**Thousand apologies for keeping my fellow readers and lurkers waiting on this update. Had a lot going on over the holidays and the past month, but slowly getting back into the swing of my writing. Just be patient with me, I promise I'm still writing this story!**

Chapter 26

"Keyla, I'm sorry to inform you…"

She was frozen stiff while her father's brother, Uncle Raymond, explained what happened and how her parents were murdered over the phone. They were both shot during an attempted robbery at their house and stabbed to death. Sheila tried hurting the intruder with a butcher knife and ended up having her throat slit while Marvin was shot multiple times in the chest. The murder happened while Keyla had been at the CZW event watching Jon mutilate himself. An image Keyla still couldn't erase from her memory and probably never would.

"Keyla, you still with me?"

"Y-Yeah…" She sounded a million miles away and sank down slowly on the bed, silent tears sliding down her cheeks. "W-When is the funeral? Or do I have to make the…arrangements?"

Raymond could tell the poor girl was in no condition to plan a funeral service for her dead parents and knew he'd have to do it. He was Marvin's only sibling and hadn't spoken to his brother in years, ever since finding out he'd sent his only child to live with his pathetic wife's father, George. Raymond had nothing against George Hart and when he found out the old man left Keyla everything he owned, he supported the decision completely. It was Keyla who was the one that took care of George, not Sheila, though she tried taking all the credit at his funeral. Now, he had to plan his brother's funeral and burial services because Keyla wanted nothing to do with her parents ever since her grandfather's death. It also alienated her from Marvin's side of the family and this was the first time he'd spoken to his niece since George's funeral. The only way he'd found Keyla's number was from George's lawyer and Raymond was thankful the gentleman hadn't given him a lot of grief.

"No sweetheart, I'll take care of it." Raymond felt his wife take his hand and squeeze it, offering as much support as she could. He was still reeling from the phone call informing him Marvin and Sheila were gone. "I will let you know when the services are. Give me a few days." That's all he had because the bodies were currently in the morgue at the hospital. He was the one who identified them.

"Don't forget to tell her about the telegram."

Keyla overheard her Aunt Mildred, jumping when the doorbell rang throughout the house. "Someone's here…"

Raymond glanced at his wife sadly. "You better answer it. Your parents had something sent to you from their lawyer whenever they perished. It was set up long ago." He didn't know how else to explain it. "If you need to call me back when you're finished, I'll be here."

Ending the call, Keyla numbly made her way out of her room and downstairs to the front door, reaching out a shaky hand to open it. Sure enough, it was a delivery man with an envelope addressed to her from…her parents. Just as Uncle Marvin and Aunt Mildred warned. She signed the slip the delivery man handed to her and shut the door, staring down at the envelope in her hands. It looked somewhat old, the sides crinkled and her name was in calligraphy black font. What could her parents possibly have to say after they died instead of while they were alive? Keyla swallowed hard, a sudden wave of nausea overtaking her and sat down on the freshly steam cleansed couch. She had to make sure Jon never found out what happened between her and Sami, figuring it needed a thorough cleansing anyway. Taking a deep breath, Keyla broke the seal on the envelope and pulled the piece of paper out, beginning to read the letter from her dead parents.

Our dearest Keyla Jane,

If you are reading this, your father and I have both perished, but we are not able to find true peace without revealing a deep secret we've kept from you. Since you were 16, actually. Daddy and I loved you so much and didn't want to let you grow up. But it happened anyway. We did our best to stop you from making mistakes – again, we failed you, especially when you were 16. We know we hurt you with what we did and why you went to live with Grandpa George, even if we did send you away. It was for your own good, to get you away from the scumbag that nearly destroyed your life.

Samuel Callihan was nothing more than a fat liar and nowhere near good enough for you, Keyla. Daddy and I had to make sure he stayed away from you, even after we sent you away. This is the secret we've kept from you all these years and it's finally time you knew the truth. When we found out you were pregnant by Samuel, we requested a meeting with him at the house behind your back. You have to understand, we were only thinking of you when doing this, sweetheart. The meeting ended with paying Samuel off to stay away from you and letting us go through with the abortion. He took the money and ran instead of fighting for you. Shows how much he cared about you, huh? It's also the reason why he left town shortly after finding out you were pregnant. He had dreams to pursue just like you and we helped him do that.

We knew once Samuel abandoned you, unwillingly or not, you would consent to the abortion as well. You were so young and had your whole life in front of you. Besides, now looking back at it, you've no doubt had children and a loving husband at this point in your life. At least, that's what Daddy and I hope. There's not a doubt in our minds you've grown into a beautiful, intelligent woman and have made an even better mother and wife. So I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive your parents for doing what we felt was best for you at the time when you were a rebellious teenager. Maybe you can look back and think we actually did a good thing for you, even if it was sneaky and underhanded. The choice is entirely up to you though.

We love you, Keyla Jane, no matter what you have thought or felt over the years towards us. You were the best thing that ever happened to us and now your father and I can finally rest in peace with you knowing this secret. It was not easy keeping it from you and, just so you know, Grandpa George didn't know about anything. We didn't tell him the reason for sending you to him, only that he needed to spend more time with his granddaughter. So he also died with a positive memory of you instead of a knocked-up 16 year old stuck with a fat scumbag, who didn't do anything with his life. Just remember the huge bullet we forced you to dodge and maybe the forgiveness will happen a lot quicker.

Goodbye, sweet daughter.

Teardrops splashed on the paper Keyla held in her hands for what seemed like hours, rereading it countless times to make sure she was reading the letter correctly. Her abortion and the fact her high school boyfriend left town…was because of the wretched people who gave her life. Keyla remembered the pain and heartache she went through when Samuel broke up with her through an email of all things. The bastard didn't even have the decency to do it face to face! She hated him and consented to the abortion, at the insistence and pressure of her parents, not wanting to be a 16 year old abandoned teenage mother. Samuel had the biggest heart of any guy she'd ever met and it didn't make sense why he skipped town, leaving her behind without any explanation. Now, everything made sense and Keyla's hatred for her parents expanded further, the tears falling from her eyes full of resentment and anger.

Pulling her watery gaze from the letter, Keyla started thinking back to her high school days with Samuel. Sami…Callihan…Why did that name sound familiar? Her amber eyes suddenly shot open and Keyla stood up from the couch, running up to her room as fast as she could. She dove in her closet, pulling boxes apart and tossing debris over her shoulder, searching for something specific. When she found it, Keyla yanked the heavy box out of her closet by sliding it across the carpet and wiped the thick dust off the top of it. She coughed a little since there was a lot and hadn't opened this box in years, ever since she moved into the house with Grandpa George. Pulling out folders full of papers she wrote in high school, Keyla finally found the one she'd been looking for and blew the dust off of it before opening the pages. Her blood ran cold at the picture staring back at her, fresh tears burning her eyes.

The photo was black and white, but it was undoubtedly him. Pudgy face, shaggy dark brown hair and no facial hair either. Samuel was over 300 pounds when they were together and Keyla honestly didn't mind his weight. She loved him, it didn't matter if he had a toned muscular body. His heart was big enough to overlook all the other flaws, though when Keyla looked at him, she saw none. He was precious to her and she loved him, giving her whole young heart to him only for him to crush it. Sami Callihan…Keyla set the yearbook down on the bed and walked over to her nightstand drawer, pulling out the leases Jon and…Sami signed prior to moving in. She hadn't paid attention to the signatures and never thought to look, only knowing them as Jon and Sami because of Lennox.

Now, however, Keyla's eyes were wide open and the harsh reality crashed down all around her regarding Sami. Why she felt the sense of familiarity and déjà vu whenever around him. It was all so clear and she'd been a fool not to see it sooner. Sami was her old high school boyfriend, the one who abandoned her and took the bribe from her parents to leave town to pursue his dream. His wrestling dream…Keyla clenched her teeth tightly and dropped the leases on the floor, feeling sick to her stomach. She barely made it to the bathroom before emptying the consents of her stomach into the porcelain bowl, vomiting violently. The same Sami who left her high and dry is the one she had sex with on the couch downstairs…the one who was supposedly Jon's best friend. And he had fulfilled his wrestling dream…with blood money.

When there was nothing left in Keyla's body, she backed away from the toilet and leaned her head back against the wall opposite of it, the tears falling continuously. Every part of her anatomy quaked and her heart shredded in her chest, so many emotions coursing through her veins. How could Sami do this to her? Did he even know who she was? He had to. He had to know who she really was and didn't care. Maybe that's why he offered to warm her up the day she came home from work early and was locked out of the house in the snow. She let him touch her intimately and the fact they had sex sickened her more, almost to the point where Keyla began dry-heaving. Not to mention her parents were dead and Keyla would never be able to confront them about this. They kept the truth from her all these years and it wasn't fair she now had to live with the fact they were responsible for the death of her unborn child. Yes, she consented to it happening, but she was 16, heartbroken, confused and they took advantage of her vulnerability.

"I-I have to get out of here…" She whispered to the silence, not able to face Sami right now, needing time to wrap her mind around everything.

When Lennox opened the door and found a sobbing Keyla on her porch, she didn't hesitate in leading her friend inside, shutting the door behind her. Jon was gone on the road wrestling for another promotion he worked for and Sami was MIA. Nobody knew where the man had gone, though he did call Danny the previous night to check in and let him know he was alive. That was better than nothing, Lennox supposed, breaking out of her deep thoughts to console Keyla. Lennox was the only one Keyla trusted right now, everyone else either keeping secrets from her, lying or being shady. She was the only one Keyla could confide in without having judgment thrown her way.

Through heart wrenching sobs, Keyla spilled everything to Lennox while Danny stayed in his gaming room to give the women privacy. Lennox would end up telling him anyway unless Keyla asked to keep everything she said between them. She hadn't. All Lennox could do was sit there and listen, hardly believing anything that came out of Keyla's mouth. She knew it was the truth though, all of it. Keyla and Sami were high school sweethearts and at age 16, she ended up pregnant with his baby. Sami had taken blood money, a blood bribe from her heartless parents and left town while Keyla had to stay behind, going through the pressured abortion alone. And now they were dead, so Keyla couldn't get an ounce of vengeance or revenge against them.

Breaking out the Tequila, Lennox poured each of them a shot when Keyla confessed there was other secrets she had to tell. Everything that happened between her and Sami and Jon was laid out on the table that night. The sex with Jon at the CZW arena, then screwing Sami on the couch in her house while Jon was away on the road and Jon nearly catching them in the act. All of it. Keyla didn't leave out a single detail, finally getting to her parents death and what happened to them. Fitting end to heartless schmucks, was Lennox's first thought, but she quickly snapped out of her own anger to comfort Keyla. Even though they had taken away something Keyla would never be able to get back, Marvin and Sheila were still her parents nonetheless. Somehow, Keyla still loved them and Lennox understood it, knowing how difficult it was to cut parents off because she'd done the same thing to hers.

"Is she okay?" Danny asked quietly, walking into the living room and eyeballed the half-empty bottle of Tequila. He could tell Keyla consumed most of it and watched Lennox shake her head, immediately enveloping his girlfriend in his arms. "What happened?"

"Not tonight." Lennox whispered, not wanting to wake Keyla up since she'd passed out after hours of confession and could feel tears sliding down her own cheeks. "Danny…"

He cupped her face in his strong hands, hating to see Lennox cry whether it was tears of joy or sadness. It nearly killed him every time. "What is it, baby? Talk to me, please. I hate seeing you cry." Danny murmured, letting her take his hand and guide them down the hallway to the bedroom.

Pushing him down on the bed, Lennox straddled his lap and removed his shirt before capturing his mouth in a soft slow kiss. "Promise me something." She requested once the kiss broke, caressing his muscular chest with gentle hands.

"Anything baby, you know that."

"I-If you ever want to stop this – to end our relationship…" Lennox frowned when Danny pressed his finger to her mouth, stopping her from continuing.

"That will NEVER happen." Danny vowed, caressing her bottom lip with the tip of his thumb. "Because I love you and there's not another woman on this fucking planet who compares to you. Your heart, mind, body, soul and spirit – all of it I'm addicted to. And once I make it big, I'm marrying your cute little ass and there's nothing you can do about it. And then we're having at least a dozen babies or however many you can handle having with me. Understand me?"

His words made Lennox smile widely in spite of the tears falling and she kissed him again, this time more passionate, pouring every ounce of feeling into it she could muster. Nothing more had to be said that night. Danny spent the majority of it making love to his girlfriend, wanting to assure her they were for life. He would never abandon her or any of the children they had, if that's what ended up happening. This woman was his whole world and, if she told him to give up wrestling tomorrow, he would do it in a heartbeat. Closing his eyes, Danny snuggled with Lennox after hours of lovemaking and kissed the top of her head, hoping whatever happened with Keyla didn't interfere with his relationship with Lennox.