Page 102 of Lilly

"He could've hurt you." She squeezes me tighter.

"Mom!" someone yells in the distance.

I feel Rachel look up. She lets me go and waves her arms in the air.

"Over here!" she yells back.

I turn around and see Garret running toward us. He's wearing jeans and a t-shirt but also has a jacket on, which is odd because it's hot out today.

"Are you okay?" he asks when he reaches us. He's out of breath from running.

"Yes," Rachel says.

"Dad called and told me to check on you. He said—" Garret stops suddenly, his eyes going to me. "He said I should check on you. He had to go to L.A.."

L.A.? Why is he in L.A.? My mind is racing trying to piece all this together. Somehow, some way, everything that's happening is connected. I know it is. I just don't know how.

"A man tried to shoot Mom," I blurt out.

Garret's eyes dart to Rachel. "Is she serious?"

She nods. "He's over there." She points to the tall grass.

Garret runs over there and sees the body. "Holy shit." He runs his hand through his hair. "This just happened?"

"Yes." Rachel walks over to him. "We have to call the number before someone finds him."

Number? What number? What is she talking about?

She gets her phone out but doesn't call anyone, her eyes going to Garret. "I can't do it. Only your father can. It has to come from a—" She stops, briefly glancing at me.

Garret seems to understand whatever it is she meant. "I'll do it," he says, getting his phone out.

"Honey, you can't. You're not really a..." She doesn't finish the thought.

"I don't know if it'll work but I at least have to try." He makes a call. "Yes, this is member 1525. I need a clean-up at..." He gives the name and address of the hotel and describes the area where we're standing. Then he ends the call.

"Garret, you shouldn't have done that," Rachel says. "You're not one of them. You could get in trouble."

"Mom, we can't leave him here. If someone finds him, there'll be an investigation. They'll link it back to you. You'll get arrested."

"Your father would take care of it."

"Not if they gathered enough evidence." He shakes his head. "It doesn't matter. It's done. They'll be here in a few minutes. Let's get out of here." As he moves around the dead guy, his jacket catches on the tall grass and I see a gun attached to his side.

"You have a gun?" I ask, breathless. I feel like I can't catch my breath, my heart beating out of control.

He zips up his jacket, covering the gun, then comes in front me, holding onto my shoulders. "You okay?"

"No, I'm not okay!" I say, my emotions finally catching up to me, tears streaming down my face. "Mom almost got killed!"

He brings me into his arms. "She's safe. He didn't hurt her."

"He almost did. He had a gun. He pointed it at her."

Rachel stands next to Garret. "It's over, honey. He didn't hurt me."

I sniffle and yank away from Garret. "Why are you two acting so calm? It doesn't make sense! None of this makes sense!"

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