Page 22 of The Sound of Secrets

Channing shrugged. “Sort of. There’s more to the story than we can cover before this game is over. We’re both victims of my father’s schemes. You need to understand the only person he cares about is himself. Regardless of Ky’s ties to either of us, we’re all nothing more than collateral damage. If he approaches you again, you need to be wary of his motivation.”

Channing’s kind and gentle approach did wonders to soothe the other woman’s frayed nerves. Both of themturned toward the soccer field and watched as the teenager with striking hair ran circles around the other players. At that very moment, Ky turned his head and our eyes locked. His youthful features furrowed into a scowl as he started to storm off the field in our direction. He shook off his coach and several of his teammates. His determination would’ve been admirable if he wasn’t glaring at Channing like she was the devil incarnate.

“We need to do a blood test. DNA will answer questions and let us all know what exactly it is we’re dealing with. I’ve been waiting to speak to you so we can handle things in a civil manner. However, I’m sure you are aware I have the means to force the issue if it comes to that.” The words were meant for Julie, but Ky overheard as he marched closer to where our little group sat. The kid had enough of a presence that Rocco straightened from his slouched position against the fence. I glanced at the woman next to Channing and told her, “You’re his mother. You need to convince him to cooperate. Don’t forget, I’m the reason he’s still allowed to play with his team.” I let the veiled threat hang in the air as the teenager charged at me. What I gave, I could easily take away.

“Leave my mom alone!” Ky took a protective stance in front of the woman as she got to her feet. She put a hand on his shoulder and tried to quiet him down as I helped Channing to her feet. My toes were numb from her sitting on them, but at least her ass wasn’t covered in dirt and grass. I still lifted a hand to swat at the rounded curves anyway.

“Ky. Calm down.” Julie clutched the boy, who was a couple inches taller than her. “No one is trying to hurt you.”

He scoffed and crossed his arms over his sweaty jersey in a protective manner. “No. They want to hurt you. I don’t care who my bio parents are. You’re my mom. I don’t need or want another one. I’m not doing anything they ask me to do.” It was apparent he already knew there were questions swirling around his paternity. It explained the deep, probing looks he always fired in Channing’s direction. Unlike Winnie, he was clued in and aware his life was on the brink of a massive change.

I felt Channing flinch next to me. She reached for my hand, and for a change, it was her fingers trembling. I couldn’t see her face in this position, but I knew her eyes were bound to be filled with disappointment.

I couldn’t find fault with the kid for being fierce in the name of loyalty, but I was definitely annoyed at how thoughtless his words were. He didn’t know the entire story or his role in it. He fell on his sword too soon.

“Fine. Don’t cooperate. If that’s the route you want to choose, then stay the hell away from my niece. Winnie has no idea what’s going on, and if you don’t want a part in figuring out the truth, you’re helping perpetuate a false narrative.” I snorted and narrowed my eyes at him. “I only asked for your cooperation for your mother’s sake. I can get what I need without involving either of you.” The kid was an athlete. All I needed to do was make sure he complied with a mandatory physical and I could access his blood tests without lifting a finger or dealing with a surly teenager. I tugged at Channing’s hand and urged, “Let’s go.”

She nodded while pausing before following me. “You can’t listen to anything my father tells you.” She gave abrittle little laugh. “If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t want to be related to him, either. Just be careful whose side of this war you decide to fight on.”

As we walked away, I could feel how heavy her steps were. As irrational as it might be, I laid the blame for all the recent upheaval at my mother’s feet. If she hadn’t been a lunatic, I never would’ve dragged Channing into my life against her will. I never would’ve forced her to engage in a cat-and-mouse game that nearly cost her life. If I hadn’t uprooted Winnie and taken her to the city to get away from the incinerated remains of our family home, she never would’ve encountered the kids who thought they could bully her. Kyser Kent wouldn’t be a thorn in my side and an arrow through Channing’s heart.

When we reached Rocco, I told him, “Keep that kid away from Winnie until we know more. He’s a wild card. And let me know if Paul Harvey tries to approach him or his mother again. And you gotta pin down Jordan Kent to find out how he brokered the private adoption. There’s gotta be a way to figure out how he got his hands on a newborn with no questions asked.”

The bald man nodded and looked between me and the silent woman clinging to my side. It was rare for Channing to seem weak and mollified. The kid’s words had really gotten to her.

“You two are perfect for each other. Who else has diabolical parents like the two of you? You’re lucky your mom,” Rocco pointed at me, then at Channing, “and your father didn’t team up for the long term. It feels like they could’ve accomplished a global coup had they joined forces.”

I squeezed Channing’s hand and lowered my head until my lips touched her ear. “He might not be yours. Don’t be sad over a kid you know nothing about.”

She muttered something I didn’t catch, but quickly pulled herself together. I watched her lock down her emotions and pull on a mask. It was obvious how she fooled everyone into thinking she could handle whatever the world threw at her. “He cares about his mom. It’s just been the two of them for a long time. I get where he’s coming from. We showed up and turned everything he’s always known upside down.” She shook her head. “You were right about my memories from that night, and what followed, not adding up to Julie’s explanation. My father never would’ve handed my baby off to a family that couldn’t afford a seriously hiked-up price. It sounds like they were just getting by when her ex-husband brought the baby home. Not living in the lap of luxury or anything.”

“I’m going to find the truth.” I was going to talk to her incarcerated ex-husband and see what he had to say about that evening. But I didn’t think she needed to know that. I wanted to insulate her from the things that hurt her the best I could. “We need to talk to Winnie. Even if Ky keeps his distance, she’s gotten attached to him. She’s already proven to be sneaky and throws caution to the wind where he’s concerned. And he knows what’s going on and hasn’t told her. I don’t know if he’s protecting her or leading her into a trap.”

Rocco and Channing quietly agreed, and we headed to where my head of security left our ride.

I felt the burn of angry, immature eyes on my back until the park was out of sight.

Channing

“Winnnnn…” I moaned the man’s name as I reached out to slap a palm on the tinted window in the back of the limousine where I was currently getting my brains fucked out. I should’ve been suspicious when he picked me up from work in the ostentatious vehicle. Win innocently claimed the bulletproof SUV needed work done when he offered the ride. I unsuspectingly climbed in; the night I told him I would never fuck him in the back of a limo, a distant memory. Win held a grudge and was intent on making me eat my words, as well as his dick, as the elegant car carried our very inelegant bodies across town toward the brownstone.

I don’t know when I got so easy where this man was concerned, but it hardly took any effort or seduction on his part for me to climb on his lap and start losing clothes. Not just in the limo. I stopped hesitating when it came to being intimate with Win, regardless of the time or place. I felt like I could hear the ticking of the grandfather clock from my old job counting down the minutes heand I had together. Whatever time we had left, I wanted to make the most of it. Even if that meant shoving a fist in my mouth and biting down on my hand so the obscene sounds trying to escape my throat didn’t make it to the driver. Thank goodness Rocco was nowhere to be found. I wouldn’t be able to meet his all-knowing gaze if he were the one behind the heavy partition.

Win chuckled and dug his fingers deeper into my hips. He was moving behind me, and within me, in a measured and steady way. Typically, when we had sex, it felt slightly unhinged, like both of us were racing to the end before we got caught doing something we weren’t supposed to be doing. Today, with the city and many witnesses zipping by, he was taking his damn time making sure I felt the drag of every stroke against all the sensitive spots inside of me.

“I told you.” He pressed forward harder, and a gasp slipped past my teeth. “No one can see or hear anything going on back here.” He stilled and his voice dropped to a deeper tone. “Do you like the idea of someone knowing what we’re up to? You’re pretty wet for someone worried about getting caught.”

I pulled my hand out of my mouth and panted in time with his slow thrusts. “You should be the one who’s worried. You’re the one who has a spotless reputation. You’re the one who will end up in the society pages.” I moaned when I felt the bite of his teeth on the back of my neck. He was breathing hard, and a drop of sweat dripped from his face and hit my back. When we fucked might be the only time Win worked up a sweat. I secretly enjoyed knowing that he worked hard to please me.

“We’re married. You’re my wife. The fact that I enjoy fucking you whenever the mood hits will only enhance my reputation. It’ll make anyone who reads that sort of gossip envious that my life isn’t miserable because I actually like the woman I chose to spend my life with.”

His big, scarred hand covered mine on the window as he leaned over me. The tip of his silk tie slithered over my bare back. The slippery sensation sent chills racing across my skin. I wasn’t sure how I ended up mostly naked while Win was still fully covered, but the brush of his expensive suit against my heated skin felt sexy and turned me on even more than hearing him say he liked me. I blocked out any words that hinted at a future together because they made me feel like I was reading too much into Win’s feelings for me. He spoke like a man in love, but I doubted Win realized the underlying meaning.

The hand that he wasn’t using to brace himself curled under my chin and turned my head to the side to kiss me. We were both panting and making breathless sounds that would be embarrassing if they escaped the little bubble of privacy the darkened interior of the limo offered.

Win’s fingers dug into my jaw as his pace picked up. I moaned his name again and closed my eyes as he started to thrust with purpose. Our skin slapped together as our tongues tangled and fought for dominance. My heart was beating so fast I thought I might pass out if I didn’t come in the next few seconds. Was it possible to die from pleasure? If so, my life was flashing before my eyes. It was hard to remember my litany of regrets when every inch of my body felt better than it ever had before.And if I was pressed, I would reluctantly admit the rest of me felt pretty fucking fantastic as well. There wasn’t any part of me Win Halliday hadn’t had his hands on. My heart. My mind. My memories. All of them were eased by his presence and persistence. He forced me to see myself in a brighter, more vibrant light. There was a brilliance inside of me that came alive under Win’s care.

The hand holding my face drifted to my throat and held it in a light hold. Our lips clung together as he whispered that he was going to come. I pushed back against him and chanted his name when I felt his hips flex and his heat spread throughout my body. When his cock kicked and throbbed with release, my inner walls clenched with excitement. He sighed when his cheek rested alongside mine. Since I hadn’t come yet, he grasped one of my hands and guided it between my legs.

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