The Secrets That You Keep

Copyright © 2023 by Chloe I. Miller All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact Key Lime Books. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. ISBN: 979-8-9876201-0-6 (Ebook) ISBN: 979-8-9876201-1-3 (Paperback) Book Cover by Books and Moods Edited by Samantha Swart First Edition 2023 Key Lime Books For Goose, Kitten, and Oscar the Grouch love you forever This novel contains themes that might be disturbing to some readers. For content warnings, please visit: www.chloeimiller.com Contents Fairweather Family Tree Prologue 1. Rebecca 2. Evie 3. Evie 4. Evie 5. Evie 6. Evie 7. Miranda 8. Evie 9. Evie 10. Evie 11. Laura Jean 12. Evie 13. Evie 14. Evie 15. Simone 16. Evie 17. Evie 18. Evie 19. Evie 20. Rebecca 21. Evie 22. Evie 23. Liam 24. Evie 25. Miranda 26. Evie 27. Liam 28. Evie 29. Liam 30. Evie 31. Laura Jean 32. Evie 33. Liam 34. Evie 35. Liam 36. Simone 37. Evie 38. Liam 39. Evie 40. Evie 41. Evie 42. Evie 43. Evie 44. Evie 45. Liam 46. Miranda 47. Evie 48. Evie 49. Evie 50. Liam About the Author Acknowledgments Sneak Peek Our Lips Are Sealed Prologue A fingernail moon scratched at the night sky, partially illuminating the playing field. Surrounded by marshland covered with thick underbrush, she crouched in the tall grass, holding her breath to keep quiet. The game had begun. Nothing but towering sand pines, whose narrow trunks offered little protection, lay ahead. Edging from her hiding spot, she crawled slowly through the sandy mud with stiff limbs. The movement caused the world to spin, and she gritted her teeth. He must have injected her with something more potent than his usual concoction. She couldn’t blame him for being overly cautious when dealing with her. His regular opponents played blindly, unaware of why they were chosen. But waking alone in this foreign landscape, she’d known immediately why she was there. Her usefulness to him had ended, and it was her turn to lose. Shaking away the pinpricks of light in her vision, she continued crawling on her hands and knees towards the forest in the distance, until a familiar shadow appeared, forcing her to stop. “Run, run, run as fast as you can.” Pressing out of sight into the nearest bush, she grunted as thorns tore into her flesh. A startled, slimy creature jumped from a branch and became entangled in her hair, croaking for help to the chorus of other swamp vermin singing in the night. Stifling a scream, she wrestled what she hoped Chapter 1 1987 “Sometimes, I think you’re evil.” With her gaze locked onto the bright red Mercedes pulling into the parking lot, Rebecca Miller’s lips curved at the compliment. “I’m not evil. I’m interesting.” Her co-worker, Paul, joined her at the window, and together they watched a damn near perfect male specimen emerge from the car. “His name is Charlie Fairweather,” Paul said. “Money?” “Bunches.” Paul cut her a sideways glance. “Is he going on the list?” Four leggy coeds trotted over to greet the new arrival, and Rebecca’s smile widened. She did love a good challenge. “Does he have a girlfriend?” “Several, apparently,” Paul said, swiping up trays to take to the kitchen. “Good luck.” Rebecca returned to her already busy section of the Blue 42 Bar and Grill to watch Mr. Fairweather from a safe distance. He entered the restaurant with his bouquet of females, and the group headed directly to a booth by the bar, forcing a handful of freshmen out of their way. College students from the nearby University of Alabama were packing in early for an afternoon of football and drinking, and while everyone waited for the game to start, he held court as more patrons, mostly women, joined his entourage. The air of authority Charlie Fairweather held—coupled with his understated, albeit expensive clothing—smelled like old money to Rebecca. And old money always made the list, going