Circle of Deception 2

by Skye, M.

  “Yeah, mom and papa did great.” Richard looked hurt by her comment. “I’m sorry if that’s insensitive. I know it must be weird to know he raised me, but he was wonderful to me. He treats me like his own, and I love him like my own.”

  “And you should. Him stepping in and raising you was admirable and I have nothing but respect for him.”

  “I wasn’t sure how to feel about you, but now I’m glad I invited you here. I didn’t want to hurt papa, but he showed me that I could love you both and not feel like I’m cheating anyone.”

  “And how do you feel about that?”

  “It’s going to be an adjustment, but I want to know you. There is so much time to make up for between us, and I’m willing to try if you are, but I have to know something.”

  “Anything, I’m an open book.”

  “How is it that you care so much about getting to know me, but you don’t seem the least bit interested in Bianca and Sean? I can’t help but to wonder why, and I’m also puzzled as to how you could just leave them to run off with my mother.”

  Richard sighed and moved Jordan to his other leg and dropped his head. “It wasn’t one of my finer moments. Amanda and I had been having problems for quite some time and when I met your mother, she was a breath of fresh air. She was caring and vibrant, and even though she was going through hell because of Ben, she was able to keep me smiling. I would come home on cloud nine the whole time I was around her during her hospital stay. One day, she broke down and told me the whole story about Ben, and I came up with the plan to run away. We planned on taking Sean and Bianca with us, but when Amanda realized what we were planning, she sent them away. I didn’t know where they had gone or where to look, and we couldn’t stick around to find out, Ben was closing in on us and we had to make a move quick.”

  “They always assumed you didn’t know about them. I guess that’s what Amanda told them.”

  “They were babies back then, they wouldn’t remember. Amanda was awful to them, she never wanted children, and she let it show. She was never nurturing or affectionate the way a mother should be. I wanted my children, I wanted them to be with me. I never intended to leave them for good. I had every intention of finding them once I had your mother settled. Things just didn’t work out, and look what happened.”

  “Mom never told us this part of the story, so she was going to help you with them?”

  “Yes,” he smiled. “I always knew she was quite a woman. Amanda was just poisonous.”

  “Why is it that after all that time with Amanda, you couldn’t remember anything, but just one look at mom, you remembered everything?”

  “It’s simple, your mother meant the world to me once, so did you.”

  “And now? I don’t want to hurt you, but mom’s happy with papa.”

  “I care about your mother, I always will, but at the moment, I’m more focused on my children. You’re amazing, and I’m so proud, but your brother and sister,” he sighed, “I just wish I could have been better when it came to them.”

  “I’ve learned, you can’t blame yourself for other people’s actions. They could have chosen to go a different route, but they chose to be the way they are. They have no one to blame but themselves.”

  “You’re so insightful,” he smiled. “You’re so much like your mother it isn’t funny. I see so much of her in you.”

  Meg grinned and looked to Allison. “I just hope I can be the mother to them that she was to us. At first I didn’t understand how she could leave us, but now, I commend her sacrifice.”

  Meg and Richard continued their conversation for what seemed like forever. Allison interjected her cute little comments and they enjoyed the nice time together while waiting for the others to arrive. Alex watched from the back door of the house smiling. He was enjoying the scene before him when Maddie and Nathan walked up surprising him.

  “So, how’s it going with the new dad?” Maddie joked.

  “Okay, I guess,” Alex turned to face them. “They’ve been out there for hours, and Jordan hasn’t cried once.”

  “Well, he’s in,” Maddie laughed. “How weird is this? Our dead mom comes back to life, and now her dead dad. What’s next?”

  “Oh, don’t say that. You know it’s always eventful around here, anything could happen.”

  “Well, let’s let them have a few more minutes alone while we mix up some drinks. The others should be here soon.”

  “Well hook it up, sis. I’m ready to kick this party off.”

  While Maddie turned to head into the kitchen, other guests began to arrive. Melia and Matt were next with Cienna who ran out to the yard to join Allison. Melissa was the next to arrive with Rogelio at her side. They all gathered around the pool as Marisol began to bring the food out, lining it up on the tables.

  When Meg finally realized the time, she jumped up and Richard gave Jordan to her. “Wow. We’ve been talking so long, I forgot about my own party. Let me get Jordan changed and we will be right back. Feel free to join the others at the pool.”

  Richard smiled as she rushed off. He had really enjoyed his time with her, the only thing that could make this better was seeing Maria again. He didn’t want to tell Meg, but he knew he would always have feelings for her. He knew it would be ridiculous to think he could just appear back in her life and pick up where they left off, but he still longed to see her. Her presence would just have to be enough to satisfy his need for her.

  As Richard continued to look across the yard, he saw Maria emerge and nearly lost his breath. She was as beautiful as the day he last saw her. She was walking towards the pool hand in hand with Emilio, wearing her radiant smile. He could tell she was happy, he envied Emilio, but he was also drawn to the connection they had.

  As Richard continued to watch from afar, he noticed that most of the guests had arrived. He noted that everyone was there except Meg’s brother Gio and his boyfriend Marco. She had mentioned some other person that was due to arrive, but he couldn’t recall the name. When she was listing the guests, he had blanked out on half the names just staring at her. He was so proud of the woman his daughter was, he could hardly contain himself. When he saw her heading back to the pool area, he started towards her.

  On his way, Richard watched the interaction between Meg and Alex. He noted the way Alex looked at her, and the gentle way he touched her when he talked, and grinned. He could tell the boy absolutely adored his daughter and felt overjoyed. She had really built a wonderful life. The children were beautiful and well mannered, and her marriage seemed to be rock solid. As Richard approached the pool, Emilio and Maria appeared before him. She was wearing a genuine smile, and Emilio extended a hand for him to shake.

  “It’s nice to see you again,” Emilio supplied.

  “Likewise.”

  Emilio nodded and walked away, leaving Maria to issue her own greeting. He knew they must have so much to talk about, and he wanted to give them privacy. “Richard,” she grinned.

  “Maria, I must say, you’ve done an excellent job with our daughter. She is fantastic.”

  “She is, I’m glad you got to spend some time with her.”

  “Me too,” he smiled. He looked at Maria admiring the woman that had stolen his heart so long ago and stood frozen. She was just as amazing as he remembered. He continued to watch her until he looked up and saw the other guests. He noted the way they all interacted and felt a sense of jealousy. He only dreamed of having that type of connection.

  The guests were all mingling and mixing it up, getting reacquainted Maddie and Nathan had appeared with the drinks and were passing them out while the children were all headed to the bounce house with the exception of Jordan. He was getting fussy after watching the other kids run off, and Alex stepped in front of him and started playing to calm him. They were all lost in the precious moment until Marisol came barreling across the lawn.

  “Mr. Hanover,” Marisol yelled, looking to the front point out a car pulling into the driveway.

  “What is going on?�
�� Meg huffed.

  Alex directed his attention to the front and looked up to see a man bounding across the lawn. He kept watching as the figure got closer and the whole yard turned their attention to the man heading towards them. Alex squinted his eyes and when he realized who it was, he gasped. “What the hell?”

  In a few short moments, Ben was standing in their back yard wearing a huge grin. Allison and Cienna rushed to hug him, and everyone else stood in shock. Richard stopped his conversation with Maria and glared at him, and Meg placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. Ben laughed at Richard’s stance and crossed his hands over his chest. Before anyone could make a comment, he bent down, placing kisses on both Allison and Cienna. He looked to the group of hate-filled eyes with his smuggest expression. “Anybody miss me?”

  “How in the hell are you here? You tried to kill a man and left him for dead,” Alex snapped.

  “Aawh son, I wasn’t expecting a party,” he scanned the yard. “You shouldn’t have.”

  “Cut the bullshit. How are you here?”

  “Well, a confession is only relevant when there is a crime. You of all people should know how tricky the law is. The state would have to file new charges against me, and since they didn’t, I’m free. I happened to help them nail Bianca, Sean, and Amanda for Carmen’s murder, so I’ll ask one more time, did you miss me? Because baby,” he eyed Melissa and then Maria. “I’m home to stay.”

  “Like hell you are.” Alex growled. “I’ll make a call and get you sent right back.”

  “Well, if you did that, you wouldn’t see the surprise I brought. I think you all will find this interesting.”

  Ben stepped aside and revealed a petite older woman heading their way, and Maria gasped with tears running down her face. She couldn’t contain herself. Before she knew it, she was in a full stride, pulling the tiny woman in her arms. “Mom! Oh god I’ve missed you.”

  The rest of the group besides Ben were looking trying to figure out what was going on. Meg clutched Jordan tighter and Alex put his hand on her waist to keep her balanced. When Maria finally turned around, she pulled the woman up to her three daughters and stopped. “Gio, son, you and Marco get over here too. I would like for you all to meet your grandmother, Avo. She has been dying to meet all of you for quite some time now.

  The girls and Gio were all stunned into silence, and it wasn’t until Alex stepped up and removed Jordan from Meg’s arms that she made a move. Meg stepped forward and extended a hand for Avo to shake, and the small woman, pulled her into a firm embrace. It took Meg a second to register what was going on, and when she finally did, she melted into the hug and shed a few tears.

  “This is crazy,” Meg sobbed. “I always wondered what you would be like and now you’re here. I feel like I’m dreaming.”

  “I’m here my sweet girl and I love you all so much.” Watching the heartfelt scene before them, Gio, Maddie, and Melia all joined the hug each releasing their own tears. “All of my babies, god how I’ve waited for this day.”

  Despite all of Ben’s good intentions, Alex still stared him down with hatred in his eyes. “This changes nothing, old man. I still want you out of here. As soon as you say your goodbyes to the children, take yourself out of here.” Ben looked defeated and sank his head until Meg pulled out of her special moment to witness the interaction between them.

  When Meg approached the pair, she smiled at Ben and pulled Alex by the arm. He looked at her angrily, and she began to laugh hysterically. When the others heard her, they looked over in confusion. “Angel, what’s so funny? This is hardly a laughing matter.”

  “Oh, but it is Alex. This family is so messy and screwed up, but you have to admit, when things get bad, everyone steps in to help each other. Your dad helped us find Alli and helped mom, and your mom helped him. I know he’s made mistakes, but he has given us something I never thought we would have today. He gave us our grandmother, and I thank him. You might not want to admit it, but we stick together when it counts.”

  “Yeah, attempted murder aside,” Alex growled.

  “Baby,” Meg placed her hands around his face. “Life is too short, he is your father. As screwed up as he is, he is the only one you have.”

  Alex looked at the way Cienna and Allison were hanging all over Ben and softened his expression. He looked back to Meg, who was wearing a huge smile and held on tighter to Jordan. When he walked over and placed Jordan in Ben’s arms, the old man looked at him in shock. “Are you sure, son?”

  “I’m sure,” Alex replied. “Hold your grandson.”

  Watching Ben with Jordan must have sparked a compromise with everyone because soon, they began taking their seats and fixing plates. Richard dropped his angry scowl and took a seat next to Maria and Emilio, while Avo sat with Maddie and Melia fawning over their beauty. When Aiden and Emily appeared in the yard, he looked back and forth at the gathering of people and sighed.

  This is an interesting collection of people all in the same place.”

  “Sit down, shut up,” Alex laughed. “It’s family time.”

  “One jacked up ass family,” he laughed.

  “True, but it’s ours.”

  As Meg stared around the table, she looked to her two beautiful children and sighed. They were so amazing, and they were happy. Then she looked to Emilio, who was staring at Maria with eyes full of love, and then to Richard, who was bragging to anyone who would listen about how smart his grandchildren were. She was overcome with joy, now not only did she have her mother and grandmother back, she had two dad’s that were both great in their own way. She let a tear fall from her eye and as if sensing her mood, Alex pressed her head against his.

  “Baby, we did good. Getting this bunch to sit here together without killing each other is a real accomplishment.”

  “Yeah,” she giggled. “But our real accomplishments are those two right there,” she pointed to Jordan and Allison.

  Jordan was still with Ben, and as if sensing their conversation, he looked at them and said his first word. “Dada!”

  “What?” Alex asked happily. “What did my little man say?”

  “He said Dada,” Allison giggled.

  “Yes! You know what this means, don’t you, baby?” Alex turned to Meg.

  “What?” she asked, sounding confused.

  “I want my five bucks,” he laughed and kissed her on the cheek, causing laughter to ring through the whole yard.

  Meg sat back and grabbed his face, caressing him tenderly. “No cheeks, you kiss me like you love me, and keep the drinks flowing. I have a feeling we are going to need them.”

  Alex looked over at Ben and sighed. “Marisol, just bring the bottle please.” The group erupted in laughter once again as the various conversations persisted. Meg looked down at her mom who was wearing a tearful grin. When she smiled, Maria mouthed the words thank you and Meg mouthed I love you. Meg knew everything was far from resolved, but at least for now, they could be a family. A very different kind of family, but a family nonetheless.

  Contact M. Skye

  Twitter: IamMSkye

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  Website: iammskye.com

  Megan Marie Cardoza is a twenty-six-year-old media CEO with a less-than-impressive personal life. When Meg's best friend, Emily, returns to town, she and Meg's siblings shake things to the core. This prompts Meg to reveal her true feelings for her ex, Alex, and to give in to the needs that she's been suppressing for six long years. After a steamy reconciliation between her and Alex, everything seems to be falling back into place, until their past comes back to slap them in the face; at their engagement party no less. With the arrival of Meg's parents and the continued interference by Alex's father, who hates Meg, secrets much deeper than they ever expected float to the surface and threaten to rip Meg and Alex apart with fatal results for some. When everything she thought she knew is in question, Meg must decide if the secrets are too much to bear and enough to walk away for good.r />
  After his past bad relationship, twenty-nine-year-old, newly promoted, record label CEO Jackson Whitmore vows never to love again. With his best friend and vice president, Eric, at his side, Jackson's main focus is the business, until a beautiful woman, Milan Wells, waltzes into his life and is introduced as the new president. While Jackson wants to object to the decision, it becomes difficult when Milan brings forth bold and fresh ideas, catching both his and Eric's attention; for different reasons. Tensions soon arise when Milan and Eric's competitive natures collide forcing Jackson to intervene causing a rift between the once inseparable duo. With rumors of Milan's abusive relationship surfacing and Eric spiraling out of control, Jackson finds himself stepping up to protect Milan and entering an intense physical relationship. While Jackson and Milan are slowly falling for one another, Eric's jealousy erupts into a vicious quest for revenge that plunges the lovers into danger they never imagined.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  In her novels, M. Skye likes to evoke strong dramatic story lines, with strong romantic content. She loves to throw twists and curve balls you won't see coming into her stories, with racy encounters at every turn. She has two published works, and it won't be the last from this imaginative writer. She spends her free time writing and with her large family. She is married and lives in Texas with her husband.