Sacrifice: Laid Bare (Laid Bare #4)(15)

“No, I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.”

We all had a laugh, and then it was decided—Selene would come visit us so she could meet Dunne.

“Wait,” she said, before we disconnected. “Who is this guy, even?”

“His name is Dunne,” I told her. “And he’s one of us.”

“Oh, my God,” she exclaimed. “I heard about him. He was once gorgeous, but something awful happened. But, wait… I always thought he was nothing more than a myth.”

Chuckling, I replied, “I can assure you, Selene, he is very real.”

I left it at that. There was no need for Selene to know how Dunne had helped us, which was something I’d be eternally grateful for.

With that in mind, and to make sure Selene was worthy of him, I decided not to tell her Dunne was back to his “once-gorgeous” status. To her credit, Selene didn’t ask. And she didn’t change her mind, even while remaining under the impression Dunne was still disfigured.

The look on her face, though, when she did finally meet him was priceless.





Dahlia



Our life in Chicago was perfect. I loved Lucien, and he loved me. Things were good. Even old, grumpy Bailey had grown to accept me, which was good, seeing as I genuinely liked him.

I mean, how could I hold a grudge against a guy who just had Lucien’s best interest at heart? Short answer, I couldn’t.

Selene had flown into town as planned and met Dunne.

And, wow, had those two ever hit it off!

A full month had passed, and Lucien and I still couldn’t get them out of the house. Neither had any desire to go back to their respective homes and leave the other.

Good thing we lived in a mansion.

And then there was me.

I’d found my true self, and I couldn’t have been happier. I’d left behind that uncertain girl who’d had hardly any confidence. In the process, I’d become a woman who’d met her perfect match.

The best part was I’d have several lifetimes’ worth of years to spend with Lucien.

And I couldn’t wait to get started on the one before us.





S.R. Grey is an Amazon Top 100 and Barnes & Noble #1 Bestselling author. She is the author of the popular Judge Me Not series, the new Promises series, the Inevitability duology, A Harbour Falls Mystery trilogy, and the Laid Bare series of novellas. Ms. Grey’s works have appeared on several Amazon Bestseller lists, including Top 100 multiple times, as well as Barnes & Noble #1 in Bestselling Nook books.

Ms. Grey resides in Pennsylvania. When not writing, Ms. Grey can be found reading, traveling, running, or cheering for her hometown sports teams.



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Read the first chapter of S.R. Grey’s fast-paced New Adult/Romantic Suspense novel, Inevitable Detour



I stare at the computer screen. It’s my last exam of spring semester, and there are only five questions left on the Strategic Management final before me.

My eyes are glued to words, forming a single question. I know the answer. Yes, I do. But then my vision blurs, and I think, ugh, whose idea was it for me to major in business?

Not mine.

The cursor on the screen blinks over answer choice B. Like I said, I know the correct answer, and it sure as hell isn’t B.

What to do…what to do…

With a sly grin, I choose B and hit next.

I am feeling particularly defiant today. My parents left me a voice mail this morning, telling me in no uncertain terms that any thoughts of heading up to New York City this summer with my best friend and roommate, Haven Shaw, are best put to rest. So much for thinking it’d be fun to hang out in the Big Apple with Haven while she worked on finding an agent, making acting contacts, and generally just doing whatever it is a person needs to do when preparing to land a part in a play someday.

And not just any play.

“Broadway, here I come,” Haven said the other day when we were discussing her big-city dreams.

She’s a bit theatrical, but that’s to be expected. She’s a theater major, after all. Her goal is to eventually make it as an actress on the Great White Way.

Conversely, my dreams are much smaller. My primary longing lately is for something—anything—to happen in my mundane life. I thought New York would be a promising start. Guess not. Thanks to my parents and their aversion to anything fun for Essa, there will be no excitement in my life this summer. Nope. Just like the two previous summers, I’ll be lulling away the time here at Oakwood College. Excitement for me will consist of chilling in the coffee shop on the edge of the tiny Pennsylvania town my small college is located in. My after-class afternoons will include exciting activities like staring out at cows and farmland, sipping on a mocha, and wishing and hoping for something more.

And that’s just not right.

I’m a damn straight-A student, for God’s sake. I don’t need to spend the summer at Oakwood, taking stupid summer classes. Unfortunately, my parents don’t care about my wants and needs. They believe their only child should apply herself year-round. Forget that I’m already a model daughter.