Kept

Chapter 27. Happiness

Three months later

Kaitlyn had to admit she had never been happier to be back in San Francisco, but Taylor was driving her crazy. He was first person she saw when she opened her eyes after finally waking up from the coma-induced sleep the doctor had her under. He looked terrible and she told him so. He'd given her a loud, joyous laugh of relief and happiness. She supposed she could have called him a "jack ass" and he still would have laughed. She certainly felt like calling him that lately from the way he had been treating her.

She couldn't go anywhere without constant supervision. The man had actually hired guards to follow her around whenever she tried to sneak out the mansion without him. She was never left alone; she was either with Taylor, with Richard, or Hank or other man she didn't know, he'd even gotten Kale and Aidan involved who felt the need to help when they could. They'd gotten into more than one argument about his overprotectiveness, but she suppose she couldn't blame him from going overboard. It was his way of dealing with it. She'd given him quite a scare. Both had gone through a lot. She had to see a psychiatrist to help her deal with the nightmares. She couldn't go to sleep with the lights off anymore without feeling trapped and hyperventilating.

However, none of this could compare to the overwhelming guilt Taylor felt in not being able to protect her. He blamed himself for what happened, although she tried to tell him it wasn't his fault, neither was it hers. No one was to blame for what happened except the people who were involved in the crime. It did open Taylor's eyes to the dangers of having Kaitlyn by his side. Once the world found out how much he cared about her, she had become an open target, someone to be used against him for ransom or manipulation because of his wealth and his power. Taylor didn't tell Kaitlyn this because he wanted her to continue to feel safe and secure, but the guards he had following her were not because he was trying to get over a bad scare, they were permanent. He'd hire different people and make them work undercover if he had to give her the delusion of being independent, but Kaitlyn's life was now under constant protection whether she wanted it or not.

They decided to have a private wedding away from the eyes of the public with only their closest friends on a small remote island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean surrounded by protection, of course. Despite Kaitlyn's annoyance at Taylor, she had to admit the wedding was perfect! All the people that mattered and genuinely cared for her were there and that's all she wanted- not a group of strangers she'd never met before, judging her with envy and jealously, talking about her behind her back, and saying how long they thought it would last. She wanted nothing but positive people to join her on this very special day. Mia, Kale, Aidan, the twins, Mia's mother, Richard and some of the staff from the mansion was there. Taylor had also invited a few people they worked with who were genuinely nice people and that he trusted.

The wedding was small, but beautiful and lavished with the best of everything. It was held outside in a large garden filled with white roses. Kaitlyn's dress was designed by Vera Wang herself and as she walked down the white silk carpet that had been spread over the grass towards the most handsome man in the world, she felt as if this was a beautiful dream. Richard escorted her down the aisle giving her away as her surrogate father. Her friends smiled at her with tenderness and love and her soon to be husband stared at her with tears in his eyes. "You are so damn beautiful..." he told her in a passionate whisper once she stood beside him. "I will never let you go."

Kaitlyn blushed as the priest cleared his throat for Taylor to be quiet so he could start. When the priest asked if anyone objected and to speak now or forever hold their peace, Taylor gave the small crowd a deadly look causing Kale to burst out laughing. Mia elbowed him in the ribs.

"What?" he whispered to her. "I do believe he had his guards ready to shoot anyone who spoke against them."

Aidan snickered.