Rebuilding Stone (The Stone Brother Series Book 2)

by Saint John, T.

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 t
akes 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.

  “Lani?” she questions as she pulls Lani in for a hug. “Where is Kerrigan? Is everything alright?” She looks out to Lani’s car, trying to see if Kerrigan is in it.

  “Hey, Ari. Could you close the door, come outside and talk with us?” Lani asks. Ari steps outside and slowly closes the door. I can tell by the look in Ari’s eyes that she knows something bad has happened.

  “What is it? Is it Kerrigan?”

  “Yes, but before I say anything else, I need you to know that she's going be okay. She is in ICU at Faith Memorial.”

  “Oh my god! What happened?” Ari falls to her knees. She starts crying, rocking back and forth. I sit next to her and hug her. Probably because she looks like how I feel.

  “Her boyfriend.”

  “Lani, stop saying her boyfriend.” Every time I hear it, I want to beat the shit out of something.

  “What’s going on here?” The door opens and a very bitter looking woman appears. She’s short with pinched cheeks. She reminds me of a bulldog.

  “Mom, it’s Kerrigan. She’s in the hospital. We need to go. Now,” Ari's words are rushed. I look over and see a man coming up the driveway. This must be her father. He is tall and seemingly in good shape. Ari runs to him and explains the situation.

  “Calm down, Ari. They said she’ll be all right. She isn’t trying to blame me, is she?” the bitter woman asks.

  Ari looks at her confused, “Why would she blame you, mom? You didn’t do anything.”

  “Because I told her six months ago that she couldn’t stay here. I didn’t tell her to go back to her boyfriend, though. I guess I should’ve known. I mean she is just like her mother. Always trying to find Mr. Right while loving Mr. Wrong,” the bitch says.

  I don’t say a word this time, because I have never been this close to hitting a woman in my life. I stand and walk away. I decide to go sit in the car. I see Lani and Ari talking. They hug, and Lani starts walking towards the car. I can see Ari is yelling at her parents. She starts shaking her head and runs towards the car as Lani opens the door.

  “Lani, can I stay with you tonight? Or for a few nights?”

  “Sure, Ari.”

  It hurts when I realize that Kerrigan has had a shit life too. Knowing her entire life, she had to deal with some level of abuse tears me up. Ari seems to love her sister, and for that, I’m grateful. When I glance in the rearview mirror, I can see Ari quietly crying. Yes, Ari loves her sister immensely.

  Chapter 5

  Kerrigan

  I’m still alive? It’s the first thought I have as I try to open my eyes. Since they won’t open, I try moving my hand to feel my face. Someone is holding it, though. Who? I squeeze the hand and try to talk, but I realize but that I can’t get my mouth to move. Terror starts to build inside me. My heart starts pounding. Alarms are going off in my head. Where am I? Who's with me? Where is Aaron? Not knowing any of the answers, I start thrashing around.

  “Kerrigan, stop. You’re safe. I’m here with you. You’re in the hospital.” It’s Ari. Calmly, she tells me what’s happened and why I can't talk. “Aaron broke your jaw and it had to be wired shut. Your eyes are too swollen; you won’t be able to see for a while. Listen to me, Kerrigan. You are safe.”

  I don’t feel safe. I’m stuck in this hospital bed. I can’t see. I can’t speak. I am not safe. I want to scream, and I start trembling.

  “Hold on. I’ll be right back.” I try to convey that I want her to stay and not leave me, but to no avail. Please, Ari, come back!

  A minute later, I feel another hand grab mine. This one is warm, strong, and comforting. Then, I hear his voice. It’s Maddox. Please, Maddox, stay. Please, don’t leave me. Again, with no way to convey that message, I squeeze his hand. God, even that small squeeze hurts. The pain is setting in now. How am I going to get out of here if I can’t walk or talk? I try to calm down and listen when he speaks.

  “Kerrigan, it’s me, Maddox. I’m right here. I need you to try to relax. I know it’s hard, but you need to calm yourself. Ari and Lani have been taking turns staying here with you, and I’ve been right outside your door. You’re safe. I promise you, no one will get in here. Not without my permission.”

  As the memories play out in my mind, I start screaming, or at least try to. I remember the first punch after I told Aaron I was thinking about Maddox. He'd taken off the handcuffs and dragged me by my feet to the bathroom where he pushed my head under the bath water he had run. I thought that was how he was going to kill me. He was going to drown me. Again, I start to shake until my ribs make a protest for me to stop. I feel Maddox’s warm hand squeeze mine. I don’t want him seeing me like this, but I feel safe with him beside me. I know Maddox won’t let Aaron anywhere near me. I give Maddox’s hand another squeeze before releasing it so I can trace p-e-n in his palm. He lets go of my hand and I hear a drawer open and close. A few moments later, he puts a pen in my hand and places my hand on a notepad.

  “Here you go.”

  As I start trying to move my hand, my wrist starts aching. I know my writing is sloppy. Hopefully, he can read it when I write ”Aaron?”

>   “Aaron is in jail, Kerrigan. Your neighbors called the paramedics when you crawled into the hallway. We don’t know for sure, but we believe Aaron passed out. He was arrested at the hospital shortly after the paramedics brought you in. He is meeting with the judge tomorrow, but for right now, he's in jail.”

  That should be good news, right? Only it isn’t. I noticed that Maddox said “for right now.” In my mind, I’m screaming for Maddox to get me out of here. He will kill me! Aaron will kill me when he gets out! Don’t you understand?! With no way to communicate my message, I begin to tremble again. I can feel the fight or flight building in me. Alarms start blaring around me.

  “NURSE!” Maddox shouts.

  “Kerrigan!” I can feel Maddox stroking my hair saying, “Baby, I’m here and I’m not leaving your side. Ever. Kerrigan, I’m so sorry. Please, Kerrigan, breathe.” His words do little to calm me.

  I hear people running into the room. The alarms start to quiet down and the last thing I hear before drifting off is Maddox. “I’m here with you, Kerrigan.”

  Maddox

  Sitting here with Kerrigan is eating away at me. When she woke up, she was terrified. I tried to calm her down, but I couldn’t. Watching the nurse give a shot to knock her out killed me. How can I help her? Aside from killing Aaron, I do all that I can right now. I hold her hand and am here when she wakes up. I can’t leave her side.

  I take turns between staring at the clock and watching her. Her body is so battered. She doesn’t even look human. Every time I look at all the damage Aaron did to her, I torment myself. I keep wondering how much pain she felt. Knowing that Kerrigan even felt an ounce of pain makes me sick. How could he do this to her?

  After a week, she is able to slightly open her eyes. In her lucid moments, she looks at me. It's like she’s silently pleading with me. I know she's scared. I know she doesn’t want me to leave. I do whatever I can in the moments she’s awake to calm her by playing soft music or reading. I don’t know if it’s helping, but it’s all I can think of doing.