Page 65 of Lilly

Their eyes go to the table, avoiding my gaze.

"So you have no concern that an innocent man could be killed if you decide he's not worthy of membership? Even when that man was not given all the information?"

"They know it's a risk," one of the men says. "We don't have to come out and say it. They were told the consequences would be severe if they aren't accepted and they tell someone we exist."

"So if they keep quiet, they won't be harmed," I confirm, because that was the rule when I was in charge of this committee.

"We can't take that risk," Phillip says.

I meet his cold dark eyes across the table. "Meaning you'll kill them if we don't approve them for membership."

He glances away from me. "Moving on, the first candidate is an attorney from Miami. If you'll remember from our previous discussions, his father owns a multibillion dollar real estate investment firm that..." He continues describing the man, recapping pertinent details.

Both candidates have already been presented to the group, but only on paper, not in person. The committee has approved them based on their backgrounds, their psychological profiles, and what they can offer us. Early in the selection process, there's an in-person meeting with a candidate but only with one committee member, which in this case would have been Phillip since he heads the committee.

When Phillip is done speaking, the first candidate is brought into the room. He's a man in his forties, wearing a tailored suit and very expensive watch. Even without knowing his background, you can tell he comes from money by the way he speaks and the manner in which he conducts himself. His words are crafted, his smile is fake, and his face hides any emotion that might be a detriment to him.

He's a perfect fit for us. Everyone agrees, and when he leaves the room, we take a quick vote and approve him to move on to the next stage in the process.

"Now for our second candidate." Phillip pauses and blows out a breath through pursed lips. He grips the pen he's holding so tight that his knuckles turn white.

"Is there a problem, Phillip?" I ask.

He looks at the other men. "I would like to propose that we postpone the next interview until another day. The meeting is already running long and I'm sure you would all like to—"

"Just finish up!" a man barks from the other end of the table. "I'm not showing up here again next week. Hurry up and bring him in."

The other men agree.

"Fine," Phillip says through gritted teeth. He opens his folder again. "Our next candidate is a man from Los Angeles. He works in the music industry. If you'll recall from our last meeting, we enticed him to join by giving him an executive level position at his company. He is now..."

I'm unable to comprehend the rest of what he's saying as I realize who Phillip is talking about. A sick feeling crawls through me, eating away at me, guilt consuming me.

How did I not see this? How did I not know? How could this happen right in front of me? Why didn't I put the pieces together?

This whole time, I thought this had to do with me. Or Garret. Or Rachel. At one point, I even thought it might involve Jade. But instead, it's about the one person I hadn't even considered.

"Let him in." Phillip speaks the words into his phone.

I turn back to the door and there he is. Our next candidate slated for membership.

Dean Ashford. Reed's father.

Chapter Fifteen

Garret

"I seriously can't believe this," I say, sinking back into the couch.

"I know," my dad says, his voice faint, regretful. His face is covered in guilt, his body slumped in the chair, exhausted, lifeless. He hasn't slept since he found this out. That was two days ago.

My mom reaches over and puts her hand on his arm. "Pearce, you can't keep blaming yourself for this."

His head shoots up, his body stiffening. "Who ELSE is to blame?" he yells. "This is MY fault, Rachel! I should've paid attention! I should've known! The signs were all there and I didn't see them!"

"Dad," I say. "Don't yell at her."

He nods. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm so tired right now I don't even know what I'm doing."

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