Chapter 19
Lily snuggled in the morning warmth of the king sized bed. She stretched under the luxurious sheets. She probably would have slept longer if it hadn’t been for the dream. Her dreams were so real sometimes, and she hoped this dream was as real as it felt. She had been walking with Landon through a thick forest of trees. There was a path, but it was narrow. When they reached the end of the trees, they climbed to the top of a hill where they watched the sun rise over a sparkling sea. It was a beautiful dream that filled her with joy even though she had no idea what it meant.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Landon and how wonderful he was. She had wondered if this was just another crush easily fallen into, and just as easily fallen out of. Except this time, it was so different somehow. Every time she thought about him, her heart filled with happiness, and she couldn’t help but smile. When Lily was with him an emptiness within herself was filled. He completed her in a way. It was more than that. He believed in her, even when she didn’t believe in herself. He made her want to be better. She was beginning to wonder if this was what it was like to be in love. She had no way of knowing. She hadn’t ever talked to her mother about such things and she didn’t feel close enough to her aunt to ask. Malaya wouldn’t know any better than she would. Lily wondered if it mattered if she knew whether or not she was falling in love with Landon. They had just begun their relationship. It wasn’t like he was going to propose marriage to her anytime soon. Besides, even if she ignored the fact that they were both still in high school, they would still be going off to college soon and might be hundreds of miles away. No, this wasn’t something she needed to worry about right now. Lily had much more important things to consider. She had been kidnapped, after all. Even though it looked like the worst was over, she was still leery about Mr. Turner and his involvement in the situation. She would soon find out what it was he wanted, and then she would figure out her next move. If it was something reasonable, she might be willing to work with him. If not, she and Landon would be planning an escape if they weren’t allowed to go home. They would also need a plan of how to prevent this from ever happening again. She slid out of the large bed and tumbled into the bathroom to get ready for the day ahead of her.
***
“I think that should do it,” Lily said placing the last of the shopping bags at the end of the bed.
“I think you bought enough for the rest of the semester,” Landon said chuckling at the pile of bags.
“Hey, your dad gave us the money to spend, right? Besides I figure with everything I’ve been through, I deserve it,” Lily said digging through the pile for something new to wear.
“I’ll let you get ready,” Landon said taking his own shopping bag to his room and shutting Lily’s door behind him.
Lily sorted through the bags and divided all the items into outfits complete with accessories. As she organized she couldn’t help reviewing the afternoon she had just spent with Landon. Every item she had tried on he had smiled and told her she looked great, and then ten seconds later his eyes would glaze over in boredom. She wasn’t sure what she had expected him to do, but he wasn’t much help that was for sure. Shopping with Landon just wasn’t like shopping with Malaya or her mom. Her mom had been so fun to shop with. She always knew what looked good on someone, and what didn’t, and she wasn’t afraid to give everyone in the dressing room her opinion. They had never spent much on their outings, but they always had a really good time together and came back with some great finds. She missed those times. Lily folded the last of the outfits together and tried to fight the tears that were threatening to spill over, but she couldn’t. She should have been shopping with her mom on a shoestring budget; not buying half the inventory of a specialty boutique. She curled up in a chair in the corner of the large hotel suite. Maybe if her mother were still alive, she wouldn’t be in this mess right now. Life would be normal and she would be back at home snuggled up under a throw blanket for an “I Love Lucy” marathon with her mother. She sobbed a while longer before a voice in her head interrupted her. There wasn’t a buzzing before the voice like when she was hearing someone’s thoughts; it was the voice of what someone might call a conscience, or the voice within.
“But you might not have ever met Landon,” said the voice clearly and warmly. Something inside her told her this voice spoke the truth. She had lost her mother, which was a tragedy in her life that wounded her soul, but she had gained a friend. A boyfriend certainly couldn’t fill the hole her mother left in her life, which was clearly demonstrated on their recent shopping excursion, but he could be there for her and support her and love her. Lily hadn’t known him for long, but he was already special to her. She might not have had that if the situation had been different.
“If the accident had never happened, you might not become who you are meant to become,” the voice continued.
“Who am I meant to become,” Lily quietly asked the empty room.
“Your best self,” was the answer. Lily smiled through her tears at what she was now sure were the words of her mother.
***
Lily gazed at her reflection in the mirror. The girl that looked back at her was more beautiful than the last time she had seen her. Her dark chocolate hair was curled into bouncy waves that tousled softly over her shoulders and halfway down her back. Her face glowed and her deep brown eyes seemed warmer and larger than normal with the help of a few carefully selected cosmetics. Lily turned to the side and then to the other side to admire the silky charcoal grey dress. It sparkled as she twisted and turned in the bright bathroom light. It was far more modest than any other girl in her high school might have picked, but she loved it. The neckline scooped down in the front to the point that it was flattering, but not showing too much skin, and the hemline fell just below her knees. Lily liked the sleeves the best. They were gathered vertically and ended right above her elbow. The dress was fitted in all the right places and flattering on her figure. The color was exactly right for her. It was perfect. Lily took one final look before flipping the light in the bathroom off and leaving her room for the night.
***
“Wow, you look amazing,” Landon said to Lily as his jaw nearly hit the floor. At that moment he couldn’t think of any other girl in the world who was more beautiful. His mind was filled with Lily. He had almost been ready to go get her when he heard a soft knock on his door. Landon had planned on “picking her up” at her room, but she had beat him to it no thanks to his sleep-deprived teenage boy body. He had woken up only minutes earlier from an unplanned nap, so he had to make a mad dash to get dressed for the evening.
“Thanks,” she said curving her gorgeous lips into a smile. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” He tied and straightened the black striped tie that was already hanging around his neck. During their afternoon of shopping Landon had quickly picked out a black button up shirt, black slacks and a tie to match. Landon grabbed his room key from his jean’s pants pocket and put it into the pair of pants he was wearing. He held the thick door open for Lily and escorted her to meet his father for dinner.
Mr. Turner was already seated when they reached the French restaurant downstairs. He was dressed in an expensive grey suit and, unlike Landon and Lily, looked completely at ease. He stood from the secluded table as they approached.
“Good evening to the both of you,” Mr. Turner said reaching out to shake their hands as if they were his acquaintances. He motioned for the waiter so they could place their order. Once the waiter was gone Mr. Turner focused his attention on his guests again.
“Are your rooms alright?”
“Yes my suite is beautiful. Formal, but comfortable at the same time somehow,” Lily said a little shakily. Landon figured her nerves were getting the better of her. He slipped his hand discreetly under the table to give her slender fingers a squeeze of encouragement. She looked at him from the corner of her eye and gave a gentle squeeze in return.
“Good, good. So what have you been up to today,” Mr. Turner asked genuinely.
“I could ask you the same question,” Landon snapped. “What do you do all day that would justify the kidnapping of a teenage girl?” Landon figured he might as well cut to the chase and get all this over with. He wasn’t normally so abrupt, but in this situation he didn’t care. Lily needed to know what was going on. He needed to know.
“Calm down, son,” Mr. Turner said as his forehead lined with wrinkles. “This isn’t the time or place for a showdown.” Landon glared at the man who was his father, but he didn’t see the man he thought he knew. That man was gone. This man who had taken his place wasn’t someone to be trusted. He wasn’t someone who cared about his welfare. He doubted he cared about him at all. This alone was enough for Landon to fight against him with all the strength he had within him. Then there was Lily. If his father didn’t care about his own son, how could he possibly have Lily’s best interests at heart? Landon knew he wouldn’t. The only person his father was concerned with was himself.
“I will not calm down until you tell us what’s going on here,” Landon demanded.
“I can see that,” his father said drawing his hands together on the table in front of him. He laced his fingers together and stared at a thin, white scar on the back of his hand. Lily squirmed in her seat a little when her head began its familiar buzz. Mr. Turner’s face was deadly serious as his thoughts broadcast straight into Lily’s head.
“This isn’t going as well as I had hoped. Mack better have been telling the truth about this girl. If not I’m going to wring his neck if he ever shows his face again.”
“He was telling the whole truth,” Lily said in response to his thoughts. She mindlessly blurted it out as if he has spoken out loud. She just confirmed exactly what he wanted to hear. There was no way to deny it now.
“What?”
“You were thinking that Mack, who I’m assuming is the man who kidnapped us, was right about what I can do. You said you would wring his neck if he was wrong,” Lily clarified trying to keep her voice steady.
“Amazing,” Mr. Turner said his mouth gaping. “What am I thinking now?”
“Later. Right now I want to hear what you have to say about why we’re here,” Lily said laying her bargaining chip before him.
“Alright,” he said grinning at her resourcefulness. “I will tell you as much as I can disclose in this restaurant, and we will discuss it more in depth tomorrow morning. There are certain things that cannot be discussed in public, as I’m sure you have figured out by now.” Mr. Turner was looking in Lily’s direction. She didn’t say anything in response, but Landon could tell by her face that she understood. Landon knew his father was referring to her gift. It had been Mr. Turner’s own henchman who had overheard Lily and Malaya when they were talking about her gift in public. That was how this whole mess began. Landon was irritated that his father was right.
“Please tell us as much as you can,” Lily spoke firmly. Mr. Turner nodded and leaned forward in his chair.
“Landon may have told you that I was employed for several years as a police officer. I loved being a cop, but my dream was to work for a big government agency like the FBI or CIA. I had a friend in my precinct that was hired by the FBI. We kept in touch and he wanted me to work with him almost as much as I wanted to join him. So about a year after he was hired he put in a good word and I got my foot in the door. I had been working there several months when I was given the opportunity to be involved in a new agency that was developed to combat terrorism and other major crime rings within the United States. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse, and so I left Landon and his mother to begin my new position. I know you must be thinking I am a horrible person to abandon my family like that, but you have to understand that this was a dream job for me, and it is the kind of work that can be very dangerous. So to protect them, I couldn’t have them with me.”
“We all know you cared more about your precious job than your family, so just get on with it,” Landon said wishing he could shoot invisible daggers out of his eyes. He knew exactly where he would aim them.
“My associate, the one who brought you here, had been watching out for Landon and his mother when he found out about you,” he said eyeing Lily.
“You had your henchmen following me,” Landon said horrified.
“I know you think I don’t care about you at all Landon, but I do,” Mr. Turner said sincerely. “I don’t want anything to happen to you or your mother. In my line of business I have enemies that wouldn’t hesitate to use you to get to me. So every now and then I send out someone to check on you.”
“Why not come yourself?”
“I have other obligations that keep me from doing that,” he said reluctantly. “And I don’t think I would be too welcome anymore. Anyway, Mack knew Lily would be an asset to our team. The whole purpose of this was to offer you a job, Lily.”
“WHAT?” Landon was a little too loud. “Who do you think you are? What made you think that after how you have treated her she would ever consider working for you?”
“I want to apologize again. This was all a big mistake. You were never supposed to be brought here against your will. Occasionally agents forget we aren’t dealing with criminals and treat innocent citizens wrongly. I am so sorry for what you have been though Lily. I never imagined this would happen. But now that I have you here, I would like to make you an offer that I hope you won’t be able to refuse. Now, I can see our food is ready and I am ready to eat. We will discuss this further tomorrow at our previously discussed time.” Landon’s appetite had vanished moments earlier from everything his father had said, but was back the instant a steaming plate of French food was placed in front of him. As they ate silently Landon searched Lily’s facial expression for some hint about what she thought about all of this, but her face told him nothing. It was blank as she ate. He could tell she was thinking, but she was guarding her feelings well. It was better that way so his father wouldn’t know, but he wanted to know so badly what was going on in her head.
***
As they walked outside amid the hustle and bustle of the strip, Mr. Turner pointed out objects of interest and talked to them as if they were on a pleasant weekend getaway. Landon didn’t have much to say in general. Lily figured it was because of his father. There was still too much hurt in his heart from being abandoned and anger from the abduction. Lily tried to be polite to Landon’s father and responded when spoken to, but she didn’t say much else. Her head was filled with buzzing and thoughts she didn’t want to hear. Apparently Las Vegas really was sin city. At least the part they were in at that moment. In between the buzz her mind always returned to what Mr. Turner had said at dinner. All of this was because he wanted her to join him. She was only seventeen. She still had a few months of high school left. Did Mr. Turner think she was just going to drop everything and join his gang? What was it he wanted her to do as a member of his team? Even if she were asked to join him after high school was over, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be involved with people who thought it was okay to kidnap innocent citizens. What is it Mr. Turner’s team actually did? These were only a few of the thoughts that kept swimming around in her head as they walked to the MGM Grand.
The show they saw that night was spectacular. The story was woven together with acrobatics, dancing, and music. The actors were skilled in their craft and drew Lily so far into their imaginary world that for a brief time she forgot all her troubles. When the show was over, Mr. Turner escorted them back to their hotel.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Lily” he said stepping into the limo waiting for him. Lily nodded her head and before they knew it, he was gone.
“I’m not letting you go in with him alone, you know,” Landon said as they walked to the elevators.
“I was hoping you would say that,” Lily said pushing the numbered button for their floor.
“So what do you think about what my father said?”
“I’m not really sure yet. I think I want to wait until I get the rest of the information before making any judgments or decisions.”
“Don’t let him deceive you into thinking he’s a nice guy with all this,” he said waving his hand around the hallway. Landon didn’t have to explain what he meant by “all this”. The nice hotel, the fancy dinner, the amazing show and the expensive shopping spree were most likely all to butter her up to do what Mr. Turner wanted her to do. She knew that was probably the case as soon as Mr. Turner put the huge wad of cash in her hand. She was being bought.
“I know I’ve been quiet tonight,” Lily started.
“Well, so have I,” Landon put in.
“And I think it’s probably for the same reason. We both have invisible shields that automatically pop up whenever your father is with us. I just want you to know that I am not going to take whatever your father says tomorrow lightly. I know he may not tell the complete truth, and the track record of his agency, as far as we’ve seen anyway, isn’t very good.”
“That’s for sure.”
“Anyway, I’m glad that you’re going to be with me tomorrow,” she said as they reached their rooms. Lily reached out and gave him a long hug. She laid her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the comfort and safety she felt whenever she was near him. Landon slowly pulled her out of their hug and gently caressed the side of her pale face. Lily’s heart nearly flipped over when his gaze drifted to her eyes. It was as if he was looking into her soul. She wrapped her arms around his neck so naturally it was like she had done it every day of her life. His fingers moved to her chin to tilt it towards his. His warm, smooth lips touched hers in a kiss so gentle and kind Lily found herself having a hard time focusing on standing up, or anything else. A freight train could have gone right by them, and she wouldn’t have noticed. All her attention was focused on the gorgeous young man kissing her in the most loving way she could have ever imagined. It was their first kiss, and it was perfect.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” Landon said with one last quick kiss on her waiting lips.
“Good night,” she said reluctantly turning to her room.
“Good night,” he said smiling at her as she closed the heavy door to her room. Lily walked to her bed and flopped down on it spreading her arms wide. She wasn’t sure she would ever be able to get to sleep that night.