CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY

BLAKE

I hate to do this, but I don’t have any other choice. It’s either me or her mom waking her up.

Her parents have come here and are getting impatient to talk to their daughter. I told them both when they called early this morning that the best thing was to let Lily sleep until she woke herself up. It seems Mr. Chambers didn’t want to wait because security informed me a few minutes ago that Mr. and Mrs. Chambers were downstairs wanting to come up and see their daughter. I, of course, couldn’t keep Lily’s parents waiting downstairs in the lobby, so I allowed them up.

I meet them at the elevator and show them to the living room.

Both of her parents are dressed like they’re going to church. Mrs. Chambers is in a classic Chanel black-and-white-checkered jacket and skirt. Mr. Chambers is wearing a nicely tailored Tom Ford power suit in gray. They seem to be dressed to impress. I’m not.

"Where is Lily?" Her dad looks around.

"Still sleeping. Sleep is the best thing for her. She had a tough day yesterday."

I offer them both coffees. Mrs. Chambers takes a cup, but he waves me off.

"We need to discuss what happened yesterday.” They want to know if Lily wants to press charges against Violet.

Lily’s mom’s head shakes at her husband’s comment. This is a tough time for them both, but I don’t understand why Lily wouldn’t press charges. It’s quite clear that Violet intended to harm her.

Mr. Chambers is pacing around the room like a caged animal.

He stops and looks at his wife.

"Mother, maybe you should wake her."

"We should let Lily sleep."

This is my house, and Lily is mine. I’m not letting anybody tell me what to do in my own place, even if he is her father.

He gives me a disgusted look before he paces again.

I decide to ask, "What charges are being brought against Ted and Violet?"

Mrs. Chambers chokes on her coffee, and Mr. Chambers sits down next to his wife. He gives her hand a squeeze.

"Ted is getting charged with kidnapping and stalking. Violet is being charged for evading the cops. The cops have to wait to see what Lily tells them about what happened yesterday."

I almost laugh. He knows exactly what happened. He just doesn’t want his daughter charged with kidnapping like Ted. And that’s why he’s here. He doesn’t want Lily to say that Violet kidnapped her or planned on harming her. The man has some nerve.

"You truly believe that Violet is going to lie to the police."

I want to laugh in his face, but I won’t. I take a deep breath before I proceed.

"You realize that Violet intended to harm Lily. She didn’t drug her just for fun."

"Nonsense," Mr. Chambers says.

"I don’t think Violet would truly harm her." Now Mrs. Chambers comes to Violet’s defense. Why are they so protective of her? I don’t care in the least. I’m going to protect Lily if no one else in her family will.

"She wanted to kill me," Lily tells her parents while she walks down the stairs. She stops at the bottom of the steps and looks directly at them.

She looks tired and smokin’ in her hot pink yoga pants and one of my T-shirts. She’s quite the rebel dressing this way in front of her parents. I like it.

I get up and pull her into my arms for a hug. I notice, but don’t comment, that her parents haven’t offered to hug her. I lead her over to my chair to sit with me.

She looks between her mom and dad.

"I’m glad you guys came. I was going to see you yesterday, but Violet interrupted that."

Instead of having her sit next to me, I lift her onto my lap and wrap my arms around her. I want to give her as much support as I can today.

"We have a lot to discuss with you. Maybe Blake should go to another room. It’s a family matter," Mr. Chambers tells Lily.

I don’t twitch when he makes the suggestion. There is no way in hell I’m leaving her alone with them. Their only goal is to get Violet out of jail, not caring or knowing what truly has been happening with their oldest daughter. What a shame. They’re going to find out some new hard truths today.

"Blake isn’t going anywhere. Anyway, he knows everything that’s happened."

"Okay, then, we need you to go downtown and talk to the cops so Violet can get out of jail. The other things the cops are charging her with are petty things that I can get dropped."

Mr. Chambers is full of himself this morning. He’s a talented lawyer but not that good. For one thing, her daughter ran the minute the cops showed up, evading arrest. She drugged and kidnapped her own sister. Ted is saying she helped plan my abduction. There is no way I’m dropping any charges against her.

Lily sits straighter in my arms but makes no move to stand.

"Dad, Mom, Violet was planning on drowning me in the lake. She hates me."

Her mom drops her head. She can’t look at her daughter. Her dad turns red and sputters about how everything is getting blown out of proportion.

Lily keeps charging on. "Dad, the reason I wanted to see you yesterday was to tell you that Violet was the one sleeping with Ted the whole time I was with him. She thought it was best to tell me during my bachelorette party."

She leans back in my arms while we wait for the blowup.

"She and Ted were seeing each other the whole time?"

Her dad is clenching his fists, trying to control his anger, and Mrs. Chambers’ mouth is gaping open.

At least they’re getting an accurate picture of the goings-on behind their backs. I think they need to find out about everything Violet and Ted were up to.