Atonement (Heart of Stone) (5 page)

       
I beamed at Layla as I pulled her the perfect pint of bitter, “I am so
proud of your head technique, Ava Fox” she winked and I laughed with her.

“I have brilliant head technique, little Willow, it’s my
pint pulling that I struggle with” I laughed as my eyes swung to the open door.
I was surprised he wasn’t here by now but I had managed two hours so far.

I wasn’t deluded; I knew my time here was short. If Mason
had his way, I would be dragged out by the hair, bundled into the passenger
seat of his car and drove home to a reprimand… and an over-possessive fuck. The
latter was okay but to be honest, I was sick and tired of being on the
receiving end of the former.

I didn’t know what to do about his recent fall off the
wagon. Six years he had been drug free, or so I thought. No, I was confident it
was only a recent set back. His dominant and possessive behaviour should have
alerted me and I was angry at myself for missing it. He had slowly been
returning to a bastard, the bastard that had influenced him six years ago, the
bastard that needed total control of me and complete compliance from me, but he
was still
my
bastard, my glorious bastard.

Something was going down, like Courtney had said and it
must be something big for Mason to revert back to the need for coke.

I blew out a resigned sigh as I turned to Owen, my
colleague for the night, and friend who I had known over the years Mason and I
had frequented The Black Panther. “Can I just take a quick break; I need to
have a word with William?”

“Sure, honey, go on” he smiled with a tilt of his head
towards William’s office.

I smiled my thanks and slid under the barrier of the bar
and made my way over to the office.

William grinned widely when he opened the door and
gestured me inside with a sweep of his hand. “How’s it going, Ava? Everything
okay?”

I nodded and grinned, “Yeah, good. I love it, it’s Mason
I wanted to see you about though.”

He held up a water bottle from his fridge and I nodded to
him. He threw it over to me and I downed half of it before I unleashed my
worries on a man that would also die for me.

“Have you heard anything on the grapevine about Mason?”

He pursed his lips and frowned slightly. I recognised the
expression and tilted my head, “Anything, William. He’s back on the coke.”

“Fuck, Ava.”

I nodded and sighed, “Something serious is going down and
I need to find out what cos’ I know he won’t tell me. He needs to learn that by
now I can handle that side of him.”

He seated himself opposite me and sighed again as he ran
his fingers agitatedly through his thick blond hair. “Well, nothing specific
but I had some information passed to me recently which I’m quite concerned
about. I have a feeling it’s bad blood between some people but…”

“Go on.”

He nibbled on his lower lip furiously and my stomach
clenched when I realised it was something I wasn’t going to like.

“I’ve had a couple of new girls approach me for a job.”

I nodded and William shifted his eyes to the monitors, I
knew it was a diversion of his eyes so he wouldn’t have to look at me when he
told me.

“They came from
Allure
and I have heard Mason’s
name mentioned by them in a whisper.”

His eyes shifted again and I frowned, “Allure?”

He rolled his lips and locked me with a gaze, a painful
one. “It’s a brothel, Ava.”

Oh, okay.

“But why would they know Mason?”

William gave me a sad look and I shook my head, refusing
to believe it. “No, Mason wouldn’t use prostitutes. He wouldn’t, William.”

He gave me a small smile and nodded. “That’s exactly what
I thought, Ava. He’s happy with you, he’s been happy with you ever since he met
you. I have done some digging to see who owns the place and so far nothing,
which I find very strange.”

“The girls?”

He shook his head, “No, I’ll give them that, they’re
loyal to their previous boss and that, believe it or not, was the reason I gave
them a job. Loyalty is everything in this line of work.”

I nodded and sighed. “Then I think it’s about time I did
some digging of my own.” I stood and made my way over to the door, “If you hear
anything, William, and I mean anything, even if it hurts me…”

He nodded firmly, “Yeah, I know, sweetheart.”

I swallowed back the anguish and worry as I ventured back
down the corridor. Why would Mason’s name be mentioned by some prostitutes?
They had to know him, but how and in what capacity was the difficult question
that needed an unwanted answer.

My foot stumbled when I spotted Mason propped up on a bar
stool talking to Layla and Owen.

Wonderful! That was this job gone too.

Without seeing me, he turned to me, as if he was aware of
my presence without clocking eyes on me. His glorious body was so attuned to
mine it didn’t need sight to tell it I was near and vice versa.

His eyes roamed over my work attire and the blaze that
lit his pupils brought a gasp as well as a shudder through my sex. A single
look and this man made my body convulse with need and hunger.

His stunning sexy smile lit his face and I frowned. Okay,
I was not expecting that.

His head tipped and he held out his hand, encouraging me
forward and into him. As soon as my body reached his and my hand settled into
his large one, he pulled me in tight between his firm thighs and rested his
mouth at my ear as my body hummed in contentment at the closeness of its soul
mate. “I’m sorry, baby.”

I frowned deeper and pulled back to regard his features.
He was serious. Holy Hell!

“Are you okay?”

A hand slid behind me and gripped my bum so he could edge
me further into him. “I am now I’m wrapped in you.”

My eyes flicked over every inch of his face, looking for
some sort of lie or humour but no, it was clear. I then studied his pupils, all
normal and clear.

“You’re scaring me,” I whispered in his ear as I snaked
my arms around his shoulders and held him just as close, inhaling his unique
scent and getting high on my own personal drug… my husband.

His head shot back and his bark of laughter made me grin.
“Yeah, I’m scaring myself. You look fucking hot, Ava.”

His finger trailed the edge of the ripped neckline in the
deep tight V-neck t-shirt, dipping between my boobs and down into the hollow of
my cleavage as his other hand stroked across the thin silky material of the
black hot pants struggling to cover my bum.

“I like these,” he growled as he squeezed my bum, “They
make me hard.”

I grinned lewdly, “And you just make me hot, Mason.”

He drew in a long harsh breath as his teeth clamped over
my bottom lip before he took my mouth dominantly and hard. His lips moving in
perfect symmetry to mine as his tongue powered around my own.

Now I got it. He was making his claim on me in front of
the whole club.

“You don’t need to exhibit ownership, baby, I’m yours and
all the regulars know that.” I smirked at him as his eyes gave away his stun at
my acumen.

“And what about the non-regulars?” he mumbled grumpily under
his breath as he desperately tried to manage his jealousy and need for control.

“Mason, don’t do this to yourself. I’m not here to
entertain and the clients will be well aware of that. I’m just a waitress,
that’s all.”

His gaze bore through mine but he nodded eventually and I
was proud of his relent in the issue. I knew it was difficult for him to have
all the men in here leering at my backside. “I know it’s hard Mason, but you’re
the only one who gets to take me home and fuck me. No one else.”

He clenched his teeth and huffed out a breath that wisped
over the base of my throat and triggered another heated shudder, but he looked
serious for a moment, “We need to talk when we get home…after I fuck my wife…hard.”

“Yes to both, Mr Fox.” I grinned.

I stroked my thumb across his cheekbone and nodded as
Owen handed me a tray overloaded with champagne flutes and a bucket crammed
with a bottle of Cristal and ice. “Table six, Foxy,” Owen told me as he referred
to me with the nickname William had provided me with. Everyone working here had
a pseudo name to protect identity, apart from Owen, which I found rather
strange.

I nodded as I picked up the tray and bucket, expertly
balancing each in each hand.

I could feel Mason’s eyes on me as he watched me teeter
across the room in my four inch knee high boots and thigh length socks. Rather
strange for a uniform I know but I kind of liked it, it was sexy but fun.

The rowdy group cheered and grinned at me when I approached
their table with their order. They were sat on a large round table in front of
Misty, one of the pole dancers, as they constantly told her to take off her
clothes.

Misty rolled her eyes at me, her blank expression telling
me this behaviour was nothing unusual as one of the men leaned forward and
grabbed the edge of her short skirt, trying to pull it from her body.

Her footing slipped slightly as she tried to wriggle away
from his grasp but he was having none of it and continued to harass her.

“Can you refrain from touching the performers, please.” I
said quietly as not to embarrass him in front of his friends.

He swung his eyes to me and narrowed them before they
dropped to my cleavage. I reached across the table to place the tray and a wicked
grin erupted on his face, “You available for fucking?”

I raised my eyebrows at his bluntness and lack of manners
but remained polite as was expected of my job. “I’m afraid not, but I can book
you in with one of the entertainers if you wish?”

He snorted, “Entertainers? You mean whores.”

I bit my lip to hold back the tongue lashing I so wanted
to give this ignorant bastard. “No, sir, I mean entertainers.”

He didn’t retort but his eyes fed from my body, his leer
penetrating my skin and making me feel dirty. “I think
you
need fucking,
darlin’.”

I held his gaze and smiled sweetly as I nodded, “Yes, I
do and that’s exactly what my husband will be doing when I get home.”

His eyes cooled and darkened, “Nah, baby, I can give you
exactly what a bitch like you needs.” He told me cockily as his finger swept
from the dip of flesh at the base of my throat to straight between my cleavage.

I grabbed his hand, grateful that my back was to Mason
otherwise this man would be taking his last breath and I would no longer be
employed here. I cranked his fingers back harshly until he squirmed in his
chair and his mates stared like guppies at their friend being overpowered by a
woman. “Do not ever touch what you’re not invited to touch. Do it again and I
will break your fingers.” I whispered as I leaned into his face.

His teeth sank into his bottom lip as he glared at me.
“Let go bitch, or you’ll soon be regretting it.”

I scoffed and shook my head. “You’re not listening to me,
darlin’.
” I pulled a little more on his fingers until he had to shift
his body to accommodate the angle of his hand.

His other hand swiftly shot out towards my hair. Jesus,
why did they always go for the hair?

I moved my head in time and brought my free hand out to
catch his before I twisted his arm and brought him out of his chair and onto
the floor in front of me, on his knees, one arm twisted behind his head and one
hand now nearly doubled back on itself in my tight hold.

“Are you listening now?” I asked him calmly.

I groaned as I felt Mason approach, his fury sucking the
air from the room, taking the oxygen possessively as he structured the
molecules of air around him.

I turned to him, my hold still on the prick in front of
me as his mates still stared open mouthed with no offer of assistance to their
friend.

“I got it, Mason.”

I might as well have been talking to the four guppies for
the amount of receptiveness I got from Mason.

“Mason, baby.” I repeated. I needed him to back off
before trouble really started.

The prick in my hold whimpered when he caught sight of
the glorious bastard before him. “Now look what you’ve done” I chastised with a
shake of my head and a sigh.

Mason dropped to his haunches afore him and removed my
hands from his fingers and arm. The idiot sagged and sank onto his arse on the
floor. Not for long. He was soon in Mason’s grip as he was dragged across the
room and through the front doors.

Shit!

William, who had appeared from somewhere, rolled his eyes
at me and gestured for two security guys to follow him as they hurried after a
manic Mason.

“Bloody hell” Layla groaned behind me and I puffed out a
resigned breath and nodded. “He’s gonna have to get used to it.”

I nodded again as I followed her back to the bar.

Owen chuckled and handed me another tray of drinks.
“Here, these are for room 7, you should be safe there. You’re out of sight.”

“Pfft, my husband can see through walls where my safety
is concerned.”

He mumbled an agreement still with a laugh as I took off
towards the private rooms.

I was still cursing Mason as I flipped open the door to
room 7 with my hip and stepped into the room.

My hands shook but I managed to keep hold of the tray as
I spotted the resident of room 7.

“Hello, sweetheart” Kade smiled.

I now prayed my husband couldn’t see through walls.

      
Willow slapped my arm when I got back to the bar, grumbling something
about controlling my temper. “Mmmm, where’s Ava?” I asked, completely ignoring
her telling off as I wiped the blood off my knuckles with a napkin from the bar.

“Delivering an order. Are you even listening to me,
Mase?”

I nodded but scanned the room, “No, babe, she’s not
here.”

“She’s in one of the privates. You do realise that Ava
can handle herself with these pricks, don’t you?”

“Seriously, Lay? They’re fucking knobs who think they
have right to touch other people’s property.”

Her brows hit her hairline as her jaw dropped, “Property?
Please tell me I just misheard what you said.”

I pursed my lips, wobbled my head from side to side cockily
then shrugged, “Nope.”

She grabbed my chin and whipped my head around as she
peered in my eyes. Her hand shot out and before I registered what she had done
a sharp sting fired through my cheek. “What the fuck, Lay?”

Her chest was heaving as her eyes literally glowed with
the fire burning through them, “You stupid fucking twat!”

I grit my teeth, reining in the need to slap the
insolence out of my best friend, “Don’t fucking start Willow, not now, not
right now.”

She shook her head, her rage and disgust rolling off her
in thick waves of antipathy. “What the hell is wrong with you? If Ava finds
out…”

“She knows” I interrupted before she went into tornado
mode and whirled my head with her relentless fucking nag.

I did not need this now, I needed to make sure my wife
was safe from wandering hands and perverted leers, their obvious fantasies of
what they wanted to do with her displayed in their sick and twisted eyes.

Layla reared back and shook her head slowly as pain and
disappointment etched across her pretty face. I curled my lip at her pity, I
didn’t want or fucking need her pity. “Don’t fucking judge me, Lay. You don’t
fucking get to tell me what to do. Just cos’ Lucas is pussy whipped and pants
at your fucking feet like a weak willed fucking lapdog doesn’t mean I do!” I
slammed at her.

The hurt that quickly hit her face was swiftly covered by
anger before she rolled her lips, shook her head sadly and fucked off.

Good.

“Jack” I barked my order at Owen who raised an eyebrow at
my tone but rapidly thought better of it and lowered the fucker back down.

I swiped my itchy nose with the back of my hand as I saw
Ava walking briskly down the corridor from the private performing rooms. My
eyes narrowed when I noticed how flushed she appeared, no not
flushed…flustered.

Her footing stuttered as she took me in. My wife could tell
by the simple flick of an eye when something was different with me and I
growled deep in my chest at the irritation that was so prominent on her face.

Who the fuck did she think she was?

I could see her physically drawing back her fierce words
as she ignored me and smiled at Owen, “Anymore?”

He frowned at her with a slight puzzled look. “Yeah, room
7 again, they’re ready for refills.”

“What? But I’ve just served them.” Both annoyance and
anguish flittered across her beauty before she pulled it back and nodded
sharply. “Go on then.”

He passed her a bottle of Corona; a single bottle. She
looked down at it in bewilderment before she looked back up at Owen. “Is this
it?”

He shrugged, sighed and nodded. “Don’t ask me?” he said
with as much confusion as Ava.

Her tongue pushed a ridge through her cheek before she
closed her eyes, pulled in a breath and ventured back down the corridor.

I sneezed and the small dreg of Jack Daniels that was
left in my glass swished over the rim of my glass and hit my lap with a splosh.
“Fuck!”

I grabbed another napkin and dabbed at the stain but it
was already soaked through to the skin. “Fuck it!”

I caught Owen staring again and I lifted a challenging
brow at him. He shook his head and picked up a phone from under the desk.

“Uhh, sure, sir.” He said before replacing the thing and
trekked down to the other end of the bar to complete the order that had just
been phoned through.

Ava appeared beside me as Owen stepped up to her again
with another bottle of Corona and waggled it at Ava. She pulled in a hefty
breath as Owen shrugged, “Clients, Foxy, gotta drag it in, honey.”

“Don’t call my wife honey” I snapped with a glare to hit
home my warning.

I could sense the slight shake of Ava’s head to Owen,
telling him not to retaliate. He licked his lower lip, his temper obviously
touching just below surface but he nodded in reply and stepped sideways
slightly to serve a customer.

“Baby.”

I turned to her soft voice in my ear and took her bottom
lip between my teeth. Fuck, I was horny, coke always made me horny and I
couldn’t wait to get her home and bang the fuck out of her.

“You book into a hotel tonight.”

My eyes snapped open as I reared back to see if she was
serious or fucking with my head as well as my mood.

“You don’t go anywhere near my children while you’re
high.” Her tone sanctioned no arguments and I scoffed at her attempt at
discipline.

“
Your
children?” I hissed at her. They were
her
children now.

She leaned in closer to my ear and I could feel the anger
radiating off her with a tangible chill pouring from her tight little body.
“You’re not exactly acting like a decent fucking father right now, Mason. I do
not want Katie and George to see their daddy acting like a fucking adolescent
teenage fuckup. Don’t fight me on this cos’ after eight years with you I have
learnt how to pack a suitcase in three minutes flat.”

Okay, now I was just getting fucking pissed at her. What
the fuck was happening here?

She picked up the bottle of Corona and I grabbed her
wrist before she had chance to retreat. “What the fuck, Ava. Don’t you dare
fucking challenge me. No way, baby.”

She rolled her head with a smirk, “And don’t call my
bluff,
baby
, cos’ you’ll find I play well and I play to win where my
babies are concerned. Find a hotel; work it off and come back home when you
decide you don’t wanna shove any more of that fucking filth up your damaged
fucking nose. Don’t
you
fucking challenge
me
, Mason. You won’t
like the outcome.”

With that she pulled back harshly, burnt my retinas with
a fierce look and propelled herself down the corridor and back to room 7.

She had never - never spoke to me like that. “Fuck!”

My glass shot across the bar and smashed against the full
length mirror donning the wall behind the optics, distorting my reflection as
the final drop of whisky slid down my duplicated face.

I could feel Owen’s frustration but he remained tight
lipped as William approached me flanked by two huge guys. “Mason, go home and
cool off. I don’t wanna do this but if you’re gonna act like this every time
Ava’s at work then I’m gonna have to refuse you entry when she’s on duty.”

What the hell was wrong with everyone? “You know what
William? Fuck you, fuck you all. I don’t need this damn shit.”

I jumped off my stool and made my way out, whistling for
a taxi when I hit the pavement.

She wanted me to book into a hotel? Well, fuck her; I
would take her at her word.

And I did as I booked in for three nights.

Let her fucking stew.

It was just a few lines, nothing I couldn’t handle and
get out of when I wanted, but she was acting like I was back on the smack. I
just needed the high to take my mind off all the shit that was happening. I
needed it to block out the fact that everything was coming to a head.

Everything I had managed to keep hidden for eight years.

Everything that could blow my marriage apart and take the
only thing that had ever meant anything to me - my family, my fucking amazing
and beautiful family.

It was all so fucked up.

A fucking heap of shit that wouldn’t bury itself and let
me breathe.

It was getting too close to home now. The images from the
photos that were sent to me by some anonymous fucking prick had been straw that
broke the camels back in my stretch of being a virtuous drug free, good boy.

Whoever he was, he knew how I would react to this latest
development and I knew without a shadow of a doubt it was the same person who
had killed Yvonne and this meant this prick was fucking serious at what he
pursued.

My marriage.

The words on the letter still burnt my mind as well as my
heart.

Leave her or she’ll
find out all about your filthy little ‘sport’