Always Us (The Jade Series #8)

by Everhart, Allie

  I sit back in my chair, my arms crossed. I can’t believe this is happening. That Carson is here. That he tracked me down and that he’s not the person I thought he was. He’s not a college student. He’s a reporter. Someone who knows way more than he should and someone who could get Pearce in some serious trouble. Maybe even killed.

  Garret needs to get home. Fast.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  12

  GARRET

  I’ve been checking my phone all day to see if it’s happened yet. I just checked again and it hasn’t. He’s still in a coma. It’s Wednesday, so it’s been four days now. I didn’t think he’d make it this long. I talked to my dad earlier, and he, too, is surprised. Maybe this will go on longer than we thought. Some people are in comas for months, or years. But at least if he’s in a coma, he can’t hurt Jade.

  As bad as it sounds, I’d rather have him dead than in a coma. I want this to be over so I can stop worrying about this and focus on my future. Today, during my afternoon class, I began thinking about my career, and by the time class was over I was all fired up, wanting to start my business.

  It’s an entrepreneurship class and today we had a speaker as part of the ongoing lecture series my dad started here at Camsburg. Today’s speaker was Luke Canfield. He opened a sporting goods store about five years ago and the business has really taken off. He started with just one store in San Diego, a surf shop, and it did so well that he opened another store but added other sporting goods, not just stuff for surfing. Now he’s got stores all over California and he’s started to expand east into Nevada and Arizona.

  The guy’s only 29, which means he opened his first store when he was only 24. Hearing that made me feel like I need to get my ass in gear and get to work on creating my business. I’m just not sure what business I want to be in. I didn’t think I’d want to be in retail, but after hearing this guy’s story I think I want to look into it.

  After class, I talked to the guy and told him who I was. I don’t usually use my last name to impress people, but this time I did because I wanted to get his attention. And it worked. He asked me if I wanted to visit the company headquarters in LA and spend a day shadowing him. Then he offered to be my mentor, answering any questions I had about starting a retail business. He gave me his email address and phone number.

  He wouldn’t be doing any of this if it weren’t for my dad. I’m nobody, other than a former reality TV star, which is embarrassing. I’m sure he heard about the bad shit I—or the fake me—did last spring, but he didn’t mention it. He seemed impressed that I was going to Camsburg, which is known for academics, not partying. And I told him I was married, which makes me seem even more responsible.

  But despite all that, I know the only reason Luke offered to be my mentor is because of my dad. My dad is a rock star in the business world and this guy thinks if he spends time with me he’ll eventually get to meet my dad. I know how it works. Luke’s trying to grow his company and being connected to powerful people will help him do that. Or just getting advice from someone like my dad could be very valuable. I usually don’t like it when people use me like that, but in this case, I’m using him, too, hoping to learn from him just like he wants to learn from my dad.

  I should also be learning from my dad. I need to start asking him for business advice. I didn’t before because he’s my dad and I don’t see him the same way everyone else does; as a great businessman with a ton of knowledge to share. But he is a great businessman and I need to start seeing him that way. He’d be happy to teach me whatever I want to know.

  My dad is actually a really good teacher. When I asked him to teach me about the stock market, he did, and he didn’t make it overly complicated. He taught me the basics, then gave me some companies to research and asked me which ones I’d invest in.

  It was like a school assignment, but I didn’t mind. It was way more useful than just reading a book about investing. My dad wanted me to apply what he’d taught me using real world examples, and by doing that, I learned much faster. Then he let me invest some of my money. He purposely let me pick some bad stocks so I would know what it feels like to lose money, because you have to be willing to accept losses when you’re investing. After a few bad stock picks that cost me a lot of money, my dad went over my research and showed me why I shouldn’t have chosen those stocks. That’s when it hit me that he really knows what he’s doing. And he’s not just good with investing. He knows how to successfully run a company. I’m amazed at what he’s done with Kensington Chemical, and so is everyone in the business world. That’s why my dad’s always being asked to speak at conferences and being interviewed for magazines.

  So yeah, I piqued Luke’s interest when I dropped the Kensington name. I told him I’d love to shadow him for a day and I accepted and thanked him for his mentorship offer. I like the guy and I could see us being friends. He likes a challenge and he goes after what he wants, just like me. He also loves surfing and football and basically all sports, which makes sense given that he owns a sporting goods store. But what I like is that he still does all that stuff even though he runs a business. He still makes time to surf. He’s on a flag football team and a basketball league. Doing all that shows his passion for his business and makes him more like his customers. That’s why he’s so successful. He knows what his customers want because he’s just like them.

  I’m really excited to start working with him. I’m going to take full advantage of this opportunity and learn as much as I possibly can. I’ve learned a lot taking this class, but learning from real life examples is so much better than listening to a lecture or reading a textbook.

  I can’t wait to tell Jade about this. I’m driving home now and I just called her but she didn’t pick up. She’s probably outside. I think I’ll take her somewhere nice for dinner tonight to celebrate. She loves that sporting goods store, so she’ll be almost as excited as I am. Unlike most women, Jade doesn’t like shopping for fancy shoes and clothes. She’d much rather shop for running shoes than high heels, and I love that about her. I like seeing her all dressed up in skirts and heels, but she’s also damn sexy when she wears a sports bra and shorts.

  As I drive up to our place, I see a silver car I don’t recognize parked on the street. It’s right next to our driveway and I immediately panic. It could just be parked there but why is it so close to our house?

  I force myself to calm down. It’s nothing. Nobody’s after us. My grandfather’s dying in a hospital bed thousands of miles from here.

  I park in the driveway and go inside the house and look for Jade. She’s not there. I check the garage and see her car, so she must be around somewhere. I walk over to the sliding glass door and see her sitting on the deck across from some guy, her beach towel wrapped tightly around her.

  I shove the door open. “What’s going on here?” I put myself in front of Jade and face the guy. “Who are you?”

  As I get a better look at him, he almost looks like Carson, that asshole who bothered Jade last year. But it’s hard to tell with his sunglasses on and the sun glaring off his face.

  “Garret, good to see you again.”

  It is him. I recognize his voice. He stands up and extends his hand like we’re good buddies. Instead of shaking his hand, I shove it away.

  “What the fuck are you doing here, Carson?”

  “Garret, don’t.” Jade’s standing behind me, holding on to my shirt so I don’t hit the guy. As if she could hold me back. If I wanted to hit him, there’s nothing she could do to stop me. And right now, I want to hit him. But first, I wait for him to answer.

  “I came here to talk to Jade. And you.”

  “I had enough of your shit last year, asshole. Jade and I are married now. She’s not interested in you. She never was. So get the fuck out of here before I call the cops.”

  “I’m not interested in Jade that way. I only acted like I was in order to get close to her. To make her tell me stuff.”

  Jade sneaks around me. “You wou
ld’ve dated me just to get information?”

  He shrugs. “I do what I have to do.”

  “I told you to leave,” I say to him. “And if you show up here again, I won’t be as nice as I’m being right now.”

  “I just need to talk to you.”

  “You did enough talking last semester. We’re done listening to you, Carson.”

  “His name is Justin, not Carson,” Jade says. She doesn’t seem that freaked out by this. “He used a fake name last semester. And he’s not a college student. He’s a reporter.”

  I grab Carson’s shirt and shove him against the deck railing. “Why the hell would you do that? What kind of fucked-up game are you playing here?”

  “Let me go and I’ll explain.” Carson’s a big guy and he could fight me but he’s not. His arms are at his side.

  “Why is he here, Jade?” I keep my eyes on him, my hand still clutching his shirt.

  “He said he works for Aston Hanniford, the guy who ran for president four years ago. Hanniford thinks he didn’t win because the election was rigged and now he’s going after the people he thinks did it.”

  I let go of Carson and take a step back. “You’re still obsessed with that conspiracy shit? You seriously need to get a life, Carson.”

  “It’s not a conspiracy. And my name is Justin. Like Jade said, I used a fake name last semester. I was working undercover for Mr. Hanniford. I’m 24 and was just pretending to be in college, although I actually did have to take the classes in order to make it look real.”

  “Why would you work undercover at Moorhurst?”

  “Because Hanniford is trying to identify the members of the secret society that was somehow able to rig the election. The same secret society your father belongs to. And your grandfather.” He smirks, acting all proud of himself for knowing that.

  “Nobody belongs to a secret society. You’re delusional, Carson. Justin. Whatever the hell your name is.”

  “We can’t prove it yet, but we know they’re part of it. And since you’re born into it, that means you’re part of it, too.”

  “Yeah, right. And what do we do again? We rig elections? I don’t even pay attention to politics. I didn’t even vote in the last election.”

  “Because you didn’t need to. You already knew the outcome.”

  I shake my head. “You are seriously messed up. I don’t know who told you that shit, but you’re wrong. And coming onto private property, uninvited, and accusing people of things, is going to get you arrested.”

  Jade was behind me but she sneaks around to my side. “So you went to Moorhurst to spy on Garret?”

  “Mostly Garret, since Pearce and Holton are the only two members we’ve identified so far. We were hoping Garret would lead us to the other members, or the members’ children who attend Moorhurst.”

  “If you were interested in Garret, why were you so obsessed with getting to know me?” Jade asks.

  “I knew Garret wouldn’t tell me anything so I tried to get close to you instead. I thought maybe you’d tell me things. Things about his family that you didn’t understand. Things that might give me clues about what was going on with them. But you never did. You’re good at keeping secrets, Jade.”

  “There aren’t any secrets to keep. I told you that repeatedly, so I don’t know why you stayed there all semester.”

  “We have reason to believe that Moorhurst isn’t your average college. We believe it’s where the members send their children. The children who aren’t good enough to attend the Ivy League.”

  I laugh. “So now an entire college is a secret society? You’re even more messed up than I thought. You should get on meds or something.”

  “I didn’t say it was the whole college. But we think at least some of the students there are connected to this group. The same wealthy families send their kids there generation after generation.”

  “A lot of people end up going to the same college their parents went to,” I say. “That’s not unusual. And I have no family connections to Moorhurst, so there goes your theory. My dad went to Yale, not Moorhurst. I’m the first person in my family to go there.”

  Some of what Carson is saying is right. A lot of the members do send their kids to Moorhurst. Not everyone there is connected to the organization, but some of them are. When I went to the meeting last March, I saw Courtney’s father, as well as the fathers of two guys who lived on my floor. Guys who would soon be initiated as members. All of us knew this secret but none of us spoke of it.

  And now Kiefer is going to become a member. So maybe he encouraged Harper to go to Moorhurst in order to get her immersed in that world. Let her start getting to know the people she’d be forced to interact with in the future. Kiefer’s the one who suggested she go there. He probably got her the tennis scholarship so she’d agree to go.

  “I didn’t say everyone who attends Moorhurst is part of this,” Carson says. “I’m just saying we’re looking into the families that have a history of sending their kids there and we’re seeing if there’s a connection. We’re going to find out who these members are and we’re taking them down. This is going to end. They got Kent Gleason elected, but the next president will be chosen by the people.”

  Jade tries to move, but I hold her against my side as I keep my eyes on Carson. “I’ve heard enough of your bullshit stories. Just get out of here. And if you show up here again, you will get hurt.”

  He crosses his arms over his chest. “I might be able to get him out. And you as well.”

  I sigh. “You never shut up, do you?”

  “We might be able to get both you and your dad out of the secret society. You’d have your freedom back. You wouldn’t have to do what they tell you anymore.”

  “Leave.” I glare at him. “Last time I’m saying it.”

  He doesn’t move. “If Pearce gave us some names, we could shut it down. We could bring down this group, or at least weaken it to the point where they couldn’t control the system anymore.”

  Is he really that naive? That stupid? He really thinks he can take down the organization? He has no fucking clue how powerful they are. Carson, Hanniford, and whoever else they’re working with, would be dead before they could even think of doing something to the organization.

  I let go of Jade and step closer to Carson. “Are you gonna leave or do I have to throw you off my property?”

  “I’m going.” He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a business card and hands it to me. I glance at it and see that his name is listed as Justin. It’s probably another fake name. “Just think about it. Talk to your dad.”

  “There’s nothing to say to my dad because he’s not part of some secret group. He’d laugh if I even mentioned your theory. And he’d make sure you never worked again if he knew you were spreading rumors about him. So if you care about your career, I’d strongly suggest you stop talking about him.”

  “Just present our offer.” He walks down the steps.

  “Did you hear me? He’s not involved in anything so let it go. Trust me. You don’t want my father as an enemy.”

  “Goodbye, Jade.” Carson stands at the bottom of the stairs. Jade doesn’t say anything so he says, “Goodbye, Garret. I’m sorry to hear about your grandfather. I hope he recovers. But if not, at least you were able to see him last week.”

  “What are you talking about?” Jade asks.

  Shit! I fucking hate this guy. How the hell did he know my grandfather was here?

  “Get out of here!” I yell at him. “Now!”

  Carson sees Jade’s response and can tell she doesn’t know about my grandfather’s visit. He probably thinks she doesn’t believe him, which is why he explains. “Mr. Hanniford flew me out here on one of his private planes, and the Kensington jet was at the airport when I arrived. I saw Holton getting off the plane. I assumed he was here to see Garret. Why else would he be in this small town?” He smirks at me. “See you later. Stay in touch.”

  He walks off. He’s such an ass. I already hated him
for hitting on Jade last semester. Now he’s after my dad. And he just spilled a huge secret I wanted to keep from Jade. I really fucking hate him.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  13

  JADE

  “Your grandfather was here?” I ask Garret. “Last week?”

  “Jade, we need to talk about Carson.” He takes my hand and pulls me inside, locking the sliding door behind us. “Was he here when you got home?”

  “No. I was lying on the beach and he just showed up. He knows too much, Garret. You have to tell your dad.”

  “I will, but I might have to fly out there to tell him. I don’t think I should talk to him over the phone about this, just in case someone’s listening in.”

  “You better tell him soon. Carson’s got other people helping him. That Hanniford guy is wealthy and powerful. He could do real damage to your family.”

  “He won’t. They don’t have proof of anything. They just have theories.” Garret goes in the hall closet and takes out a thing that looks like a silver wand. “Was Carson in the house?”

  “No. Why?”

  Garret runs the wand thing over the furniture, making his way around the room. “You sure he didn’t break in before you got home?”

  “I don’t think so. Nothing looked out of place.” I point to the wand. “What is that thing?”

  “It checks for listening devices.”

  “Where did you get it?”

  “I don’t remember. I just had it.”

  It’s a lie. I can tell because he’s talking fast and won’t look at me. I get in front of him as he wands the door to the deck.

  “Garret, stop.” I put my hand on his arm. “Tell me the truth.”

  “I told you, I can’t remember where I got it. I probably bought it online.”

  “I’m not talking about the wand thing. I want to know about your grandfather. Was he here last week?”

  I look directly at Garret, but he avoids my gaze, his eyes on the glass door just behind me.