by Sofia Grey
The invitation to the party had stunned Adele. It was Sylvie’s way of saying thank you to Karl for his help that awful day. Looking around at all the famous faces, she could pretend they were her friends, for one night anyway. Unlike Nick and Lara, they were unlikely to hang out with Event Horizon again.
Lara was polite to her, and assured Adele that she felt no malice towards her. Everyone was moving on with their lives.
Karl told Adele that Lara was travelling to New Zealand with Nick in January, when he attended the TM-Tech Asia-Pac sales conference. They’d take a few weeks for a holiday, too. It sounded pretty cool, almost as cool as the party.
Sylvie had booked a small Bed & Breakfast, a short distance from their home in Rhosneigr, and the wedding party stayed there for the weekend. Guests overspilled into local houses and hotels, a large and cosy bunkhouse on the premises, and Alex and Sylvie’s house, as well as Jordan’s.
It was a blast, watching Event Horizon perform in the conservatory of the B&B, with the guests singing and dancing along. Sylvie looked gorgeous, dressed as usual in skin-tight black jeans and a black lacy T-shirt. High-heeled boots made her taller than usual. Callum wandered around happily, playing with the other children. To look at him, with his dark hair and eyes so similar to Alex, you’d think they were father and son. In the interval between sets, Alex sat on the makeshift stage with Callum on his knee, watching proudly as the child tried to play his guitar.
Daisy, the nanny, was dancing with Charlie Jones and looking very at home with him. Another romance on the cards, perhaps? The band would be setting off for the next leg of the tour soon, and Daisy would have plenty of opportunities to see Charlie in some exotic locations.
Adele wanted to hug herself with excitement. She was taking Karl home for Christmas, and then they were flying out to Houston at the end of January. A literary quote tugged at her brain. Something about the best of times and the worst of times? That summed up the past month. She’d never forget it.
Karl tugged her closer on the dancefloor. “What’s up?”
She had so much to be thankful for. She smiled at him, the man who she hoped would be in her life forever. “Nothing at all. Not while you’re with me.”
Epilogue
The little back room in the Beaumaris pub was packed to capacity, as it usually was when Leanne held one of her Spirit Sessions. She was a well-known medium in the local area, and rumour had it people came from miles away to see her. Tonight was no exception.
She walked up and down the room, pausing to speak to people and pass on messages from the spirit world. Some cried when they heard her message. Others looked puzzled and asked for clarification. As she approached a table jammed into a dark corner, she stopped and cocked her head on one side, as though listening to somebody else talking.
“I’ve a young man coming through. He passed over very early—suffered a violent passing and went before his time. His name is Rick? Or Ricky?” She frowned. The four people at the table looked at each other.
A slim young woman with long dark hair tied back spoke up. “Could it be Rico?”
“Yes.” Leanne swung around to speak to her, smiling now. “It’s Rico. And he has a message for”—again she seemed to struggle with a name—“Silver Lady?” She looked perplexed, but the young woman nodded.
“Silverwood. That’s what he called me.”
“Silverwood.” Leanne listened intently. The young woman smiled at the bearded man next to her, and they squeezed each other’s hands. They waited patiently. Sharing their table was another couple—a pretty brunette and a darkly handsome man. He had a patch on the side of his head that was tufty with new hair growth.
Leanne beamed at the group. “Did you know you have a guardian angel?” She smiled at Silverwood. “He’s been looking after you and taking good care of you. You’re very lucky.”
“I know.” The woman smiled back.
Leanne paused, listened, and spoke again. “He says you’ll be fine now. You don’t need him anymore. But he says...” She frowned. “He says you will understand this. You did well; he was proud of you. Then he says, I will always love you.” She smiled. “Does that make sense?”
Silverwood had tears in her eyes. She wiped them on the back of her hand, and then smiled at the man beside her, who seemed choked with emotion. “Yes, I understand.” She paused a long moment. “That was the last thing he said to me before he died.”
Leanne nodded slowly. “You’re very lucky,” she repeated. Giving herself a little shake, she walked away and listened again. “I’ve a message coming through for Sally. Is there a Sally in here tonight?”
Silverwood was crying softly in the man’s arms. He might be crying too. It was hard to tell. To the onlookers, they were just another couple that was given a message from a loved one.
THE END
To see what happens next, read Shattering the Trust (Event Horizon #3). This picks up the story two months later.
Here’s a sneak peek of Shattering the Trust.
Excerpt from Shattering the Trust
Chapter 1
The handsome man sitting next to Juli on the bus leaned in and whispered in her ear. “I don’t want them to see me. Will you play along for a minute?”
Did he mean the two guys that just boarded as it prepared to leave?
“Yes,” she said. It came out as a squeak.
“Thank you.” He slid one hand behind her, the other lifting to tunnel into her hair. His gaze focused on her lips, and time seemed to stop.
Was he planning to kiss her? A complete stranger? Her heart clattered like a galloping horse. She should push him away.
She didn’t move.
He ducked his head, his face dangerously close.
As though they were on automatic pilot, her arms lifted to drape around his neck. His T-shirt was beautifully soft beneath her fingers. Was her breath fresh? Yes. She’d been chewing gum. Juli should be outraged, but she felt strangely excited.
He shifted to nuzzle against the side of her neck. “Don’t be scared.” His fragrant breath smelled of apples.
“I’m not,” she managed to reply. Then, as her sanity returned, she whispered again. “Who are they?”
He moved his head. She could tell he watched the men from behind the curtain of her hair. Long moments passed, and then he eased back further. She felt strangely bereft. He glanced across the aisle to his companions. His friend seemed to be reading the tour guide, while the girl chattered to the toddler. The two last-minute additions to the excursion sat near the front of the coach, facing away from them.
“Thanks for that. Let’s just say I’d rather they didn’t see me.” His body was close, his arm still draped across her shoulders.
Juli caught a flash of a tattoo peeping out from his short sleeve, but then he shifted position and it vanished from view.
Five minutes ago, she didn’t expect this to happen. She’d been waiting in line for the bus doors to open, fanning herself with a copy of the Wellington Summer Tourist Guide, and gazing at her fellow passengers from behind the safety of her sunglasses.
The guy ahead of her—the same one who almost just kissed her—had caught her attention. Tall and built, with cropped dark hair and the most wicked smile, he stood out from the crowd. Too hot to handle. She nicknamed him Mr Sexy.
He chatted to a pretty conker-haired young woman holding a wriggling toddler, and another guy who also scored highly on the attractiveness scales. The three of them pored over a copy of the same booklet Juli used to fan her face.
The woman smiled at each man in turn, and then handed the child to the first guy. Were they a couple? Just friends? And why did Juli care?
Whatever their relationship, these guys stuck to the woman’s side like glue, as the group inched forward toward the bus.
“Down,” said the child and squirmed some more.
“Okay.” Mr Sexy bent to place the kid on the ground. In doing so he took a step back and almost trod on Juli’s foot, g
razing against it as she moved out of the way.
He spun around. “Hey,” he said. “Did I just stomp on you? I’m really sorry.”
She liked his American accent. And his good manners. And his apologetic smile.
“It’s okay. You missed me.” She couldn’t help returning his smile. She’d have liked to come up with a witty remark, but jetlag wasn’t her friend, and her brain was firing at half-speed.
He looked about to say something, when the line began to move and his buddy nudged him. Mr Sexy gave Juli another smile and returned to his companions.
Juli wished she had a friend to share the bus tour with. She knew one other person taking this excursion—Nick Anderson, the charismatic Marketing Director of TM-Tech—but purely on the basis of a ten-minute introduction in the airport lounge. On the flight across from London, he sat several rows away, and now he was at the front of the queue, with his wife and colleagues.
This was Juli’s first trip to New Zealand, a place she always wanted to visit, so why wasn’t she happier?
She felt like a fish out of water. She was certainly tired, but this was a business trip, and she had to be on her A-game.
Juli boarded the bus and snagged a window seat. The young woman with the toddler and the second guy sat across the aisle from her. Where was their companion?
“Mind if I join you?” Mr Sexy smiled down at her.
He probably wanted to sit near his friends, but Juli wasn’t complaining. “Please do.” She tried not to watch as he stashed a camera bag in the overhead rack, tickled the child under the chin, and then dropped into the seat next to her.
His foot knocked against hers. “Oops. Sorry.” He flashed her another friendly smile, and then he leaned across to his friends and chatted to them in an undertone.
Juli tried to place his accent. American, but she couldn’t be more specific about his light drawl. She smiled out of her window, as the remainder of the passengers boarded. The day was looking up.
The six-hour tour was intended for visitors to Wellington. According to the brochure, it would head north, taking a trip across Paekakariki Hill Road, then continue up to the Kapiti Coast for lunch and shopping, with a side-trip to Queen Elizabeth Park. It sounded fun, and better than sitting in her hotel room all day, brooding over Philip.
Yes, sitting next to Mr Sexy was way more fun than she expected.
He smiled at her. “By the way, I’m Jack,” he said.
She inhaled his woody-smelling aftershave. Damn, he smelled as good as he looked, and she gazed at him, entranced. Any residual thoughts of her soon-to-be-ex Philip dissolved.
“My name’s Juli.”
“Hello, Juli.” He tried to copy her French pronunciation, Zhoo-lee. “Exotic.”
She laughed softly. “It’s Pascal, actually.”
She feasted her eyes on him and tried to memorize the details, to enjoy again later. There were little laughter lines around his eyes. The hint of a scar curving under his jawline. Blue eyes so dark she could fall into them. And white, strong teeth.
He looked as though he should be starring in an action movie, instead of sitting on a tour bus with her.
~ * ~
To carry on reading, buy Shattering the Trust
If she trusts the wrong man, she could wind up dead
Juli’s business trip to New Zealand should be awesome. Throw in front row tickets to see her favourite band while she’s there? Perfect.
That’s before she learns she’s in danger from a terrorist splinter cell. She has information on a new technology, and they want it, at any cost.
Falling for one of the band’s bodyguards should make her feel safer. But the one man she needs to trust hasn’t been honest about who he’s really working for.
If Juli can’t separate the truth from the lies, her technology will get turned into a potent weapon, and the world will pay the price.
Event Horizon series
Lying in Shadows (Event Horizon #1)
Two Nights in Houston (Event Horizon #1.5)
Covering the Lies (Event Horizon #2)
Shattering the Trust (Event Horizon #3)
Details and buy links are on my website:
https://sofiagrey.com/books/romantic-suspense/
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Covering the Lies is the second in the Event Horizon series, but some of the characters may be familiar.
You can read Kate & Jordan’s story in Perfect Stranger, and then meet Jon and Anita in Perfect Place.
Alex (AJ) and Sylvie also make appearances in the Talisman paranormal romance series. Obsession, Craving and Addiction.
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In chronological terms, the Talisman series comes after the Event Horizon series.
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To keep up to date on new releases and other news from Sofia Grey, click here to subscribe to her newsletter.
Please help this author’s career by posting an honest review wherever you purchased this book.
Playlist
Music is interwoven so tightly into my writing that I can’t untangle the two. Either I’m listening to a playlist on my iPod, have music seeping from my laptop speakers, or there’s a song playing in my head – sometimes on auto-repeat.
If Covering the Lies had a soundtrack, the playlist would include:
Foo Fighters: The Pretender
Pearl Jam: Nothing as it Seems
Filter: Where Do We Go From Here
Incubus: Nimble Bastard
Lighthouse Family: Ain’t No Sunshine
Maroon5: Sunday Morning
Liam Gallagher: Wall of Glass
Lenny Kravitz: Fly Away
Blacklistt: Worth Fighting For
Santana / Chris Cornell: Whole Lotta Love
Slash: Promise
Cortes: Facing My Fear
Highly Suspect: Little One
Listen along to these—and more—with my Spotify playlist: Spotify
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Check out the images that inspired Covering the Lies: Pinterest
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About Sofia Grey
Romance author Sofia Grey spends her days managing projects in the corporate world and her nights hanging out with wolf shifters and alpha males. She devours pretty much anything in the fiction line, but she prefers her romances to be hot, and her heroes to have hidden depths. When writing, she enjoys peeling back the layers to expose her characters’ flaws and always makes them work hard for their happy endings.
Find Sofia Grey Online:
Website: www.SofiaGrey.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sofia.Grey.Romance.Author
Twitter: @SofiaGreyAuthor
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For advance copies, exclusive previews, and a lively group to hang out with, join Sofia’s Fan Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/225805550957721/
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More by Sofia Grey
If you enjoyed Covering the Lies, why not try some of her other contemporary romance books, including:
Perfect Stranger (Perfect series #1)
When one night just isn’t enough
My ex-boyfriend had commitment issues. My sadistic boss can’t keep his hands to himself. No wonder I wanted to celebrate my birthday by losing myself in the delicious Jordan Merrill. His Texan drawl alone is enough to make me weak at the knees.
Finding out he wants more should be a good thing. Only, we live hundreds of miles apart, and he’s every bit as much a workaholic as me. Juggling our schedules is a nightmare. I’m the only female senior manager in our company, and it’s taken me years to get here. Surrendering my career isn’t an option.
Even for Jordan.
I wanted a single night with a perfect stranger. I didn’t plan on falling in love.
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Seeing the Love (Love in Wellington series)
She’s about to light up his life
Lucas Wade is losing his sight. As the darkness threatens to swamp him, the one bright spot in his day comes in the form of Natalie F
ontaine. She works in the sales office, hundreds of miles away, and she alone treats him like a regular guy. She has no idea about his disability, and he doesn’t plan on telling her about it.
But if Lucas can’t be honest with her, Natalie may never see the love he has to offer.
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His Private Fix (Love at the Beach #1)
What will people say?
I’m thirty-four, almost divorced, and lusting after a guy ten years younger than me. I wanted to get away from my old life, but falling for Jonah hardly seems appropriate.
He’s the sexiest man I’ve ever met, though, and I’m not the only one who can’t keep my hands to myself. A little fun never hurt anyone.
We’ll go our separate ways at the end of the weekend, when his holiday is over. Wanting more, from the private man with secrets he won’t share is madness. Even knowing that, I can’t stop wanting him.
Will he break my heart? Probably. Will it be worth it? I wish I knew.
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Did you know Sofia also writes paranormal romance?
Obsession (Talisman #1)
The perfect husband becomes the perfect nightmare
Josh Delaney is the ideal honey trap. His charm and model good looks would be enough for most women, but coupled with his psychic ability to read their thoughts, he’s impossible to resist. Suspicious husbands employ him to test their wives, to see if they can be tempted to stray.
High profile couple Suki and Gabe Bridgewater have the perfect marriage, or at least, that’s the image they portray to the world. Behind closed doors, Gabe’s dominance in the marriage is unravelling and he decides to test Suki, using Josh as bait.
For Josh it should be just another easy job, but two things go horribly wrong.
One, Josh falls in love with Suki.
And two, Gabe refuses to let her go.
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Wolf at the Door (Snowdonia Wolves #1)
Can a wolf become the man of her dreams?
