Page 145 of Property of Stone
She found his bedroom empty, but before heading backdownstairs to check the garage next, she noticed Sunny’s door was slightly ajar but the room was completely dark. Maybe she had gotten home somehow and was taking a nap.
She pushed the door open wider and stepped inside.
She didn’t find Sunny, but almost jumped out of her skin when she spotted a shadowy figure sitting on the bottom bunk.
Holy shit.
Stone had something clutched within his fingers. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw what it was…
A cell phone.
“Stone, why didn’t you answer?—”
“Get out,” he growled.
What? What was going on? “Did you?—”
“Get the fuck out!” he roared, causing her to wince at both the volume and angry tone. “Don’t make me put my hands on you and force you the fuck out.”
Her heart got jammed in her throat and every nerve ending prickled.
While the man could be dangerous, she was damn sure he would never hurt her. Unlike Vic.Good lord, she hoped she wasn’t wrong. “Stone...”
When he surged to his feet, she stumbled backward a step. She quickly recovered and forced herself to hold her ground. Why was he lashing out at her?
“What fuckin’ part of get the fuck out didn’t you hear? Are you goddamn deaf?”
She was so confused about what was going on and, screw him, she wasn’t leaving the room until she knew what that was. If he was angry at her, she deserved to know why. “I only want to know what’s going on. If you haven’t found Sunny, I want to help.”
“Coulda helped by not interferrin’ with what I wanted todo in the first fuckin’ place, Taryn. Now that motherfucker has Sunny.”
Holy shit. What?
“If one fuckin’ hair on my baby girl is out of place…” Stone shook his head. “Don’t fuckin’ matter. He’s gonna get the endin’ he deserves, no matter fuckin’ what.”
She stared at him as that information sank into her brain. Then panic began to rise. She had to find her breath to ask, “Why would Vic take Sunny?”
How would Vic know about Sunny in the first place? And how did he tie Sunny to Taryn and Wren? Did he have someone spying on her, like a private investigator? And if so, why would he take Sunny instead of Wren?
None of this made any sense.
“I never would’ve thought he’d take Sunny instead. How would he know she even existed?”
“The motherfucker’s fuckin’ unhinged. He’s gonna use any tool he fuckin’ can to get to you.” His jaw shifted. “Or get back at me.”
Her already ice-cold blood turned frigid and her pulse began to pound in her ears. “Get back at you for what?” For beating the crap out of him over a year and a half ago?
He shook his head and didn’t answer. Even in the dark room she could see his jaw popping. And if she looked hard enough she was sure he was white-knuckling that cell phone.
“Get back at you for what, Stone? How would Vic know about Sunny? How did he even tie the two of us together?” She wanted answers. And if Vic really had Sunny, they were wasting time hashing this out.
She went over to the drawn curtains and threw them open. He was hiding something and she needed to see his face clearly.
“Youwanted me to spare him so gave him a warnin’,instead,” Stone finally answered, his tone losing some of that grumble.
“What do you mean? When?” Why was this the first she was hearing about this?
He pulled in a deep breath and told her about waiting for Vic out in front of SCI Dallas.
