Secrets Exposed

By James L. McCray

“Why did she do it?” and “Will she get away with it?” were just a few questions many readers had pondered on after the shocking conclusion to Secrets. After the long-anticipated wait, Secrets is back to answer your questions, expose many more secrets, and reveal more jaw-dropping details that will change everything. In this sequel, find out which secrets will be deadlier than others and just how many secrets will be exposed next.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796061451

James L. McCray

James L. McCray is a 31 year old college graduate, father, brother, uncle, friend, mentor, and successful author. Secrets Exposed is my third successful book published, Secrets(2017) and Smooth Operator(2018), in the last three years. With my success I plan to explore many more avenues in life that will exceed the goals I I’ve already accomplished. I have a plan to publish a lot more of my art and you can best believe this is just the beginning.

Book preview

Family Conversation

Diane asks, Hey, girl. Was Ayden too much for you?

Heather replies, No, actually. They were quiet and good.

They? I thought Ayden was the only kid here.

Yes, he spent time together with Jeremiah. You know I’m looking after him since his parents are going through a hard time, but they watched movies and fell asleep on each other a few minutes into the movie.

Well, that’s nice of you. So it was an easy night for you then, huh, sis?

It was cool. Enough about me. How was your date night?

It was wonderful at first, but it didn’t end so well.

Oh, lord. What happened?

This man did a poem about a woman who broke his heart, and Jimmy made a joke, referring to me like I was trash.

It probably wasn’t that serious. Stop being so sensitive, Diane.

What do you mean? What if Patrick referred to you as trash?

Patrick says, I would never refer to my lovely wife as trash.

Diane says, See? I knew I wasn’t overreacting.

Heather says, Well, you did sleep with my husband and had a child with him. That’s trashy.

You did sleep with my old fling and almost got your husband killed because of it.

Patrick says, Here you two go with this shit again.

Heather says, Well, Pat, I’m just stating the obvious.

Diane exclaims, And you’re being such a bitch—again!

See, the bitch in me would’ve jumped over there on you, but since we’re past that, I’ll let you make it, sis.

Patrick says, Heather, you’re too calm. You must have something up your sleeve.

Heather says, I don’t have anything up my sleeve. We’re family, and the past is the past, so instead of being down about what happened, we might as well joke about it, right?

Diane says, Why would you joke about something serious like that though? You and Jimmy should be together because you two clearly don’t care about my feelings.

Feelings? Do you honestly believe you have feelings?

Yes, bitch. I have feelings, something that you will never know anything about.

I love you, Patrick, and I will until death do us part.

Good—because I’m going to love my husband until death do us part.

Jimmy comes in and says, You’d better. I didn’t marry you just to divorce you years later. We’re in this forever.

Diane replies, That’s what I like to hear, baby. She kisses him and looks back at her sister.

Patrick says, Look at you two, looking happy. I’m glad we all found the loves of our lives.

Jimmy says, I’m glad we did too. Now all we have to do is focus on being a better family.

Diane says, That’s right, baby, but what are you doing here?

I caught a cab home, and I saw you weren’t there, so I assumed you got caught up over here, and I was right.

Patrick says, She’s in good hands over here.

Heather asks, And what do you mean by that?

Jimmy says, Y’all are family, so he wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her.

Patrick says, That’s right.

Heather says, Yeah, right. I wasn’t born yesterday.

Diane says, Of course not. You were born the day before yesterday.

Keep talking, bitch. I’ll fuck your husband.

Jimmy says, You could never fuck me because I’m a married man.

Patrick asks, Did you just say that in front of me?

Heather says, We’re family, remember? We shouldn’t take everything so seriously.

Jimmy says, Please don’t disrespect my wife and me like that ever again.

Patrick demands, Apologize to them, Heather!

Heather says, For what? I wouldn’t fuck him now or during my hot days. I was just picking with my sensitive sister.

Diane says, I thought we were going to be better sisters.

We are better sisters. I watched your kid, and I allow you to be in my home.

Patrick agrees. That is true, Diane.

Who asked you, Patrick?

Jimmy says, That’s why you act like that, Diane. You get that petty shit from your sister.

Diane says, That is my sister. We got this!

Diane and Heather give each other a high five.

Jimmy says, You two are the most dysfunctional sisters I have ever met.

Patrick says, You caught them at a good time. Just imagine what I’ve been going through for years.

Heather says, We’ve all put one another through hell, if you want to be technical.

Jimmy says, I haven’t put any of you through anything, so I’m good and buzzed, and I need to get home so I can rest up for these transfers in the morning.

Diane says, Okay, love. Let’s get Ayden so we can go home.

Patrick says, You know, if you ever want to talk, I’m here.

Jimmy says, I’ll keep that in mind, Patrick, but shouldn’t you be talking to your mother? I know she’s been going through a lot since you lost your stepfather.

The Warden and Mason’s Conversation

The warden greets, Good morning, Mason.

Mason replies, Good morning, Clarissa. How are you feeling?

I’m feeling okay. How am I supposed to feel?

I’m just making sure because you know this is our first time being intimate since college.

It has been a long time. I see you still got it.

Do I? Why do I feel that you aren’t pleased?

It’s not that I’m not pleased. The death of my husband is still fresh in my mind.

Well, if he’s on your mind, why are you with me?

For comfort. I need you to comfort me, Mason. Is that a problem?

No problem at all. I just don’t want to see you worrying.

I’m not worried, Mason. It just hurts knowing that I’m the reason a man committed suicide.

Do not beat yourself up about that. The bishop had secrets that he could no longer bear and was exposed because it was too much for his guilty conscience.

I guess you’re right, but I did have him thinking that he had a son all these years.

And he did his duty as a father year after year.

He did do a great job with Patrick. He’s handsome and successful just like his father.

Mason leans over, kisses her, and says, You still should’ve told me back then. I wanted you to be mine.

And I wanted to be yours, but you were such a male whore. I made myself believe we could never be together.

Look at us now after the hardships we have both faced. Just imagine the bond we would’ve had if we didn’t have a worry in this world.

You had other things going on. That’s why you have another son. Speaking of which, how is his release coming?

Well, Ruby Patterson didn’t confess to setting him up, so that was a dead end. I’m taking an entirely different approach.

And what approach will that be?

To try and interview everybody who was associated with him that night.

Good luck with that.

Don’t sound so confident in me, but I’m going to get my son out of jail.

I want you to get him out. I believe he is innocent.

Yeah, me too. Thanks to you and Erica, I owe you for keeping that from me as well.

I just don’t go telling people business because I wouldn’t want them to do that to me.

That’s not the point. I missed twenty-plus years of my kid’s life because of both of y’all secrets.

Well, you know now. No reason to dwell on what is already done.

I’m glad you said that. Stop being a sad case about the bishop then.

Only if you don’t bring up Erica.

Deal. Only one more question—how did she die, and why did she feel comfortable to tell you I was Mark’s father?

Jimmy Transports Ruby Patterson to Prison

Jimmy greets, Rise and shine, sleepyhead. This is the day you take the trip to the big house.

Ruby Patterson asks, I’m visiting the White House?

You’re a funny old lady, but unfortunately, you are being transferred to your new home for the remainder of your life.

Damn, you just crushed the little hope I had, Detective, but I’m ready to go to your house.

Do I need to get you admitted? You’re acting up this morning.

Take a joke. I mean no harm. Plus, I’m shackled. I can’t do you any harm.

You’re right. I’d rather you are like this instead of an out-of-control inmate.

There you go, Detective. Lighten up a little bit. You don’t want the last time we see each other to be a bitter moment.

Bitter or not, I’m just doing my job, and that is getting you transferred to state prison.

I smell alcohol on your breath. Were you drinking last night?

I’m a grown-ass man. I can drink when I feel like it, inmate.

You must still be intoxicated because my comment made you feel some type of way.

Why are you trying to get inside my head this morning?

If I was trying to get in your head, I would’ve brought up that trash you married.

Don’t you disrespect my wife, you old whore.

Old whore? Is that the best you got? I bet I could put it on you better than that young home-wrecking whore.

She didn’t wreck any homes. She’s taking care of our home, just to let you know.

She was fucking her own sister’s husband. She will be cheating on you soon.

"She was, past tense, meaning slept with her sister’s husband, meaning not anymore. Now close your mouth, or I will close it for you."

The truth hurt, doesn’t it?

Yes, it does. While you’re in prison, your son, Michael, will also be in prison, being transformed into Michelle.

Don’t you speak ill of my son, you bastard.

Well, keep my wife’s name out of your mouth. Then your son will keep dicks out of his mouth.

What the hell did I just tell you?

Somebody sedate this crazy bitch. It’s not funny when the rabbit’s holding the gun.

You are going to pay for disrespecting my son and me.

I should make you pay right now for disrespecting my wife.

When I get out, I’m coming for you, Jimmy Dawson!

You’re never getting out of prison, silly bitch.

I’m glad I’m not your mother because I’m unworthy of that ‘silly bitch’ title.

It’s a long ride to the prison, so let me help you chill out for it.

Detective Dawson hits her with a hard two-punch combination and then knocks her out. They transport her to the women’s correctional facility way out in the middle of nowhere. Jimmy smacks her in the face to get her to wake up.

She opens one eye and asks, What happened?

Jimmy replies, We walked down the hallway. You stepped in a wet spot, slipped, and knocked yourself out.

You’re a damn liar, Jimmy, you ugly-ass cricket. You assaulted me!

You can’t prove that, inmate. You slept like an ugly baby during the transport. Don’t get caught slipping in here, or you’ll be some woman’s old slave bitch.

You must have low self-esteem to have to belittle an old woman like myself. Or you’re not happy in your fraudulent marriage.

Belittle you? You do that to yourself every time you open your mouth.

I’m going to get you back, Jimmy. Just because I’m in prison doesn’t mean that you’re untouchable.

Remember, you’re touchable as well. Enjoy your new home.

After Jimmy turns her over to the state, the guards escort her to intake to get her identification card and personal belongings for her cell. She’s instructed to take off her county uniform so she can be thoroughly searched so she can shower before being issued her prison uniform. She sits through hours of inmate orientation before she’s assigned to a doctor for evaluation. Her psych and medical evaluations both come back in good standing, so she be will housed in the maximum security unit because of the high-profile status of her crime. She will have chances to work her way down to medium custody, but she must avoid any infractions while housed in the max wing.

The officer escorts her to her housing unit and tells her that the cell she will be housed in is at the very end on the third row. Walking into a prison is scary, but walking into the maximum security unit of a penitentiary is scarier. She keeps her composure, looks forward, and ignores the slurs being thrown her way. She gets to row three and sees that the alleyway is blocked off with inmates. She slowly makes her way through them and finally reaches her cell. Surprisingly, she reaches her cell with no problems.

The inmate sitting on the bottom bunk looks up at her and says, What do you want?

Ruby replies, This is the cell I am assigned to.

You’re not wanted here. Go tell them that you want to be moved.

I don’t give a damn about what you want. I am assigned to this cell, and I’m not going anywhere.

So you’re just going to invade my personal space. We’re going to have a problem.

What the fuck you want to do then?

Don’t make me mop the floor with your old ugly, dusty ass.

You look like you’re close to my age, so I’ll mop it with you instead.

The other inmates block them in and start yelling, Fight, fight!

Patterson grabs her cellmate by the hair and hits her with