The Ahern Brothers Collection Read online

  Contents

  Begin with Me

  Also By Claudia Burgoa

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Back to You

  1. Abby

  2. Wes

  3. Wes

  4. Wes

  5. Abby

  October 10th

  October 21st

  November 1st.

  November 3rd

  November 5th

  November 7th

  November 10th

  November 30th

  6. Wes

  December 5th

  December 11th

  December 15th

  December 23rd

  January 1st

  January 7th

  February 13th

  February 20th

  March 20th

  7. Wes

  May 2nd

  May 5th

  July 8th

  August 9th

  8. Abby

  9. Abby

  10. Abby

  11. Wes

  12. Abby

  13. Wes

  14. Abby

  15. Wes

  16. Wes

  17. Abby

  18. Abby

  19. Wes

  20. Abby

  21. Abby

  22. Wes

  23. Abby

  24. Abby

  25. Abby

  26. Wes

  27. Abby

  28. Wes

  29. Wes

  30. Abby

  31. Wes

  32. Abby

  33. Abby

  Epilogue

  Two summers later …

  Chapter 34

  Dear Reader,

  Bonus Content I

  Bonus II

  Once Upon a Holiday

  Also By Claudia Burgoa

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Epilogue

  I

  II

  III

  Excerpts

  Maybe Later

  Then He Happened

  Almost Perfect

  Also By Claudia Burgoa

  About Claudia Burgoa

  Begin with You

  Copyright © 2018 by Claudia Burgoa

  Cover: A. Burgoa

  Editors: Mara White

  Kristi Falteisek

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, photocopying, mechanical or otherwise, without express permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, brands, media, places, storylines and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, or any events or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products, brands, and-or restaurants referenced in this work of fiction, of which have been used without permission. The use of these trademarks is not authorized with or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Sign up for my newsletter to receive updates about upcoming books and exclusive excerpts.

  www.claudiayburgoa.com

  Also By Claudia Burgoa

  The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers Series

  Loved You Once

  A Moment Like You

  Defying Our Forever

  Call You Mine

  February 2021

  As We Are

  June 2021

  Yours to Keep

  September 2021

  Against All Odds Series

  Wrong Text, Right Love

  Didn’t Expect You

  Love Like Her

  March 2021

  Second Chance Sinners

  Pieces of Us

  April 2021

  Somehow Finding Us

  May 2021

  Collections

  The Ahern Brothers

  December 16th 2020

  Standalones

  Us After You

  Almost Perfect

  Once Upon a Holiday

  Someday, Somehow

  Chasing Fireflies

  Something Like Hate

  Then He Happened

  Maybe Later

  My One Despair

  My One Regret

  Found

  Fervent

  Flawed

  Until I Fall

  Finding My Reason

  Christmas in Kentbury

  Chaotic Love Duet

  Begin with You

  Back to You

  Unexpected Series

  Uncharted

  Uncut

  Undefeated

  Unlike Any Other

  Decker the Halls

  Co-writing

  Holiday with You

  To you and all the survivors of despicable crimes. you’re here because the fire inside of you burned brighter than the fire around. Stay strong. You’re loved.

  “I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity, and her flaming self-respect. And it's these things I'd believe in, even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicions that she wasn't all she should be. I love her, and it is the beginning of everything.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald

  Prologue

  I can pinpoint the moment when Abigail Lyons lost her optimism. It was the day her grandmother died. That’s when I began to talk about myself in third person, imagining the worst that could happen and learning to dissociate when my brain couldn’t handle the input.

  It was the same day I stopped laughing with ease and speaking my mind confidently. At sixteen though, that’s when I went quiet for good. The day I lost all hope, becam
e swallowed by loneliness—leaving nothing more than a scared bundle of nerves who wanted to jump out of her own skin. At twenty-three not much has changed. But I try to hide my flaws and fears. Somedays I’m brave enough to fight against my mind to conquer the latter.

  Other days, I’m not so lucky.

  Like my fear of flying with a bunch of strangers. As the plane takes off, I close my eyes, hold onto my rose quartz, and count the crystals. I’m not a fan of airplanes. They’re too small, there are too many people on board, and anything could happen during the flight. Though, according to my best friend, Wes, the probabilities of dying in a plane crash are one in eleven million. He once explained to me that it’s more likely to be hit by a meteorite, drown in my own bathtub, or get mauled by a bear in Yellowstone than die in a plane crash.

  He might be right about those statistics. But logic doesn’t apply to my phobia. Every time a plane takes off, my heart beats faster than a cheetah hunting for her next meal and sweat drips down my back. Honestly, I’m not afraid that the plane will lose altitude or collide with another aircraft. I fear that I’ll crash emotionally during the flight. The question for me isn’t whether or not the pilot loses control. My mind is asking, what if I have a full-blown panic attack in an environment where I don’t have control or any means for emotional release?

  When the pilot announces that we’re allowed to turn on our laptops and move around the cabin, I put on my wireless headphones and turn on my music. If I’m lucky, the two glasses of wine I downed before boarding, plus the one I drank before takeoff, might help me sleep during the almost three-hour flight. If I’m asleep, I won’t have to think about the people around me. Or the possibility of him finding me once I’m back in Denver.

  My throat tightens at the mere thought of seeing him again. I shut my eyes, squeezing them hard. My body trembles. It’s been so long that he shouldn’t have any effect on me. I count, controlling my breathing. But it’s impossible to calm myself when the images of what happened that night come back. The voices are back too. My heart beats wildly.

  Please, God, help me.

  Not now.

  “Run, Abigail, run,” I hear her desperate voice.

  I’m frozen in place. He’s getting closer to our room. This is my only chance to escape but I can’t move. My legs don’t respond. It’s like they weigh hundreds of pounds. The air thickens as his heavy steps get closer. I lift my gaze and I see him, staring at me with those swamp colored green eyes and a mocking smile on his face.

  “Try running,” he says with a daring glare and a smug tone. “Try to escape me, and if by some miracle you do, know that I’ll find you.”

  Chapter One

  Abby

  I grit my teeth harder with every breath I take. Are we far enough from…? I wrap my arms around myself. Don’t think about it, stay quiet, don’t call her attention. Let her believe you’re just in mourning.

  The mansion, hidden in the exclusive Cherry Hills neighborhood, looms proudly behind the iron gates. It’s flanked by rows of evergreens and Aspen trees. At its threshold stands a delicate marble fountain. Ms. Graves drives forward and stops right in front of the opulent porch. I take a deep breath and climb down from the large SUV, dragging in a plastic bag, the few belongings I was allowed to take with me.

  This place is how I always imagined palaces from fairy tales would look. I’ve lived north of Denver my entire life and the only times I left the area were for fieldtrips to the museums. Never in my dreams could I have imagined that there were homes nestled around the city that looked like this. The double front doors feature frosted glass framed by elegant wood, and on each side stood stone statues of lions. Two benches with matching planters hold bright flowers soaking in the sun of the late summer.

  Too good to be true, I mumble under my breath as I continue following my case manager.

  Who in their right mind would welcome me into their house? My mother barely accepted me. What makes Ms. Graves think that these people will be willing to shelter me after everything that’s happened? But then again, maybe they don’t even know my history.

  Don’t say a word, Abigail, or you’ll pay.

  Terror overwhelms me. I drop my gaze to my feet counting my toes several times. My body shakes uncontrollably as the door opens. A middle-aged man wearing a blue suit smiles at us.

  “Ms. Graves?” I jerk at the sound of his deep male voice.

  “Yes, and this is Abigail Lyons,” she says straightening her back.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Lyons,” the man standing in front of me greets. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  He opens the door wider for us, stepping aside. I follow right behind Ms. Graves.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Ahern will be with you in just a minute,” he says, giving us a sharp nod and walking away.

  Ms. Graves squeezes my arm gently. “Everything is going to be fine,” she assures me.

  Poor, naïve Ms. Graves. She’s only prolonging my agony. She doesn’t understand that no matter where she takes me, I won’t be safe from those monsters. I not only fear them, but the memories. The ghosts remain by my side. They’re choking me with their cold hands and squeezing the life out of me. I have no idea why I even fight them. Sooner or later they’ll win.

  “Think positive,” she mumbles, sounding like one of those life coaches who try to make you believe that anything is possible. “This is your second chance. You’ll find happiness.”

  Huh, happiness might happen to others perhaps … I don’t know if it’ll ever happen for me.

  At this moment, however, I can only concentrate on two things: tying to remain silent and blocking the past from my mind. I just can’t do the latter. All my thoughts continue to scatter. Nothing has made sense since …

  I hold my breath and count slowly, pushing aside everything that’s happened over the past few days. One, two, three. I focus on the marble floor while my nails dig into the sensitive flesh of my arms.

  “What happened to you was tragic,” she continues.

  Tragic?

  She has no idea what happened to me at home or for how long it went on. Until a couple of days ago, my life was a cross between Kiss the Girls and Silence of the Lambs.

  “I understand that you don’t want to talk about it, but you might want to change your attitude,” she snaps.

  Her patience has run thin.

  Take it easy on me. You heard the psychiatrist, lady. After what I witnessed, it might take months if not years to recover my speech.

  So, what if I’m faking not being able to speak? It’s the only way I can assure my survival. I learned this by reading novels. It’s good to store useless information. I didn’t know that one day all of it would become useful. If only I could escape this town. There’s no way I can emancipate myself and create a new identity here. I should go blonde and try to make enough money to buy those colored contacts. I’d choose green. With my dark brown eyes, it would be almost impossible to fake a pure blue.

  “You’re very lucky.” Her jaw clenches and her nostrils flare.

  The woman has shed the sheepskin and is showing her inner wolf. Everyone has an inner wolf; some just hide it better than others. =

  “The Aherns stopped fostering children a couple of years ago, but they made an exception for you.” She gives me a once-over and scrunches her nose. “This is your chance to start anew.”

  I nod twice, pretending to understand what’s at stake. She’s just praying that I don’t become a burden for her. That after today, she doesn’t have to see me or hear from me ever again. Unless someone asks her where she sent me. My lip quivers when I realize that I’m not safe. Not here or anywhere. If only I were smart enough, I’d hack the database and erase my name from the system—erase any record of my existence.

  “Everything will be okay,” Ms. Graves reassures me with that fake smile that reminds me of my mother’s.

  Nothing will be fine, I want to scream at her.