Truth's Kiss: Securities International Book 10: Securities International, #10

By E.M. Shue

They say the truth will set you free.

 

All Piper wants is to heal and recover from a great loss. But that loss is compounded by the fact she's in a new country surrounded by strangers. Her life has been changed forever. The man she gave her heart to shattered it with one lie, alternating the course of her future.

Luca has spoken the truth since the day Piper ran. The problem is the truth doesn't align with what's in his heart. He regrets the decisions he made and the words that came out of his mouth. Luca wants to fix what he broke, no matter the cost. But before he can move forward, he has to get over his past.

When Piper is found, and her secrets are revealed, Securities International will never be the same. The past and future are about to collide as new enemies descend on the team and their loved ones. Once the dust settles, there will be too many scars left to count.

 

The next book in the award-winning Securities International series slices through the lies of the past to reveal the truth hidden beneath.

• Language: English
• Publisher: E.M. Shue
• Release date: Aug 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223010029

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

PIPER

Every chance he gets, he denies us, and I don’t know why. He told my grandmother he was just my bodyguard. But he and I know we are so much more. I’m in love with him. We have been sleeping together for months now, and I can’t wait to tell him the secret I’ve been keeping. This will solidify our relationship and finally make him choose me.

I look up at the front seat of the car where Nikki and my grandma sit. After losing my mom, Aunt Nikki took my brother and me in. She has become more like a mother to me over the years. I pray she won’t be disappointed in me.

We pull up to the gym, and I see my car parked in the distance. I haven’t driven my car except around the compound in so long. I must be in a nondescript, bulletproof SUV after the latest attack where Tony was taken.

When we step inside the gym, I see Luca and Zach’s sparring has gotten out of hand. My brother, Dane, called and told Nikki Zach was hurt. She rushed right over to check on him. Nikki has been in love with Zach since they were young teenagers. It’s hard to see the love they have for each other yet struggle so much to get together. For a while I thought it was because of Dane and me. She was young when she adopted us and still in medical school. Then my grandfather had told me that Zach was a bad influence on Nikki. That he had broken her heart, yet she couldn’t leave him and would always choose him over everything else.

That was a lie. She loves him and would choose him but not over us kids. It was my grandfather who caused the rift between them years ago. He and Zach’s own grandpa, who regretted it later and apologized, were behind it. Both Zach’s grandparents, who raised him, were with us kids when Nikki first brought us home. They loved us as if we were theirs too.

I want to rush to Luca and stop the fighting, but there are so many people around and Luca doesn’t want them to know about us. He says it’s because they would fire him and assign another bodyguard to me. So we must keep our secret in order to stay together. But so many of these men have women they love here. I think they would understand and let us be together. They’re going to find out anyway because of my condition.

Raul, Luca’s brother, and a couple of other people are yelling advice and cheering them on. But it’s the words coming out of Luca’s mouth that snag my focus. They hit me like a freight train.

You don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s nothing between us. She’s just a kid, he yells at Zach.

Tears roll down my cheeks as I stand there frozen in horror and pain. They continue to fight until Nikki puts a stop to it. I can’t do this. He won’t ever accept me or our baby. I turn and run for the door with people yelling for me to stop. I ignore them all until I breach the threshold, where I come to an abrupt halt. Standing in front of me is the woman everyone thinks Luca really desires.

Callie.

His words hit me again. She’s just a kid. Callie isn’t a kid. She’s a few years older than Luca. I stare at her, unable to look away. She’s beautiful, mature, and has her life on track. She’s not still in college and doubting her major, wanting to become a singer instead of an architect.

I have to get out of here. I rush over to the cars and jump into mine. Thankfully, I still carry a key in my purse. As I pull away, I watch Callie talking to Luca. His eyes follow me, but he’s talking to her. He’s probably telling her what a child I am. The sob hits me, and I rush for the gate.

Luck is on my side. Another vehicle is pulling in, and I slide past it and skid onto the road. I head out with no destination in mind. I don’t care where I go as long as it’s away from here.

I don’t see the car fast approaching my rear until it slams into me. What the hell! I look in my mirror and watch a large black vehicle race up on me again. I grip my steering wheel in anticipation as it crashes into the back of my Mini Cooper. The SUV then moves into the oncoming lane and swerves into my back driver’s side tire. My car swings into a spin, sending me all over the road. I try to regain control, but it’s useless. I scream when I’m jolted for a fourth time as the other car collides with my driver’s side door. Before I can process what is happening, my car is shoved over the side of the road and down a small embankment. I roll several times, hitting my head as I’m bounced around.

Fuzziness clouds my vision as I try to focus on something. Anything. I turn my head and realize I'm upside down. I feel for my seat belt and try to figure out how I got here.

Where are my bodyguards?

No sooner do I ponder that question when another thought hits me. I left them. I ditched everyone when I ran out of the gym.

But why? Why would I leave them?

Oh shit. Luca. My heart seizes when I remember him fighting with Zach. His words about me being a kid. I was building up the courage to tell him—

A cramp slams into my abdomen, and I groan from the pain.

Hey, did you hear that? A deep voice comes from somewhere outside the vehicle. I now remember everything. The large SUV slamming into me and running me off the road.

Is Sir or my father’s men responsible?

My father had threatened to kill me for betraying him after I testified against him for murdering my mother.

I lift my hand to cover my mouth, and I taste blood.

Nah, I didn't hear anything. Can you believe how easy it was to get to her? another voice answers.

I know. We’ve spent six weeks trying to figure out a way.

Lucky for us she left her protection detail. The boss is going to be happy. Let's get out of here. I can't wait to get back to Vegas.

Oh my God. They found me. I immediately think of my little brother and hope he's safe as another cramp seizes my body.

Oh God, please not that too. I pray as I feel wetness between my thighs. Do you have to take everything away from me?

My biological father has struck again. He’s now taken a purely innocent soul. But I shouldn’t be surprised as he tried to do the same with Dane. He killed my mom when she was pregnant with him. It’s how Aunt Nikki ended up adopting us. I remain quiet, hoping they won’t come explore the car to make sure I’m dead. The pain overwhelms me, and my vision goes dark.

Icome to with my chest and abdomen covered in blood. I hear voices again, but this time I remain quiet. Maybe I'll die here too like my little one obviously has.

I don't want to live if it's alone without him or our baby.

Ma'am, can you hear me? a gentle voice says next to my head.

I didn't hear the man climb into the car with me.

Hey, tell them it's an auto with a young woman. She’s covered in blood. Tell them to hurry, the guy yells to another person.

Help my…baby, I beg.

There's a wee one in here? He looks around the wrecked car.

I struggle to move my hand over my tiny bump.

Blimey. His eyes follow my movement. Ma'am, the ambulance is on its way. What's your name?

I can't tell him, just in case.

I don't know.

Everything is going to change now.

Icome to again in the hospital as they are prepping me for surgery. My little one didn’t make it, and I need a D&C to remove the tissue that won’t come out on its own from the miscarriage. I was fourteen weeks along and into my second trimester.

They’ve given me some heavy pain meds, but I fight the effects until I place a call. I can’t go back to the compound. My heart won’t be able to take it. Plus, if my father’s men have found me, they could go after Dane next. The courts never mentioned if he survived, but if they see my brother, they’ll know. I’ve done it again. I led them to us. I thought the video on YouTube of me singing would be okay. I didn’t know it would allow them to find my location.

I power on my phone, hoping Timothy or Bekah don’t track me in the time it takes me to make this call. I dial her number and pray she’s willing to help me. She’s the only one who knew I was in love with someone. She helped me the last time my father’s men found us in Phoenix.

Hey, Pip, what you need? Mik answers the phone.

Mik… My voice catches. Mik, I need you. I want to tell her everything, but now is not the time.

Where are you?

I'm in the hospital. I don't know which one. I need help. My throat seizes as I sob.

I'll ping your phone and come to you.

Don't tell anyone, I beg her. I can’t go back. I lost our angel. No one can know.

Toss your phone in about ten minutes, she instructs me.

I can't ever go back there. The sobs are coming harder.

I'm on my way. She hangs up, and I wait the ten minutes. I then pull out the battery and toss both into the trash bin near the bed.

I drift in and out of sleep until Mik shows up. When she does, it’s almost time for them to take me back for the procedure. She rushes to my bedside and grabs my hand.

Piper, what happened? Who did this? What’s going on?

All her questions make me think of one thing. I am a child. I can’t control my emotions, and by running off I let this happen to me. If I had just walked away instead of running, my baby would be alive.

I want to answer her, but I can’t. I cry and wrap my hands across my abdomen. I did this. It’s my fault. I should have realized it was just sex, not love like I felt. I was childish to think he wanted more with me. He’s still suffering his own grief from losing his mother and father to the hands of a crazy man.

Pip, lass, tell me what happened.

I can’t. It-It’s all m-my f-fault. I start thrashing around on the bed, wanting to get up. Not wanting the procedure. Maybe if they don’t do it, my baby will still be alive.

My baby! I cry and scream until a coolness comes across my arm and I have a metal taste in my mouth. I calm instantly, and my lids are heavy. I look at her as tears roll down my face.

I’ll protect you, lass. I’ll take care of everything.

They take me back.

CHAPTER TWO

THREE DAYS GONE

PIPER

Isit under a blanket in the seat of a private plane by myself. Mik didn’t want to come with me because she was afraid we would be followed. It’s been two days since the procedure. Mik held my hand for the last couple of nights whenever I would sleep. I woke up numerous times in pain and scared. Scared the men would find me. Scared I got Dane found. But mostly I was scared that I’ll never be whole again. Even now I tremble in fear.

Mik tried to talk me into doing this another way. She argued for the last two days over my plan to leave. In the hospital the doctors didn’t want me to leave so soon, but I was afraid they’d find me. How will I ever explain what happened to me? I need to protect my brother, and my heart.

A hollowness has settled in my chest like a gaping hole that makes me feel like I can’t breathe. I curl into a ball on the sofa, wishing the pain was gone. A part of me wishes I hadn’t survived, that I was with my baby in a place where it was in my arms. I close my eyes and fall into a world where I was once whole, and I had both.

I lifted up, feeling his cock press deeper into me. I trailed my hands down his large chest. He had the barest amount of curly chest hair along his pecs. I slid my fingers further down to dip into the valleys between his abdominals in his perfect six pack.

"Bebé, you’re playing with fire. We have to get going so we can get back to the compound on time."

I rolled my hips, showing him without words I wanted it again. I was certain it was pregnancy hormones. I hadn’t taken a test, but I was late by a couple of months, and my breasts had been super tender. It was hard to hide that information from him because he knew my body as well as I did.

I had already arranged a guard and an appointment for when we returned to the compound. I didn’t want Luca to