Page 33 of Revelation (Love Isn't What It Seems 3)

The truth revealed itself in the worst way possible. I couldn’t even imagine the shock my sister underwent today. Livy and her mother were close and loved each other. Finding out she was a product of my father’s cruelty, it hurt. It must have.

“Livy?” I called out to her.

“Yes?”

“When I first sought you out, it was because I was jealous and mad.” It was time I came clean with my own secrets. Well, at least some of them. “My grandparents, our grandparents, hate me, and I wanted to show them I was better than you. But then I met you and they no longer mattered.” The reason I could endure my visits to them was because of Livy. Because I had her in my life. Her and Brandon. “We are sisters.” God, how long have I been waiting to say this. “We are sisters,” I repeated. “Nothing else matters. We are sisters. I’ve loved you all along. You loved me before this came out, and now we are just sealing it with blood ties. Our father doesn’t matter, just us and Brandon. We will have each other if everything else fails.”

I held my breath for her response. “Yes,” she answered in a choked voice. “When did you become so smart?”

“Since I realized I was your older sister, although just by two months,” I teased her. Yes, my heart was heavy and bleeding, worry swarmed me, but I meant every word. I would be here for her, no matter what. “I love you, Livy.”

“I love you too.”

Hearing my sister’s words after all these years of her not knowing we were related was like coming home in a way. I had a family. We were forever connected to each other.

I heard a man’s voice come through the phone, like someone else was in the room. And Livy confirmed it when she added, “I have to go.”

The call ended and despite the blackmailer note hanging over me, it felt good to have talked to my sister. Liberty and Brandon were pretty much the only good thing left in my life.

My eyes shifted to the blackmailer’s note. “What am I going to do?” I murmured in a whisper but truthfully, I already knew.

Chapter Twelve

Maxim

Iwent looking for Liberty but found Layla. That must have been some lunch those two had that drove both to roam the streets. The unexpected news obviously upset them both. My brother could handle locating Liberty. She was his wife. Layla, on the other hand, needed me more. Her revelation that those two were sisters was a slight shock. But for some reason, it didn’t surprise me to hear they were half-sisters. I meant what I said. They had no physical resemblance but they had similarities in their stubbornness, and even a few mannerisms.

My heart just about stopped seeing her almost hit by the car. He would have hit her at full speed, not even attempting to slow down. I memorized the tag number, and the first chance I had, I shot it to my contact. That man would not be driving for a while.

I dialed up Daniel.

“Maxim, I’m kind of busy right now.”

I heard painful grunting, something that sounded like a saw and then screaming.

“Are you going all theSawon me?”

“You called to discuss a movie?” His voice was calm. I almost expected to hear some popcorn popping in the background. Instead, I heard another painful, high-pitch scream.

“I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you,” the man in the background screamed.

I shook my head. This wasn’t the first time I caught him during his interrogation.

“We can discuss the movie later,” I told him. “Layla Cambridge is sending over her résumé. I’d like you to check it out.”

“She wants a job?”

“We need someone with a background in nonprofit. She has it.”

“She does, but her grandfather just happens to be the one that is robbing us.”

“He’ll pay us all back. I hope it is him I hear as background noise.”

“No, this is personal.”

“Okay, next time then.” I probably shouldn’t even suggest it because I wouldn’t put it past him to get Layla’s grandfather and torture the money right out of him.

“You sure about her?”

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