Layer by Layer Read online Kaylee Ryan (The Riggins Brothers #1)

Categories Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance Tags Authors: Series: Riggins Brothers Series by Kaylee Ryan
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Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 80819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
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“Sawyer.” His voice cracks. “Baby, where are you?”

“I’m at a hotel.”

“Which one? I’m on my way.”

“No. I’ll come to you. I need a little more time.”

“No.” I can hear the pain in his voice. “No more time away from you. I let that bitch control my life for years, and I won’t lose you over her. No way. It’s not happening, baby. Tell me where you are.”

“I’ll be at your place in a couple of hours.”

“Sawyer,” he croaks out. “I love you. You, Sawyer.”

“I’ll see you soon,” I say, my voice betraying me, my tears evident.

“Be safe, baby.”

“See you soon,” I say, ending the call. A new wave of tears rain down my cheeks from hearing his voice. I want to believe him. Hadley believes him. I trust her. I trust him, or at least I did. I let his ex, a vile woman who I know manipulated him, do the same to me. I’m ashamed. I let the tears fall unchecked. I just need some time before I go to him. I need to be prepared that this could be the end of us, and with that thought, the tears fall harder.

My phone vibrates with a text. Wiping at my face, I focus on the screen.

Royce: I love you, baby. Please come home to me.

Knowing that it’s time to face the situation, I make my way to the bathroom. Splashing

some water on my face, I stare at my reflection. My eyes are red and swollen, but there is nothing I can do about that. After patting my face dry, I grab my purse, phone, and room key and check out—no more hiding.

Chapter 24

Royce

I’m sitting on the steps of my front porch. My leg is bouncing up and down as I stare at the driveway, waiting, watching, willing her to appear before me. When I walked out of my meeting and saw that she wasn’t at her desk, I thought maybe she was in the restroom. Until I realized her computer was shut down, and the picture of her and Hadley was missing. The framed photo of the two of us still in its rightful place.

That’s when the panic started to set in.

The churning in my gut told me something wasn’t right. I called her over and over and over again, with no answer. My brothers rallied around me, calling Conrad, and Marshall, all hands on deck looking for her. When I arrived on Hadley and Derek’s doorstep, I was in freak-out mode. Derek ushered me inside while I fumbled through what I knew. Hadley called her, and on the first ring, my girl picked up.

Fast-forward to now, and the panic is still there. I know she’s safe, but will she really show? I swear, I could kill Jennifer with my bare hands. I don’t have the mental energy to deal with her and to be honest, I want Sawyer there when it happens. I want her to see that there is nothing between us. I want her to witness the pure evil that is my ex-wife.

I called Owen and told him to expect a phone call. I want him to tell her about Saturday. I told him not to leave anything out. I don’t care if it spoils the surprise of proposing to her. The alternative is that I might lose her, and I’ll never survive that. I thought Jennifer’s betrayal was the worst thing that could happen to me in my lifetime. I was wrong. Losing Sawyer, it would kill me.

Headlights shine as the car slows and pulls into my driveway. I recognize her car right away, and I’m on my feet. She barely has the car in park before I’m ripping open her door and dropping to my knees. “Fuck, Sawyer.” I place my head in her lap and fight back the emotion clogging my throat. “You’re here,” I say, pulling back to look up at her. Her eyes are red and swollen, and the fury I feel for my ex-wife intensifies.

“I’m here,” she replies, her voice soft.

“Come inside.” Reaching over her, I unbuckle her belt before climbing to my feet and holding my hand out for her. It remains suspended in the air between us. The knot in my stomach tightens, worried she’s going to change her mind and peel out of here. Finally, after what feels like hours, she places her hand in mine. I grip it tightly, helping her from her car. As soon as the door is shut, I wrap my arms around her, burying my face in her neck and breathing her in. The feel of her in my arms, mixed with the relief, is enough to bring me to tears. I push them back as I pull away and lead her inside.

The house is quiet, only the sounds of our footsteps as we enter the living room fill the space. I take a seat on the couch and give her hand a gentle tug, and she takes a seat next to me. Without a word, I pull out my phone and do a video call with Owen. “Hey, O,” I greet him.


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