Stone: The Ties that Bind (The Forbidden Love Series Book 4) Read online

  I shook my head. I missed Kevin and Joanna. They were the only family we knew. I reached for my cell phone and called Annette. She was daddy’s mother. I needed comfort and I knew she would be there for me.

  “Hello, grandma?” I asked.

  “Alyssa, sweetie, how are you?”

  “Grandma, Danny is in the hospital,”

  “What? Your mother didn’t call me,” she replied.

  “Everything happened so fast. Can you come and stay with me grandma, please?”

  “Of course, I’ll be on the next flight out to Syracuse,”

  “Thanks grandma, I’ll fix your room,” I said relieved.

  “See you soon, Alyssa,” she replied.

  “Bye grandma,” I hung up the phone and headed upstairs.

  I glanced over at Danny’s room as the tears brimmed at the corners of my eyes.

  We were inseparable and though he was going to be okay, it still hurt my heart.

  Chapter 8

  I walked into the Square Diner and chose a booth near the window.

  A beautiful woman with long black hair and sparkling green eyes walked towards me.

  “Mrs. Darling?” I asked.

  “Yes, Mr. Turner I assume?” she replied.

  “Yes, please, sit down,” I stood up, shook her hand and offered her the seat across from me.

  “Coffee?” I asked.

  “Yes, please.” She replied with a sweet seductive smile. I waved at the waiter.

  The waiter walked towards us.

  “What can I get you Sir?”

  “Two coffees please.”

  “Milk or cream?” the waitress asked.

  “Cream.” We both said in sync. She giggled, and I lost my breath.

  “Anything else?” the waitress stared at Mrs. Darling.

  “Mrs. Darling?” I asked, hoping to see her sweet lips move again.

  “I’ll have a slice of lemon meringue pie,” she licked her bottom lip unknowingly. I stared at her mesmerized.

  “and you, Sir? Sir?” the waitress called again.

  “I’ll have a cheese Danish.” I sat up straight embarrassed.

  “Is that all?” she shook her head.

  “Yes,” I nodded.

  “I’ll be back with your coffees.” The waiter walked away.

  “So, what do you have to talk to me about Genevieve? Do you mind if I call you Genevieve?”

  “Of course not. Mr. Turner, there’s been a lot of screw ups with birth certificates in Syracuse, particularly with Anastasia Stone, the mother that you have requested to find out about regarding your niece. I used to work there, and I’ve seen a lot of…well, bullshit, but this almost seemed like it was purposely done, almost like a cover up of some sort,”

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but, I need you to get to the point,” I stated firmly.

  “Here’s your niece’s birth certificate. There are two.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, that’s a good question. The second birth certificate is signed by Mickey Shelton. Your brother, Sylvester Turner signed the first,”

  “What does this mean?”

  “I’m not sure what it means. The mother may have had multiple men. A bit of confusion perhaps on the hospitals end. Maybe she wasn’t sure who the father was. As a favor, maybe they just both signed the birth certificate. A few months later, she had the real father sign a new birth certificate for two of the children. Here, take a look,” She said laying out five birth certificates in front of me on the table.

  “Here’s your coffee? Where should I place it?” The waiter said.

  “Just place on the corner of the table,” I said irritated.

  “Sure thing,” the waitress spilled a little of my coffee purposely.

  “Mr. Turner, there’s a birth certificate here with an error, umm…two of them as a matter of fact.”

  “Two?”

  “Yes, Joseph Shelton and Madison Shelton,”

  “What’s the error?” I already knew the answer to my question, but I wanted to see if Genevieve would tell me something different.

  “Madison Stone is not Mickey Shelton’s daughter and Joseph Shelton isn’t his son,”

  “What?”

  “These birth certificates are not real Mr. Turner. I looked carefully into the data base. Madison’s father is a man named Jacob Lewis; here’s the signature,”

  “Excuse me?” I thought I was hearing things.

  Jacob Lewis was too much of a coincidence. He was a suit. That’s all I heard come out of that old bags mouth.

  “Yes, Jacob Lewis. Both birth certificates were never given to the mother. It seems that the father was the only one in possession of it,”

  “Is this a fucking joke?”

  “Excuse me?” Genevieve said startled.

  “I’m sorry.” I said quickly. Her beautiful green eyes opened wide.

  “It’s no joke Jackson. Why are you so upset?” she asked suspiciously.

  “I need the birthdate of this Jacob Lewis, please.”

  “It’s says here, December twenty-seventh nineteen sixty-three, what is it? What’s wrong?” she replied.

  I swallowed hard. I felt like my whole world crumbled around me in that diner. Jacob, the Jacob I’ve known all my life is Madison’s father?

  “What about Joseph Shelton?”

  “Joseph Shelton’s father’s name is Dalton McGuiness; mother, Annette Emily Perkins,”

  I stopped for a moment, closing my eyes in pain, feeling a pang in my empty stomach, I wanted to flip over the table. I didn’t understand this mess that mother put those kids in. A junkie, a fucking junkie that had kids and left them to fend for themselves. Stone, he wasn’t related to them…at all and my best friend...behind all of this…with Melanie? That old bitch wasn’t lying.

  “Mrs. Darling, how can this horrible mistake have gone unnoticed all these years? I believe Alyssa is my niece. She looks just like my brother. How can I be sure?”

  “Mr. Turner, I think these kids need to know what’s going on?”

  “There not kids anymore, Genevieve, they’re adults. I’m afraid the only person I’m concerned about is Alyssa,”

  “But, Mr. Turner?”

  “Good-bye Mrs. Darling. I’ll need these birth certificates as evidence,”

  “Evidence for what?”

  “I’ll be in touch, Genevieve,” I shouted as I exited the diner with the birth certificates in my hand.

  I didn’t know if I was having a panic attack or not, but I felt everything closing in on me. Everyone in the street was getting closer and closer. I keeled over placing my hands on my knees. I wasn’t sure how to take all this information, especially Stone and Madison and these birth certificates being tampered with. Melanie needed to know someone who had the power to do this and the only person that had power like that…was Jacob. A suit. My superior. My best friend.

  I hated Stone and Madison for what they did, but fuck, I’m not a monster…or am I? I glanced up slowly and saw my driver standing in front of my car. For some reason, he knew not to walk towards me. I was panicking but I was also furious. I still wanted revenge for the deaths of my brothers. No matter what, Madison would pay for what she did. I walked hurriedly towards the car as my driver opened the front door. He walked over to the driver’s seat and stepped in.

  “Mr. Turner, where to?”

  “I’m not feeling well. Home, please,”

  “Yes, Sir. Should I notify Jacob, Sir?”

  “Yes, tell him I have the flu. I won’t be in for the rest of the week,”

  “Yes, Sir,” he pressed the call button from the car.

  “Mr. Lewis, it’s Frank. Mr. Turner asked me to call you. He’s fallen ill and won’t be in until the end of the week,”

  “Oh…is he okay?”

  “Well, he’s home. I’ll keep you updated,”

  “Thanks Frank. If you hear from him, can you tell him to give me a call?”

  “Will do Mr. Lewis,” he pressed the button
on the steering wheel and ended the call.

  “We are headed home Mr. Turner,”

  “Thanks Frank,” I swallowed the ball in my throat.

  I sat in shock the whole ride home. We finally arrived at my apartment and Frank pulled up to the building.

  “Have a great evening, Mr. Turner,”

  “Thank you, Frank. I’ll be in touch,”

  “As you wish, Sir.”

  I got out of the car and walked into the building.

  “Excuse me Mr. Turner, your fiancée, Ashley is upstairs waiting for you,” Richard at the front desk of the lobby approached me.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. I let her in,”

  “You let her in? Since when do you make decisions on who enters my house, Richard?”

  “She was sick; throwing up. I felt sorry for her,”

  “Don’t do it again, Dick, or you’ll be working somewhere else, understood?”

  “Yes, Sir,” he nodded and lowered his head.

  This is all I needed. This broad sitting in my living room sick and probably crying.

  I opened the door to my apartment and noticed Ashley sitting on the couch.

  “Jacks,” she whispered.

  “Ashley? What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to speak with you?”

  “What is it?”

  “Dammit Jackson, you’re so fucking cold,”

  “I don’t have time for your drama Ashley, speak!” I shouted.

  “I…I’m pregnant,”

  “Have an abortion Ashley. I have no room for kids in my life,”

  “You don’t? you’ve been looking for your niece for eighteen years,”

  “You just walked into my life a year ago and you think you know me?”

  “For God’s sakes, this is your child!” she yelled at the top of her lungs.

  “Really? You’ve been fucking this old man as you’ve called me and used all sorts of protection not to get pregnant, now all of the sudden you are?” I pushed her down on the couch and held her arms. “Do you think I’m a fool. I know you’ve been fucking Richard on the side. Ever since he’s been working here last year you’ve wanted to spend a lot of time here with me when you never have before. I can see it in his eyes. Go! Go! And tell him he’s the father!” I slapped her across the face and she spat at me.

  “Let me go, you fucking bastard!” she shouted.

  “Get the fuck out of my face, Ashley!” I grabbed her by the arm and tossed her out of my apartment.

  “You bastard! How did you know? How did you know?” she demanded.

  “His eyes gave you away, Ashley; his eyes, not yours. You’re nothing but a money hungry whore. Get out and don’t show your face around her again.” I slammed the door in her face. I could hear her sobbing as she waited for the elevator.

  She was a conniving little thing; a sweet tender piece of ass that I couldn’t get enough of, but she was nothing but an unfaithful slut. I didn’t have time to think of Ashley now. I needed to clear my head and think about how I was going to kill Madison and anyone else who got in my way. I have no one and she has Alyssa. It can’t stay this way and…it won’t.

  Chapter 10

  “Hey Grandma” I shouted as she walked through the door.

  “I’m here princess!” she grabbed me by the shoulders and gave me a hug.

  “Come, look at this place, it’s spotless, right?” I said proudly.

  “Well, look at this place, it’s perfect!” she giggled.

  We both laughed.

  “Grandma, I was thinking you could help me make daddy’s favorite blueberry pie. It would be such a great surprise for momma.”

  “Yes,” she lowered her head.

  “What is it grandma?” I grabbed her hand gently and sat in the living room couch with her. “Is something wrong? What is it grandma?”

  “Alyssa, I haven’t been feeling well lately. The doctor says, well, it may be lung cancer. He’s not sure.”

  “Oh grandma, I’m so sorry.” I hugged her.

  “ There’s something I need to tell you. I feel you’re old enough to know. Something that no one knows…not even your father.” She whispered with tears in her eyes.

  “You’re scaring me, grandma, what is it? You can tell me, please.”

  “If I tell you and you tell Madison, it will destroy her…forever,”

  “This must be really bad. I’m all grown up grandma. I will never do anything to hurt momma,”

  “Alyssa, you are a grown up, you’re right, but…this is very serious,”

  “Your other grandmother lied about who Stone’s father was.”

  “You mean grandma Mel. She was a junkie. She was always lying,”

  “Yes, but the lie that she told cost your father his life,”

  “I don’t understand,”

  “Your father, Stone, wasn’t Joseph Shelton. His name was Joseph McGuiness. I hooked up with Mickey when Joseph was a baby. He raised him as his own. His father was a detective. I guess being with me was a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, I was a junkie once too. I gave Stone to Mickey to raise while I got sober. He was a terrible father but the only father your daddy knew. I was his mother, but he didn’t know that when he was a kid. He only knew that before he died, but he didn’t know that Madison nor he shared the same father.”

  “You mean, you lied to us all these years?” I stepped away from her. “You made momma believe she lived in sin by loving her own brother when they weren’t even related?” I cried. “You know none of us cared about that, right? Did you know that meant absolutely nothing to my mother!” I barked.

  “Alyssa, please.” She reached out to hug me.

  “Please what? You could’ve stopped all this madness. They could’ve been together. He would’ve been alive today. How could you? How could you?” I cried.

  “Alyssa Stop!” Grandma yelled.

  She ran to me as I tried to walk away. I pushed her against her chest.

  “You’re not my grandmother. You’re a stranger. A stranger that killed my father. The only father I’ve ever known. Get out! Get out!” Grandma looked at me as if I had stuck her with a knife in her chest.

  “Alyssa…please, don’t do this. You didn’t even know him.” she grabbed me by the arm. “I love you,”

  “I knew him through momma. How? How did you love us?” I shook my head.

  “I loved him. I did. But I couldn’t take care of him.” She whispered.

  “But, you never loved him. He always thought you walked away from him when he was a baby. Why did you lie? Why?”

  “I was threatened by some government guy. He told me if I ever told Stone the truth he would kill me and him,” She wiped her tears with her hands. “He told me I needed to keep everything a secret to protect Stone, otherwise I would put him in danger,”

  “Who told you this? Who? What government guy?” my head was spinning. I was so confused.

  “I don’t remember his name, but he came in a very expensive suit, blonde hair and blue eyes, handsome and intimidating,” she sobbed.

  “Grandma, this doesn’t sound real. Are you telling me the truth? Swear on Bryan’s life?” she glanced up at me. “Swear it!” I barked.

  “I swear. I was threatened never to say a word. You must believe me Alyssa. I’ve been terrified all these years. I never heard from them again. Mickey was a heroin addict, he didn’t care about anything,”

  “Why did he live with momma?”

  “Mickey didn’t want him living with him anymore. He said he paid his dues when he took him from me when I was on drugs and raised him. When we got back together, he didn’t want him around anymore and since I couldn’t tell anyone who his real father was, I had to let him go.”

  “But he didn’t even know you were his mother when he was dropped off at momma’s. He thought my mother was his mother. Why?”

  “I already told you, Alyssa. I was a coward. I paid for my mistakes. My son is dead because of me…because of me.”
She cried.

  “This doesn’t make any sense at all…”

  “It doesn’t have to. It’s over, no one has to know!” she shouted.

  “Grandma, I’ve never lied a day in my life to my mother. Why would I do that now?”

  “Because you’ll destroy her,”

  I stood in front of my grandmother drowning in my tears. My cell phone vibrated in my pocket. It was a text message from Danny.

  Hey, I’m alive and kicking Lyssa. Can I have your girlfriends number? LOL

  I smiled and glanced up at grandma.

  “It’s our secret. I’ll never hurt her.” I lowered my head and sat on the couch. “I don’t know how to forgive you right now, grandma. But, I love you. I do.”

  “Please, let me make it up to you. I loved Stone. He was my baby.” She whispered.

  “You never loved him, you were just like grandma Mel, a junkie, just like my real father.”

  “Alyssa, it will kill me if you don’t forgive me,”

  “I need to know more,”

  “I don’t know any more. I know that the government was involved in Stone’s death and they tried to kill Madison. That’s all I know. I swear on Bryan. That’s all I know.”

  I grabbed my cell phone and texted Danny back.

  You must be better if you’re thinking about girls already. LMAO

  The government? This was bizarre and started to sound like it was all a lie.

  “I’m trusting that you are telling me the truth. I love you and I believe you,” I whispered as I hugged her around her shoulders.

  “Blueberry pie?” she whispered softly.

  “Yes, blueberry pie,” I wiped my tears with the back of my hand.

  It all seemed surreal and for a moment. I wanted to forget everything that grandma told me, but I couldn’t. I was curious. Especially since Daddy wasn’t even related to us in any kind of way. I needed to know more.

  My cell phone rang.

  “Lyssa?”

  “Momma? Hi,”

  “Hi sweetheart, they’re releasing Daniel tomorrow morning,” she sighed over the phone with relief.

  “I have a surprise for you,”

  “You do?”

  “Yep, for both of you. I’ll see you tomorrow,”