LOGINShare
Chapter 22
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Bruce was walking down the hall at the agency when his cell rang. The caller ID said it was Boon Nickels. Bruce and Alec had worked with Boon at the DC Headquarters before they transferred to Tampa.
“Hey, Boon. What’s up? I haven’t heard from you in months,” Bruce greeted.
“Yeah, I know I hadn’t called lately. I’ve been working sixty-hour weeks for what seemed like forever. But this isn’t a social call.”
Bruce stopped walking and leaned against the wall. “What’s up?”
“Carter Mitchell has been more discrete with his business dealings for the past four
Related chapters
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 23
The temperature had dropped to sixty degrees, which was freezing cold to Floridians. Alec had gotten back from Orlando an hour ago. He had gone there to spend the day with his parents. They had grilled out. Alec and Lucky had swum in his parents’ pool with the neighbors’ two kids. They had moved in across the street three months ago. When he had gotten home, Bruce had called him to see what he was doing. Alec invited him over for a drink if he didn’t have a date tonight. Bruce said he was free for the evening and accepted the invite. He told Alec that he’d be there in an hour.Alec was getting out of the shower. He toweled himself off, then wrapped the thick, red cloth around his waist. Then he used a small, black comb to tame his wet, brown hair. When he opened the bathroom door, someone knocked on the front door
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 24
Alec gathered her in his strong arms. Heavy breaths escaped from both of them during the searing kiss. Layla wrapped her arms around his neck. His touch felt so familiar, so safe, so . . . passionate. As Alec pried her mouth open with his tongue, flashes of their relationship appeared in her mind; they had gone on a picnic, they had hung out in clubs with Bruce and other college friends, and they had laughed together. She could see every kiss, caress, and touch they had shared. She tightened her hold around him as his tongue swirled in her mouth. Then he began to slowly pull his lips away. As he was, he lightly captured the tip of her tongue between his teeth. The sensation of his teeth dragging to the very tip of her tongue made her whine with want. Then he gave her a su
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 25
Alec had propped his head on his hand, his elbow braced on the carpet supporting his weight. His fingers caressed her cheek as they listened to the noise of the storm. A light burning sensation tickled Layla’s buttocks and the back of her thighs. She couldn’t remember a time that she felt so relaxed, satisfied, and complete. It was more than the sex. It was like she and Alec shared a connection that couldn’t be severed. She shouldn’t have been surprised about it. After all, her first memories were of him — and what they had. “What are you thinking?” he asked. She turned away from the rain-soaked patio glass and focused on him. “I was thinking how I . .
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 26
Layla stared at the dark reddish blotches on her neck and chest in the bathroom mirror. She tried thinking back – did she eat something yesterday that she had an allergic reaction to? “Hmm, yesterday I had eggs, ham, muffins; lunch was salad with eggs, onions, French dressing, and tomatoes. Dinner was leftover meatloaf which I had the day before and nothing happened,” she mumbled out loud as she touched the bruise on her neck. The rashes were a little sore, too. Layla wondered if she should go to the Emergicare. Then it struck her. Layla’s mouth dropped open. They were hickeys. “Oh shit,” she hissed with horror. How was a thirty-two-year-old married woman going to explain hickeys all over her when her husband was out of town? “How long is this going to last?” she asked as she glared at the blotches in the mirror.After fifteen minutes of frantically combing throu
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 27
Margo power-walked up the sidewalk Friday morning. She wasn’t a jogger because her boobs were too big for that. Plus, she didn’t want them sagging before their time. Dr. Damien Miles was coming out of his house. It was almost nine-thirty. He was usually gone by now. She figured he was going in late because of yesterday’s holiday. “Hey, Margo!” Damien yelled. He started jogging toward her. “Hey,” she said back and stopped to wait on him. “How did that dish turn out for ya?” he asked with a small smile.&nbs
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 28
It took Layla half the therapy session to tell Victoria what had transpired since her last session. She was hesitant to mention that she and Alec had made love and now she was seeing him on the side. But in the spirit of being transparent, she opened herself up to be judged. “Layla, please keep in mind that I’m not judging you. It’s your life, and I’m not your mother. I’m your therapist who wants to help you recoup your memories and help you to live they best life possible afterward. With that being said, are you sure you know what you are doing with Alec?” She nodded. “I am.” “Are you in love with him?”
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 29
Alec waited in his apartment building’s lobby for Bruce to pull up. He did at eight-thirty sharp. Alec pushed the glass doors open and walked to the black SUV and got in.“Hey, partner,” Bruce chirped.“Two hours,” Alec grouched.“Yes, Alec, two hours,” Bruce stated as he looked in his rearview mirror. “But who knows? You might have a good time and want to stay out later.”“Maybe,” Alec grumbled.The big guy pulled out in traffic.“I put on a suit like your text said so. Where are we going?”“We’re meeting the girls at the Tampa Palms Country Club.”“What? We can’t afford that place even on a discount, and you have to be a member to eat there!” Alec yelled.“Or know someone who’s a member,” he countered in a bragging tone. “Bobbi’s friend is a member. We need to meet the girls in
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 30
A colleague of Damien’s had two extra tickets to Georges Bizet’s Carmen that was debuting at the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts tonight and had asked if Damien and Layla wanted to come with them. Another couple was supposed to go, but they had to cancel. During intermission, they had run into Valerie and her husband, Godfrey Young. They were there with family members who lived abroad. Valerie’s sister had married a British earl. They were already familiar with Damien and Layla’s host and asked if they wanted to grab a late snack at the Tampa Palms Country Club. Since Damien wasn’t on call at the hospital this weekend, they had accepted the invitation. “Will this be on separate accounts?” Alden, the maître
Latest chapter
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Epilogue
New Year’s Eve . . . When Alec had informed his parents of their status change to Grandma and Grandpa over the phone a few days ago they had been overjoyed. His mother had admitted that she had found Keisha special when she met her in Orlando all those months ago, but she couldn’t pinpoint why at the time. They were so eager to spend time with Keisha that they had drove from Orlando the same day that Alec had called them and they have been in Tampa since. His parents were currently at Lana’s house with Keisha and Izabella, freeing Lana to come over to his apartment for New Year’s Eve.Alec had gone through a lot of trouble arranging the surprise for Lana. She had Izabella stay with Keisha so she could come to his apartment an hour before midnight. It was too late to rent a fancy venue, and h
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 48
Christmas Day . . . Lana was back home on Sunset Boulevard. Since she was still Damien’s wife, the house and the rest of his assets with the exception of a small trust set aside for Keisha had been left to her in his will. The official reading of the will hadn’t happened yet, but Lana knew what was in it since they had drawn up wills together a year prior. Damien’s mother had been mortified and heartbroken when the FBI called and told her what had happened. She had requested for Damien’s body to be sent back to DC to be buried next to his father. Mrs. Miles had also made it a point to call Lana and tell her that she had no idea what her son had done to her. She had revealed that Damien had talked about a woman he was in love
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 47
Everyone had made their way back to the front of Sam’s Fishing House. Carter’s goons had been caught and rounded up. The FBI had taken Lana’s gun that she had shot Hugo with and the one that he had taken from her earlier. Alec told Lana that Keisha had been recovered and was waiting for her at the FBI office while the EMTs were attending to him. She had never been so relieved in her life. “Are you sure you’re all right?” Lana asked. “Yeah, just a little woozy,” Alec said. “He lost a lot of blood in the water,” an EMT stated. “We really should get him to th
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 46
The agents had split up into pairs to search the dock. The conversation with Blanchette had played in his mind as he and Bruce handcuffed Carter’s goons to a pole outside. “You boys got your marching orders,” Blanchette said. “Let’s do it.” They started breaking out of the huddle. “Peterson, let me talk to you for a second,” Blanchette said. Bruce had backed up and waited. Blanchette leaned against a black SUV. “I overheard two of the guys whispering while we we
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 45
Alec and Bruce were sitting in the van with Earl and two other guys. Most of the agents that were there were part of their division. Bruce had whispered to a few of the guys that Keisha was his daughter. They were surprised, but they were discrete. The last thing any of them wanted was Blanchette getting wind of it. He would bench Alec in a heartbeat. “This is agent Roch. I lost sight of Lana Murphy,” the radio in the van sounded. “Shit,” Alec sneered. “How the fuck did that happen?” Blanchette said over the airwaves. “She went to the bathroom. I was watching the door when Ms. Smith st
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 44
Lana had gone to the hospital. She had Damien paged twice to the front desk. He never showed up. She had gone to the OR and said she was his wife and asked if he was in surgery. They told her that he had never shown up for his shift, and they had to call in another doctor for an emergency spinal cord surgery. That was what made her think something was wrong. It wasn’t like Damien to shun his responsibilities at the hospital. Thinking that he could have been in an accident or had some sort of health emergency, Lana called the main phone number of the hospital and asked if Damien had been admitted as a patient. No one was listed under that name. She had walked the halls asking nurses if they had seen him. They hadn’t. “Where the hell is he?” she mumbled as the elevator descended down to the ER lobby. She had parked in the
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 43
It had been a little over an hour since Lana had texted him. When Alec’s doorbell rang thirty minutes earlier, he had thought it was her, but it turned out to be Bruce. Alec had told his buddy that he was expecting Lana. Instead of Bruce leaving, he had pushed past Alec and said he would go when she showed up. Alec was drinking rum and Coke while Bruce sipped on a beer. “It looks like she stood you up. Good thing I came by. You’d have been yanking your dry crank with Lucky watching you like you had lost your mind if I hadn’t,” Bruce goaded with a smirk. “You are the constant comedian,” he said sarcastically. “She probably got stuck in traffic, or maybe
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 42
Lana had decided to stop by Tampa Guns and Range before picking up Izabella. She had gone to the locker rooms to get her gun and the extra magazines she had for it. She had her two revolvers in the car, but considering her situation, she didn’t think she could have too much firepower. Besides, the only agents she was willing to trust with hers and Keisha’s safety were Alec and Bruce because of what happened last time. Once she had alerted the FBI that she had total recall, they would reopen the case against Carter and his goons.Keisha had just quietly watched her put the gun and bullets in her bag. Then they had gone back upstairs to leave, but Lana was distracted by the bulletproof vests.She asked Lou if he had vests small enough for children. He did and grabbed the smallest one he had for Keisha to try on. It was a little big for her, but she seemed comfortable in it, and it would do the
Blank Slate (A Series of Secrets 1) Chapter 41
Damien had been able to come home for a quick bite to eat with his family before going to the hospital for a few hours. When he had walked through the door and saw the word Memrose spray painted on the living room wall, he had never been so shocked in his life.Somehow, someway, Layla had gotten her memory back. If that wasn’t bad enough, she knew that he had used Memrose on her. He had groaned with agony when he discovered half of Keisha and Layla’s clothes were gone. “Damn it!” Damien roared with anger and frustration. He didn’t know whether to pack his own bags and head for the airport or try to find them. He knew what he did was illegal, and his medical licenses would definitely be revoked. However, he loved his family, and he wanted them back.
