Chapter 2
The fight with her father was something Nalani would never forget.
After a rough shift at the diner down the street, Nalani simply wanted to go home and soak in her huge black garden tub in bubbles. Yet another thing her father didn't approve of. Michael Kensington couldn't believe his firstborn wanted to work in a scummy diner, mopping floors and assisting other people, when she could clearly do so much more with her life.
She had the funds to do it, thanks to her family's wealth, though Nalani wanted nothing to do with it. Nalani would rather work her fingers to the bone to earn what life gave her rather than use her family's wealth to get ahead in life. It wasn't her style, unlike her younger sister Nicole, who spent money nearly every day on a new outfit or went out with her friends until late hours of the night.
"You deserve better than working in such a hole that we have Mandy buy our groceries from!" Michael had said time and time again, but Nalani simply ignored him.
Mandy was their housekeeper and maid, doing her father's every command. He paid her a decent amount of money for what she had to put up with, but Mandy was always smiling, ready to do anything for Michael. It sickened Nalani the way she followed Michael around like a lost puppy, though that was her job. Nalani supposed she couldn't fault the woman for it, but at the same time, she would never do something so degrading.
Working at a diner was good for her; it gave Nalani character and got her out of the house from her overbearing father.
Michael wanted his daughter to succeed in life and take advantage of the rare opportunities not many had that were in the palm of her hand. She wouldn't take the ball and run with it, which infuriated him to no avail. He loved his daughter more than anything, but Nalani had to grow up and realize who she was, what her name represented.
Stepping out of her Ford Focus, Nalani pressed the alarm button on her keys before heading up to the huge mansion she lived in. It was the Kensington mansion, which was on the outskirts of Houston and built in an old Victorian style. It was a deep brown and had four floors, over ten bedrooms, the upstairs strictly her father's work space. Even when he was at home, he brought work with him and Nalani had gotten used to it over the years.
She walked up the stone steps to the huge double oak doors, unlocking them and stepping inside, the huge chandelier glistening above her. Sighing tiredly, Nalani started up the huge silver winding staircase, when her father's voice calling her name stopped her. Nalani was tempted to ignore him and keep going up to her room, really not wanting to argue with him tonight. Work had been hellacious and all she wanted was to relax for the rest of the night, knowing she had to be up at seven AM to be in work again at eight for the morning shift.
"Nalani, do not ignore me, girl!" His voice sounded again, causing her to groan inwardly.
"Damn it." She muttered and turned around, walking down the hallway toward the foyer, already hearing the crackling fire coming from the fireplace. "What do you-" Her words died as soon as she entered, stopping at the sight of her father with his surprising visitor. "What are you doing here?"
The man turned around with glowing blue eyes, his short red hair cropped neatly, standing with a glass tumbler in his hand, full of what she no doubt knew was bourbon. He had on a long sleeved black dress shirt with black dress pants, the top three buttons undone, his white teeth glinting off the firelight. Her cerulean blue eyes narrowed slightly, arms folding in front of her chest, wondering what the hell was going on here.
"Your father invited me over for a drink. He thought maybe we should talk…" The word talk implied more than just that and Nalani wasn't falling for it.
"I don't think so." Nalani looked at her father, wondering what he was thinking. "You've lost your mind, what is he doing here, Dad?"
Michael cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly, finishing off his own tumbler. "Nalani, you know how much I love you and I want what's best for you…" He smiled, walking toward her slowly. "I really think you two should work things out."
Nalani blinked, wondering if her father truly belonged in a nuthouse. "That's not going to happen. I want nothing to do with him." Her voice was final, refusing to meet Scott's eyes. "Dad…"
Michael growled, wondering why his daughter had to be so stubborn all the time. "Nalani, I don't understand what could've happened between the two of you." He tried again, but his daughter stood there scowling, knowing he wasn't making any progress.
"Yes Nalani, I'm wonderin' the same thing honey." Scott sounded hurt, though she knew he was putting up a front because her father was here. "Please, I want to make things right with us. I love you…"
"No you don't." Nalani refused to buy his lies, knowing he was simply acting like the good guy to impress her father, just like he always had. "And you REALLY don't want me talking about our breakup in front of my father, Scott. You should leave now."
Scott narrowed his eyes slightly, finishing off the tumbler and set it down beside Michael's, slowly walking toward her. "Just tell me what I did and we can make it right. Please, I love you so much and I don't want to lose you, Nally." That was the nickname he gave her and Nalani despised it, her lips pursing tightly together.
"Why can't you at the very least hear what he has to say?" Michael pressed suggestively, both men staring at her with pleading eyes.
Nalani wanted to kill Scott for this, but knew she had no choice except to air his dirty laundry. "You know you claim to be a good guy and you put up a hell of a front in front of my father, but it's all a lie. You're full of shit, Scott and you always have been! I know why you wanted to date me; I know why you really wanted to be with me! It's about the money; it's about security and you don't love me so you can stop playing games and stop saying you do!" She stalked away from both of them, needing some space, tears shining in her eyes.
Scott frowned, ignoring the look Michael was giving him. "Nalani, I don't care about the past. I don't care what you think or say, I know what I feel for you and there's nothing you can do to change it…" He suddenly lowered himself to one knee, staring at her through those blue eyes that used to melt her insides. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Nally. Please, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
He even spoke differently when around her father and Nalani knew he was lying through his teeth. Scott even told her he never wanted to get married, he never wanted a family. Now suddenly he was having a change of heart? He didn't have a heart and Nalani could already feel the tears sliding down her cheeks, pure hatred burning in her eyes.
"No."
"Nalani Olivia Kensington!" Michael growled, using her full birth name and stalked toward her with angry eyes of his own.
"What?" She yelled, arching an eyebrow at him, knowing it was ultimately her decision if she wanted to marry this sack of shit or not. "I'm not marrying him, Dad."
"Why the hell not?" Michael demanded irritably, wondering what was wrong, what had happened that was so terrible Nalani wanted nothing to do with him. "The entire family loves Scott already, including me. I consider him a son and I want you two to get married and start a family! He's already agreed to work for my company so you will be well taken care of along with my grandchildren and…"
"Wait, stop right there!" Nalani couldn't believe she was hearing this, wiping her tears away hastily. "What makes you think I'm even ready to take that step, that I would just marry him on a whim and have a kid? I don't want children right now, Dad! I want to focus on getting my life together without using my name to get by in life! Why can't you accept that and let me live my own life?!" She was getting angry fast, turning her head when the doors opened and Nicole stepped inside.
"Nikki, now isn't the time…" Michael started to say, stopping at the sight of the man beside his youngest daughter. "Who is this?"
"Hello sir, my name is…"
"What the hell are YOU doing here?" Nalani demanded, stalking past Scott toward her sister. "And what are you doing with him?!"
Nicole blinked, her blue eyes widened slightly, clutching onto her new boyfriend's arm. "He's my new boyfriend, I wanted him to meet Dad…" She didn't understand why her sister was upset, frowning.
"Y-Your new boyfriend? Really?" Nalani glared hatefully at the man standing beside her younger sister, wanting to rip his head off. "And I'm going to take a WILD guess here and assume you two didn't just run into each other, right?"
"Nally…"
"RIGHT?"
"Hello Mr. Kensington, my name is Bradley Silverman." The man introduced himself, placing his hand on Nicole's reassuringly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I've heard a lot about you."
"I'm sure you have…" Nalani slowly turned her head, staring back at Scott through narrowed eyes. "I'm sure this is all just one big fucking coincidence."
"Nalani!" Michael was appalled by his daughter's language, scowling. "I taught you better manners than that, girl!"
Nalani knew Scott had planted so many lies inside her father's mind and it would be impossible to get past them. "Dad, Brad is Scott's friend. You honestly want your youngest daughter, your baby, dating a twenty-two year old?!"
"Twenty-two?" Michael stroked his chin in thought, staring over at Nicole, who gazed up at the man with happiness shining in her eyes. "I suppose it wouldn't be so bad…"
"WHAT?"
"Nally, they're happy." Scott had walked up behind her, snaking his arm around her waist, her back pressed against his chest. "Why can't you just be happy for them?" He asked in her ear, sighing when she broke free from him.
"Because I know what a scumbag he is, just like you!" Nalani shouted, not believing this was happening, and walked over to her sister. "Nicole, you can't be with him. You're only seventeen!" Why was her father letting his seventeen year old daughter date a twenty-two year old? It didn't make any sense!
"He's not a scumbag! How could you say something so hateful about him? You don't even know him!" Nicole shouted, losing her temper fast, Bradley trying to calm her down. "He's good to me!"
"If you only knew…"
"I don't care what you say, I'm with him and there's nothing you can do about it! Come on Bradley, we're leaving!" Nicole grabbed his hand, storming out with her new boyfriend in tow, tears streaking down her cheeks. "I hope you're happy, Nalani!"
"Nicole, wait!" Nalani groaned when the front door slammed shut, knowing her sister was gone, and turned back to face her ex-boyfriend. "You son of a bitch!"
"I didn't do anything!" Scott held up his hands, looking alarmed. "Nalani, please I don't want to upset you…"
"Go to hell, go to hell all of you!" Nalani shouted, beginning to run out of the foyer, needing to get away from everyone, but her father stopped her. "Let go of me, Dad!"
"No! You're going to stay here until you agree to marry Scott! I'm not taking no for an answer!" Michael growled, clutching his daughter's arm tightly and thrust her into Scott's awaiting arms. "Now apologize to your future husband!"
"NO! I'm not marrying him!" Nalani shouted, struggling in Scott's arms while her father went to get another tumbler of bourbon. "How can you do this to your own daughter?! This son of a bitch has tapes, Dad! Tapes fucking other women WHILE we were together!"
Michael waved her off dismissively, Scott trying to calm her down by turning her around to face him. "It's his past, he's changed and you need to give him another chance." He simply said, taking another long swallow. "He loves you, just as I loved your mother…"
"No he doesn't!" Nalani glared up at Scott, shoving him away from her with as much strength as she could muster, stumbling away. "I'll never marry him. NEVER!"
"Then you're no longer my daughter!" Michael shouted, tossing the tumbler into the fire as the flames hissed slightly, his eyes cold. "I mean it, you marry him and have a family or I will disown you!"
Nalani's heart shattered in her chest when her father said that, giving her an ultimatum. "You'd disown me because I won't get married to the man who cheated on me with countless whores and made videotapes of them?" She was absolutely floored when her father nodded affirmatively, feeling sick to her stomach. "Fine, choose him over your own daughter, I hate you!"
Michael tried stopping her, but Nalani had already fled from the foyer, the front door slamming shut signaling she left. "She'll return." Michael said, placing an assuring hand on Scott's shoulder, both men scowling for different reasons.
Nalani ended up driving to her best friend's house, tears streaming down her cheeks. Not only was her father against her, but now so was her sister and Nalani couldn't handle it. Ever since her mother's death, Nalani had felt a void in her life and now she was losing her family over a man. A stupid worthless boy that didn't know love if it bit him in the ass!
What the hell had Nalani seen in Scott Mitchell?
Kaci immediately welcomed Nalani with open arms, guiding her inside. Kaci lived with her boyfriend named Randy Orton, who was currently in the military. They planned on getting married as soon as Randy was done with the military, having dated for several years.
Nalani cried her heart out for hours with Kaci, explaining what happened after she got home from work and her father's ultimatum marrying Scott. Kaci couldn't believe what a heartless bastard Michael was and assured Nalani she could stay with her as long as she needed to. Falling asleep that night, Nalani couldn't help wondering what the future held for her as silent tears fell from her eyes.
A few days later, Nalani received a call while she was at Kaci's that changed her life forever.
Her father and sister were both brutally murdered.