The last app, p.27
It's Me: A chilling psychological thriller packed with dark secrets, shocking revelations, and twists you’ll never predict. (WELCOME HOME Book 3), page 27
IT’S ME
_______________
A Psychological Thriller Novel
Welcome Home—Book Three
Samara Cove
Copyright © Samara Cove, 2025
Samara Cove has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or used in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, businesses, organizations, and events other than those clearly in the public domain are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places or persons, living or dead, or locales is entirely coincidental.
authorsamaracove.com
To my editors. I don’t know what I would do without you!
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
PART ONE: WEST VIRGINIA—
NINE YEARS AFTER WATCHING THE FULLY DECRYPTED VIDEO
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
PART TWO: BACK TO TAHOE WE GO
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
PART THREE: WHERE IS HE?
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
PART FOUR: DON’T WORRY, IT’S ME
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
CHAPTER 47
CHAPTER 48
EPILOGUE: FIVE MONTHS LATER (WEST VIRGINIA)
BONUS EPILOGUE: FIFTEEN YEARS LATER
PROLOGUE
“This is going to be difficult to hear, Sarah, and you may feel inclined to pause the video at times after I reveal everything you need to know about your grandfather. And it’s okay to take as much time as you need to process these revelations because they…are…heavy. However, promise me that no matter what, you will watch this video to the end. Your grandfather, Brian Kent, is, and always will be, a con artist of emotions, walking around collecting loyalty, then crushing it for sport. You deserve to know the truth about him.”
“Since the day I was born, my father made it crystal clear to me that he was ashamed of me, though he ‘so kindly’ tolerated me for the first half of my childhood. His tolerance abruptly ended when he found me with another boy. We were exploring each other in my room during my teenage years. Brian was ashamed of my homosexuality and insisted that he was going to ‘fix’ me.”
“My father, your grandfather, truly thought he could change me. And the sad thing is, this isn’t the worst part of what I’m about to share with you.”
“One night, Brian was throwing another one of his infamous parties. As usual, everyone wound up passed out after he slipped something into the drinks, and his unethical human experimentation commenced. But on this particular night, Brian did something so horrifying, I’ve never shared it with anyone…until now.
“You need to know this, Sarah…”
“Your grandfather was so set on erasing who I was that he targeted a younger woman from the party who was about my age at the time, so that he could carry out his plan to ‘fix me’. Brian lifted her limp body and brought her upstairs to my room. He tossed her on my bed and told me I had two options. Option one was to have sex with the woman, despite her lack of consciousness, as a way to prove to my father that I was, what he referred to as, ‘a real man’. The other option was to be killed. In his words, he ‘refused to live on this earth with such an embarrassment for a son’.”
“My father is a scary, powerful man. I did NOT want to do what he was asking, but I did it. I had to…and it was the hardest thing I ever had to do at that point in my life.”
“I was young and scared. I wasn’t ready to die. It took a long time for me to do it, and I had tears streaming down my face the entire time. But no matter what happened after that moment, I knew I would have to take accountability for my actions. I, Riley Kent, took advantage of that unconscious woman, all while my father stood in the doorway and watched. He even brought in a doctor after to check the woman, making sure I carried through to completion without faking it.”
“She was a virgin.”
“It’s sick what I did. I hate myself a little more every time I think about it. I’ve never been more ashamed in my entire life than I was at that moment. I should have chosen the alternative; I could have died a better man.”
“Everything after that moment felt like a whirlwind.”
“Six weeks later, the woman, Donna Georgene, found out she was pregnant.”
“I never wanted a child of my own. I am a carrier of the Marnex Wasting Disorder (MWD) gene. I never wanted to risk passing that gene on to someone else, but there I was, about to be a young father with a woman I didn’t know, potentially passing on an incurable disorder.”
“Brian kidnapped the young woman from her home and forced the two of us to get married. It was like adding salt to an already throbbing open wound.”
“So, after the arranged wedding, Donna Georgene and I snuck off to annul the marriage. Days later, she disappeared.”
“Years went by, and I never heard from her. I wondered if she had had the baby, though if she did, she and the baby were probably safer wherever they were than being anywhere near my father. That’s why I never searched for them.”
“My father was wildly upset that I let my ‘forced secret love child’ go, but it was what needed to happen to protect everyone involved. Brian may not have killed me for it, but he certainly left his marks. Today, I wear those scars with pride.”
“To my surprise, years later, Donna Georgene showed up on my doorstep with the child who was no longer a baby. By that time, I was an adult with lots of money. I was ready and willing to help the woman whose life I had unintentionally changed…but that’s when I learned that Donna Georgene was just as bad a person as my father.”
“Her eyes were sunken in, and needle marks were trailing up and down her arm. Not only had she come back for my money, but she also wanted access to the chemicals in the basement. It was obvious her daughter was following in her mother’s footsteps. The young girl showed no humility in begging for money with eyes as red as a secret you shouldn’t have opened. Her head was lost in drug-infused clouds.”
“You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you this and what all this has to do with you, right, Sarah? Well, consider this my warning to you.”
“Donna Georgene died years ago. But her daughter, MY daughter, Alessa Kent, is still out there somewhere. She’s probably about your age, Sarah. I tried to help her get clean, but the truth is, I never had a good feeling about her from the moment we first met. I tried to support her even though it was never received. She was a ‘user’ in every sense of the word: money, drugs, and everything else.”
“In my death, I’ve left nothing to Alessa.”
“When she finds out that I left almost everything to YOU, I suspect Alessa will try to take what she will claim is rightfully hers. Be cautious.”
“I love you more than anything, my sweet niece. I wish I could’ve met the woman you are now. But with this information, I feel satisfied knowing you are equipped for anything that life will throw at you. I hope you always remember that one of the Kents was truly proud of you.”
“Know that I, your Uncle Riley, love you dearly, Sarah.”
“But after the dust settles, I want you to forget me. I’ve made too many bad decisions and poor choices in my life to be remembered.”
“Goodbye, sweet Sarah…and good luck.”
PART ONE: WEST VIRGINIA—
NINE YEARS AFTER WATCHING THE FULLY DECRYPTED VIDEO
CHAPTER 1
Sarah
“I hid a one-hundred-dollar bill somewhere in this apartment while we were moving boxes. If you have an emergency and need it, just call me, and I’ll tell you where it is.”
“I’ll be fine, Mom.”
“I mean it, Frank. Emergencies only, you hear me?” I quirk my brow at my
grown son, whom I hardly recognize anymore. “And pizza and beer don’t qualify as an emergency.”
Frankie lets go of a quiet laugh. Over the past nine years, Frankie has transitioned from the insecure, quiet young boy he once was into this hardly recognizable young man. I suppose change was inevitable, and the signs were there. I should have known he was growing up when he started going by “Frank” rather than “Frankie” during high school. Though he permitted me to call him whichever name I wanted.
These days, I often toggle between the two names.
“Honestly, Mom, I’ll be okay,” Frank interjects. “I asked to work a few double shifts at the data research center, just until I get fully settled into my apartment, and my boss approved it. But if I get desperate, I’ll just find a roommate to split the cost of everything.” He bobs his head slowly yet confidently as he speaks. “Let’s not forget that I just have to make it three more years on my own before I’ll be able to pull from the savings account you set up for me when Dad died for any emergency.”
Financially smart. He definitely got that from me, not his father.
“I might have taken a few more years to move out of your house than Alexis did when she was eighteen, but I’m twenty-two, remember?” Frankie states confidently. “I can take care of myself.”
That’s true. Alexis bolted away from the house as fast as she could at eighteen, but that worked for her.
She went out, got a degree in science, and now, at age twenty-five, she is already working in a similar field to mine. We have a great relationship and chat all the time on the phone. The girl simply wanted her independence, so who was I to stop her?
Frankie is the opposite. He needed more time at home before fleeing the nest, and I’m okay with that. Actually, I love that he gave me those few extra years of being under the same roof.
With a proud smile on my face, I give him an approving nod.
“Anyway,” he adds while shrugging, “If I wanted to buy beer, I would just use the credit card Richard gave me for emergencies.” He shifts his playful eyes toward Richard and winks.
“Frank Harrelson, stop that!” I gasp, and Richard chuckles as he stands beside me. I turn toward my husband. “And you…” I playfully swat his arm. “Is there ever a moment you two aren’t trying to get under my skin?”
I watch the two of them exchange glances and laugh.
Anyone on the outside would never know that there was a time, almost ten years ago now, when life wasn’t as simple and fun as it is now. My son was trapped in an emotional shell of trauma. I put him in therapy, spent more one-on-one time with him, and did everything else under the sun that I could think of to get him to open up. But it didn’t work. I felt hopelessly disconnected from him. I was stuck, and there was nothing I could do…until Richard came along.
“Before you go, can you show me how to change that dishwasher trap again?” Frankie asks Richard. “Doing the dishes was more of Alexis’s house chore, so I’m a little embarrassed to say I’ve never really explored the inner workings of a dishwasher.”
Richard tosses an arm around my son’s shoulders. “Come on, son. Let’s take a look.”
They cross the small living room into the kitchen, where they get down on their hands and knees. Richard takes his time to clearly explain everything he knows about the appliance to my son. Richard has been the best fill-in father for Frankie since he came into our lives. The two of them get along, and Frankie started smiling consistently again after Richard and I got married years back.
While Richard’s law practice continues to bring in lots of money, I was never interested in him for the money. I insisted that we sign a prenuptial agreement before getting married, just to prove that I wanted Richard for reasons other than financial gain. His impact on the kids was and continues to be so incredibly monumental, especially for Frankie.
That’s all I ever cared about.
Richard insisted we didn’t need a prenup, but I didn’t like the idea of anyone ever thinking that I was relying on a man to pay my way through life, as my mother once modeled for me. To compromise, Richard and I kept, and continue to keep, our bank accounts separate. If god-forbid we ever divorce, I’m confident that we will simply be able to walk away and each be okay.
My salary as the Director of Research at the Vireon Research Group is more than enough for me now, and it will be plenty when I retire in ten years or so. I’m so thankful they were able to give most employees their jobs back after the laboratory was rebuilt following a fire that had burned it to the ground.
“Oh wow, Rich,” Frankie gasps, interrupting my thoughts. “I would have never seen that tiny trap at the bottom of the dishwasher.”
“If you think that’s cool, let me show you the buttons on the sides of the top rack that lower and raise the rack…” Richard replies, and his tone is confident.
These two need each other.
I wasn’t sure Frankie would ever get back to being the happy kid he was before the tragic year his father was murdered, but look at him now. Fifteen years after Logan’s death, Frankie is thriving. Twenty-two-years-old. Moving into his first apartment. He has a basic college degree in computer science and a job working at a data research center to gain experience while hunting for his dream job.
My little boy is all grown up.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” I say when a thought pops into my mind. Digging deep into my purse, I pull out a new cat collar. “This was supposed to be a surprise for you to find when I left, but I thought you would want to know that I had the identification tags engraved with your information.”
Frankie’s face lights up as he takes the collar and examines the metal tag. He reads the inscription under his breath. “My name is Tonks. My owner is Frank Harrelson. If lost, please return to…” his voice trails off, and his eyes find mine. “You put my apartment address?” he says softly, then steps closer, tossing his arms around me and pulling me into a tight embrace. “Thanks, Mom. This means a lot.”
Frankie has always been our cat’s favorite person in the house, and Tonks had no shame in hiding the fact that she chose him. It is only right that our sweet black Tabby gets to live with him. Tonks has been bored out of her mind since her only other four-legged companion in the house has started to slow down over the years. I’m not sure how much energy Tonks expects a fifteen-year-old labrador to have, but Baby Girl has earned the right to lie around being lazy these days. She can’t play with Tonks the same way they used to when they were both younger.
Therefore, it was decided. Tonks moves in with Frankie, and Baby Girl remains at my house with me, the fifty-four-year-old, and Richard, the fifty-seven-year-old.
Tears well in my eyes when Frankie pulls back from our embrace.
“Don’t cry, Mom. I’m literally moving ten minutes away.”
Wiping my tears, I force a smile and nod. “I know, Frank. Someday, if you decide to be a parent, you’ll understand why I’m crying right now.” Turning to Richard, I pat him on the back. “Come on, old man. We need to get out of here before I completely lose it and decide to move in with Frank.”
The heaviness in the room is lifted momentarily.
We say our final goodbyes, and before I know it, Richard and I are back at our empty nest of a home, sitting on the couch.
“It’s eerily quiet, isn’t it?” My tone is low, almost a whisper.
Richard leans forward, letting out one of those old man grunts that Frankie used to laugh at, then grabs the remote control. “A little background noise will help the transition.” He points the remote at the TV and turns on the first thing he sees.
“Really? The news?” I laugh. “Is this how we’re starting day one of our empty nest adventures? By watching the news?”
Richard’s widespread grin is just another reason I know I made the right choice when I married him. He gets me.
“Breaking news…” The TV blares, and Richard looks up at it.
Before I break my gaze on Richard, I notice his smile disappears, and his face falls flat as he looks at the screen. I quickly bring my attention to the display playing out on the television. The smile falls from my face, too, when I see what he’s looking at.
In a matter of seconds, the fear, anxiety, and pain I had years ago comes rushing back to me.
CHAPTER 2
