Lilly and Reed: A Kensington Family Novel

by Allie Everhart

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  About the Organization

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  From the Author

  Lilly and Reed

  By Allie Everhart

  Lilly and Reed

  By Allie Everhart

  Copyright © 2017 Allie Everhart

  All rights reserved.

  Published by Waltham Publishing, LLC

  Cover Design by Okay Creations

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, things, and events are fictitious, and any similarities to real persons (live or dead), things, or events are coincidental and not intended by the author. Brand names of products mentioned in this book are used for reference only and the author acknowledges that any trademarks and product names are the property of their respective owners.

  The author holds exclusive rights to this work and unauthorized duplication is prohibited. No part of this book is to be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.

  For those of you who haven't read the Jade or Kensington series.

  The Lilly books are an extension of the Jade and Kensington series. If you didn't read those series, here's some background on the "organization" which plays a prominent role in Lilly's story.

  The organization is a secret society made up of powerful billionaires, including Pearce Kensington, father of Garret and Lilly. Sons of a member are required to join but Garret was able to get out of it. Daughters are supposed to marry into the organization by marrying one of the members, but Pearce has been working to keep Lilly from having to do that. Recently, the organization has been recruiting members from the outside, but only if the person is a good fit and will provide benefits for the group.

  The organization uses their money and power to rig political elections, including the presidential election, so that they can control key decisions being made which might jeopardize their power and wealth. If anyone stands in their way or finds out about them, the person may be killed or silenced in some other way. Although the organization isn't as violent as it once was, they still do things Pearce doesn't approve of so he's determined to make sure Lilly is never part of it. But Katherine doesn't feel the same way.

  Being part of the organization has many benefits, including access to the Clinic, a private medical group that's only for the organization's members and their families. The Clinic has special treatments and cures the general public doesn't have access to.

  Other benefits of being a member include receiving large amounts of money, protection from threats aimed at a member or his family, cover-ups of any wrongdoings and ensured success in your profession.

  If you'd like to read more about the organization and how these characters are involved in it, read The Jade Series or The Kensingtons.

  Chapter One

  Lilly

  "We should probably get up." I turn over and slide up next to Reed, my arm going over his chest.

  He laughs a little. "Is this your idea of getting up?" He kisses me. "If so, then yeah, let's get up."

  I smile, resting my chin on his shoulder. "My parents will be here soon and I don't want them knowing what we were doing."

  "How would they know? It's not like they caught us."

  "My makeup's smeared and my hair's a mess. Trust me, they would know. My dad notices every little detail, even a hair out of place. I need to do some prep work before they get here."

  "How much time do we have?" he asks, his hand sliding down my back, tugging me into his warm, lean body.

  "A half hour."

  His lips press against mine, softly, gently, and causing that familiar tingle that makes me want to repeat what we just did.

  "I have to get ready," I whisper.

  "Just a few more minutes." His lips brush against mine. "I miss you."

  "I miss you too." I kiss him back and he sits up slightly, turning on his side, his hand going behind my head as he deepens the kiss.

  It's only been two weeks since the start of summer break and Reed and I are already tired of being apart. We talk on the phone and I was here last weekend but it's not enough. I'm used to seeing him every day. At school, we had almost every class together, ate meals together, and spent the night in each other's room.

  "You know what?" Reed asks as he watches me get dressed.

  "What?" I ask, slipping my dress over my head.

  "For the first time in my life, I'm actually looking forward to going back to school."

  "Me too."

  "You don't know what a big deal that is. I used to hate going back to school. On the first day, I'd fake being sick so I wouldn't have to go, but my mom never bought it."

  "Did you pretend to have the flu?" I tug my dress into place, then check how it looks in the mirror. "I tried that when I was seven but it didn't work. My dad knew I was lying."

  "If I'd gone with the flu my mom probably would've believed me. But no, I had to get all creative and go with something I'd never have."

  "Like what?"

  "One year I told her I had German measles. Another year it was rabies." He chuckles. "Then one year I really got crazy and told her I had a heart attack. She just rolled her eyes at that one."

  I laugh. "Why didn't you just go with something simple, like a cold or a stomach ache?"

  "I thought I had a better chance with something more serious, but it backfired." He finds his boxer briefs and puts them on. "The point is, this is the first time I've wanted the summer to hurry up so I can go back to school."

  "It's just three months away." I take his suit from his closet and hand it to him. "It'll go fast." I say that, and yet the summer already seems to be taking forever. I like being home and spending time with my parents but I also really miss college. I miss my classes and my friends and my independence. I want to be treated like an adult but my dad still treats me like a little kid. He still keeps a watchful eye on me. I thought he'd stop being so overprotective once I went to college, but this past year, nothing's changed. He's still always worried something will happen to me.

  "I need to fix my makeup," I say as I head to the bathroom.

  My parents are at a fundraising event downtown L.A.. We drove down here this morning and they dropped me off. I came with them so I could spend the day with Reed. I told them Reed was taking me to an art museum but we ended up staying here. In his bed. Of course, I'm not going to tell my dad that. I'm sure he knows by now that Reed and I have sex but he doesn't want to think about it so he tries to pretend it doesn't happen.

  It's Saturday, but Reed's dad had to go into the office so he's not around but he's going to meet up with us for dinner before my parents and I head back to Santa Barbara.

  "You almost ready?" I hear Reed ask.r />
  "Yeah, just a minute." My makeup is fixed and now I'm just running some product through my hair to tame the flyaways. "Okay, I'm ready." I leave the bathroom and go into Reed's bedroom. He has a really nice room, with dark gray walls, thick, plush carpet, and brand new furniture, including a large drafting table where he does his sketches.

  Reed's dad, Dean, lives in a luxury, hi-rise apartment in the heart of L.A.. He used to have a one-bedroom, but last year, after Reed's mom took off, Dean upgraded to a two-bedroom so Reed would have a place to stay. Dean must make a lot of money as a tour manager because the rent at a place like this would be really high.

  "You look beautiful," Reed says, coming up to me and giving me a kiss.

  "You look good too," I say, eyeing him in his dark gray suit. His dad bought him the suit a few months ago for a charity event we were going to. Rachel was on the planning committee for the event so the whole family showed up for it and I brought Reed as my date. The event was held at a fancy hotel along the coast so we had to dress up and Reed didn't have a suit. He was going to buy one himself but his dad offered to pay for it and ended up getting him a really expensive designer suit.

  I'm still surprised at the way Dean has embraced his role as a father after years of basically ignoring Reed. I know Dean traveled a lot for work but you'd think he would've at least checked in on Reed over the years to make sure he was okay. Maybe if he had, he could've saved Reed from all the emotional abuse he had to suffer through living with his mom.

  The doorbell rings.

  "I'll get it." I hurry out to the living room with Reed right behind me. I open the door and find my dad giving Rachel a kiss. Those two are constantly kissing. They're worse than Reed and me. They might even kiss more than Jade and Garret, which is saying a lot because those two kiss constantly.

  I clear my throat and my parents immediately break apart.

  Rachel smiles at me. "Hi, honey. We didn't hear the door open."

  "Yeah, I figured that," I say.

  Reed is beside me, trying to stifle a laugh. He thinks it's hilarious the way my parents are constantly kissing and holding hands. Or maybe he just finds it funny that I get so embarrassed by it. But it IS embarrassing. They're in their fifties, for crying out loud. If anyone should be caught kissing in public, it should be Reed and me, not my parents. I guess I shouldn't complain. It's nice to see them still so in love after all these years.

  "How was the fundraiser?" I ask, stepping aside to let them in.

  "Wonderful," Rachel says. "It was a lovely event at a beautiful place."

  The fundraiser was to raise money for children's cancer research. It was held at some rich person's mansion that has a huge flower garden in the back of the property. Rachel showed me pictures online before they went. It looked more like a botanical center than a person's back yard.

  "Your mother couldn't get enough of the flowers," my dad says. He refers to Rachel as my mom even though she's not. But I consider her to be like a second mom so I call her 'mom' except for when my real mom is around. She'd kill me if she heard me call Rachel 'mom' and then she'd probably kill Rachel. She hates her, and hates the fact that Rachel raised me from the age of 13.

  "It was even more beautiful than the photos I showed you," Rachel says. "I wish you could've been there."

  I glance at Reed. "I guess we could've gone, but you know I always get bored at those things."

  There's also the fact that I wanted to be alone with my boyfriend, but I don't need to mention that. My parents know that's the main reason why I didn't go to the fundraiser. The other reason is just as I said. I get bored at those events. It's just a bunch of rich people talking about how rich they are and pretending to be friends with each other even though they're not. I lived in that world before my parents divorced and I don't want to go back to it.

  Rachel and my dad attend these high-society events but I'm not sure why. My dad says he doesn't like going to them and yet he still does, maybe because he's expected to, as a Kensington and billionaire and well-known businessman.

  "Did you enjoy the museum?" my dad asks.

  He knows we didn't go. I can tell by how he asked the question. He's testing me to see what I'll say.

  "We didn't end up going," I say, because if I don't, he'll lecture me later about lying to him. I don't know how he does it but my dad is able to read people like no one else. He knows when people are lying or even just stretching the truth.

  "I wasn't feeling that great," Reed says, "so we stayed here and watched movies."

  He lied. Dammit. I know he was only trying to help, but it'll just anger my dad.

  "You don't look sick," he says, crossing his arms over his chest.

  Reed quickly nods. "Yeah, I'm sorry, Mr. Kensington. I shouldn't have said that. I'm not really sick."

  "Then why did you lie about it?"

  "Pearce," Rachel says quietly to him as she sneaks her hand under his arm. She's the only one who can calm him down when he gets angry.

  "I just didn't want you to be mad that we didn't do what we said were going to do," Reed says. "But I should've just been honest. Sorry." His eyes go to the floor.

  Reed never acts intimidated by people, except for my dad. He's scared to death of him. One, because my dad's big and tall and could knock Reed to the ground with a single punch. And two, because the way my dad looks at you when he's mad and the tone of his voice can be damn scary, especially to someone who doesn't know him that well.

  "Don't do it again," my dad says, his eyes on Reed, who just nods.

  "Well," Rachel says in a cheery voice, trying to break the tension in the room. "Should we go? With traffic, it might take us a while to get to the restaurant."

  "Is your dad still meeting us?" I ask Reed.

  "Yeah, I texted him when you were in the bathroom. He said he'd be there."

  A half hour later, we're seated at a trendy and very expensive restaurant in Santa Monica. I spotted three celebrities as soon as we walked in.

  "Sorry I'm late," Dean says as he joins us at the table. "Traffic was terrible. It took me ten minutes just to turn out of the office parking lot."

  "It's no problem," Rachel says, smiling. "We just got here."

  Dean smiles back. "Good to see you both again."

  "I suppose it's been a while since we last got together," my dad says.

  Back in April, my parents had dinner with Dean when they were in L.A. for a speech my dad was giving. My dad insists on knowing Reed's family, and since his mom is nowhere to be found, he's determined to get to know Dean.

  My dad trusts no one. He's always convinced people are up to something or trying to get our money. But he doesn't need to worry about Reed's dad. He seems to have plenty of money and he doesn't have any kind of criminal past, at least not that I know of.

  "Welcome, Mr. Kensington." A man in a gray suit comes up to our table, standing tall, his hands clasped behind him, a big grin on his face. "I'm Stephen, the restaurant manager, and I just want to say what a pleasure it is to have you here today."

  "Thank you." My dad gives him a polite smile. He doesn't like it when people do this. When they suck up to him because he's rich and well-known. But it happens a lot in L.A., where people are always trying to wheel and deal and make connections. That's why we live in Santa Barbara. He has more privacy there. He can go out in public and be left alone.

  "I'd love to offer you a bottle of wine from our exclusive list," the manager says. "On the house of course."

  I'll never understand why rich people are always being given free stuff. My dad can afford to buy the most expensive wine on the menu and yet this guy wants to give him a bottle for free. And the freebies extend to the rest of us. Designers are always sending Rachel and me clothes for free, hoping we'll wear them and be photographed in them so the designer gets free publicity. Rachel usually ends up donating the clothes, but I sometimes keep them. My dad tells me not to, but sometimes they're really cool clothes that aren't sold in stores so I couldn't
buy them even if I wanted to.

  "We'll pass on the wine," my dad says to the manager, "but thank you for offering." He turns back to the table, signaling the man to leave.

  "Certainly," the manager says, seeming nervous, as if he somehow offended my dad by offering him the wine. "Anything else I can do for you, please let me know."

  My dad waits for him to leave, then says to Dean, "So, do you often have to work the weekends?"

  "Not usually." His eyes go to the manager, who is now at the back of the room talking to our waitress and looking at us, likely telling the waitress who my dad is and how he should be treated better than her other customers. It's wrong that people with money get special treatment but that's just the way it is.

  "What are you working on these days?" my dad asks Dean.

  He glances away from the manager and focuses back on my dad. "I'm not sure if Reed told you but I've applied for an executive position at my company. I was in the office today putting together a proposal for some new promotional concepts that I'm going to submit to the higher ups in the hopes of increasing my chances of getting the job."

  "If he gets it he won't have to travel as much," Reed says.

  "That would be nice." Rachel smiles at Reed and his dad. "I hope you get the job."

  He shakes his head. "I doubt that I will. A lot of other, more qualified people have applied. For years, I've tried to get one of these positions and I can't even get an interview." He looks down at the table. I get the feeling he's embarrassed he just admitted that. He knows my dad is a huge success and I think he's intimidated by that and maybe a little jealous. Reed said his dad is always saying how he should be farther along in his career.

  "Perhaps this proposal you put together will convince them you're the best man for the job," my dad says.

  "Either that or I'll finally get the right people on my side. It's all who you know, right?" He laughs a little, then notices my dad's serious expression and quickly clears his throat as he picks up his menu. "I suppose we should order."

  He opens the menu so the rest of us do as well. Except for my dad. He's eyeing Dean and getting those lines between his eyes that mean he's getting angry. But why? Because Dean made that comment about who you know? It's true. It IS all about who you know, especially in L.A..