Chapter Fifteen
Andrew’s pacing the seating area outside the elevators when we reach the lobby and the minute he sees me, he scowls, stomping my direction in confrontation. “What the hell, Lilah?”
He’s dressed in a suit with a trench coat, his blond hair a bit curly on top which tells me he rushed out the door, eager to confront his sister.
When we were kids, I’d tease him about the curls he hides, but I secretly envied them.
I also secretly wondered if his hair contrasting my straight brown hair meant mom had an affair with a certain co-star she favored, but these days Andrew looks so like dad it’s impossible to consider any such good news for my brother.
Even the scowl he’s wearing and directing at me says Dad way too much for this early in the morning.
“You knew I was worried,” Andrew continues. “Why would you leave me in hell trying to figure things out on my own?”
“You wake up and choose to be in hell every single day, Andrew. Let’s go get breakfast.” I try to step around him.
He moves with me and blocks my path. “After you tell me what’s going on.”
“What did Dad tell you?” I ask.
“Nothing. That’s the point. No one is telling me anything.”
“Then how do you know there’s anything to tell?” I challenge.
“I’m going to throttle you if you keep fucking with me, Lilah,” Andrew grinds out.
“Fine,” I sigh, all too aware that Andrew is about to be in full freak out mode. I need a drink not a coffee. No, I need chocolate, which is acceptable in the morning when packaged as a donut or pancake. I lower my voice. “Ghost showed up at the event.”
“He did what?” His voice is a mix of gravel and worry.
“That’s right. He tied Dad up and offered to kill him for me. When I said no, he broke his finger, and whispered something in his ear before he left.”
Andrew just blinks at me. And blinks some more before he runs a hand over his hair and sits down on the couch. Jay leans in close. “We forgot our coats. I’ll go get them and give you a minute.”
I guess he’s not worried about a daytime drive-by.
My stomach growls in protest, but I sit next to Andrew anyway.
“We have to capture Ghost before he kills you,” my brother says, his worry for me over Dad telling.
He knows who the man we call father is, and he knows the risk he’s taking working with him.
My brother is brave and I’m proud of him.
I also want him to reconsider which is a topic better served with pancakes and syrup.
“Ghost isn’t going to kill me, Andrew,” I assure him, laughter in my voice, at his drama. “Kill for me, yes. Kill me, no.”
He is not amused. “Those who love us kill us. That’s what the statistics say and killing is what he does.”
“He’s not in love with me,” I counter.
“He’s obsessed and there are studies on obsession and love, and how the brain works.”
“I think you just made that up.”
“Google, Lilah.”
“The same ‘Google’ that once told you allergies was terminal cancer? No thank you. As for Ghost killing people, it’s also what I do, too, remember?”
He rotates to face me. “Stop with that bullshit. You are not him, as proven by the fact that you did not say ‘yes’ to Ghost killing Dad.” His brows dip. “You didn’t, right?”
“I’d hit you for that if I wasn’t sitting here shriveling away from hunger. No one kills Dad but me, but we’re not done with him, yet. We need him to take down the Society.”
“I guess I can see why you couldn’t tell me this on the phone, but for the record, you could have found a way.”
“Kane’s father showed up last night.”
“Shit. What happened?”
“I lured him upstairs. You know what I planned. The world would be a better place, right?”
“Holy fuck, Lilah. He’s a monster. Where was Kane?”
“He’d left to deal with his father, not knowing his father was here.”
“You let him upstairs when you were alone? Please tell me you had bodyguards.”
“Roberto was the one who needed bodyguards, but he’s alive and well, or he was when he left last night.”
“I’m shocked. And frankly, a little disappointed.”
“Yeah well, I love you more for saying that. He proposed he help us end the Society. It made logical sense so let him live. Kane wasn’t feeling the logic though.
He took him away. I’m not sure anything but killing him resonated for him.
He’s pretty fed up with the way that man and his cartel have haunted his entire life. ”
“Knowing the way Dad is controlling ours, I can’t really imagine what it was like for him, considering his circumstances were far worse. How would we use him to end the Society?”
“Can we finish this with food on a table somewhere?”
“Considering how hangry you get, let’s go. I can’t take you any more bitchy than normal.”
“Ah. I love you, too, Andrew.” I push to my feet and he follows me to his own.
Jay arrives at that moment, and I accept my coat, and slip it into place, when a thought hits me, and I eye Andrew. “I don’t remember meeting the lieutenant governor.”
“Because he held his own event at a separate building.”
“Who is he?”
“Nicolas Wellman. He’s one of Pocher’s dweebs, a wealthy dude with a string of divorces. He’d have never been elected on his own.”
“So Pocher picked him, not Dad?”
“Right. Dad can’t stand him, but I get the feeling he was a condition of all the money Pocher threw at Dad’s campaign.”
“In other words, Nicolas was Pocher’s first choice, and Pocher used Dad to get him into office.” It’s not a question. This is all coming together for me now.
“Dad’s the one in control.”
“Until he’s not.” I start walking.
Andrew double steps to catch up. “I know you, Lilah. You don’t say things without purpose. What does that mean? Until he’s not?”
I don’t have it in me to get into the Pocher dynamic before I eat. “Food, Andrew,” I say, giving him side eye. “I choose Sarabeth’s. It’s close and expensive, and you can pay.”
“As if you need me to pay. You know I hate that place. That’s why you want to go.”
“No one hates that place, Andrew. It’s delicious. You don’t hate that place. You’re just saying you don’t like it because you’re my brother.”
It’s in that moment that Kane enters the lobby, still in his tux from the night before, exhaustion radiating off of him. Kit enters after him, and is immediately by his side, and he looks about as crappy as Kane. Oh, mortal men, you need sleep.
“Wait here,” I order my brother pulling ahead of him, while Kit just knows to stay back.
Kane and I come together in a corner of the sitting area. “Is he alive?” I ask.
His hands come down on my shoulders, warm despite the cold outside, while his posture is pure exhaustion. “Unfortunately, yes, and we’re going to talk about how to ensure I don’t regret that after I get some sleep. Where are you going and can you not go?”
“I need to get Andrew’s head on straight,” I say, “and from there, I need to deal with Adams and my job. I’ll be back by the time you wake up, but there’s good news to take up with you.”
He arches a brow. “What twisted version of good news do you have for me this time?”
“I don’t believe Ghost randomly came for me or my father last night. The lieutenant governor is Pocher’s pet who couldn’t get elected on his own merit. I think Pocher sent Ghost to check my father and he just wanted to fuck with me in the process.”
“Ghost is an assassin. He doesn’t take bully jobs.”
“While I get that, he’s highly motivated by keeping his number one rank. If he was promised the kill later, he might agree to play a game in advance.”
“You do know you’re saying he’s planning to kill your father, right?”
“Or Pocher.”
“Pocher didn’t hire him to kill himself.”
“No, but Pocher might not know what’s really going on. Maybe your father hired Ghost. Either way, Ghost was not there for me. That should make you happy.”
He stares at me for several beats. “The only thing that will make me happy is you coming upstairs to be with me.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Then I’m going upstairs. For the moment, I think you’re safe enough with just Jay, but I’m working on a second bodyguard for you.”
“You better go rest. You’ll need to be your best for the fight I’m planning.
” I push to my toes to kiss his cheek, and before he can capture me for more, I’m already walking toward the door and motioning for Jay and Andrew to follow.
I don’t need a bodyguard. I need to decide who makes my next best target.