Read The Deception series boxset: FaCade, Cadence, Beneath Innocence Online
Authors: Ker Dukey,D.H Sidebottom
Tags: #The Deception Boxset
I turned into him, snuggling into his chest as I kept my eyes trained on his.“What was it?”
He smiled, more to himself than to me. “That we would die for each other.”
I wrapped my free arm around him, holding onto his grief as he finally allowed it liberation, freeing him from the guilt. “And we both knew it was either him or me.” He squeezed his eyes closed. “He gave up his for me. I know he did in the end. He knew, Faye, he knew he couldn’t go on, that his life had ruined mine and yours.”
“He did love you, Cade.” I whispered, wiping his tears with my thumbs.
“Oh, I know.” He nodded, mirroring my actions as he wiped at my tears. “It’s funny. We took our first breaths together. And he took his last with me. But you, you are now the other beat to my heart, baby, the cadence that thumps in my chest.”
I smiled, not having the words to express how much in love I was with this man.
“My heart now beats as two. Mine and Dante’s before all this, and I will love you for both of us. So damn hard that you will forever feel the strength and love you deserved from him and me.”
“After everything, you still honor him,” I whispered in awe.
He smiled down at me. “Of course. He was the first one to ever take my hand, the first one I ever saw when I opened my eyes. His heart beat was the first thing I heard and his fingers were the first ones to ever touch me. He’ll always live inside me, baby. Always.”
I nodded. “He will always be with you, Cade. As he will always be with me, in our memories. But now it’s our turn to take what he finally gave us.”
He chuckled, tapping my nose. “I’m not sad, Faye. Don’t think that’s what I’m feeling. After everything he did, I still love him. He was a part of me. But I don’t want to look back and remember the bad parts. That’s what I’m saying. I want to remember him for what he gave me in the end.”
“He gave me you too,” I whispered, understanding him as he smiled down at me.
He nodded. “And if he hadn’t taken you into his heart, then you wouldn’t be laid here right now in mine. Things happen for a reason, Faye. I believe in fate. And fate took us on a journey that can never be changed, no matter how hard we try. So I just say, look back and smile because in the end we got here. And if it wasn’t for Dante, then I wouldn’t have the heart of the most beautiful woman on the planet. I wouldn’t have her beautiful eyes staring up at me with so much love that I can feel it in my soul. I wouldn’t have my ring on her finger.”
I grinned up at him and bit my lip as I stared at the piece of thread. He chuckled and opened his palm for my ring to slide down.
“How did I ever deserve you?”
He shrugged, blinking back his tears as he took a deep breath. “You took the same journey, baby. We both deserve to be happy and you make me so damn happy.” He leaned down, brushing his lips over mine. “Although, you can always show me just how grateful you are.”
I chuckled, swinging my leg over him and rolling him over until I was straddled over his chest. “Oh, I’m very grateful.
Very grateful,
” I whispered as I traced over the tattoo on his left pectoral muscle with my finger, my name and his linked in a never ending circle. “But I’d do it all again, Cade, because memories are beautiful, even the bad ones.” I reached down and stroked my finger over his lips. “Memories were once taken from me, my entire life a void. And now I even value the bad ones. But it’s time to make new ones, ones that fill every single part of us that has been broken by this journey. It’s time we filled each other with us.”
He lifted a brow and I rolled my eyes, shaking my head and chuckling at his humor.
“And I’m all for filling you up, baby.” He smirked.
And with that, he rolled me back over and filled me with even more memories, memories that I would cherish forever. Memories that we deserved.
Thank you to our families who sacrifice their time so we can hide in our caves and bring these characters and stories to life. We love you more than any words could ever describe. Thank you to everyone who buys, reads, promotes, recommends, loves, likes, follows, stalks and helps us get these books out there. We owe everything to you guys. We have a dedicated beta team. A wonderful, hardworking street team and incredible support from amazing blogs! Big and small. Our readers keep us writing so thank you from the bottom of our hearts! A huge
Thank you to the people who make it all happen.
Authors- D.H Sidebottom & Ker Dukey
Beta’s – Vickie Leaf, Vikki Ryan, Kelly Graham, Jillian Crouson – Toth, Terrie Arasin, Michelle McGinty.
Editor –
Kyra Lennon
Proof read – Jillian Crouson
Cover model -
Florian Julien Dutheil
Photographer –
Clyph Jean Philippe
Promo - Concierge Literary Promotions
Formatting –
Champagne Formats
Ker Dukey’s links
Other titles by Ker Dukey
The Broken.
The Broken Parts Of Us
My Soul Keeper
The Beats In Rift
Empathy
D H Sidebottom’s Links
HE WAS A SLIMY FUCKER
. He was like Bin Laden, going in to hiding when the shit hit the fan and the war came to him! The thing about depraved underworld-dealing filth, there were no friends amongst criminals.
It took eight weeks but finally we found someone willing to talk for the right amount of money and that was something I wasn’t lacking in. Beneath Innocence were at the height of fame, a world tour planned for the next six months, but first I needed this last act, this last piece of unfinished business.
Liam had taken Blue home with him after a four-week stay in hospital, much to my shock. She had lived here with her mom her whole life, but her mom died a few years back and she was pretty much alone. She didn’t even look at me when she left and took with her my still beating heart. Which was a good thing. I needed to have no heart for this.
I promised Liam I would get the job finished and he helped me track down the right people to squeal Hunter’s whereabouts. I thanked Cade for helping me with this one last thing before he went to s his new life with Faye and closed the door.
I turned to look into the eyes of a man who sent out punishers to do unspeakable acts without any remorse and I wouldn’t show him any in his death.
I brushed my hands over the tools set out on the table he was strapped to. The thing about witnessing torture and being part of it, you either get a taste for it or you become a victim of it in your head. I told myself I wouldn’t let anything own me so I owned it! And let the pleasure in revenge feed me.
I picked up a small but deadly scalpel. “This one’s for Slicer.” I smiled. . . .
2 YEARS LATER
ANOTHER SHOT OF WHISKY, ANOTHER
city, another venue, another warm body to drown in. Cliché? Like I give a fuck!
All I ever wanted left me and didn’t look back two years ago. I keep waiting for her to show up, come back to me with her heart and gratitude for what I risked for her. I shouldn’t think of it like that and she didn’t ask me to avenge her but I felt ownership over her vengeance, she helped my friend for me and it cost her an unthinkable price. I wish I could go back in time and redo the whole situation, prevent her from ever being taken or giving up information not just so the awful things they did to her wouldn’t have happened but also because having her around just occasionally warming my bed with her beauty would be better than nothing at all. She dropped out of our world and she was mourned as if she had died because a part of her spirit was murdered.