Stone (The Forbidden Love Series Book 1) (14 page)

“Here you go. Thank Goodness we live in a small town. Let’s see, your father, Mickey Shelton, 9 Cherry Lane?” She said smiling at him.

“Yeah, yeah…that’s it.” Stone said excitedly.

“Hmmm…mother…blank. It was left blank. That’s strange, it’s usually the father’s information that’s left blank. There must be some mistake. But, it says very clearly here that you were born on January 1, 1992. Wow, you were so close. Look at that! Congratulations, young man. You have a birthdate.” The receptionist said happily.

     Stone’s face grew pale. He looked as if he were going to throw up.

“What is it?” I asked rubbing his arm.

“How the fuck can the mother part be blank? What kind of hillbilly town is this? Where can I get the information about my birth mother?”

“I guess you have to write to the head office in Syracuse to find out. Here’s the address. You owe me twenty-five dollars for the birth certificate.”

“Why would I want a birth certificate with no mother on it, lady? Are you fucking serious?” He barked.

“Well, I just can’t give you all that information for free?”

“You just did.” He said as he knocked over everything that was on the counter. The receptionist jumped out of her seat and ran for cover. He tore the birth certificate into tiny pieces and threw it up in the air. Everyone in the court house stopped what they were doing to look over at us. Security was just a phone call away at this point.

“Just go. Get out of here!” She yelled.

“That fucking bastard. God help me, if I don’t leave now. I’m really going back to jail…Let’s go.” He shed a tear as he turned around and walked away. He held my hand and I let him.
I was scared…for him.

Chapter 10   Stone

     Saranac Lake was pretty far from Syracuse. The ride back was quiet and as I drove Maddie took a nap. I loved the way she looked as she slept. She was beautiful. Her lips were full and her eyelashes were long and curved. I placed my hand in hers and held it until we reached our destination.

     We finally got back to Maddie’s apartment. I parked in her spot and I leaned in and kissed Maddie on her forehead.

“Hey, wake up, we’re here.” I whispered. She opened her eyes slowly.

     She had the look of disappointment on her face. I walked around the front of the car and opened the passenger side door and extended my hand out to her. I could tell she was upset. She held in her tears. We didn’t get the answers we wanted. We needed to find out the truth before this went any further.  We waited in the lobby for the elevator. It was slower than usual. I decided to text Clarissa so she can get the kids ready before we got upstairs. She didn’t answer. We stepped onto the elevator and Maddie stood in the corner, wiping the tears from her eyes. I felt just as bad as she did. We walked towards Clarissa’s apartment. I lifted my hand to knock on the door, but the door was already open. I pushed it open and Maddie and I walked in.

“Clarissa?” I shouted.

“Stone?” I heard her whimper.

“Clarissa?” I yelled.

“Stone!” she cried.

     I ran to the bedroom and found Clarissa on the floor cradling Alyssa in her arms. Her face was covered in blood. I grabbed Alyssa and lifted Clarissa from the floor. I scanned the room for Daniel but I didn’t see him. Maddie ran behind me.

“What happened? Where’s Daniel?” I asked. The pain in my gut was real. I started to hyperventilate.

“Oh my God. I just woke up. This guy came in and started beating me up. He asked for you and Maddie, but he called her Madison.” She was shaking. She couldn’t stop crying.

“Clarissa, my God, what happened to your face!” Maddie shouted. “Where’s Daniel?” Maddie started running around the apartment. “Daniel! Daniel!” She yelled.

“I think he took him.” Clarissa whispered. I grabbed Clarissa by the arm.

“Who?” I said through gritted teeth. The room started spinning. I couldn’t catch my breath. Maddie grabbed Alyssa from my arms. I keeled over to try to calm down.

“I think his name was…Andrew.” She whispered as she placed her hand on top of her forehead trying to remember what happened.

“Andrew…No…no, Stone! No!” Maddie yelled and ran for the door. I jumped up and ran after her and grabbed her arm.

“Maddie, stop! Think! Think! Calm down.” I said pulling on her arm. I had no business telling her to calm down when I was freaking out myself. She yanked her arm away from my grip and walked over to our apartment.

“Clarissa…stay here. Wash up. Do you need to go to the hospital?” I asked looking at her bloody face. She shook her head.

“No…I’m okay.” I kissed Clarissa on the forehead and told her to lock the door behind me. Then, I followed Maddie into our apartment.

“I’ll call him…give me your phone.”  Maddie grabbed my phone and starting dialing his number.

“Andrew?” She whispered.

“Press speaker phone Maddie, I want to hear what this motherfucker has to say.” My hands were trembling.

“Oh, if it isn’t, I’m not your little bitch anymore Madison. How are you?” he said sarcastically.

“Where the fuck is my son?”

“Your son? You mean Daniel? Did you know he has a scar on his face?”

“Yes.” She whispered.

“No, I mean a new scar. He fell down the stairs. He’s okay though. We cleaned him up nice.” I could see that devilish grin over the phone.

“He’s only a baby, you fucking bastard!” She yelled.

“Now, now Madison. You need to come home. Daddy’s waiting.”
 

“You have an hour to return Daniel to us.” I said.

“Oh, well if it isn’t Brother Stone.” He chuckled.

“You think this is a joke motherfucker?” I barked.

“Curse all you want you maggot. Fucking your sister isn’t going to get you Daniel back!” He shouted.

“She’s not
my
sister, bitch. You better bring Daniel home to me now!” I growled.

“In time little boy. Your sister made a deal with the devil and she’s going to follow through. Or I’ll
kill
Daniel. I have no conscience Stone. I don’t give a fuck if he’s a baby or not. He’s in the way, you’re in the way, and that little baby girl is in the way of something I need and want…so you better get a grip motherfucker. Maddie is mine. Bring her to me and you get Daniel. If you don’t…
he’s dead
.”

     He hung up the phone and the silence in the room burned a hole in my ears. Now Daniel’s life depended on making this crazy decision to hand over Maddie. I couldn’t do that.
I wasn’t her brother. She wasn’t my sister.
I didn’t give a shit what that birth certificate said.
She was mine, and this crazy bastard wasn’t taking her from me.

     I paced back and forth in the apartment while Maddie threw up in the toilet.

“Jesus, Maddie take it easy.” I said.

     She wiped her mouth with her hand.

“If he touches Daniel…I’ll kill him. I’ll kill him.” Her hands shook as she spoke. Something I’ve never seen her do before.
 

“Stop. We can’t do anything. We need to think.” We heard a knock on the door. I walked over handing Alyssa to Maddie before I opened the door. I cocked my Smith and Wesson, then opened the door pointing the gun in the in the face of whomever was standing there.

“It’s me! Don’t shoot!” Clarissa yelled.

     I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the apartment.

“What is it?” I glanced over at Maddie.

“I was worried about you. I came to see how you were doing.” She said softly. I felt so bad. I didn’t mean to grab her so hard, but my nerves are shot and I am in a panic. Clarissa was a nice girl. I mean really, sincerely nice and I think she loves me. But, she didn’t know about Maddie and me, and I wasn’t going to hurt her…not just yet.

“I’m fine, baby.” I hugged her. Maddie’s gray eyes turned black when I hugged her, but I had to play it off. She wouldn’t understand. She’d think we were both sick. I sat her at the kitchen table and offered her something to drink.

“I’d like to stay with you guys for the next few days. I’m scared.” She looked over at Maddie who was exploding with jealousy. “Can I?”

“Of course, baby. You can sleep right here with me. I’ll protect you.” Maddie stared at me and I gave her a look. She stormed into the bedroom. “This nut case wants me to hand over Maddie for Daniel. I have no choice. I
have
to do it.”

“Jeez, this guy’s crazy. Poor Maddie. What if he tries to…you know…kill her?” I didn’t think of that. Maybe just to get back at me he would kill her. I didn’t have a plan B.
I didn’t know what the fuck to do.

“Stay here. Can you watch Alyssa?” I handed her Alyssa.

“Yeah. Sure.” She grabbed my hand. “Be careful. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.” I stared at her, then, I lowered my head.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It’s nothing babe. I’ll be back.” I walked over to the bedroom and Maddie was getting dressed.

“I might as well wear what he likes. He’s going to fuck me ‘til I bleed.” She began to cry.

“What can we do? If I don’t show up with you, he’ll kill Daniel. I know he will. He’s just as crazy as I am.” My heart hurt me so badly. I couldn’t protect her.
How could I hand her over to that fucking maniac?
He’s capable of doing anything to her.

“Let’s go. I want Daniel safe.” She said without looking at me.

“Wait.” I cupped her face in my hands. “Maddie, if there was any other way right now to save Daniel, you wouldn’t be leaving this house. But, I promise you. I will be there tomorrow and you will be back in my arms. We’re going to finish what we started. In my heart, you’re not my sister, Maddie. You’re everything to me. You always have been. Do you understand me?” Her beautiful eyes blinked at me and before I knew it, I had my tongue in her mouth again. We kissed so hard, I don’t even remember breathing. I held her tight in my arms squeezing her into me with all my might.

She broke away from my kiss.

“It’s always been for the kids. Now, it’s time for us. I…I…don’t want Clarissa here with you. Please send her home.” Her eyes were so innocent. For a minute, I thought she was going to tell me that she loved me. She didn’t have to. I knew she did.

“I will. I promise.”
How was I going to do that?

     We walked out of the bedroom and I grabbed Alyssa from Clarissa’s arms.

“Maddie, I’m sorry.” She whispered. Then she got up and hugged Maddie around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry, too.” Maddie glanced over at me, then lowered her eyes to the floor. It was as if she were saying goodbye.

     We walked out of the apartment and headed for the staircase. I grabbed Maddie’s arm.

“Please forgive me…I…”

“Don’t say it Stone. I know how you feel. I know you can’t say it. I feel the same way.” Our eyes locked.

“As soon as Daniel is safe. I’m coming to get you.”

“Yeah…sure. It’s fine.”

“I’m taking the kids to my father. I’ll ask him to watch them. He’s going to have to until I get you back safe and sound.”

“I owe him Stone. He’s never going to let me go. He’s got everything hanging over my head and I mean
everything
.”

“What do you mean everything?”

“Sly? That no good money-lending shark…”

“Yeah?”

“Was his brother. He knows I killed him Stone.”

“
You
…killed him Maddie?”
My God…look what I’ve done. How could I let this happen?

“Yes…
I did
. He was going to rape me and take the kids. Probably hand them over to Andrew. I had a gun…Spencer, you remember, the landlord, got it for me after I felt vulnerable one day and told him what happened in the parking lot with Sly.” She turned away from me. I knew she was going to cry. “I shot him Stone. Point blank. I had to move and get the kids out of there fast. Spencer…he got the apartment for me. His cousin was the landlord.” She said as tears spilled over her cheeks.

“When did Andrew tell you that he knew?” I asked looking into her eyes.
Jesus, this girl. She’s so strong. I could never be as strong as she was.

“That night I gave my virginity to him. Every time he fucked me he would start each thrust by whispering in my ear,
I know you killed my brother
and then the next,
he was a no good street thug,
and then the next,
but he was still my brother you little bitch
…” My eyes widened. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This was planned all along. Poor Maddie fell into this trap.
How did he even know it was Maddie?