he’d done when he came to us for help.”
“What kind of help?”
“You think Pearce covered that whole thing up by himself? Of course not. That’s not the work of one man. He needed all of us and all of our connections to get that done. But by killing my son, Pearce disrupted the plan. A plan that took nearly 20 years to develop and was almost brought to fruition. Pearce’s actions didn’t sit well with the organization and now he’ll have to pay.”
Have to pay? What does that mean? My pulse races as I begin to worry about Garret and his family. What if Arlin is keeping me here while this group he belongs to goes after Mr. Kensington? Garret said his dad was in trouble for killing Royce. He also said the punishment wouldn’t be death but something that would make Mr. Kensington suffer. So would they try to hurt Lilly? Or Garret?
“Are they doing something right now?” I stand up and try to balance on my good leg, unable to find my crutches. “If they hurt Lilly or Garret, I swear I’ll—”
“No, his children won’t be harmed.” Arlin comes over, helping me back down on the couch and sitting beside me.
“But you just said Mr. Kensington has to pay. And if you know he killed your son, then why aren’t you punishing him yourself?”
“Pearce is an integral part of the organization and it’s not up to me to decide his punishment. That’s not how it works.” Arlin grips my hand, his eyes suddenly desperate and pleading. “But Jade, for my own piece of mind, please tell me what happened that day. I need to know what Royce did. Did Pearce really shoot my son to save you and Garret? I’ve only heard Pearce’s side of the story and I don’t know if I believe him. You’re the only one who knows the truth.”
“Yes,” I say with conviction. Arlin softens his grip on my hand. “Royce came there to kill me. He said he had to get rid of me because I looked too much like Sadie and people would start putting the pieces together and find out what he’d done. He didn’t want me destroying his chance to be president.”
“And he wasn’t just threatening you? He really had a gun?”
“Yes. He pointed the gun at me and pulled the trigger. I’d be dead if Garret hadn’t pushed me down. And Royce would’ve killed us both if Mr. Kensington hadn’t shot him.”
Arlin pulls me into a hug and I immediately stiffen up. “I’m so sorry that happened. But thank you for telling me. I needed to know the truth.” He lets me go and I scoot farther back on the couch. “I wish Pearce had found a different way to stop Royce, but if someone pointed a gun at my child I’d do the same thing.” I feel his eyes on me as I keep mine fixed on the wall behind him. He sighs. “Jade. Would you please look at me?”
My gaze returns to Arlin. He sits back a little, giving me some space.
“I’m not a violent man and I don’t understand how my son ended up that way. His brother’s not that way. I didn’t raise either one of my boys to be like that. But Royce had issues. Once he got his mind set on something, he wouldn’t let anything stand in his way. This offer to run for president was the worst thing that could’ve happened to him. It consumed him. I wish they never would’ve chosen him.”
“So your son was chosen to be president? By this secret organization?”
Arlin looks down and fumbles with his tie. “When I said that Pearce and his family were safe I meant it, but Pearce will still pay for interfering like that.”
Arlin has apparently decided to completely ignore my question.
He continues. “The loss of my son isn’t a personal loss to the organization like it is for me, but it’s a loss of a great deal of time and effort from a group of very important people.”
“What’s his punishment? Will they destroy his company?”
“They could, but the punishment being discussed is bigger than that. There are rumblings that it involves Garret.”
My pulse shoots up again when
“What kind of help?”
“You think Pearce covered that whole thing up by himself? Of course not. That’s not the work of one man. He needed all of us and all of our connections to get that done. But by killing my son, Pearce disrupted the plan. A plan that took nearly 20 years to develop and was almost brought to fruition. Pearce’s actions didn’t sit well with the organization and now he’ll have to pay.”
Have to pay? What does that mean? My pulse races as I begin to worry about Garret and his family. What if Arlin is keeping me here while this group he belongs to goes after Mr. Kensington? Garret said his dad was in trouble for killing Royce. He also said the punishment wouldn’t be death but something that would make Mr. Kensington suffer. So would they try to hurt Lilly? Or Garret?
“Are they doing something right now?” I stand up and try to balance on my good leg, unable to find my crutches. “If they hurt Lilly or Garret, I swear I’ll—”
“No, his children won’t be harmed.” Arlin comes over, helping me back down on the couch and sitting beside me.
“But you just said Mr. Kensington has to pay. And if you know he killed your son, then why aren’t you punishing him yourself?”
“Pearce is an integral part of the organization and it’s not up to me to decide his punishment. That’s not how it works.” Arlin grips my hand, his eyes suddenly desperate and pleading. “But Jade, for my own piece of mind, please tell me what happened that day. I need to know what Royce did. Did Pearce really shoot my son to save you and Garret? I’ve only heard Pearce’s side of the story and I don’t know if I believe him. You’re the only one who knows the truth.”
“Yes,” I say with conviction. Arlin softens his grip on my hand. “Royce came there to kill me. He said he had to get rid of me because I looked too much like Sadie and people would start putting the pieces together and find out what he’d done. He didn’t want me destroying his chance to be president.”
“And he wasn’t just threatening you? He really had a gun?”
“Yes. He pointed the gun at me and pulled the trigger. I’d be dead if Garret hadn’t pushed me down. And Royce would’ve killed us both if Mr. Kensington hadn’t shot him.”
Arlin pulls me into a hug and I immediately stiffen up. “I’m so sorry that happened. But thank you for telling me. I needed to know the truth.” He lets me go and I scoot farther back on the couch. “I wish Pearce had found a different way to stop Royce, but if someone pointed a gun at my child I’d do the same thing.” I feel his eyes on me as I keep mine fixed on the wall behind him. He sighs. “Jade. Would you please look at me?”
My gaze returns to Arlin. He sits back a little, giving me some space.
“I’m not a violent man and I don’t understand how my son ended up that way. His brother’s not that way. I didn’t raise either one of my boys to be like that. But Royce had issues. Once he got his mind set on something, he wouldn’t let anything stand in his way. This offer to run for president was the worst thing that could’ve happened to him. It consumed him. I wish they never would’ve chosen him.”
“So your son was chosen to be president? By this secret organization?”
Arlin looks down and fumbles with his tie. “When I said that Pearce and his family were safe I meant it, but Pearce will still pay for interfering like that.”
Arlin has apparently decided to completely ignore my question.
He continues. “The loss of my son isn’t a personal loss to the organization like it is for me, but it’s a loss of a great deal of time and effort from a group of very important people.”
“What’s his punishment? Will they destroy his company?”
“They could, but the punishment being discussed is bigger than that. There are rumblings that it involves Garret.”
My pulse shoots up again when
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