Truth Will Out

MADISON

Both Liam and Ezra jumped when she burst through the door.

“Madison!” Liam stood behind the desk, his hands up in a conciliatory gesture.

But she just shook her head. “Don’t. Just don’t. How could you both lie to me about something like this? And worse, make my boyfriends lie to me about it!”

“We didn’t want to hurt you, Madison. We thought—”

“Thought what? That I wouldn’t want to know I’ve been living a lie?”

Liam sighed. “Maddi…please sit down and I’ll tell you everything. Okay?”

She stood there, chest heaving for a few moments, before plonking herself down next to Ezra on the couch, her back stiff.

“Okay. Talk.”

Liam came out from behind the desk and sat on the edge. He ran a hand through his hair before speaking.

“What do you remember about Nikolaj and Isabel from when you were really little? Like three or four.”

“Not much. Just impressions. Cooking with Isabel in the kitchen. Nikolaj at the gym, boxing.”

“Well, you may also remember they spent a lot of time traveling. Dad was boxing professionally when you were born, then training other boxers after he retired, and Mom was a private chef to the rich and famous.

“You remember when you were like, five, and we went on vacation in Italy? With the twins’ grandfather?”

“Yeah…” She remembered. It was after that trip that her nightmares had started.

“Well, when our parents took off after we arrived, no one thought that much of it. We were used to them leaving. And sure enough, they showed up right before it was time to go back to the States.

“Only…it ~wasn’t~ our parents. The people who came back with us were Marcus and Ava, our parents’ siblings.”

“~What?~ But…how? ~Why?~ We’d never even met them before.”

“Because they were estranged. Isabel is our mother’s twin sister, and Nikolaj, believe it or not—”

“Our father’s twin brother?”

“Not twins. Practically identical, though. You were young enough—and they were gone enough—that you didn’t notice. Ezra and I knew right away something was off, but they~ looked~ like our parents, and at that point, we didn’t know Marcus and Ava existed.

“As far as why, the answer is easy.”

“Money,” Ezra said, and Liam nodded.

“But I don’t understand. If they’re not our parents but our aunt and uncle, where are our parents?” she asked.

Liam shook his head, his expression grave, and Madison felt a pit open up in her stomach.

“After that trip, Marcus and Ava were gone even more than our real parents. We barely saw them at all. The gym started to fail, and Ezra and I started to work there after school. They traveled to Italy all the time—”

“To visit Marta. Because she was an orphan. Believe me, I remember.”

He sighed. “Yeah…only Marta wasn’t the orphan…

“We were.”

Madison froze, her heart pounding so loud in her ears it practically drowned out Liam’s next words.

“Our real parents died in a car crash in Italy.”

Liam held her eyes. “Their car went over a cliff into the ocean. It…it wasn’t discovered for a long time. But from what our private investigator has been able to uncover, we believe they were going to visit their siblings.

“Why, we don’t know. But we ~do~ know Marcus and Ava took advantage of the situation.” His eyes narrowed. “And of course we have our suspicions.”

He pushed off the desk to stand. “They don’t know that we know. But thanks to Sara and the twins, we’ve managed to gather enough proof that they’re not who they say they are.”

“How?” she managed to ask.

“Because Marta is Marcus and Ava’s biological daughter, and Ethan has the DNA evidence to prove it.”

Madison’s head was spinning. This was a lot to take in. How on earth did you grieve parents you didn’t know were dead? That you didn’t even know existed?

“Ezra and I also submitted our blood for analysis. And the PI Ethan and Levi hired was able to get DNA tests done on the remains from the accident. He’s bringing home official records of the results.”

Ezra put his hand on her shoulder. “Maddi, are you okay?”

~No.~ “Mm-hmm…I’m just trying to wrap my brain around everything…”

Through the high-pitched buzzing in her ears, she could hear Liam saying something to Ezra.

“Call Levi. Tell him to drop everything and get his ass over here.

“Madison needs him. Now.”

***

When Madison woke up in Levi’s arms the next morning, she wasn’t sure at first why her eyes felt so crusty and swollen and she felt so emotionally numb.

Then the memories from yesterday came rushing back.

“Liam called,” Levi whispered into her hair. “He wants us both to meet him at your house before we go to work.”

Madison rolled over and checked her phone. “Yeah, looks like he called me too.” Her voice was raspy from all the crying she’d done last night.

She’d felt frozen in place most of the day, in shock, while Levi tenderly cared for her at his and Ethan’s house—tucking her into bed, picking shows for her to watch, bringing her meals.

It wasn’t until he’d climbed into bed with her at night that the floodgates had opened.

“He probably wants to make sure I’m not mad at him.”

~Am I?~ She wasn’t sure. She didn’t know what she felt about anything, to be honest.

Levi couldn’t bear conflict, wanted to make sure everything was smoothed over right away. But she needed time to sort out her feelings.

She knew she should probably be angry at the twins too, but she needed their support so much right now, she just couldn’t be.

Last night, Ethan had called from the airport in New York, and they’d filled him in on what had happened after he hung up with her brothers.

He’d apologized to her profusely, saying they wouldn’t have kept something like this from her if they felt they had any other options.

She sighed, then slipped out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

Life must go on.

***

After wrapping her hair into a bun and doing up the last button of her fitted white shirt, Madison started tucking it into her skinny jeans.

Surprisingly, she felt almost normal. It was amazing what a shower could do.

“Why do you have to look so sexy all the time?” Levi asked as he walked toward his closet. He pulled out the jacket of his gray suit and ran a hand through his hair before looking at her again.

“Why do ~you~?” she fired back, then stepped forward to kiss him. “Ready?”

He grabbed her ass and pulled her tightly to him.

“More than ready,” he answered, then searched her eyes. “Feeling better?”

“I meant ready for work, Levi,” she laughed as his mouth assaulted her sensitive neck. “But yes. I am.”

“I want you so much, love. Every minute of the day. You have no fucking idea how much you affect me. And I don’t care if I’m late every day of my life. I just care about ~you~.”

As always, his words ignited a fire in her, which was a welcome change from feeling numb.

She moved her hand to the back of his neck to pull him closer.

“I’m not sure I even ~want~ to see Liam yet,” she breathed against his lips. “Maybe we should just make him suffer a little bit longer.”

His hands roamed down her body, then paused, playing with the buttons of her shirt. She could tell he was waiting for a sign from her, making sure she was really up to this right now.

She pulled back from the kiss and stared into his eyes. “Do it.”

His eyes flared, and not even a second later he ripped her shirt open in one motion, buttons flying everywhere.

He filled his hands with her breasts.

“You’re a bad boy, Levi Thompson,” she whimpered as he brought his mouth down to one of her hardened nipples.

“And do you like it?” he asked, dragging his finger down her stomach.

“No…I love it.”

He grabbed her by the waist and flipped her around. “Good. Because I’m about to be a ~very~ bad boy.”

Her palms and breasts were pressed against the wall, and the coolness of the surface made her shiver.

She lowered her arms so Levi could slip off her shirt, but when he pressed his hand on her lower back, she returned them to the wall for support.

His hands ran down her body to get a tight grip on her thighs and pull them apart.

He bent over her until his chest brushed against her back, then wrapped his arms around her so that one hand could hold her breast while the other found a way inside her jeans.

When his fingers reached her core, she squirmed in pleasure.

“Levi…please…I need to have you,” she begged as his finger slipped between her folds and began rubbing in small circles.

The light pressure was enough to have her rolling her eyes and moaning.

He continued pleasuring her, and she could feel his erection hard against her back.

“You’re so wet…all the time,” he murmured in her ear.

“I…it’s all…for you,” she panted.

His hands suddenly left her body, and she almost sobbed.

“Oh, Levi…”

“Shh, my love. I’m here.” He took hold of the waistband of both her jeans and her panties and pulled them down in one smooth motion.

Pushing his own pants and briefs down, he placed his hard erection against her naked ass, then pushed down on her lower back to make her bend into a better angle.

Without saying a word, he parted her cheeks and, after rubbing his hardness against her core, entered her in one long, firm thrust.

She held her breath as her walls clenched. Then, supporting her body with her hands, she pushed herself backward, slamming her ass against his body.

She wanted to feel him everywhere.

Gripping her waist, Levi slowly moved his hips, thrusting in and out of her with care, going all the way in before pulling all the way out, teasing her back entrance as well before sinking into her fully.

Their moans filled the room, and as the rhythm of their bodies evened out, his thrusts gained speed.

Her breathing became uneven.

One of his hands slipped between her thighs and reached for her clit. He made small circular movements that followed the pace of his thrusts.

Her walls tightened and his thrusts intensified.

Her sex clenched around him as she came, and he let go as well, wrapping his arms around her middle and lifting her as he released himself into her.

They were both beautiful, shaking messes.

“I love you, Madison,” he groaned against her ear.

“I love you too, Levi.”

As she relaxed against the hard wall of Levi’s chest, her phone rang.

“Whoever it is can wait,” she muttered.

But after it stopped ringing, Levi’s phone started up. They looked at each other, worried, and Levi went to get his phone.

As he listened to whoever was on the other line, his face fell. “We’re on the way,” he said and ended the call.

He turned to Madison.

“That was Sam. Liam’s been in an accident.”

End of Book 1