Page 104 of Lilly

"Is it gone?" Garret asks.

"Yes. But I need to get home and make some calls. And Lilly, when we get home, you are not to tell Reed about this, or anyone else. No one can know about this."

"But I can still call Reed," I say.

"No. You are not to see that boy anymore. Or talk to him. Now get your things. We're leaving."

"Wait. Why can't I talk to Reed? What does he have to do with this?"

My dad storms up to me. I can feel his anger and see it on his face. "Reed's father is the one responsible for this."

"What?" I feel my heart beating faster, my chest tightening. "What are you talking about?"

"The man you saw today? The man who almost killed Rachel?"

"Yeah? What about him?"

"Reed's father hired that man. He hired him to kill Rachel."

I sink to my knees in disbelief. Reed's dad tried to kill my mom? Why? Why would he do that?

"Lilly, come on." Garret holds his hands out to me. "We have to go. You can ride with me."

I take his hands and he helps me up. My dad and Rachel are waiting at the door with our suitcases.

This all seems like a dream, or a nightmare. Either way, it's like I'm not fully awake. I'm still in shock.

What is going on here?

Chapter Twenty-Three

Garret

Lilly rode back with me to the house and didn't say a word for the entire forty-five minute drive. I didn't try talking to her because I didn't want her asking questions until we got home. I'm not sure what we're going to tell her. I know my dad doesn't want her knowing about the organization but I don't think he has a choice now. She's seen too much and there's no way to explain what happened today other than to tell her the truth.

When we get to the house, Lilly races to her room. My parents go into my dad's office and shut the door. I remain in the living room and call Jade.

"Hey," I say when she answers. "I'm at my parents' house. I need to stay here for a while."

"Why? What happened?"

"I can't tell you over the phone."

"Did anyone get hurt? I saw your gun is gone."

"Nobody got hurt. But they could have." I sit down on the couch and take a deep breath. "It was bad, Jade. They could've been killed. He had a gun."

"Oh my God," she whispers. "What happened to him? Did he get away?"

"No." I pause. "That's all I can say."

On the off chance that anyone's listening, I don't want them hearing me say that my mom killed that guy. Even after being away from the organization all these years, I'm still paranoid.

"So all of you are at home now?"

"Yeah, my parents are talking and Lilly went in her room. I think they're going to have to tell her the truth. She saw what happened. She knows too much."

"When are they going to tell her?"

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