Stepbrother's Secrets (A New Adult Forbidden Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page B

life."
    "No, you can't be serious. Jake, please. I'll go with you!"
    "I'm sorry, you can't. It's too dangerous. This is for the best."
    He rises from my bed pulling his pants up and fastening them. He reaches for his shirt but I grab it and hold it to my chest.
    "No, no way. This can't be it."
    Jake looks at the floor for a long moment then he looks up at me and I see it. He's not playing around. This is no joke.
    "Sheila, these people, they're really bad. I'm going to testify against them. I have to be gone before the wedding. Before they put together two and two. If they figure out how I feel about you ... I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you."
    Something breaks inside. I'm surprised he doesn't hear it. It sounds loud in my head as I feel everything around me fall to pieces. He reaches for his shirt and my numb fingers won't hold on to it. I feel the fabric slowly sliding through my fingers just like the life I had only started to imagine as possible.
    He stops at the door turning to look back at me.
    "Sheila, I'm sorry," he says then the door is closing behind him and my tears are flowing once more. 

Chapter seven
    The day of my mom's wedding comes quickly. Lace and I are her bridesmaids. It's been two weeks since I last saw Jake. My heart still aches but it wouldn't have worked out anyway. We're about to be related, even if I'll never see my soon to be stepbrother again.
    "What do you think girls?" Mom asks turning back and forth in front of the mirror.
    "You look beautiful Mrs. Sandborn. Or should I say Mrs. Marcos Benito?" Lace asks laughing.
    My mom blushes and smiles from ear to ear. She does look amazing in her cream wedding gown. Her makeup is perfect, her hair done up to an ideal. I walk over and pull her into a tight embrace. No matter my own heart break, this is her day and I won't be stealing it away from her.
    "Thank you both," she says sniffling back her tears. "Sheila-boo would you mind checking to make sure everyone is getting seated okay?"
    "Sure Mom," I say.
    I slip out of the dressing chamber then make my way over to the chapel. It's a small ceremony so not a lot of people are here. I peek in and see that Mom's side is about half full and so is the groom's side. I frown a little at the people populating the groom's side of the chapel. A lot of less than savory looking folks over there but then I guess you can't choose your family.
    One person stands up and turns towards the back just as I'm about to leave and I stop dead in my tracks. That's the man who Jake escorted out of Lapusa's! What's he doing here? I watch him for a moment as he scratches at his arm furiously then rubs his nose sniffing. Jake never did explain who he was and I was so caught up in the moment I never asked or thought of him again. I push it aside and go to the front foyer. I want to see if anyone else is still arriving.
    "How's our special lady?" Pastor Stanley asks as I pass him standing outside the foyer.
    "She's nervous but excited," I say smiling.
    "That's good," he says. "She deserves to be happy."
    "I agree," I say and I realize I mean it. Mom's had a hard life raising me on her own struggling with bills. She deserves a rich guy who sweeps her off her feet like this Marcos has.
    Outside the day is overcast but the rain is holding off. The church parking lot is mostly full and there are a lot of cars parked on the street. Two of them have men still sitting in them who seem to be staring at the church. They must be on Marcos side as I don't recognize them.
    "Things look great Mom," I say slipping back into the room with her and Lace.
    It's time. I lead my Mom to the chapel door. We stand nervously waiting for the music queue then it starts and I walk behind Lace and ahead of my mom down the aisle. Watching her walk down the aisle, the way she glows, it almost makes it all worth it.
    ****
    "Welcome to the family," another stranger says grabbing me by my shoulders and kissing each of my cheeks.
    Marcos' family leans