The Secrets We Keep

THE SECRETS WE KEEP THE SECRETS WE KEEP #1 LILY WILDHART The Secrets We Keep The Secrets We Keep #1 Copyright © 2023 Lily Wildhart Lily Wildhart has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, to be identified as Author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, record, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referred to in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorised, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. Cover Designer: The Pretty Little Design Co. Editor: Encompass Press & ACourtofSpicyBooks Proofreader: Puddleduck Proofing & Sassi’s Editing Services Interior Formatting: Wild Elegance Formatting The Secrets We Keep/Lily Wildhart – 1st ed. ISBN-13 - 978-1-915473-40-0 To everyone who feels lost. Like they’re in a deep, dark, endless pit that they can’t climb out of. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Every day is a win, even the bad ones. ‘One day’ will come soon. You’ll see. Just hold on a little longer. CONTENTS CONTENT WARNING Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Eight Months Ago Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Five Months Later Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Three Months Later Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 About the Author Also by Lily Wildhart CONTENT WARNING This book is a dark, 18+, mafia, why choose romance. It contains scenes and references of abuse/sexual assault, assault and suicide that some readers may find triggering, along with graphic sex scenes, cursing and violence. CHAPTER ONE QUINN This song is my jam! I haven’t felt this free in well… ever. Raising my hands above my head, I shake my hips to the beat, tipping my head back and letting my hair cascade behind me as my body sways. This is what I’ve been searching for. This, right here, makes the years of fear, the years of being made to feel small, the long months of running, almost worth it. My life should have been like this from the beginning, but I am finally free and I am going to live exactly how I want to. Hands clasp my waist and I jolt back to reality, the warm glow of tequila in my system fading enough for me to pull out of whoever’s grasp it is. I turn and see an obviously wasted guy, who I give a tight smile to before pointing off the dance floor. I probably should head to the bathroom. I might be free but that doesn’t mean that I can relax. Being a woman in a city, with zero people I know, still makes my entire existence a risk, but it’s totally worth it to be free from him. Making my way through the throng of bodies, my buzz continues to recede as I push past the people, but I lost count of the shots I’ve taken so my head is definitely still fuzzy. I push open the first door I come to and the thud of the bass from the club slips away as the door closes, my footsteps clumsy as I walk into the wall before I realize I’m not in the bathroom. Way to go, Quinn. Voices draw my attention as I step further into the weird little hall that seems to open to some sort of storage room and, despite knowing this is a stupid idea, the tequila in my system fuels my bad decisions tonight. This definitely isn’t the first one I’ve made in the last hour and I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? Stumbling down the little hall thing, I clasp a hand over my mouth as I try to stay quiet. When I reach the end of the hall I pause and think twice. The voices don’t exactly sound welcoming. Maybe tequila really isn’t making the best decisions tonight. For a moment, I consider turning back and finding the bathroom as my bladder screams at me, but my interest is piqued. Like that damn cat, my curiosity is going to get me in trouble. I can just feel it. Deciding to not get dead, having escaped that particular fate one too many times already in my life, I move to turn back toward the club when I stumble and fall to the ground. Shit. There’s no way that was quiet. Is there? I’m trying not to groan as I shift onto my knees before climbing back to my feet, holding my breath and waiting to hear the voices again. They’re still talking in low tones, but by some sort of saving grace, I don’t think they heard me. Now fully standing, I realize I kinda fell out of the hall and I can see them. Three men, all in black suits, standing in front of another guy who is crying on his knees before them. Somehow, no one has noticed I’m here and I scramble to my feet. I need to get out of here. The voice of the man in the middle calls my attention and I take a step back when I see the gun in his hand. Holy shit. What is this? Stupid Quinn. You came here to escape violence, of course your stupid ass literally fell into this shit. I blink and it’s like time stands still. My ears ring and