Page 25 of Heart of Stone
I walked out of the kitchen. The light in the room pulsed overhead making my head hurt. I leaned down and swept up my money. My right hand was nearly numb from pounding the guy. “Yep. I’m just going to step into your shower for a few minutes to wake myself up and then I’m out of here. My brothers are probably wondering what the hell happened to me.” I righted the table and helped him pick up the beer bottles. I shoved the wad of money into my pocket. “Thanks for inviting me to the game.”
“Anytime, buddy. Hey, there are some bandages in the medicine cabinet. You might want to try and close that cut up. Looks deep.”
I walked into the bathroom and undressed. Blood was still oozing from the gash on my cheek. It was going to leave a scar for sure. I had to turn at an angle to fit in the small shower stall, but once I’d found the right position, the water felt fucking nice as it poured down over me. I’d taken my mind off everything for a few days, and it had helped. But now I was heading back home, and home meant I’d see Amy and that meant feeling like someone had stomped on my chest all over again.
FIFTEEN
AMY
Ipassed my mom’s room on tiptoes, but the floorboards creaked anyway. “Amy, is that you?” she called. A loud sniffle followed. She’d been crying off and on since she’d come at me with a shovel. I’d told her over and over again it was the meds that’d caused her to do it, but that provided little comfort.
I popped my head into her room. She sat hunched under my old, faded flamingo patterned beach towel. I wasn’t completely sure when and how beach towels became her suit of armor, her protection against all the aliens trying to get her, but if it worked to make her a little less paranoid, then I wasn’t going to question it. She hadn’t touched the bowl of soup I’d brought her for dinner. Her shoulders looked ridiculously thin, like a metal hanger holding up her sweater and her beach towel cape.
“Mom, I told you, you need to eat with this medication.”
She blew her nose on her tissue. “Can’t eat because the medication is making me nauseous. Guess those brilliant doctors didn’t think about that.”
“I think food will make you feel better, in every way.” Iknew my words were drifting right past her.
Her complexion was sallow beneath the dim light in her room and her dark eyes looked as if they’d sunk into her face even more, as if they were going to eventually be swallowed up for good.
I’d been putting off telling her about the doctor's appointment I’d made for her. It was always better if I told her just before it was time for her to get dressed and go. Then she didn’t have days to think and stress about it. I needed to get her help before I lost her for good. These new meds were only making everything worse. She wasn’t hunkering around corners with vases anymore, but she had been brought so low by the chemicals in her bloodstream, I was sure she’d been thinking about suicide.
“Mom, can I get you anything? I’m just going to pop over next door and talk to Slade.” It was just after midnight, and I’d been in bed when I heard Slade pull into his driveway. Hunter hadn’t been home for three days. Slade had driven to his favorite pool hall to see if anyone had seen him.
“No, I’m fine. I’m tired. I think I’ll rest.” She scooted down and pulled the towel over her.
I headed out the door and across the yard. I’d been making good progress with the weeds and mess, but my worry about Hunter had slowed me down some. The light was on in the kitchen. I walked inside.
Slade was getting a beer out of the refrigerator. The Stone brothers weren’t big on showing emotion, but his face was smooth with worry.
“Did you hear anything?” I asked.
He pulled out a chair and shook his head. “No one had seen him at the pool hall in the last few days. Don’t worry,” he told me, but his tone wasn’t too convincing. “He’s a big guy who can handle himself better than anyone. I haven’t heard from the cops or a hospital, so that’s a good thing.”
I sat across from him.
“He’ll be home soon, Street. And then I’m going to kick his ass for doing this. I’m sure he’s with those bikers he’s been hanging with lately. I don’t know much about them except the one guy is called Fletch. They’re big into poker, and you know how Hunter likes to play cards and make wagers.”
“Yeah.” My stomach was twisting into a hard knot. So many ugly scenarios were dashing around my head. “This was my fault.” My throat constricted around the words. “I shouldn’t have gone off with David that night. Hunter was really upset.”
“No, Street, don’t do that to yourself. What you’re doing is good. You need to show Hunter that he’s not being fair to you.” It was rare to have a serious conversation with Slade but, of all the brothers, he always made the most sense. Maybe it was the middle brother thing. Not that he hadn’t lived through just as much despair as Hunter and Colt. He had. He just seemed to have come out of it a little more grounded.
“Right now, I don’t even care what he’s done in the past,” I said. “I just want his ass home and safe. And I’m going to be right there when you kick his ass for doing this.”
We both fell silent and thought about the comical scenario of someone trying to kick Hunter Stone’s ass. Slade was the first to break the silence with a laugh. “Yeah, meand what fucking army, eh? It always sounds easy when the big goof isn’t around.” His phone buzzed, and we both jumped. Slade looked at his phone and shook his head to let me know it wasn’t Hunter.
I slumped back against the chair.
“Hey, Rooney, what the hell are you doing up and about this late?” Slade asked. He sat forward. “Really?”
I tapped the table to find out what was going on.
Slade lifted the phone from his mouth. “Rooney said there’s a light on in theDurango’spilot house.” He placed the phone back. “I’ll head down there right now.” Rooney was a guy we’d gone to school with. His father owned three fishing trawlers, and they were moored near theDurango.
“What?” Slade asked. “It is? That fucker, we haven’t seen him in days.”
This time I reached across and tapped his arm. He held up a hand to hold me off a second. “Rooney, can you do me a favor? Walk down to theDurangoand see if the big dick is up there. Call me right back. Thanks man, I owe you.” He hung up.
