My First Second Chance

by KB Winters

  “Now, go,” he said, dismissing me.

  He didn’t have to ask me twice. I whirled and ran out of the alley as fast as I could, wondering how I could finally put an end to this. I’d bought myself time, but I knew the moment of truth had arrived.

  I had to find Gabe and tell him everything.

  Chapter 23

  Gabe

  I backed out of the alley and into an alcove in the wall as Meg raced by me. I thought of stopping her, but there was something in her eyes, something so foreign. Fear. Grim determination. She clearly didn’t want to be there. So I let her go, then faced Heller as he started to walk out of the dark shadows of the alley and into the sunlight of day.

  He looked as if he’d just come from an important business meeting with his neatly brushed salt and pepper hair and swinging his briefcase. Everything about him was typical Heller, except for the fact that he’d just been hiding in a back alley with my girlfriend.

  That was enough to raise warning flags all over the place. I couldn’t leave without confronting him.

  “Heller,” I said, approaching him with bewilderment in my voice. “What’s going on here?”

  Heller always played it cool. He dealt with billion-dollar investors, so if he was surprised to see me, he didn’t let on. “Hey there, Gabe. What brings you out here?”

  I pointed over my shoulder where Meg had just disappeared. I could still hear her motorcycle’s roar as it sped away. “Did I just see you talking to Meg Baker? My girlfriend.”

  “Your . . .” Now he did look surprised, but there was something disingenuous about the theatrical way that his eyes widened. He guffawed. “Your girlfriend? You mean, the woman you’ve been telling me about all this time? She’s your girlfriend?”

  I nodded, wondering what the punch line was. Because I didn’t find anything funny about this at all.

  When he saw my rigid expression, his smile faded. “She’s my niece, actually.”

  I blinked, feeling as if I’d been hit over the head with a hammer. “What?”

  “She lives in my home, believe it or not. I took her in after her mother died,” he explained. “We were just discussing something . . . well, disturbing, as a matter of fact.”

  “Disturbing? In what way?”

  He clasped his hands together and shook his head. “Ah, Gabe. It hurts me to say this. I hate to speak this way, considering she’s family, but . . .”

  He paused, making me all the more anxious to know what was going on. “What is it? Is something wrong with her?”

  “When she asked me for a pass to the party at RAIN, I thought it was suspicious. But she does love a good party, that girl. Unfortunately, I didn’t know what she was up to until it was too late.” He shook his head. “She’s the one who has been spreading the rumors about LuvMakr not being ready on time.”

  I froze, staring at him, still waiting for the punchline. “What?”

  He went on to explain, his eyes cast down. “I should have known. Meg has always been, shall we say, sneaky. It started the day I picked her up, after her mother’s funeral. Sneaking out of the house, drinking, drugs, boys. I did my best to provide for her. I sent her to college, but since she graduated, she’s been nothing but a drain on me. I thought she’d find a career, but she kept giving me excuses why she still needed my help. I suppose it’s my fault. I felt sorry for her, losing her mother and being my only family and all. But finally I told her that she needed to find some way to support herself and move out of the house. It wasn’t good for her to lean on me indefinitely. I guess she thought that selling E-Ventures’ secrets to the highest bidder was the way to do that.”

  The words hung in the air, not penetrating my skull. Meg was the traitor all along? I’d let her into my home, left her there alone, and all the while . . . she’d been stealing my secrets. What for? Was this just for money? No. Meg wouldn’t do that. “I don’t believe you.”

  He shrugged like he didn’t care. “Well, it’s the truth. And I’m afraid the damage is done. She accessed the files on your home computer and downloaded the app. She’s likely sold that to the highest bidder, too.”

  I felt a headache coming on, hitting me square between the eyes. “What . . . how . . . that’s not possible.”

  “Are you telling me you never left her alone in your apartment?” he said, obvious from his expression that he already knew the answer.

  “Of course I did, she’s my girlfriend. But . . .” I stopped myself. My computer is password-protected. My blood went cold when I remembered that one time she’d asked for my password, and I’d handed it over willingly. Easily. As easily as I’d handed over my heart.

  But no. This was Meg. Yes, she was the slinky little feline who always looked like she was up to no good, but she loved me. I could feel it in the way she looked at me. The way we made love. Still, she had been very secretive . . .

  Was this why?

  Of course it was.

  Shit.

  “I’m sorry I allowed her to get this close to E-Ventures,” he said, shaking his head as we walked back up toward the main street together. “I’d always known she was a problem, which is why I never offered her a job with us. She’s responsible for her mother’s death, you know?”

  I was dazed. My feet felt like they were encased in cinderblocks, and I was slowly dragging them up the street. “What?”

  He nodded solemnly. “Yes. She constantly antagonized her mother, making her life a living hell. She seduced my sister’s boyfriends regularly. My sister tried to have her sent away, because she couldn’t control her. And then that last night, Meg knew her mother was suicidal. She was in charge of making sure her mother didn’t have access to all of her pills, and yet she left all of them out, where she could easily take them. I’m sure you probably know this, as an old flame of hers, but she’s entirely without a moral compass.”

  I shook my head, anger running through my veins. “That’s not Meg. Don’t say that about her. She’s —” I sputtered stupidly. “She’s not like that.”

  “Not like what? Not like a woman who seduces men at will, plays with them, and spits them out?” He smiled at me sadly. Because fuck. Up to the last part, that was all me. I’d been seduced, played with, and was the next stop being spit out?

  “Don’t be naïve. I’m afraid if you think she’s the innocent one here, you’re just the last in a long line of her victims.”

  I held my hands out, wanting to strike something, then just raked them through my hair. “No. This is ludicrous. Meg wouldn’t . . .”

  I trailed off, thinking of us in bed, making love. Of her heart beating against mine. Of how she screamed my name as we came together, joined as one. I’d never been that close to anyone, ever, and I doubted I could feel the same again. Meg was theatrical, a good actress, yes, but could anyone be so convincing a liar as to spend all those hours with me, all the while knowing she was going to rip out my heart and stomp on it.

  “I won’t believe it. Not until I talk to her, first.”

  “By all means,” Heller said, moving aside as if he was paving the way for me to run after her. “But I’m telling you, Gabe. Take it from someone who’s worked by your side night and day, growing this company from the ground up. Use your common sense. Based on her track record, Meg can’t be trusted. And I don’t want to see E-Ventures go under any more than you do. It’s my baby, too.”

  Of course, he was right. Heller was only trying to protect me and his investment in the company. I stalked ahead, toward my car, which was parallel parked on the street. “I get it,” I mumbled. If it was me and my fucking dick that brought E-Ventures down and lost us millions of dollars in investments, I’d be worse than just hurt.

  I’d be ruined.

  “I believe she was on her way to your apartment, Gabe,” he called after me. “If you let her in, keep an eye on your computer. She was going to try to steal some more things from it.”

  By the time I got to my car, I was breathing hard. I squeezed behind the
steering wheel, then jammed it with the heels of both hands. Only this morning, I’d planned to ask her to move in with me. I’d planned to tell her I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. Could she really be the person conspiring to destroy me?

  No. It was impossible.

  The only trouble was, I couldn’t think of who else it could be.

  Chapter 24

  Meg

  I let the wind wipe the tears from my eyes as I drove my Harley to Gabe’s apartment complex. I knew that if there was anywhere I’d be able to catch up with him, it was there, because he had no other place to look for me. As I drove, I thought of the terrible and unforgiveable things I’d done. He wanted to build a relationship with me, to get to know me, and all I’d done was hold him at arm’s length and treat him like a prop.

  When I pulled into a parking space, I pulled off my helmet and sat there under the shade of a line of oak trees. For the longest time, I tried to think of words that would make this okay.

  I’d probably wait for him forever, if that was how long it took, and still not have the adequate words to explain what I’d done.

  It didn’t take that long, though. Ten minutes after I arrived, he pulled into the spot beside me. I could see his face, full of concern.

  He pushed open the door, jumped out of the car, and came up to me so fast I barely had time to react.

  “Meg.”

  I thought I was a tough person. I thought I was pretty good at having my emotions in check. But it turned out, all he had to do was say one word. And not even a word that meant anything. Just my name.

  I burst into tears. “I’m sorry,” I said, as he gathered me into his arms.

  “Okay, okay, shh,” he kept repeating into my hair as he held me. The way he said it, I almost thought I could believe it. But the guilt was too much. I had no right to accept comfort from him after what I’d done.

  It was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but I had to tear myself away from him. When he reached for me again, I held out my hand to stop him. “Don’t. You won’t want me near you when you hear what I’ve done.”

  He studied me, his eyes never leaving mine. “You were stealing my app to try to bring down my company?”

  I blinked. There it was, out in the open, and yet he still didn’t look angry with me. “What? How did you know?”

  He closed his eyes, pressing his lips together in a look of disappointment that told me one thing: He hadn’t known, not completely, until I’d confirmed it.

  “So it’s true?”

  The disbelief and disappointment in his voice cut through me like a knife. “I’m so sorry,” I spit out, but it felt so inadequate.

  His face fell, and it was probably the most devastating thing I’ve ever seen. No anger, just overwhelming sadness. I knew instantly I never wanted to be on the receiving end of that look again.

  “Why?”

  “It started out as a way to get out, to get free from my past. That’s all I wanted, and when this offer came up, and I knew for this little bit of spying I’d have my freedom . . .” I wiped at the tears, but more kept coming, so I decided it was futile and gave up. I just let them flow and kept talking.

  “I didn’t know it was you. Not until that night, at the club. And I wanted to stop it, honestly, I did, but I just couldn’t.”

  He pulled at his hair. “So this is what you’ve been trying to tell me? All this time?”

  I nodded. “I’m so sorry. I was going to, but he’s dangerous, Gabe. You don’t know what he can do. At first, I was afraid for my life, but now I’m afraid for yours, too.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Who are we talking about? The man you’re working for? Is it one of the investors?” He snapped his fingers, pointing at me like he had all the answers. “It’s that guy, right? That Glenn Shoemaker, the one who was all over you at the party.”

  I shook my head. “No. It’s Heller. He’s my uncle.”

  He let out a slow, hard breath. “What?”

  “I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. He took me in after my mother died. He raised me, sent me to school. He’s been paying my way for years. And believe me, it’s not out of the goodness of his heart. He’s been holding it over my head, throwing it in my face every chance he got. Making me grovel for my room and board. Then one day recently he said it was time for me to repay my debt. It was the only way that I could finally get away from him.”

  “God. Fuck!” Gabe yelled, looking up at the sky. “What the fuck? You’re the two people I trust most in the world. And then I hear this. You were working together? This . . . is so, so fucking twisted.”

  “You have to believe me, Gabe.”

  Gabe was rocking on his heels, on the verge of losing it right in front of me. “He told me you were his niece, and that this was all you.”

  I swallowed. So he’d already gotten to Gabe. “That’s not true. Please believe me.”

  “I don’t know what to believe. Or who.” He shook his head, and his cheeks were red, his forehead covered with sweat. “Why should I believe anything you say?”

  I reached into my pocket and handed him the flash drive. “Because this is the app for LuvMakr. I took it months ago from your computer, when you gave me the password. I could’ve given it to him at any time. But I didn’t. Because I love you, Gabe.”

  He studied the item in my hand before taking it and turning it over like it was a precious stone. He didn’t look up at me until the very last second. “You love me?”

  I nodded, finally swabbing at my cheeks as he palmed the flash drive. “So much. So much that if you ever find it in your heart to forgive me, I’ll be the best girlfriend ever.”

  He dug his hands into the pockets of his jeans and smiled. “I don’t want that. I just want my company back. I would’ve loved to have a girlfriend who didn’t want to screw me over, but right now, I just want to know that everything I’ve put into E-Ventures wasn’t for nothing. The years of hard work, the sleepless nights, the promises to my employees and investors.”

  I swallowed. Of course he wouldn’t want me, now.

  He pulled the flash drive out again and opened his palm. “So this —” he thrust his chin at it. “If you never gave it to him, that means he doesn’t have it?”

  I shook my head. “He found it, but I told him it was an old version. I don’t think he did anything with it.”

  “Get in the car.”

  I froze. “No. Gabe, please. I —” the thought of seeing Heller again made my skin crawl. Every pore in my body was protesting. “I can’t see him again.”

  His eyes were cold, fastened right on me. “I don’t give a fuck. Get in the fucking car, Meg.”

  I deflated, my shoulders slumping. “But you don’t know what he’s capable of. He wants to destroy you completely. All he ever did was complain to me about you.” I trembled at the thought of what he’d done to me, in the foyer of his mansion. “He’ll stop at nothing.”

  “You’re serious? Heller?” He scoffed. “I’m going to say it one last time. Get in the car, NOW.”

  I stopped and stared at the man in front of me, a man I clearly didn’t know as well as I thought I did. I’d never heard him so demanding. I did as I was told.

  We sped off toward the office, the world blurring around us. Gabe was a very safe, obey-every-rule kind of driver, seatbelts, keep it under speed limits and all, but he sped through the stop sign at the front of his apartment complex. Despite the air conditioning blowing cold air out at us, I was sweating. I’d never seen him so riled up. Hell, I’d never seen him angry at all. I had absolutely no clue what this Gabe would do.

  “Please, don’t confront him,” I begged, holding onto the door handle for dear life.

  “Why?” he snapped at me. “Why should I listen to anything you have to say? After what you did? You say you love me, but how can I believe you? You’ve always been a fantastic little actress.”

  Right. He probably thought I was giving him a song and dance to stop him from confr
onting his partner and Heller was the only one who could set the record straight.

  But I couldn’t stand to see Gabe get hurt any more. Not when I could stop it. “Please, Gabe. Just listen to me.”

  He only pushed harder on the gas pedal. He used to hold me on a pedestal, but now, he wouldn’t even listen to a word I had to say. My opinion meant nothing to him. My life had turned on a dime, leaving me desperate to get back some semblance of our happiness.

  He snarled, “I’ve got to talk to him. I need to put an end to this bullshit right now.”

  I shook my head as he sailed through a light that had just turned red. I put my foot up on the dashboard, worried we’d be t-boned. I gripped the door handle harder and winced as I heard a car scream by, laying on its horn. “Slow down, please, Gabe!”

  “No. Years, Meg. Do you know how long I’ve been working at this company? Years. It’s not a job to me. It’s been my life for years. If someone’s trying to take it away from me, I need answers now.”

  I sighed with desperation.

  “Please. You don’t understand. He’s dangerous. He said if I didn’t give him what he wanted, he’d make sure we all suffered. I’m afraid he’ll hurt you. I was afraid he’d hurt me.”

  I took a deep breath, as it occurred to me. If there was one thing that could get him to slow down and end this, it was obvious.

  So I let it out.

  “I was afraid he’d hurt the baby.”

  Gabe tightened his hands on the steering wheel. He dropped his foot from the gas pedal. “What did you say?”

  “The baby,” I said, my voice becoming so small from fear and heartache I wasn’t sure he heard me. “Our baby.”

  He pulled into the nearest office parking lot, and as the car came to a stop, he looked over at me, as if seeing me for the first time. “What?”

  “I’m three months along,” I said softly, feeling my face flush with nervousness.

  “Three months?” His face was red, eyes wide with shock. “With a baby? And when were you going to tell me?”

  He was angry. Of course he was. I’d kept so many things from him for far too long. I felt my grip on the situation loosening. This was going to seal my doom.