Deceived (Free Indeed Book 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Epilogue

  Entangled Chapter 1

  Deceived

  Free Indeed: Book 2

  Jenesse Bates

  Terms of Copyright:

  All rights reserved. This book is an original work of fiction, licensed for your personal enjoyment only. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the author is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright ©2017 by Jenesse Bates

  First edition: March 24, 2017

  Cover design by: Book Cover Artistry

  If you need to reach the author, she can be contacted at:

  Email: [email protected]

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenessebates

  Twitter: www.twitter.com/JenesseBates

  Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Epilogue

  Also By Jenesse Bates

  Entangled Sneak Peek

  Entangled Chapter 1

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my amazing husband, without his constant support and encouragement, this book never would have happened. I love you, babe. You'll always be my hero.

  Also to my puppies: Blizz (my little bear cub), Jackson (my hufflepuff), and Cisco (my ferocious kiss monster). Thanks so much for all the antics, laughs, and fun times. I love you little monsters. Treats all around!

  Chapter 1

  Cara Elliott stood to her feet, slowly stretching out her sore back as the professor dismissed the class. The last class of the day was finally done, and good thing too because her back was going to riot if it had to spend one more moment in an uncomfortable wooden chair. With a shrug, she threw her messenger bag over her shoulder and made her way to the exit with the rest of the students. Cryptography may not be the most fascinating way to end her day, but every now and then she learned something new. Plus, it was required for her to graduate, so whatever.

  As she walked out with the rest of her class, she reached into her bag, fishing around until her hand latched onto her phone. She pulled the phone free of the bag and powered on the screen. That thing had been going crazy for the last forty-five minutes of the class. With the press of a button, the screen lit up and showed five missed calls all from her mom.

  “What the hell, mom?” Cara muttered to herself. That definitely wasn’t normal. Her mom loved her and everything, but this was excessive even for her. Cara tapped the notification to retrieve her voicemail and held the phone up to her ear.

  “Hi Cara, it’s mom,” the recording started. “I don’t want to worry you or anything, honey, but when you get this message can you call me back right away? If you can, I’d like you to come home as soon as possible. Actually—today if you can, as soon as you get out of class. Something happened, and I don’t want you to worry because I’m going to take care of it, but I just need to let you know so you’re aware. I—I think something’s wrong with Brian and you may have been right about him all along. It’s really something I need to talk to you about in person, though, because there are some things I need to show you. I’ve got them locked up with your dad’s will. Brian’s off on one of his business trips, so you don’t have to worry about running into him while you’re here. Please come as soon as you can, ok? I love you, Cara. Bye.”

  “Damn,” Cara muttered picking up on the slight shakiness to her mom’s voice. Brian was her dick of a stepdad who she couldn’t stand. Her mom always tended to look for and see the best in him, though, leading to several late night arguments about the man. If she found out he did anything to upset her mom, then there would be hell to pay. Every day, she wished her mom would just finally leave the man. But no, she wanted to stick it out and try to make things better. Well, screw that. Her mom deserved much better than Brian, and it was time she took advantage of it.

  Cara shifted her bag more securely onto her shoulder and threaded through the crowd to get outside. Her finger pressed the callback button as she raised the phone back to her ear. It rang several times before eventually connecting to her mom’s voicemail. “Mom, it’s me. I’m on my way. I’ll be there in twenty minutes, ok? Whatever it is, it’s all going to be all right.” She disconnected the call and dropped the phone back into her bag.

  Quickly exiting the building Cara made her way through the overcrowded parking lot to her car. After dumping her bag on the passenger seat, she jumped behind the wheel and pulled out of her parking space.

  Fortunately, her mom’s house wasn’t too far away. As long as she could avoid the crazy after school traffic, she should be fine. Thank God that today was her short day so she could get out of there and beat the rush.

  The little car made its way off of the side streets and onto the highway. Cara headed north and hit the gas as fast as she could without getting arrested for speeding.

  It was a relief that Brian was out of town. Dealing with her stepdad was the last thing she needed right now between her full-time classes and part time job. As a junior computer science major at the University of West Virginia, she was swamped. Good thing she loved her mom so much, otherwise she’d never take the time to go home. It had just been the two of them for so long. Ever since her dad died, they had become extra close. Then Dickhead Brian came along and tried to screw everything up. Of course, her mom had been instantly smitten because he was a first-rate schmoozer who kissed ass like a pro. While he doted on her mom and treated her like the queen she was, when she wasn’t looking, he treated Cara like crap. It was like the man absolutely hated children and wanted nothing to do with them whatsoever. It drove a wedge between the relationship that Cara had with her mom pretty much up until she left for college. Now, being out of the house and away from Brian so she only had to see him occasionally, it helped their relationship grow back to what it used to be.

  She reached over to hit the callback button on her phone again. “Come on, mom. Pick up.” After a few rings, the call again went to voicemail. Frustrated, Cara hit the button to disconnect the call and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. Her instincts were going crazy right now screaming that something was definitely wrong.

  Finally seeing the exit she needed, Cara turned off the highway and navigated the side streets until she pulled in front of her mom’s house. And it was her mom’s house. Not Brian’s. That man came along and moved into her mom’s house and life like a two-bit grifter. If he wasn’t always traveling
to one place or another for work, she’d swear he didn’t even have a job. She certainly never saw him contributing to the chores around the house or shopping expenses.

  Speaking of Brian’s many work trips, Cara was so glad her mom mentioned he wasn’t home right now. Maybe this time she could actually have a good, honest conversation about him with her mom without fear of him constantly butting in and influencing her opinions. If her mom gave Cara even the slightest hint that she was distrusting of Brian, Cara was going to run with it and do everything she could to convince her mom she’d be better off without that jerk.

  She turned off the car and swung open her door. Cara stepped out of the vehicle and hurried up the cobblestone walkway to the front door of the two-story colonial towering in front of her. As she approached the front porch, she reached into her purse to pull out the key that her mom had always insisted she carry. Cara gave the door a quick rap before inserting the key into the lock and twisting the door open.

  “Mom?” Cara called out into the entryway, “It’s just me.” When she didn’t hear a response, Cara moved the rest of the way into the room. She strolled past the empty sitting room and dining room and then entered the kitchen. Her head swung around taking in the large open space, but still no sign of her mom.

  “Mom?” She raised the volume of her voice a little louder this time. “Are you here?” But there was nothing but silence.

  “Maybe she went out to the store or something,” Cara muttered to herself as she made her way down the hallway to the attached garage. When she reached the door, she grabbed the knob and jerked it open to look inside. Strange, her mom’s car was still here. So she had to be home.

  Cara climbed the stairs to the second floor and marched down the hall until she came to the master bedroom. Once again she knocked on the door just briefly before grasping the handle and twisting the door open.

  “Mom—” The words froze in her throat, as her purse dropped to the floor. Her mother’s lifeless body lay in the middle of the bedroom floor crumpled at an awkward angle. Dull eyes were frozen open staring unseeingly at the ceiling. Her mouth was open as if still crying out in fear at whatever had happened to her. Large, brutal, purple bruises covered the span of her neck in a formation that appeared to eerily look almost like a handprint.

  Transfixed at the sight in front of her, Cara couldn’t move. The horror in front of her took away all of her ability to think and all she could do was just stare from where she stood frozen in the doorway. Finally, she managed to force her feet to move, one agonizing step at a time, until she reached her mom’s still form. The grief hit her now with an overwhelming force, and she fell to her knees next to her mom’s body.

  “Oh, mom.” A sob escaped her throat. Her trembling hand reached forward to check for her mom’s pulse even though there was no life left in her eyes. She had to make sure. The lack of pulse just confirmed what she already knew in her heart. Her mom was gone.

  Grief bubbled up from inside her and overflowed into heartbreaking sobs. She sat next to her mom’s body and clutched her knees up to her chest, just letting the tears flow. No more weekend visits full of girl talk and baking sweets that neither one of them should be eating but couldn’t resist. No more calls at the most inopportune times that she pretended to be annoyed at, but truthfully made her feel special because they just meant her mom cared about her. No more shopping trips or coffee dates. Her mom was gone, and the overwhelming pain felt like it was going to consume her.

  Realization slammed into her, and Cara’s head suddenly jerked up. The bruises around her mom’s neck indicated someone had strangled her. And since her body was still warm, that could mean the person who had done this could still be in the house. She needed to get out of there and get help.

  Survival instinct kicked in, and Cara jerked herself back to her feet. She paused at the door to listen for any noises that seemed out of place. Then she turned to give her mom one last look before slipping from the room. As softly as possible she made her way down the hallway and back downstairs. Everything around her was silent; nothing seemed different. It seemed like any other trip home. When she reached the bottom step, Cara made a break for it and dashed forward to the front door. Throwing the door open, she ran outside. It didn’t hurt to be safe. If the monster who did this to her mom was still inside, she didn’t want him to sneak up on her. Being outside made her feel much safer.

  She sprinted across the lawn to her car and jerked open the passenger side door to grab her phone. Shaky fingers tapped in 911 and she held the phone up to her ear.

  “This is 911, please state the nature of your emergency.” The operator connected almost instantly.

  “My mom is dead!” Cara sobbed into the line, “Someone killed her, and I don’t know if they’re still in the house!”

  “Ma’am, are you in the house or are you in a safe location?”

  “I’m outside at my car,” she answered as she rushed around and jumped into the driver’s seat. She placed her key in the ignition just in case someone did come charging out of the house, and she needed to get out of there. “I’m safe. I’m locked in my car.”

  “Ok, ma’am. I’ve dispatched police and medical units. They should be there soon. I need you to stay on the line with me until they arrive, ok?”

  “Ok,” her voice came out as a mere whisper. It was all she could manage to get out. Her throat felt like it was swelling shut from the grief and fear billowing up inside her. Every time she thought of her mom lying there in the middle of the room, soulless eyes staring off into nothing, it made her want to vomit. One hand clenched the phone tightly, and the other gripped the steering wheel, all while trying to keep her screams locked inside.

  The operator tried to keep Cara talking, but she only managed to mumble or occasionally grunt in response. Finally, the woman said, “Ma’am, the police officers should be arriving now. Stay in your vehicle until they approach you.”

  Even as she said the words, Cara could hear the sirens approaching until finally red and blue lights appeared in her rearview mirror. “They’re here,” she acknowledged in a shaky whisper.

  “They’re going to approach you and make sure you’re ok.”

  But Cara didn’t know if she’d ever be ok again. Her mom was dead.

  Chapter 2

  Cara didn’t know how much more of this she could take. Somehow she had managed to survive the never ending debrief with the police followed by another one from the detectives on the case. Fortunately, they had taken care of notifying her stepdad of what had happened, so she didn’t have to talk to the bastard. When they asked her if she wanted the news to come from her, she almost snorted in their faces. He was the last person on the planet she wanted to talk to or see right now. If he hadn’t been out of town on another one of his many business trips, maybe he would have been there with her mom, and she’d still be alive right now.

  After that, she had handled all the details in arranging to have her mom’s body picked up and transported to the funeral parlor. Then she had sat through hour after hour and detail after detail until she had finalized every last aspect of her mom’s funeral and wake.

  At the funeral, she had even sat through countless people standing up at the podium talking about what a wonderful person her mom was and how much she would be missed.

  But now at the funeral reception, she didn’t know if she could handle one more second of anything else. If one more person that she didn’t know came up and hugged her telling her that they were sorry for her loss, Cara felt like she was going to scream. There was only so much she could take, and she was about at her max.

  “Cara!” A familiar voice stopped her from banging her head against the wall. Instead, her head snapped up and desperately searched the crowd. A blonde headed blur swerved through the masses until finally reaching Cara and throwing her arms around her in a big hug.

  “Oh my God, Lily!” Cara exclaimed hugging her back like she was her lifeline. Her best friend’s presence right
now was just what she needed to stay sane. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

  “Gosh Cara, I’m so sorry I’m late. I wanted to be at the funeral for you—I tried—”

  “I know.” Cara cut her off. The last thing Lily needed to do was apologize. She was just so grateful that her friend had made it. “I’m just so glad you’re here right now, you have no idea.” The sting of tears hit her eyes at the overwhelming relief that she wouldn’t have to face the rest of this reception alone.

  “How are you holding up?” Lily asked grabbing her hand in her own and squeezing tight. “Are you hanging in there?”

  “I feel like I can’t breathe, Lily.” Cara’s tortured voice came out as a mere whisper. “I feel smothered and surrounded, and I just want to scream. I don’t think I can do this anymore right now.” The last word came out as a broken sob.

  “Come on.” Take charge Lily took control of the situation as she linked her arm in Cara’s and started leading her through the crowd toward the back patio doors. “We’re going outside to get you some air. Just breathe, girl, you’re going to get through this.” Lily took the glass that Cara had been grasping for dear life and placed it on the table before pushing open the french doors and herding Cara onto the back deck. There were still too many people around. For the love of all that’s holy, she just needed space.

  They pushed through the narrow gaps between the people until reaching the grass below. Then still arm in arm they circled around the house and made their way back to the front yard. It was much quieter on this side of the house. A deep breath filled Cara’s lungs so she could exhale in a sigh of relief. All she needed to do was make it another hour or so, and this would all be over. And now Lily was here. She could do this.