Page 38 of Stone (Claimed and Protected #3)

“Virginia. Um, Richmond. We have a place in Goochland. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of it?” The kid was nervous, more so than when I’d had a gun in his face.

“Yeah, I’ve heard of it.” Goochland. Horse country. A small suburb of Richmond where the wealth was high and the political connections noteworthy. My hatred of Bradford increased. “What does your father do?”

“He’s a doctor.”

“And your mom?” I sensed Dani was irritated with me for grilling the kid. Well, I was irritated as hell.

Tyler shrugged. “She’s a senator in Congress.”

Well, bingo. If her road in politics was anything like Bradford’s had been, he’d known Tyler’s mother for years. What a goddamn cover-up.

I laughed, although it was the wrong emotion. “You’ll need to excuse me, Tyler, because until tonight, I didn’t know you existed.”

“That’s what Mom told me.”

Dani exhaled and rose to her feet, walking closer to her son. “You’ll need to excuse me. Both of you. I don’t feel very well. I hope you’ll stay the night, Tyler. I’d like to… talk to you, but I’ll understand if you are too uncomfortable.”

The kid was constantly darting his eyes back and forth between the two of us. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea. I mean I have a hotel.”

“What hotel?” I was still barking out questions like a drill sergeant. Fuck. What was I thinking? The kid staying here? With us? I had to be out of my mind.

“The Island Getaway.”

Snorting, I shook my head. “That’s a fucking fleabag. I have plenty of room here. Stay the night so we can sort this out. Okay?”

Tyler was just as nervous as Dani if not more. I studied his facial expressions and his reactions. He had his mother’s determined look and the same nose, but the rest of him was all Bellows blood. I was as fucked up as I’d ever been.

“If you’re sure it’s okay,” he answered.

“Yeah, it’s okay. I’m sure you’re tired after your ordeal. I’ll show you where it is and get you some clean towels. Dani. Stay for a couple minutes. Okay?” I slipped the tumbler onto the table and stood, resisting glancing down at Dani. I’d never seen her this quiet.

“Thanks.” Tyler shakily rose to his feet. The fact his mother and father had not only encouraged, but had all but insisted he come find us was telling.

My gut told me they did know the circumstances surrounding the adoption. I did what I could to hide my anger. The kid… my kid didn’t deserve my wrath. There was a long enough list of people who did.

Including Gray. I refused to believe he hadn’t at least been forewarned. I also had a feeling Tyler hadn’t been told the entire story. The kid was as lost as Dani and I.

He carried his Coke with him as I led him down the hallway, the room on the opposite side of the house from where Dani was staying and my bedroom. Although the two had been interwoven the last few days.

“Here you go.” Could anything be more awkward than this moment?

I’d been through the kind of shit in my life that should prepare me for anything.

I’d suffered the loss of children I’d never met, but had been tasked to save, only to have their memories haunt me for ten years.

I’d always wanted a huge family and in truth, had thought Dani and I would have a ton of kids together.

Then acts of violence and brutality had made me think bringing a child into this world was akin to an act of cruelty.

But here he was, my own flesh and blood and I was completely tongue-tied. He walked into the room, taking his time looking around.

“Nice place,” he said.

“Tyler. I don’t want you to think you’re not welcome here. It’s just that we’re pretty shocked.”

“I get it. I was going to call, but I didn’t know your number. Besides, I figured you’d hang up on me. The whole story sounds crazy.”

He had no idea.

At least I could chuckle, which relieved some pressure. “You’re right. You don’t know me, but I don’t suffer fools lightly.”

He turned around, showing the same dimples I had hiding under my four-day scruff. “My dad says that. I mean…”

“He’ll always be your dad, Tyler. DNA doesn’t take that away.”

The way he rubbed his hand on his jeans was agonizing. “That’s what he said too.”

“Get some sleep if you can. We’ll talk more in the morning.” I started to close the door but stopped. “One more question. Why were you stalking us at the party?”

“I didn’t mean to stalk you. I just wanted to see what you looked like. When I heard my mom… my birth mom was staying with you, I just wanted to know… I mean I…”

“You were trying to figure out why we gave you up for adoption and thought seeing us together might help.”

Tyler swallowed. “Yeah, something like that.”

“I get it. I only wish I had some easy answers for you, but I don’t. I don’t think Dani does either. That’s her name. Dani Vale.”

“That’s okay and Dad told me about my birth mother. Some anyway.”

A whole lot of guilty consciences were going on.

“Well, goodnight.” I waited until he nodded before closing the door. As soon as I did, the bottom almost fell out from under me. I crowded the wall, taking deep, labored breaths. What the fuck was going on?

My chest was tight, the pain almost making me worry I was having a heart attack. I fisted both hands, bringing them to my face as I lowered my head. What in the fuck was I supposed to do with this shit from here?

Find the truth.

Dani and I needed to talk.

I took long strides into the living room, realizing she’d left. Fucking goddamn it. Now she couldn’t face the truth. Oh, this was insane.

I moved toward the door leading to the deck.

She wasn’t outside. She actually thought she was going to leave the situation like this?

Not a fucking chance. I headed down the hallway toward the bedrooms. Instead of choosing the main bedroom, she’d retreated to the guest room where she’d stayed the first couple of nights.

I was about to pound on the door when a noise caught my attention. She was sobbing, the wretched sound unmistakable. Shrinking back, I closed my eyes as I thought about what to do. The decent man in me should walk in and comfort her.

But at that moment, I wasn’t certain there was any decency left in me. Not a fucking scrap. Instead of being a good guy, the hero she needed me to be, I walked away.

With my drink and the bottle of booze in my hand, I headed outside onto the deck. I’d never been one to feel sorry for myself, but tonight was a different story.

I’d lost the woman I’d loved for twenty years. Now I realized I’d lost the chance to get to know my own son.

His first smile.

His first words.

The first time he crawled then walked.

The first day of school.

His first prom.

Hell, his first little league game or surfing competition.

The thought at least brought a slight laugh.

Graduating high school.

Dating.

Curfews.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I poured the glass almost completely full, allowing the swell of anger to form and peak until I was seething.

I threw back enough liquor to fucking choke a horse, yet it didn’t help.

There was no comfort, no understanding of what the fuck I was supposed to do with this.

I dropped my head, finally succumbing to self-deprecating sorrow.

Maybe I deserved to wallow in misery. Would anything have changed if I’d tried to contact her more often?

What if I’d known she was pregnant? What then?

Would I have quit the Navy or instead insisted she and the baby come live with me on some base? When I was sent overseas, what then? Leave them all alone, and that’s what would have occurred because her fucking father would have cut her off from everything. Money. Support. Love.

There were no correct answers. There was nothing that could make me feel any better and I certainly couldn’t help Dani. Not like this.

Why hadn’t she told me? Why?

Okay, so when she was pregnant and so young, maybe she hadn’t been equipped for the emotional distress, but now? Nothing made any sense any longer.

One thing about the insanity rang true. I needed and deserved to know the truth behind the bullshit. There was one place to start.

I yanked out my phone, gulping down more whiskey before thumb dialing Gray’s number. With the phone to my ear, I took another deep breath. Unfortunately, calming down wasn’t an option. Maybe not ever.

Maybe it was after one in Hawaii, but Gray should be enjoying his first cup of coffee for the morning in Virginia. Alexandria to be exact. Close proximity to the great big think tank he and his old buddies had created.

“Did something happen?” Gray asked by way of answering.

“Why would you think that?” I laughed bitterly and gulped down another swallow of booze.

“Because it’s after one in the morning your time.”

“Maybe I was just interested in seeing if you told more truthful lies in the morning.”

Gray exhaled. “What is going on?”

“You tell me, Commander. Who the fuck is Matis Garnier to both Bradford Vale and to my father?”

“I have no clue what in God’s name you’re talking about,” Gray insisted.

I almost broke the glass in my hand from the pressure used.

“I think you do. I wondered why in the fuck Bradford insisted I be the one to save Dani. I mean, let’s face it, the man still hates me.

He got his way and forced me out of his daughter’s life.

Why invite me back in? That didn’t and still doesn’t make any sense. At least it didn’t until tonight.”

“You’re losing me.”

“You knew my father was in prison. I learned from the great vice president himself that he not only knew my father well, but they were friends. But years later Bradford treated my dad like he was some murderer. There’s a story there, Commander. A cover-up. I can feel it in my bones.”

Gray was more befuddled than I’d ever heard him. “I don’t know what you’re looking for.”

“The goddamn truth!” I took a deep breath, throwing a gulp of whiskey into my mouth. “The fucking truth. My father was covering something up for Bradford. Wasn’t he? Maybe Bradford was involved in whatever happened that sent my father to prison. It’s like there’s a great big cover-up. Am I right?”

“You’re not making any sense.”

Now I laughed until my sides ached. “You’re hiding something from me and let me guess.

It’s because Bradford is requiring that you continue with his lies.

I get it, but I don’t. Why lie for the man?

Is he hoping he’ll make president one day?

” When he said nothing, I huffed. “That’s what this is partially about, although his guilt is eating at him since his daughter wants nothing to do with him.

I know he has other secrets he’s been determined to keep in his locked box, but that’s backfired on him. ”

“Stone. I’m going to say it one more time. You aren’t making much sense. Calm down.”

“Calm down? How in the hell am I supposed to do that? I need to know what the fuck my father and Matis have to do with Bradford. There is a connection and you will find that out for me.”

“Fine. I’ll see what I can do.”

“And I have one more question.”

Gray was obviously exasperated. Well, so was I. “What is it?”

I allowed a momentary pause.

“How long have you known I had a son?”

When he didn’t answer right away or offer surprise or even confusion, I knew the answer. I’d trusted almost no one in my life. Doing so had kept me alive. But I’d trusted him, the one man I though was above reproach. Now I knew my entire life had been embroiled in one lie or another.

“How long?” I demanded.

“Not long.” His voice was laden with despair.

And I didn’t give a shit. “Not long. You lied to me. Bradford lied to me. He lied to his own daughter. He told her our son… Let me repeat, our son was dead. Dead. Do you have any idea what that’s done to Dani all these years?

Do you realize what that fucking monster has done?

To his own daughter.” I was close to hyperventilating.

“Stone, you need to calm down. At some point, I’ll be happy to tell you what the fuck is going on, but you need to take a deep breath.”

“At some point? What? When I sign a nondisclosure agreement? Is that it? So I won’t dare expose the dirty little Vale secret?

Hear me, Commander.” I leaned forward, twisting the glass in my hand as the moonlight sent a cascade of shimmers across the dense crystal.

“What’s done is done. And you can give your good buddy Bradford Vale a message for me.

Tell him even if it takes the rest of my goddamn life, I will ruin him.

One last thing. If he ever comes close to Dani or to my son, I will kill him. ”