Unbreakable 2, The Mystery of Lilly (Cypress Grove Series) (11 page)

              I had been spending the week going through the library's array of books hoping to find anything about some family members that may still be alive.  There were tons of spell books, most in French Creole so it was taking me a while to get through them.  Let's just say that Google Translate had become my best friend. 

             
Lucy had her office all set up, she was amazing.  She had all of Daddy's files cataloged and organized.  Accounts payable and receivable were up and going in no time so everyone was getting paid, and in return we were getting paid.  It made her about non-existent in the house though.  If you couldn't find her, she was behind the computer typing away like a fiend. She also set up all the security and linked all the vehicles with GPS. 

             
Luke and Jacob went out one morning only to come back with a replica of my burned Aston Martin.  She was beautiful.  We had Luke's truck replaced also. With the garage finished now, it was full of shiny new vehicles. 

             
I was walking out of the bedroom that afternoon heading to the library.  The house was quiet.  Bright sun filled the sitting room at the bottom of the stairs.  Gus and Oscar were hot on my tail.  Sam brought the dogs to us a few days ago and went over all the commands we needed to know.  They were no longer working dogs, but you'd think they were by the way they never let me out of their sight.

             
Just as I was about to enter the library, I heard the doorbell ring.  The gate was locked and no one was able to get in without the code.  I knew that Emma and Jimmy would’ve just walked in.  Lucy was in the office and Jacob and Luke were in the basement gym lifting weights.  I was a little weary of who could have been ringing the doorbell.

             
Swinging the front door open, I saw Adeline Grace standing on my porch.  What happened next was one of the strangest things I'd ever seen her do.

             
"Oh dear, Lilly, I'm so glad you're all right." She squeals throwing her arms around me.  She steps back abruptly when the dogs give her a low threatening growl.

             
"Sitzen." I command them to sit, which they do obediently.  Not that I care that they were growling at Adeline, I want to show her that I command them.

             
"You still have the dogs I see," she says, nervously ringing her hands.  I'm still in shock by her hug and words that I have yet to say a thing.

             
"Adeline, what are you doing here?" I ask still standing in the doorway, not inviting her in.  She looks over my shoulder as if she is trying to tell me she wants to come in. 

             
"I just wanted to tell you how glad I am that you are okay. I heard all about the explosion.  You poor thing, I can't imagine what you've been through," she says in a sickly sweet voice as she takes a step forward as if she is going to walk in the house.  I step aside to let her enter. Screw it. I'm very curious as to what her angle is this time.

             
"Adeline, did you forget that you hate me?"  I say in a sarcastic tone.

             
"Lilly, I never hated you.  Don't be silly, we just never saw eye to eye," she says
,
and I wonder if she is off her meds.

              "Okay, I'll play along.  Why are you really here?"

             
"So this is your new place? It's gorgeous.  Did you know the family that used to live here?"  Now I'm getting it, she's fishing.  She wants to know what I know about this being my birth mother's place.  I am also wondering what all she knows, so I play dumb.

             
"No
,
just one of Ted's properties.
We needed a place and this one was empty so we moved in." I tell her, following her as she wonders around as if she is looking for something in particular. She stops to look at me as if she is trying to study my face to see if I know anything.  It's not hard to play dumb because I really don't know much.

             
"It was a good thing then that this place was sitting empty.  You know some of these old plantations have secrets, have you found anything interesting?" She walks toward the kitchen and I get the distinct feeling that Adeline has been in this house before. 

             
"No, not really," I answer and she turns around to look me in the eyes again.  I just stare at her
,
my arms crossed. 

              "Nothing? What about in the yard?  Sometimes there are little family cemeteries," she says nonchalantly, like it is just a random thought.  I now know that she has been here before.

             
"Yes there is, but I haven't investigated the family yet." She is still searching my face for me to give away anything.  She doesn't believe me, and I can't help but wonder why she is so keen on knowing what I know. 

             
"May I have a look? You know
,
I might be able to tell you something about th
e family that used to live here," she says in a way that makes me think she is expecting me to fall at her feet grateful for her offer. 

             
"No that's okay, we can manage." I tell her bluntly which is when I get a true Adeline look; the look of hate and disgust, the one that I have always seen.

             
"What about a library, was there any books in the library?" She recovers from her disgust to get on with her digging.

             
"How did you know there was a library?"  I follow her out of the kitchen. She turns right going toward the library, another tell that she has been here before.  The little wench knows something.  "It's not like it is very common this far south for old plantations to have libraries." 

             
"Well I just figured. . ." She hesitates, but still continues to walk toward the library entrance.  Now I'm done being curious and am absolutely hating her being in my house. I step in front of her just as she is about to go through the library door.  She is annoyed immediately. Looking at me, I can tell she wants to shove me aside.

             
"It was nice of you to come, but now it is time for you to go," I tell her in a firm voice.  The dogs, who haven't left my side, must sense the tension in my voice because the both stand at attention.

             
"Well, I am only trying to help," Adeline says flabbergasted at my dismissal of her, but looking down at the dogs she can tell she is getting nowhere.  

             
"I don't need your help, never have and never will."  I start to walk toward her giving her no choice but to turn around and walk toward the door.

             
"Same old ungrateful bitch." The true Adeline is back.  Thank God, it was like the twilight zone.  "Oh, and don't think I've forgotten about the lawsuit.  Your lawyers have buried it for now, but I am owed that money.  I will collect on it one day," she says turning around pointing her finger in my face.  The dogs don't like it because they growl, low and very threateningly.  She beelines for the door and is down the porch steps in an instant.  I walk out on the porch and see her get into her car.  She screeches for the gate.  I can barely see it, but she reaches out her hand punching in the key code to open the gates. 

             
Now how in the hell did she know the code? 

              "Lucy, the code for the gate?" I ask walking into her office. She looks up at me, a pen between her teeth as she stops typing to talk to me.

             
"Yeah, the code for the gate?" She says waiting for me to finish.

             
"Where did you get it?"

             
"The system that was here was out of date.  It was a good system in its day, but not now.  I kept the same one that was configured in there. Why?" She's looking at me like she did something wrong.

             
"So you are saying it is the same code that it was over twenty years ago?"

             
"Yeah, I. . .guess. . .I, I, I."  She stutters.  "What happened?" She finally says looking down.

             
"You didn't know it, but you just help prove to me that Adeline Grace knew my birth mother, and apparently very well, because she knew the code to get in here," I tell her
,
giving her a smile to let her know it is fine.  "Howeve
r, can you change it now please?"

             
"Yes, of course.  She was here?"

             
"Just left, I've got to go talk to Luke," I say running out of the room and down the basement stairs. 

Chapter 16

              The boys have every exercise and weight machine known to man in the basement gym they set up. I walk in to see Jacob is spotting Luke on the free weights.  Both guys are shirtless in gym shorts, both very sweaty with glistening muscles. 

             
Jacob looks up at me for a second before he goes back to counting for Luke's set.  I sit on a stationary bike off to the side and admire the view, waiting patiently to tell them what just happened.  Luke looks like he is benching 4000 lbs by the amount of weights on the bar.  I know he's not, but his muscles are bulging and I really can't wait to get him alone. 

             
"Ten," Jacob says as he helps Luke put the bar back in its cradle.  He sits up, his abs rippling as he does. My mouth goes dry.  I can never get over the sight of him.  He stands up, seeing me I get a beaming smile. 

             
"Hey, baby," he says walking to me giving me a kiss. I can taste the saltiness of the sweat on his lips.  If Jacob wasn't here, I'm pretty sure I would be having Luke take me up against the wall.  He senses my mood immediately and leans in whispering, "Later," then makes me gasp with a sexy wink. 

             
"Soon," I mutter trying to collect my thoughts as to why I was down here in the first place.  Luke just gives me his knowing half smile and wipes the sweat off his face with a towel, which doesn't help my racing mind.  He's so close I can smell him, his sweat mixed with his natural smell is mind numbing. 

             
"Do you want to go another set?" Jacob asks, bringing me back to reality. Thank God, because I forgot everything I came down here to say.

             
"No, I'm good for now. You?" Luke asks Jacob, who picks up a jump rope and starts swinging it. He is bouncing on his toes so fast that you almost can't see the rope.  

             
"I'm good too," he says out of breath.  I'm still sitting on the stationary bike with Luke standing next to me as we watch Jacob go to town with his jump rope.  I put my hand on Luke's back, he's warm and sweaty.  I run my hand down to his shorts cupping his ass giving it a squeeze.  He's holding his towel that is now wrapped around his neck.  He turns his head, licking his lips.  I bite my lower lip and look up into his eyes.

             
"Hey, I'm going to go shower," Luke says grabbing my hand, helping me off of the bike and pulling me up the stairs after him.

             
"When you're done, I need to talk to you!" I shout back to Jacob.  It can wait though, I think as I am being pulled frantically upstairs to our bedroom. 

              "You are very distracting." I tell him as soon as we are in the bedroom with the door shut.  I run my hands up his chest, leaning in licking just above his abs all the way to his neck.  "You also taste and look amazing." 

             
"I'm distracting?  How about you?"  Luke says looking down at me with so much love in his eyes.  He takes my hair and brushes it over my shoulder.  Grabbing the hem of my shirt he lifts it over my head, my arms go up in the air to help him.  He's leaning down to my level taking my lips with his.  He grabs my ass and lifts me up so I am level with him and I wrap my legs around his waist.

             
He pushes me into him and I can feel his erection against my jeans.  Walking toward the bed, his lips never leave mine.  His tongue explores every inch of my mouth as he lays me on the bed.  He's still standing as he unbuttons my jeans and pulls down the zipper.  It takes very little effort for him to pull my jeans off. 

             
Luke grabs my legs and pulls my whole body to him.  "Oh," I moan as my center is slammed into his erection.  I can feel it bulging against me through his gym shorts and my panties.  He pulls at my panties taking them off my legs in the air.  He turns to my leg, trailing kisses along my ankle to my calf.