Unbreakable 2, The Mystery of Lilly (Cypress Grove Series) (5 page)

              "You're doing the right thing," Givens says to me as he opens the door to the FBI building in New Orleans.  "I'm surprised you came by yourself."

             
"Let's just say that it is better for everyone that Luke and Jacob are not here, they're not exactly on board with this." I follow the agent down a long corridor into a little room.  Agent Westchester is waiting in the room and stands when I enter. 

             
"Ms. Sumnor, thank you so much for doing this.  I know it is very hard for you," he says, motioning for me to have a seat across the table from him. 

             
"We haven't told him you are coming.  We are hoping the shock of seeing you will catch him off guard," Givens says, taking a seat next to his partner.

             
"What makes you think he even still cares, he left me in a dirty dungeon."

             
"Because the first thing he told us when we arrested him was where you were.  He was worried about you. In fact, he was on his way back to you. You need to know that this man is a professional, he is cold as ice.  We know of at least ten murders for hire."

             
"Are you trying to make me feel better about this?" I half laugh as the nervousness sets in.  If I wasn't so mad at Luke for the way he left me earlier, I would wish he was here.  Actually, no I wish he was here, I wish he was here to take me away from this very stupid idea. 

             
"You will be totally safe.  He is handcuffed to the floor and to the table.  We will be right outside and we have two-way mirrors on all sides with agents stationed at each one."

             
"Your goal is to find out who hired him for the Judge’s murder," Westchester says, "but any info you can get will help, if you want out just get up and leave." 

             
"Let's get this over with," I blurt out, wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans. 

             
"Right through this door," Givens says, putting his hand on my back as I stand in front of the door with Matt Henning on the other side.  I look at myself in the mirror that is on the door.  My face is still bruised and the cut on my cheek is better, but it was one of the deeper ones so it still looks nasty.  I tuck my hair behind my ears, reach for the door knob, and take a deep breath before opening the door.

             
What I see when I walk in is the man, but he looks different.  He is cleaned up, shaven, and for the first time, I really see him.  He is very attractive and normal looking like this, except, of course, for the orange jumpsuit and being handcuffed.  When he looks up at me his eyes widen. He makes to get up, but is stopped by the chains that are bolted to the table.

             
"Lilly, oh my God, Lilly." He is in disbelief. He shuts his eyes tight and then opens them again, as if he is dreaming or hallucinating. 

             
I don't know where it comes from, but all of a sudden a plan forms in my head. I have confidence, and the need to make this man suffer is fueling that confidence.  He sits down watching my every move.  I have yet to speak, the room silent as if he is waiting for me to say anything.

             
"You lied to me, Matthew," I calmly say, standing behind the chair across the table from him.  My hands grasp the back of the chair for support. 

             
"Only my mother calls me Matthew."  He lifts his eyes to meet mine.  They are dark grey, almost black.  I don't know what to say to his comment, so I just stand there and stare at him for what seems like hours.  "But you can call me any name you want," he says with a sickening smile.  If I didn't loathe this man, I could see where he could get anything he wanted with that smile. 

             
"How did I lie to you, Lilly?" It's like he is playing the game also, which I didn't want.  I wanted him to be putty in my hands. 

             
"You said you loved me," I say with the betrayal in my voice.  Like, how dare he say something he did not mean? 

             
"I do, with all my heart.  I have never loved anything or anyone more than I love Lilly Sumnor."  His eyes are watching my face for any kind of expression.  It's show time now.

             
"Where I come from, men don't leave the woman they love to die in dirty dungeons!" I shout at him looking him straight in the eyes.  "They don't do things like this!" I point to the gash under my eye.

             
"I wasn't thinking properly, I was just frantic to get you out of there."  There's the putty I wanted.

             
I walk around the table so I am just close enough that if he reached out I would be just an inch from his grasp.  I lift my t-shirt slowly, watching his eyes widened as he watches my every move.  I lift it just under my breast showing him the huge gash in my side. 

             
"This does not look like love to me!"  I yell.  He reaches out to touch me, but is stopped short by the chains.  I lower my shirt and move back around the table, this time I sit in the chair.  I place my hands on the table just close enough that he can barely reach me again. 

             
"I'm so sorry, baby."  He has his forehead flat on the table sobbing like a child.  Repeating over and over that he is sorry, that he loves me and what can he do for me to forgive him. His hands are clasped together in front of me on the table.  I hesitate for a second and reach out for them.  Just when I am about to touch them I pull back.  This is it, I feel like if I am going to get any info from him it is now.  Slowly I reach for his hands again. This time I make contact, I wrap my hands around his. 

             
He lifts his head slowly, staring at my hands on top of his.  He rests his forehead on top of our stacked hands rolling his head back and forth over the tops of my hands as if he wants as much skin on skin exposure as he can get. 

             
"Do you want to be with me, Matthew?" It's now or never, the sooner I can get the info out of him the sooner I can get out of this room.

             
"Forever and always," he sobs his face still down.  Now he moves his hands so he is holding mine.  He starts to kiss my knuckles, making my stomach turn. 

             
"You need to do something for me then," I whisper, leaning closer to him like it's a secret. 

             
"Anything, everything, I'll do whatever you ask."  He is placing kisses all over my hands, before he looks up at me his eyes sad and beaten. 

             
"You need to tell them who hired you to kill the Judge," I blurt out before I even have time to think.  It's either going to work or it isn't.

             
"Magado, Senator Magado," he says without a blink of an eye.  I sit there speechless; amazed he just spilled it out like that. 

             
I look up at the two way mirror wondering if I am done.  No one is coming in to say good job you can go live your life now, so I sit there while he makes out with my hands, looking up at me with puppy eyes.  Right now I can get this man to do anything I want.  I'm sure the men behind the glass know that, too, that is why they haven't come in. 

             
"Who else has hired you to kill?"

             
"Jane Sumnor, Michael McCain, but most of my jobs came from Senator Magado."  His voice is boyish as he talks.  It sounds ridiculous these talks of contract killings coming from this mush of a man right now.  He starts rambling on and on about whom he's killed as he focuses on my hands, tracing them with his fingers, and then kissing them some more. 

             
Just when I'm about to run from the room screaming because I can't take another second of listening to this man go on and on about all of the people he's killed,  a very tall woman dressed in an expensive designer suit busts through the door.  "Matt, stop talking now," she orders.  Following her is a man who also in a very expensive designer suit.

             
"Get her out of here now!"  The woman orders the man in the suit, which he complies by grabbing my upper arm with so much force I almost fall out of the chair.  I stumble to catch my footing. 

             
Matt still has a hold of one of my hands and is screaming at the top of his lungs in a wounded animal type scream, "NOOOOO!"  My hand is yanked from his grasp as I am dragged out of the room.  I hear Matt screaming, yelling profanities at the woman to get me back in there.  Then the door shuts, leaving the room suddenly silent.

Chapter 7

Matt Henning

              They told me it was all a trick.  That Lilly was using me for information.  That she was put up to it by the Feds. 

             
They are all liars, I know the truth.  She loves me and wants to be with me.  I could tell by the sound of her voice she really does.  I know she is mad because of the way I had to treat her.  Seeing those cuts and bruises on that soft skin made me love her even more.  She has my marks, my marks on her body making her mine.  She will always be mine. 

             
They think that I won't ever see the light of day again. I've held up in a hole for days just waiting for my target.  I know that I will find a way back to her because no one is going to keep me from being with her again.  It's just a matter of time, and she will wait for me, I know she will. 

Chapter 8

              "That was perfect Lilly."  Agent Givens comes up to me grabbing my shoulders giving me one of the happiest smiles no doubt ever existed. 

             
I look around the room and find what I am frantic for.  A sink with soap.  I scour my hands as I hear the agents behind me celebrating. 

             
"Sorry, Lilly, we thought it best not to tell you we called his lawyers.  We wanted the element of surprise, now he thinks you are still with him.  He will stick to the confession," Givens says, leaning up against the counter with his grin still plastered on as I wash my hands for the fourth time now. 

             
"So you got what you needed?"  I ask, feeling queasy and ready to leave as I dry my hands. 

             
"That and so much more.  Let's just say Matt Henning will never see freedom again," Westchester says, patting me on the back as I leave the little room. 

              Sitting in a chair outside the room is Jacob with a seriously pissed off look on his face. 

             
"How'd you know I was here?"  I ask him, plopping in the chair next to him.

             
"I saw the agent’s card by the phone.  You checked yourself out AMA," he grates looking straight ahead.  "Sounds like you got him to spill his guts, are you happy now?"

             
I rest my head on his shoulder, the tears start rolling down my cheeks and I am sobbing like a child in a matter of seconds.  Jacob puts his arm around me as I cry into his shirt.

             
"No I'm not happy," I mumble into his shirt now damp from my tears.  "Everyone hates me."  I sniff.

             
"No they don't, Lilly, I don't hate you.  I'm mad that you didn't tell me you were coming here because I think I should have been here," he says, rubbing my shoulder as I cry.

             
"I want to find Luke. Do you know where he is?"  I ask now sitting straight wiping my tears. 

             
"No, he's not answering his phone. Let's get you home," Jacob says while guiding me toward the exit.  "I'm proud of you, you know.  That took a lot of guts, what you just did."  He gives me one of his cheesy smiles.

             
"Thanks." I give him a weak smile back.  Now if only Luke was.

             
Jeffery had been very busy getting Cypress Grove cleaned up, since my house was blown to pieces we were going to need a place to live.  It was all good because it was bigger. Miss Finnegan was going to have a bigger room and I wanted the servants’ hallway remodeled so there were bigger bedrooms with bathrooms in them.  Lucy and Jacob would move in with us and Jimmy would also stay for a
while.  I was fine with it because I loved having everyone around.  The baby's room was going to be sealed up again per my request
.  I wasn't ready to face it. I didn't want to destroy its pristine condition.

              Seeing Cypress Grove for the first time since Jeffrey had started the cleanup and construction was amazing.  He hired a whole construction crew to get the place in order.  It was magnificent. All of the grounds had been manicured and there was a fresh coat of paint on the outside.  The boards were off the windows and it had a brand new roof now.  It was almost unrecognizable.