Page 29

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

“Jade, you’re awake.” The man’s voice is familiar. He comes up next to me and I see it’s Dr. Cunningham, the doctor who took care of me after I fell and hit my head in the woods behind Garret’s house. “How are you feeling?”

I open my eyes more and realize that I have no idea where I am or how I got here. The room I’m in looks like a small office with plain white walls and short beige carpeting. Across from me is a large wooden desk and a wall of bookcases. I notice a strong leather smell and see that I’m lying on a dark brown leather couch.

“Where am I?” I ask the doctor.

“You’re just a few miles from Moorhurst. Your grandfather called me right after you passed out. Luckily I was still in town from seeing you earlier today.” He smiles. “We really need to stop meeting like this.”

“My grandfather?” I suddenly remember the scene outside the Student Services building on campus. An old man approached me, claiming to be the father of Royce Sinclair, my biological father who I learned about a few months ago. The man said his name was Arlin Sinclair and that he needed to talk to me. Two large men surrounded me and I knew that the old man wasn’t just there to talk. He was there to kill me. To finish the job his son was supposed to do.

I bolt up from the couch and pain shoots from my knee, forcing me to sit down again.

“What are you doing?” My sudden movement startles the doctor and he quickly rests my leg back on the couch. “You know it’s too soon to put weight on your knee like that.”

I grab hold of his lab coat. “Tell me where I am! Tell me exactly where I am!”

“I told you,” he says calmly. “We’re at your grandfather’s office.”

“I don’t have a grandfather! My grandparents are dead!” I’m panicking, searching the room for an exit. If the scene with Sinclair really happened, then why am I still here? I should be dead. He should’ve killed me by now.

“Your maternal grandparents are deceased.” Cunningham remains calm as he tries to hold me still with one hand while using the other to take something from his lab coat. “Your grandparents on your father’s side are very much alive. Now look right over here for me.”

He shines a bright light at my eye, making me squint. I push the light away. “I have to find out what’s going on.” I attempt to get up again but he remains seated next to me and won’t let me move.

“Jade, you have a serious concussion and you need to calm down. I believe your blackout was caused by stress. I want you to take some time to rest and relax this week.”

Relax? Does this guy not get that my life is in danger?

“Take me back to campus. Please! I need to see Garret. I need to get out of this place.”

“Your grandfather will be here any minute, and after he talks with you he’ll take you back.”

I grab Cunningham’s lab coat again and yank him toward me. “That man is trying to kill me! Don’t you get that? He wants me dead! He needs to bury the evidence of what his son did to my mom.”

After I say it I realize that I was never supposed to tell anyone that. Then again, Cunningham was there the day Royce Sinclair was killed by Garret’s dad. He was one of the doctors who took Garret away after he was shot. So maybe he already knows what happened. Still, I’m not sure if he knows the whole story or just part of it.

Dr. Cunningham removes my hands from his lab coat and sets them back at my side. “I can assure you that Arlin Sinclair is not trying to kill you.”

“Why are you here?” I ask, still completely confused.

“I told you. You passed out and Arlin called me. Listen, Jade, I want you to take some days to rest. Stay home from class for a couple days. And make sure someone stays with you overnight. Garret, or your friend, Harper.”

“How do you know about Harper? And why are you working for Sinclair? I thought you worked for the Kensingtons.”

“I work for a private medical clinic that treats a very select group of individuals.” He puts his hand on mine and looks me in the eye. “But you already know that, don’t you?”

I nod.

“You also know that it’s best not to ask questions, correct?”

“Yes.” I decide to go along with whatever he’s saying. Maybe doing so will buy me a little more time before they kill me. But if they’re killing me, why is Dr. Cunningham worried about my concussion? And why did he just tell me to stay home from class? And have Garret stay with me overnight? Wait. What?

I’m slowly realizing that maybe I’m not going to be killed after all. But then why was Arlin Sinclair at Moorhurst today? And why did he kidnap me and take me here?

“Is she awake yet?” I tense up hearing his voice again.

“Yes, but she’s a little confused,” Cunningham says.

“Because of her head injury?” I glance back at the door and see the old man rushing over to me. “I thought you said she was okay!”

Cunningham stands up. “Yes. She is. What I meant is that she’s confused by the situation. The confusion is not due to her concussion. Forgive me for not being clearer.”

“I see. Well, I’ll speak with her. If you’re sure she’s okay, you can go now.”

“Jade, keep using the crutches,” Cunningham says. “Don’t try to walk on that knee. And call me right away if you have any of the head trauma symptoms on that sheet I gave Garret. Do you have any questions before I go?”

“Um, no. No questions.” I don’t want the doctor to leave me alone with the old man, but I don’t know what else to ask him. He exits out the door, shutting it so fast I can’t see what’s on the other side.

The old man walks over in front of the couch. “So, Jade, let’s try this again.” He holds his hand out and smiles. It’s a warm, friendly smile but I’m still leery of him so I don’t smile back. “I’m Arlin Sinclair. Your grandfather. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

I cautiously shake his hand as he takes a seat on the leather ottoman that’s in front of the couch. He doesn’t seem nearly as scary as he did earlier when he was wearing his long black coat and was accompanied by his two ominous henchmen.

He’s in his mid- to late-seventies, with a full head of thick white hair. His hair is a sharp contrast to his skin which has a deep, golden-brown tan like he just got back from vacation. His suit jacket is off, leaving him in a white dress shirt, blue striped tie, and black pants. He’s average height and has a bit of a paunch in front.

“Are you going to kill me?” I blurt it out and it sounds crazy, but when I’m nervous I tend to spit out whatever’s in my head. And if he truly is going to kill me, I want to know.

“No! Of course not.” He puts his hand on my arm and I snatch it away. “I want to help you. I have no intentions of doing you any harm.”

“But you kidnapped me.”

“I didn’t kidnap you. I’d hoped to talk to you at your school, but then you passed out. I called Dr. Cunningham and he told me to bring you here right away.”

“Who were those guys you had surrounding me?”

“They’re my security men. I was in Manhattan earlier and I always bring them with me when I go there. When we stopped at Moorhurst they didn’t want to wait in the car, so I told them they could wait outside. But I can see how they might’ve scared you.” He shakes his head. “I should’ve made them wait in the car.”

“But your son tried to killed me. Aren’t you here to finish the job?”

“No. That’s not at all what’s happening here.” He lets out a long sigh. “Let me start by saying that I’m sorry, Jade. For everything Royce put you through. I didn’t know what was going on until after my son’s death.”

“What do you mean? You didn’t know he was trying to kill me?”

“I didn’t even know you existed until Royce was gone.”

I don’t believe the old man. He has to be lying. “Your son raped my mother and left her on the side of the road to die. You’re saying you didn’t know about that? Yeah, right. I’m sure you were the one who helped him cover it up.”

“The story Royce told me was that he and your mother spent one night together and afterward she claimed it was a rape in order to get money from us. He said the rape story was completely false. And I believed him. As far as I knew he’d never forced himself on a woman. He had no criminal record. And you have to understand, we have people trying to extort money from us all the time. When it happened, Royce was married with a child on the way. He didn’t want this to destroy his marriage. So yes, I did help Royce back then, but I was relying on what he told me. If I’d known the truth, things would’ve been different.”

“Like how? You would’ve let the real story come out? Let your son go to prison?”

“I don’t know what I would’ve done. It was a long time ago. The point is that I didn’t know about you, Jade. Royce never told me your mother was pregnant.”

I still don’t believe the old man but I play along. “So when did you learn the truth?”

“After Royce died I was cleaning out his office and found the combination to his safe. When I opened the safe, I found a file that contained information about you and your mother as well as details from that night. I saw the original police reports. But until I saw that file I had no idea that’s what really happened.”

“What were you doing at Rockefeller Center that day you bumped into me? Were you following me?”

He nods. “Once I learned what really happened years ago, I was concerned for your safety. Even though Royce was gone, I didn’t know if he had people who might come after you. So I’ve been keeping watch on you.” He places his hand on mine. “When you were in New York, I purposely bumped into you because I wanted to see you. I assumed if I approached you and told you who I was you’d want nothing to do with me, given what Royce had done.”

I yank my hand back. “If you knew I didn’t want to see you, then why did you come to my school today?”

“Because I need to talk to you about some things. Do you have other questions before I begin?”

“Does anyone else know what he did? Did other people see what was in that file?”

“Luckily, no. If they did, you probably wouldn’t be here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He sighs. “At first I feared the organization knew. They hold on to secrets like this to make sure people follow orders. It’s blackmail basically, but they prefer to call it an incentive.”

“What organization?”

He gets up and moves to a high-backed leather chair near the end of the couch. “I belong to a very elite organization that is composed of some extremely powerful men. My son, William, is also a member and so was Royce. I guess some people might call it a secret society although we don’t care for that term. Anyway, because the group is so exclusive and its functions are so top secret we have to find ways to keep our members from speaking out. This file I found would’ve been an excellent tool to blackmail, or incentivize, Royce into keeping quiet. Not that they would’ve ever needed it. Royce wasn’t the type to spill secrets, especially regarding this group.”

“How do you know they don’t have a copy of the file?”

“Royce’s future was very important to the organization. If they knew about you, you would’ve been seen as an obstacle and they would’ve come after you. They would’ve done it years ago. I’m just thankful Royce never did it himself. Well, obviously he tried, but thank God he didn’t succeed.”

“I don’t understand anything you just said, but before you go on, let me get this straight. So you’re not going to kill me. You just wanted to talk. And then what?”

“You’re my granddaughter, Jade. I want to take care of you. Help you with whatever you need. It’s the least I can do given the way you grew up.”

“I don’t need to be taken care of.” I glance back at the door, which is closed and probably has security guards on the other side. “I really need to go. Can you take me back to Moorhurst?”

“We’re not done here. I have more to say. Do you have any questions about what I’ve said so far?”

I’m still trying to wrap my mind around what he said. I’m not prepared to start asking questions, but if he’s letting me ask I better come up with something.

“Does this organization have a name?”

“Yes, but only the members are privy to that information.”

“What does this secret group do?”

“I can’t tell you that,” he answers abruptly.

“You asked me if I had questions and now you won’t answer them?”

“I can’t answer those particular questions. But I can tell you that the organization I belong to had plans for Royce. Big plans. And now they’re scrambling to correct the problem that interfered with those plans.”

As cryptic as his words are, they’re starting to make sense in my head. Big plans. Royce was trying to win the nomination for president. I would say running for president of the United States is a big plan.

“This group you belong to is involved in politics.” As I say it I watch his face closely for any kind of response.

“I’m not going to deny that. But many powerful organizations have political involvement. Not just this one.”

“I know, but your son was running for president. And he came out of nowhere and was suddenly the frontrunner. It’s almost like he was hand-picked and this group was somehow going to make sure he won.” I realize how ridiculous this sounds but I almost believe it.

Arlin clears his throat. “What other questions do you have? Would you like to know about your half-sisters? Or your cousins? Or my wife?” He gets up and goes over to the bookcase. “Let me show you some pictures.”

It’s obvious from his reaction that my statement about that group wasn’t too far off. But it doesn’t make sense. How did this group plan to make sure Royce won the presidency?

“This is my wife, Grace.” Arlin hands me a framed photo. “Your grandmother.”

It’s weird to hear him say that. I’ve never had grandparents. The photo shows a nice-looking, older woman with short brown hair styled in a sleek and sophisticated bob. She’s standing next to Arlin on what appears to be a yacht. I look closer and see that she has green eyes that are the exact same color as mine.

“That was taken a couple years ago. We were sailing off the coast of Greece. I’d love to take you there sometime. The Mediterranean coast is truly magnificent.”

Is he out of his mind? He thinks we’ll be travel buddies now? I just met the guy. And his son tried to kill me!

I give him back the photo. “I still don’t understand what’s going on here. Just tell me what you want from me so I can leave.”

“As I said earlier, I want to do whatever I can to help you. Provide for your expenses. Pay for your college tuition.”

“My tuition is already paid for. And I don’t want your money. If you’re trying to get me to keep quiet about your son, don’t worry about it. I’ll never tell anyone. I already made that promise to Mr. Ken—” Shit! I almost mentioned Garret’s dad and I have no idea if this guy knows what really happened to his son. But he has to know. But who would have told him? I’m so confused.

“Were you going to say Mr. Kensington?” Arlin’s eyebrows raise. “Is that who you’re referring to?”

I keep quiet.

He slowly nods. “Yes, I know Pearce killed my son. That’s another reason I wanted to speak with you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Your son killed himself.”

“Pearce, as well as his father, are members of the group I told you about. Everyone in the organization knows what happened to Royce. Pearce was forced to confess what 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 peace 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 I hear Garret’s name. “You just said he was safe! Were you just lying to me so I’d sit here and listen to this?”

“Calm down. They’re not going to harm him. In fact I shouldn’t call it a punishment. It’s more of a plan. A plan that involves Garret. His father doesn’t know about it and if he did, he would never approve of it. He never wanted his son involved in anything this group does. So if this plan indeed happens, it will serve as a punishment for Pearce. That’s all I can say.”

“Are you kidding me? You can’t say something like that and not tell me more. What are their plans for Garret?”

“I don’t know the details yet. I’ve only been in on a few discussions. I don’t even know if it’s been finalized.”

“It doesn’t matter. He’ll never go along with whatever it is. And I won’t either. I’m dating him and we’re getting more serious. We’ve talked about being together in the future. Maybe even getting married someday.”

Arlin takes a deep breath and lets it out. “That brings me to the other reason we needed to talk. You need to end things with Garret.”