Lilly and Reed: A Kensington Family Novel

by Allie Everhart

  If Curt was right about Dean, and he indeed is not qualified for this job, then why was he given it? Did he bribe someone? Blackmail them?

  What else is going on with Dean? He's hiding something. But what is it?

  Chapter Twelve

  Katherine

  "This is a very nice restaurant," Dean says, his head shifting left and right as he inspects the small private dining room. "Have you been here before?"

  "Yes," I sigh. "I mentioned that when we arrived."

  "Yes. That's right. I forgot." His eyes return to his salad, which he's tossing around with his fork, his other hand lightly tapping the table. He's very fidgety. It's extremely irritating. "What about you, Phillip? Have you been here before?"

  "Yes," Phillip answers, seeming equally irritated.

  Phillip met Dean less than an hour ago and is already losing his patience. I am as well, but I'm trying to tolerate him the best I can. He's my only chance of making Lilly part of the organization so as much as he annoys me, I have to learn to put up with him and his constant fidgeting and ill-fitting suits and unkempt hair that keeps flopping over his forehead and his atrocious table manners. The man actually used the dessert fork for his salad. How could anyone not know such a basic rule of etiquette?

  "It's this one," I tell him, pointing out the correct fork.

  "Oh." He eyes it, seeming confused. "Of course. I should know better."

  I cringe as he sets his dessert fork, dripping with dressing, on the white tablecloth, then picks up the salad fork.

  "So." He pierces his lettuce with his fork using far too much force. It's delicate butter lettuce and should be handled with care, not stabbed like it's an animal being speared in a hunt. "Are we ready to discuss business?"

  Phillip answers. "One generally does not discuss business until the meal is done."

  He smiles. "In my business, we usually discuss business during dinner, not after."

  Phillip's lips purse. "Ours is a different type of business."

  "About that, I still don't quite understand what type of business you're in. Or what I'm signing up for here."

  "Mr. Ashford." Phillip sets his fork down. "I believe it's time we go over the rules once again. But before I do that, let me remind you that you are joining an organization. We are not a business. We are a fraternal group of like-minded individuals set on achieving common goals. While it's true that many of us are business owners and we indeed use those skills and resources to achieve our goals, the group in and of itself is simply an entity. Now as for the rules, the number one rule is to never ask questions."

  "But isn't that why we're—"

  "What did I just say, Mr. Ashford?" Phillip's jaw clenches.

  "Don't ask questions," Dean mutters. "Please continue."

  "From here on out, the group is your priority. It comes before anything else."

  "What about my job? My son?"

  Phillip lets a heavy sigh. "Your inability to follow rule number one is becoming quite tiresome."

  "I'm sorry, but I was under the impression that I would be allowed to ask questions at this meeting."

  "Your assumption was incorrect."

  "Phillip," I say, getting his attention. "Perhaps this once, since Mr. Ashford knows almost nothing about it, we could allow him to ask one or two questions." I glare at my brother-in-law, not wanting him to ruin this. I gave him a talk before we arrived, explaining to him how to handle Dean but he's not following my orders. I knew Dean would have questions and if we don't answer at least a few of them, he won't progress to the next step.

  "Very well," Phillip says, glaring back at me. His eyes return to Dean. "In response to your question regarding your priorities, your duties for us will not have any effect on your position at your company. If you need to be absent, they will understand and not question it."

  "I don't understand. If nobody knows about it, then how—"

  "The right people know. The people at the top. How do you think you got that job? You're certainly not executive material. You don't even possess an advanced degree. You never would've been given that job if it weren't for us. We obtained it for you to show you what we can do. To show you the power we have, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Our power runs deep, Mr. Ashford. Deeper than you'll ever know." He picks up his salad fork. "We should eat and finish our discussion after dessert."

  After a painfully long meal, in which I had to listen to the disgusting sounds of Dean chewing his steak and gulping down his wine, our plates are cleared and we're finally ready to begin.

  Phillip takes out a folder and sets it on the table. He opens it up and turns it around so it's facing Dean. "This is the initial contract you signed when Katherine first approached you last May. Do you remember signing this?"

  "Yes," he says. "But I wasn't told what it meant. It just seemed like a standard non-disclosure."

  "It's far more than that. Yes, it does state that you will not tell our secrets, but it also states that you have agreed to start the application process for membership."

  "And what does that entail?" he asks, then cringes because it was yet another question.

  Phillip stares at him. "Perhaps you could wait for me to finish talking and then at the end, we'll see if you still have questions."

  He nods. "Go ahead."

  "As I was saying, by signing this document, the application process has begun. It's a rather lengthy process that includes various assignments that must be completed in a timely fashion. Those assignments will then be assessed and recorded and shared with the new member committee. Fortunately for you, I'm a member of that committee so getting approved should be quite easy for you, as long as you're cooperative."

  "What do you mean by—" Dean stops himself. "Continue."

  Phillip takes the folder back, setting it in front of him. "In exchange for the many perks that come with belonging to this group, our members must complete certain tasks. Some are as simple as making a phone call or handling paperwork. Others are more involved. For the most part, we hire people to do these jobs and simply oversee them, but in a few instances, they must be done yourself. The tasks I'm referring to are what we call our assignments. As I mentioned, we will be giving you several of these assignments to complete as part of your application process. The first one is described here." He takes a piece of paper from the folder and sets it in front of Dean. "Read it over." We wait for him to finish, then Phillip says, "At this point you may ask questions, specifically about the assignment."

  Dean holds up the paper. "You want me to make fake documents to get the mayor charged with embezzlement? Why would I do that?"

  "Because we have someone else in mind for L.A.'s mayor. Someone better suited for the job. The current mayor must step down, but he won't do so without incentive."

  "Wait a minute." Dean drops the paper and raises his hands. "I didn't sign up to do things that are illegal. I thought I was just—actually I don't know what I signed up for."

  I smile at him. "Because you were too focused on the perks. The executive position. The Mercedes. The money. I assume the ten thousand was deposited in your account?"

  He quickly nods. "Yes. Yes it was."

  "And you don't think you have to work for those things?" Phillip asks. "I'm sure Katherine mentioned that to you when you spoke last May."

  "She said I'd have to complete certain tasks but I didn't know what that meant. I didn't know it involved breaking the law. I don't want to go to prison. I can't. I have a son. His mother left. I'm all he has left."

  "You won't be serving jail time, Mr. Ashford. We have ways of circumventing the law. It's something you'll learn more about once you're a member. For now, rest assured that you can do these things without risk of punishment," Phillip grins, "at least in the usual manner. Since we're already on this topic, let me make it very clear that you are now under a different jurisdiction. The laws you will be abiding by from here on out will be the laws of the organization, and not abiding by those laws will result in
a punishment to be decided by your fellow members, specifically those who serve on the ruling council."

  Dean coughs and takes a drink of water. His hand is shaking and some of the water dribbles down his chin. He quickly wipes it with the cloth napkin that was on his lap, then shoves his chair back and stands up. "On second thought, I don't think I want to be part of this. But I appreciate your time. I'll just be going now."

  Phillip and I remain in our seats as we watch Dean race to the door. When he opens it, our guard is there, blocking the exit.

  "Would you move, please?" Dean asks. I find the panic in his voice rather amusing.

  The guard doesn't move, and he's so large, Dean is unable to go around him. Dean turns back to us, his eyes searching the room for another exit, but there is none.

  Phillip smiles at him. "Mr. Ashford. Please return to your seat so we can continue."

  He hurries back, sweat covering his forehead and dripping down the back of his neck. "I...I don't want to do this. I don't care about the car or the money or the job. Just forget it." He takes the folder and finds the contract and rips it up. "There. Done. Now would you let me leave, please?"

  "I'm afraid it's not that easy," Phillip says. "Now sit down and let me finish."

  Dean reluctantly lowers himself back down in his chair.

  "You've been given your assignment," Phillip says. "You have exactly one week to complete it. When you're done, I'll report the results back to the committee. If they agree to let you continue, you'll receive another assignment. A more challenging one." He clears his throat. "Now, if you must ask a question, do so now."

  "What if they don't want me? This committee? What if they reject me, or think I'm not qualified for membership? Then what happens?"

  "I'm confident you'll be approved."

  "But what if I'm not?"

  "The answer to that question is one you don't want, which is why rule number one is so important. Once you've been around us a while, you'll understand. You'll find you're better off not knowing the answers to the questions you want to ask."

  Both of Dean's hands are shaking now, to the point that they're rattling the water glasses that remain on the table.

  "I almost forgot to mention," Phillip says. "You'll be rewarded for completing your assignments, both the first and the second. The reward is monetary, and for your first assignment, it will be four times the initial amount deposited in your account." Phillip slides the folder over to Dean. "Perhaps that makes your assignment somewhat easier?"

  Dean's eyes lock on Phillip. "You're giving me forty grand to make up some fake documents?"

  "That's correct. And we'll provide assistance for you to do so."

  His lips turn up just slightly as he holds out his hand. "You have a deal."

  Phillip's hands remain at his sides. "We already had a deal, Mr. Ashford. You signed the papers. There's no going back."

  Dean's smile drops, along with his hand.

  "You may go now." Phillip nods toward the exit.

  Dean slowly gets up and walks to the door. It opens and the guard steps aside, letting him past.

  Once he's gone, the door closes and Phillip leans back in his chair. "That was dreadfully painful. Did you see the way he eats?"

  "It's just proof of what an improper upbringing can do. Which is why I cannot allow Lilly to be part of that world. If she ever has a child, I cannot allow it to be raised in an environment in which one does not even know the correct fork to use."

  "I hope this young man Lilly is seeing is not as much of an imbecile as his father."

  "Mr. Ashford is smarter than he appears. We've been watching him for months now. Didn't you read the reports?"

  "I glanced over them briefly." He takes his phone out and checks his messages.

  "Phillip! Pay attention!"

  He peers up from his phone, his eyes narrowed. "Do not raise your voice to me. I am doing this as a favor to you."

  "This benefits all of us. Do you really want your niece to not be part of it?"

  "Of course I do, but if it doesn't work out, I'm not that concerned. My brothers each have two sons, so despite what happens on your side of the family, my side will still receive the benefits."

  "But I won't!" I slap my hand down on the table. "I've been punished long enough. This can't continue. I want back in the inner circle."

  "Then perhaps you should be nicer to me." His lips form a hard line. "Do not EVER raise your voice to me again. Do you understand?"

  He sounds just like Pearce and I hate it. I'm sick of men always getting the upper hand. Holding all the power.

  I clear my throat. "As I was saying, based on our observations the past few months, Dean is not as innocent as he seems."

  Phillip sets his phone down. "Refresh my memory."

  "Call girls. Drugs. Lying to his bosses. Funneling tour money into his own personal bank accounts."

  Phillip smirks. "So he fits right in. But given his lack of refinement, I doubt they'll let him become a full-fledged member."

  "What are you referring to?" I ask, wondering if they changed the rules.

  "Since allowing outsiders in, we've found that some just aren't up to the caliber we desire for membership. As you said, the man doesn't even know the difference between a salad fork and a dessert fork. We can't have someone like him mingling among us in a social setting. It would be uncomfortable for us all. Wouldn't you agree?"

  "Yes, but what's the alternative?"

  "We're proposing a different level of membership. One for those who lack the proper upbringing but could still benefit us. Think of it as a place somewhere between being a member and being a freelancer."

  "Freelancers aren't members."

  "No, but they know our secrets and carry out our assignments. The only difference is they're not allowed at the meetings or social events."

  "You're saying Mr. Ashford would not be attending the meetings?"

  "He would attend a few, but not all. And he would only be allowed at certain social events, ones we choose based on how his presence would benefit us. For instance, it would not make sense for some of our members to attend events here in Hollywood. Doing so would draw questions from the press, so in those cases, it would be useful to have someone like Mr. Ashford attend, especially if our other L.A. members are unable to be there."

  "What does this mean for Lilly?" I ask with anger in my voice. I didn't go to all this trouble to have my daughter only be partially involved. She needs to have access to all of it. The power, the money, the connections.

  "It will be different for the boy. He'll be granted full membership. Given his age, we'll be able to mold him into the type of member we'd like him to be. And as for his upbringing, we feel he can overcome that. He'll be given training in the areas he's weakest in, such as proper table manners, much like Garret was given training before they released him from his obligation."

  "Garret didn't need training," I snap. "He was just being difficult on purpose because he rejected that life. But I am not going to let him continue to influence Lilly that way. So going back to Mr. Ashford and this idea of partial membership, has this ever been done before?"

  "No. This is something new we're trying. I suggested it at the last meeting and the committee was very responsive to it, especially Alister. Like me, he's sick and tired of these outsiders coming in and turning our cotillions into barnyard dances with their uncouth behaviors."

  He's exaggerating. From what I've heard from some of the wives, the new members have conducted themselves better than the established ones, likely because they fear punishment if they act in an unbecoming manner. Still, I'm not opposed to this new restriction on outsiders, as long as it doesn't affect Lilly and Reed. Or my son.

  "What about Conner?" I ask. "I want him given full membership. I won't accept anything else."

  "Of course he'll be given full membership," Phillip scoffs. "It won't even come up as an issue, not when they find out the truth about him."

  "Excellent." I
smile as I imagine that day. The day they learn the truth. The day my son becomes a member. By then, Lilly will be a member too. My two children will be part of it. My goal will finally be accomplished.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Pearce

  "Why are you doing this?" Rachel asks, sitting across from me at the dining room table. We had a late dinner and the topic of the committee meeting came up. We've avoided the subject for weeks now, but it's resurfaced because the meeting is only a week away.

  "Rachel, I have to know what he's up to. Phillip doesn't just do something without a reason. A motive."

  "So ask around. See if any of the other members know what he's up to. Can't you do that instead of crashing the meeting?"

  "The other members won't tell me. I've been away for too long. I haven't maintained a relationship with any of them. There's no one there I could trust to tell me the truth."

  "Why are you so obsessed with finding this out? It could have nothing to do with you."

  "Then why was Ezra killed?" I said it too harshly, almost yelling. Rachel shudders and I reach across for her hand. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice. I'm just still upset that that happened."

  She yanks her hand from mine. "It could happen to us too, Pearce. If you push this, if you dig for information, we could end up like Ezra and his wife."

  "I won't let that happen. I promise you."

  "Don't make promises you can't keep." She looks at me with anger, her shoulders tensing up. "I don't want anyone in this family getting hurt simply to satisfy your curiosity."

  "That is NOT why I'm doing this. Ezra was killed for talking to me. Which means that whatever it is Phillip is hiding, it has to do with me. Or us." I raised my voice again so I take a deep breath to calm down.

  "And how is showing up at this committee meeting, uninvited, going to help? It's just going to anger them, Pearce. You'll have a target on your back. We all will. Jade. Garret. The children." Her voice cracks. "If they try to harm our children...our grandchildren..." She breaks down crying, her hands covering her face.