Rebuilding Stone (The Stone Brother Series Book 2) (19 page)

My sister-in-law is one pushy lady. She called me at 7
o’clock this morning. She said she had some exciting news and that she invited
everyone over for a brunch. I’m agreeing to go because, well, if I didn’t,
Molly would have my balls. Also, because I’ve not seen much of Noah or my
nephews. I miss Eli every second. It’s been almost a month since I’ve seen him.
Of course, I see him on Skype, but it’s not the same. I had planned to take a
week off to go stay with them, but with the whole Lani situation, I can’t. I
don’t want Kerrigan to have to bury her best friend or for Evan to lose the
only girl he has ever let in.

I arrive at Molly and Noah’s and head straight up. I’m
excited to hear whatever the news is. She is still early in her pregnancy, so I
know they don’t know the sex of the baby, yet. I’ve been wracking my brain
trying to figure out what it could possibly be.

When the elevator door opens, everyone is already there.
They’re all laughing and stare at me as I walk in. I guess I’ll be the last one
in on this secret.

“You made it! Took you long enough,” Molly says.

“You told me to come at eleven, it’s 11:02,” I say. “What’s
the great news?”

“Oh, that will have to wait until brunch,” Noah says.

“Well, let’s eat,” I reply.

“Chill. Noah and I are just finishing up preparations. Can
you go grab Lane from our bedroom? He needs to wake up,” Molly says.

“Okay.” I get excited about seeing Lane. He is now eleven
months old and already taking a few steps.

I go straight to the crib they have set up in their room and
lean down to pick him up. WHAT THE HELL? It’s my son! My Eli is here. I grab
him quickly and just hold on. The second he is in my arms, the void in my heart
is once again filled. He’s gotten so big. The last time I held him, he still
felt fragile. Now, he feels chubby. I laugh. He has some rolls on him. It’s the
cutest thing I’ve ever seen. His mommy has been feeding him well. Wait a
minute. If Eli is here, that means Kerrigan is here. I turn around and see her
in the doorway with tears in her eyes. I quickly walk over and place my arm
around her. Never in my life have I felt like this. With Kerrigan and Eli, I’m
completely whole.

“Surprise,” she says.

I’m not crying, but I have this emotion that’s rising in my
chest. “I love you,” is all I can say. I do love her, more than life itself.

We talk for a few more minutes before heading out to the
rest of the group. She told me she had our wedding location set and that she
was going to ask everyone today when would be a good time. I hope they say
right now, because I don’t want to wait another second. God, Kerrigan in my
arms feels incredible. I don’t want to let her go, and I swear I am not giving
up Eli to anyone. He’s mine today.

I notice when we walk back into the living room that
everyone is starting to take their places at the table. We go ahead and join
them.

“So how do you like the surprise?” Molly asks.

“Best surprise ever,” I reply.

“I was about to burst. You were late,” she reminds me.

“If I’d have known my girl and my kid were here, I’d have
stayed over last night,” I laugh out.

“I still haven’t gotten the chance to hold him. Lani has
been hogging him,” an irritated Evan grinds out.

“Sorry, he’s mine today. No one is getting him. Well, unless
I need to use the bathroom.”

"Start drinking a lot of water,” Missy says and we all
laugh.

“This is the perfect opportunity to tell you all something,”
Molly says again.

“So there was something? I thought this was it,” I say.

“Oh, this just gave us a reason to do it sooner and it
ensured we got to tell everyone at once,” Molly says.

We all look at them, waiting for one of them to speak and
finally, Noah does.

“We’re having twins,” he blurts out. We all sit in silence
processing his words.

"I hope at least one is a girl,” Missy says.

“Well, it’ll either be two girls or two boys. They’re
identical,” Noah explains.

The look on Maddox’s face when he saw Eli in that crib was
priceless. I’m so happy I made the trip. Being here with him and our friends
well, it feels incredible. Maddox gave me more than a son; he gave me an
amazing life. I cannot wait to become Mrs. Stone. I’ve been looking at dresses
in Kentucky, but I haven't found anything I love. So today, I’m going to ask
the girls to go with me to look at dresses. Ari was unable to make it this
morning. She has exams, so she was up late studying. She told me to come by
this afternoon. I need to let Maddox know of my plans. I wonder what kind of
dress he sees me in on our wedding day.

“Maddox, do you mind watching Eli for a few hours?” I ask.
He looks at me like it’s the dumbest question he's ever heard. I laugh.

“Did you really just ask me to watch my son? The answer is
always, yes, Kerrigan. Where are you going?” he asks.

“I need to go dress shopping. I want to take all the girls
with me and have a girls' afternoon.”

Maddox smiles that cocky smile and bends down to my ear and
whispers, “You do what you have to do with the girls. Tonight, I plan to set a
record. We will make it eight times. Be ready, Kerrigan.”

I instantly turn to liquid and feel lightheaded. I don’t
need a wedding dress. My heart starts beating out of my chest. I need to change
my panties; I’m so wet. Maddox must have noticed my reaction, I watch him
adjust himself and hear him grunt in frustration. Unable to help myself, I kiss
him. Again, he doesn’t kiss me back. I don’t take offense this time. I know he
is close to losing it right now. He growls in my ear and whispers, “Do you want
me to fuck you here? Cause I will take in you in the bathroom right now.”

Yes! Who needs a damn wedding dress anyway?

The girls have left and it’s just us guys with our miniature
versions. Missy brought Cade and Brayden finally got to meet him. Watching
Brayden with Cade is a cool sight. I don’t know where their relationship
stands, but I do know given the chance, Brayden will make a great father. I’m
glad the girls are gone because it’s the perfect time to talk about the Jackson
Morgan situation.

“Any news on where Jackson is?” Brayden asks.

“Not a clue. He thinks he's above the law, but he’ll get
caught. His fixation on Lani is going to be his fuck up,” I say.

“She hasn't heard anything else from him. Hopefully, he
realizes I have security on her,” Evan adds.

Shit. I guess Lani didn’t share the fact that she's been
receiving phone calls and emails. I’m torn on what I should tell him, only
because it’s Evan. Lately, I’m seeing a side of him that I didn’t know existed.
I know my brother and I know he's a good man. But after hearing him say he’d
kill Jackson, I wondered if he wasn’t hiding a darkness I don’t want to know
about. Yes, I believe in following the law. I've held on to the conviction that
I wouldn’t turn a blind eye to anyone who didn’t follow it. This is my brother,
though. As much as I shouldn’t think this, I would not turn my brother in.

“What?” Evan looks questioningly at me.

“Nothing. Just thinking,” I reply.

“Maddox cut the shit. One, you’re not a very good liar. And
two, I’m a lawyer. I see through even the best of liars. Spill it.” Dammit. I
look at Noah to back me up. He doesn’t. Asshole.

“Alright, you have to promise not to freak the fuck out,” I
caution. Evan just glares. He hasn't promised anything, but I continue anyway.
“Lani has been receiving phone calls and emails...the threatening kind.”

“What does he say? We can trace the phone to find the
location and we can see where the emails are coming from.”

“The phone is always a burner with a new phone number every
time. We’ve traced the emails and they're always from public computers. A few
came from different Internet cafes, one came from a car dealership, and a
couple from different libraries.”

“What do the emails say?” he asks again. I guess he caught
the fact that I'd avoided answering the question.

“They mention what she’s wearing and some say their time
apart is about to end,” I answer.

Evan’s eyes go blank. I have no idea what he’s thinking. He
doesn’t pace the floor like most nervous people. He stands with his arms at his
sides, fists clenched.

“Any mention of Cade?” Brayden asked. Cade is in the boys'
room with Landon playing trains. Cade would make an excellent big brother.

“No, and I don’t know if that scares or relieves me.” It
worries me that I can’t figure out why he would mention it as a side note and
not bring it up again. My gut tells me it’s because he's closer to making his
move where Cade is concerned.

“Evan, I’m looking at having Lani go into hiding.”

“She's not leaving my side. Don't bring that up to her
because she listens to you. I’m telling you, Maddox, if she leaves - you won’t
like what happens.”

“Listen to me, Evan. You won’t like what happens if she
stays. You have security on her, but he still gets close enough to know what
she’s wearing.”

“Then I’ll go with her everywhere she goes. She can work out
of my office. I’ll be on the lookout. Once my eyes make contact, I’ll put a
bullet in him.”

“Dammit Evan, you can’t be serious. Do you want to be
arrested? Noah, be the voice of reason.” I again look to Noah for support.

“Evan, I don’t want you to be arrested. Just let Maddox
handle this. If for some reason he can’t, then aim for the shoulder. Please,
don’t kill him,” Noah pleads. What the fuck?

“I’m going to jump in here. If he gets near Missy or Cade,
I’ll put a bullet in him, too. If that means I spend the rest of my days in
prison...Well, I could live with that knowing they were safe,” Brayden opens
his damn mouth.

“Exactly,” Evan agrees.

“You all have gone fucking mad,” I declare, shaking my head.
I hope I get to Jackson first.

After we argue for a few more minutes, I get up and walk
around. I’m torn between my job, my sworn duty to protect the law, and the love
of my brothers. I’ve only had to shoot to kill one time in my eight years on
the force. That just happened to be the night Molly was attacked. I was trying
to figure out a way to reason with Evan, but it's difficult after what he told
me. Even if we find him and he’s arrested, Jackson will walk or just get a slap
on the wrist. His father holds a lot of power. I know Evan’s right. I can’t
believe I'm considering this, but now I’m trying to find a way to not get
caught. In my heart, there's no question about it. When Aaron is released, if
he gets within fifty yards of Kerrigan, I’ll put him down.

After dragging Ari out of bed, we gather at the bridal shop.
I’ve already tried on a couple of dresses. The first one was a princess ball
gown Ari selected. I knew it was right for me, but I told her to put it on
layaway for when she finds a man and gets married. The second dress is a maybe.
It wasn’t a wow. I hear a knock at the changing room door. I open it and Molly
steps in with a dress that I know isn’t my type either. It’s fitted lace with
cap sleeves.

“Kerrigan, I just saw this on a mannequin and I made the
sales lady take it off. You have to try it on.” I laugh thinking the sales lady
wasted her time. I decide to go ahead and try it on since the lady went through
all that trouble.

 
I slip it on and
don’t bother looking in the mirror as I head out of the dressing room. When I
walk out, all of my friends stare and their jaws drop. Curious as to why, I
turn and look in the mirror. WOW. It’s a showstopper. All my life, I’ve been
told I was beautiful. I never really felt it though. Standing here, looking at
this dress that I disliked five minutes ago, I do feel beautiful. It’s sweet
and classic. I look over and the girls all have tears in their eyes.

“This is it,” I announce.

“It should be. Kerrigan, it’s beautiful. You’re beautiful,”
Lani says, grabbing a tissue.

"Let’s go buy it,” I say and suddenly wonder how much
it’s going to cost. I have a strict $2,500 budget. I’m not making much money
and having a baby, well, diapers cost a fortune. Of course, Maddox puts money
into my account, more than enough. But for some reason, I can’t spend it. At
least, not all of it. I use it for out-of-pocket co-pays for doctor’s visits.

“Someone look at the tag and tell me what the damage is,” I
say, worried that it’s out of my budget.

“Six thousand,” Ari announces and my heart sinks.

“Shit, girls. Go find me a dress that looks like this under
$2,500,” I demand.

“Why?” Molly asks. She of all people should know why.

“Because I can only afford $2,500,” I reply walking back
into the changing room. I hate taking it off.

I walk around the store a few more times and look at almost
everything. I hear Maddox. What is he doing here? I hurry to the sound of his
voice.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“Molly called. Said you loved a dress, but weren’t going to
buy it. I’m here to buy it,” he replies. I am going to kick my future
sister-in-law's ass.

“No. We have a baby, we want to buy a house, and I’ll be out
of a job soon. No, Maddox. Honestly, it’s alright.”

“Go get the dress. I’m buying it.”

“No,” I say stubbornly.

“Molly, go get the fucking dress and take it to the counter.
I’ll be there in a moment to pay.”

I’m getting pissed right now. Yes, I loved the dress, but taking
care of my family and our future is more important.

“Maddox, think about it. Six thousand dollars is a
honeymoon, a small bathroom remodel, the next three years of diapers and
pull-ups.”

“Kerrigan, I’m buying the dress. I’ve spent the last eight
years saving. We're alright, and will always be alright.”

I don’t like this one bit, but I agree because I do love the
dress. I can always sell it afterwards. I never understood why people save their
dress. It’s never worn again and then the day you die, your kids toss it. Plus,
if I use my $2,500, then he only pays $3,500. I can live with that.

“I’ll agree only if you let me use what I’ve been able to
save.”

“That works,” he says and pulls me close to him. I giggle a
little as I feel his erection growing.

“I’m going to go pay my part. Please hurry home. My dick is
trying to bust out of my zipper.”

 
After we leave
the bridal shop, Molly offers to buy us dinner. I’ve got to admit, I wanted to
turn it down and rush home to Maddox, but I’ve missed so much time with my
friends. I know each of us are in a place that Aaron isn’t the first thought.
We’ve all moved on. I remember thinking I’d always be broken, but I’m not. I
was rebuilt whole. We decide to go back to Gigi’s.

“I swear I’m going to start a collection to fix up this
dump. Their food is amazing, but I can see why no one comes in,” Molly says,
still knocking the place.

“I think it’s perfect.” I do. Some people might look past
this place, but those who give it a try find a hidden gem.

We place our order and sit down. I decide now is the time to
ask them to be my bridesmaids. I can’t pick between them for a maid of honor.
They all mean so much to me. Ari is my sister, who over the past year has been
there for me and never gave up on me. I love her so much. Lani, my long-time
best friend, I draw strength from her. Molly, who barely knew me, offered me so
much help and gave everything she could to make sure I was safe and happy.
Missy and I don’t know each other that well, but I do have this connection with
her. It’s like having a secret that only you two share, but wishing you didn’t
know the secret.

“Well, girls. I wanted to ask you all to be my maids of
honor. You all can pick out the dress you want to wear. They don't have to
match. Okay, I’m lying. I’d like for you all to either wear pink or purple.”

They all say yes. They decide on purple and make plans to go
shopping together. Now, we're onto the subject of men.

“So Ari, how are you and Matt working out?” Molly asks. She
saw what I did the night Molly went into labor. Ari was hooked on his every
word.

“Please, how can someone that handsome be a snore in bed?
Honestly, I could’ve fallen asleep. We aren’t, which is fine by me. I have my
final exams coming up.”

“What about you, Missy? You and Brayden worked through your
shit yet?” I ask.

“Yeah, we worked through it,” she smiles.

“What’s the smile for? It looks like the secretive kind,” I
tease.

“I’ll tell you later. After I’ve told him,” Missy responds.

“You’re pregnant?” Molly asks.

“Sssh. Don’t say anything to him,” Missy confirms.

“How did that happen? Was it by accident?” Lani asks, but I
wonder the same thing.

“No, not really. We didn’t have the conversation of ‘let’s
have a baby,’ but we didn’t use anything either,” Missy explains.

“Ari, promise me you’ll never get knocked up. Please, don’t
let me be the only one without kids. I love you all and your kids, I just think
you all are nuts,” Lani says. I know she doesn’t want kids. She has never wanted
them. She was never the one to oooh and aww over one. I think if she ever gets
pregnant, that would change for her. I don’t see that happening, though,
because she takes her pill like clockwork and makes all the men she sleeps with
use protection.

“I think I can promise that. At least for the next five
years.”

“That’ll work,” Lani says.

We finish the rest of our dinner laughing about the Stone
brothers. What badasses they think they are, only to find that they're puppy
dogs the moment they fall in love. Even Evan has settled a bit. Lani confided
in me during a recent phone call that she thought she had feelings for him. But
living with him confirmed that he wasn’t for her. It made me sad knowing Evan
is very much in love with her. I want to tell him to move on. Once Lani makes
her mind up, it’s made up. But, I hope I’m wrong.