She,” Olivia paused for the slightest of seconds, “managed to escape. When she returned to Shadows Landing, she had three professional evaluations done.” Olivia tossed three reports onto the table. “All found her competent with no trace of mental illness or addiction. The doctors are here today.”
Perry scanned the reports with a growing frown after looking up at the three doctors standing behind Olivia.
“Furthermore,” Olivia said, handing him the final two packets. “Upon being found of sound mind, Miss Greyson filed paperwork with the court naming Kordell King her medical POA, and her grandfather, Mr. King, and I, her financial powers of attorney. In the event she became unable to make decisions herself, we would control all health care and financial decisions, not her parents. We do not approve of any institutionalization or attempts to access her large trust fund. Therefore, you can see the issue with the conservatorship hearing in absentia that her parents held in Martha’s Vineyard.”
Perry looked back down at the papers in front of him. “I’m seeing the problem. Her parents and this attorney, Borden Kennedy, broke the law, thus leading Mr. King to break the law to right the wrong. However, was it really breaking the law when he was violating an illegally obtained court order?”
“I knew you’d see the big picture,” Olivia crossed her arms and waited for Perry to finish his thoughts.
“I need to see the video of the court proceedings in Martha’s Vineyard.”
Kord felt Georgie go rigid next to him. Her hand clamped onto his as Perry turned to his computer. He then reached for the phone and started to dial. Kord had to squeeze Georgie’s hand to remind her to breathe.
“Hello, is this Ms. Graham?” Perry was all business and polite. “This is Perry Gatewood. I’m the prosecutor for the city of Charleston. Can you please send me the video link for the conservatorship hearing of a Miss Georgina Greyson from this past Friday?” Perry rattled off his email and then thanked the clerk. “So, who is everyone you brought with you?”
Olivia introduced everyone and saved Georgie for last.
“Brave of you to come,” Perry said before turning to the computer and reading an email. “Hmm, the clerk says she thinks something happened to the recording and they only have the ruling. That’s strange.”
He clicked play, and sure enough, the ruling was heard, but then the screen went black for a split second before Sherry could be seen sitting at her desk. “Hello, Margot. Have you found poor Georgina yet? What a trial this is for you and your family. I had to tell you I just got a call from an attorney wanting to see the hearing.”
Perry started with surprise and it wasn’t just Perry. Georgie practically leaped forward to get a better view. This had to be what the dude did after she called him on Friday. Well, bless his heart a thousand times over!
“Sounds like they’re challenging the order.” Sherry paused and nodded her head. “Sure thing. I’ll just delete everything but Judge Fletcher giving the order. Sure, I’ll see you at the club tomorrow.”
Sherry hung up the phone and then the view changed to the computer screen. They watched as Sherry played the hearing in its entirety and then watched as she cut, deleted, and resaved the file to fit what Georgie’s mom wanted.
“I don’t know how she accidentally taped this, but it’s clear evidence of tampering. I’ve also never seen a hearing with only one expert, this Doctor Norman, and no order for an independent evaluation.” Perry looked up at Georgie and frowned. “Why are your parents doing this?”
“Money.”
“A tale as old as time,” Perry said with a frown. He grabbed a piece of paper and signed it. “Kordell King, all charges against you will be dropped. Furthermore, I’m going to ask a friend in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office to get an arrest warrant for the clerk, the judge, the attorney, and the Greysons as a result of this fraudulent hearing. Miss Greyson,” he said, looking up at Georgie. “It looks like you have a good support system in place, but stay safe until we have everyone arrested.”
“How about showing up tomorrow morning at eleven for brunch at this great little place just down the street to make the arrests?” Olivia smiled at him.
“You’ve set a time to meet with the parents?”
Georgie nodded. “I’m working with FBI Agent Peter Castle, Charleston’s Detective Chambers, and Shadows Landing Sheriff’s Deputy Durand. I’ll be wearing a wire.”
Perry held out his hand. “You have a deal, Miss Greyson. I’ll touch base with Agent Castle and be in the van watching. I’m assuming Ms. Townsend-Fox has told you what information you need to get them to say?”
Georgie nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Well, this wasn’t how I was expecting to start my Monday morning. I’m sorry you’re having to go through this, Miss Greyson.”
Georgie gave another sad quirk of her lips and then it was over. Kord was a free man. However, the love of his life was anything but free. She was in the middle of a high-stakes chess match that would change their lives forever.
30
Heloise hugged Georgie tightly when she entered the conference room at the Bell Estate. Georgie hugged her soon-to-be ex-sister-in-law back and noticed everyone in the room was watching. It wasn’t just the approval from Heloise and her father that they were noticing, but the fact that Georgie walked into the room with her grandfather, Ryker Faulkner, and Sebastian Abel.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Georgie said as she took the seat at the head of the long table. Her grandfather sat to her right with Heloise and her father beside him. Ryker took the seat to her left with Sebastian next to him. “Thank you for coming. Let’s get down to business. I’m sure most of you think you know me, but you don’t.”
Georgie laid out her credentials, laid out her reasons for becoming the new head of Greyson Holdings on behalf of Greyson Family Enterprises, and how she had the support of those around her. All eyes went to Ryker and Sebastian before looking over at her grandfather, who was smiling proudly at her.
“Let me make one thing clear. I am not asking your permission to lead Greyson Holdings. As we all know, I don’t need it. However, what I do want are partners. We own the majority shares of several very profitable companies. I want to assure you I am not some airhead who will buy and sell for no reason. I want these companies to grow and thrive. After my father and brother sold off many shares without telling you, I wanted you to know those shares have been bought back and are now under my control. We, as major shareholders, have the same goal—stability in the price of our shares and to make money. What I’m asking is, will you all be my partner in this?”
