Unbreakable 2, The Mystery of Lilly (Cypress Grove Series) (4 page)

             
Luke holds me, his arms around me and his lips in my hair as I cry. "Everyone is alive and is going to be okay," he sooths, "we are all going to be okay."

             
Lucy and I exchange a gaze and it’s as if I am telling her it’s okay and she is telling me the same.  Jacob takes her back to her room saying that she needs to get some sleep and she will rest easier seeing for herself that I am fine.  The doctor tells her he will discharge her as soon as she gets some rest. 

             
My doctor also tells me that I will probably be discharged in the next couple of days as long as I have plenty of fluids, can eat solid food, and they are sure that the cuts I have are not going to get infected.

             
That night Emma went home to her parents with Jimmy and had police cars situated outside their house.  Luke stayed with me and held me in his arms while I slept very well. Jacob stayed with Lucy and there were police guarding both our rooms.  It was pretty much like this for the next few days before I was finally discharged.  Luke handled me with kid gloves.  Even though he never left my side, I felt a distance that I didn't like.  When I tried to ask him he would distract me and change the subject.  I tried to tell myself he was just worried that they hadn't caught the man yet.

             
Once the sketch circulated, it didn't take long before they were able to put a name to the face, Matt Henning age thirty-two was found and apprehended at the Louisiana state line.                

             
It wasn't a day that he had been held captive when I was visited by two FBI agents in my hospital room. 

             
"Ms. Sumnor, I'm Agent Givens and this is Agent Westchester." The taller of the two men introduce themselves.  They are both wearing black suits and are very serious looking. 

             
"What's this about?" Luke says, standing in front of my bed almost like a human shield between me and the agents.  The agents move farther into the room which makes Luke more nervous.  He orders Emma to get Jacob, which she does with a mad dash out of the room.

             
"Relax, Mr. Hansen.  We just need to speak with Lilly about Matt Henning."  The shorter and younger Agent Westchester says. 

             
"Gentlemen, what can we help you with?" Jacob is now in the room and moves to stand next to Luke. 

             
"Mr. Greene, I presume?" Agent Givens says.  How do they know who everyone is, I wonder to myself as my two protectors are shielding me from seeing the agents.

             
"Yes," Jacob answers and doesn't seem surprised in the least that these men know who he is. 

             
"If it is all right with Ms. Sumnor, we have a huge favor to ask of her," Agent Givens says, stretching his neck to see me over Luke's broadness. 

             
"What do you mean, a favor?" I question, staring at the broad backs of Jacob and Luke. 

             
"Ms. Sumnor, we first want to say how glad we are that you are okay," Agent Givens says once Jacob and Luke have parted enough for them to have a conversation with me. 

             
"Thank you," I nod, "now what do you mean you need a favor?"  I can't even imagine what I could do for the FBI. 

             
"Well as you know, Matt Henning is now in our custody," Agent Westchester begins.

             
"What does this have to do with the FBI?" Jacob asks the question I know we are all thinking. 

             
"Matt Henning is a contract killer. We have been after him for quite some time," Givens says, making me shudder at the fact that he was hired to kill me.

             
"He has killed many influential people, including Judge George Lynn."

             
"The Supreme Court Judge, that Judge Lynn?" Jacob sounds astonished.

             
"Yes, we know it was him, we just don't know who hired him," Westchester answers. 

             
"So what does this have to do with Lilly?" Luke grates his jaw tight.  I can tell he does not like where this might be going.

             
"Mr. Henning has never failed a job, until. . .well. . " Givens nods in my direction.  "We need information and we believe that Ms. Sumnor might be the only one he will tell." 

             
"Absolutely not," Jacob interrupts.

             
"Hell no!"  Luke yells at the same time as Jacob starts yelling his objections. 

             
Westchester puts his hand up telling the boys to calm down and give them a minute.  "She will be safe. We just need her to talk to him." 

             
"You've got to be fucking kidding me, how in the hell can you even consider asking her to do this?  The fucker stalked her and kidnapped her!"  Luke is yelling while Jacob is pacing, spewing a few cuss words himself.  I'm numb as I listen to all of the commotion.  Emma is at my side, and I believe for the first time in her life she is speechless. 

             
"I understand, Mr. Hansen.  This is not something we would normally do to victims, but if we can find out who has been hiring him. . .like I said he has murdered a lot of important people at the orders of someone.  We just have no idea who," Givens says, placing his hands in his front pockets.  "We have interrogated him and he is tight lipped.  We also know that as soon as he is in general population he will be killed because of the stuff he knows.  We need to get this out of him before that happens." 

             
"Well, you're just going to have to find another way, because no way in hell," Luke shouts, "over my dead body!"

             
"Mr. Hansen, he has money and very expensive lawyers.  We know he killed those men, but we don't have solid proof.  Right now he's looking at a max of five years in prison."

             
"What the fuck are you talking about?  He kidnapped her, he, he, he. . . blew up our house and—"
Jacob is so frustratingly angry he can't even speak complete sentences. 

              "We know, but he has a very good legal team.  He has millions in his bank accounts which we can't freeze because we don't have the proof we need.  He's a very smart man.  That is up until Lilly, this is the first he has ever messed up," Givens grates, it is obvious that the thought of Matt Henning getting away with murder is a hard pill for him to swallow.  It is for me, too, five years max, really?

             
"I'll do it."  I blurt out causing everyone in the room to turn abruptly toward me. I will do whatever I have to to make sure he stays in prison his entire life.  I've seen him, I know he has a weakness, and that is me. 

             
"NO! NO! NO!"  Luke shouts at the ceiling.  "Fuck me, no, Lilly."

             
"What choice do I have, five years and then he will be free."  I give Luke a stare that tells him that this is my decision.

             
"Let him go into general population, they said he would be dead in days," Jacob adds to the argument.

             
"Not if his lawyers get him into protective confinement, which so far they have succeeded the past couple days.  He has been so well protected, and I hate to say it, but I'd be surprised if he spent more than six months in jail. 

             
"Emma, say something, talk some sense into her!" Luke is now yelling at her, and she has a dumbstruck look on her face. 

             
"I think she has to do it." She gives Luke her most pathetic face, which sends him into a slew of cuss words making everyone in the room wince.  "Luke, that judge being killed was a big deal.  It changed the chain of command in so many ways.  Finding out who is responsible is like the Pelican Brief all over again, dirty senators, judges, and cops.  It's kind of a big deal," she says, now watching me. 

             
"Oh for crying out loud, I don't give a fuck about all of that shit!  All I care about is Lilly, and putting her face to face with that monster again." Luke is so mad the veins in his tight jaw are throbbing. 

             
The agents leave after I request a moment alone.  "I'm doing this, and I will be fine.  It will be my screw you to him.  Making sure he spends the rest of his life in prison."

             
"Lilly—" I hold up my hand as Luke starts to object. 

             
"Trust me, I can handle it.  Him only getting five years, I cannot handle," I tell Luke firmly, who looks as if he is going to explode he is so angry. 

             
"Lilly, you never listen to me, goddammit!" Luke shouts at me making me wince at the anger in his voice.  He sees my face, then glances down at the floor before bolting out of the room. 

             
"Luke!" I shout after him, but he's gone with the slam of the door. 

             
"He'll come around, Lil, he just doesn't know how to protect you, and that's all he wants to do," Emma says while stroking my hair. 

             
"What, that's just stupid," I spout.

             
"No it's not, he feels helpless.  You should have seen him when he woke up and we hadn't found you yet.  Jesus, he was climbing the walls."

             
"It was no picnic for me either, I thought he was dead," I growl.

             
"No one said it was a picnic for you, I can't even imagine what you went through, Lil, but give the guy a break.  He's worried about you, he wants to protect you from everything, and you are telling him straight to his face that it's not his decision," Jacob growls back at me before he leaves the room also. 

             
I look at Emma stunned. Why in the world would they not want me to do this? "He could be free in five years, Em.  Why would they want that?  Am I missing something?"

             
"There's a lot of emotion going on right now, Luke already feels as though he's failed you. Now you're going to be face to face with that psycho again.  I believe he feels like you are not giving him a decision in the matter.  You know, he's your man and wants to protect you."  Emma shrugs it off as being testosterone mixed with lack of sleep mixed with one stressful week. 

Chapter 6

             
The next few days I stay in the hospital, there's a deep cut on my side that is getting infected so the doctors want me to have IV antibiotics.  Luke is sullen, but doesn't venture far. 

             
"Hey you," I say softly, standing when Luke comes in.  I'd just gotten back from the bathroom and was going to lay down, but instead walk up to my brooding man.  I grab his t-shirt and fist the material. 

             
"Hey," he says, running his hand through his hair.  He had been sleeping on the couch in the room the past couple nights.  I tried to get him to come into the bed with me, but he insisted I needed rest so he stayed on the couch.

             
"How long are you going to be mad at me?" I look up to meet his eyes. 

             
"Are you still going to do it?" He looks down at my hand. 

             
"Yes."

             
"Lilly, what do you want me to do?  I almost lost you, all I want is to take you home and be with you the rest of my life.  But wait. . .we can't go home because that psycho piece of shit blew up our house." 

             
"We are going to start over at Cypress Grove though.  I know your dad has been really busy getting it all cleaned up."  I smile up at him. 

             
"Lilly, I don't know what to say, you're just going to do whatever the hell you want anyway." I can tell he is getting worked up again.  I don't like it. He's barely touched me since the agents came here.  Every day I feel a little more distance.  Emma keeps telling me that he'll come around, to be patient.

             
"I love you, baby," is all I can think to say.

             
"Look, I've got to go and help Dad so everything is done when you're ready to come home."  He kisses the top of my head and gives me a weak smile before he leaves the room. 

             
I start crying as I stand there all alone in my hospital room.  He didn't tell me he loved me back.  Crying harder, I find the clothes Emma brought for me.  Pulling on jeans and a t-shirt between sobs, I find the card that Agent Givens gave me.  I wipe the tears from my eyes and sit on the edge of the bed.  Using the hospital phone, since I still don't have a cell, I call the agent.