“Why do you think that?”
“Because my office is on an abandoned street. I’m the only business left over there.”
“I thought there was an insurance agency next door.”
“Not anymore; they moved. It would be ideal since parking is so easy now. Still, the fact that I’m the last one over there makes me nervous.”
“Why don’t you change locations?” I ask.
“I can’t afford anything downtown.”
“What about your parents? Or your brother?”
“You know my parents hate what I do, and Nick is buying out my parent's' share of the hotel.”
“Are your parents retiring?” Lani’s parents own two upscale hotels in downtown Chicago. They love their kids, but they've always been focused on their jobs and success.
“Well, sort of. They want to open a hotel in Hawaii. One that they can live in and still work.”
“So they’re finally slowing down?”
“Looks like it,” she says. She goes to rinse out her mouth.
We rejoin the rest of the group. The shared laughter and smiles and growing friendships of this group are what I’ve always wanted. I can honestly say that I love everything about my life. I’ve found my happiness; we all have. After a few hours, we call it a night. More congrats and hugs are handed out. As we say our goodbyes, I take one last look at Brayden who has the biggest smile on his face.
Maddox
Who the hell is calling at four in the morning? Fucking Evan. This better be good.
“Hello?”
“Where's Lani?”
“How the hell am I supposed to know?” I ground out groggily.
“She’s gone.”
“What do you mean?”
“All her shit is here, but she's not. Her car is gone too, but she didn't pack anything.”
Kerrigan starts to wake up. “Who is that?” she asks.
“Do you know where Lani is?” I ask her.
“I have no idea. What time is it?” she asks. I answer her as I put the phone on speaker for Evan to hear.
“What did you two talk about in the bathroom?” I ask Kerrigan.
“We talked about her parents moving to Hawaii. She did mention that if Jackson made a move, it would probably be at her work.”
“That’s it?” Evan asked.
“She wasn't feeling well and had thrown up. Maybe she went to get something from the store to calm her stomach,” Kerrigan suggested.
“Evan, did you have security on her this evening?” I ask.
“No, because she was supposed to be fucking here.” I look at Kerrigan and her eyes are wide. She knows something.
“Kerrigan, are you sure you don’t know anything else?”
“Maddox, I don’t know anything else. If I had anything that I thought would help you find her, trust me, I’d tell you.”
“Okay. Just remember, even if you think something won’t help us, it could. So if you can think of anything, let me know,” I tell her.
“Are you sure she isn’t in the apartment?” Kerrigan asks Evan.
“Cut the shit, Kerrigan, and tell me what’s going on. Now isn’t the time for secrets.”
“Evan, I swear, all we talked about was her being sick again, her parents, and her thinking Jackson might strike while she’s at work.”
“Kerrigan, you better not be lying to me,” Evan warns. That pisses me off.
“Evan, don’t speak to my wife like that! She's not lying.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, Kerrigan," Evan apologizes. "If you hear anything, please call me right away.”
“I promise, Evan. If I hear anything, you’ll be the first to know,” Kerrigan reassures him. I look down at my phone and I’m getting a call from Brayden. A sickening feeling sets in.
“Hold on, Evan. Brayden’s calling.” I know Evan knows the same thing I do. Jackson made his move.
“Hello.”
“He took Cade, Maddox. Please. Help.”
"How did you find out he was missing?" I ask.
"We heard a window shatter. I took off running to Cade's room, but he was already gone." I can hear the desperation in Brayden's voice.
Kerrigan
Over the next several months, everyone walks around in a daze. We are all numb. Not one word about Lani or Cade. No leads. Evan, Missy, and Brayden are all a wreck. Missy delivered baby Juley two and a half months early. My heart broke for them that day. After all that Missy had been through and survived in her life, the day Juley was born should have been cause for celebration. Instead, it was marred with sadness. They were glad when the doctor said she’d be okay, but there was a void in their life. Until the day Lani and Cade come home, there will always be a void.
Noah and Molly welcomed their healthy twins, Logan and Lucas. Their house is constantly busy with the addition of two infants, but Molly still has time to worry about others. I know she has a hard time putting on a happy face in front of her kids. We talk daily, and it’s always the same thing. We want to know if the other has heard anything. Mostly, I think it’s just comforting to hear her voice.
And Evan, I don’t even know what to say about Evan. To say he went off the deep end would be an understatement. He only speaks to the guys. He wasn’t there when the new babies were born, and he refuses to be around his nephews. I think it’s because he knows his behavior would scare the kids. He goes home and obsesses, trying to form whatever plan he can. When one plan doesn’t work, he forms another. I know he hoped money would buy a lead, but it seems like no one knew anything, except Jackson, Dylan or Michael. He has private investigators on them 24-7, looking for any lead.
Maddox and I are doing okay. Every time he comes home, he takes me in the bathroom or the bedroom. It’s usually fast, but I know he just wants to be inside me to reassure him that I’m still here. It’s the only time of the day I can feel alive too. We’ve had good days - Gavin had his third birthday. That was a very good day.
Maddox
It doesn’t make any sense. We’ve located Jackson and follow his every move. Jackson doesn’t have them. I think he knows who has them and is trying to throw us off. You'd think he’d make a move after eight months. If he thinks we're going to stop following him, he’s wrong. Evan will not rest until he knows Lani’s fate. No way.
I didn’t want Kerrigan and I to spend our first year of marriage like this. We adopted Gavin a few weeks ago. It took eight long months, but he's finally ours. We’ve pretty much handed our house over to Brady. He hired a crew in Chicago to help renovate it, and we haven’t seen the house in over a month. It feels wrong to be excited about anything, especially when people you love are hurting so much.
I spend every free second I can with Kerrigan and the boys. We try to make it as normal as possible for the kids, but Gavin is very observant. He doesn’t know what’s going on, but he senses something isn’t right. Kerrigan and I have to try very hard to put on a happy face for him. Don’t get me wrong; the moments we're at home with our family, we are happy. Still, it’s hard to cover up such a devastating loss. We’ve lost Evan. My only contact with him these days are about Lani. He works non-stop searching for her.
Chapter 31
Kerrigan
I’m sitting alone in my office. Donna needed the week off to plan her own wedding to a lovely girl, Robyn. I’m so excited for her. I sometimes laugh thinking about my first run in with Donna. I can’t believe that we've become friends and that I get to be her assistant. With everything that's going on, it’s nice to have the small distraction of work. But like everyone else, my thoughts are never far from Lani and Cade. Watching Missy has been difficult. I can’t imagine the pain she's going through. I don’t want to.
My phone starts ringing. I don’t recognize the number. Hopefully, it’s a new customer and I can get lost in conversation with them.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Are you Mrs. Stone?” asks a woman with a deep voice.
“Yes, I am.”
&nb
sp; “This is going to sound crazy, but I have a little boy named Cade here. He had your number on him.” I almost drop the phone. I start to tremble; I can’t breath. What's going on? Is this a joke? Please, don’t be a joke.
“Hello?” the lady says again.
“Ma’am, where are you?” She tells me that she's just across the border in Indiana, a small farming community, about an hour away. “Ma’am, lock your doors. I'm coming right now.” I explain the situation and smile when she tells me she has a 12-gauge shotgun loaded and ready to go.
I don’t want to hang up on this woman, but I need to call someone. Shit. Who do I call first? I want to call Missy, but if something were to happen before I get to them, I don’t want her to be devastated after getting her hopes up. I get the woman's phone number and tell her I'll call her right back. I decide to call Evan. Maddox has the boys and by the time we get someone to watch them, I’ll already be there. Evan answers on the first ring.
“Hello.” His voice is void of any emotion.
“Cade is alive. I’m on my way to get him.”
“What?” he questions, unsure if he'd heard me correctly. So, I repeat myself and tell him about the phone call.
“Give me the address, I’m going. Is Lani with him?” he asked hopefully.
“No,” I respond as I get in my car.
“If Cade’s alive and got out, it’s because Lani helped him.” I hear something in his voice that I haven’t heard in months. Life.
I stay on the phone with him until I get to where he told me to wait. He wanted to meet me at a gas station about five miles from the home in case it was a trap. I wait about ten minutes before he finally arrives and I get into his car. He doesn’t say a word during the short drive, but I can see a spark of life in his eyes.
We pull up to an old, dilapidated house. I start feeling a little nervous as we get out and head toward the front door. I called to let her know I was here to avoid being greeted with her loaded shotgun. The moment I see Cade inside, I fall to my knees and start crying. I hug him and I can’t let go. He’s grown so much.
“Cade, where’s Lani?” I ask.
“She helped me get out when the couple who had us went outside. They're on their front porch a lot. She found a way out through the attic. I had to jump. She tied two sheets together so I could get down, but I still had to jump. I was so scared. She told me which way to keep running.” I turn to look at Evan who's wearing his emotions in his eyes.
“Is she hurt?” Evan asked.
“No, but her baby is very sick. She’s scared for Harper.” Oh my God, she WAS pregnant! She had a baby she didn’t want. Evan bursts out through the door and starts screaming in anguish. I start crying and grab Cade again, holding on tight. It takes several minutes for us to try and regain our composure. Evan comes back in and kneels in front of Cade.
“When did she have the baby?” he asks.
“A week ago. Lani said she can't nurse the baby and that Harper is starving. She keeps trying, though. What about my mom? Did she have the baby?”
“Yes, she did. You have a little sister, Juley.” I answer with a smile.
“Do they miss me?” he asks, his voice filled with uncertainty.
“Yes, Cade. They miss you very much. Every moment of every day.”
“I miss them, too,” he says starting to tear up. It’s time to call Brayden.
“Why didn’t you try to escape sooner?” Evan asks.
“We were locked in the basement until the night Lani had Harper. It was dark down there, so they moved us to the attic. Lani was in a lot of pain. I tried to help her. I did, I tried. I promise,” he says solemnly to Evan.
Evan hugs Cade and comforts him, “I know you did, son. I know. And Lani knows, too.”
"People are coming to buy Harper tomorrow, so Lani said it's now or never. I was afraid to jump, but Lani told me I could do it.” Evan releases Cade and looks at him in disbelief.
As Evan stands, the look on his face changes to barely controlled rage. I can tell he's thinking and planning, so it’s the perfect time to call Brayden. I have no idea how close anyone is to finding us, so I don’t want Missy to know anything until we can be sure, without a doubt, that Cade will be safe.
I tell Cade we're going to call Brayden, but we can't talk to his mom, yet.
“Hello.” Brayden's emotionless voice answers.
“Is Missy close by?” I ask.
“No, she's sitting in Cade’s room.”
“Brayden, listen to me. I’m with Cade; he's safe. I’ll explain later, just get here, now. I’m texting you the address.”
“He’s safe?” I hand the phone to Cade.
“Daddy, come get me. I want to go home,” Cade pleads, his voice breaking as tears start to fall.
I can hear Brayden in the background, “I’m on my way. I’m leaving now.”
Maddox
Where the hell is my wife? I’m getting worried. It’s not like her to be late. I tried calling her a couple of times, but it just goes straight to voicemail. Now Brayden is calling me.
“Hello?”
“Hey. I’m bringing my two sisters with me. They're going to watch your boys. Be ready. Gun loaded.” What the fuck?
“Why?”
“Kerrigan and Evan are out at an old farmhouse with Cade. She asked me not to tell Missy because they don’t know how safe they are right now.” I swear I’m going to kill my wife myself. What kind of stunt did she just pull?
“How?”
“I don’t know. Be ready. Five minutes,” he says and I start to rush. Going to the lockbox, I grab two pistols. Why the hell wouldn’t Kerrigan call me? I’m pissed, but more than anything, I’m scared. I try clearing my mind of the fear so I can focus on what I have to do.
I’ve met Brayden’s sisters a few times and they’re all sweet girls. Still, I don’t like the idea of leaving the boys, especially since I have no idea when I’ll be back. I talk to Gavin and let him know I’m going after the bad guys. I ask him to be good for Brayden’s sisters and to be a big helper. He agrees and wishes me luck.
After what seems like a ten-hour drive, Brayden and I pull up to the farmhouse and head inside. I immediately go to Kerrigan’s side and Brayden picks up Cade. It’s all so surreal. How? I look over at Evan and what I see scares me.
“Someone fill us in,” I request. Kerrigan updates us from the phone call she received and her calling Evan, up to the situation with Lani and her baby. I want to yell at her for not letting me handle this, but right now, we have bigger issues.
“Evan, what’s the plan?” I ask.
“I spoke to this lady,” he says pointing to the woman sitting on the couch. “She said there are two other farmhouses in a ten mile radius. The one Cade described is about four miles West. It also happens to belong to none other than Michael Cox.” All this time, we’ve been on Jackson, thinking he was the ringleader. We’d investigated Michael and Dylan, followed them. Nothing.
“Why wouldn’t this show up in his property search?” I ask.
“Because it’s listed under his wife’s best friend's name. They are making cash payments until the house is paid off.” Fuck.
“Okay. Kerrigan, I’m going to escort you and Cade out.” I tell her.
“Okay,” she says. “Please, be careful.” She hugs me, and then hugs Brayden and Evan. “All of you.”
“Dad, are you coming with us?” Cade asks.
“No son, not right now. Go home to your mom. Tell her I’ll be home as soon as we get Lani.”
“Okay. Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“I missed you,” Cade says and Brayden breaks down like a little Nancy. I know Evan and I feel like joining him. I can only imagine how this moment must feel for him.
“I missed you, too. More than you’ll ever know.” He hugs him one more time and walks him to the car.
After we make sure they're safely on their way, we head back inside. I’m concerned because the lady who owns this house could be
trouble. Evan says he’ll handle her. I’m worried his way of handling her will be with a bullet.
“Ma’am, I need to make sure you don’t contact the police. They kidnapped a woman. And they kidnapped this man's son.” He gestures towards Brayden’s direction.
“I ain’t callin' no cops. Them rat bastards arrested me once for just having a little weed on me.” Evan and Brayden both smile. All I can think is, I’ve been called worse. After talking some more, we trust the woman to keep this secret.
Kerrigan
We’re standing at the front door of Missy’s house. I’m excited to witness this reunion. We walk straight in and I call out for Missy.
“I’m in Juley’s room, Kerrigan. Come on in,” she says.
“I need you out here, right now.” I can’t keep the excitement out of my voice. I hear her fumbling around before I watch as she rounds the corner and locks eyes with Cade. She looks at me and then back to Cade a few times before she runs toward us.
“Oh my God! CADE!” she exclaims as she hugs and kisses him. She's utterly confused; tears of joy streaming down her face.
“I’m okay, Mom. I promise,” Cade says holding on to her tightly.
“How? What happened? When did you know? What’s going on?” Missy floods me with questions.
I sit her down and recap everything that happened. Then, Cade tells his story with Missy's arms locked around him the whole time. Through her tears, she manages to call her parents who are rushing over to see their grandson.
“Where’s my baby sister?” Cade asks.
“Come look at her. She’s getting big.” She walks Cade back to Juley’s crib.
“Does she know she has a big brother?” Cade asks.
“Of course,” Missy says, pointing to the photo next to the crib. “We tell her every time she goes to bed that she has a big brother who loves her.” Missy starts crying again.
“Cade, can you watch Juley for a minute? I’d like to speak to Kerrigan for a moment.”
Rebuilding Stone (The Stone Brother Series Book 2) Page 22