Atonement (Heart of Stone) (27 page)

He sucked in a breath but nodded reluctantly, “Fair
enough, but I’m just saying you need to be careful, Ava. I will not allow
anymore shit to happen, they go through me next time. Understand?”

I nodded, “I know. I just can’t figure out why this
bastard wants you, Mason. What his grievance is with you.”

He laughed as Kade returned to the room, Mason’s eyes
flicking to him swiftly before they settled back on me, “Baby, it could be any
number of things.”

“The stats should be back soon, and then you’ll know
where your money went. My program will pinpoint the exact location as well as
the transaction details. It will find him for you.” Kade divulged as he pulled
on his jeans but left them unbuttoned and my eyes feasted on his pure
masculinity, my gaze lowering onto the sprinkle of black hair now disappearing
into the waistband of his denim.

Mason laughed and I blinked, “Ava, you’re eating him
whole.”

I shook my head to clear my thoughts before I pulled on
my clothes. “By the way, Brad stays with you all day until I can replace Wes.”

I nodded in confirmation; there was no point in fighting
Mason when he was like this, even though the thought of Brad tagging along
beside me all day didn’t exactly bring a smile forth. He looked the type to try
it on but I brushed it off, knowing I could take care of myself. “Sure, I’m
just nipping to the cemetery to replace George’s flowers, then picking Katie
and George up from your mother’s, and then I’ll be home all day. Will you still
be here, Kade?” I asked as I dressed and flicked a look at Mason as he also
turned to Kade, waiting for his answer.

“Yeah, I gotta run through with the program. It needs
some other stuff doing once it pinpoints the IP’s so I can track the movements
of the money and bring up the name of the account it eventually landed in.”

“Did you manage to get a link on what I asked you?” I
asked Kade quietly when Mason stepped into the shower.

“Not yet but that could take weeks, Ava. I know I write
brilliant programs but sometimes they’re a little slow.” He chuckled and took
my hand in his, “Is Mason okay?”

I shrugged and pursed my lips, sighing as Kade’s thumb
gently rubbed my knuckles, “I’m not sure, I think he’s fighting a few new
emotions.”

He cocked his head as a small frown puckered his brow,
“Emotions involving me?”

“I dunno, he clammed up when I asked him,” I replied as I
shot a look to the bathroom when the shower shut off. “The best thing to do is
sit back and let him deal with them. He’ll let us know when he comes to some
sort of conclusion about them.”

He nodded then pulled in a heavy breath, pulling me back
slightly as I turned to walk away, “I need to say something, Ava. I know you
don’t want to hear it but I need to say it.”

I swallowed back the worry and let him have his say as I
nodded to him.

“I love you Ava, you know that and I know you love me but
this…this whatever it is, it was the right thing to do. Years Ava, for years I
have wanted you and it tore me up inside but now we end it. We move on, get on
with life and…”

He ran his tongue over his teeth as his throat bobbed and
my skin tightened when I knew his next words would hurt, “And I can’t see you
again, Ava.”

My heart dropped through my stomach as I shook my head
urgently, “Kade, no, I…”

“Ssshhh, sweetheart.” He pulled me against him tightly,
my hip screaming in pain but that was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

“Last night and this morning… it made me realise how much
I want you, Ava. How damn in love I am with you and I can’t…”

His fists clenched beside him as he closed his eyes, “I
can’t watch you be with someone else. I will never get over you whilst I watch
you, see you every day and know that you will never be mine.”

Tears spilled down my face and he swept his fingers over
my cheeks, catching them before they dripped from my chin, “You’ll be fine Ava,
Mason loves you so much. His eyes are so alive when he looks at you, his whole
aura lights your shadow, sweetheart. And you, you absorb that Ava and it’s what
makes your heart beat every day. I can never compete with that kind of love. I
know you love me, but I know you worship Mason. I have seen the adoration and
idolisation in your eyes and I can visibly see your soul reach out for him. I
can feel the thud of your heart when he enters a room and fuck, I might be a bastard
at times but even Hell wouldn’t forgive me for destroying that.”

“But…”

He shook his head firmly before he leaned and grazed his
lips over mine, the salt from my tears mixing with his love and stimulating my
tongue and lips as my heart stuttered against my chest. His mouth moved over
mine with so much passion and I sighed into him as his tongue stroked across
the underside of mine. I let it flow, let him take what he needed from me as I
palmed his face and fed him as much love as I could.

He rested his forehead on mine as his eyes held me but a
smile lifted his lips, “I’ll be here when you get back, I promise.”

I nodded against him, inhaling his deliciousness one last
time as I pulled my shoulders back, halted my tears and dragged my heart back
into place.

His gaze pierced my soul before he slipped past me and
went to check his equipment in the office.

I didn’t watch him go, just stood rooted to the spot, my
fingers against my lap as I closed my eyes and strived to steady myself. I knew
it would come, knew last night would make it difficult but that didn’t help
stop the ache that was killing me inside.

I had always hated myself for what I did to Kade all
those years ago and now, now it felt like retribution, my turn to feel the pain
as I tried to let go.

I watched Kade walk away then gazed at Ava as she
struggled with her emotions in the centre of the room.

I had heard every word from behind the door, listened to
them each declare their love but what had surprised me was Kade’s words and
Ava’s acceptance. She had fought with her feelings for Kade for over seven
years but she had controlled them, allowing her friendship with Kade to
continue and grow. Now she had even lost that and I couldn’t help but feel
guilty for pushing last night’s amazing experience.

My own emotions over Kade weren’t something I was willing
to decipher at the present moment, not until this shit was over with and I
stayed motionless until Ava left the room.

I sat on the edge of the bed and stared around the
bedroom, my bedroom for the last twelve years. This was where I had first taken
Ava, first made love to her, first accepted that I was in love with her, first
asked her to marry me and lost our first child in this very room. It was part
of me, part of our family and I sighed heavily as I visualised the rapture on
Kade’s face this morning when he slid into Ava’s warm wet pussy. The love that
had been displayed on his face mirrored mine and then the adoration on my
wife’s face not ten minutes ago when Kade gave her a final kiss.

Would she ever move past this? I had no worries or
concerns about whether she loved me but I hated to see her ache; an ache that
she would carry with her for the rest of her life. An ache that was now
wiggling its way inside me.

No, I wouldn’t go there, wouldn’t accept what my heart
was telling me. This was over, finished and it would stay that way.

I climbed from the bed and dropped the towel to pull on
my clothes. “Ava asks if you’re ready for breakfast.” Kade asked from the
doorway.

I turned and watched his eyes lift from my backside as a
sly smirk appeared on his face. He had been checking me out and I frowned at
myself when my gut pooled with heat and my stomach fluttered with satisfaction.

“Yeah, five minutes.”

He was about to turn when he turned back to me and held
my gaze, “About this morning, I know you were listening and I wanted to
apologise for what I…”

I lifted a hand and stopped him mid-sentence, “I knew it
all, Kade. I want to thank you for… I dunno, for handing me the reins I
suppose. Your honesty to Ava means a lot.”

I sighed and penetrated his eyes; his gaze grew serious
when he felt the sadness in me. “We’re moving to Portugal, Kade. After we get
this bastard we’re selling up and moving into George’s place.”

He sucked a hefty intake of air through his teeth and I
noticed the slight tremble in his legs but he held it back and I could see the
acceptance absorb into him, “Probably a good thing then. I need complete separation,
Mason, otherwise I have no chance of…” He shrugged to finish his sentence and I
nodded to show I understood.

He left again and I watched him go, my heart racing in my
chest as my eyes dropped to his arse and devoured the way his backside hugged the
denim nicely.

Fuck! I did not need this right now; I needed complete
concentration on finding our guy. I didn’t need my attention somewhere else
until I had him.

I shook myself off and dressed before following the smell
of fried bacon and eggs. I didn’t need to follow the scent of Ava; my soul
dragged me to her intuitively. It was always on the hunt for its mate and I
smiled as I noticed the customary dip in her brow as I entered the kitchen.

Her eyes lit up as I approached and slid an arm around
her waist. “Smells good, you two have given me an appetite.”

She scoffed and slapped me with the spatula until I let
her go, “Mason, you’re always hungry.”

I smirked and nibbled on the nape of her neck as I
answered in a slow growl, “Always, baby.”

“Not for me, I mean food.” She scolded and Kade laughed
from his place at the table. “Sit, it’s ready.”

“You’re always ready, Ava” Kade laughed then quietened
when she narrowed her eyes on him and glared.

“Don’t you start” she admonished but I couldn’t miss the
twinkle in her eyes and the slight twist of her lips in the corner.

He saluted her and grinned as she placed a plate of food
in front of him. He watched her, his eyes trained on every move she made and I
bit my lower lip as I surveyed the easiness they portrayed together.

Why did I feel guilty? Fuck, she was my wife and Kade
meant nothing to me.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

***

I took the stairs up to Kade as Ava left with Brad to go
to the cemetery and I frowned when Kade started to hit numerous keys rapidly on
one of his four laptops.

“Found something?” I asked as I crouched beside him and
watched different images flick over the screen.

“Come on, come on…” he hissed through his teeth as though
he hadn’t heard me.

“Is it the trace?” I tried again.

He shook his head despondently without looking at me. The
computer made a succession of beeps as Kade hit more keys furiously. “It’
something Ava asked me to look into.”

“What?” I murmured as old newspaper clippings flocked the
screen and I squinted as Kade scrolled through them.

“She asked me to find a connection between your men, both
personal and from Allure.”

“She what?” I barked but Kade didn’t even blink.

“I also ran Ava’s name through to see what came up and
the fucker’s just found a hit… Fuck!”

I leaned in, goose bumps erupting over my body as my
breath lodged in my throat, “Is that…?” I stuttered as my blood cooled.

“Katherine Tammy Davidson.”

“Holy Fuck!”

“Katie!” I whispered.

“The newspaper clipping is dated thirteen years ago. This
must be before she ran away. It’s something about her family winning an award
for services to the community.” Kade relayed as he read the words below the
photo.

“Oh – sweet –Jesus!” I reared back, my arse hitting the
floor with a heavy thud as I scrutinised the picture.

“What?” Kade hissed as he watched my body shut down with
fear, his eyes hard as he reached for me and pulled me up, “WHAT?! MASON!”

“Katie’s brother…” I managed to choke out.

He turned back to the screen, his face close as he
squinted at the fuzzy image. “No… no, no, no…”

I watched the horror pass over Kade’s face as I looked at
the ceiling, “Stop him Katie, please” I begged to a ghost, unable to move as
fear and terror ripped through every muscle in my body.

“Hey” I said to George as I pulled a few weeds that had
already grown through the new soil. “You’re pushing up weeds already you sour
bastard.”

I chuckled as I walked over to the bin and dumped the
pile of greens. Brad lifted a hand from his position at the back of the plot, his
eyes scanning the area as he gave me the much needed privacy I needed as I
hashed out my life with George.

“The twins send their love, and Mason of course.” I said
quietly as I settled on the ground beside the man who I loved more than I had
ever loved anybody, apart from Mason of course.

“Well, it’s a mess again; you’ll be pleased to hear. I
have had all my money pinched, my husband has asked the other love of my life
into our bed and I got fucking shot. When you said I had killed too many
robins, I think you may have been right.”

I scowled as I grumbled at the ringing tone in my bag.
“Not now, I’m with George” I scolded as I ignored it.

I ran my fingers along the small cross, the headstone yet
to be fitted as I smiled softly, “I miss you George, so bloody much. You were
always there for me to growl at, to sound things over with and just drag me up
when I need it. I’ll never forget your love and care that night behind the Blades
nightclub where you found me…”

Holy Fuck!!!!

The blades, the blades.

The fucking message wasn’t for Mason, it was for me. Liv
had got it wrong. The missing money, the warning about the blades… it was me.

I pulled my phone from my bag, noticing the seven missed
calls. A text flashed up from Mason just as I went to dial him.

Mason:

Ava… if you are in the cemetery, stay there, I’m
coming for you. Its Katie’s brother, Ava. Brad is Katie’s brother.

My heart stopped, literally stopped beating as I sensed
him behind me. Oh Jesus, how could I not have seen this?

I didn’t move, there was no point. He had me, he’d always
had me and I stood, turning to face him as he watched me with a tilt to his
head and a wild look in his eye.

“Figured it out, Ava? Took you long enough.”

“I don’t understand Brad, why would you want to hurt me?
Katie was my friend, we looked after each other. Why the girls at Allure, they
had nothing to do with me?”

He took a step towards me and I scanned the area around
me, hunting for something anything to use as a weapon. My gun was in my bag,
Mason made me carry it everywhere, but my bag was currently on the floor beside
George’s grave and I knew I had to run the other way if I was to get away from
him. “You left her to die, Ava. YOU LEFT HER TO FUCKING DIE!! The girls were just
pawns.
You
were supposed to find Ginny hanging from your balcony, not
Mason. I needed you to find out about Allure to hurt you with your husband’s
years of deceit, like the years of betrayal I felt when I found out you
abandoned Katie when she needed you… you fucking failed her, Ava. You watched
and laughed as they burnt her to death.”

I shook my head furiously, “No, NO! I couldn’t get to
her. They held me back Brad, I tried, I tried so hard…”

His fist connected with my cheekbone and damn, I actually
heard the crack as it shattered. The pain was excruciating and tears flooded my
eyes. “You cry! Well, well, not so tough after all, are you!”

He slid a knife from behind him as an evil smile curled
his lips, “Katie needs retribution, Ava. It time for atonement.”