Where Trust Lies (Love vs. Loyalty Book 3)

by Nia Arthurs

  “Yes?”

  “Did I squish the lemon pies in my purse?”

  Trenton laughed and glanced at the paramedic who stared between them with a bemused expression.

  “Does she need to go the hospital?” he asked.

  “It would be safer to take her in just to be sure.”

  “I don’t want to ride in the ambulance,” Breana said, taking off the oxygen mask. “Do you mind if we go alone?”

  Trenton readily agreed and drove Breana to the hospital where she was examined by a doctor and finally offered a warning to return immediately if she experienced any dizziness or pain.

  As they walked out of the building, Breana leaned on his arm and sighed. “I really hate hospitals.”

  “Why?”

  “It reminds me of when you were shot. I was so scared that you wouldn’t make it.”

  He kissed her forehead. “I’m right here, still breathing.” Trenton helped her into the car and gently fixed her seatbelt. When he rounded the hood and slid into the driver’s seat, Breana turned to him.

  “Do you think we should call Cady?”

  “What for?”

  “To make sure she’s okay.”

  Trenton’s eyebrows drew down into a ‘V’. He didn’t like the idea of taking Breana anywhere but home. She needed sleep and he needed a little peace after a near-death experience like that one.

  “I’ll call her tomorrow.”

  “Let’s go tonight.”

  “Babe—”

  “We can go together, or I can go alone.”

  He started the car and shook his head. “Where’s this sudden devotion to Cady Barrington coming from?”

  “Someone blew up her car and you’re asking me that?”

  “We gave our statements to the officers. I saw the bomb and we ran. They’ll handle things from here. You’re not…” he tilted his head. “You’re not doing that thing, are you?”

  She snorted. “What thing?”

  “You know? The thing your mom warned me about? The thing where you take someone into your heart and give them all your loyalty whether or not they deserve it?”

  “Hm.” Breana sat and thoughtfully folded her arms across her chest. “I never thought about it like that, but yes, something’s changed between yesterday and tonight. That’s definitely what I’m doing.”

  Trenton groaned, straining to imagine the ladies that—just a few months ago—had been at each other’s throats in his front yard, becoming friends and sharing girly secrets.

  “What?” Breana poked his side. “Are you scared we’re going to compare notes on you?”

  “Compare what notes? I was never interested in Cady like that.”

  “She knows a lot about you though.” Breana smiled. “Anyway, I’m not going to force a friendship. It’s still too early for that. I just… I don’t know. I want her to know that she’s not alone right now.”

  His heart swelled at her words. No matter what the snobs from the upper tiers of society had to say, Breana was ten times classier than any woman in his social circle. Her kindness was incredibly sincere, and her sweet heart was her strength.

  How was it possible to fall deeper in love with this woman every day?

  Breana and Trenton spent the drive to Cady’s house in content silence. Fifteen minutes later, he parked in the circular driveway. They were ushered into the Barrington mansion. Holden Barrington greeted them gravely when they walked through.

  “I’m glad to hear you’re alright, Trenton,” he said.

  “We came to make sure Cady was doing okay.”

  “I’m fine,” a voice croaked. Trenton glanced up and found Cady walking down the stairwell. She had changed out of her party dress and wore a pink sweat suit and fluffy bunny slippers.

  The outfit reminded him of their younger days when the little Barrington heiress would follow him around and annoy the life out of him and his friends.

  “I’ll leave you to talk,” Holden said, kissing his daughter on the head before walking out.

  “Have a seat.” Cady pointed to the plush sofas and sank into the armchair where she watched them with frank brown eyes. “You didn’t have to come.”

  “Breana really wanted to—oof.” Trenton felt his wife’s elbow burrowing into his ribcage and snapped his trap shut.

  “We were worried about you,” Breana filled in. “Have you heard anything from the police about why someone would do something like that?”

  “They think it has to do with the Juan-Miguel drug incident,” Cady said. Her voice reflected the exhaustion on her face, and Trenton wondered if she was really as calm as her body language led them to believe.

  Breana seemed to pick up on Cady’s mood for she didn’t prolong the conversation. Instead, she walked over to her boss and stooped down before her.

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” Breana said.

  “Really?” Cady sniffed and wiped at a tear that fell down her cheek. “Do you really mean that?”

  “I do. And, I know we’ve never been the best of friends, but if you need someone to talk to, if you’re scared or lonely, don’t hesitate to call me.”

  “Thank you.”

  Breana nodded and rose. Together, they bid Mr. Barrington good night and returned to the car.

  As Trenton drove home, he thought about Breana’s consideration toward Cady, and compared it to their marriage. They’d come a long way, but the understanding that their progress was largely due to his wife was humbling.

  Watching her in action with Cady reminded him of the treasure that she was. He never wanted to hurt her, never wanted to give her cause to mistrust him or his commitment to their marriage.

  Later that night, as they got ready for bed, Breana peered at him through the reflection of the mirror. He caught her eye and smiled. She smiled back, and exited the bathroom to draw near to him.

  “You’ve been really quiet,” she said.

  He held her waist and pulled her in between his legs. “I just realized how much I love you.”

  She pressed a hand to her stomach. “Too much cheese makes me queasy.”

  He bent and kissed the fingers splayed over her midriff. “Should we do something about that?”

  “About what?”

  He jerked his chin toward her belly.

  “I hope you’re talking about food, Trenton Lorde.”

  “How many kids do you want?”

  “It’s only been a few weeks since I came back from Guatemala.”

  “How much longer do you want to wait?”

  “I don’t know.” She pressed her hands against his shoulders. “What’s this about having kids all of a sudden?”

  “Don’t you want children?”

  “Of course, but I’m only twenty-two. I still have things I want to achieve before then—like getting my Masters degree and travelling. What’s the sudden interest in having kids right now? I thought we were on the same page about that?”

  “We are,” he said. “Just… I think you would make a great mom.”

  Her face softened. “I think you’d make a great dad.”

  “Speaking of dads, Jamison called while you were in the bathroom. The police found a storage unit filled with the speakers and other things that William ordered from the States. They think he’s skipped town.” Trenton watched his wife. “How do you… what do you think about that?”

  Breana chuckled sadly. “Don’t look at me like I’m going to shatter, Trenton.”

  “I know you were hoping for a better outcome than this.”

  “Not really,” Breana said. “Maybe someday, when my dad matures and figures out what he wants, we can talk. But for now, I’m happy.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “I have people I love and who love me, so I’m not going to cry too much over it.”

  “You do,” Trenton said, giving her a quick kiss. “I love you.”

  Breana kissed him once more and then got into her side of the bed. He snapped the light off and turned
so that he could pull her flush against his chest. The silk scarf she wore was cool against his nose and invited him to burrow deeper into her shoulder.

  “Mm,” she mumbled and swatted him off.

  “Bree?”

  “Yes?”

  “Our six month contract is up tomorrow.”

  She shot up and stared down at him. “Really? I totally forgot.”

  “What should we do?” he asked, closing his eyes and moving his head to her lap.

  “Hm?” Breana mused. Trenton shifted to a more comfortable position on her thighs when he felt her lips on his. Breana eased up just a bit to whisper. “Should we do this?”

  “I like the way you think,” he rumbled as he pulled her down and tugged the blanket over their heads.

  Epilogue

  ₪₪₪₪₪₪

  Merna and Lorraine sat on the back porch dressed in their summer finery. The sun filtered through the leaves of the lime trees that grew in abundance along the boundaries of the property, and the scent of the gentle rain rose in a distinct contrast to the bright sunshine.

  “I’m glad you accepted this house back from the kids. Breana seems really happy at Trenton’s place. I don’t think she wants to move, even if it means rejecting your gift and hurting your feelings.”

  “I figured I could still leave the property in their name and live here until I move on to a better place.”

  “Move on to—?” Merna laughed. “Lorraine, you’re probably going to outlive me.”

  “I appreciate you saying that.”

  Merna’s brown eyes glittered as she sat forward in the pretty rocking chair. “Do you think they’ll ever put two and two together and figure out that we set them up?”

  “I hope not,” Lorraine said. “Setting my son up on a date is a lot more forgivable than setting him up for a marriage.”

  “But look how well it turned out,” Merna said. “They’re so in love I can barely leave the room for a minute. As soon as I come back, I catch them sucking the life out of each other. A mother can only un-see so much.” Merna shivered.

  “They’re newlyweds. What do you expect?”

  “That they are,” Merna said with a laugh and then she grew serious. “Would you look at us?”

  Lorraine fixed her eyes on her friend. “What? What’s wrong with us?”

  “We set a heck of a track record. You’re a divorcee, and I’m a woman who never married. Do you think they’ll do better than we did?”

  Lorraine smiled wisely. “We’ll help them along the way.”

  Merna leaned back in the rocking chair and slipped dark glasses on her face. “What would they do without us?”

  “Right?”

  Together, the mothers sighed and enjoyed the warm Caribbean sunshine as well as the damp rain.

  THE END

  A Word from the Author

  Hello! Thank you for coming along on this journey with me. If you enjoyed this story, I would be honored if you would let others know by writing a review on Amazon. Word of mouth is important for an author’s success.

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  Other Books by this Author

  Available on Amazon…

  The Taming Series

  Taming Mr. Jerkface

  Taming Mr. Charming

  Taming Mr. Know-it-all

  Taming Mr. Darcy

  The Seven Realms Series

  Genesis

  Revelations

  The Tree of Knowledge (coming soon)

  Love & Reggae

  Amid the Noise

  Count Me In

  Buffalo Soldier

  Confessions of A Church Girl

  Glass Houses

  Fitting In

  Standing Out

  Standalone

  Whiter Than Snow

  Married By Science

  Tsea

  Fool Me Never

  Audrey’s Choice

  Scarlet

  From the Stars

  River’s Journey

  That Was Then

  Energy

  Becoming Rachel

  Desperate for a Date

  Take Mai Heart

  Love In Many Shades Series

  Cece & David

  Cece & David 2

  Cece & David 3

  Cece & David 4

  Boyfriend By Series

  Boyfriend By Blackmail

  Boyfriend By Midnight

  Boyfriend By Design

  Lovesick Series

  Play

  Dance

  Trust

  Love Vs. Loyalty Series

  Where Love Lies

  Where Truth Lies

  Where Trust Lies

  CADY’S JOURNEY

  Cady Barrington can’t possibly sink any lower. The man she’d been madly in love with for most of her life got married to another woman. The sexy salsa teacher she fell for next used her to smuggle drugs into the country. Now, a Mexican drug cartel is out to get her.

  When her father hires Aaron Jedrek to protect her until the threat is dealt with, Cady is determined to ignore the handsome man who has sworn to protect her body. But what can she do to protect her heart?

  Keep a look out! Cady’s story is coming soon!

  MELISSA’S JOURNEY

  She’s brown, big, and bootylicious. Melissa’s made it no secret that she wants a man, but not just anyone will do. When Melissa grows tired of singleness, she decides to lower her standards. After all, the perfect man doesn’t exist.

  Or does he?

  When various embarrassing encounters put her in the path of Michael—Trenton’s best friend and the only man who seems to enjoy drawing her temper—will she find the love she’s been craving?

  Keep a look out! Melissa’s story is coming soon!

  Read on for an excerpt from another sweet BWWM marriage of convenience novel:

  WHITER THAN SNOW

  CHAPTER ONE

  Stephen McCord cracked his knuckles and rolled his neck, shifting his thin black-framed glasses on his nose. The computer screen was beginning to blur and he figured it was about time to take a break.

  He pushed away from the large mahogany desk with the scattered papers all around, the empty soda cans rolling haphazardly to the edge and back, and the pens of various shades and colors littered throughout. He needed to clean that up.

  He’d get right on that.

  He stood, stretching his long arms and then bending down to grab his toes that were incased in black slippers. His stomach growled and he padded to the kitchen to forage for a snack. There was nothing in the fridge but milk that had probably gone bad during the last hurricane forty years ago and an open can of Vienna sausages. He needed to go grocery shopping.

  He’d get right on that too.

  He threw away the milk. Checking the cupboards, he found an unopened pack of chips and gratefully tore into it, listening to the crackle of plastic as he moved to the window and lifted the shade. The sun was still shining brightly outside. He checked his watch next. He wouldn’t go out until it set a bit more.

  On the way back to his office, he caught his reflection in the solemn round mirror in the hall. Even in the dimness, he spotted the almost translucent quality of his alabaster skin, speckled with dots spread out all over his body.

  He adjusted the glasses again as his image refocused and came sharply into view. Stephen was tall at six feet three inches. His arms were nicely defined thanks to the home gym system he’d purchased a few years ago and employed for a few hours a week when he could spare the time.

  At twenty-seven, he’d gotten more than his share of wor
kouts in.

  Stephen stepped closer to the glass, his blue eyes taking in every pinpoint of his features. His face was thin, his nose long and narrow, his lips very pink. When he was younger, the kids at school would tease him about applying lipstick to achieve the shade.

  He ran a hand through his light blonde, almost white hair and wiggled his eyebrows. The light hair on the bridge of his forehead was basically non-existent. Sometimes, he dyed them dark brown for the fun of it.

  He turned away from his reflection and returned to his office, carefully keeping his gaze away from his bedroom. His office looked like a tornado had stormed through the space, but his bedroom had been swept by a tsunami. He shook his head. He was just too busy to pick up after himself. Wiping his cheese coated fingers on his shirt, he returned his attention to the stock he was researching. Stephen made his money buying and trading in petty stock investments online. He worked from his home in Belize, but thanks to his mother’s emergency birth in a plane flying over the US, he was also a US citizen.

  His phone rang at that moment and he rolled his eyes. Speaking of mothers…

  “Hey, ma.” Steven slid his smart phone between his shoulder blade and cheek as his fingers flew over the keyboard.

  “Stephen,” Jenny McCord’s voice sounded over the phone lines. “How are you doing?”

  His mom called to check in on him every week since she lived an hour away in the city of Belmopan. Also, being the youngest of the McCord clan, he drew more of his mother’s concern and fawning.

  “I’m fine, Mom. Same as last week.” He said.

  Stephen was not usually so short with his mother, but his annoyance with the state of his house spilled into his tone. He’d have to go grocery shopping later this evening and he still had a report to finish. Though Stephen worked in Belize, he had to fill out his US tax forms like everyone else. Not the most pleasant of tasks. Especially if he put it off until the last minute.

  “Don’t use that tone with me Stephen McCord.” His mother scolded.