Here's the next chapter guys! And good news, the first chapter of the sequel is already written so as soon as this story is finished, you can all jump into the sequel. I hope you like it. It's quite cute, the first chapter has this real sweet flashback…you're going to love it!

Anyway, let's see what's going on.

Chapter 36 – The Sullivan's, The Psycho And The Search

"IT'S so nice to have visitors, my entire family moved away and I'm always alone. It's just me and Jesse now." Mrs Denty said and she hobbled into her front room and invited Troy to sit down. At that moment, a large pregnant St Bernard whom Troy assumed to be 'Jesse' walked into the room.

"Mrs Denty, I'm sorry but I have to ask you. I really need to know as much as I can about the Sullivan's." Troy said desperately.

"Oh…well…I don't really try and spread gossip ar –" Troy cut her off.

"Please, my wife and child may be in terrible danger and I really need your help. You're the only one to help me." Troy begged.

Mrs Denty looked at Troy for a moment as if wondering whether to believe his story.

"The Sullivan's, 'She began stroking Jesse's head softly, "Were a wealthy family with a very mysterious background. It all started with Catherine Melissa Woods. She was sixteen when she started working for the rich and handsome William Sullivan. She was only a tea girl but no matter what she did wrong, William was infatuated with her. She was beautiful too, very beautiful. He was forty and had never been married or had much of a relationship. He didn't look forty either."

Troy was on the edge of his seat listening intently. He was ready to hear everything.

"He tried everything to win her over. He bought her expensive gifts but she did not want to be won over. She was far too young to be dating a man of his age. He grew impatient with her and apparently one night when she was alone with him he raped her." Mrs Denty said.

"Then what happened?" Troy asked.

"Her parents the Woods were good respectable people but they were disgusted with their daughter. She was tainted and pregnant. They threw her out of their family and moved away, never wanting to see her again. Homeless, she turned to the only person she knew would care for her. She turned to Sullivan!"

"Did he take her in?" Troy queried.

"Oh yes and he was pleased she had come to him. She married him a few months later and then gave birth to a son, who she called Richard." The old lady said.

Troy felt himself shift uneasily in his chair, in a way he pitied Catherine.

"Catherine stayed with her husband and son for seven years. She never had to ask for anything. She was cared for and loved. She didn't love her husband and she wasn't very affectionate to her son either. She mothered him but he was always her memory of her rape. She was always faithful and her husband never was. He loved her but he loved other women too and it made her all the more miserable. She shot her husband one night when he was asleep in their bed and feeling the despair and loneliness creep into her mind and also the fact that she would be caught, she shot herself too. She wanted freedom I think and death was her only escape. She left her son alone with other members of her family and the house that they lived in, the lovely family home that she had endured years of sorrow in was boarded up, never sold." She exclaimed.

"What about the son? Did he change? Was he odd?" Troy asked.

"Oh he changed. He inherited his father's money when he was eighteen and he grew and expanded his businesses. He was known for violence, Richard was, a nasty man with a cold heart. Many believed him to have it after his parent's deaths but no…I say he was always that way. It was his mother, she brought it about him." She told Troy.

"Um…Mrs Denty, can you tell me…what house the…well the house number and the street?"

"Well…that is the very thing I can't really remember. I have a folder around here somewhere that we could have a look for. I need help to find it of course…would you help me? It has an official newspaper clipping explaining the story I just told you, and also the house." Mrs Denty said.

Troy looked at his watch, if this helped Gabriella then he would do it. He nodded.

"Come, everything's in the basement." And they walked off together to go in search of the folder that would hold the key to the entire mystery.

GABRIELLA turned on her side tiredly, her eyes closed and intending on sleep. Her head was spinning slightly but she felt so much better with Troy's arms around her. She turned in his arms and intended on falling asleep into Troy's chest, she opened her eyes slightly and screamed.

"YOU'RE NOT TROY!" She screamed, she jumped out of bed with the blankets wrapped around her.

There Richard sat smirking, naked and sweaty.

It all became suddenly clear to Gabriella, she remembered Richard drugging her and her mind becoming hazy and unfamiliar. She had passed out for a few minutes and then when she woke her vision was blurry and she could not recall the man who was moving above her, making love to her. Believing it to be Troy, in her drug filled mind, she had completely responded to him, moving with him and whimpering and moaning at his touch. She admitted, it was a little rough for Troy but she believed that he was just so eager to be inside her. Now, she felt sick and realised that she had, whilst being completely unaware, slept with Richard.

"Perhaps that unworthy git has taught you something. That's the first time you've ever tried to make love with me, 'Richard said standing, He came up behind her and brought his hands around her waist and breathed deeply in her ear, she heaved, "You were amazing."

"And you sicken me." Gabriella snapped pulling away from him.

Richard laughed, "You enjoyed it Gabriella! Don't lie to me."

"I was drugged; I wasn't in the right state of mind. I'm never eating anything you give me again." She said sharply.

"Then you will starve. I will continue to bring food in here and you'll give in sooner or later. You need me right now." He said.

"I don't need you!" Gabriella replied coldly, she turned away from him, feeling like she had betrayed Troy, even though it wasn't her fault.

"I'll bring in that Bolton now, you've certainly satisfied me enough." Richard laughed and he left for a moment and Gabriella took the opportunity to put her clothes on.

He returned a few moments later with a sobbing Lucy.

"Shut it up!" Richard ordered.

Gabriella took the baby from Richard and as soon as she was in her mother's arms, she calmed down.

"She has a name!" She retaliated.

"Whatever, 'He walked towards her with somewhat of a tender look on his face, he touched her face and she flinched, "I love you."

Gabriella laughed, "You can't love and whatever happened to 'Love doesn't exist'

"I just said that to keep you close! What's happened to you?" Richard asked watching her keenly.

"What are you talking about?" Gabriella snapped.

She placed Lucy down gently on the bed and began to change her nappy.

"You've changed! He's spoilt you! I broke you, I broke you in and you were perfect that way. There wasn't a thing I couldn't get you to do!" Richard said almost cockily.

"What am I? A horse? You can't break women in Richard!" Gabriella said as she picked Lucy back up and nuzzled her nose affectionately into her baby's nose.

"I did! I broke you in! You were so tame, now you're so uncultivated. Bolton's ruined you. He's took the weakness out of you." Richard said coldly.

She turned to glare at him, "Troy didn't take the weakness out of me, he just showed me love. I'm still weak! I still haven't got the strength that you or Troy have. Troy showed me love!"

Richard seemed to soften for a moment, "I can show you love!"

Gabriella turned her back from him to feed Lucy. She didn't want him leering at her as she fed her child.

"HA! Love, you have no heart to love! I don't want anything from you!" Gabriella snarled.

Richard got angry.

"YOU'RE NOT A WOMEN IF YOU CAN'T ACCEPT WHEN A MAN LOVES YOU!" He screamed and suddenly the room was filled with Lucy's startled cries.

"OH NO! I AM A WOMAN, BECAUSE I LOVE TROY AND HE LOVES ME AND I WILL NEVER LOVE YOU! NEVER! I ACCEPT TROY'S LOVE! TROY MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I'M A WOMAN, SOMETHING YOU NEVER DID!" Gabriella screamed back and she returned her actions at soothing her child and allowing her to suckle back on her breast.

A moment later, Lucy was snatched out of her hands unexpected. She quickly hid her breast back in her bra and turned to Richard.

"What are you doing? She's hungry!" She asked as he carried her to the door, she was thrown back by his hands pushing her to the floor; he pulled out a gun and directed it at the baby.

"No! Richard, don't!" Gabriella sobbed.

He directed the gun at Gabriella and she sat silently, she would take the shot of the gun for her child.

"Shoot me!" She said loudly and bravely.

He turned and laughed, "I'm not going to shoot you, 'He said smiling softly, "I love you."

"Then why are you keeping me here?" Gabriella asked shaking.

Richard stowed the weapon back into his pocket and turned to the pretty, yet distressed brunette in front of him, "Because you belong to and with me! I'm not letting you go, over my dead body!"

And with that he slammed the doors shut and Gabriella was left alone. She found the slab of brick she had stored under her bed and pulled it out and tried again to bash the chain from around her arm. She kept smacking her arm and it was painful, she was bleeding a little though Richard had not noticed. She was sure the chain was breaking…she had to keep trying.

TROY and Mrs Denty were half way through a large pile of rubbish when Troy's phone started ringing.

It was Taylor.

"Oh sweetie, our hearts are with you. Chad's all over wanting to come out and help. We can search too." She exclaimed gently.

"No, it alright, I don't want you guys to worry too much. I'll find them, I promise." Troy said.

"It's all over the news and well…I don't know what's wrong with Corbin. He's going mad, we can't get him to soothe." And even in the background Troy could hear Chad and Corbin crying.

"He must sense Lucy's gone or something. Gabriella…was…um is big on that thing." Troy said softly.

A moment later a yell of joy filled the room.

"I've found it! I've found it!" Mrs Denty said, pleased.

"Tay…I've got to go. I'll see you soon, bye." Troy said hanging up quickly.

He was handed the large brown book and he touched it with trembling hands.

"Open it." Mrs Denty said gently.

He opened it and read the first few lines of the article and a moment later he looked up and hugged Mrs Denty, "53 Coronation Trent, Albuquerque!"

So that's the next chapter! What will happen next? Will Troy find Gabriella and Lucy? Is Corbin really that mad about Lucy? Is Lucy well in Richard's hands? Has anything Mrs Denty said, helped? Review and tell me what you think and read the next chapter 'She Is Mine'

xoxMusicalxox