Where Truth Lies (Love vs. Loyalty Book 2) Read online

  Where Truth Lies

  Nia Arthurs

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  COPYRIGHT

  First published in Belize, C.A. 2017

  Copyright © Nia Arthurs

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be circulated in any writing of any publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  This book has been produced for the Amazon Kindle and is distributed by Amazon Direct Publishing.

  To the marriages still going strong

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  ₪₪₪₪₪₪

  Breana Moore grabbed a fistful of Cady Barrington’s long, brown hair and yanked for all she was worth. Cady’s answering scream was strong enough to shatter glass—a feat that had already been achieved by the wrench on the ground next to Trenton’s car.

  “Uh... 911, this is an emergency.”

  Cady bent her manicured fingers into claws and raked them down Breana’s arm. Faint scratches appeared on her brown skin, and Breana arched her neck in agony. Cady laughed and dug deeper even as Breana reacted by tugging harder on her hair.

  “You need to come now!”

  “How dare you marry, Trenton! How dare you!”

  “Get over yourself,” Breana replied breathlessly. “No means no!”

  “I’m at 1562 Pride Avenue on the North side. Hurry up! And bring an ambulance! I think they’re going to kill each other.”

  The soft thud of the phone hitting the grass was quickly followed by Trenton’s appearance beside them. He muscled his way into the middle of the wriggling mass of hair, nails, and anger.

  “Cady, calm down!” he yelled.

  The distraught woman swung her fists in reply. Trenton bent backwards, employing a move that belonged in a cheesy kung-fu movie rather than in the dusky expanse of an upper class Belizean suburb.

  “The police are on their way,” Trenton tried again.

  “Stop now,” Breana said, but the warning rang hollow. She was ready for her boss to make a move, just one bad move. In fact, she craved it. Barrington and Co’s princess could use a proper smackdown.

  “You think I’m afraid of the cops!” Cady screamed, tossing her disheveled hair out of her eyes and bouncing on her toes like a guest on a trashy, tabloid talk show.

  “Cady, what is wrong with you?” Trenton bellowed, his eyes wide with fright. Breana understood, though she didn’t approve.

  Cady Barrington was a woman scorned.

  The anger (and the booze she’d downed hours before at the swanky tavern) had transformed her. Her face was a mottled red, and her silky red blouse hung off one shoulder, exposing her twisted black bra-strap.

  One would never believe that she’d been born with a silver spoon. Love had torn the last shred of dignity from her hands.

  “I told you to give me three weeks! Just three measly weeks!”

  “I’m sorry that you feel upset,” Trenton said, slowly putting Breana behind him. She allowed his protection—not because she couldn’t handle herself, but because it would prevent her from resuming her war with Cady.

  “You broke my heart.”

  “I know,” Trenton pointed to his car, “but there are more productive ways to express that.”

  Cady opened her mouth, but before she could hurl a scathing reply, the sound of sirens filled the air. A few seconds later, a police car skidded in front of the lawn. Two officers hopped out of the vehicle and charged the small group, batons raised.

  “What’s going on here?”

  Trenton, Cady and Breana exchanged glances. Breana shirked back in an unconscious display of mistrust. Lawmen were less than welcome in her neighborhood, and the mentality had been ingrained in her own psyche.

  Trenton stepped forward. “Good night, officer.”

  “Are you the man who called in the disturbance?”

  “Yes—”

  “Officer, let me explain,” Cady jumped in, looking nothing like the entitled, prissy girl Breana had known since childhood. “I’ve been in love with this man for years! We were supposed to get married—”

  “We weren’t supposed to get married,” Trenton said.

  “Then,” Cady sobbed, “he came back from visiting his mom in the States last week, and he was married to this joke!” Cady pointed to Breana.

  “Excuse me?” Breana balked, her eyes narrowed.

  “So I came here to talk, but then she hit me!” Cady yelled, allowing the tears to roll down her face.

  “I hit her,” Breana said through gritted teeth, “because she came with that wrench and busted Trenton’s car windows.”

  “I tried to break them apart,” Trenton added. “That’s when I realized I needed to call for backup.”

  The policemen frowned at Cady. “Ma’am, you realize you can’t trespass on someone’s land and damage their property?”

  Breana restrained her smirk.

  “And you—” the lawman pointed a finger at Breana.

  “Me?”

  “If you hit her first, you could be charged with assault.”

  “I was defending my husband’s property!” Breana gasped.

  “It was assault!” Cady cried.

  “Alright, alright!” Trenton rubbed the bridge of his nose. “What if neither of us press charges? I really don’t want to make a big deal of this.”

  “That’s up to you,” the first officer said.

  “This is a quiet neighborhood,” the second warned. “If one of your neighbors call in a disturbance, we may have to take you in.”

  “We understand, officer. It won’t happen again.”

  “Ma’am,” the lawmen tapped Cady on the shoulder, “these folks aren’t pressing charges, but just to be safe, let us escort you home.”

  “Yes, officer,” Cady said sweetly and followed the lawmen to her car. At the last minute, she spun and pierced Breana with a glare.

  Breana folded her arms across her chest. “See you tomorrow, Boss.”

  Trenton nudged her with his shoulder, but she shrugged unapologetically. Some of the scratches Cady had given her were bleeding and throbbing. A little throwaway phrase would hurt far less.

  The couple remained on the lawn until the police cruiser and Cady’s fancy convertible shot down the street and disappeared from sight. Only then did Trenton turn to his car and unleash the full breadth of his grief.

  Falling to his knees on
the shards of glass sparkling like stars on the grass, he raised his arms to the sky and bawled out. Breana shook her head and walked inside, sensing that he needed a moment to compose himself.

  Still unfamiliar with Trenton’s house, since this was only the second time she’d visited, Breana stumbled through a few rooms before she discovered the bathroom and a first aid kit waiting beneath the cupboards.

  She got to work, quickly sterilizing and applying bandages to the deeper scrapes on her left arm. When it was time to move to the right, Breana clumsily twisted to reach her wounds.

  “This is frustrating,” she mumbled as she failed to set the band-aid on and stuck the adhesive together by accident.

  “Need some help with that?” She glanced up to find Trenton leaning against the doorway of the bathroom.

  “How long were you standing there?”

  “Long enough to see you needed my help.”

  Breana looked away from him and struggled to fit a fresh band-aid near her elbow. Her tongue stuck out in concentration and she stretched higher, barely managing to graze the offending scrape before the band-aid—of it’s own accord—curled into itself.

  “Shoot!” She grabbed for another bandage, but Trenton snatched the adhesive from her hand and stooped down in front of her.

  “So stubborn.”

  “Give it back. I can do it myself.”

  Trenton ignored her and easily placed the bandage on her scratch. He made quick work of the rest, tenderly applying the cream and sealing the mixture with his thumbs.

  “There, was that so hard?”

  “I could have done it,” Breana said gruffly, keenly aware of his handsome face. This was the closest they had come since the kisses on their wedding day. Breana swallowed and steered her gaze away from his lips.

  Trenton, unaware of her struggle, continued to invade her personal space even after his job as a makeshift doctor was over.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his brown eyes filled with concern. “You charged at Cady so intently earlier. It was just a car. Why did you react like that?”

  “It’s not fair.”

  “Her father will probably pay for the damages. You got hurt for nothing,” he said, lifting her arm.

  Breana gently shook his grasp. “It’s not about the money. It’s about the disrespect.”

  He smirked at her.

  “What?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

  “I hear a little bit of your thug side coming out.”

  “My thug side?” Breana scoffed. “I don’t have a thug side.”

  “Whatever you say.” Trenton smiled and stood. “I’m just glad you’re in my gang. You were like a completely different person out there.”

  “Trenton…” Breana choked, trying to restrain her laughter.

  He continued to tease. “I know who I’m sending down at night if I ever hear a weird noise downstairs.”

  “Very funny.”

  “At least you’re smiling again,” he said, chucking her chin. “You’ve been so serious lately.”

  “A lot’s going on. Your mom’s doing harsher chemo treatments. My mom’s going to rehab. We have to buy furniture for Lorraine’s house—”

  “Our house,” Trenton corrected.

  “And Cady’s giving me hell at work.”

  “Why don’t you just quit?” Trenton asked. “You don’t have to work.”

  “I want to work.”

  “Then come work for me, or I’ll talk to my friends and get you another job.”

  “I earned that spot,” Breana tapped her chest. “It’s mine, and Cady’s not going to chase me from it.”

  “So stubborn,” Trenton muttered under his breath, but this time, she sensed it was a compliment.

  Chapter 2

  ₪₪₪₪₪₪

  Trenton swung his chair around and around, his mind filled with Breana. Sure, having his car windows bashed in by a woman he considered a friend… well, it sucked. Watching his wife dive into a fight on his behalf, however… that part didn’t suck so much.

  He smirked when he recalled his first attempt at jumping in between Cady and Breana last night. Breana had shoved him out of the huddle and declared that she would ‘handle it’. There would definitely never be a dull day with that one.

  “Sir!” Jamison’s voice broke his daydream. Trenton planted both feet solidly on the floor and faced the door that burst open, admitting his tall, broad-shouldered assistant.

  Jamison’s dark skin further emphasized the whites of his eyes, glaringly apparent in the morning light. His chest heaved so that his tie looked like an extension of his rapidly beating heart, and his fingers curled around the cell phone at his side.

  “What’s the matter?” Trenton asked, his face betraying none of the frilly thoughts he’d been nursing about his wife.

  “The furniture store construction—”

  Trenton sprung to the edge of his seat. The project had begun on rocky footing as the contractors insisted that Lorde Industries raise their bid to keep them from signing with George Camal’s company. He’d been praying that there were no further complications.

  He simply couldn’t afford them.

  “What happened?”

  “Howard Ellis has resigned.”

  Trenton stared into the distance, unable to react, unable to breathe.

  “Sir?”

  The room slowly returned to focus, and Trenton pulled his hands through his hair in frustration. “Ellis was the most qualified contractor on the team. Why did he quit?”

  “Well…” Jamison’s gaze ducked to the left.

  “Let me guess,” Trenton growled. “George Camal.”

  “He claims it’s because Camal’s company is run by an—” Jamison cleared his throat—“experienced head. He says you know nothing about construction, and the fact that he watched you grow up makes it hard to take your orders.”

  “Does that make any sense?” Trenton roared. “We’ve been working well together for nearly a year!”

  Jamison’s expression did not change. “I’m afraid much of his speech seemed like it had been influenced by... someone else.”

  “Camal.” Trenton’s knuckles turned as red as his face. “I have to get Ellis back. This company won’t run as well without the veterans who have the connections and the drive. Besides, he’s too skilled to give up to the likes of Camal.”

  “What do you want to do, sir?”

  “Arrange a meeting. I want to see him as soon as possible.”

  “Yes, sir.” Jamison left to make the appointment.

  Trenton leaned his head back until he stared straight up at the white ceiling and crown molding. Sunlight danced against the empty walls, calling him to cheer up. Trenton glowered in defiance.

  George Camal was becoming a thorn in his side. Eventually, he’d deal with the obnoxious C.E.O., but for now he had to focus on reclaiming one of Lorde Industries prime assets.

  The shrilling peal of his phone broke the tense quiet. Trenton absently reached for the device and stuck it to his ear.

  “Hello?”

  “Trenton, it’s Holden Barrington.”

  Trenton closed his eyes and sighed. “Sir, how can I help you?”

  “I’m calling about the incident last night concerning my daughter and your car.”

  “Oh, right.”

  “I was glad to hear you wanted to settle things quietly. How much is it going to cost me for the vehicle repairs?”

  “I haven’t taken it to the shop yet. I was planning to do that this afternoon, but as soon as I get the information, I’ll send you an invoice.”

  “Very well.”

  Silence filled the line. Eager to move on and tackle more pressing issues, Trenton tried to end the call.

  “If that’s all, sir?”

  “Actually, I wanted to discuss the issue of your marriage, young man.”

  “Breana is my wife, sir. Marriage is no longer an issue. We’ve signed the papers. It’s already done.”

&nbs
p; “You married so quickly over in the States. Cady is convinced that there’s something more going on, and I’m likely to believe her. The suddenness of your engagement and then your marriage isn’t adding up.”

  “Mr. Barrington—”

  “I’ve watched you grow from a child to a man, Trenton. I was there at your high school graduation and coached you through your Bachelors to your Masters degree. You’ve got a ton of potential. I don’t want to see you ruin your life over something like this.”

  “Something like this?” Trenton hissed. His frustration over the Ellis-Camal problem slipped into his voice and he barked. “Are you, by any chance, referring to my wife?”

  “Look, we can all acknowledge that Breana is a good-looking girl, but is she anything like my Cady in education, in status, or in accomplishment? My daughter tells me that her mother is a drug addict! What if this is all a scheme to milk you for money to supply more drugs—?”

  Trenton smacked his hand on the desk, his anger nearly blinding. “Stop. Talking.”

  “Trenton, I’m just trying to help you.”

  “I’m sorry that I hurt your daughter, Mr. Barrington, but Breana Moore is a beautiful, caring, intelligent woman, and she’s the woman that I’ve chosen. If you have a problem with that, I’m afraid you’ll have to find your own way to deal with it. I have things to do.”

  “Trenton! Trenton, son, just hold on!”

  He hung up and glared at his phone. Was it Breana’s fault that her mother had a drug addiction? Should she be judged based on her mother’s faults rather than on all she’d accomplished in spite of them?

  “Idiot!” Trenton grabbed the phone and prepared to hurl it at the door in anger, when Jamison poked his head through.

  “I’m afraid I have more bad news.”

  “What is it?” he groaned.

  “Mr. Ellis is refusing to meet you.”

  “Then call again. He’s already signed the contract. If he walks out, I’m going to sue him for everything he’s worth.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Call until he agrees!”