The Secrets Within

By C. M. Hubbard

Out of the frying pan and into the fire
Marcy's life hasn't always been a bed of roses. More like thorns. Just when she thinks she can lead a somewhat normal life, as anyone with the sporadic ability of mind control can lead that is, her whole world is turned upside down once again. Her mother recently died in a tragic car accident and now her boss has been murdered right before her very eyes by the same men who murdered her mother. As if being on the run for her very life wasn't bad enough, she has to find the information that her mother had collected right before she died while putting the very secrets of her soul into the hands of a man she barely knows.
No good deed goes unpunished
In Connal's line of work you have to know your enemy, be diligent, suffer no distractions and for God's sake not reveal who you really are to others. One false move could mean the difference between being successful or being dead. As a favor to an old friend he takes over Marcy's protective detail from the local police department. He takes her to his place knowing it is the one place where she will be safe while the killers are being tracked down. But he forgets to stick by his own rules. He underestimates the enemy, he gets distracted, and he reveals himself to others. A deadly combination that not only puts Marcy in more danger but him as well.

• Language: English
• Publisher: C. M. Hubbard
• Release date: Dec 5, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311487360

C. M. Hubbard

C.M. HUBBARD was born on August 28, 1974 in Ft. Hood, Texas, to a military family. She grew up in many different places. She has traveled across the United States and has been to Germany, Poland, and Czech Republic. She is the wife of an Army Veteran, the mother of two children and the owner of four dogs. She enjoys reading books and has found a new love of creating her own stories for others to enjoy.

Book preview

The Secrets Within

C.M. Hubbard

The Secrets Within is a work of fiction created by the author. Any names, characters, and actions occurring in the story are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or events are merely coincidence. This novel is intended for adults 18 and older to read.

 Copyright © 2014 by C.M. Hubbard

Published by C. M. Hubbard at Smashwords

All rights reserved.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Other Books By C M Hubbard

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty Two

Chapter Thirty Three

Epilogue

Author's Note

Acknowledgements

The Secrets Within is dedicated to my mom and dad. Thank you for supporting my love of reading and providing me with my very first subscription of romance books.

Prologue

January 15, 2014

I am twenty-two today, Marcy says under her breath, and I am spending it all alone because of that idiot. I should’ve brought Keeva with me.

The last few days have been totally crappy to her. Her boyfriend of two years dumped her for another girl he was seeing and now the romantic weekend away for the two of them, that had been planned for months, is ruined.

Totally and completely.

It had been paid for in advance so she decided, screw it, I’ll just go by myself. So she packed her bags and came to Florida.

Alone.

Miserable.

She is walking along the beach, kicking up the sand and watching it float back down to the sandy shores just to be carried away by the gently flowing tide washing ashore.

She comes upon a couple who is going at it hot and heavy, in public no less, and she gets angry. Why do they get to do that in public when she can’t? She kicks angrily at the sand this time.

They should go take a swim in that cold January water. That should cool them off, she mumbles jealously.

The couple completely stops pawing at one another and gets up like they are in a hypnotic state and actually walks into the cold ocean water and starts swimming around.

What the hell? Marcy says stopping to stare at them. They are totally crazy.

They are going to get sick if they stay in there much longer. They should get out, she mumbles again and shakes her head at their stupidity.

Suddenly, the couple comes charging out of the water like there is a shark chasing after them. They stumble on the loose sand as it is pulled out from under their feet by the tide taking it away, back out to the ocean.

They look at each other and Marcy hears the woman say with her teeth clicking furiously why… did… we… do that?

I… don’t… know. I just… had the… urge… to go…in… and cool off, he stammers out with his whole body shivering uncontrollably.

Marcy shakes her head at the crazy couple as she sees them run for their car to get warm. She starts walking away, putting the scene behind her. She gets to her mother’s beach house and heads inside. It is almost midnight so she goes to bed hoping tomorrow will be a better day.

In the morning she heads to her favorite coffee house to order her usual caramel macchiato. She has just finished paying for it when a guy rudely bumps her and says crudely watch where you’re going bitch.

I was asshole. You weren’t, Marcy says angrily.

Yea, whatever. Why don’t you take your fat ass out of here and make room for others, he says arrogantly.

Why don’t you do us all a favor and go play in traffic asshole, I yell at him and flip him the bird.

And right before my eyes and everyone else in the store he turns around and walks into traffic. Cars start screeching to a halt. People are yelling at him to get out of the way. And then the unthinkable happens as a car slams into one of the stopped cars and it launches forward hitting the guy. He flies backwards and slams down on to the ground.

Chaos ensues everywhere.

Marcy is standing there in shock and someone says what did you do to him?

I look around and everyone in the shop is staring at me. I didn’t do anything. You know that, I yell at them, panicking.

He walked into traffic on his own!

Everyone gets a glazed look in their eyes and nods their heads, agreeing with me that he did indeed go into traffic on his own.

Marcy runs out of there and all the way back to the beach house. She goes inside and leans against the door trying to calm her nerves and her racing heart.

What the hell just happened? she says trying to understand how they thought she had made that man do that. No one can make a person do something just because they tell them too.

She pushes away from the door and steps on the mail littered on the floor. The mail was delivered early today. She leans down and picks it up and heads to the couch to see what it is.

It seems her grandmother, her mother’s mother, has sent a letter to her for her birthday. She opens it up and starts reading it. Tears start streaming down her cheeks before she can finish the letter.

She comes to realize that she was wrong. You can make people do things just by telling them to do it. That man walked into traffic because she told him too.

Her grandmother tells her that she will inherit a family gift.

In her opinion it isn’t a gift. It’s a curse.

Chapter One

Oh Keeva, they are so beautiful, I say in awe.

She is holding a sleeping Aideen, who just happens to be a few weeks old. Her older brother Caith, by two minutes, is being nursed by Keeva.

Thanks. I think so too. But I’m their mother so I am biased, Keeva laughs tenderly while stroking Caith’s cheek as he suckles.

Was it a very difficult birth? You didn’t tell me you were having twins, I chide gently.

That’s because we didn’t know Aideen was in there until she showed up at the birthing. That’ll teach me to go the old fashioned way, Keeva sighs. It was painful, but totally worth all the effort.

I heard Mellan was an ass during their births, I laugh.

Yea, but it was for my own good. I was tiring quickly and he needed to light my fire as he puts it so I would get mad and push the baby out before something bad happened. You have to remember the man is over a hundred years old and women still died in childbirth back then more often than now.

So why did you have a midwife and a home birth? I ask curiously.

I thought I would bring the past and the present together for him. I guess. I can’t really put it into words, she says shrugging her shoulders.

I think I understand, I say looking at Aideen who just woke up.

Aideen looks at Marcy like who are you and why are you holding me. Then she starts wailing and nothing Marcy does can calm her down.

Is that daddy’s little girl? Mellan says coming into the room. He snatches Aideen from Marcy’s arms. Did that mean old Marcy make you cry sweetheart? he coos at her, and she stops crying just like that.

Daddy’s girl indeed.

I watch what I say so I don’t give a direct order to Mellan. I have learned to control that gift over the last year.

She’ll get used to me, old man. Just you wait. She’ll get older and then we’ll have some fun, I say grinning wickedly at him.

Ha. I don’t think so little girl. My girl will be the perfect angel. Won’t you honey? Yes you will, he says in that baby talk that all people use around babies.

I have to laugh at him. Picture this… a six foot six gorgeous hunk of a man holding an eight pound baby in his arms and cooing at her. It is hilarious and precious at the same time. I feel my heart tug painfully. I’m not jealous, just envious, I guess.

Who would’ve known that a year ago I would’ve been the one to bring them together and make this happen for them? They think it was Keeva’s grandmother that sent the letter to them. Well she sort of did. But she didn’t find it. It was given to her by me so she could pass it along to the Vadoma sisters so they could find the necklace and break the Treasach brothers curse.

But they could only do that after finding true love.

Keeva doesn’t even know that Marcy is a very distant cousin to her. Their friendship goes much deeper than many. They are closer than sisters, but Marcy has kept this from Keeva. One day she’ll tell her about it, but just not yet.

Keeva hands Caith over to his father so he can be burped and takes Aideen from him so she can nurse now. Caith gives his father a healthy burp and Mellan coos at him telling him he’s such a big boy. Caith is much quieter than his sister. He is bigger than she is at twelve pounds and it makes me wonder if he will be a giant like his dad.

Can I hold him now, please, Mellan? I beg.

I haven’t gotten to hold Caith yet and I really, really, want to.

Mellan gives me a look like no way, but Keeva comes to my aid and says laughing let her hold him, you ass. She needs her time with him too.

Mellan sighs and says fine, but only for a minute.

He places Caith in my arms and he is looking up at me with his daddy’s green eyes and dark hair. Yea you’re gonna be a heart breaker too when you grow up. My heart strings tug again. I am completely in love with Keeva’s and Mellan’s children.

Caith closes his eyes and falls asleep in my arms. A Kleenex is placed in front of my face and I look up at Mellan. He is smiling at me tenderly.

Feels good to be an Aunt, huh?

What? I say looking up at him and then over at Keeva confused. How can I be an aunt when we aren’t sisters?

You are the sister of my heart and I, no, we would be honored if you would be their godmother Marcy. Making you a part of this family officially and we want them to call you Aunt Marcy, Keeva says gently with tears in her eyes too.

I would like that, I say quietly.

Aideen is done nursing now and daddy has gotten a burp out of her too. Both babies are sleeping contentedly now and I follow Mellan over to their crib and place Caith down next to his sister. I gently touch their cheeks and turn around to face the room. I see Keeva hide a yawn behind her hand and notice how tired she looks. It has to be very tiring on the body nursing two children at all hours of the night.

Now that I look closer, Mellan is weary too.

I am going to go outside and look around. Why don’t you two rest up a bit while the babies are? I say quietly to them.

That sounds good. If you need anything just let Keegan or one of the others know, Mellan says yawning and snuggling down into the bed next to Keeva.

They are asleep before I even make it out of the room.

Chapter Two

I walk out