Page 5 of Revelation (Love Isn't What It Seems 3)

“Well?”

One flaw of my grandfather’s. He was impatient. Glaringly, annoyingly so. I guess it was a result of always getting his way.

Focus, Layla.What were we talking about? Ah yes, he caught me in my little lie.

“You’re right, Grandfather. You have a great memory.” A little flattery could go a long way. Right? Well, not with my grandfather, but it couldn’t hurt. “My friend passed away.”Please forgive me, Lena.“I don’t have anything appropriate to wear for the funeral.”

I felt a pang of guilt at using Lena and her husband’s death as an excuse to get money for my blackmailer. I knew she wouldn’t mind, but it felt wrong. Not to mention, I had already attended their funeral.

My heart twisted in my chest and the pain of losing Lena swelled like a flood inside me. The blink of an eye, and she was gone. It hurt badly, almost more than losing my mother. Or maybe I was so drugged up after the accident, I never felt the full extent of gut-wrenching pain after losing my mother. Truth was Lena and Liberty offered more unconditional love than my mother ever did. She was too bitter that she was the second woman; that my father wouldn’t let go of his obsession over Liberty’s mother. She told me once during a drunken bender that she believed my father was going to leave his wife and choose her. But that never happened, even after she told him she was pregnant.

The pain and fear mixed on my tongue. If Liberty found out we were sisters, would she leave me too? Would she cut all her ties with me?

“You are a useless piece of work,” my grandfather muttered. “God couldn’t grant us the presence of our legitimate granddaughter. He mocks us with you.”

“I’m sorry.” What could I possibly say to that?I hate you too, Grandfather!

Visiting my grandparents was torture, not only physically but mentally. And to think I used to want their love, crave their affection. Now, I just wanted to stay away from them.

“Gold digger,” my grandfather muttered under his breath. I wasn’t surprised to hear it. Honestly, I would have been disappointed if I didn’t hear it. He never missed an opportunity to call me that. “I’ll transfer it to your account today.”

“Thank you.” I smiled sweetly, while inside my head I screamed and clawed. I hated that I needed them. I wanted free of this, of them, of everything. I just wanted to be normal, have someone that loved me and would stand by me no matter what.

Liberty would.I couldn’t do that to her now. She had too much on her plate as it was. Lena’s death shook her badly, and I didn’t want to cause her more pain. Brandon needed her more than I did.

This was my atonement. For my sins and my lies.

Chapter Two

Maxim

My heart thundered hard against my ribs. Sweat rolled down my side, and I took a deep breath then exhaled slowly, calming my pulse.

It was barely eight in the morning but temperatures already reached a hundred degrees. The air was heavy and dry, making it hard to breathe.

Harry was supposed to be back with his battalion by the first ray of sun. He was getting married today, for fuck’s sake. He better not be playing Rambo today, of all days. Unless he was-

My jaw tightened, and I pushed away the possibility of anything else happening to Harry.

It had been only one rotation, but I was tired as fuck. The shit I saw was enough to last me a lifetime. There was a team of six of us that came to check the situation out. All of us were tired, thirsty, filthy, and bloody. We were just back from our own mission when we discovered Harry hadn’t returned with his team, so we headed back out.

Some of us hadn’t slept in three days.

This was not where I expected to find Harry. This wasn’t a military compound. It was dominated by drug cartels and terrorists of the Middle East.

Daniel and I locked eyes. His jaw was set, his dark hair stained with sweat, just like mine. Neither one of us had a good feeling about this. Harry was never meant to be here; his last location was fifty miles south of here. When we got there, a local from the village saw him abducted. He recognized the group and they offered to take us to the last known location this group used as their compound. For five hundred bucks. Best money ever spent. When we got closer to the compound, a local boy told us he saw a man fitting Harry’s description being dragged into this compound. We sent him and the other man away, because shit was about to hit the fan.

Daniel and I moved soundlessly from one stone wall to the next, staying out of range. Our boots crunched against the grains of sand. Both of our fingers were ready on the trigger.

Something is not right, my mind whispered the warning. I knew it, but I ignored it, eager to find our friend. The place was too empty; there were no guards, no cameras. Nothing. As if someone opened the door wide and welcomed us in.

My men are behind Daniel and myself. If shit went down, I wanted them out of this cluster alive. Daniel and I decided to come after Harry. The men accompanying us volunteered to come along; this wasn't an authorized mission. But I knew Harry; he wouldn’t have missed his own wedding. He couldn’t wait to marry the love of his life.

The wind rustled through twisted shrubby trees, the sound of the sand shifting, my heart pulsing hard in my ears. And undistinguished screeching, the sound sending terror straight to my heart.

I pointed to the left, where a small window with iron bars stood, screaming seemingly coming from that direction.

With a nod, we both move towards it.

---