Love and Hate (The Pierce Family Trilogy)

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Love and Hate (The Pierce Family Trilogy) Page 24

by Chelsea Ballinger


  He finally stops breathing with his lifeless eyes still open. Claudia finally lowers the gun.

  “Claudia?!” I hear her father. He runs towards her from the front door passing me. “Are you alright?!”

  She is still in shock as her father grabs her arms. She finally snaps out of it.

  “It was Raines. He killed Donovan’s brother”

  He looks at Raines, while Claudia runs toward me.

  “You okay?” She kneels down next me.

  “Yeah.” No. But I will be. “You okay?”

  She nods her head. She is still shaking a little probably from the shock that she just killed someone.

  “Ahh!” As she helps me up I feel the bones in me pop. I wince at the pain, but fully stand holding on to my side. I don’t think anything is broken which is good.

  “Henry, what’s going on?” We look to see a man who is heavy set in a blue suit and gray tie standing in the door way.

  “Nothing.” Stonem says.

  The heavy set guy looks at Raines than back at me.

  I know him. He’s Naomi’s Stepdad.

  Judge Winthrop.

  Claudia

  What is Judge Winthrop doing here?

  “Henry.” He says to my father giving him a stern look.

  “It’s nothing Dan.”

  “No, I think it’s something.” Winthrop reaches in his back and pulls out a gun and points it towards Donovan.

  “Claudia, go.” Donovan says calmly while he grabs the gun from my hand and he pushes me away.

  “No! What is going on?!”

  “Claudia” I turn to see my dad. “Dad what are you doing?”

  “They’re in charge, your dad and him.” Donovan points the gun over at my dad.

  “Donovan!” I yell at him.

  “Tell her I’m lying. Tell her I’m lying!” Donovan screams.

  I look back at my dad. Please don’t tell me it’s true.

  “Dad.”

  “I did what was necessary.”

  “Are you responsible for my brother’s death?” Donovan says.

  “Your brother is responsible.” I turn to see Judge Winthrop. “There was a meeting at the house that night of the party and your brother heard everything by accident. He shouldn’t have been snooping around.”

  “My brother was just a kid!” Donovan screams still pointing back and forth between the judge and my father. “And as far as I know he was a better man than both of you.”

  “Dad.” I tearfully say.

  “When they told me the Pierce boy had heard everything, I told them to leave him alone. I did.” My father says.

  “But I stepped in and made the decision for your father.” The Judge chimes in.

  “But you still go on like it’s nothing.” Donovan says. “Attacking my whole family, knowing that you were a part of it all. Your hatred for my father was more than my brother’s life.”

  “Yes.” My father simply says. I see so much regret in his face right now, but I don’t even pity him. I don’t even know who this man is.

  What do I do? What do I do? My father is responsible for so much pain and hurt and my boyfriend wants to kill him? What do I do?!

  “Donovan, listen to me. I know what my dad did was wrong, but you can’t do this.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it’s not what anyone wants. It’s not what I want. It’s not what your family wants. And it’s not what your brother would have wanted. I need you to let it go. We will let the police handle it. The real police.” I look to my father with nothing but anger at this moment. He looks at me with sadness and embarrassment, but right now I could care less. “I mean come on if there are good criminals there are a good cops, right? Just put it down. Dad you tell him to do the same.”

  “Put it down Dan.”

  “Henry”

  “Damn it! Dan! Put it down!” Winthrop slowly lowers his gun. My father continues looking at me. “I’m sorry Claudia.”

  I don’t even want his apology right now.

  I look back at Donovan. “Donovan, please.”

  He looks at me with tears in his eyes and his jaws clenched. I just don’t want him to do this. I know he won’t come back from it. We won’t come back from it. Of course I don’t want him to kill my father, he is my father, but enough is enough. This has to stop. All the killing and lies. All the hate, it has to stop.

  Finally Donovan lowers his gun.

  Thank God.

  He looks at me with nothing, but sorrow, and all I need to do is grab him and get us the hell out of here, away from it all.

  “Screw this” I turn to see Winthrop lifting his gun back up towards Donovan.

  “No!” I scream.

  I move in front of Donovan without thinking and face the judge as he pulls the trigger. The sound of the gun shot doesn’t even come close to the pain I feel in my stomach.

  Donovan

  What happens when the love of your life jumps in front of a bullet for you?

  Nothing, but pain and misery.

  I catch her as she falls in my arms. I lay her down gently holding on to the wound in her stomach. There is so much blood.

  I see her eyes, her gray beautiful eyes. They are darkening, just like Christian’s did that night.

  “Claudia, hold on.” She shakes as I hold on to her.

  “Freeze! Put the gun down!” I hear the police run in, but I can’t see them. All I see is her, staring back at me. She gives a sad smile.

  “You’re gonna be okay.”

  She raises her hand and presses her cold palm against my cheek. She rubs the side of my face with her hand. “It’s okay.”

  It’s like Déjà vu when she says that. No.

  “You can’t leave me. You can’t die.” I tearfully say.

  “I love you.” She whispers before closing her eyes.

  “Claudia. Claudia!” I shake her but she doesn’t move.

  Oh God. Oh God. I look up to see the cops staring at us.

  I see Henry Stonem standing near us shaking staring at his daughter in my arms. I see Winthrop being handcuffed. I look over to the stairway and see Emile with blood coming down the side of his face staring at me in shock.

  With so much pain in me, I get now why Romeo killed himself. You can’t imagine living your life without her. You can’t imagine going on and breathing without her. You can’t imagine any world where she doesn’t exist. That’s what happens when you find a love like that and lose it. You don’t know how your going to survive.

  So now you would think I would want to grab the gun next to me and shoot myself… but I’m not. I’m going to get her out of here like I planned all along.

  I slowly stand while picking her up. I hold her upper back with her head rested upon my shoulder and hold her legs up with my other hand. I look at one of the officers in front of me. He looks at me with pity and moves out of my way. I walk through the other officers and step outside the door. I see people outside with other officers. I carry her through them all. I want them to see. I want them to see what happens when people let hatred take over.

  They all look at me with pity and despair. I than see Jade crying hysterically. I see Ella next to her with tears in her eyes.

  I look to my other side and see my parents. They look at me with broken eyes, shocked at what I am holding.

  I see the ambulance pull up in front.

  I walk towards it. My mother places her hand on my left shoulder and walks with me. My father walks next to me on my right.

  I feel nothing in the end.

  I am nothing without her.

  Epilogue

  Donovan Pierce took the large, sealed, brown envelope from Henry Stonem.

  “Thanks.” Donovan said.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Donovan rose up from his seat and started for the exit, where the guard was waiting.

  “Donovan.” He turned around to face Stonem who stood up in his orange jumpsuit. “I never told you this, and I know she w
ould want me to…… I’m sorry … for everything.”

  Donovan glanced at the envelope in his hand then back at Stonem. “It’s okay. We both suffered a loss.”

  Stonem watched Donovan as he walked away and waited for the guard to open the door.

  Donovan headed through security and received his belongings. Once he got outside he took a deep breath. He felt as if he had been holding in the pain and hatred for Henry Stonem in the prison where he now resided.

  Henry Stonem was sentenced to twenty five years in prison for embezzlement and conspiracy to commit murder. Henry Stonem gave the police info of every scam he, detective Anderson Raines, detective James Garner, and Judge Daniel Winthrop were involved in. Winthrop received the same sentence.

  As Donovan drove an hour back home he thought about everything that had happen in the past year. His thought of his brother, family, and Claudia. He thought about everything he had with Claudia and how her love saved him from himself.

  Once he reached home he was greeted by his mother and Millie who were fixing a family dinner. His mother smiled at the sight of him.

  “Hey.” She says.

  “Hey mom.” She walked up to her son and kissed him on the cheek.

  “How was it?”

  “Hard.”

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah. Where is everyone?”

  “Your father is in his office and the kids are outback.”

  Donovan left the kitchen and headed towards his father’s office. He entered the office and saw his father, Roman Pierce, staring out the window into the sun with his hands in his pockets.

  “I got it.” Roman turned to see his son holding up the envelope.

  Donovan handed it over to his father. Roman opened it and pulled out the sheets of paper. There it was, the evidence linking Roman to the death of Eddie Valentine. Stonem promised that he would leave them alone and give them the rest of the evidence that could leak to Mickey Valentine.

  “You didn’t have to go alone.” Roman said looking up at his son.

  “Yeah, I did.”

  Roman gave his son a tight smile and nodded his head.

  He placed the documents back into the envelope and laid it at his desk. Donovan tilted his head to the side watching his father who looked as if he had more to say.

  “I know I don’t say it much Donovan, but… I just want you to know that I’m very proud of you and the man you’re becoming… and I love you.”

  Donovan smiled at his dad. Lately his father had been taking the initiative in expressing his feelings towards him. Donovan laughed to himself because he knew who was responsible for that.

  “I love you too dad.”

  As Donovan walked away, Roman remembered to inform him of his day.

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you.” Donovan turned around to his dad. “We bonded today.”

  Donovan smiled again.

  “I’m glad to hear that dad.”

  He left his father’s office and headed towards the back. Once he got there, he was greeted by Emile and Ella.

  “Hey.” Ella said to him. “How was it?”

  “It was hard, but every things okay now.”

  “Dude, Jade's coming over.” Donovan laughed at his friend’s information. “What can I say man, chicks dig gunshot wounds.”

  Emile smiled broadly and carefully patted his arm that was still recovering from the bullet he encountered two months ago.

  “Come on midget.” Ella said pulling Emile. “Your girl is over there big brother”

  Donovan looked across the huge green lawn to see her.

  The love of his life, Claudia Stonem.

  Claudia walked in her sundress while the wind blew through her hair. She smiled at Donovan and waved at him. Donovan could never get enough of looking at her. Once they reached each other he placed a gentle kiss upon her lips.

  “Hi.” She spoke against his lips.

  Donovan released his embrace.

  “Hello. My father said you bonded today.” He laughed.

  “Yeah, we did. Your mom and I cooked too.”

  He arched his eyebrows and gave her a look.

  “Okay, maybe your mom cooked and I made the salad.”

  They both laughed as they gently pressed their foreheads together. They closed their eyes to savor the moment.

  Claudia had survived that night. Once her father was arrested she didn’t have any family left. Since she was eighteen she wasn’t put into foster care, but she didn’t want to stay at that house by herself. The house was nothing, but painful memories for her after that day.

  Donovan asked his family if she could stay with them and they gladly accepted it. Claudia was having a perfect summer with the Pierces. They were finally getting back to being a family. Donovan and Claudia are about to start NYU together in two weeks along with Emile and Jade. Everything was perfect for them. Donovan would never lose her again.

  “How is he?”

  “Not good I guess. I can tell he wants to see you.”

  “Maybe sometime in the future I’ll be able to forgive.”

  Donovan rubbed her cheek with his thumb. “You will.”

  The family sat at the dinner table along with Emile, Jade, Jason, Dina, and Claudia.

  “I would like to make a toast.” Roman Pierce said raising his glass. Everyone joined him.

  “We have been through a lot in this family. We have been through pain, loss, and suffering. But in the end we still remain one. We remain the Pierce family, strong and unbreakable. So I would like to toast to family which is everyone at this table.”

  Everyone joined in taking sips of their drinks.

  Donovan nodded at his father thanking him for everything he had done. Roman nodded back. It was their way.

  Under the dinner table, Claudia reached for Donovan’s hand and locked her fingers with his. He looked at her with nothing but love and so did she to him.

  The Pierce family enjoyed their meal and celebrated the blessing they had received while remembering the loved ones they lost.

  Claudia and Donovan changed everything that year. There was no longer any hate surrounding them. There was only just the pure formality of freedom, happiness, and love.

 

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