Layers Off (26 page)

“I believe you.” My voice shook, but to my surprise I meant the words that came out of my mouth. I believed Julian.

“You saved a girl’s life. Hell, you probably saved more than hers and you don’t even know it. I bet there were others, too. You changed an entire school, for Pete’s sake! The Facebook connections you made in high school, your support and conviction... No one does that! And then you survived a month in gruesome captivity. You’re a survivor! We will beat this. We’re in this together, to the end.”

Something stilled in my mind.

“What is it?” he asked

“Holy fuck, Julian. Facebook!” I shot off the bed, pulled on a robe, and clicked on my computer. “We never checked Facebook to find Olivia.”

“Of course we did. I checked myself as well. Olivia left no trace.”

“You didn’t check my groups; and Olivia went by Liv.”

I clicked on the keyboard to log in. A few more keystrokes and I was searching for Liv. “Look, last active yesterday! She’s been online. She’s still monitoring what’s going on at school.”

“Send her a message,” he said.

“What if I scare her? She’s my only hope.”

“Tell her your life is on the line. You saved her and now she could do the same for you. Tell her the whole story. Tell her everything.”

It took an hour before I found the right words to explain to Liv how important it was that she contact me. I told her about what Donato had tried to do to me, and why I disappeared after shooting him.

“Honesty is the best policy, right?” I sought Julian’s approval before I hit the send button.

He re-read the message, saying, “Looks good.”

I clicked.

And we waited.

C
HAPTER
27

Two weeks had passed since the hearing. To celebrate my freedom, Julian treated me with a trip to Hawaii. For the first time in months – no, years – my life was finally beginning to settle down. My parents were back, alive, my father working along Mr. Cross to stop Congressman Donato from supporting legislation favoring sex-trafficking and money laundering. Julian had said the web of politics was thickly laced with greed and scams. It had long been a dream of the Cross family to restore a balance in the country, fight laws that benefited the wealthy and put those who abused the system – like Congressman Donato – out on the streets.

In court, Peter Donato sat with his mouth open as Liv testified on my behalf. She’d lived in hiding since the incident in high school, but with Allie’s and Laura’s help, she found proper counseling and registered in night-school courses. Peter kept shaking his head as Liv’s story confirmed that I had saved her life. In his defense, he’d had no idea his father was perverted – at least that’s what the shock on his face told me. As for the Congressmen: well, he disappeared seconds after the gavel echoed through the courtroom.

This evening, Julian led me through a crowded street. My eyes were covered with a silk scarf, and I’d promised not to peek. He’d been driving around Manhattan for nearly an hour, trying to confuse me. Whatever the surprise was, I knew it was going to be good. The sound of honking cabs, the diesel fumes of passing busses, and the muttered “excuse me” every few seconds were all familiar.

The aroma of New York’s French fries and spices filled the air.

“I know this smell.” I took a deeper whiff.

“Please, at least let me try to surprise you.” Julian slowed our walk. “We’re almost here; there’s a step in front of you. Lift your right leg, now.”

I stepped over the threshold I couldn’t see. The sounds from the street dissolved behind us when a door closed. The reddish glow under my eyelids darkened. The sound of my footsteps on the tiled floor echoed off the walls. The smell of incense and wax intensified.

We must have stepped into a bigger room because it became cooler.

“Are you ready?” Julian asked, his cheek so close to my face I could feel his warmth.

I wasn’t sure whether I’d ever be ready. Each day was a brand new beginning I embraced with new-found peace. I knew he had been planning something big for the past few days. Allie occupied me with the twins, asking me and Emma to take the kids for a walk every day – which of course I didn’t mind. Tristan and Allie made the most beautiful babies in the world.

The knot at the back of my head loosened. Julian lowered my silk scarf, and as soon as my eyes were open I heard, “Surprise!” and I jumped up.

“Easy, K. I’ve got you.”

We were at Kissed. In front of me, my entire staff stood underneath a
Welcome Back
sign.

“I mean, we’ve got you,” Julian whispered into my ear.

I toasted with my flute of sparkling water – to friends, family, and the second chance I never hoped to have.

Dear Reader:

Thank you for reading the Layers Trilogy. I hope you enjoyed it and I would love to hear your thoughts about the story. Feel free to shoot me an email or get in touch with me on Facebook anytime. Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads help indie authors like me to spread the word about my work and be accepted for special promotions, so please leave an honest review on those sites. I really, really appreciate it.

What’s next? I’m finishing up a contemporary romance novel with adult content titled, My First, My Last. If you’ve read the short story (which is available for free), I’ve turned it into a novel. It’s very close to my heart and it’s been an emotional roller coaster ride writing it. After that, No More Regrets: a new adult/erotic romance and then another suspense series with a pending title. And yes, all these will be available in 2014!

Cheers!

Lacey Silks

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About the Author

Author of Erotic Romance, Lacey Silks writes her stories from life experiences, dreams and fantasies. She likes a pinkish shade on a woman’s cheeks, men with large feet and sexy lingerie, especially when it’s torn off the body. Her favorite piece of clothing is a ‘birthday suit’.

When she’s not thinking about writing steamy stories, which is a rare occasion, Lacey enjoys camping and skiing with her family (not at the same time of course). She’s a happily married wife blessed with two kids who adore going to the library. She’s an early bird by nature, but loves the nightly adventures with her hubby which provide good content for her books.

If you enjoyed
the story, please consider leaving a review. All authors depend on the support of their readers to find an audience. Make your opinion count! Please write reviews on other sites as well, such as Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads, whether you made a purchase on their site or not.

Work by Lacey Silks:

Short Stories

My First, My Last
(Free eBook)

Dance With Me

Teacher’s Pet

Over The Limit

Bossy Request
(Free eBook)

My Neighbor’s Will

Fantasy in Each Reality (Erotic Shorts 1-3) Collection

Fantasy in Each Reality (Erotic Shorts 4-6) Collection

Mistresses Series: Meet Claire, Casey, Lexie, Paige and Amber in 5 connected shorts in the “My Reason To Cheat” Series.

New Adult/Erotic Romance Novels

Dazzled By Silver
(a prequel to the Layers Trilogy)

Layers Deep

Layers Peeled

Layers Off

Coming Soon (Novels):

My First, My Last: A Novel (based on the
free short story
)

No More Regrets

Untitled Erotic Suspense Series