No more secrets. She needs to know the truth. All of it.
“I need to show you something.” I pull the icon out of the trash and turn so that she can see my laptop screen. “I found this when I turned the laptop on earlier.” I point to the icon.
“What is it?”
“It’s a timer.” I click on it and the numbers appear. “It’s counting down to the end of the year.” I shut the timer down and the message appears, telling me time is running out.
Jade inhales sharply and covers her mouth with her hand.
I set my laptop aside and pull her into my arms. “I’m sorry, Jade. I didn’t want to show you that, but I had to because I need you to know how serious this is. I need you to protect yourself and not take any risks.”
“How did your grandfather do that? How did he get that timer on your laptop?”
“I don’t think it was him. I think he might be working with someone.”
Her shoulders fall and she lets out a heavy sigh. “You said the other members didn’t care about you anymore. You said they weren’t in on this.”
“I don’t know if it’s another member. It could be someone else. A freelancer he hired.”
“To do what? Scare me? Kill me?”
I hug her tighter. “No, Jade. That’s not what I meant. He’ll keep his word. He won’t do anything before January. But he could have someone watching you. And who knows? Maybe that person would do something to scare you. I have no idea. Which is why I need you to be extra cautious. And why we need the security guys.”
She pulls back and looks at me. “What are you going to tell William? You can’t tell him what’s really going on.”
“I’ll just tell him I’m going to visit my grandfather and don’t want to leave you here alone. He’ll understand. He knows the risks involved in families like ours. He travels a lot and I’m sure he has a security team to watch over his wife. You can never be too careful.”
I pick up my phone and call William. His voicemail answers and I leave a message. Then I take my laptop and start searching for flights.
Moments later, my phone rings. It’s William.
“Garret, I got your message. You said you needed something?”
“Yes, I need to get someone to watch the house for a few days. I have to go to Connecticut to see my grandfather and I don’t want Jade here alone. I want to hire a security guard for while I’m away. I thought maybe you could give me a recommendation.”
“I’ll do better than that. I have several security personnel who travel with me. They’re all excellent and I’d be happy to send a couple of them out there to watch the place while you’re away. You’ll need two so they can work in shifts.”
“That’d be great. Would it be possible for them to be here by tonight?”
“Absolutely. I’ll have them leave right away. But Garret, why are you calling me instead of your father? He, too, has an excellent security team.”
“We’re kind of having a fight,” I lie. “We’re not talking right now.”
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. Do you need anything else from me?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Okay, well, once I have it arranged, I’ll send you the details about the men I’m sending out there so you’ll know who to look for and when to expect them.”
“You’re sure we can trust these guys? You’ve done background checks? You know them well?”
“Yes, the men I’m sending out there have been with me for years.”
“And they’re not part of—they’re not . . .freelancers?”
“No. They’ve never worked for them. Garret, I’m glad you’re doing this. It’s smart. After we met at my mother’s house in October, I worried about the two of you. I didn’t think you were taking enough precautions, given that you’re a Kensington and have connections to—well, you know what I mean. Anyway, it’s good to know you’re being more careful now. I’ll get everything set up and be in touch later with the details.”
“Sounds good. Thanks for your help.”
“What did he say?” Jade asks as I set my phone down.
“He said he’d have two of his security guys out here by tonight. I want to meet them before I go so I’ll plan to leave in the morning.” I take my laptop and search for flights. “There’s a 6 a.m. flight. I’ll take that one.”
“Why do I need two guys? Isn’t one enough?”
I get my credit card out and buy the ticket. “We want someone watching the house 24 hours a day, so we need two so they can alternate shifts. And actually, one of them should go to class with you. Well, not go in the class, but wait outside.”
“Garret, you’re freaking me out. If Holton’s not going to do anything to me, I shouldn’t have to be escorted to class by a security guard.”
“I’d just feel better if you weren’t alone. It’s just for a couple days. I’m flying back on Sunday.”
“That’s not enough time to do anything.”
“I have tomorrow and Saturday. That’s plenty of time. All I’m doing is talking to him, seeing if we can come to some kind of agreement.”
She’s quiet. I know she’s scared, and although I don’t like scaring her, I’m not going to pretend I don’t have concerns. Because I do. And I need her to know that so she doesn’t take risks. She needs to be aware of her surroundings and never go anywhere alone.
We have dinner later, then wait for William’s security guys to show up. They arrive at eight. I invite them inside and question them for a good hour. They’re older, probably late thirties, and huge. Both of them used to be in the military. They’re very serious and call me ‘sir’ even though I’m almost 20 years younger than them. By the time we’re done talking, I feel better about having them here, although I still wish I didn’t have to do this.
I hate leaving Jade, but I feel like I don’t have a choice. I need to deal with my grandfather. In person. By myself.
And when I get there, I’m prepared to do anything to make this end.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
17
GARRET
I almost couldn’t leave this morning. Even with the security guys and the alarm system and the cameras, I don’t believe Jade’s safe unless I’m there watching over her. I’m putting all my faith in William that those security guys will take care of her. I like William, and he treats Jade like family now, so I hope I can trust him. I tell myself I can because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to leave her.
But truthfully, I feel like I can’t trust anyone right now, or anything they tell me. I can’t trust the doctors, who lied and told reporters my grandfather had a stroke. I can’t trust the news, which kept saying he was dying. I can’t even trust my own family. Everyone’s lying and covering up the truth. That’s why I’m here in Connecticut. I need to know what’s really going on with my grandfather. I need to see him myself and see if he looks healthy or sick. I need to know if his mind is still sharp or if the drugs affected him in any way. I need to talk to him. Alone. And then I need to take action.
I arrived in Connecticut a half hour ago and just checked into my hotel. Jade was in class when I got off the plane, but I texted her and she texted back so at least I know she’s okay.
She should be out of class now so I call her. “Hey. How’s it going?”
“I just got out of class.” She’s talking really quiet. “Mike’s here.” Mike’s one of the security guys. He must be standing right next to her. “Could you give me a minute?” she says to him. I don’t hear anything but I assume he gave her some space because she says, “Okay, I can talk. Are you at the hotel?”
“Yeah. Just checked in. Tell me what’s going on there. If those two aren’t working out, I’ll—”
“No, they’re fine. Although everyone’s staring at me for walking around with this guy. He’s so huge, he stands out.”
“It’s just one day. Tomorrow you’ll be home and he’ll stay outside all day.”
“So have you decided wha
t you’re going to do? Are you just going to show up there?”
“I don’t know yet. And I don’t want to talk about it until I get back. I’ll tell you everything when I get home.”
“Okay. I guess I’ll talk to you later then. Can you call me tonight?”
“I’ll try to. If for some reason I can’t, I’ll send you a text.”
“Be careful, Garret.”
“You, too. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
As I unpack my stuff I watch the news to see if they have any fake updates about my grandfather. They don’t.
Now I need to figure out where he is. I’ve never been to the clinic he’s at. My dad said it’s in the Hamptons. What if he’s not there anymore? They could’ve moved him to the clinic that’s closer to his house. Shit. I have no one to call to find this out. I can’t call my dad.
I’ll call Katherine. Oddly enough, she’s the only one who’s told me the truth about my grandfather.
“What now, Garret?” she says when she answers.
“Hello to you, too, Katherine.”
“Your father’s not home. Call his cell.”
“I already did. He didn’t pick up. I wanted to get an update on my grandfather. Is he getting any better?”
“Why don’t you call him yourself?” She laughs. “Oh, that’s right. He’s not speaking to you. You’re too much of a disappointment to him. To all of us.”
Seriously? Was that really necessary? She’s such a bitch. Sometimes I forget how much I hate her. This was a good reminder. Given that she’s married to my dad, you’d think she’d at least try to get along with me.
“Just tell me how he’s doing.”
“He’s at home now, recovering.”
My grandparents have four houses in different locations so ‘home’ could be anywhere.
“Which home? The one in Connecticut?”
“Yes. Why do you ask? Are you coming for a visit?”
“No. I just wondered.”
“Even if you did show up, he’d send you away. He doesn’t want to see you. And he definitely doesn’t want to see that cheap tramp you married.”
I clench my fist in an attempt to control my anger. “Where’s Grandmother? Is she with him?”
“I believe she’s attending an event in Greenwich this afternoon. Why do you care where Eleanor is?”
“Because I’ve called her and haven’t been able to get a hold of her.”
“She doesn’t want to talk to you, Garret. Nobody does. You’re an embarrassment to the family and your antics last spring nearly destroyed the Kensington name. I still haven’t recovered from that.”
“Recovered? What are you talking about?”
“My social engagements have been cut in half since you pulled those stunts. We weren’t even invited to the Hamilton Christmas party this year. All because of you. The Kensington name is useless now.”
“Then get a divorce.” I know she can’t but I want to see what she says. “Marry someone with a better name.”
She’s silent.
“Katherine? Are you still there?”
“This conversation has taken up far too much of my time. Stop calling here, Garret. I won’t pick up next time. If you want to talk to your father, call his cell.”
She hangs up. That was strange. She seemed to be on a roll insulting me and putting me down and then she just got quiet and hung up. Whatever. It’s Katherine. I’ll never understand her.
It’s four-thirty and I decide to just get this over with. My grandfather’s home and my grandmother isn’t there so now’s probably the best time to talk to him. I grab my keys and go out to the rental car. It’s freezing cold and windy and a light sleet is falling. I definitely don’t miss this weather.
I turn the heat up to high as I drive out of the parking lot. The hotel is a half hour away from my house, which is why I picked it. I didn’t want to risk running into my family. But I have to drive by the house on the way to my grandparents’ house, which is another 20 minutes away.
When I arrive there, I’m surprised the security guard lets me in. I thought he’d call my grandfather first to make sure it’s okay. I know the guard. He’s worked here forever. But I wasn’t sure if Katherine was right and my grandfather told his staff to keep me out if I ever tried to visit.
I’m greeted at the door by the maid. She’s French and doesn’t speak much English. I tell her in French that I’m here to see my grandfather. She smiles and nods and walks away.
The house is quiet. I expected to see doctors and nurses, but maybe they’re in his room. I walk down the hall to the back of the house where the master bedroom is located. It’s huge and overlooks the back gardens and the pool. I open the door but he’s not in there. He must be staying in one of the upstairs rooms until he gets better. I go up the winding staircase and down the long hallway, passing several empty bedrooms until I reach a door that’s mostly closed. I open it and see him there in bed, hooked up to an IV. He’s reading a newspaper and doesn’t notice me.
“Hello, Grandfather.” I use a flat tone. I don’t want to show any emotion around him. Whatever he says, I can’t let him get to me.
He slowly lowers his newspaper, his face displaying a smug grin, like my showing up here means he won.
“Hello, Garret.”
He doesn’t even act surprised that I’m here. He must’ve expected this. I hate that I did exactly what he thought I’d do. Now I feel like I should’ve done this differently. I wanted him to be surprised by my visit. I didn’t want to just play into his hands. Let him think I’m predictable. Like he knows my every move.
He motions to the chair next to his bed. “Come sit down. Would you like some tea? I can have some brought up.”
“No. I don’t want anything.” My voice sounded rushed, almost breathless, because my heart’s beating so fast. I need to calm down.
I take my coat off and sit in the chair. I get a good look at him. He doesn’t look sick. Maybe a little thinner in the face, but not sick. His legs are covered with the blanket, but on top he’s wearing a long-sleeve, white cotton button-up pajama shirt with a gold swirling emblem on the right pocket. His shirt is freshly pressed, with not a single wrinkle. His dark gray hair is neatly trimmed and set in place with whatever old man hair product he uses. And his face is smooth, like he just shaved. If he had a suit on instead of pajamas, he’d look like he normally does. Like he’d never even been in a coma.
“So what did the doctors say?” I ask him. “Are you getting better?”
His expression turns grim, almost threatening, as his silvery-blue eyes lock on mine. “You were hoping I’d die, weren’t you?” When I don’t answer, he lets out a single laugh, then says, “That’s far too easy. If you want me dead, you need to do it yourself. You need to be a man. A Kensington. Take action. But instead, you wait for something to happen. You’re weak, Garret. Just like your father.”
I clench both my hands, then slowly release them. I won’t let him get to me. “I’m here to discuss your offer.”
His smug smile returns. “I’m listening.”
I stare back at him. “I’ll agree to go to Yale and work at Kensington Chemical if you leave Jade alone.”
The smile drops from his face and his eyes narrow. “That was not the offer I made. This isn’t a negotiation. I gave you the terms and conditions. The only decision that’s yours is whether she lives or dies.”
His lips turn up again. He’s loving this way too much. The power. The control. The idea of taking Jade’s life and destroying me in the process.
I want to strangle him. Kill him with my bare hands. I have this uncontrollable rage building inside me and I might just do it. I might just kill him.
“Garret.” He’s looking at me like he knows exactly what I’m thinking. It’s almost like he’s challenging me to do it. “Do you have something you’d like to say?”
I get up from the chair and stand next to his bed, blood rushing to my hands as I clenc
h and unclench my fists. He’s just a foot away. I could do this and end it. He’d fight me, but I’d win. I’m stronger than him. I could end this right now. What do I do?
He’s watching me. Waiting.
I step closer, my heart pounding, my hands slowly rising.
“Mr. Kensington.”
I drop my hands and step back from the bed as an older woman in a nurse’s uniform walks in.
“Your wife called and said she’s running late. She’ll be here around six.” The nurse goes up to his bed and checks the IV bag.
I try to breathe, my thoughts still on those moments before she walked in. I almost killed my grandfather. With my bare hands. Holy shit!
“Is this your grandson?” the nurse asks my grandfather, as she checks his pulse.
“Yes. This is Garret.”
She smiles at me. “You look just like your grandfather. And your father. The Kensington men are very handsome.” She goes over near the closet where a small silver cart is sitting. She wheels it over to the bed. “Do you have a girlfriend, Garret?”
I look at my grandfather. “I’m married.”
“That’s wonderful,” the nurse says in a light cheery tone that makes my grandfather cringe. “What’s her name?”
“Jade.” I keep my eyes on my grandfather. “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I love her with all my heart. With everything I am. I’d do anything for her. Anything.” I emphasize the last word, then finally take my eyes off him and look back at the nurse.
She has her hand over her heart and is staring at me. “That was beautiful. I’ve never heard a man actually come out and say how much he loves his wife. At least not to other people. Especially a man as young as you. How long have you—”
“Are you going to do your damn job or do I need to find someone else?” my grandfather barks at her. “I don’t pay you to stand around and talk.”
“Yes, sir.” She turns back to the cart. “I need to draw some blood. It won’t take long, and then you can go back to visiting with your grandson.”
Always Us (The Jade Series #8) Page 16