He slowly gets up, and I watch in shock as he pulls her into his arms, shoving his face into her neck.
Her face softens as she runs a hand over his back. “My handsome boy.”
“When did you get back?”
“Just. I came straight here from the airport. I heard what happened with your father and got the next plane home.”
She looks over at Nova, tears gathering in her eyes before turning to me, a gentle smile reaching her lips. “And you must be Ivy.” I go to get up, feeling awkward sitting down, but she waves me off. “Don’t get up. You need to rest.”
“Okay,” I whisper, unsure of how to act. I inwardly groan, and if it wasn’t for the fact Kaiden looks as shocked as me, I’d go back to my room for making an arse out of myself.
“I’ve been wanting to meet you again.”
“Again?” I ask, looking up at Kaiden, but he seems as shocked as I do. He walks back over, sitting down next to me.
“What do you mean again?” he asks.
“I was there when your mum gave birth.”
“You were?”
She nods. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
I sit up, squeezing Kaiden’s hand. A while back he said his mum had something she wanted to tell me about mine. And as much as I hid it, I desperately wanted to know.
“After your mum left, I had her followed. I went to where my PI told me to and found her pregnant and in desperate need of help. She said Nova had tried, but she couldn’t look at her, couldn’t look at herself for what she had done to her. She begged me to get her help. She didn’t want you growing up with a druggie for a mother.”
“She did?” I choke out, losing my voice.
“She did. She loved you and wanted a better life for you. She didn’t want you to grow up in a world where rape was passed off as excusable behaviour. She blamed her grandparents for forcing her parents’ hand over not taking it further, for forcing them not to fight for you. They all had a part to play. They lived in a world where they had their own code. We set out to change it; me and Flora. We believed your mum. But Cara didn’t accept our help. She couldn’t look in the mirror, let alone at us, especially after she revealed everything the way she did. The night Flora died, we were leaving to set things right. We were going to tell Nova the whole truth. I met your mum outside of the manors and she was distraught, sobbing over what she had become and what she had done to her sister. I told her our plan, but she told us it was too late. She had ruined any kind of life at Cheshire Grove. I planned to follow her, but I got the phone call from Sam’s parents informing me of Flora’s passing.”
“Why didn’t you tell Nova after, so she could mend the rift between her and my mum?”
Nina smiles, her expression softening. “Because the man she loved had just cheated on her with her sister. As much as she thinks she would have, I knew she wouldn’t have seen reason.”
“Why didn’t you still leave after?” Kaiden asks, wiping his palm down his leg.
“Because I was scared. Scared of what he’d do if I didn’t do it right. Neil knew Flora was leaving him and he messed with her car. Royce made sure that I knew and promised me something much worse. He beat me so bad that night I ended up in hospital. The doctors gave me pain meds to help with the pain. It worked. It numbed me, and the second they wore off, I craved that numbness again. I chased it. Which is where my problem started. It didn’t stop me from hoping, from planning. I did. But the pretending…” she states, closing her eyes like it pains her. “It was too much and that’s when the drinking began. And then that became my life. Whenever I got clean, I started planning again, wanting to destroy your father in a way he’d never recover from, and he knew. He was one step ahead from the get-go, no matter how hard I tried. He would drug me. He would force me to have a drink. And an addict is always an addict, no matter how long they’ve been clean.” She wipes at the tears falling down her cheeks, looking regretful when she turns her attention to her son. “I’ll always be sorry for what I’ve put you and your brothers through. It’s one of my greatest regrets, not being stronger.”
“It will be okay, Mum. We can get through it.”
I clear my throat, nervously twisting my fingers together. “You said Mum got clean?”
“She did. She loved you. You were her whole world. Her strength inspired me. Her hopes and dreams were ones that could only come from a loving mother.”
“So, what happened?” I ask, swallowing past the lump in my throat.
All these years I believed she didn’t feel anything for me. I didn’t know what to do or how to feel.
“Royce happened,” she states.
“What did he do?” I spit, my heart racing.
“He found her. He blamed her for ruining all our lives, forcing her to believe that we hated her. He said they would kill her if she didn’t disappear. I’m not sure if Nova had found her or not before or after this. He told her the minute she was happy he would rip her world apart again, taking you away and using you as his own toy to play with.”
I gag. I cover my mouth with my hand and breathe through my nose.
“Mum,” Kaiden whispers.
I look up through tears, staring at his mum. “So, she spent my life pretending to not feel anything for me?”
Nina nods slowly. “She did. I spoke to her before she died. She told me she had the proof to ruin Royce, and it was time to use it. She wanted to get clean. To be a mum. I asked what made her change her mind and she said it was you. One of the men was standing above you while you were sleeping, and the look in his eyes was the same look Royce and Neil had that night. It flicked a switch inside her, and she needed help. She was angry she let Royce get to her that much she turned her back on her own child.”
“What about the drugs? She didn’t care about me. She cared about them.”
“Drugs always come first with an addict. Your mum had relied on them for a long time, Ivy, and I’m not making excuses here. She made her own. She had a life filled with people who let her down. Drugs, to her, didn’t come with emotional attachments. They hadn’t let her down. In fact, they made her forget. You’re a completely different person to what you are sober.”
“And I wasn’t enough,” I finish, my stomach bottoming out.
“She was scared of being happy. Scared of losing you. In her own way, she would rather have you hate her and still have you in her life, than to love you and have him rip you away.”
“It was a no-win situation,” I whisper, looking down to the floor.
“I know it doesn’t give you any closure. It doesn’t make up for the years of neglect. But I needed you to know that there was a time she loved you. And a part of Cara who was still inside the druggie, loved you. She was protecting you in her way.”
I fall into Kaiden, not caring about my shoulder, the bruises or the pain. I sob into his chest, gripping the back of his T-shirt.
“There’s one more thing before I leave to go see my other two boys.” I sniffle, tears blurring my vision, and turn to her. “When Cara called me and told me what she had done, she knew there was a possibility that he’d kill her. She said to make sure Nova found you, that she would love and take care of you.”
“But she knew Nova lived next door to Royce,” I state, confused.
“No, back then, Nova and Sam were staying there whilst their home was built. She didn’t know. It would have been you dealing with your mum’s debts or have you living next door to a monster. I made sure to keep Royce busy at work and spent a fortune on gathering information to get him locked away for good. I’m sorry you got hurt. I’m sorry Annette and Nova got hurt. I should have warned her who he was, but I didn’t want to put her in danger.”
I nod, watching her stand. “I need to go see my sons. I hope I’ve answered all your questions, and if you have any more, I will try to answer them.”
“Thank you for coming to tell me,” I whisper.
She nods, stepping forward to lean down and kiss Kaiden
on the forehead. She surprises me by running her hand over the top of my head. “Take care of each other.”
When the door clicks shut, Kaiden leans back to look at me. “How are you doing?”
“Honestly?” I ask, and he nods. “I don’t know. She’s not here to answer questions only she can really know the answers to. It’s a lot to take in. She loved me, Kai. Loved me. And although I never witnessed that love, it’s still nice to know I had it.”
“Are you going to be okay?”
I look up into his loving eyes and smile. “It’s a new beginning, a new chapter, and the more pages that turn, the more memories I’ll make. And the best thing about it is I get to do it surrounded by people who love me and who I love.”
He smiles, leaning in to kiss me, mindful of my cut lip. He pulls back a little, his eyes sparkling. “To making memories with the person you love.”
I smile, closing my eyes to soak in this moment. “I love you.”
“You too, baby.”
I lean into him, relief consuming me. We might have a dark cloud still hanging above us, but the storm of it all has finally passed.
And together, we’ll get through it.
I arrived at Cheshire Grove with an empty heart, no hope, and a man out to end me. But I sit here today, alive, wanted, loved, and that is more than I could ever have wished for.
Money doesn’t make you rich.
It’s the people.
Family.
And for me.
Kaiden.
And although this is how chapter one of our story ends, we still have a lifetime of more, and I’m excited to experience every second of them.
Love has changed me. Changed us.
And I don’t regret a moment.
THE END
Please share the love with Lisa by leaving a review on one of the following:
If you enjoyed Crowd of Lies, please leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Nook or Kobo.
If you didn’t purchase this copy from one of those retailers, please contact the author.
AUTHOR’S NOTE.
GUYS! We’re finally here. It’s the end. And although I do plan on adding more books in the future, using some of your favourite characters from the series, this is the end for Kaiden and Ivy’s story.
I’m sorry for the delay on the release of Crowd of Lies. It was never my intention for you all to wait this long, so I hope you enjoyed it and that the wait was worth it.
Wrong Crowd had been in my notes since 2014 yet went in a new direction and I ended up writing Malik instead.
Inspiration came to me as I was writing Landon and I knew I had to get Wrong Crowd written. I wanted to make a replica of Landon, but without that Carter family bond and morals. I wanted someone who was ruthless, cunning and didn’t care what people thought. And although I wrote the book, it doesn’t mean I condone Kaiden’s behaviour in book one or any of the male characters who sexually exploited Ivy.
It’s been a long journey getting the duet completed. I’ve faced so much this year and completing book two has felt like a massive achievement, and one I’ve loved sharing with my readers.
Thank you for the continuous support. You guys rock!!
And as long as you keep reading, I’ll keep writing.
In all my books I give out special announcements, whether it’s bloggers, my beta team, or readers. I do it.
It’s hard to put into words just how much I’ve appreciated the support this year. How much love I’ve felt from people I’ve never even met before yet who openly shared their support and understanding every day.
That’s how incredible this book community can be. Forget about the drama, about who said what or what someone said you did. It’s not about popularity or what someone can do for another.
It’s about a group of avid readers from all over the world coming together and sharing something beautiful.
And knowing my words are something you all share, it’s beyond any feeling you can imagine.
I work hard, but it’s you who keep me going, who give me a reason to keep writing.
And I have so many to thank, so I’m sorry if I miss anyone.
As many of you would agree, Cassy at Pink Ink Designs did a fantastic job with the cover. She never fails to impress me. Thank you, Cassy, for bringing the book colour and life.
Rachel Osbourne, for keeping my readers group going and continuously being there if I need help. For being the friend that notices you’ve disappeared off Facebook and messages you to find out why. You are awesome.
To my readers in my group or on Instagram that messaged support through Rachel or Stephanie. They sent every single comment to let me know you were there. Thank you. Thank you for being an amazing group of women. It’s been wonderful getting to know you all.
But my biggest thank you, my most heartfelt dedication, is to Stephanie Farrant. Her support holds no bounds. There are no strings or ulterior motives. She is pure and selfless to those she considers a friend.
She gave me advice and direction through the hardest time in my writing career, and I wouldn’t have made it through without her.
Thank you for not only being a friend, but for working as hard as you do to complete my books.
I lurves you, my psycho midget, and wouldn’t change you for the world. You are small, but you are mighty. And I think this should be your tagline.
Other books by Lisa Helen Gray
A Carter Brother Series
Malik – Book One
Mason – Book Two
Myles – Book Three
Evan Book 3.5
Max – Book Four
Maverick – Book Five
A Next Generation Carter Brother Novel
Faith – Book One
Aiden – Book Two
Landon – Book Three
(Read Soul of my Soul next)
Hayden – Coming soon
Take A Chance
Soul of my Soul
I Wish
If I could I’d Wish it all Away
Wishing For A Happily Ever After
Forgotten Series
Better Left Forgotten – Book One
Obsession – Book Two
Forgiven – Book Three
Whithall University
Foul Play – Book One
Game Over – Book Two
Almost Three – Book Three
Kingsley Academy
Wrong Crowd – Book One
Crowd of Lies – Now available
Crowd of Lies (Kingsley Academy Book 2) Page 27