Rebuilding Stone (The Stone Brother Series Book 2) (4 page)

I just got out of a meeting with Chief Garcia. He’s a good
guy who follows the law. He asked that he talk to Aaron on his own. I trust
that he will make the right decision here. Chief Garcia isn’t motivated by politics;
he is motivated to uphold the law. Still, he wants to get Aaron’s side before
making any decisions. He isn’t going to wait either. He asked other officers to
bring him in for questioning. When I walked out of the meeting, though, it took
everything in me not to find out where Aaron lives and beat the shit out of
him.

I just walked through my front door when I glance at my cell
and it starts ringing. It’s Molly. She is relentless. The pestering little
sister.

"Hey, my nephew baby momma. What's up?"

"Oh God, Maddox. Help her." Molly is in hysterics.

"Molly, calm down. Help who?"

"It's Kerrigan."

"What about her?"

"Just get to the ER now. I will explain later. I want
to go back to help."

"Molly, fucking tell me now." I don’t know why I'm
forcing her to tell me. I already know.

"I think Aaron beat the shit out of her. She looks bad.
She is unconscious and...." I throw my phone against the wall and it
shatters into pieces.

I pick up the closest thing and throw it at the mirror. My
blood is boiling. Kerrigan better be okay. I grab my wallet, keys, and head
out. Dammit. Why didn’t I force her to come with me? She would be safe right
now. How bad is she hurt? My heart starts racing on the drive over. My mind is
filled with violent thoughts toward Aaron, fear for Kerrigan, and self hate for
not saving the woman I love. I am not the right man for Kerrigan. I can’t offer
her anything except for what I’m about to deliver to Aaron.

I pull up to the hospital and quickly get out off my car. As
I approach the doors, I take a deep breath. I can hear Aaron talking to Molly.
I want to rush over, but I need to hear what he says. I know Molly is safe
because I can get to Aaron in a second if I need to.
 

"Well, well. Just the person I'm looking for,"
Aaron is slurring his words, drunk as shit.

"I think the police are looking for you."

"Tell me something, Molly. Do you know I can hide
evidence? It is my job."

"You can't hide your witness. You can't hide what you
did to her! You nearly killed her! You bastard!" Molly screams out.

"Kerrigan? She's not going to say anything. She knows
better than that. I only taught her a lesson. She tried to leave me. She was
stupid, thinking that I would allow that. She should have known better."

That’s what I needed. I’m happy I got his confession
quickly. I want Molly out of here. I rush over, not trying to hide my approach.
Aaron turns around at the perfect time allowing me to land a punch to his jaw
and a couple to his kidneys. This isn’t the legal way to handle this, but right
now, I don’t give a flying fuck. Aaron drops to his knees.

“Tell me, fucker. Do you deserve this?” I spit out.

"What are you talking about? Deserve what? I didn't lay
a hand on the bitch," Aaron groans out.

My time’s up with him as Officers Jenson and Potter walk up.

"Aaron. We need to take you to the station. We've got
some questions," Potter says.

“I hope you get what's coming to you. I hope you rot in
jail, you sick psychopath!" Molly screams at him.

"Feisty. I like that, Molly. I've never paid you back
for breaking my nose. I'll collect on that later. For now, I'll head down to
the station. Don't worry slut, I'll be out before long. I’ve got friends in
high places, after all. I'll be seeing you soon."

Again, my blood starts to boil. I put my nose an inch from
his. "Are you threatening my sister-in-law in front of me, man?"

"Nope. It's not a threat, just a friendly
reminder."

"Molly, go inside. Now. Call Evan and tell him about
Kerrigan. She's going to need a lawyer."

"Okay. Be careful, Maddox."

I want to scream at her. I love my sister-in-law, but she is
slow to listen. She does walk off though.

When I arrive at the police station, I head toward the
interrogation rooms. I know I won’t be allowed in. I want to hear what the dick
is saying. I knock on the door and Officer Jenson answers.

“Stone, what are you doing?” Jenson asks.

“I’m here to listen. That’s it. I promise.”

“I can’t let you. You know the victim. You know the
witnesses.”

“Alright, he better not walk out of here tonight. If he
does, you find me.” I know my voice is demanding, but I couldn’t care less.

This night just gets worse. If I can’t be here, there is
only one other place to be and that is waiting for Kerrigan to get out of
surgery.

After leaving the station, I head straight to the hospital.
I’m so overwhelmed with emotions and questions. What happened to her? How much
did that bastard hurt her? How much pain did she feel? I think what gets me the
most is knowing that she was scared. Kerrigan was alone and scared. It kills me
that I couldn’t protect her and that she faced this horrific situation alone.

When I arrive at the hospital, I head straight to the
waiting room. I see that Molly and Lani are holding hands. Noah has his arm
wrapped around Molly’s shoulder. Evan is pacing the floor and has his phone to
his ear. When Molly sees me, she comes running toward me and throws herself
into my arms. I catch her and hold onto her for dear life. Molly is the only
woman to ever love me for who I am. Noah follows her over and nods.

“How is she?” I ask Noah, my voice thick with emotion.

“Sarah came out about ten minutes ago. The damage is
extensive. She’s in a medically induced coma at this point. She will pull through,
though. Kerrigan is tough.”

“Anything else I should know?” I wonder if the fucker raped
her. I can’t even utter the words. I know she went to hell and back. I watch as
Noah looks down. I already know the answer. He doesn’t need to say it.

“Maddox, you know I can’t legally tell you.”

Molly steps back and asks, “Maddox, is Aaron going to stay
in jail?”

“I hope so. I don’t know much. They won’t tell me anything.
Because I’m so close to the victim, I’m not allowed in on the investigation.”

We talk for a bit and go to sit down when Noah says, “Evan,
why don’t you take the girls and Maddox home. I’ll stay and wait for news.”

"Shut up, Noah. I am NOT leaving.” If he thinks for one
second that I’d leave Kerrigan, he is crazy.

“Maddox, it could be a while. Go home and get some rest.”

 
I love my
brother, but I feel like I'm about to lose it. I know he’s just looking out for
me, but I hated it as a kid and right now, I hate it even more. “Noah, I’m not
leaving. Take your wife, and go home to your son.”

“Maddox, you can’t do anything right now. Go home, get some
rest and I’ll call with any news. I promise.” I’ve had enough of his fatherly
advice, so I stand and get in his face. Evan, the fucking mediator, rushes over
to stand between us.

“Maddox, chill out. He's just trying to help,” Evan says in
a calm voice. How the fuck can anyone be calm?

“Evan, you should go, too. You don’t need to be here. I do,
I can’t leave her, man. I won't leave her.”

Lani speaks up, “Maddox, please listen to your brothers. Go
home.”
 

This sets me off. I can’t help it. I am so sick and tired of
people telling me what to do. Everyone needs to leave. I want to deal with all
of this alone and without distractions. I tower over Lani by a good foot and
some odd inches. I don’t mean to scare her; I just want to get my point across
once and for all. “You don’t know me, Lani. Back the fuck off. Now!”

Before I even know what’s going on, I find myself slammed up
against the wall. Evan has me by the shoulders. “Don’t fucking talk to her like
that!”

“Not you, too.”

“Me too, what?” Evan asks.

“You’re whipped, just like Noah.”

“I’m not anything, Maddox.”

“Mark my words, man. A year or two from now, it’s marriage
and babies for you, too.” I still haven't calmed down, so I shrug Evan off and
walk away. I want to beat the shit out of someone, and I don’t want it to be
them. Of course, my asshole brothers won’t let me have a moment of peace. I
hear the bastards following me.

“I’m about to lose it. Please go and leave me alone.”

“Well tough shit,” Evan says.

Noah starts talking, “Maddox, she’s stable. There’s nothing
anyone can do right now, including you. I know you, Maddox. When you get like
this, you’re out of control. When she wakes up, you need to make sure you’re
calm. She doesn’t need to see you like this. Kerrigan is tough. I’m not going
to lie to you. She took a hell of a beating. You can’t change that, though. All
you can do now is be there to support her.”

“I remember. It’s easy to recover from a beating. It’s the
shit in your head that stays around. I did nothing to protect her.” I’m barely
able to say the words. Neither of them say anything because there's nothing
they can say. We’ve all moved on physically, but mentally, we are all still
messed up. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lost it like that back there.” I say,
feeling guilty. My brothers have always been there for me.

“We’re all pricks. I get it. I was a madman when it came to
Molly. I’m sorry I said anything. I know you want to stay.”

Evan starts laughing, “Okay, you two. This is why you girls
should’ve stayed single. Go hug it out and change your tampons while you’re at
it.”

“Whatever, man. Short and sassy girl has you all tied up,” I
try to crack a joke. Immediately, Evan drops his smile.

“Lani is a witch. The only way Lani will have me tied up is
to my bed while she’s having her way with me. Or maybe, I’ll just tie her up.”
I look at Noah who is trying to gauge Evan. Yeah he sees it, too. Noah starts
laughing and says, “Whatever you say, Evan.”

“Let’s go back to the waiting room. I think I need to
apologize to Lani, or should I say, my future sister-in-law,” I tease, and Evan
shoves me.

As soon as we get back to the waiting room, I go straight to
Lani. She might one day be part of my family and I want to be on her good side.
This short and sassy girl can put the fear of God in anyone. Hell, she scared
me one night at Hanson's. “Lani, I’m sorry if I scared you.”

“You didn’t. Don’t sweat it. I know you love her. I’ve known
for a very long time. I think she loves you too, but she would never admit it,
though.”

“No, she doesn’t. I messed up and hurt her. She doesn’t love
me. She hates me.”

“I know, she told me what happened. She always talks about
you. She once told me that you were a good guy and she wondered what would’ve
happened if you'd had your first date. Kerrigan is my best friend and we’ve
never kept secrets from each other. I thought she knew she could tell me
anything. Anytime she talked about Aaron, something always seemed off. I
worried about her because I saw the warning signs. It would be a comment like,
‘He gets so jealous,’ or ‘I couldn’t wear that, Aaron would get mad.’ She
mentioned that Aaron started to drink more than usual and that worried her. I
told her that she needed to talk to someone, like a counselor. She didn’t, and
I didn’t push it. After that, any time I would mention Aaron, she would just
shut down and not say anything. The last time I mentioned him, she told me that
they were working things out. When she stopped calling and coming around, I
thought maybe they were trying to work on their relationship. I hoped it was
getting better and that he was getting the help he needed. I mean, Kerrigan is
confident and strong, not the type of girl to put up with any man’s bullshit. I
can’t believe how I just stopped checking on her. Why didn’t I see it, Maddox?”
She starts to cry, “What kind of friend am I?”

I hug her because I think Lani hates herself just as much as
I am. I look at Evan. He looks torn. I can tell he wants to be the one
comforting her. Evan starts to walk over when he sees how upset Lani is. Just
as he gets near us, Sarah walks in and all eyes turn to her.

I immediately ask, “Sarah, how is she doing?”

“She is being moved from recovery to ICU. We won’t bring her
out of sedation until late tomorrow. She’ll be in a lot of pain. She has four
cracked ribs and a broken jaw that's been wired shut. Those are the most concerning
of her injuries. She also has different bones in various stages of healing and
several cuts, some which required stitches. She has swelling and bruising over
most of her body. I have a counselor from the battered women’s shelter coming
the day after tomorrow. No visitors right now, not until we get her approval.
Since you aren’t family, I can’t say anything more. Does anyone know if she has
family we can call?”

Lani speaks up, “Her mom, and a sister. She isn’t close to
her mom and doesn’t see her sister very much. I’m not sure if she’d want them
here. If she did, it would be Ari, her sister. I can drive down and tell them
in person.”

“Alright, the rest of you, go home.” Sarah looks directly at
me. “All of you. There's nothing to be done here tonight. Get some rest.” With
that, she turns and walks out of the waiting room.

I look at Lani and say, “Lani? Do you mind if I go with you
to talk to Kerrigan’s family? I can take you. I’d like to be there for them
when they hear what's happened. I’m sure they'll have questions. I’d like to be
there to answer them and let them know she has someone looking out for her.”

“I don’t think she'd want her mom to know. They don’t get
along well and have a difficult relationship.”

“Well, it’s her mother. We need to notify family. She should
at least be told.”

“Okay, you’re right, but I’ll drive,” Lani says.

When we get to the parking garage, I want to die of laughter
or embarrassment. I haven’t decided which yet. This is tough girl Lani’s car?

“I’m not riding in this thing. I don’t even think I'll fit
in it. For real.”

“Cut the macho bullshit and just get in.”

“It’s a purple VW bug. With flowers. What the hell, Lani?”

“I know. And just my size, right?” she smiles.

“Yeah, I mean it’s easy with your size. These cars are meant
for toddlers like you,” I tease her. Holy shit. I have to squeeze myself into
this car. My knees hit the dashboard and my head hits the roof.

“Quit being such a baby. Be a man, suck it up, give me a
break, and keep quiet.”

“Does Evan know you drive Barbie’s car?” I crack a smile.

“God, you’re almost as big of a dick as your brother. Keep
your mouth shut. Next time, we can take your car.” We both start laughing.

After our brief moment of humor, we're both silent during
the drive to Kerrigan’s mother’s home. My mind is going in all different
directions. I wonder why Kerrigan isn’t close to her family. Maybe Aaron drove
the wedge. That seems the most plausible reason. He seems to have driven her
away from everyone. Molly, Lani, none of us had seen or heard from her for a
while.

 
As we head out
of downtown and into the south side, I start to get nervous. I have never met
any girl’s parents. My palms start sweating. I’m shocked as we pull into a
trailer park. And not just any trailer park, this place is a mess. What the
hell?

“Kerrigan grew up here?” I ask.

“For the most part, depending on her mom’s boyfriend at the
time.” I try to process what Lani is telling me. As bad as my childhood was, I
at least had a stable roof over my head. We pull up to a trailer that's still
on its wheels.

“You ready?” Lani asks.

“I guess. As ready as I can be.”

Lani knocks on the door as she calls out, “Sylvia!” I hear
some fumbling around and some coughing. It takes a couple of moments, but when
the door opens, an older version of Kerrigan is standing in the doorway. I'm
sure she was beautiful when she was younger. Now, the woman standing in front
of me looks like she has a love for booze and cigarettes.

“Lani? What are you doing here? Would you like to come in?”
As she speaks, I see her eyes scan down my body. “Wow Lani. Does your boyfriend
have a father that looks like him?”

“He isn’t my boyfriend.”

“Oh? Well, hello there. I’m Sylvia.” She extends her hand
and smiles showing her stained yellow teeth. I think she's trying to look sexy.
Not working, lady.

Lani breaks Kerrigan’s mother's attention away from me when
she says, “Sylvia, something has happened. We need to talk.”

“Okay, what is it?”

“Kerrigan is in the hospital at Faith Memorial. She’s in the
ICU. Her doctor said she will pull through, but it will be a long recovery.”

“What happened?”

“Aaron, her boyfriend,” Lani says.

“Oh, hell. I told Kerrigan six months ago when she came here
looking for a place to stay that she needed to learn to keep her mouth shut.
He’s a cop, a good-looking man. Kerrigan must have pushed that ‘I’m too good
for you’ personality of hers off on him. I wonder what she did to set him off,”
she says as she takes another puff off her cigarette and blows smoke in my
face.

This bitch can’t be serious. “Lady, you’re a real piece of
shit. Your own daughter came to you for help and you told her to stay with an
abuser?”

“Who are you anyway? I can see you’re a cop, but who are you
to Kerrigan?”

“I’m the one who loves Kerrigan.” I quickly turn around and
walk away. I can’t be near this woman for another second. What kind of parent
does that? Lani quickly comes after. As she starts to speak, I throw my hand
up. “I don’t want to talk.” She gets in the car and we drive off.

We drive for about ten minutes, and then we pull up to a
house that is a stark contrast from the place we just left. This is the
cookie-cutter American dream house - a two story Victorian with the white
picket fence. Her sister must have married well.

“Her sister lives here?”

“Yes, with Kerrigan’s dad and her stepmom.”

“I don’t understand. If Kerrigan could live here with her dad,
why didn’t she?”

“She couldn’t live here. Her step mom is a bitch and
insanely jealous of Kerrigan. Her dad barely acknowledges her. She does love
her sister, though. Ari is Kerrigan's half sister. Growing up, they weren’t
around each other much.”

Walking up to the front door, I realize that Kerrigan and I
are even more alike. We make people see the confident person we want them to
see, even though we are anything but. Lani rings the doorbell.

 
A young girl,
maybe twenty or so and very beautiful, opens the door. She has Kerrigan's light
brown hair and beautiful smile.