Shattered Lies

by Theresa Sederholt

  “This is not a social visit. My grandson is undergoing cancer treatment. He needs stem cells and we haven’t found a match. You need to be tested to see if you are a close enough match.”

  “Always the bossy one, An. Would you like a drink?”

  “A drink? James, please, for once in your life, please, do the right thing. He’s your grandson; you already let one boy die, are you going to let another one?”

  “Have a seat, everyone. Please, I have some questions.” I’m watching Jax and he is wound up real tight, to the point, he could be dangerous.

  “Tell me about the boy.”

  “My grandson is nine years old, very smart with a heart of gold. What else do you want to know? What do I need to tell you to make you have some compassion?”

  “So he is Isabella’s son from when she was raped.” Her eyes grow wide, shocked that I know.

  “I have followed all my children’s lives; some of them I’m a part of and some of them I chose to stay away.” I’m watching Jax’s eyes as I tell my story and, there it is—I hit a nerve with him. He leaps out of the chair so fast, I don’t have a chance to defend myself. His hands are around my throat, and the body guard steps forward, trying to pull him back.

  “You chose to stay away? Did you choose to let your grandson and daughter-in-law be slaughtered in the street? Do you care that Cindy killed herself because of you? You’ve left nothing but destruction and mayhem in your path, and for what, money? Is money that fucking important to you? If it’s money that you want, I will give you one million dollars in cash to be tested. If you’re a match and you donate, I will give you an additional fifty million in cash. Does that make you happy?”

  He finally lets go of my throat and I’m able to talk. “Maybe you should let me explain before you go off half-cocked, son.”

  “Son? Don’t even think you can call me that. You are nothing but a sperm donor. My mum wore both hats; she carried the load for both parents. You are nothing to me.”

  “An, if you want me to explain, I will . . . but you need to calm him down.”

  “Jax, please let him explain, and then we can leave.”

  I’ll say one thing, no matter how much of a hot head he is, he listens to her.

  “Do you really want him here when I explain everything?”

  He sits back down next to her. “I’m not leaving, so deal with it.” She doesn’t seem to mind if he knows all the details, so why should I?

  “Have it your way. An, you were so young when I met you and I never expected to fall in love. I had a great set up with Cindy; she let me have my space. I’m sure, by now, you’ve figured out that the trinkets I gave you were stolen. You remember that day we took the train and met up with my friends?”

  “How could I forget, I was very pregnant with Jax. I wanted to stay home, but you insisted that I had to go with you. That was the day I took that picture.”

  “That picture was like the start of a bad dominos game. Miguel was very upset over that picture. It’s one of the few pictures of him in existence. He was also upset that I left you with those trinkets.”

  “You pulled him into that picture. It was very clear he didn’t want any part of it.”

  “He is the reason I was in that hospital the day we met. He was a violent, vicious man.”

  “If you knew this then why did you hang out with him?”

  “He was family, my cousin through marriage. We went into business together; I was the thief and he was the fence. Women flocked to me, making it easy for me to steal from them. They were always married, so they never wanted to press charges. Then you came along and I got caught up in a whirlwind romance. When you told me you were pregnant, I panicked. I was already married, but your father’s friends really didn’t give me a way out. I figured I could somehow juggle you and Cindy, but then you became pregnant again. I realized I was in too deep, so I walked away. I felt it was best for everyone. You were young and pretty; you would find someone. I told Cindy everything in hopes that she would forgive me. Honestly, I would have stayed with her and continued doing what I was doing, but she finally stood up to me and said she had enough. She said her son deserved better. I don’t believe she killed herself. I think her overdose was accidental. Then again, maybe that is wishful thinking.”

  “Let me get this straight,” Jax speaks up. “You thought it would be okay to stay with Cindy and continue to steal from other women, pretending to love and want to be with them? You thought it was fine to toss my mum and your children aside for money? What kind of sick monster are you?”

  “If you are done criticizing my choices, I will continue.”

  He waves his hand, “Oh, please go on, the sooner you finish, the sooner we are out of here.”

  “After Cindy died, I went to Miguel and told him I wanted out. I thought I could take Maxwell and beg you to forgive me. Miguel had other plans for me. It was always one more job. He was always threatening me with one thing or another. He threatened to hurt Isabella if I didn’t get that picture back from you. I convinced him I destroyed everything before I left you. Going back to you would have put you in even more danger. The best thing you did was move to the States. Maxwell was living with his grams. I continued to work with Miguel, but then he got into drug dealing. That’s when his business took off. He couldn’t get the drugs cut and sent out fast enough. Money was coming in so quickly and he needed to turn it as fast as possible. At one point, he had storage units filled with cash, waiting to get back into circulation. At that point, I wasn’t sleeping with women and stealing their jewels, I was laundering drug money.” I pour myself a scotch, feeling the knot in my stomach. I know this is the part they want to know, the hardest part for me to relive.

  “More time passed and then Maxwell joined the police force. Of all the things he could have become, he chose the worst possible thing. Miguel flipped out; he wanted me to do something. He wanted me to turn him, but I knew there was no way that would ever happen. The threats went back and forth until I got wind of what he was planning to do. I raced to the park that day, but I was too late—they were dead. I was there when Maxwell showed up. I saw my son fall apart that day; watched silently as his world crumbled around him. At that moment, I knew there was no redemption for me. Miguel went into hiding, and surrounded himself with layers upon layers of very bad men. It took years, but I finally found Miguel; he paid for what he did. However, the damage was already done. I will live with their blood on my hands for the rest of my life.”

  “Was Miguel responsible for my daughter’s rape?” She was always too smart for her own good.

  “I could never prove it, but I had my suspicions. ”

  “I’ve listened to your story, now will you be tested?”

  “Will you let me see the boy?”

  “Will you be tested?”

  I go to the desk and get out the test results. “I’ve already been tested and the information has been sent to his doctors. I don’t want your money, Jax. I want to see the boy, will you let me?”

  Jax leaps up but An takes his arm. “Jax, please let me handle this.”

  “James, I have to do what is best for my grandson. Learning about you and what you’ve done will not be in his best interest. He needs to stay focused and positive on his recovery. He just lost someone very close to him. I don’t think he can take anymore.”

  I know I won’t get anywhere with her. Once her mind is made up, there is no changing it. Maybe I can get through to Jax.

  “Jax, as you know, you also have three brothers that you’ve had some business dealings with. I contacted them and they have all been tested. The results have been sent to the doctors. I’m not the bad guy here. I want to help.”

  “If you’re a match, will you donate?”

  “Of course I will. All I want is to meet the boy.”

  “My work here is done. Come on, Mum, let’s go.”

  He gets up to leave. “That’s it? Not even a thank you?”

  “You want me to thank
you?! Have you lost your fucking mind? I hate you! I’m not here for your approval or to make friends with you. You have no fucking clue what you’ve done; all in the name of the almighty buck. I was a little boy when you left. I had no one. I had a mum and sister to protect. I never had a normal childhood. I was too busy doing your job so you could go out and fuck the world. Well, I hope it was worth it. Oh and while were on the subject, if you come anywhere near my family, I will fucking kill you. Stay away from all of us; you’ve done more than enough. Come on, Mum, we are leaving now!”

  I watch them leave and Reynolds comes back in. “Sir, did you tell them you’re a match?”

  “No, let them digest everything I told them. I’m sure they will be back again when they find out.”

  WHAT THE FUCK IS this man thinking? Like I would ever let him see Junior. I’ve got the papers clutched in my hand but I don’t need to look at them, I already know what they will say. It’s like a chess board that I’m looking down on. Of course he knew we were coming; he was expecting it. He’s been watching all of us for a long time. How much did he know? Did he know about Raven, her kidnapping? Did he know where she was for three months, while I was going out of my mind searching for her? The more I think about all the pieces to this game, the more pissed off I get. He’s a match and he will use it for leverage to see Junior. Bella will let him if it means her son will survive; what parent wouldn’t? The problem is, once he gets his foot in the door, there’s no turning back. He’ll be like a cancer, leaving death and destruction in his wake.

  We board the jet and everyone is very quiet. I’m glad Mick is here to take care of Mum. I can’t even begin to understand what she is feeling right now.

  “Jax, is he a match?”

  “Of course he is. Why do you think he made it so easy to see him? He wants Junior for his redemption. What he doesn’t get is that there is no redemption for him. He will go to hell with Cindy, Samantha, Elliott, and God knows how many others’ blood on his hands. All those lives destroyed for what—money? How is that worth anything?”

  “So, what do we do?”

  “What we always do, Mum; we survive.”

  I turn my phone on and there is a message from Max.

  Max: So help me God, when she gets back here, there will be hell to pay. Is everything okay?

  Jax: Everything is fine, he was already tested and he’s a match. I will give you all the details when I see you. Should be back in an hour. How is everyone?

  Max: Everyone is good. Safe travels.

  “Mum, what did you do to Max?” She’s picking imaginary lint off of her pants, it must be bad.

  “He’s a stubborn man and when I told him where I was going, he was yelling. You know I don’t like when he gets upset. I went to the ladies room and climbed out the window.” I know I must have a shocked look on my face. Part of me wants to yell and the other part can’t help but laugh.

  “Oh please, Mum, don’t stop there. Go on, I really need to hear the rest of this.”

  “I got outside and the Gardner was there. He was very gracious and offered to drive me to the airport. I saw that Mick was following us, so I asked the man for some of his rope. When I got to the airport, I thanked the man and got out. Mick pulled up and was demanding I get in the car. Rather than make a scene I did.”

  “So when did the ropes come into play?”

  “I held Mick’s hands and pretended I was crying. I leaned against his chest and tied his hands to the shift stick. I jumped out of the car and ran. There, now you know the whole story. I’m not proud of it, but I had to do this. I needed to understand why.”

  “And do you? Was it worth it?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes, it was worth it. It confirmed what I knew all along, I was a fool. He made me believe I was the great love of his life. I know now that he is a con artist and I was a pawn in his games. I also learned that I’m so much better off without him. I learned that while I was pining away for an unrealistic love, he was using people. I learned that no matter how much I despise the man, he still gave me the greatest gift of all, my children. For that, I will always be thankful to the man.”

  “I like to believe we are who we are because of the person who raised us and not who donated their sperm; nature versus nurture.” I put my seat back and rub my temples, trying to squash the raging headache. “You will have to deal with Max when we get back. Good luck with that.”

  I close my eyes for the rest of the flight. I don’t think I can handle anything more without saying something I might end up regretting later. I need to mentally prepare myself for the next hurdle, dealing with Bella.

  I’M PACING AND I swear, if Jax doesn’t get back soon, I will wear a hole in the floor. What the hell was she thinking?! Climbing out the bloody window like some sort of teenager! Why the hell did Mick let her get on that plane? I love her, I respect her, and hell, at times, I even fear her but right now, I want to tear into her.

  Jackie takes my hand and squeezes it, pulling me toward her. She kisses me. “Max, I know you’re upset but you might want to try and relax a little before you see her. She did what she felt she had to do, granted, it was a little extreme, however, it’s done and she’s safe. If you flip out on her, you will hate yourself for it later.”

  “I know you’re right, but why does she continue to do things that will upset me?”

  “No one is perfect and neither is the world we live in. Free will doesn’t always mean people will make the right choices.”

  I rest my forehead on hers and close my eyes. She calms me like no one else can. “You’re smart and beautiful; I’m so lucky.”

  “I’m also hungry . . . very hungry, actually. I ordered lunch for everyone, it should be here shortly. You need to eat something, and try to calm down before they get here.”

  “No such luck, babe, they’re here,” I announce as I watch them walk through the entrance. I’m holding her so tight, I’m afraid I might break her.

  Before I can say a word, Mum walks up to me and wraps her arms around Jackie and me, damn it!

  “I’m sorry, Maxwell, I know what I did was wrong. I should have told you my intentions, however, in my defense, you never would have gone along with it. I know it was foolish and reckless, but I needed to do it.”

  “I really want to yell at you right now, but I know it won’t change anything. It’s over, but never again, in my lifetime, will you ever pull such a crazy arse stunt.”

  She yanks my ear. “Language, please. I promise I will try not to.”

  “Mick, you have a lot of explaining to do, like how the hell did you let her get that far?”

  He’s about to explain when Jax stops him. “In Mick’s defense, Mum tied him to the stick shift in his car. You’ve seen her when she is determined, Mate, there is no stopping her.”

  Jackie starts laughing so hard, she can barely catch her breath. “Oh my God, I can’t believe she tied you up!” She says as she watches the food being wheeled in. “The lunch I ordered is here. Come on and tell me all about it. After lunch, Michael has a treatment; you can tell us what happened with James.”

  Everyone heads into Junior’s room but Jax and I stay back. “Okay, what the hell went down?” Before he can answer, Mick comes out of the room.

  “Here’s my cell phone; I recorded everything for you. I knew you would be overwhelmed.”

  “Thank you. Mick, Can you make some excuse for us while we go listen to this, please?”

  “Sure, Max, I’ll take care of it.”

  “Come on Jax, let’s grab a cup of coffee.”

  We head into the lounge and I don’t think I’ve seen Jax this bad since Raven was kidnapped. I’m almost afraid to listen to the recording.

  “Max, are you sure you want to hear this? He talks about everything, even your mum.”

  “Yeah, I don’t see that I have a choice.” He gets up and walks over to the window while I hit play. I have to stop it a few times to catch my breath. To hear him talk about my mum, so cavalier l
ike, makes me sick. When I get to the part about my family, I know I won’t be able to be in the same room with him; I’ll kill him with my bare hands. He was there; he knew what was going to happen. He never called the police, hell—he could have called me. I was five fucking minutes from that park. I close my eyes and try to gain some composure to finish listening. Being a match, I know he wants to come swooping in at the end, like a white knight, saving the day. This isn’t a fucking fairytale, he doesn’t get to ride into the sunset and all is forgiven. I don’t even hear Jax come back to the table.

  “Max, what are we going to do? I have the paperwork; he’s a ninety-seven percent match. I think the only way he’s going to donate is if we let him meet Junior. Our other three brothers aren’t a match. I can run with this if you want, but I need to know what you want to do. Max, are you listening to me?”

  “He was there, Jax . . . in the park. He knew and he could have stopped it. He’s the reason I never found Miguel. Was my mum’s death really an accident? I can’t see him. I’m barely hanging on as it is. I think if I do, I will snap.”

  “Well, ultimately, it has to be Bella’s decision. But, if it were Elliot that needed to be saved, you would do whatever you had to. How do you think she is going to react when she finds out about the rape?”

  “He said Miguel was a cousin by marriage but there is no record of that. If I were Bella, it would make me sick to think that the rape could have been some sort of warning for James. No matter what happens, Jax, we need the stem cells. I will not have Jackie or Mrs. Olsa anywhere near him. He breeds death and destruction.”

  “Bella needs to listen to this recording. I will be with her when she does. I don’t expect you to listen to it again. I won’t have my family anywhere near him, either.”

  “She’s my sister too, and I need to be there for her. I’ll be okay . . . I have to be.”

  “Come on, let’s get back before they send out a search party for us. I still can’t believe Mum ditched you and climbed out the bathroom window.”