Layla's Loyalty: Primrose Valley, #5

By Rebecca Andrew

Twelve months after a crisis brought them together, Layla has everything she ever wanted in Kenny.

But she has concealed something from him, and guilt eats away at her. She is scared to reveal the truth in case she loses him.

 

Life could not get better for Kenny and he is eager to embrace his future with the woman he loves, Layla.

However, he has no idea his past is about to catch up to him and put his relationship in jeopardy.

 

An ex with an agenda, hidden truths and fears put their love and loyalty to the test.
Will they have the courage to face what's ahead together, or will they be forced apart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rebecca Andrew
• Release date: Aug 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393313984

Rebecca Andrew

My name is Rebecca Andrew.  I live in the UK with my daughter Hannah.  I have always loved reading so it was only natural at some point I would write my own stories.  I really hope you enjoy my stories.  Keep an eye out for more of my works. 

Book preview

Synopsis

Twelve months after a crisis brought them together, Layla has everything she ever wanted in Kenny.

But she has concealed something from him, and guilt eats away at her. She is scared to reveal the truth in case she loses him.

Life could not get better for Kenny and he is eager to embrace his future with the woman he loves, Layla.

However, he has no idea his past is about to catch up to him and put his relationship in jeopardy.

An ex with an agenda, hidden truths and fears put their love and loyalty to the test.

Will they have the courage to face what's ahead together, or will they be forced apart?

Also by Rebecca

Primrose Valley Series

Serena’s Secret

Tina’s Terror

Hope’s History

Charlie’s Concern

Layla’s Loyalty

Rose’s Return

Primrose Valley Collection One (Book 1-3)

Primrose Valley Collection Two (Book 4-6)

Brotherhood Billionaire Series

Francesca

Stranded with the Billionaire

Fling with the Billionaire (coming soon)

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review.

Copyright © 2020 by Rebecca Andrew

Cover Art by Rebecca Andrew

Cover Image: 89863561 © R. Gino Santa Maria Dreamstime.com

This is a work of fiction.

Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This can be read as a standalone novel - but is part of a series.

This is an adult romance with no cliffhanger.

It contains some strong language, some violence and adult content.

It does touch on difficult themes.

The Primrose Valley Series is written in British, English.

Chapter 1

Layla looked around the kitchen, her mind whirring at what she had left to do. She was stressed as it was coming up to the one year anniversary of her relationship with Kenny Iona and she had wanted to do something special.

The easiest solution had been to cook a romantic meal and then move on to having ‘dessert’ in the bedroom. A shiver of anticipation ran through her and she couldn’t help the smile that crossed her lips. A quick look down at her outfit, jeans and tank top, and she realised she would need to get changed at some point.

The outfit she had in mind, or rather the scraps of material, for afters, was not going to be comfortable. At all. But she just knew it would have the desired effect on the man that she loved.

Life was never without complications. She had plenty of worries and concerns of her own that she really didn’t need any more. But life was life, and it didn’t care what anyone wanted.

To add a bit more stress to her already frazzled mind, there was an undercurrent of worry. One of her friends, Tina, had called earlier asking after Charlie. When she couldn’t help her, Tina had freaked and became hysterical. Once Layla had calmed her down some, Tina had gone on to explain how she was missing and no one had heard from her, even Eric.

The thought concerned her deeply, but she also knew her cousin, Eric, wouldn’t stop until he found her. They’d been fighting their attraction since Charlie moved to Primrose, but they had finally succumbed to the chemistry that surged between them.

To try and keep her mind off the fact her friend was missing, she channelled her energies into cooking and prepping for her anniversary meal. It may have seemed strange, or heartless to just pretend, but lately, their group of friends had been through so much. It was hard not to freak out.

First Serena was attacked and almost died in a fire.

Then Tina was in a horrific car accident.

Hope had been kidnapped and held for over a week by a mad man.

To find out that Charlie had disappeared made her anxiety kick in.

She had never told anyone that she suffered from anxiety and panic attacks. It had become something she just dealt with, and she tended to hide the attacks and her unease behind an overconfident persona. Being around her friends, she felt like she had to be the strong one. She wanted to be the one they could lean on and come to whenever they needed something.

How could she tell them she wasn’t as strong as she made out? What would they think of her? Would they understand what the attacks were and why she had them? The answer was she didn’t know, and that concerned her the most.

Things had gotten better after she had escaped Colin’s clutches. She shivered at the memories of her ex, the man she hated and the man who was the main reason behind her attacks.

Layla felt the rage at how she had fallen for his nonsense, fallen for his lies, envelope her. She wouldn’t have believed it possible. But she had. He never laid a hand on her. Oh, he had shoved her a few times, knocked her into walls, crowded her space, tried to intimidate her. But he had never left a mark or bruise on her skin. Never punched, hit or kicked her. She had never seen his actions as abuse.

Of course, it hadn’t been physical abuse that she had been dealing with. But emotional abuse. He had been controlling and manipulative with the way he treated her. It was these actions that had started the attacks in the first place. He constantly checked her phone, tracked her whereabouts, even encouraged her to quit the college course she had almost completed.

She had been working on her degree in fashion and merchandising. Clothes had once been her life. Layla had always enjoyed creating things that made people look and feel good, it brought her peace. Or at least it had.

It still burned her that she had given up after all that challenging work, but he had been so demanding and convincing at the same time.

Family was one of the most important things to Layla.

She loved her parents, her brother, her cousin, her aunts and uncles. No matter where they lived, or how often she saw them, they were her family.

So, when Colin had tried to cut them from her life, something inside snapped. Finally, she had woken up to his ways and kicked him to the kerb, she packed her bags and walked out for good.

The weight that lifted off her shoulders the moment she left him, was liberating to some degree. But even though it had been years since she left, the attacks that had begun during her toxic relationship, still plagued her and had never disappeared.

Her saving grace from that awful relationship was that she had never conceived a child. She had never caught pregnant, although that wasn’t without trying. When they had been, what she thought was happy, she had tried to get pregnant many times, but it just didn’t happen.

Of course, Colin had blamed her for that. Had called her any number of names that she had taken to heart and believed. In secret she went to have some tests done, she wanted to prove him wrong. Prove to herself that she wasn’t the reason they never conceived. But he was right.

It was her fault after all.

Tears came to her eyes at the memory of the visit to her doctors that had destroyed all her hopes and dreams of ever conceiving a child.

Her doctor had explained that after all the tests and checks she had performed on Layla, that she had discovered that she had polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS. Having only heard small bits about the condition she wasn’t familiar with all the symptoms, but as the doctor listed them all, she had felt her heart deflate.

She had left the GP’s office, dejected, humiliated and overwhelmed.

Guilt swarmed her.

To this day she had never told a soul.

She never told Colin, as they’d split not long after she found out.

She had never told her family or even her friends.

The only one who had any idea was Hope, she knew of her failed attempts to conceive but not about the PCOS.

How could she tell her and the others?

Being her best friend in the entire world, Hope had tried to convince her to discuss her concerns with Kenny, insisted that maybe the issue was Colin her ex, not Layla. But Layla was too ashamed to tell her the full truth, as well as frightened to take that risk with her relationship.

Whenever she went to visit Hope, Alex was there. Her little boy was a little beauty, and she loved looking after him. Played with him as much as she could. Her heart swelled with love whenever he called her ‘Auntie Lay’.

Then there was the latest little addition to the group, baby Jack. With the beautiful eyes of his mother and the gorgeous locks of his father, he was cute enough to eat.

Even though she loved both children so much, she couldn’t help the pang of envy deep inside when she was around them. How could she turn around and tell them, that she’d probably never be able to have a child of her own? The sympathetic looks and reactions she would get would drive her crazy.

No. She couldn’t tell them.

But keeping a secret like that, took its toll. She had noticed that her panic attacks had gotten worse since finding out she was possibly infertile for life.

Although over the years, she had found keeping herself busy, keeping her mind occupied had helped keep the attacks at bay, mostly.

Kenny was the only one who had discovered she had the attacks, and that hadn’t been planned. She awakened in the middle of the night after a nightmare about Hope and her kidnapping. She was covered in sweat and her heart tightened painfully in her chest. The sense of panic and hopelessness overwhelmed her so much she struggled to breathe.

In the middle of her attack, she attempted to leave the bed but knocked him awake by mistake. It took him mere seconds to realise what was happening, then another half-second to react. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight, whispered reassuring words, rocked her soothingly and stayed with her until the attack passed.

Once she calmed down, he continued to hold her and console her as she told him everything, almost everything. Her fears of being infertile had remained locked away. She refused to tell him that, she knew it could mean losing him for good.

Even though that may be selfish of her, to hide something so big away from the man she loved, to make sure she didn’t lose him, Layla couldn’t face the truth.

She pleaded with him to keep her secret, not wanting to worry her friends or family. Kenny’s anger at the entire situation was paramount but she knew it wasn’t directed at her in any way. After several minutes, he reluctantly agreed to keep her secret.

Guilt consumed her when she failed to tell him the truth of her possible infertility, but the relief at knowing her family and friends would never know about the attacks overshadowed that guilt, for that moment at least.

If anyone found out about her panic attacks, especially her brother, Ray, then it would only cause problems she would rather live without. He had already punched Colin once and got away with it, she didn’t think he’d be lucky enough to escape an official arrest if he did it a second time.

Layla loved her brother very much. He had been her protector since, forever. He defended her when he felt she needed it, even when she could look after herself. Not to mention, he scared away most of her prospective dates in high school. He need not have bothered.

Back then, as a young teenage girl, she had a huge crush on one boy. Kenny, Ray’s best friend. The only problem was he never seemed to show her any interest. He never so much as looked at her in any other way than, his friend’s sister and boy had she tried to get his attention. The skimpy clothes, the boys she flirted with in front of him.

But it never did any good.

Her attraction to him had always been there, but after watching him go through woman after woman, and not so much as look at her, she didn’t think anything would ever happen. He had been a bit of a lady’s man, never sticking with a woman, or in some cases women, for long.

But that all changed the night Hope collapsed in Styx. That same night, after Layla had sneaked off to give her brother and Hope some alone time, Colin had groped her at the bar.

She had turned to confront him, only to find her way blocked by Kenny and Warren. Even though they knew she could handle herself, both had jumped to her defence, Warren hauled him from the club, whilst Kenny stayed with her.

He’d held her close, just to comfort her and check she was alright, but something changed between them, one thing led to another and Kenny and Layla ended up spending the night together.

Kenny had been attentive, caring and mind-blowing when they came together for that first time, an experience she had never had before. She was no stranger to sex or orgasms, but well Kenny was a lover on another level.

The beep of the oven jerked her from her thoughts, and she moved into action. She checked the pot of rice on the top of the hob first, stirred it to check the consistency and once happy she switched the heat off.

Layla proceeded to open the oven, and with a pair of oven gloves, she pulled out a tray of chicken that had a sweet barbeque and jerk seasoning glaze. The smell made her stomach grumble in approval and want.

She placed the chicken on the side on a heating plate to keep the food warm, then moved onto the steamed vegetables in the final pan.

Something smells incredible. Kenny’s voice sounded in her ear and his arms wrapped around her waist, not expecting him to be so close, she jumped.

Kenny! I didn’t even hear you come in! A hand moved to her chest and she clutched it tight.

I’m sorry baby. He turned her in his arms and ran his nose along hers. Happy Anniversary, he whispered before he placed a kiss on her lips.

She kissed him back and rested her forehead against his for a moment, feeling calm and content within his arms. Happy Anniversary. I’m so glad to see you. Have you heard anything from the others? Have they found Charlie?

I haven’t heard anything yet, I’m sorry baby.

Layla sighed then shook her head. That’s alright, I know she is going to be fine; she has to be. Besides Eric will find her.

He will, I know it. Kenny nodded in agreement. Have I told you today how sexy you are? His hands roamed down her back and cupped her behind.

Hmmm not that I can recall, she teased, her eyes searched his. The desire in them seeped through her skin and she shivered in his arms. Unable to resist, she decided to skip ahead to dessert.

"Can you keep an eye on