Scandalous Secrets

by Synithia Williams

  Please don’t let them hurt my child.

  “We’ll make it easy,” Dominic said. “Kendell, go to the door. Gain access and we come in after.”

  “Are they armed?” Byron asked.

  Zoe sucked in a breath and Byron squeezed her hand. He hadn’t let go during the entire ride. He’d been so calm throughout the ordeal even though she knew he was just as worried as she was. His left eye twitched, the pulse in his throat raced and tension radiated off his body. Byron was good under pressure. His calm was the only thing keeping her from shaking every bit of information out of Kendell, who confirmed his mom was behind the fire and car accident. Both were attempts to hurt Zoe and Byron.

  “We don’t know,” Dominic said.

  “Then let’s be sure of that before we go in,” Zoe said. “I don’t want her harmed.”

  “My mom carries a gun. The guy she’s with probably has one, too,” Kendell said matter-of-factly. “I’ll make sure everything is clear before we go in.”

  “No, I don’t trust you,” Byron said. “Dominic can go in with you. Your mom doesn’t know him, and you can say you brought him along.”

  Kendell’s features tightened. Zoe sat forward and caught his eye. He better not argue about a damn thing concerning this. He scowled but nodded. “Fine,” Kendell said.

  They parked and Dominic’s men got out first, followed by Kendell and then Byron and Zoe. Tension filled the air. Zoe’s pulse beat in her ears so loud she couldn’t focus on any other sounds. The Fairmont Inn was a cheap motel on the outskirts of town. Three stories tall with doors that opened to the outside landings. There were a few other cars parked there during the day.

  Fear and anger rushed through her system as she looked up to the second floor. Lilah was in there. What had his mom done to her? Was Lilah scared and crying? Had she remembered what Zoe taught her? Stay calm and look for a safe way to get out. Lilah would just roll her eyes and say I know, Mom. Whenever Zoe used to remind her daughter of how to respond in a tense situation, Zoe had always hoped she was being overly protective, and Lilah would never be in danger.

  Kendell and Dominic walked to the metal stairs leading to the second floor. They’d made it halfway when the door to room two-twelve burst open. Lilah sprinted out and continued to the stairs. Zoe let out a disbelieving breath. Fear and pride increased the pounding of her heart. Lilah was a fighter.

  Zoe and Byron both ran toward the stairs at the same time. Yelling came from upstairs. Dominic and Kendell reached the top of the stairs just as Lilah reached them. Without skipping a beat, Lilah elbowed Kendell in the stomach and rushed past him down the stairs.

  Zoe’s heart pumped. Byron got ahead of her and reached Lilah just as she hit the ground floor. Her eyes widened and she jumped into Byron’s arms. He picked her up, turned and ran back toward Zoe. Dominic’s two guards were past him in a flash and up the stairs. More shouting ensued.

  Zoe didn’t try to figure out what was happening on the second floor. Byron reached her side with Lilah, and the three of them ran to the car. Inside Lilah started crying and clung to Zoe.

  “They were taking me to Mexico,” Lilah hiccupped. “They thought they could tie me up, but I knew how to get out. I ran as soon as they looked away.”

  Zoe pulled Lilah to her chest and breathed in the smell of her daughter’s hair. Byron sat on her other side with Lilah sandwiched between them. Byron’s guards handled things outside. She didn’t have to worry. Everything was okay. Zoe felt nothing but relief and thankfulness to have her family back together.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  EVERYTHING HAPPENED IN a blur after they got in the car. Dominic and his people quickly subdued Kendell’s mom and the man she’d brought with her. Zoe wasn’t surprised to learn it was Carlton. The same guy who’d been looking for her from the start and blackmailed Byron.

  Thanks to Dominic calling the cops they arrived shortly after. Arrests were made and everyone was taken down to the police station. They separated her, Byron and Kendell as they went through everything. Straightening out what happened didn’t take long. Everything Kendell said about his mom turned out to be true.

  Zoe wanted to talk to Kendell’s mom. She wanted to look into the eye of the woman who’d terrorized her for months. Byron pulled some strings so she could. She kissed Lilah before going into the interrogation room.

  Mira’s eyes narrowed after Zoe entered the room. Her sharp, calculating gaze was just as Zoe remembered. Kendell had taken her around his mother often when they were dating. Once Zoe asked Mira why Kendell got so angry and possessive. The response she’d gotten was so eerily similar to what Zoe’s mother used to tell her that she’d never asked again.

  Jealousy is how a man shows love. You should be happy he loves you enough to care.

  Even though she’d eventually realized what love wasn’t, she also hadn’t accepted what love was.

  “I didn’t think you’d want to talk to me,” Mira said with a sneer. She lifted her hands, which were handcuffed to a bar on the table where she sat. “I won’t be in these for long. Once the truth comes out, they’ll let me out of here.”

  “The truth has come out, Mira,” Zoe said calmly. “You came to town, kidnapped my daughter, then held her against her will at a local hotel. Not to mention the fire and car accident. I do plan to press charges.”

  “Just like you did with Kendell?” She sucked her teeth and sneered. “You always did like to ruin people’s lives.”

  “I pressed charges because Kendell never should have hurt me like that,” Zoe said calmly. She wasn’t going to lash out the way Mira wanted her to. “He went on to make his other mistakes.”

  “You made it so he couldn’t get a job, couldn’t get recruited. The only thing he had left was crime.”

  Zoe lifted her shoulders. She didn’t give a damn about how protecting herself from Kendell affected his life. “That wasn’t my decision. Those were all his and that’s why he ended up in prison. Not because of what I did.”

  Mira sat back in her chair. Disgust written over her features. “I guess you have to tell yourself something to sleep at night. That’s okay. The world will know the truth. Your rich boyfriend’s political career won’t survive after this gets out and everyone will know you’re a liar who kept a good man away from his child.”

  Zoe wasn’t sure they could keep this secret anymore. A part of her didn’t want to. She’d run from her past and hidden it for long enough. Her only regret was that living in her truth meant Byron’s life would suffer even more.

  “We’ll deal with what happens,” Zoe said with confidence she didn’t feel. “I just want to know why. Why would you do this not to me but to Lilah? Why would you scare her like that?”

  “Because she deserved to know.”

  “She does know,” Zoe said. “I told her the truth a long time ago. She didn’t want anything to do with the man who used to beat me.”

  Mira sucked her teeth. “He didn’t beat you. He only hit you a few times. You young girls don’t know how to handle the love of a real man.”

  Zoe closed her eyes. The similarities between Mira and her mother made her chest ache. Thank God she’d broken the cycle. She prayed Lilah never had to deal with something like this again.

  “Those words are exactly why I didn’t want you or Kendell around my daughter.” She opened her eyes and met Mira’s defiant gaze. “Lilah will know her self-worth and hopefully will never be in a situation like I was. She deserves better.”

  “You can’t keep my son out of her life now. Regardless of what happens to me. Kendell is her father. He’ll sue for custody.”

  Zoe swallowed hard. She didn’t want to think about any demands Kendell might make now that things had come to a head. He may have come here to stop his mom, but that didn’t mean he’d changed.

  “And I will fight with everything in me to make sure you never ste
p in the same room with her again.” The one thing she could fight for. She didn’t know if it was possible, but after this Zoe never wanted Mira anywhere near her daughter.

  She turned and walked out without another word. Kendell waited for her outside the interrogation room. Time in prison had aged him more than thirteen years. He hadn’t lost the tightly muscled athletic figure he’d had in college, but now lines bracketed his eyes and mouth. His movements were jittery, and his eyes darted around as if expecting something to come out and surprise him.

  Zoe’s hands clenched and she fought not to take a step away. He couldn’t hurt her anymore. She wouldn’t let him hurt her anymore.

  “What did she say?” he asked.

  “That she wanted the truth to get out. That now you’d fight me for custody.” She went straight for the answer she wanted. She didn’t want to extend any more of the time she had with him.

  Kendell’s brows drew together. Surprise flashed in his eyes. “I don’t want custody.”

  “You don’t?” Relief nearly made her knees weak, but she refused to let her guard down.

  Kendell shook his head. “I’m not cut out to be a father. I just got out. I’m still trying to get used to living on my own terms. After this thing with Mom, I don’t even know how my probation is going to go. A kid will just make things worse.”

  She didn’t want to ask, but she had to know. “Do you want to see her, or have visitation?”

  He shook his head. “Zoe has a dad now. He’ll treat her better than I can. Both of you.”

  Byron wasn’t perfect. He was arrogant, used to getting his way and determined to fix every wrong in the path of the people he loved, but he’d never hurt her or Lilah. “He will.”

  Kendell nodded and rubbed his hands together. His stance shifted and he glanced around. “Yeah, well, I’ll sign whatever paperwork you need.”

  Byron came to the end of the hall. Worry flashed in his eyes as he watched them, but he didn’t immediately rush to her side to save her. He saw she had this, and she appreciated that he let her deal with closing this chapter on her life.

  “Leave your address and we’ll get them to you,” she said.

  “Cool.” He shifted from foot to foot.

  Zoe only wanted to get away from him. “Goodbye, Kendell.”

  He opened his mouth as if to say something, then shook his head and walked away. He hesitated a second next to Byron then nodded and kept moving. Once he was out of sight Byron came to her side.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. She only wanted to hold her daughter. “Where’s Lilah?”

  “In the waiting room with Dominic.” Byron took her hand and immediately walked with her to the waiting room.

  Lilah jumped up and ran to them. She wrapped her arms around Zoe then turned and hugged Byron. “Can we go home now?”

  Zoe smiled and nodded. “Yes. Let’s go home.”

  “The estate?” Byron asked.

  Zoe shook her head. She didn’t want to spend time with the rest of the family, getting them caught up and answering questions about what happened and why. She just wanted to be alone with Byron and Lilah.

  “Can we go to your place?” she asked.

  Byron looked surprised but didn’t argue. “My place it is.”

  Once they got to Byron’s place Zoe got Lilah settled in one of Byron’s spare bedrooms while Dominic and the rest of Byron’s security team set up outside. Even though there was no evidence Mira had any help, they didn’t want to take any chances.

  “Did Kendell leave?” Lilah asked. She lay on her side on the bed.

  Zoe sat next to Lilah. She ran a hand over the braids on her daughter’s head. “He did. Did you want to see him?”

  Lilah’s brows drew together as she considered, then she shook her head. “Not really. Mira said she was taking me to him and that we’d be a family.”

  “He’s agreed to sign over full custody,” Zoe said. “You won’t have to see him again unless you want to later in life.”

  Lilah’s lips lifted in a small smile and she nodded. “Good. Now Byron can adopt me and really be my dad.” She closed her eyes.

  Zoe kissed Lilah’s forehead. The thought of Byron adopting Lilah and the arguments she’d once had about Lilah not getting her hopes up were nowhere in Zoe’s head. The idea of being a real family no longer scared her. “We’ll see.”

  She left Lilah’s room and found Byron in his living area behind the bar. He held up a decanter of whiskey. “Drink?”

  “Please,” Zoe said. She went to the bar where Byron poured a drink into a glass for her.

  “How’s Lilah?”

  “Okay for now. I told her Kendell is going to sign away any rights to custody. We can try to do it quietly. Maybe you can get Dominic to keep the records secure or something.”

  Byron frowned. “Why would we do that?”

  “Because if word gets out about another lie it’ll make things even worse for your campaign. I don’t want this to get out and you lose because of it, but I also need to make sure Kendell has no rights to Lilah.”

  Byron placed his hands on the bar and gave Zoe a serious look. “I don’t care if it comes out. I don’t care if this costs me the campaign. If Kendell will sign over full custody to Lilah, then let him.”

  “You don’t care if you lose? You’ve worked so hard and you’re finally up in the polls.”

  “Some things are more important. You and Lilah are at the top of that list.” He picked up his glass and walked toward the couch. “I’ll call Roy tomorrow and let him know about what’s going on. He’ll come up with something and we’ll deal with what happens.”

  Zoe stared in stunned silence. Too many emotions bubbled up inside her to identify. Relief, happiness, disbelief, but one overruled them all.

  “I love you,” Zoe blurted out. The words she’d fought against for so long could no longer be held back.

  Byron spun around and stared at her wide-eyed. “Say what?”

  Zoe put her drink down and walked to him. “I love you. I never thought I’d say those words to another man. I always thought love also meant pain and humiliation. That’s all I’d ever seen or knew. When you came back in my life I was afraid I really hadn’t changed as much as I thought. I was afraid of losing myself and being another victim, but Byron, you don’t make me feel like a victim. You make me happy. You make me feel safe.”

  He approached her slowly as if he was afraid quick movements would make her take back the words. He didn’t have to worry about that. She was completely confident in what she said.

  “I only want to make you feel safe,” Byron said. “I love you so much you will never know, but if my love ever makes you feel uncomfortable, tell me. We do things big in my family, including love. But my love is for you, Zoe. Your strength and determination. I don’t want you to be anything other than the person who calls me out and keeps it real.”

  “Even if loving me will cost you what you worked for your entire career?”

  “I can help people whether I’m in Washington or here in Jackson Falls. As long as I’m helping them with you then I’ve already won.”

  The love in his voice was like a thread that wrapped around her heart tying hers to his. If she could bottle this feeling and save it for the rest of her life, she would. She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. Byron lifted her off her feet and kissed her. The love in his eyes said she didn’t have to worry about being anything other than herself with him. No matter what happened, he’d make her feel this loved for the rest of their lives.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  “THE RESULTS ARE IN, and the winner of the dramatic and contentious North Carolina Senate race is Paul McLeod.”

  Zoe’s warm hand slid into Byron’s. He squeezed and looked at her. This time he didn’t watch the votes come in a
t an elaborate watch party. There was one going on at the same brewery where the first one was held. His family was there along with his supporters. He and Zoe were prepared to make an appearance. He had to deliver his concession speech.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked.

  Byron lifted her hand and kissed the back. She looked exquisite in an emerald green one-shoulder cocktail dress to complement his navy blue suit. They matched his campaign colors. When Zoe suggested they slip out of the party and watch the results come in at his place he’d quickly agreed. He’d known winning would be hard. The press had ripped him and Zoe to shreds after word came out that he wasn’t Lilah’s biological father. Only the story of him and Zoe saving Lilah from a kidnapping had kept him in the running.

  He’d expected to feel disappointment. Instead, he felt relief. “I’m surprisingly relieved.” Shouldn’t he feel disappointed?

  “The campaign was hard on you. I’m not surprised,” Zoe said.

  “I worked so hard for so long to win. But all I can think about now is how great it’s going to be to not go to Washington. No more questions about my personal life. I can be home more.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

  He looked into Zoe’s dark eyes. Now he’d be here to pick up Lilah after archery practice when Zoe was out of town working. She’d started her consulting firm, and with Elaina’s recommendation was already doing compliance reviews for other businesses. He wouldn’t have to spend half the year living out of town. They wouldn’t have to pull Lilah out of another school and relocate to DC. His future was unplanned. For the first time he could decide what he wanted to do next. The realization was liberating.

  He grinned. “I am.”

  “Then let’s go to this party.” Zoe grinned.

  They arrived at the brewery. The music blared and he was greeted with cheers, backslaps, and well-wishes. He shook every person’s hand and thanked everyone sincerely. They’d believed in him through the entire rough campaign.