Unbreakable 2, The Mystery of Lilly (Cypress Grove Series) (23 page)

             
"Hey, baby, you look very serious."  A shirtless Luke kisses me on the temple then wipes his sweaty face with a towel.  My mind is running in overdrive, so seeing Luke all pumped up from lifting weights doesn't do what it usually does to me. 

             
"I just got this in the mail." I tell him scooting the letter across the counter to him.  He reads it and when he finishes his mouth is hanging open in astonishment.

             
"Holy hell! That is where you were born?"  Luke points out the window toward the direction of the stone building. 

             
"I guess so," I whisper. Who were they offering me to is what I really want to know. 

             
"I'm going to shower real quick then we will all sit down and try to figure this out, flower," Luke says grabbing the nape of my neck.  "Remember, this doesn't change anything in the present."  He assures me seeing what must be a shocked and horrified look on my face.  He leans down kissing me gently on the lips.  "I love you," he whispers.

             
"I love you too." I give a weak smile before he runs out of the room hurrying to get back to me.  He takes the fastest shower in history because he is back in the kitchen in about five minutes, his hair wet, wearing ripped Levi's, and a tight t-shirt showing off his amazing still pumped up muscles.  Sitting in the quiet while he was gone, I appreciate the sight of him now after my silent pondering. 

             
"Come here." I stand up and fist his t-shirt resting my head on his chest.  "Thank you," I tell him. 

             
"For what, flower?" He puts his hand under my chin lifting it to meet his gaze. 

             
"Just being you, loving me, everything you do for me." I give him a smile.  He puts his hands under my arms and lifts me up onto the counter as if I weigh nothing.  Placing his hands at my sides on the counter, he leans forward so we are face to face, our foreheads resting on one another. 

             
"Always and forever you will be mine to love," he whispers before giving me one of his expert kisses that sends my body into overdrive. 

             
"Oh, for heaven's sakes, get a room."  Emma laughs as she comes into the kitchen.  I was so lost in the moment I didn't even hear her come in the door.  Jimmy's following on the phone, and whoever he is talking to, he doesn't seem happy. 

             
"Because I just want to know!" Jimmy huffs into the phone.  He is quiet for a moment before he says, "Mother, are you going to tell me or not?"  He's yelling now. I can hear a muffled voice sounding very upset coming through the receiver as Jimmy holds the phone away from his ear.  Then it's silent and Jimmy looks down at his phone.  "The bitch hung up on me," he half chuckles at himself, "I think she knew Samantha, man did she get defensive," Jimmy says setting his phone on the counter. I look up at Emma for an explanation.

             
"I started thinking," she starts off explaining before I have a chance to ask. "That Miss Jeanette worked for the Carmichaels and she knew Samantha. Ted obviously knew Samantha and so did Adeline, so I figured that maybe Lindsey most likely did too," she says as Luke lifts me off the counter, tuning me around so my back is pressed up against his front.  "I asked Jimmy to call his mom to see if she remembered a McKayla."  She seems very pleased with herself at her power of deduction. 

             
"What did she say?" I turn to question Jimmy.

             
"All she would say is why I wanted to know.  She got mad almost instantly, telling me I was an ungrateful son.  She also said I was doing this just to hurt her," Jimmy answers bluntly.  "I asked her, "Doing what?" She avoided the question and told me to leave the past in the past."

             
Emma grabs the letter off the counter and as she reads her mouth starts to drop.

             
"Shit balls, Lil.  What the hell. . .you were being offered as a sacrifice, for what?" Emma hands the letter off to Jimmy.

             
"Got me, what would make my Aunt January want to do that?"

             
"Lucy found something."  Jacob interrupts coming in with Lucy in tow holding a paper. 

             
"I finally found January James.  I was searching the wrong records and finally found her marriage certificate.  She's dead, and so is her husband, so the records were in an expired section of the courthouse database," she says handing me the print
out
of the marriage certificate. 

             
Like a lightning strike, all my hairs stand up straight. There it is.  The missing piece I couldn't put my finger on.  January James married Ted Sumnor in 1984.  January was Jane, Jane was my aunt.  My father got his wife's sister pregnant.  That's why she hated me so much, of course. I looked just like Samantha, a constant reminder of the betrayal. 

             
Emma grabs the paper from me. Seeing the light bulb go off in her eyes as well, it gets passed to Luke and then Jimmy.  Everyone is stunned silent not knowing what to say.

             
"We need to find dear old Aunt Jane's assistant, McKayla Calvin.  She might be the only one we can scare the truth out of," I finally speak.  As if on cue Lucy runs back to her office. 

             
"Where do you think she is?" Emma asks.

             
"No idea, I haven't seen her since the funerals, but Jane commanded her all the time, so there is no doubt in my mind that the McKayla that was there the night of my mother's murder is in fact the McKayla that jumped every time Jane said to.  I also have a feeling that the other women there that night were probably Adeline and your mom," I tell Jimmy, who doesn't say anything just nods. 

             
"Do you think Daddy had anything to do with it?" Emma's concern is painted all over her face.

             
"Honestly, I don't. If I have to guess, I bet your father is the one who arranged the adoption.  I bet there was some very fancy paperwork involved to have it look like Ted and Jane were unrelated to me, and it was just a normal adoption of an orphaned girl."  I feel as if I've known this all along deep down in my subconscious.  Maybe it was the constant little things said over the years to me.  Jane telling me I was going to be nothing but a whore like my momma, Ted telling me I was just as beautiful as my mother, small things over many years that my brain is just now putting all the pieces together.

             
"I hope you're right, Lilly, I would die if Daddy knew or had any part in this." Emma holds up the letter from Dr. Piper. 

             
I walk over and give her a hug.  "We will find out everything and finally put this all behind us.  I swear to you that whatever part your father played will be kept between us.  If it comes down to it, I will spend every cent I have to keep his name out of it," I tell her and she gives me a half smile. 

             
"I know you would, but if he did have any part of it I want to know," she says squeezing my arm that is resting on her shoulder.  It doesn't matter because I know in my heart of hearts that Elliott Williams did not have anything to do with my mother's murder.  I also know that neither did my father.  The one thing I don't know is why Jane got away with murder and that is what I need McKayla for.  Out of all of them, I know that I can get her to talk. 

Chapter 33

              Two days later, Lucy found out McKayla had moved back to her home
town in Monroe.  She was living in her parents' house
, and from what Lucy could tell she did not have a job.  Finding her phone number, we came up with a plan to get her here.  We were certain it would have to be good to lure her to Cypress Grove.  

             
Standing at the kitchen counter with everyone watching on, I take a deep breath and dial her number.

             
"Hello," she answered, her voice sending chills down my spine.  It is like a sudden flashback of the horrible life I once had.  "Hello?"  She says again when there is a moment of silence as I get my nerve.

             
"McKayla?" I force out, my mouth going dry.

             
"Who is this?" Her voice, as it has always been, is like nails on a chalkboard. 

             
"Lilly Sumnor."  I answer and wait for a reply, only hearing a sharp intake of breath through the phone.

             
"What do you want?" If the tone of a person's voice could stab you, hers would have.

             
"There was a mistake in Ted and Jane's will, but if you're going to be that way with me I don't think I will tell you." I send attitude right back through the phone.  Luke is eyeing me, he told me this morning to be strong.  She can do nothing to me.  "Remember, you will have all the control of the conversation, don't give her any reason to suspect anything," he had said during his little pep talk.

             
"What do you mean a mistake?" Her tone calmer, her interest piqued.

             
"Now that's better."  I can't help but feel the need to make her beg for it.

             
"What was the mistake?"  I can hear her ask through gritted teeth, trying to not scream at me.  It brings a smile to my face.  Luke can see that I have my confidence about me and gives me a beaming smile and a sexy as hell wink.  I keep my eyes focused just on him even though I can feel everyone staring at me intently.  

             
"Jane had filed an addendum mentioning you that was not seen until recently."

             
"Really, what did it say? Do I get something?" It's like a 180 in her tone.  She sounds like she is about to jump through the phone with excitement. 

             
"I assume so. It's for your eyes only.  You have to come here and sign for it." Bait and hook.

             
"Come where?"

             
I tell her the address and there is dead silence.

             
"McKayla, you there?" I ask after a few seconds.

             
"Umm, yeah.  What was that address again." Her voice is noticeably shaky. 

             
"It's called Cypress Grove, we moved here after the fire." I'm trying to sound as nonchalant as I can.  "It still needs a lot of work, but it is a beautiful old house." 

             
"Oh, I see. So you bought this house?" Her voice is still hesitant. 

             
"Yeah, it was a steal.  An investment I couldn't pass up on." I assume she didn't know that Ted still owned the house, or at least she is trying to find that out.

             
"How did you find it?"

             
"My realtor, I've been buying up a lot of old properties and fixing them up.  We were going to flip this one, but then there was the fire.  I assume you heard about that?" 

             
"Yes, I'm so glad you're okay." I can hear the strain in her voice as she forces that comment out.

             
"So anyways," I am trying not to sound annoyed, "we needed a place to live so we moved in here."

             
She is silent again, I can almost hear her mind whirring as she is trying to decide if whatever is in the imaginary envelope that I made up is worth coming back here for.

             
"I would think we would take care of something like this at an attorney's office."

             
"Normally we would, but they are doing renovations to their office so we decided we could meet here.  My assistant is a notary so we can get it all done and you can be on your way." Come on take the bait, bitch.  After another moment of silence she finally agrees.  We set up a time for tomorrow before I hang up.  With a large sigh, I put my phone on the counter gently. 

             
"You did great, flower."  Luke gets up and walks around the counter pressing his lips to my temple.  "You're so close to finding the truth, baby."

             
"Yeah, if we can get her to talk that is," I say with a knot forming in my belly as I think of what will happen tomorrow.  Just seeing McKayla is going to be a nightmare.

             
"Jacob and I have been talking. She won't be leaving this house without giving answers," Luke says as I glance from him to Jacob. 

             
"Just a little intimidation, that's all," Jacob answers.  'What have you got planned?' is written all over my face. 

             
"I'll be standing in the kitchen door with Oscar, and Jimmy will be standing at the back door with Gus," he says reaching down and scratching the back of Oscar's ear.  They have been pacing around me all morning, it's as if they can sense something is up.