Chapter 18 #2
Lillian draws in a deep breath. “After you left, Mom shifted the burden of carrying on the family legacy completely to my shoulders. If I thought she was in my face before you left, I had no idea what was coming.”
“I’m so sorry, Lils,” Simone whispers.
“For a long time, I was mad at you. It wasn’t fair, but you were the oldest, and you absorbed most of their attention. Once you left, Mom turned into this intense ball of fire.”
“ More intense?” Simone asks. She’s not laughing.
“Ten times worse. I think she feared her only remaining legacy would fail her. She was always in my business, following me wherever I went, asking me questions, making sure I was presenting myself as the proper debutante at all times.”
Simone groans. “That had to suck.”
“Well, it got worse. She started nagging me about getting married.”
“Married?” Simone shouts. “You’re twenty-one.”
“I was nineteen when this started.”
“Did she pick out a husband for you, too?” Simone asks sarcastically.
Lillian does not flinch or hesitate. “Yes.”
Simone sits taller, nearly coming out of her chair. “Seriously?”
“Indeed.”
“Who?”
“Herman Westheimer.”
“Nooo. That old geezer.”
I try to remain calm and set a hand on Simone’s leg, hoping to soothe her, too.
Lillian nods. “They arranged it. I kept ignoring them, thinking there was no way they could or would actually go through with such a ridiculous scheme. But they were dead serious. When Mom told me they’d set a date for an engagement party, my head nearly blew off.”
Simone gasps. “That’s insane.”
“Yeah, I thought so, too, so I took a play out of your book and headed out of town. I hoped you were in Seattle like I’d overheard.
I’m also glad I had already stashed my inheritance somewhere safe.
I headed for the airport, paid in cash, and got on the first available flight.
There was no way I was going to marry that skanky old geezer. ”
Jameson smirks. “How old are we talking about?”
I’m thinking the same thing, but I was afraid to ask.
Simone grabs my hand on her thigh and pats it. “That’s not important.”
Jameson laughs so hard that his entire body shakes. “Ballpark number, Little one. Just so I’ll know how old an old geezer is in your cute Little girl minds.”
Natasha turns toward him and swats his arm. “Stop it, Daddy.”
He widens his eyes all innocently. “What? I’m just asking, Baby girl.” He turns toward Lillian. Smart move. She doesn’t know us well enough to lie. “How old is this Herman Westheimer guy, Lillian?”
She swallows. “Uh…”
Simone lets go of my hand and lurches toward her sister on her other side, covering her mouth. “It’s a trap. Don’t answer him.”
Natasha giggles. “It’s hilarious, though. I think you should tell these very ancient old Daddies how old Herman is. I need the laughter.”
Simone groans. She shoots a glare in my direction and then Jameson’s. “He’s probably thirty-six.”
Jameson starts silently laughing. His entire body bounces up and down even though no sound comes from his mouth.
Simone looks toward me. “Trust me when I say at forty-two, both of you are much younger than Herman Westheimer.”
Lillian nods. “She’s right. That gross man was old when he was eighteen.”
“Why on Earth would your parents want you to marry someone you don’t even like, much less love?” I ask.
“Money,” both girls answer in unison.
Lillian sighs. “Prestige. Money. Perceived power.”
“There is no way Mom and Dad are going to allow both of us to simply vanish and let it go,” Simone points out.
Lillian cringes. “I know, but I didn’t know what else to do. You were always the more savvy of the two of us. I decided you would be able to figure out how to handle this situation.”
“How did you find Simone?” I ask. This is an important place to start.
“I called an agency, and they tracked down your address.”
I frown. “What agency?”
Lillian taps her lips. “Black something-or-other.”
I flinch. “Black Blade Protection?”
“That’s it. I found their website. They looked reputable, so I called them. They were fast, too. They found you in less than a day. Obviously, I paid them well, but it was easier to find you than I expected.”
Jameson grunts. “We’re familiar with them. They aren’t cheap, but they are certainly efficient.” He glances at me.
I’m already nodding as I pull out my phone.
“What’s wrong?” Simone asks.
I hold up a finger while I wait for Blade to answer the phone. It takes two rings.
“Camden. What’s up? Everything okay with your Little?”
“Hey, Blade. Yes, she’s fine. Got another issue to discuss. Coincidentally, your agency helped a woman find my Little girl recently.”
“Fuck. Seriously?” I can hear him clicking away at his computer. “Shit. Yes. It was after the attack. Someone else took that call and found her. Easily, it seems. She wasn’t hiding. Is there a problem?”
“No. Not at all. The woman, Lillian, is her sister. It’s fine that she found us, but would you do me a favor? If anyone else calls trying to find Simone or Lillian Lighton, turn them down and let me know immediately.”
“Consider it done.”
“Thank you. Appreciate it.” I end the call and set my cell on the table. “I can’t promise your parents won’t call another agency in the state. There are a lot of PIs in Seattle, but they won’t get any help from Blade and his organization.”
Lillian wrings her hands and looks at her sister. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I just wanted to touch base with you. It was probably selfish of me.”
I shake my head and answer for my girl, “Nonsense. We’re glad you came. We’ll do whatever is necessary to help you.”
“Are you not staying in your apartment?” Lillian asks. “I waited all day for the past two days. Luckily, your friends showed up today.”
“Yeah, that’s a long story. Let’s finish the cocoa and move to the living room.”