Lilly: A Kensington Family Novel

by Allie Everhart

  "You could only find one arrest because all of his other crimes were covered up by his miscreant uncle, including the accident this boy caused, which nearly killed a man."

  "He wasn't—" I stop when my dad's hand goes up, telling me to keep quiet and let him handle this.

  "As I understand it," he says, "the man's injuries were not life-threatening, but yes, I agree that Reed should not have been driving and that he should've faced some sort of punishment for his actions. But we all make mistakes. Even you, Katherine. And we both know that people are not always punished for their crimes." He pauses. "Some people even get away with murder."

  Murder. My mind goes to that dream I had. The blood on my dad's shirt. The fact that my mom didn't react when she saw it. Why didn't she react?

  It was just a dream. That's all it was. It wasn't real.

  My mom clears her throat. "Regardless, the fact remains that our daughter cannot associate with a boy like him. I will not allow it."

  "That is not for you to decide."

  "Of course it is! I am her mother and I will NOT stand by and let her repeat Garret's mistakes. This boy Lilly is involved with is even worse than Jade."

  "Don't—" Garret stops when my dad's hand goes up again.

  My mom continues. "At least Jade's mother is dead. This boy's mother is still part of his life. Do you really want Lilly around some woman who spends her life drinking and taking drugs?"

  "I am aware of the issues involving Reed's mother, but Lilly is not being exposed to those issues. The woman doesn't live here. She lives in Los Angeles. Lilly will never see her."

  "Are you sure about that, Pearce?" She uses a condescending tone. "The woman was recently on campus, drunk and causing a scene. Her son drove her back to Los Angeles and made Lilly follow him there so that he would have a ride back to the college."

  My dad shoots me a questioning look. I nod, letting him know it's true. He gives me the dad stare that means we'll be talking about this later.

  "And while they were there," my mother continues, "his psychotic mother pulled a knife on them."

  "Lilly, is that true?" my dad asks.

  "Put Lilly on the phone," my mom orders.

  "I'm already here," I say.

  My dad doesn't bother to silence me this time. Instead he asks me again, "Did that woman pull a knife on you?"

  "No. She pulled a knife on Reed. After that we left."

  "Shit," Garret says under his breath.

  "You see?" my mother says. "It's just as I told you, Pearce. The woman is dangerous! And I never would have known if I hadn't been recording Lilly's conversations."

  "If you had concerns about our daughter, that was not the approach you should've taken. You will not be spying on her. This ends now, Katherine. If you ever try doing this again, there will be consequences."

  Whenever he says this to her, I never know what he means, but it always makes her back down.

  "No need to threaten me, Pearce," she says. "I won't be doing it again. I have other ways to track her activities."

  "What's that supposed to mean?" Garret asks.

  "Oh, hello, Garret," she says in a sarcastic tone. "I didn't know you were there. Isn't this lovely? It's like a little family reunion. Is Jade there as well? I'd love to say hello."

  He grits his teeth. "Tell us what you meant. Do you have someone spying on Lilly?"

  She laughs. "Garret, you've always had such a suspicious mind."

  This whole time she's been on the phone, my thoughts have been on Reed, wondering what's happening and if he's sitting in some jail cell because of my mom.

  "Mom, why would you do this?" I ask. "Reed could end up in prison, and so could his uncle."

  "They belong in prison. They're criminals. They committed a crime and they need to pay for it."

  "They're not criminals. They just made a mistake. And now you're destroying their lives. Destroying Reed's future. His uncle won't be around to support his family. Doesn't any of that matter to you?"

  "It had to be done. You were getting far too close to that boy. You're incapable of seeing people for who they are. That boy is trouble, and you should've known so right away. But instead you fell for his charms. His flattery. His ridiculous gestures."

  Hearing her say that, my mind instantly thinks of Preston. He's the one who tricked me with those things. He made me think we had a lot in common, but it turns out he just made all that up to get me to go out with him. I still can't figure out how he knew so much about me. We didn't talk that much so how did he know what I like?

  "We've spoken enough for today," my dad says to my mom. "I need to go deal with whatever fallout has occurred due to your inappropriate actions. Be forewarned that if Lilly suffers any kind of repercussions because of what you've done, you will suffer as well. I still have connections in the high-society world you so desperately want to be part of. I will ensure that any chances of you returning to that world are destroyed if Lilly is negatively affected in any way because of what you've done. The same holds true if you even think of interfering with Lilly's life again."

  "Pearce, I—"

  "We will talk later. Privately."

  "Dad, wait. I need to ask Mom something."

  "Go ahead."

  "Did you set me up with Preston?"

  She sighs. "What does it matter? You already destroyed your chances with that young man."

  "You made him go out with me, didn't you?"

  When she doesn't answer, I know it's true.

  "Why would you do that? Just because he's rich?"

  "He comes from a decent family and is an appropriate boyfriend for you."

  "Did you tell him stuff about me? Is that how he knew to take me for pancakes? And get me that bracelet? Were you recording my conversations and sending them to Preston?"

  "Of course not. I simply informed him of your likes and dislikes."

  "You don't even know my likes and dislikes. You never talk to me, and when you do, you just criticize me and tell me what I'm doing wrong. You had to record me so you'd know what I like." My throat burns, fighting back tears. "Because you don't know me. You're my mom but you don't know anything about me."

  "Don't be so dramatic. And don't you dare start crying!"

  Garret comes over and puts his arm around me.

  "Katherine, this conversation is over," my dad says. "You are done speaking to her or being involved in her life in any way until I say otherwise."

  "You can't ban me from—"

  "Goodbye, Katherine." He hangs up on her, then drops the tiny microphones on the floor and smashes them with his shoe.

  "Dad, what are we going to do?" Garret asks.

  "I need to get to the police station. If Reed tells them that Lilly was the one who recorded him, she could face charges."

  "What charges?" I ask.

  "In California, it's against the law to record someone's conversation without their consent. Reed or his family could press criminal charges against you."

  "But I didn't do it."

  "Yes, which is what I will tell the police if the issue comes up. I'll explain that your mother did this. She will be the one punished, not you."

  "What if she denies it?"

  "Then the three of us will testify that she admitted to doing it. But it won't come to that. I'll make sure your mother is the one who is held responsible."

  "Lilly, do you think Reed would tell them it was you who recorded him?" Garret asks.

  I shake my head. "No. I know he's mad at me but he wouldn't want to get me in trouble."

  "I hope you're right." My dad puts his hand on my shoulder. "Lilly, I'm sorry your mother did this."

  "Don't apologize for her. She needs to apologize herself. But she never will..." My voice trails off.

  "Garret, I need you to wait here with Lilly while I'm at the police station."

  "I want to go with you," I say.

  "No. I don't want you accidentally saying something that could incriminate you."

&nb
sp; "What are you going to tell the police?"

  "Don't worry about it. I'll handle it." He goes out the door, closing it behind him.

  "What do you think he's going to do?" I ask Garret.

  "Take care of it. Make it go away."

  "All of it? Or just the part that involves me?"

  "His main concern is you. As for Reed, I don't think the police can do anything to him. Like Dad said, they can't use that recording as evidence. Even if they could, they'd have to prove it was Reed talking and not someone else."

  "Then why did they call him in for questioning?"

  "To see if he'd confess, or mess up and say something that would indicate that he's guilty. I'm sure he didn't have a lawyer present."

  "No. He doesn't have money for that. Garret, if he ends up being charged for this, his life is over. That can't happen. He has all these plans for what he wants to do and...I don't want them taking him away from me." Tears spill down my cheeks.

  Garret hugs me, squeezing me tight. "You really like this guy, don't you?"

  "Yeah," I whisper, resting my head on Garret's shoulder.

  "And he treats you well?"

  "Yes. He looks out for me. He worries about my safety. He would do anything for me. That's why I know he wouldn't tell them anything that would get me in trouble."

  Garret steps back, his hands on my arms. "But he accused you of this when he should've trusted you."

  "He had no other explanation. It happened in my room, and we were the only two people here when he told me."

  "Does Reed still drink?"

  "No. After the accident, he never drank again."

  "Lilly, why didn't you tell me what happened in LA with his mom?"

  "Because I knew you'd tell me to break up with him."

  "You can't hide shit like that. If his mom is dangerous, we need to know. What if she got pissed at you for something? If she pulls a knife on her own son, she'd do even worse to you. What if she had a gun?"

  "Stop saying that. You're scaring me."

  "You have to think about this stuff. You can't trust someone you don't know. Just because she's Reed's mom doesn't mean she's a good person. And even if she was, good people do bad things when they're drunk. I know you like Reed, but if he's going to keep taking care of his mom, you're always going to be part of this. And chances are, you'll end up in second place to his mom. She'll always come first, demanding his attention, and if he doesn't give it to her, she'll get drunk. Then he'll feel guilty and go back to doing whatever she wants. It's a constant cycle and it never ends unless he cuts her out of his life."

  "How do you know that's what he'll do?"

  "Because this woman sounds like Jade's mom, along with a lot of the moms of the girls Jade works with. Talk to Jade about this. She can explain it better."

  "Jade knows about Reed's mom and she never told me not to date him."

  "She didn't know the whole story. And back then, none of us knew you two would keep going out. This is the longest you've dated someone." He pauses. "Just think about what I said. Like I told you before, college is about having fun. You don't want to let this woman you don't even know take that away from you."

  "My mom already did. She's ruined everything."

  "She won't anymore. Dad will make sure of it. But Lilly, you really need to take a stand with her. Dad can't keep doing this."

  "I know. I just...I need time to think before I do anything."

  We remain in my room, waiting to hear something from my dad. I've already missed my first class and I'm going to skip my afternoon class as well. There's no way I could concentrate with everything that's going on.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Pearce

  I arrive at the police station just as Reed is being led out of a room and back to the front desk.

  He sees me and gives me a wary look, likely wondering why I'm here.

  "Reed," I say going up to him. "I need to have a word with you."

  "I'm sorry Mr. Kensington, but I have to go." He walks past me, getting his phone out as he hurries out the door.

  I follow him. "Reed, wait. I need to know what happened in there."

  He stops abruptly and turns to me. "Why? So you can use it against me? Are you the one who called me last night?"

  Someone called him last night? It had to have been them. Shit.

  "Get in my car." I nod toward my Mercedes. "We need to talk."

  "I'm not talking to you. I don't trust you." He walks off.

  "Reed!" I catch up to him. "Listen to me. You need to tell me what happened in there. If Lilly's going to be charged I need to—"

  "Charged?" He stops and looks at me. "Why would Lilly be charged?"

  "Did you tell the police she recorded you?"

  "No. I told them I didn't know who did it."

  Thank God he didn't accuse her of that. I don't want the police questioning Lilly or even considering she had a part in this.

  "Reed, I know you're upset with Lilly, but she had nothing to do with this."

  "I want to believe you, but if you're telling me the truth, then how did this happen?"

  I glance back at the police station, my eyes stopping on the multiple cameras aimed at us. "Let's go somewhere and talk."

  He hesitates, but then agrees to it.

  We go to the coffee shop we went to on parents' weekend. Once we're seated he says, "Why did she record me?"

  "She didn't. At least not intentionally."

  "I don't understand."

  "Katherine did it. Lilly's mother. She planted microphones in Lilly's room and in her purse and recorded her conversations."

  Reed drops his head, shaking it side to side. "I knew it wasn't Lilly. I knew she'd never do this." He looks at me. "But why did her mom do it? Why would she do something like that?"

  "Because she doesn't approve of you dating her daughter. She'll do anything to break you and Lilly apart."

  "Even have me arrested? Ruin my future? Get my uncle in trouble?"

  "Unfortunately, yes. When Katherine wants something, she'll do anything to get it. She's determined to keep Lilly away from you, even if that means putting you in jail."

  "We need to tell the police what she did. I'll charge her for recording me without my permission."

  "That would only make matters worse. Katherine's lawyers would get the charges dropped and then she'd come after you with an even greater vengeance."

  "So what do I do? If she's determined to keep me away from Lilly, then what does that mean? What's she going to do next?"

  "Let me handle Katherine. She won't be bothering you again."

  "How can you be sure?"

  "I have ways of keeping Katherine in line. Now tell me about this call you received last night. Was it a man?"

  "Yes. He told me to stay away from Lilly. He said she's part of something bigger. I didn't know what that meant. He didn't explain. Then he threatened me. He said if I cared about my family, I'd end my relationship with Lilly."

  It had to be them. Katherine has somehow involved the organization in this. Either that or she's using their techniques to frighten Reed into staying away from Lilly.

  "I'll deal with that as well," I tell Reed. "You won't be receiving any more calls like that."

  "So you know who called me?"

  "It's best if you don't ask questions. And don't tell your uncle. Or anyone else, including Lilly."

  "Why? What do you know about this person who called?"

  "Reed, I need you to listen to me. This is something you need to stay out of. Let me handle it and everything will be fine."

  "I'm not trying to be disrespectful, Mr. Kensington, but I don't know you that well so I'm not sure I trust you."

  "You don't have a choice. That man who called you wasn't lying. If you tell anyone about that conversation, things will only get worse."

  "You're starting to freak me out. What are you not telling me?"

  How do I explain this in a way that will convince him to forget about th
is and move on? I don't know for sure if the organization is involved or if it's just Katherine, but I can't take any chances. Reed can't be telling anyone about that call, especially his uncle, who could use his resources as a police officer to search for answers. If he did, and the organization is indeed involved, there's a good chance both he and Reed would be killed.

  "Your uncle is a police officer, correct?" I ask Reed.

  "Yes. Why?"

  "As an officer, I'm sure there are things he can't tell you. Things that must be kept confidential."

  "Yeah, but what does that have to do with—"

  "There's nothing wrong with keeping a secret, especially if it prevents you from being harmed. And in this case, your silence will protect you. I, myself, receive threats on a regular basis. Usually the threats are meaningless, but other times the threats are real."

  "What are you saying?"

  "I'm saying that it's best not to challenge people who make threats. Or call their bluff. This man who called you could be dangerous."

  "But why would he care that I'm dating Lilly?"

  "Katherine hired that man to make that call. She wanted to scare you away from Lilly. But as I said, that man could be dangerous. That's why you need to let me handle this."

  The waitress drops off our coffees. Reed waits until she walks away, then says, "So what happens if I keep going out with Lilly? Is that man who called me going to hurt my family?"

  "I told you I'd take care of it. He'll leave your family alone."

  "What are you going to do?"

  "That's not your concern. I told you I'd take care of it and I will. That's all you need to know." I sip my coffee. "Now let's talk about your mother."

  "My mother? What about her?"

  "Given what I've heard about her, it sounds like she's unstable. Perhaps even dangerous."

  He stirs his coffee, avoiding my question.

  "Reed? Is that true? Is she dangerous?"

  "Honestly, I don't know. I didn't think she was, but lately she's been a little out of control."

  "Has she ever been abusive to you?"

  His eyes remain on his coffee. "Not physically."

  "Did she pull a knife on you recently?"

  He shuts his eyes briefly and nods. "Yeah. She did."

  "Reed. Look at me." As his eyes meet up with mine, I say, "I don't want my daughter around that woman ever again. Do you understand me?"