by Lan LLP
“Can I do anything for you? When’s the funeral?” Andrew sincerely offers.
“Thank you for the offer. Lil’s body was never retrieved from the explosion, so her mother is opting for a small, private funeral,” I continue.
My eyes actually start to water as I recognize this could’ve been Lil’s fate had she not fled from that SUV in time. Panicked, I have this desperate need to rush to the penthouse so I can wrap my arms securely around Lil to keep her safe.
“Thank you for offering, Andrew. I know she was very fond of you.”
“Please let us know if you need anything, Carson.” Andrew extends his hand out to squeeze the top of my shoulder. I nod and step into the elevator as they both walk out. Andrew appears as if he’s on the verge of crying, making me feel like a real jerk for lying to him.
I had to. It was for Lil’s protection.
The elevator can’t take me up fast enough as I tap my fingers on the metal railing that I’m leaning against. The second the doors open, I dash to my penthouse.
Luke greets me at the entrance, “Good evening, sir. Miss Ly is sleeping in the bedroom.”
“Thank you, Luke. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I acknowledge him quickly as I charge down the hallway, not giving him a chance to say anything else.
A painful twinge weighs heavy on my chest when I glance across the semi-lit room. I see Lil hugging the stuffed giraffe she bought for me to remind me of our baby. Where did she find it? I thought the housekeeper had removed all the maternity clothes and baby items. She must’ve missed it somehow. Damn it! Yes, I’m a real asshole for having her wait for me—three hours longer than what I had promised her. I’m positive she probably cried herself to sleep after seeing it, and I wasn’t here to console her. I’ve failed her again. Every day I keep digging a deeper pit for myself, and I can’t seem to find my way out of it.
Not bothering to get out of my suit, I pace over to the bed to lie down next to Lil. I cradle one arm around her arm and chest, wrapping my heart around her. I was right. I can feel the dampness of Lil’s tears on top of the giraffe’s head. Sadness subdues all my senses but hurt. My heart hurts for every teardrop I’ve caused her. Leaning into her cheek I leave her a kiss, and it wakes her. She doesn’t say anything, but turns her body to face me. Her head tilts up so our eyes meet. Her eyes tell me she’s tired and defeated. Finally, she’s ready to surrender her struggles to me. She nuzzles her body against my chest and closes her eyes to rest in my arms.
“I love you,” I whisper into her forehead. I want to say so much more, like how she defines my purpose for endeavoring every day since she came into my life–but I don’t. I respect her silence instead.
__________
After Lil fell asleep last night, I paced around the room and stressed the hell out of myself about how to get her life back to normalcy. My severe case of insomnia kept me up past 2:00 a.m. before I changed into my pajamas and finally submitted to fatigue. I slipped back into bed and curled my arms around Lil again. It felt good to be able to hold her without rejection.
It barely seems like minutes of sleep before the glaring sun screams, Wake up! through the floor-to-ceiling windows, disturbing my short hours of slumber. Squinting my tired eyes against the brightness, I slowly open them to find Lil missing from her side of the bed. My heart races as I panic and fear the worse.
“Lil,” I holler out. “Where are you?”
Throwing the sheet off my body, I hurry out of the bedroom to find her. My heart settles immediately when I see Lil in the kitchen making pancakes and wearing nothing but my white cotton t-shirt. The bottom of her tight little ass is peeking through the hem of my shirt as she moves around. I’m a lucky man is all I can say.
“Good morning, handsome,” she greets me with smiling eyes. She’s acting like last night never happened. I’m not sure if this is a dream, but something doesn’t seem right. “Are you hungry for pancakes?” she asks with my favorite smile.
“Yes, I’d love some pancakes. I’m sorry about last night,” I reply, kissing her forehead.
“No worries. I had Belle and Luke to keep me company,” she answers without mentioning Sugar as she takes four plates from the cabinet and hands them to me. “I made enough for Luke and Owen, too,” she adds. “Do you mind setting out the plates?”
“No, not at all. And what did we do to deserve this special treatment?” I inquire as I place the plates on the table. She shrugs her shoulders and then hands me napkins and utensils. I thought for sure that we had come to some kind of understanding after our wordless conversation from last night, but I guess I was wrong. I won’t push it because her mood is at its all-time highest since we’ve been back to Boston.
“Eat up or your hotcakes will be coldcakes,” she teases as she flips two onto my plate and pours syrup generously over them. “Well…now that you mentioned it, I have a favor to ask you,” she begins as she sits down facing me. “Emi is getting married in two weeks. I want to be there for her.”
Bingo. I knew it was too good to be true. She was buttering me up to persuade me to let her go to Indiana. “That’s not possible, Lil,” I reply firmly.
Her beautiful smile flips into a frown instantly. “And why not? You can’t keep me from going!” she snaps. “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but I’ll be there with or without you. I’m not a prisoner!”
“Lily, for god’s sake, we’ve gone through this already,” I exhale. “Your safety is the only thing that matters to me. I can’t risk having you seen in public until I figure out who has my two researchers. I don’t know why you can’t understand this,” I retort.
Standing straight up, she narrows her heated eyes down at me and strides away. “I have nothing more to say to you then,” she grumbles.
This isn’t how I want to start my morning—no coffee and a heated argument with the woman I love. I’m frustrated. I’ve never had to yield to a woman before, and it’s wearing my patience thin. I don’t know why she can’t see that I’m doing this all for her, to keep her safe. I decide to give her time to calm down before chasing after her.
Owen and Luke both come through the private entrance to find me stooped over my breakfast, still in my pajamas. Their eyes scurry away from mine, seeing that my morning is already off to a shitty start. “Miss Ly made breakfast for you both. Help yourselves while I get dressed,” I tell them before heading down to my room.
Lil isn’t in the bedroom when I enter. I jump into the shower, shave and dress before pursuing after her. Peering into several of the extra bedrooms, I can’t seem to find her. Panic strikes me again, fearing that she has somehow escaped the penthouse. Her unrelenting stubbornness makes me believe that she’s capable of anything. I rush out to the kitchen to alarm Luke and find her sitting casually with them eating pancakes instead. She ignores my presence.
“Lil, we need to talk,” I emphasize. She continues to cut into her pancakes while disregarding my plea. Owen and Luke both stand up to give us some privacy, but she grips their wrists to detain them. I can feel steam rising from underneath my shirt and jacket. She’s really testing my patience. Under any circumstances with anyone else, I’d be ready to chew that person down to a stump.
“What about?” she asks. “I thought you’ve already made up your mind,” she continues. Owen and Luke are once again wedged in the middle of our heat. I decide I’ll spare them the awkwardness this time and drop the conversation. Damn, she is feistier and more headstrong than I pegged her to be. I have my hands full with this live one, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s what I need to balance my arrogance and authority over others , as much as I hate to admit it.
“Owen, are you ready to go?” I ask. I don’t see us coming to any resolutions this morning so I won’t attempt to push her again. Leaning into her forehead, I leave a tender kiss before walking away. I can feel the weight of her glowering eyes on me, and yes, I probably deserve it. I hate to start our second day like this, but she has left me no choice. I’ll comp
romise, but I won’t yield to her every demand–especially one that might jeopardize her safety.
__________
After the rundown of my schedule, Owen remains silent until my guilty conscience goads me to ask him, “Owen, what do you think about my harshness with Lily? Was I being too unreasonable?” This is highly unusual of me to divulge my personal matters to Owen and to seek his advice.
“Sir, if I may be frank, I think Lily has been through enough grief. Allowing her to be with her best friend on her wedding day might be the thing to cheer her up and erase some of those bad memories,” he replies logically and with so much depth that it makes me believe he’s been pondering my question all along.
“You might be right, but how do we do this without exposing her to the media and risking her safety?” I ask with concern.
“Let me work on it and I will give you an answer later this week,” Owen consoles me.
“I’ve already put too much on your plate. Are you sure?”
“Yes, Mr. Bradley,” he replies. “It would be my pleasure to put a smile on Lily’s face again.” He grins.
“Thanks, Owen.” I was right. Owen has been a fan of Lily all along.
The limo driver drops us off at the underground entrance this time. From now until we find Paul and David, we’ll be taking a different route to the office and home every day to throw off any tailgaters, another precaution per Owen and Alpha. The obstruction to my daily routine is a royal pain in my ass. I look forward to putting this all behind me as soon as possible.
I spent a good part of yesterday scouring through Paul’s office. I eventually found his hidden clue tucked inside an autographed Danica Patrick model race car. He’s a huge fan of her, so it wasn’t difficult to figure out his hiding place. Today I plan on raking through David’s office to find his clue. This will be a tougher challenge because David is quiet and more reserved. Besides for his love of plants and computer games, I have nothing else to go on.
Neglecting to stop by my office for my much needed coffee from Evelyn, I march directly to David’s. I’m on a mission to find the last clue. First, I shuffle through his pile of notes laying on top of his desk—nothing. I go through all his drawers and lab coat pockets—again, nothing. I plop down on his chair to sort my thoughts. David’s bonsai plant lures my eyes to admire its beautiful fuchsia blooms. I remember him occasionally speaking fondly of his bonsai plant while working in the lab. The other researchers used to tease that he loved his plant more than his girlfriend. He even mentioned that if anything ever happens to him, one of us needs to make sure his bonsai finds a good home. I reach for the plant, firmly grip my hand around the thick bark base and pull it out of the porcelain container. A sealed note inside a plastic bag is securely tucked underneath it. I’m immediately overjoyed as I celebrate my finding. Disappointedly, my celebration comes to a quick end as soon as I discover that his clue is another clue to the real source. David left an address to Hong Kong and a contact name, Marcus Ly. Damn it! I’m so close and yet so far from the answer. It appears that I will be making an unplanned trip to China. Shaking my head, I think how coincidental it is that this contact person has the same surname as Lily. Do I believe in the idea of six degrees of separation? It’s possible, but very unlikely.
Mentioning Lil’s last name spurs me to call her. I still feel terrible for leaving her so angry this morning, but I didn’t want to facilitate her outbursts, especially in front of Owen and Luke. I have an image to uphold. I know we’re both stubborn and this is an issue we’ll eventually have to work through together, but it should be done in private. I attempt several times, but she doesn’t pick up. It appears that she’s going to stick to her guns with the silent treatment until I surrender to her demands. I’ll lay low for now to give her room to rant and be pissed off at me until Owen finds a solution. I dial Luke’s digits to get a report from him. He’s my trustworthy backup plan if all else fails.
“Hello, sir,” Luke answers.
“What is Miss Ly up to? She’s not picking up her phone,” I fume indirectly at him.
“After you left, she disappeared into your bedroom and hasn’t been out,” Luke replies.
“She’ll be fine,” I snip. “Luke, it looks like we’ll have to make a quick trip to Hong Kong. Will this be a problem for you?”
“No, not at all, sir. I can leave whenever you need me to. May I ask why?”
“The last clue for the Oss-Meta drug is there. Miss Ly will also be coming with us. I’ll let her know when I come home this evening.” I end the call with Luke, push my concerns for Lil aside and enter the lab for another daunting day of research. I have my work cut out for me.
Lillian Ly
Without Carson’s knowledge, I’ve been checking for flights and bus routes to Fort Wayne for the past few hours. He’s not going to dictate whether I can be at my best friend’s wedding or not. The tricky part is sneaking away from Luke and paying for it. I don’t have any credit cards or forms of identification because they were destroyed in the accident. Belle will have to spot me for now. I plan on asking her when she comes over tomorrow after she completes her photo shoot with some guy named Edison. She mentioned him yesterday and how good-looking and personable he is.
“He would’ve been a great catch for Emi, and then the three of us can live out our big city dream together. But unfortunately, Emi is already knocked up and will be hitched soon,” she told me, disappointed.
Time just flies by when you’re preoccupied with plotting an escape plan. It’s already way past noon and my stomach is grumbling at me to find food. I end my scheming and head to the kitchen to satiate my hunger. Luke is fixed in his corner as I walk by him and then turn back to wave hello. He nods his head to acknowledge my greeting and gives me a slight grin.
“Have you had lunch?” I ask him.
“Yes, ma’am…I mean Lily,” he trips over his words, and it makes me smile internally.
I assemble a sloppy sandwich of turkey and provolone cheese without any condiments because there are none to be had and watch the news. Omgeez, my face is still broadcasting all over. They keep showing that bottomless hell pit where the only visible remains of the explosion are charcoal. I’m considered a missing person with an unlikely chance of surviving an explosive accident. Why are they saying that? That’s very misleading. Now I can understand why my mom was a hysterical mess. She thought I died in the accident. I’ll have to inquire Mr. Bradley why he would allow people to think that I’m dead when he returns this evening. I’m sure he’ll try to give me a useless answer.
After catching the awful news about my alleged death, my hearty appetite dissipates. Simmering thoughts of Carson’s motives begin to surface. Why am I really locked up away from everyone? He keeps telling me it’s for my safety. Are the people involved really dangerous? If so, I want to know this fact. Ever since we’ve been back to Boston, he’s become a different man–or maybe this is the real Carson. He’s less tolerant, more secretive and obsessively controlling. I hate bringing up these depressing thoughts. They’re such mood killers, but I can’t help it.
Suddenly, a clatter by the pantry door startles me, seizing both mine and Luke’s attention. Luke’s quick reaction alarms me, making me levitate my sandwich midway between my mouth and neck. Springing up on his feet in a quick motion, he dashes toward the pantry with his hand behind his waist.
Oh god, does he have a gun on him?
“Stay still,” he whispers while resting an index finger over his lips. I nod and freeze in my spot. Luke bravely plants himself in front of the secret door to prowl on the uninvited guest. I hear yapping and then the door slides open to reveal a tall, curvaceous brunette woman with two adorable dogs following by her feet. I know her. She’s Carson’s cousin, Nikki, from the lymphoma charity function in Chicago. Luke relaxes immediately, dropping his arm down by his side after recognizing her.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Nikki,” Luke greets in his monotonous tone.
“Hello, you must be
Luke, Lillian’s bodyguard,” she responds in both a playful and serious tone, probably to kid him for overreacting. She then turns to face me and introduces herself, “Hi, darling. I’m Nikki, and these are my babies, Charlie and Sophie,” while pointing to her dogs. “Carson told me that you’ve moved in with him. I thought you might need some company while adjusting to this new environment.” she offers with a beautiful red lipstick smile.
Did she say moved in?
I guess I haven’t even thought about my permanent housing arrangement because of all the unwanted excitement I’ve had. Carson just assumed that I’ll be living with him. Am I okay with that? Not really. Not until we’re married. But I’ll have to be for now.
“I took an earlier flight so Carson doesn’t know I’m here yet. I like to add the element of surprise to his humdrum, structured life,” she adds, giggling.
From just her brief and lively introduction, I take to liking her instantly. She’s appears to be the opposite of Carson—lively, sociable and easy to get along.
“I’m Lily. Your babies are so cute. Can I hold one?” I ask. I’ve always wanted a puppy growing up, but Mom told me we couldn’t afford it. There were a lot of things we couldn’t afford, so I’ve learned at a very young age not to ask for frivolous things. Nikki hands me the tiny caramel-chocolate Yorkie. It licks my face as soon as I squeeze it against my chest, tickling me. I love it. She’s so sweet and affectionate, and her fur is silky soft.
“Sophie loves giving kisses and being held. Charlie is more aloof and composed, like most of the men I’ve dated,” she trifles with a nudge of her elbow. Her comment makes me chuckle. “Lily, what are some of your interests? What do you want to do today?” Nikki offers.
