Memories: Volume 9 (The Lillian Rayne Series) (4 page)

“How
far is this place?” I asked grumpily. It was going on two hours that we had
been driving. I hadn’t said anything else to Tanner since starting our journey.
I figured I wouldn’t get any real answers anyway. Wherever he was taking me, it
was further from the others then I was comfortable with. We were in a heavily
wooded area. The place was desolate compared to the city we left not too long
ago.

“We
are almost there,” he said calmly. He sounded like he was used to me being
impatient. He almost sounded like he expected it. He turned down a dirt
driveway. It was poorly maintained like it didn’t get traveled often. Wherever
we were going, it was well hidden. If Tanner didn’t turn down the path, I would
have missed it completely.

“This
does not look promising,” I said dryly.

He
laughed. “No one will find you here though, and that is the whole point.” He
climbed out of the car and walked toward an abandoned looking house.

I
was not entirely sure I wanted to follow. The house looked like something out
of a horror movie. Tanner looked back at me expectantly. I sighed and climbed
out of the car. I was already here, so I figured I might as well give it a
chance.

“They
are waiting inside for us,” tanner said; then he turned and continued on toward
the house.

I
reluctantly followed him. He walked right inside like he lived in the house.
For all I knew, he probably did. I didn’t see why anyone would want to live in
a house like this. I walked through the doorway and hesitated. The inside was
immaculate. It looked nothing like the exterior of the house. I was expecting a
haunted looking house, but it wasn’t. It looked like an upscale house on the
inside.

“The
outside is an illusion,” a man said as he came down the stairs toward us.

I
looked up at him. He looked familiar like all the others, but I didn’t know his
name like I knew Tanner’s name.

“She
remembered my name. That is a good sign,” Tanner said as he shrugged his coat
off.

“That
is a good sign. Do you remember me Lillian?” the man asked as he continued to
descend the stairs. He was older probably in his fifties, maybe even sixties,
but he looked good for his age. His hair looked like it used to be brown, but
it was now peppered gray.

“I
can’t say I do,” I said a little unsure as I glanced at Tanner.

“That’s
ok; it has been a long time since I last saw you. You were just a little girl
back then,” he said absently as he watched me. He seemed like he remembered
something sad. He was trying to hide it, but I could see a hint of sadness in
his eyes.

“I
don’t remember anyone currently. I might have remembered you if I was my old
self,” I said as I continued to watch him. I didn’t know who he was, or what
part he played in my life. I hated moments like this when I couldn’t tell
whether I should trust someone or not. I had no clue if he even liked me; for
all I knew he could have been one of the ones trying to hurt me.

“I
am surprised she came willingly. I was almost certain you would have to use
force,” another man said as he stood against one of the doorways.

I
recognized the man immediately. He was the man in the bar. He was the one who
told me he gave me the guns. He never gave me a name, but I was sure it was
him. “What are you doing here?” I asked a little unsure. He seemed like he
wasn’t my biggest fan when I met him in the bar.

“You
know him?” the man on the stairs asked sounding surprised.

“No,
I saw him in a bar I was at the other night. He wouldn’t tell me his name,” I
said as I looked back at the man on the stairs.

“That
is Colin, and my name is Lyle. Colin was once close to you just like Tanner.
You have nothing to worry about from him; just ignore his disgruntled
behavior,” Lyle said dryly.

“I’m
not disgruntled,” Colin said grumpily.

I
smiled slightly at his attempt to not be disgruntled. He actually looked
extremely disgruntled like he did the other night in the bar. “Why am I here?”
I asked looking up at Lyle. Since Tanner wouldn’t give me an answer, I was
hoping Lyle would.

“It
is very complicated,” he said as he stepped off the last step and stood in
front of me.

I
raised my eyebrows in annoyance. There was no way I was going to stay here if
he wasn’t going to explain either. “I would like to know whether it is
complicated or not,” I said trying to keep my tone even. I was starting to get annoyed.
I didn’t leave the others behind just to be told they couldn’t tell me
anything.

“You
could just be grateful we are saving your ass,” Colin said darkly.

I
scowled at him. I really didn’t like his attitude. I obviously pissed him off
somehow. “How do I know you aren’t a bunch of liars who are looking to hurt me?
It would be easy for you to do. I have no clue who any of you are,” I said
matching his tone.

“We
would never hurt you, and I do not think you would have come with Tanner if you
thought he was a threat. There was a reason you trusted him,” Lyle said trying
to reason with me.

I
knew he was right. I was following my instincts, but I was still afraid to
trust myself. “Someone needs to try to explain what is going on. I left
Cornelius and the others without saying anything. I don’t want it to be all for
nothing.”

“Your
half-sister Eleanor is after you. She got wind very quickly that you lost your
memory. There is a concern that someone in your mother’s coven has turned to
her side. If that is true, then you are not safe in the coven,” Lyle said
softly.

“You
think I am safe here, but my friends couldn’t come with me?” I asked confused.

Lyle
glanced at Tanner. “We are not completely sure they are all your friends. It is
possible one of them is working with Eleanor.”

“What
makes you think that?” I asked a little surprised. I didn’t think any of them
would betray me. They all seemed so determined to help me, it just seemed
impossible.

“I
think that,” Drake said as he walked into the room from the back hall. “I want
you safe until I know who is feeding Eleanor information,” he said firmly.

“Drake;
Cornelius and Aubrey wouldn’t hurt me. Neither would Luca. I get that you all
have your differences, but they all had their chance to hurt me, and they didn’t,”
I argued. I couldn’t say I was really surprised he was in on the whole thing.
There was an obvious dislike between Drake, Aubrey, and Cornelius. I tried to
ignore it as much as possible, but it was beginning to get difficult to ignore.

“I
don’t trust either of them. They have both betrayed you in their own ways
before. I never have, and I never will. I will also make sure nothing ever
happens to you, and in order for me to do that I need you where I know you will
be safe,” he said firmly.

“How
can you say I am safe here? How well do you know Lyle and Colin?” I countered.

“Well
enough to know I trust them over Aubrey and Cornelius,” he snapped. It was
obvious he wasn’t going to back down. Whatever threat he thought was there, he
wasn’t going to ignore it.

I
didn’t think Aubrey or Cornelius was a threat. I didn’t understand what was
making him feel so strongly about them. “So what happens now?” I asked
impatiently. “Am I just supposed to sit here and hide? At least at the coven I
would be doing something other than just twiddling my thumbs.”

“You
wouldn’t have lasted in that coven. You may not believe me now, but someone is
working with Eleanor, and it wouldn’t have been long until they got to you,”
Lyle said agreeing with Drake.

I
sighed impatiently. “Fine, can I at least call Cornelius and let him know I am
ok?”

Lyle
glanced at Drake like he was seeing if Drake would disagree. I didn’t care if
Drake agreed or not. One of the terms for me coming with Tanner was that
Cornelius was told I was safe. Colin had disappeared when I wasn’t paying
attention. I was a little curious about where he went, but I didn’t say
anything.

“I
will tell him you are safe. I don’t want him trying to convince you to go
back,” Drake said grumpily; then he stalked off back the way he came.

I
wasn’t entirely sure Drake was the right person to talk to Cornelius. I would
have liked to do it myself, but he seemed like he wasn’t going to let me no
matter what I said. I would find a way to contact Cornelius later on when Drake
wasn’t around.

“Why
don’t we go into the living room? We can talk in more detail there,” Lyle said
as he walked past me into the adjoining room.

I
followed Lyle, and Tanner followed me. I was still unsure about the whole
situation. I could tell Lyle was trying to make it seem like we were old
friends; maybe we were. I still had no idea who he was.

“Are
you going to tell me who you are?” I asked as I sat down across from him.
Tanner went to the bar to make drinks.

Lyle
smiled slightly. “Does it really matter? You don’t know me because of your
memory loss. Would knowing who I was really make a difference?”

I
thought about it for a minute. It didn’t really make much of a difference
because I didn’t remember him. He could have told me whatever he wanted to, and
I would have no choice but to believe what he said. “I guess it doesn’t matter,
but I would still like to know.”

He
accepted a drink from Tanner. Tanner offered me one as well. I accepted it even
though I wasn’t really interested in drinking it. Lyle cleared his throat and
forced a smile. “Like I said I haven’t seen you in quite a few years. You were
a young girl back then,” he said quietly. He had the same look in his eyes that
he did earlier. It was a look that suggested whatever memory he had of me was a
sad one.

“Why
have you come back now? If I haven’t seen you in so long; then obviously we
weren’t close,” I said confused.

His
expression darkened. “We were very close. There were just so many
complications. I didn’t think you would want me back in your life.”

“That
doesn’t make any sense,” I said confused. I didn’t see why I wouldn’t want to
see him if we were close.

“You
weren’t exactly the most forgiving person, Lillian,” Tanner said slightly
amused. “If Lyle had come back he probably wouldn’t have gotten the reception
from you that he wanted.”

“What
did he do to deserve a harsh reception?” I asked suddenly on guard. If he did
something bad enough; then maybe there was a reason the old me would have been
angry.

“I
abandoned you because I could no longer handle my reality. After your mother
died, I wasn’t the same person. I thought you would be better off with your aunt
and uncle, so I stayed away,” he said quietly.

“I
thought my mother died recently; at least that is what everyone made it seem.
They said I agreed to take over her coven,” I said confused.

Lyle
sighed like he didn’t know what to say next. “This is where it gets
complicated. The woman who recently died was your biological mother. My wife
and I raised you since you were three days old.”

“I
don’t see how it is complicated. I don’t understand why I wouldn’t want to see
you just because you adopted me,” I said trying to understand his reasoning.

He
stood abruptly like he was antsy. “You thought I died along with you mother
years ago, but I didn’t. I made it out alive, but your mother didn’t. I
couldn’t live with your mother’s death, let alone try to raise a young girl.
The whole thing was my fault in the first place.”

“Oh,”
I said quietly not sure what to say. It was an awkward situation. I could see
myself being upset if he abandoned me; then suddenly reappeared. I didn’t think
it would be an unfair way to feel. I was finding it hard to feel anything
because I felt like I was interacting with strangers. To me these were people I
just met, not long lost fathers and cousins.

Before
anyone could say anything else, Drake walked back in the room. “This is not
going to be good. Cornelius is going to be out for blood on this one,” he said
darkly.

“I
have no doubt he will be,” Lyle said watching him. The tone of his voice
suggested he wasn’t fond of Cornelius at all.

“Let
me talk to him,” I said standing abruptly. I didn’t want anyone to be out for
blood. I didn’t like that everyone was pitted against one another. It didn’t
make sense. If they all wanted the same thing; then they should have been
working together. The fact that they weren’t made me wonder who had an ulterior
motive.

“That
won’t be a good idea. I know you think he might calm down, but he won’t,” Lyle
said quietly.

“He
may think I am in trouble. You are making him trust Drake’s word. Drake
wouldn’t trust Cornelius’s word; so why should Cornelius trust Drake’s word?” I
asked impatiently.

Drake
looked like he wanted to argue, but he knew I was right. Drake would have a fit
if Cornelius expected Drake to trust his word. Drake made an annoyed noise and
handed me his cell phone. “It was the last number called; make it quick,” he
ordered.