Forbidden Secrets
Teresa Gabelman
Contents
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Also by Teresa Gabelman
Acknowledgments
To everyone who has taken a chance on my stories and me, thank you. I wish I could name you all, but know I appreciate each of you so very much.
* * *
Becky Johnson, my editor, but more importantly my friend. Just because we are millions of miles away from each other, a day apart meant nothing when I needed you. The Facebook chat that we had, our face-to-face changed so much for me. I can never thank you enough for your understanding and for our true friendship. I needed that so very much at that moment and you gave it to me. I will never forget that day, that talk! I love and appreciate you more than you will ever know. When you tell me, “You got this!” I truly believe it! I do have this because of you.
Lee County Wolves
Forbidden Secrets
Copyright 2018 Teresa Gabelman
All rights reserved. The right of Teresa Gabelman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This is a work of fiction and any resemblance between the characters and persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Gabelman, Teresa (2018-10-17). Forbidden Secrets (Lee County Wolves Series) Book #5
Kindle Edition.
Editor: Hot Tree Editing
Created with Vellum
Chapter 1
Leda sat in her car, staring at the restaurant where she used to work and prayed she wasn’t making a big mistake. Glancing at herself in the rearview mirror, she adjusted the short blonde wig with a tug. Her money was running low, real low, and she needed to work. Glancing at her phone, which lay in the seat next to her, she knew she could pick it up and have help here within a day, but that wasn’t an option. This was something she had to do on her own. It was her fight. She was doing it for not only herself and Sam, but her mother and father. She was going to get back what rightfully belonged to her and her brother.
After grabbing her sunglasses, she put them on, took one more glance at herself, then got out of the car. With each step she took toward the Red River Bar & Grill, her stomach tightened, and not because of the delicious aroma wafting to her nose. It tightened in fear of what could happen when she stepped through the door.
Her hand shook as she reached for the handle, then jumped out of the way as a customer came out at the same time she was going in. When he held the door open for her, Leda nodded her thanks, relieved she didn’t know him.
Memories assaulted her as the door closed behind her and she stared at the place she had been so happy. Yes, she had loved her job here. Her eyes roamed, noticing everything looked the same as it had been the last time she had walked out, not realizing that would be her last time. Feeling the stares, she spotted an empty booth toward the back corner and headed that way. On busy days, customers would wait to be seated, but the sign was turned, indicating she could sit wherever there was a seat open.
With slow, easy steps, Leda reached the booth and sat down. Again, she was relieved because everyone seemed to go back to their food or conversation, not paying her much attention.
“I’ll be with you in a sec,” a familiar voice called out.
Leda glanced that way and tears stung the back of her eyes and clogged her throat. Jamie Lee, her best friend, hurried out of the back with a full tray loaded down with drinks. When she turned, Leda gasped. Jamie’s, who was a year younger than herself, belly was swelled with child. She couldn’t stop staring as Jamie made her way toward her.
“What can I get you to drink?” Jamie asked, standing at her table, and Leda slowly looked up into her familiar face. The dark circles under her friend’s once vibrant eyes were a stark contrast to her pale skin. “And go ahead and order if you’re ready.”
Not answering right away, Leda saw the irritation she knew so well light Jamie’s tired eyes. Knowing Jamie didn’t recognize her because of the wig and sunglasses she still wore, Leda made the decision to trust her once closest friend.
“A cherry Coke, without the cherry.” She whispered the inside joke they had shared about old man Cooter, who always ordered a cherry Coke without the cherry.
Jamie looked away from her pad as her pencil stopped. Her skin paled even more, if that were possible, as tears wet her eyes. “No,” she whispered, then shook her head. “You can’t be here.”
“But I am, and I’m not leaving.” Leda glanced around to make sure no one was watching them before looking back up at Jamie. “Can I trust you?”
Reaching up, Jamie casually swiped a tear that escaped her eye. “With your life,” she responded, then turned to get Leda’s drink so as not to raise too much suspicion. Strangers anywhere raised some suspicion, but in a shifter town, everyone knew everyone, and if you weren’t part of the pack, you were considered an enemy until cleared by the alpha. Her eyes roamed the restaurant. There were only a few faces she knew, and the rest were probably just people driving through, looking for a quick place to eat.
Placing the drink on the table, Jamie just gave her a nod before going back to her other customers. Putting her lips to the straw, Leda took a drink and grinned as the taste of Coke and cherry filled her mouth. Pendleton County was only a day’s drive from Beattyville, but as she sat there alone, it seemed much farther than that.
Her father, Jason Kingsman, had been a fair and just alpha to the Kingsman pack. He was feared, but well respected. Her mother, Jewel, had stood strong by her husband’s side in all things. They had been a strong family that, in the end, had been devastated by someone her father trusted—his own brother, Allen.
Anger so pure, fresh, and overwhelming had her hands fisting tightly to the point she shook. Never had she felt such hatred for another being, whether human or shifter. Her father had welcomed his brother into their pack with open arms and was slaughtered for his trust by his own blood. If it hadn’t been for her mother’s quick thinking to send Leda and Sam away at the right time, then their family would have been wiped out completely. The memories assaulted her as she sat staring at nothing.
“But Momma,” Leda said that fateful night, her voice shaking with fear as tears fell down her face. “I can’t leave you.”
“Leda, you dry those tears right this minute.” Her mother hissed the whisper as she hurried them down through the basement, then opened the secret door that no one other than they knew about. She pushed both Leda and Sam through the door and grabbed Leda’s arm. “You take Sam and run. Don’t you dare look back, you hear me?”
The heavy pounding footsteps above their heads made her mother’s grip tighten. Leda could only nod as she looked from the ceiling back to her mother.
“Your job is to keep Sam safe.” Her mom finally let go of her arm as she knelt and pulled a crying Sam into her arms. “I love you, Sam. You listen to your sister, you hear me?”
Sam sniffed, hugging his mother tightly
around the neck. “I lo-lo-love—”
He was cut off by the sound of the basement door crashing open. Her mom pushed them deeper through the door and grabbed Leda in a tight hug. “I love you,” she whispered, then pulled away, and Leda knew her mom was ready to shift. Her eyes swirled, but her mother was holding on to make sure they got away. “Promise me you will never try to avenge your father or me.”
It was a promise Leda couldn’t make. She gasped when growls and footsteps echoed toward them. Wolves and men were coming, and they were coming fast.
“Promise me,” her mother urged as she backed up toward the door. Leda opened her mouth, but before she could speak, her eyes met her mother’s before she slammed the door, then heard the shelves being pulled down over it to conceal its identity.
Leda reached out, her scream of frustration stuck in her throat. She quietly knelt, took Sam’s hands and placed them over his ears, putting a finger to her lips for him to remain silent. He nodded before squeezing his eyes shut. Knowing they had to go, she picked Sam up and, as quickly as she could, hurried through the tunnel her father had made for an escape. It was something they had been drilled on, but never in her life did she think it would ever have to be used.
The sounds of fighting and shrill screams of pain echoed toward them. Tears fell hard and fast, blurring her vision through the darkness of the tunnel. Her eyesight was better than any human’s, but with the tears, it was almost impossible.
Suddenly, the screams stopped, and, at that point, she knew. Dropping to her knees, Leda held Sam tightly against her as she mourned for her mother and father in the coldness of the tunnel.
Leda jumped as a plate was placed in front of her. BLT and golden french fries replaced her vision of sorrow. Glancing up at Jamie, she knew her friend had gone ahead and placed her order without Leda saying a word. She wanted so badly to talk to her like they always did, but the danger was too great.
Jamie once again walked away to wait on other customers. Leda did her best to finish all the food, not knowing when the next meal would come. She was almost out of money, not having much to begin with, and needed to use it sparingly. She had been gone from Lee County for almost a week, staying in a cheap motel and making her plans for what she was about to do. The one constant she knew was she needed help.
Glancing back at Jamie’s belly, she realized that asking Jamie for help wasn’t something she could do. Risking her friend’s life was bad enough, but risking her unborn child was quite simply not going to happen.
Hearing motorcycles, she glanced toward the window to see three men ride up. She looked at Jamie, who was hurrying toward her.
“You have to get out of here,” Jamie hissed, then laid her bill down, making sure Leda saw an address written on the back. Leda slipped it into her pocket and took the other bill Jamie discreetly laid down as she took her plate.
Before Leda could get up, the men were already inside, their voices booming above everyone else. She also noticed that no one was looking at them. It had grown silent except for them. None of them were familiar to her, and definitely none were her uncle.
As Jamie walked by, a man with a long beard grabbed her around the waist, pulling her to him and almost upsetting the plate from her hand. “Hey, babe,” he said loudly as he kissed her in front of everyone, then rubbed her belly. “How about getting us some drinks and food.”
“Sure, Minor,” Jamie replied as she pulled away. “Just let me put this plate in the back first.”
“Well hurry the hell up,” he grouched, his frown replacing the smirk he had worn. “We’re hungry and ready to eat.”
Minor? What kind of name is that? Leda thought, not liking the man instantly. She quickly glanced away as the man looked around at everyone, but his eyes went right past her as if she weren’t there as he sat with the other two men.
She gained courage; if she didn’t know them, they sure as hell wouldn’t know her. They may have seen pictures of her from when Allen was hunting her and Sam down, and was probably still hunting them, but with her wig and sunglasses, there was no way they would know who she was.
Standing, she walked toward the register and waited. Jamie came out with four drinks. “Let me give these guys their drinks, and I’ll be right there,” Jamie said as she would have to any other customer.
“Take your time,” Leda replied, lying through her teeth. She wished to hell she would hurry because she needed to get the hell out of there. But they were playing roles, and she was thankful Jamie was on her side.
Jamie hurried over, took the bill without the address on it, and rang her up. “That will be eight seventy-five.”
Leda handed her a ten, then gave her a nod. “Keep the change.”
“Keep the change.” Minor, who was watching, frowned. “Bullshit. My girl gave you service and deserves more than a three-dollar tip.”
More like a dollar twenty-five, dumbass, she wanted to say, but noticed now that everyone was looking at her. She reached in her pocket, grabbed the five she knew was there, and handed it to Jamie, who had remained silent throughout the whole thing.
“Now that’s more like it.” The man snorted and gave her a glare before going back to talking to his friends, who were probably just as big of assholes as he was.
Jamie and Leda shared a look before she turned around and walked out of the restaurant. The cool breeze felt so good she gulped in a deep breath, letting it fill her lungs that wanted to let loose a scream of revenge.
Chapter 2
Taz sat inside a small diner drinking coffee. Glancing at his watch, he frowned, all too aware he was wasting time sitting here. He had already wasted a week being a self-centered prick while Leda could be in trouble. He cursed, drawing a few curious stares from an older couple having breakfast at the table beside him.
When Taz had found out that Leda was planning on leaving the pack to search for her father, he had left immediately to find her. Their conversation hadn’t gone as he planned, however; it never did where she was concerned. He was and had always been deeply in love with her, but he wasn’t sure she felt the same about him. He knew there were feelings just by her actions, but she was younger than him. Not by much in age, but in world experiences, he felt ancient next to her.
She’d blown him off when he offered to help find her father. He was the most skilled tracker, but she had flat-out refused him. The more he’d tried, the more she’d stepped back from him, as if wanting to put as much distance between them as possible. That had hurt, a lot. It also hurt his pride knowing the woman he wanted didn’t want him. Her actions screamed the truth.
And then to discover she had lied set him on the brink of insanity. Knowing she was out there ready to face down the alpha of what used to be her father’s pack in order to avenge her parents’ death had every protective instinct he possessed screaming inside his body.
He had to find her.
Glancing back at his watch, he snarled. He would give the asshole five more minutes and no more; then he was gone.
“Refill?” The waitress came up with a freshly brewed pot of coffee.
“Thank you.” Taz nodded, not paying attention to the woman’s stare as she poured the coffee.
“You sure I can’t get you anything to eat?” she asked after his cup was filled to the rim. “We are famous for our breakfast.”
“I’m good.” Taz wasn’t much for small talk, never had been. Seeing the disappointment on the older woman’s face, he felt bad. “But thank you. It does smell great, but coffee is all I need this morning.”
Okay, that was probably more than he had said in the last week to anyone, but the woman’s smile made it worth it. He knew she was just being motherly, at least that was how it felt to him. The truth was he couldn’t bear to eat; his appetite had vanished the minute he found out Leda had slipped out of town.
Glancing out the window, he scanned the area. She was out there somewhere, and not knowing if she was safe or in danger was driving him insane. Taz had alway
s been a loner, even as a child. He had to grow up fast, providing for his mother and sister when their father up and left with no word. It wasn’t until years later that his father showed back up thinking he could pick up where he left off, which wasn’t saying much. He was a drunk who depended on his wife to earn a living. He’d never laid a hand on him or his sister; he’d never seen him hit his mother, even though he had questioned the bruises she tried to hide. But Taz heard the mental abuse, lived it himself from his father.
“You’re a good-for-nothing breed,” his father would slur during his binges. His father, Cusa Azure, full-blood Cherokee, his mother a beautiful Irish angel who his father threw away. Though always after the binges and mental abuse, his mother would find him.
“Your name means Gift of God.” Her words, spoken in her soft Irish accent, would tell him what a wonderful man he would become and that he already was. Aileen had been a beautiful soul who he loved more than anything and missed with every fiber of his being. “And you are my gift from God. You are kind, thoughtful of others, and strong. You will be a skillful warrior one day, and that, my amazing son, is how I raised you.”
It was her words he hung onto for years, up until this day, and yet there were times his father’s voice would seep into his mind. He swore not only to himself but to his mother that he would not let her down. Taz knew her spirit was with him and he damn sure would make her proud. He refused his father’s last name. Instead, he’d taken his mother’s—Whelan, meaning wolf. She gave him the use of her surname on her deathbed. Both the Cherokee and Irish took great pride in their names and meanings. He was no different. A smirk played on his lips as his eyes darkened, thinking of the meaning to his father’s name: the one who provokes. How fitting for the bastard.
Forbidden Secrets (Lee County Wolves Series) Book #5 Page 1