Bitter Truths
Page 14
Gabriel tensed up.
“What the hell is he talking about?” Emma asked.
“I bet that pissed you off, learning that,” Gideon said.
“You’re not welcome here.”
“Is that why you’ve been attacking us? You’re pissed at Daddy?”
Gideon was happy to take orders, to do what needed to be done, but in the files that Lewis had handed over to him, he’d discovered something else. Lionel Santos was keeping a Maddox Denton secret. A secret that would shake the entire Denton foundation. Gabriel was two months older than Jacob.
Before Maddox met Charlotte, he’d had a little affair with Mr. Colton’s wife, which resulted in a Colton being pregnant. Gideon wasn’t staring at his enemy. He was staring at his half-brother. A brother who knew the truth, and their grandfather had known, which was the only reason that Gabriel was standing in front of him now. The other three were only alive because of their age. Gideon could imagine Gabriel’s anger, rage, and contempt at discovering the truth. Gabriel was after blood, and if the head of the Coltons knew the truth of Gabriel’s parentage, that would have made one hell of an upbringing.
There were many reasons people did the shit that they did, and Gideon wasn’t about to judge Gabriel or the remaining Coltons. There was a way for them to find a resolution to their issues.
“It’s time for you to come home.”
****
Damian knocked on Betty’s apartment door, and waited. Seconds passed, and still she didn’t answer the door. He knocked again. “Betty, it’s me.”
Still no answer, and he heard crying.
Not liking the feeling that was swamping him, he slammed open the door with one shove. Entering the apartment, he gasped when he saw Betty on the sofa, and beside her was a large bottle of pills.
“What the fuck!”
He didn’t understand. Rushing into the main bedroom, he saw Martha was standing there. Her diaper was soiled, and she had taken it off, spreading crap all over the place. He ran back toward Betty, and shook her.
“Betty,” he said.
Shaking her again, he pressed his fingers against her neck, and cried out.
There was no pulse.
Grabbing his cell phone, he dialed for an ambulance. All the time tears were streaming down his face as he stared at the mother of his child. What the fuck had she done?
“What?”
The sound of Harper’s voice alerted him to the fact he wasn’t alone. Without saying a word, he handed her the cell phone, and started compressions on Betty’s chest. “You’re not dying. You’re not dying.”
He couldn’t let her die.
Damian needed her.
She was the mother of his kid.
Betty was the goodness in his life.
There was no way he could let her die.
Epilogue
Six months later
Oliver carried his wife over the threshold. With all of the drama that had been going on, he and Ruby had grown tired of all the crap. They had to wait for the wedding, and with Ruby struggling to fit in any clothes with her pregnancy, Oliver had finally had enough. He didn’t need his family to get married, nor did he need permission either.
“Welcome home, Mrs. Denton.”
“Oh, I like that.”
He carried her into the main sitting room, knowing he wouldn’t make it upstairs. Placing her on the sofa, he rushed back to close the door. They had made the Santos home theirs with redecoration, and putting their own stamp on it.
Entering the main sitting room, he watched as Ruby turned on their music. They only had one sitting room in the sofa, so there was enough room for them both to dance.
“Don’t you want to take this upstairs?” he asked, going to her.
She took his hands and swung her hips from side to side. “Babe, we already consummated our marriage, and I’ve got the round belly to prove it. I think with everything going on, you need to do this. You need to dance it out before you kill someone you love.”
Who could have thought that within six months, life could turn to shit? Gabriel Colton was now part of the Denton clan, which had put a strain between Jacob and Maddox. Not to mention the truth of their father’s plan to get Colton’s wife pregnant had hurt their mother, Charlotte.
Then there was Betty’s death.
She had committed suicide. Her final words of blame had fallen to the Denton family legacy. She didn’t want to go through life watching Damian be happy with another woman. Her fear was not being strong enough for Martha.
Not only had Betty’s death hurt Damian, it had hurt Harper and Lara. Betty, Harper, and Lara had been close. The death of one of them had hurt them.
Oliver had put his wedding off for long enough.
In the end he’d taken her to the registry office, and they had bound each other together.
“I love you,” he said.
“And I love you. I told you I didn’t need fancy stuff. I don’t even need this. If I have you, and our son, I’d happily live in a roach infested apartment.”
He shivered, and she laughed. “Life has changed so much. None of us could have seen Betty’s passing.”
“She killed herself, Oliver. She put on a good show, and it sucked.”
“Damian’s not the same. He was always dark, but she and Martha brought a lightness to his world.”
“You’re worried he’ll go off the rails?” she asked.
“Gabriel’s here now as well. That’s fucked up.”
“Tell me about it. I’ve never seen Jacob so angry.”
Gideon and Lewis brought a great deal to light with Lionel’s paperwork. Oliver knew that Lionel was covering up Maddox’s tracks, trying to keep his friend safe.
“No more thinking, Oliver.” She grabbed the remote and turned the music up until it was making the walls shake.
Wrapping his arms around his woman, he closed his eyes, letting the music pull away all of his worries.
Ruby didn’t let him go, and after several seconds, he opened his eyes, pulled away but still holding her hands. Together, they allowed the power of music to take away their bitter pasts, their pains, and to release their anger.
Staring into his wife’s eyes, Oliver knew he could face the entire world with her by his side. Even with her body softening and changing with all the curves of her pregnancy, they were united as one.
Their love had not been easy, but together they were stronger together.
“I love you,” she said, mouthing the words, seeing as he couldn’t hear anything.
No longer caring how it made her uncomfortable, he pulled her into his arms, and lifted her up. Even as she fought for him to put her down, he wouldn’t.
Carrying her out of the bedroom, he went to the stairs. Today was the start of their future that bound them together for the rest of their lives.
The End
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