Devastating Secret: Book 2 - Secret Series Read online

  M Brereton

  Devastating Secret

  Book 2 - Secret Series

  First published by MB HAVEN 2021

  Copyright © 2021 by M Brereton

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  M Brereton asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

  M Brereton has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

  Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

  First edition

  ISBN: 978-0-46-350494-9

  This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

  Find out more at reedsy.com

  To my readers…

  You took the time to dive into a little piece of my imagination and I love you for it.

  - M. Brereton

  A lie can bring you far, but you can never go back.

  - Russian Proverb

  Contents

  1. In Name Only

  2. I’ll Never Be Like You

  3. President In Chief

  4. Please Forgive Me

  5. Joys of Fatherhood

  6. Audience With A Queen

  7. Change of Heart

  8. Second Chance

  9. Return to the Living

  10. Step by Step

  11. Need You Bad

  12. Scheduling Playtime

  13. Return of Old Friends

  14. RSVP The Marshalls

  15. Dinner Disaster

  16. Let Me Go

  17. Test of Love

  18. Old Habits

  19. Embracing the Truth

  20. Searching the Past

  21. A New Secret

  22. Family Ties

  23. The Best Gift

  24. Cousin Eva

  25. A New Enemy?

  26. Self Restraint

  27. Enemies Surround

  28. Seeking Peace

  29. Who is David Green?

  30. Earning Trust

  31. Ties That Bind

  32. Admirer

  33. Dinner For Two

  34. Love to Love You

  35. Mysteries of Women

  36. Coming Out on Top

  37. Presidential Secrets

  38. Not Alone

  39. Daddy’s Little Girl

  40. The Nightmares Begin

  41. I Miss You

  42. Again and Again

  43. Too Much

  44. Gut Instincts

  45. Bedtime Story

  46. Naughty or Nice

  47. Mr President

  48. We The People

  49. Brother

  50. Marshall Family Secret

  51. Family Matters

  52. Uncle Roland

  53. Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by M Brereton

  1

  In Name Only

  “I, Noah Joshua Marshall, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States.”

  His oath was a lie, thought Noah as Eva smiled at him proudly before returning the bible. Noah was surprised not to see burn marks on the thing. The only one he was really protecting was himself. Noah just became the youngest President in the history of the United States, and he was more concerned with the actions of his First Lady than the country.

  Noah still could believe how he had been blindsided by both of them. Cooper, he never saw coming. If it hadn’t been for that letter, he would’ve still gone on believing he was innocent. Eva, on the other hand, had all the signs. She never told him the whole story of anything and never spoke of her past. Her betrayal should have been expected, but still, he ignored all her silent approaches, the way she attacked Keith and her attitude towards Cooper. I mean, why would she hate a guy she barely knew?

  In all honesty, he should have questioned Cooper’s finances, but he was good at covering his tracks. Even at his death, his bank account remained perpetually empty and his credit cards overdrawn. The evidence was in his clothes and car. He had even claimed the Predator was a gift from a wealthy ex-girlfriend. But when Noah had tracked her down and asked about it, she had cursed, “Why would I buy that cheating sack of shit anything?” Yeah, girls in high school had always showered him with gifts, but Noah should have known a grown woman wouldn’t spend that kind of money unless a ring was involved.

  His chase for Welker may be over, but now, Noah had his eyes set on someone even more dangerous and she had the power of her own office to back it up. Staying married to her was his only option, or so he consoled himself. He reasoned that as long as Eva got what she wanted, maybe there would be no need to worry about any future crimes she may commit.

  Eric took his oath as well, with Olivia beside him. To think he once pitied Liv, she may have gotten the better deal through an arranged marriage than he did for love. Through the crowd, he saw Theresa Montgomery, she had a position in his cabinet - not that he could remember what it was, his uncle and Eric chose his people. If he hadn’t left the party when he met her, she could have been his wife or even Veronica, but no, he had to fall for the murdering redhead that set off fireworks in his blood. God, he felt like such a fool!

  Reporters took pictures, he shook more hands, smiled at everyone, and watched Eva. Noah felt like it was now his duty to know where she was at all times. The outgoing president gave him some advice, but what Noah really needed to know was how not to sleep with the murderer next to him.

  “Can you believe it!!” Eric whispered eagerly in his ear. “You know I pinched myself about fifty times already. Oh my God!!”

  Noah just smiled wanly and continued his guard duty. She now held hands with Amelia while she posed with her gloved hands over her stomach. She was wearing a deep blue velvet empire style dress and covered in a faux fur coat with a matching hat. The look would be gushed about in fashion magazines worldwide, but Noah wondered if red wouldn’t have suited her better.

  His suit, as usual, was made to compliment her outfit as did Amelia’s little velvet dress. The same was done by Olivia and Eric. It seemed that there was some outspoken rule that Olivia never outshone Eva. He never had a problem with it before, but now he wondered if it was all her doing.

  Noah found himself suspicious of everything Eva did. The way she walked, talked, the way she played her virginity. He doubted that was real. A woman that looked and lived like her couldn’t have been a virgin. He wondered what was real in his relationship, did she even fake her orgasms? No. He decided firmly with a smirk. They were very real.

  “Sir,” A Secret Service Agent gestured to him. He was so lost stud
ying Eva, he didn’t notice the man was speaking to him. Eva came towards him and they posed for pictures on the steps of the Capital with the outgoing president.

  Then he shook hands again before they led him to the podium for his inaugural address. Noah’s speech wasn’t even written in his own words, it was a combination of his Uncle’s and Eric’s views and was more about being PC than being presidential. So, when it came time for him to speak, he did what he always ended up doing, speaking his own mind.

  “My Fellow Americans, that sounds kinda cliché doesn’t it.” The crowd laughed as Noah continued, “Today I became your President, but I don’t think that’s what I want to be,” Eric, Wayland and Eva looked like they were going to have a collective stroke at his words and the audience and press looked worried until he explained, “I want to be the guy that listens to you. I want to be the guy that gives you a hand when you need it, guides you, protects you. I want to be the friend that lets you know when you’re messing up and I know you’ll do the same for me.”

  He chuckled as he continued, “Basically, I’m just going to be the guy leading this team and a team is what we’re going to be as long as I’m President. As I told my supporters along the campaign trail, I’m not about lengthy speeches and making grand promises about things I’m going to do because I can’t do anything. I can’t do anything without the full support of my God, my family, and the American people. I need every man, woman, whatever race, nationality, whoever you are, to work together and do what is right, not just for yourself but for your neighbors. Be your brothers’ and your sisters’ keeper. Look out for one another as I’m going to be looking out for you. So, today I ask you to do the same thing as my father asked me – Just do the best you can do, that’s all I can ask for and it’s all I can do.”

  Noah knew his little speech wasn’t the best there was, but it was what he felt and that’s all that mattered to him. His uncle and Eva applauded heartily from the sidelines as did the rest of his audience. He thanked them for braving the cold to attend and support him before creating a security nightmare by walking into the crowd.

  His security detail was definitely not fond of that decision. He was given an earful by the head of the Secret Service, Grant Hill. But Noah let him know he wasn’t like the past Presidents and flashed his own sidearm. The man almost fainted.

  Apparently, carrying around his own weapons was not standard protocol. There was no law against it – Noah checked – so he couldn’t understand why it was such a big deal. The guns were strapped to his back, so they weren’t visible, he had argued. Since Hill wasn’t aware of the one strapped to his ankle, Noah thought it was best he didn’t know.

  In the end, Noah was allowed to keep his weapons under the strict order that they were never visible. It wasn’t like Hill had much choice anyway because Noah was for sure never leaving the White House unarmed. He believed in his second amendment.

  Noah and the rest of the Inaugural Committee were more concerned about Eva’s ability to walk the one-and-a-half-mile parade route in thirty degrees above zero weather at six months and in heels, but Eva said she could, so it put a stop to all arguments. Though an entire maternity team was added to the ambulance detail, just in case.

  Noah shouldn’t have been worried though because Eva being Eva, switched her heels to snow boots to match her coat and made the entire journey smiling at his side like a queen.

  Like her husband she made a few side trips to shake hands with the supporters on the sidelines causing one of the agents to mutter to another, “This is why Presidents are old. Otherwise, they age us.” They were relieved when it was over and the POTUS and FLOTUS were secured at the luncheon.

  Eva sat on his left and Eric at his right. Noah had to listen to Eric go on and on about this guest and his plan for the ball until Noah wanted to ram his napkin down the man’s throat. It was one of the perks of being with Eva, she knew when to shut up.

  Not that they were having great conversations these days anyway. Most of their decent chats only took place in public. In private, they either didn’t speak or fight. Occasionally, Eva would make a peace offering, with the restoration of their fractured relationship in mind, but Noah could only see Cooper’s funeral, so that went nowhere.

  “How are you?” Eva tapped his leg, asking softly.

  “I’m fine,” Noah replied, flashing a fake smile to onlookers.

  “Liv said Eric can’t sit still.” Eva chuckled.

  “I know.” Noah groaned, and Eva looked past him to smile at Olivia. “You don’t need to do this you know. Speak to me.”

  Eva looked shocked and hurt by his words for a brief second before she forced a smile on her face “I just want to talk to you,” She muttered lowly, shifting the food around on her plate. “we don’t really talk, and I know you’re mad…”

  “Ha, ha,” Noah laughed as though she told a joke “I got to tell Eric this.” and turned away from her, effectively ending the conversation.

  Heartbreaking, Eva kept her smile in place and turned her attention to the other attendees, chatting and laughing with them, keeping up the façade.

  Once she was alone in the bathroom, getting ready for the ball, she let the tears fall. She couldn’t even be mad at him for hurting her, she deserved that and way worse. If it weren’t for her unborn child and Amelia, she would have killed herself. They were the only reason she got up and didn’t blow her brains out. She knew what it was like to grow up without parents, especially a mother, she didn’t want that fate for her children.

  So, here she was in the bathroom of the Presidential suite, crying her eyes out with no end to her pain. Eva hugged her stomach and took comfort from the life growing within her. Soon her weeping subsided and cleaned herself up and stepped out of the bathroom as though her complete breakdown never took place. The only one to notice the difference was Kate to whom Eva said, “No.”

  “Still making stupid decisions I see.” Kate chastised.

  “I think Cooper was my last,” Eva confessed.

  “We’ll see.” That was all Kate replied.

  2

  I’ll Never Be Like You

  Noah stood with his daughter in his arms at the inauguration ball eyeing Eva mingling with guests. From the common man to presidents and royalty, they all loved her. She was America’s new First Lady with the regality of a queen and the looks of a goddess and she was a murderer. A murderer that stood not two feet from the Secret Service Agents and five from the nearest FBI and CIA agent. Smiling with everyone in plain sight. It made Noah sick to just think of it.

  Eva returned to him and grabbed hold of his free hand. He wanted to jerk it away from her, but instead, he eased away and waved to the guests. They would have to dance together soon, and Noah would no longer have the luxury of using Amelia to evade her. He felt like a coward using his daughter as a shield between them, but what else could he do, arrest her?

  Noah missed Cooper. He didn’t know how he was supposed to do all this without him. He needed someone to talk to. Someone to explain why Eva is the way she is, why he still felt love for her and why, yet he couldn’t stand the sight of her. He needed his friend because he felt he just lost his wife as well.

  The musicians gave their cue and his mother moved towards him taking Amelia away from him. Noah wanted to hold fast to the child, but then calmed himself by thinking ‘she wouldn’t do anything in front of all these people’. Eva glided towards him and he automatically put his hands around her waist, barely touching her flesh, using his fingertips at the small of her back to guide her.

  Eva noticed his distance and stepped closer, but Noah stepped back, maintaining the space. Noticing this, she questioned, “What are you doing?”

  “Nothing.”

  She stepped inwards, and he stepped back. It was beginning to look like a very weird dance.

  “Stop that!” Eva gritted out lowly in his ear. “You’re going to make a scene!”

  Noah plastered a fake smile on his face when he responde
d in kind “I’m sorry, I’ve never danced with a murderer before.”

  “You’re not going to let that go, are you?”

  “It’s hard to forget your wife killed our daughter’s godfather!”

  “I also did dear old Daddy, so don’t piss me off!”

  Noah missed a step and stepped on her toes, but Eva smiled off the pain and they continued their whispered argument.

  “You did that on purpose!” Eva accused.

  “No, but I wish I had!” Noah corrected. “It was just the shock of a murderer threatening my life!”

  “Why don’t you just announce it already?” Eva gripped. “I am sick of being called names. At this point, I’d take my chances in prison!”

  “If I find a cell that will keep you,” Noah informed her. “I’ll accept that option.”

  “Fuck you!”

  “Unfortunately for me,” Noah pointed out, “you already did that, leading to your current state and this travesty of a marriage!”

  “Goody jackass!”

  “Murdering bitch!”

  They both remained silent after that until the dance ended. They bowed, all smiles to the guests and strode off the stage arm in arm. Once directly out of public eyes they stepped away from each other, Noah returned to his family and Eva to her adoring public. They stay that way until the end of the ball.

  As soon as the limo pulled some distance away and the partition between the driver and themselves went up, Eva reached across the space between them and slapped Noah so hard the sound almost woke Amelia sleeping next to her.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Eva ground out. “You can forgive Cooper all his lies, but you can’t forgive me? You’ve known him all your life, shouldn’t he have trusted you more? Yet when he took Welker’s side, you forgive him this betrayal, but me…” Eva paused tears forming in her eyes, her voice cracking as she spoke again “…I was right not to tell you everything about me. You never trusted me after all and I was right not to trust you. Go tell who you want! I don’t care!”