Web Of Lies (The Lies Trilogy Book 1)

by J. G. Sumner

  When I pull up the screen, I don’t see anything out of the ordinary. There is a chair pulled away from the table and ropes are sitting at the feet of it. A broken glass is on the floor, and there looks to be some droplets of blood. I worry if they are Beth’s, and hope it’s from the guy who broke in.

  The officers begin checking for fingerprints, taking pictures, and collecting their evidence. The detective leaves the kitchen and I can hear him calling for me. I step out of the office and greet him in the foyer.

  “Mrs. Davis, if you don’t mind, I’d like to take a look at the video footage.” I escort him into the office and search through the last few hours during which the intruder would have entered. When I get to the timeframe, the screen goes black. I fast-forward and rewind a bit, but still there is nothing but a black screen while the intruder is in my house.

  Chills form on my flesh. “I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t it have recorded?”

  “It looks as though either the video or the cameras were tampered with. Can you pull up any other rooms? Perhaps we can catch him on another angle.”

  Again, I scroll through the various cameras and search through all of the rooms. During that time period, all the screens are black.

  “I’d say your surveillance system was disarmed. I’m guessing it was done remotely since they turned it back on after the guy left. This is very concerning. Someone has access to your system and can watch everything you’re doing whenever they want. I’m no expert on these types of systems, but you may want to disconnect it or find someone who can prevent outside access.”

  My mind races trying to figure out who would do this. What have they seen and how long have they been watching us? Here I thought up until recently we were a normal family living in a high end neighborhood where things like this don’t happen. This is something straight out of the movies.

  “How could this possibly be? This is supposed to be a very secure system.”

  “This certainly isn’t my specialty, but hackers are notorious for getting through anything. Whoever deleted the footage knows what they’re doing. This is no amateur. Until you get this resolved, I’d recommend unplugging all of the cameras.”

  I wrap my arms around myself, feeling very violated. The sense of safety I once had living in this house has gone up in a poof of air. I want to get out of here so bad right now. I want to go back to that island where it was just my family. We were all together and the only concern was Trent pining after Beth. Why did I have to leave?

  “Thank you, Detective.”

  Detective Castro leaves the office and presumably heads back to where his men are.

  I study the camera on the ceiling. The wires go through the walls and I don’t see a place where I can disconnect it. I go into the living room and it’s the same story. I don’t even know where to begin. It’s almost midnight and I’m completely overwhelmed.

  Porter steps in through the front door. I give him the skinny on the surveillance system.

  “There has to be some sort of shutoff or fuse somewhere. Do you know where your circuit breaker is?”

  I laugh. “What do you think? Trent handles those types of jobs. I’m not interested in learning how to fix a house.”

  “Nice. But seriously, you should know where you’re circuit breaker is in case the power goes out. That’s the quickest way to check to see if it’s something you can easily fix. Come on, we’ll go find it.” He starts walking toward the laundry room. “Usually they’re inside the garage or a mudroom.

  I couldn’t care less about this sort of thing. Maybe I should call Trent. He’d know how to handle this. My mind wanders to what he and Beth must be discussing. Is he pulling her hair back as he kisses her on the lips? Is he professing his undying love? A pang of jealousy washes over me and almost consumes my thoughts.

  “I found it! Come here, Parker. Let me teach you about circuit breakers.”

  Yay! Just what I want to do this late at night after traveling all day and having my house broken into. I let Porter show me the ins and outs, although I barely pay attention. Just enough that he’s satisfied I might have actually learned something.

  The one thing I did pick up on is that there is a circuit for the video system. Porter turned it off so it won’t work again unless someone manually flips the switch. It’s an easy temporary fix that will allow Trent to deal with it how he wants when he gets home. If he ever comes home.

  “I’m really tired, Porter. Would you mind staying with the police until they’re finished? I need to close my eyes.”

  Porter takes me into his arms and kisses my head. “Of course. I don’t want you to worry about another thing. It’s probably a good idea for all of us to get some rest and think about what we’re going to do in the morning. I’ll sleep in the guest bedroom tonight. I don’t want to leave you alone, and who knows when Trent will be back.”

  I kiss my brother on his cheek and head upstairs. I don’t have the energy to deal with one more issue. I just need to rest and process everything in the morning. Most importantly, I’m going to have to figure out what to do to keep my children safe. They have to be my number one priority.

  Chapter 29

  Beth

  I wake up in an unfamiliar, dimly lit room. There is a steady beeping sound, and the smell of cleanser invades my nose. I’m in a hospital bed. I slowly take stock of all my limbs. They’re thankfully intact. There’s an IV stuck in my arm and some wiring attached to my arm and finger. Oxygen is blowing through my nose, making it uncomfortably dry.

  I study the room. Nothing unusual. Same stuff I’ve seen on television. Medical equipment, a TV, and Trent sleeping in the corner.

  What the hell?

  I can’t help but smile knowing that he came for me. He was worried and wanted to make sure I was okay. I want to wake him, but he’s sleeping so soundly.

  The curtain moves and a nurse steps through. She has her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, her face kind and unassuming. She smiles at me.

  “You’re awake? How are you feeling?”

  “Overall, not too bad. A little tired.”

  She takes my hand. “That’s to be expected. You were drugged pretty good. Those drugs and your pregnancy aren’t a good combination. I expect you’ll feel better tomorrow. You’re going to need plenty of rest.”

  Wait. Did she just say I’m pregnant? “I’m sorry, there must be some mistake. I’m not pregnant.”

  The kind smile turns into an oops expression. “You didn’t know?”

  “No, because I’m not.” I’m starting to panic. The last thing I want is to have children right now. My world is so uncertain and I’m still in high school. Yes, someday I want to be a mom, but not now. Definitely not now.

  “Honey, it showed up in your bloodwork. We also did an ultrasound to make sure the baby was okay. You’re about seven weeks along.”

  A pit forms in my stomach and a wave of nausea washes over me. This can’t be happening. I look over at Trent, hoping he hasn’t heard, but he’s staring at me wide-eyed.

  Holy crap. What have I done?

  The nurse places a hand on my shoulder. “Try and relax. I know this can be scary. In the morning I’ll have a social worker come talk to you about your options. Everything will be okay.”

  I’m glad she thinks so. I’m about ready to freak out.

  “Why don’t you try and rest? It’s late. Your call button is right next to you if you need anything. Also, there is some fresh water on your bedside table if you get thirsty.” The nurse leaves the room.

  “Did you know?” Trent’s voice is weak.

  “About the pregnancy? God no!”

  He gets up from the chair and comes to my bedside. “Is it mine?”

  I hate that he’s asking the question, but I understand why. It’s not like we’ve spent a lot of time together lately. We weren’t ever in a committed relationship. I could have been sleeping around and playing him.

  “I haven’t been with anyone else if that’s wha
t you’re asking. The only time I’ve had sex in the last eighteen months was with you in the Caymans.”

  He pulls his hand through his hair as he processes the information. “Weren’t you on the pill?”

  “Yes, but it was in the suitcase with all my other belongings you dumped out. I missed a couple of days. I didn’t think anything of it. In fact, I doubled up when I got home. How could this be? I don’t want this right now.” Tears blur my vision. As much as I’ve been fantasizing about being Trent’s wife and having his babies, this isn’t the time in our lives. There are too many other things standing in the way.

  Trent sits on my bed and wraps his arm around me. “You don’t have to make up your mind now what you want to do, just know I’m here for you and I support you.”

  I gaze into his eyes. He looks sincere enough. But how can he be so calm about this? He hasn’t even asked his wife for a divorce yet. Who knows if he’s ever going to?

  “You’ve had a rough day. Why don’t you try to go to sleep?” Trent kisses my forehead.

  “How am I supposed to do that with the information dropped on me like a bomb? I don’t know that I’ll sleep all night. Wait, does my mom know where I am? Does she know I’m pregnant?” Panic surges through me and I throw the blankets off. “I’ve got to get out of here. No good can come from me lying in this bed waiting for something to happen.”

  “No, Beth. You need to get some rest. You’re lucky you didn’t hurt yourself the last time you collapsed. And to answer your question, your mom does know you’re here. She left a little bit ago to go home and get some sleep. I don’t know if she knows about your pregnancy, but if she does, she didn’t say anything. At any rate, you need to sleep and take care of yourself and that baby.” Trent rubs my belly.

  If I didn’t know better, I’d say he might be excited about the life growing inside of me.

  “Are you okay with this?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You seem to be happy about me being pregnant.”

  Trent lets out a heavy sigh. “Like you, I’m still trying to process it. There is a human life starting to grow inside of you. What to do is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Is this the best thing for either of us now? Absolutely not. But I’m in no position to form an opinion on this right now. I’m tired. It’s been a long day and I think we need to sleep on this before we start stressing out about what’s going to happen.” Trent squeezes my hand. In those few little words he’s manage to wipe away all the stress. I don’t know how he does it, but this is exactly what makes this man so special to me.

  “I have to get back to my house. The police are there investigating who broke in. By the way, did you recognize the guy at all?”

  I reflect back to what I presume is earlier in the night. “He was a very large man. He wanted to find out about our relationship. More specifically if we were sleeping together. He had a picture of us from the Caymans. It was when I was sunbathing naked.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “I said that you made me go inside and get dressed, that nothing happened between us. I don’t know if he believed it or not. What do they want? Why do they keep trying to get me to talk about our relationship?”

  Trent purses his lips. “They don’t want you, they want me. It’s a long story and I don’t want to go into it right now. I do need you to keep up with that storyline for now. Obviously it won’t be as easy to believe in a few months, but we have time to figure that out.”

  “Are you going to be okay?”

  “It will all work out in time. I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you. Please try to take care of yourself.” He kisses me on the forehead. “By the way, there is security out here to ensure your safety. I don’t want a repeat incident, especially since you’re carrying my child.” Trent gives my belly one more rub down and flashes me a goofy grin.

  I can see it in his eyes that he loves me and our unborn child. Any doubts I had previously about him loving me have vanished. I hold this man’s heart and vice versa. I don’t know how I got so lucky, but someone was looking out for me.

  He disappears behind the curtain. Despite being tied up, slapped around, and finding out I’m pregnant, this day has been pretty good. Or maybe it’s just that it ended on such a high that all the bad has washed away. I am in love. More importantly, we’re in love with each other. I can rest assured that everything is going to work out just how it’s supposed to. I close my eyes and think about the life growing inside of me and having the opportunity to hold her in my arms for the first time. Becoming a mother doesn’t sound so bad. I can do this.

  Chapter 30

  Trent

  I wake up in in one of the guest bedrooms. I didn’t want to sleep in the same bed as Parker, especially after finding out that Beth is pregnant. Holy shit! What the hell am I going to do? This is the last thing I need. As if I didn’t have other pressing matters going on right now. I swear this hole I’ve been digging for myself has just been getting deeper and deeper.

  Beth is pregnant. She is having my child. I want to be excited, but I’m not. When people find out I’m the father, my life is going to be over. I impregnated a seventeen year old. Oh the scandal that will cause. This is exactly what Edward was hoping would happen. I’m self-destructing all by myself. What a fool I’ve been thinking I could have it all.

  I glance at my watch. Eleven in the morning. I’ve slept almost the entire morning away. I guess it’s okay since I didn’t get home until after two. The police had just finished up and Porter was heading to bed when I arrived. I think he could sense that there was something wrong. I wanted so badly to confide in him. Although we’ve told each other our deepest secrets over the years, I just couldn’t do it. I’m not sure I can trust him completely, and he’s still Parker’s brother. There’s no way around that.

  I pull some jeans on and head out into the living room. The house is unusually quiet and I wonder where everyone is. I go into the kitchen for some coffee and I find Parker and Porter sitting at the table.

  Parker smiles at me. “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

  She is a beautiful woman, and she gets even more stunning as she grows older.

  “Good morning.” I pour the black gold into my cup. I’m going to need two cups to get me going today. I feel as though I’ve been hit by a train. Part of me wishes I were. “Where are the boys?”

  Porter laughs. “It’s quiet in here, huh? They’re outside in the backyard. Don’t worry, they have a security detail with them.”

  I pull out a chair and sit down at the table. “So what were we talking about?”

  “We were placing odds on when you would wake up,” Parker snickers. “I thought it would be another couple of hours. Porter hadn’t made his wager yet.”

  “Haha. Very funny.”

  “Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?” Parker starts to get up.

  I wave her off. “This is good for now.”

  “How is Beth? She didn’t get beat up too badly did she?” Porter asks, sounding genuinely concerned.

  “Did you approach her at a coffee shop a couple of weeks back?” I ask.

  Porter’s face turns red, telling me everything I needed to know. “Yes, I’m sorry to say I did.”

  Parker swings her head back and forth between us, searching for some clue as to what we are talking about.

  “Her face is swollen and a little black and blue. She looks as though she got a hard knock to the left side. Other than that, she’s very groggy. I think she’ll be okay though.”

  Parker shakes her head sadly. “That poor girl. We should’ve never left her alone here.”

  “She’s going to be fine. We didn’t know this would happen. We thought security would be here soon enough and it wouldn’t be an issue. I don’t think we can beat ourselves up too badly.”

  “It’s my fault. I should’ve told you,” Porter says, unable to make eye contact with me, and I presume the guilt is eating him up. “Edward sent me to tail
her and shake her down when she was alone. He wanted to get the goods on the two of you.”

  “Now that we’ve established that the biggest priority was to catch me doing something so you could ruin my life, let’s talk about how we’re going to move on from this. Let’s come up with a plan to get the truth out of our parents and figure out what’s going on. Until we do that, we’re only going to continue to have tragic things happen to innocent people. It’s time to stop the insanity and go back to living.”

  “Parker and I were talking about inviting my mom and Edward over here so we could discuss things in person,” Porter says. “Have a grown up conversation, if you will.”

  I shake my head vehemently. “Uh uh. I don’t want them anywhere near this house.”

  “But they’re my parents,” Parker pleads.

  “Absolutely not! That would be like inviting the enemy into our home. I don’t want to give him the opportunity to nose around here or to be anywhere near my boys. You heard what Porter said the other day. He wants TJ gone because he’s my namesake. I’m not risking that. No way!”

  ”Fine. How about everyone meets at my house?” Porter suggests. “A neutral zone of sorts.”

  I nod and look at Parker; she is in agreement too. “It sounds like the best possible scenario. I think we need to get Jonathan and Penelope there at the same time. That way no more lies can be spread.”

  Porter’s eyes widen. “How are we going to do that? We don’t even know where they are.”

  “He’s coming home today.” I glance at my watch. “Actually, he’s probably already here. Jonathan wanted to be able to see you in person. He felt bad about having the conversation over the phone the other night.”

  Porter doesn’t respond, only looks down at the wood grain on the table. “I do think it will be better if all of the players are in the same room. The lies will stop, and hopefully the three of us can be the mediators. This is our opportunity to get our families back on track. If for nothing else, then for the boys. They deserve to not have to deal with a family war.”