Sand Cove 2

by Niyah Moore

Genres: African American Urban

Synopsis

From the outside looking in, the residents of Sand Cove are perfect, but their countless secrets and lies are under the guise of expensive perfumes and honey-sweet smiles. Summer has come around again, yet it doesn't feel like summer. The sky isn't blazed in blue, and the sun isn't a celebration of oranges and yellows. It has been eight months since Luca Moretti's murder, and Agent Tyler must deal with the fact that Luca's murder may never be solved.\
Alohnzo is in love with Tahira and is anxious for the perfect moment to propose, but her nightmares of her husband are taking a toll on their relationship. He also wants to run the family business without Alistair, but his father's wish is for both of his sons to run the company. When Pops has a stroke, Alistair returns to Sand Cove with a surprise of his own with Kinsley. He feels confident that he can fulfill his father's business dreams, making Alohnzo wish he stayed away.
Noble and Tru Mason need to find a way to save their multi-million-dollar cosmetic company. Still, with social media and technology dominating the industry, they are faced with the tough decision of selling or shutting down for good. Tru is ready to move forward, but will Noble's relentless spirit ruin their marriage?
Tahira sells her home to retired reality court TV Judge Sidra Embry. She's a divorced mother of three and her youngest gorgeous daughter, Tori, still lives at home and is filming a reality show of her own. What happens when Sidra and her boyfriend discover a hidden room that reveals a deep dark secret that will shake things up for Sand Cove once again?

Release date: February 23, 2021

Publisher: Urban Books

Print pages: 288

Sample

Dressed in a sheer white wedding gown, I ran down the long hallway of a cathedral with my hands holding up my dress in bunches with my heart racing. The hall seemed endless with each stride, and it felt like I was never going to make it. I was late to my own wedding, and I wondered if Alohnzo was stressing. I was sure he thought I had changed my mind. I would never change my mind about being his wife, but I had cold feet.

My mum told me to focus on my love for him and not what others would think about me getting married so quickly after my husband was murdered. I was starting to sweat, and I was afraid that the hours of makeup would be ruined if I didn’t slow down. Beautiful organ music played as a choir sang in the far distance, and I felt excited. This was my day, and I had nothing to be afraid of.

I was going to marry Alohnzo, the man of my dreams. He showed me that his love was perfect, and the way that he loved me wasn’t some dreamy fairy tale. Alohnzo was everything I never imagined. He was an alpha male who always knew what he wanted and when he wanted it. Alohnzo was all about his love and protection for me, and I felt safe. I felt secure. These were things I had never felt with my deceased husband, Luca. Alohnzo was confident and poised in the most inconvenient situations. And I was going to be his wife.

Out of breath, I finally came to the pair of oversized wooden double doors. I hesitated for a few seconds, trying to regain my composure as I wiped my face and touched my hair that was pulled into an updo. I closed my eyes before hurling the heavy double doors open. I slowly opened my eyes to see 200 sitting guests turning my way. I instantly stopped breathing, and my knees started to tremble. As if I could hear Alohnzo’s voice telling me to focus on him, I looked past the guests to meet his worried expression. He suddenly looked relieved that I didn’t stand him up at the altar. He nervously smiled my way. His brother, Alistair, patted him on the back with an identical grin.

I stepped inside of the cathedral, feeling my stomach swirl, but I refused to take my eyes off Alohnzo. His deep brown eyes, his golden skin, that handsome grin, and shadow beard made my heart skip a few beats. The butterflies in my stomach moved, and although I felt like I was going to faint from all my emotions, I took in another deep breath through my nose and exhaled.

As soon as I took two steps down the aisle, the door slammed shut behind me. Startled, I jumped, looking behind me to see who would slam the door that way, but no one was there. The room suddenly spun around, and all the guests disappeared into thin air. Speechless, I looked at Alohnzo. He didn’t seem to notice our guests were no longer in the cathedral. He reached out his hand for me to join him at the altar.

I marched down the aisle. With each step, the floor beneath me felt weak, as if I were walking on some thin ice covering a lake. I took another step, and then I heard a snap. I halted and looked down. Without warning, I started falling straight to the bottom of pitch blackness, screaming. I dropped to the bottom but somehow landed on my feet, and a single light appeared above my head.

Where am I?

“Alohnzo!” I shouted up with fear and panic filling me.

I couldn’t hear anything, not a single sound.

I turned around to see if I could make out my surroundings, but I couldn’t. With a snap of a finger, I was standing in my living room. It didn’t look the same, though. Where was my furniture? Where were my paintings? The room had been stripped bare. I heard footsteps coming toward me down the hall. I turned to the hallway.

“Alohnzo?” I called, feeling my voice shake.

I waited for his response, but I still couldn’t hear anything. No one was there.

I turned toward the living room, squinting through the dim lights, and saw someone sitting in an orange armchair wrapped in a thin gray blanket.

“Alohnzo?” I walked toward the person.

The closer I got, I realized it wasn’t my sweet Alohnzo. It was my deceased husband—alive—but he didn’t look the same.

“Luca?”

As if activated by my voice, he rose silently from the chair, staring at me with heavy-lidded eyes and a hanging mouth. His cheekbones accentuated his skeletal face, looking like Michael Jackson in “Thriller.” I swallowed the hardness that was trying to form in the back of my throat. Instead of running away or screaming, I stood still, staring him in his face.

“Tahira,” he whispered as his wrinkled hand reached for my face.

I froze as he gently traced my chin with his wrinkled fingers. I tried to move, but my feet felt like they were glued to the ground. He grabbed my throat and squeezed with unbelievable strength. The more he pressed, the stronger he became.

“Why?” he asked. “I loved you.”

I struggled to move his hands, but he was too strong. I fought with all my might to break free, but I tripped over my own feet. Crawling on my stomach like an army soldier in the mud, I did my best to get to the front door. I looked behind me, and he was right there. I tried to go faster, but it was no use. He grabbed my foot, and in one swooping motion, he pulled me into the darkness.

“Aaaah!” I screamed in the highest pitch.

I opened my eyes as I inhaled deeply and realized that I was no longer in Luca’s grasp. Frantically, I looked around the room because the bad dream felt too real. I wasn’t in a wedding dress, and it wasn’t my wedding day. I was in a hotel suite in London, and the sun was trying to peek through the curtains. I was in a cold sweat, and my chest was heaving up and down.

I didn’t expect to spend eight months away from Alohnzo. In those eight months, it didn’t matter if I was at my mum’s or in a hotel . . . my bed was cold and lonely. I missed Alohnzo’s muscular arms and how he would wrap them around me. I missed the smell of his Cool Water shower gel. No other man had been the object of my affection and desire the way he had. I was in love with Alohnzo.

I wanted to be back in Sand Cove because I missed everyone, but the house I shared with Luca was another story. When I thought about returning to the house, I felt nervous and afraid that Luca’s ghost would haunt me while there. The nightmares I was already having brought on this anxiety, and that was the main reason why I hadn’t rushed to get back.

I looked at the time. It was a little after 5:00 a.m., so I got out of bed and inhaled and exhaled deeply to catch my breath. Those dreams about Luca were feeling more real with each one. I turned on the lights, went into the bathroom, and splashed water from the faucet on my face. I had to get myself together because I was catching a flight back home in a few hours. I walked to the closet and pulled out my luggage. Placing it on the bed, I unzipped it. After taking the clothes out of the drawers, I put them neatly in the suitcase. Then I walked around the hotel room, making sure I didn’t leave anything. Everything was packed and ready to go.

I went into the bathroom and started the water for a shower. While it ran to get hot, I brushed my teeth. After taking a shower, I dried off, put on lotion, and dressed. Then I called room service to eat my last breakfast in London.

It was midnight, and I couldn’t stop thinking about Tahira. She was always on my mind, all day and all night. I stared out of my bedroom window as thunder rumbled, and a bolt of lightning split the night’s sky in half. The moonlight highlighted the palm trees as they swayed as if they were waltz dancing with the wind.

As the storm was building, I became worried. It was getting harder to eat, sleep, or think straight without Tahira. When I was in London with her for two months, we had so much fun together. We went sightseeing to Big Ben, the Tower of London, and Tower Bridge. We ate Tahira’s favorite foods, fish and chips with onion rings dipped in tartar sauce, and spicy crab croquettes at the Lobster Bar. I didn’t want to leave, but I had to return home for work. Since Alistair abandoned the company, the bulk of his clients were left to me, and my workload was heavy.

I didn’t think Tahira would like to stay away from me in London for so long. She promised she was coming back but would change her mind. This time, she had given a date and a time, and I couldn’t wait to hold her in my arms.

I checked my phone, hoping she called to let me know she was going to really come home this time, but she hadn’t. I got into bed, lying on top of the covers, and closed my eyes.

I hated my alarm for waking me up at 6:00 a.m. because it felt as if I hadn’t slept at all. Yawning every couple of minutes, I managed to get out of bed, take a shower, and get dressed on time. As soon as I was in my car, I called Tahira again, but she didn’t answer. I left another voice message.

“Tahira. I’m not sure if you’ve received my messages, but I hope you’re already on the plane. I wanted to pick you up from the airport, but you didn’t let me know what time your flight would be landing. Anyway, call me.”

Ending the call, I started the car, pushed the button to open the garage, and backed out. Once down the driveway, I hit the button to close the garage. Before passing Alistair’s house, I saw that the “For Sale” sign was gone and wondered who bought it. I hoped whoever Alistair might’ve sold the house to would be a good fit into our community. I wished he would’ve let me help him make that decision. He hadn’t lived here long enough to determine who would get along with everyone. If he hadn’t disappeared and changed his phone number, I would’ve been able to talk it over with him. While Alistair had been away, I had my landscaper take care of his front lawn and areas surrounding his home because it was starting to get out of control. I didn’t want Tru or Noble to complain about it, so I took care of it.

I headed down the street.

My phone rang, and I quickly grabbed it. I was disappointed as soon as I saw that it was my mother. I hesitated before I picked up because I wasn’t in the mood to hear any negativity, but I was also curious to see what she wanted. “Good morning, Mother.”

“You were supposed to call me back last night,” she complained.

“I’m sorry, I got caught up with some unfinished work,” I said, making something up.

“I see. Did that widow move in with you yet?”

“No, and please don’t call her that. Her name is Tahira, and she does have her own home.”

“Good. Have you heard from your brother lately?”

“I have his email address, but I haven’t reached out. The sale sign isn’t up this morning, so I guess he finally sold the house.”

“To whom?”

“Mother, I don’t know, but I’ll try to find out soon.”

“I’m worried,” she said. “I don’t know why he would disappear and stay away from us like this. It’s been too long, and it’s not like him. Your father is supposed to be retired by now. He doesn’t want to do anything unless Alistair is here.”

“I think it’s time to talk about me stepping into Pop’s role without Alistair. We don’t know if or when he’s coming back. I have what it takes to lead this company. I think it’s time for Pop to make a decision, don’t you?”

“I didn’t know you wanted to fill your father’s shoes without Alistair. It’s your father’s dream for both of his sons to run the company together. He’s waiting for Alistair to return, but don’t worry, I’ll talk to him.”

“Thank you, Mom. I appreciate that. Alistair ran off and didn’t say a word. How is that fair to us?”

“I hear you, son. My only concern is that Alistair isn’t okay, but in the meantime, I think you will be perfect in the role, and you are more than capable of handling things on your own. Why don’t you come by for dinner this Friday, and we’ll talk about it together? How does that sound?”

“Sounds great. I’ll be there.”

“See you then. I love you, son.”

“I love you too. See you soon.”

I waited for her to end the call first in case she had anything else to say. The last thing I wanted was for her to call me back and accuse me of hanging up on her purposely.

I hoped going to my parents’ home wouldn’t be a waste of my time. If my father was bent on waiting for Alistair, I was prepared to resign to start my own business. I didn’t have a clue about what that business would be, but I was open to whatever would be a significant investment. I had never discussed leaving the company, but I wanted them to understand where I was coming from. I was successful and good at being a financial advisor. I was the best Pop had. Though I was paid well, I didn’t want to settle in that position. I wanted to be the boss.

My phone rang again. This time, it was Tahira, and my heart skipped a few beats.

“Hello?” I answered so fast as if she would hang up if I didn’t.

“Hey, Alohnzo,” she said, sounding cheerful.

“Tahira, hey, is everything all right?”

“Yeah, everything is fine. I meant to call you on my way to the airport, but it was too early in the morning your time, and I didn’t want to wake you up. I have a layover in Newark, New Jersey, for about an hour, and then I’ll be arriving around three in the afternoon. I can’t wait to see you.”

“I can’t wait to see you, either. I was worried about you.”

“I figured you would be. I was trying to get things together to leave. After breakfast, I took a nap but then overslept. I was running late to the airport and almost missed my flight.”

“Oh no. Sounds like a rough start.”

“Yeah. I need to tell you about what else that has been going on with me.”

“Okay.”

“I . . . I have also been having nightmares, but it’s fine. I think I’m experiencing some posttraumatic stress or something.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, but I’ll be fine. I’m glad I’m almost home. I can’t wait to lie with you, kiss you, hold you, and make love to you.”

“I’ve been dreaming of those things for months now. I’ll be there to pick you up from the airport, so don’t you worry about a ride home.”

“You’ll be working, and I can take an Uber. I’ll let you know when I’m home.”

“No, Tahira. I’m coming to pick you up. I’ll be there at three, and that’s that.”

“Okay. I won’t argue with you, my love. Thank you so much.”

“It’s no problem. Nothing and no one will ever be a priority over you, not even work.”

“I love you so much,” she said.

“I love you more. See you when you arrive.”

“Okay. See you.” She hung up.

I exhaled, feeling relieved. Butterflies swirled in my stomach, and I perked up. I couldn’t wait to wrap my arms around Tahira and plant the juiciest kiss on those beautiful lips. I drove to work, feeling excited because my baby was finally coming home.

“We have to do something about Constantine Enterprises before we end up broke and filing for bankruptcy,” Tru said, putting lotion on her thick and gorgeous legs while wearing a bathrobe.

“I need you to be positive,” I answered, feeling as if my wife were overly dramatic. “I admit things aren’t going as planned, but why don’t you have faith that we can turn things around?”

“Because the company cannot survive, especially with sagging sales. We might have to consider shutting down the business permanently.”

“Hell no! That’s not an option.”

Our cosmetics were no longer being sold in the larger retailers because those retailers were shutting their stores for good, but we could overcome this obstacle. It was going to take work, but I was willing to roll up my sleeves and figure this out.

“You do understand that the rise of e-commerce companies such as Amazon is making it harder to attract the customers to buy our products,” she said.

“Fuck Amazon. We just need to change our sales strategies. I’m ready to give it one last try. Tru, baby, listen to me. We can do this.”

“I don’t see how you think we can,” she answered while rubbing the excess lotion through her hands. “We already let most of our employees go, and we don’t have enough money to come up with a strategy to start all over again. Revamping is not an option right now. Enough is enough, Noble. We have our home and our lives on the line, and you want to risk it all? For what?”

“Baby, I get it. You’re frustrated, and so am I, but I need you to have faith in your man. I’ll come up with another alternative. Just watch. We’ll be back on top.”

“No, Noble, we don’t need any alternatives. It takes more money to make money, and we don’t have money because someone wanted to gamble everything we had in the first place. It’s okay to let go and realize when things just aren’t going to work, but this doesn’t mean you’re a failure.”

Just like Tru to throw my gambling in my face. I hadn’t gambled ever since the FBI agents exposed my secret. I was done with it.

“You act like your money and Luca’s didn’t save us,” I said.

“It did, but it hasn’t been a year, and we’re right back in the hole, and this time, there’s no one to borrow from and no savings to back up our asses. Anyway, I don’t want to argue about it. I’ve made up my mind, and I’m going back to law school.”

“Law school? Are you serious? You don’t think we have enough money to relaunch our business, but we have enough to send you back to law school?”

“Hey, I still have the money that my dad gave me to get my law degree. Baby, I supported you and your dream of Constantine all these years. After graduation from college, you were set on this business, and I lived that dream with you. The mistake we made was thinking this company would last forever with all the technology changes and the evolution of social media without being prepared for it. Nothing lasts forever.”

“Johnson & Johnson has lasted over 133 years, Tru. We barely reached ten years. You know how many challenges they have faced as a company? How many decades they survived? We got this.”

“Baby, Johnson & Johnson has over 200 subsidiary companies with products sold in over 175 countries. We can’t compare ourselves to a multinational giant like that.” She stood up and placed the lotion on the dresser.

“Why can’t we? I have a dream, Tru, and I still feel like Constantine can be saved. With the right investor, we can do it. One of my childhood memories of my grandmother was watching her sit at her vanity, and she had all these pretty products . . . perfumes, powder puffs, and creams all encased in gorgeous jars. All iconic beauty brands. I wanted to honor my grandmother’s memory with our company.”

“I get it, Noble. I’ve heard your beautiful story millions of times. Baby, sometimes, we must live in reality. There were things we could’ve done differently years ago.... Your gambling debt cost us big time. Face it; it’s time to let Constantine go.” Tru kissed me on the cheek and went into the walk-in closet. “I gotta make the kids breakfast, get them dressed, and get them ready for school since Ximena is gone. It’s their last week of school before the summer break.”

“What you mean she’s gone?”

“She left for Mexico last night. Her family vacation, remember? She’ll be gone for two weeks.”

I nodded. “Oh yeah, that’s right. I’m going to call Alohnzo to see if he can help us.”

She came out of the closet dressed in a thin-strapped summer dress and flashed me a sharp look. “Don’t you dare ask him for money, Noble.”

“I’m not going to ask him for money. He’s a financial advisor, and I’m a customer. I should’ve asked for his financial advice and guidance a long time ago.”

“You don’t think it’s too late for that?”

“Never too late.”

She sighed and shrugged. “Okay, but I’m still enrolling in law school.” Then she walked out of the bedroom.

Feeling my head pulsate, I rubbed my temples as I picked up my cell phone and dialed Alohnzo.

After a few rings, he picked up. “What’s up, Noble?”

“Hey, you got time to see me for an appointment today? I need a financial advisor.”

“I have an appointment in about fift. . .