Resolution (Heart of Stone) (7 page)

“About your
Fiancé, how much you let him hurt you.”

I sighed and
bit my lip, “Mr Denman, I know you are only trying to help but I don’t think
the state of mine and Mason’s relationship has anything to do with your duties.”

He narrowed
his eyes on me then nodded once. “Please accept my apologies, Miss Stone” he
said with a tip of his head and I shrugged and nodded as I picked Katie up out
of the playpen and walked past him towards the stairs.

He grabbed
my arm and I spun round. “Ava, I’m really sorry. It was really unprofessional
of me and I’m sorry” he said quietly and I regarded him.

“Are you
sorry professionally or personally?” I asked as I narrowed my eyes on him.

He paused and
his eyes locked with mine. “Professionally” he stated and I bit my lip but
turned and left.

The next
four days went by and nobody had heard from Mason and I was really starting to
worry about him, I was frantic with fear that Dane had got to him. Elijah had backed
off but I still noticed him glancing or staring at me every now and again.

I had
managed to get hold of the nursery where Liv took Helena and I was due to start
work the following Monday, I was nervous about leaving the babies but I was
also desperate to get back to work.

The babies
were now nearly six months and I was starting to think of myself as a mother
only and I needed to have another side of my life, the one where I was Ava
Stone instead of Mummy.

Elijah was
on duty and I bathed and put Katie and George to bed and went to join him at
the kitchen table where he was drinking coffee and eating a cinnamon swirl I
had baked in the afternoon.

“I need you
to put a trace on him” I asked and his eyes swept up to mine.

He nodded
and pulled out his laptop from his bag and geared it up. “I’m sure he’s fine
Ava” he said softly and I gulped.

“I can’t
stop thinking about him been overdosed and dead in some fucking shithole squat
somewhere” I confessed.

Elijah
frowned softly and reached for the hand I had rested on the table. “Ava, I
don’t think that’s Mason’s scene” he declared and I scoffed.

“Who knows what’s
Mason’s scene when he’s drugged up” I sighed and he smiled sadly.

He started
typing away on his laptop and I left him to it. “I’m gonna have a bath” I said
as I stood and climbed the stairs slowly.

I was
desperately anxious for Mason. I knew it wasn’t like him to stay away from his
children for so long and I knew the guilt he would be feeling over what he had
said to me.

I stepped
into the bath when it was full and sunk down, my muscles instantly screaming in
delight at the relaxing feeling.

My sores
weren’t as sore now, they had started to heal and weren’t open and raw anymore
but I knew I was going to have some major scarring.

“Where are
you Mason?” I whispered to myself as I closed my eyes and his bright sexy grin
flitted across my eyelids.

“I love you
so much baby, I need you” a tear slipped free, then another and I wept
uncontrollably and wretchedly. “Where the hell are you?”

I sat up and
hugged my knees and rested my head on my knees. “GOD DAMN IT!!!” I screamed in
frustration as I cried to myself.

The door
swung open and Elijah’s eyes swept the room and then landed on me. His eyes
widened and he quickly turned around. “I’m sorry Ava, I thought, well I thought
someone was in here with you” he apologised.

I sniffed
and hiccupped. “No, sorry. I have a tendency to scream and shout at myself… sorry”
I hiccupped again.

He was
silent for a moment, his back still turned to me as I still hugged my knees.
“Are you okay? You’ve been crying” he stated.

“Yeah, I
have a tendency to do that as well” I sucked on my lips and as I turned my head
I caught Elijah watching me through the mirror on the vanity.

He held my
gaze as his eyes became hooded and dark and his lips parted as his eyes slipped
down the mirror and swept the reflection of my body.

He couldn’t
see much apart from the contours of my breast and my back. I saw the flinch in
his eyes as he spotted the welts and scorches adorning the skin over my back
and he bit his lip, his face angry and anxious.

His gaze
lifted to my eyes again and his expression softened and the corner of his lips
curled wickedly. “Stunning” he whispered and I gasped as blood flooded into the
bottom of my belly and heat erupted between my thighs.

I quickly
looked away and I heard the door close behind him and I exhaled noisily and
closed my eyes to the feeling coursing through me; arousal, pleasure and fear.

I nervously
entered the kitchen, wearing my shorts and vest and robe and smiled timidly as
Elijahs head snapped up and his eyes scanned me and I wondered if he had
expected me to come down naked, just for him.

He smiled
and winked. “We got a hit” he said and my eyebrows hit my hairline.

“Mason or Dane?”
I asked.

“Dane” he
said and I wasn’t sure if I was excited or disappointed.

“Where?” he
was typing and hitting numerous keys on his phone. “Cashpoint near La Roche” he
said and I narrowed my eyes.

“That
reminds me” I said and Elijah looked at me.

“Greg had
said that when Sam had got a hit on Dane’s whereabouts and he had gone to look
for him, it was just a cashpoint like now but Dane was waiting for Greg. I just
wondered how… well how Dane would know Greg would be there?” I asked.

Elijah
frowned. “Well he couldn’t really, unless he spotted him while he was at the
cashpoint” he expressed and I nodded but pursed my lips.

“But surely
Dane would have gone by the time Greg got there” I deliberated and Elijah
frowned.

“Well I
suppose” he typed something in to his laptop. “Why was Greg sent there?”

I shrugged.
“I don’t know, they were all given the co-ordinate’s when the hit came through
but Greg went on his own without waiting for a partner” I divulged.

“And who
knew Greg had gone?” he asked and I shrugged again.

“Well all Mason’s
employees, I would presume, they were all given the command” I told him.

He sighed in
thought, “Strange” he whispered.

I nodded
“It’s like Dane knew he would be there but I don’t see how he would have known.
I presume he would have used the cash point then moved on knowing he was being
hunted. He definitely wouldn’t have dined in La Roche when he knew Mason would
have looking for him, it’s one of Mason’s haunts and the owner is good friends
with him.”

I nibbled on
my little finger. “I just can’t understand why he hung about for the 15 minutes
it took Greg to get there.”

Elijah
frowned in thought. “Ava, I’m gonna do a search of all Mason’s employees, we
keep this between ourselves okay?” I nodded gratefully.

It was
something that I had been turning over in my head for a while and I felt lighter
for sharing my suspicions.

I retrieved
a bottle of wine from the fridge and a glass from the cupboard. “You want one?”
I asked but he shook his head.

“Not while
I’m on duty” he said distractedly as he worked on his laptop.

I had just
placed the bottle and glass on the table when the back door opened and Mason
stood there. I gasped and Elijah shot up. “How the hell?” he asked him
astounded that he had got past the security.

 Mason’s
eyes never left mine. “They know me, they both used to work for me” he told
Elijah while he held my gaze.

My body was
screaming out for him, my man. Relief and delight coursed through me but the
main emotion was anger and rage that he had put me through this nightmare for
the last four days. I walked round the table and punched him in the face.

His head
shot sideways and Elijah gasped.

Mason closed
his eyes, took a deep breath and opened them again. “I guess I deserved that”
he said quietly.

“You fucking
deserve another one, don’t you ever do that to me again” I shouted at him and
he gulped but nodded then narrowed his eyes.

“I went home
and you were gone” he said sternly.

I scoffed.
“What the fuck did you expect? That I would wait for you after what you said to
me?” I saw Mason’s eyes shift to Elijah and he glared at him.

Elijah
nodded slightly and disappeared and Mason took a step towards me but I stepped
back. “Ava…” he warned and my eyes widened on him.

“What the
hell do you expect Mason… open arms?”

 He bit his
bottom lip. “I fucked up Ava, I know” he confessed quietly.

“Well guess
what Mason, this time you fucked up by gigantic proportions and we are now
officially finished” I snarled at him.

I could not
believe he expected things to just carry on where they were left.

His face
dropped and he stared at me. “Ava, no” he shook his head and stepped towards me.

“Don’t
Mason, don’t fucking touch me” I hissed but he ignored me and grabbed my arm, I
recoiled and flinched harshly and hurt flashed across his eyes.

“Where the
fuck have you been anyway and how many women have you screwed this time?” I
asked.

He flinched,
guilt exploded on his face and my heart clenched. “Oh no, no, no Mason. Not
again” I choked out, “Please, no” I sobbed.

“Ava… I… I
don’t think I did but I was high and … and I… well I need to tell you before
she does” he said.

I narrowed
my eyes on him. “Tell me before who does?” I asked slowly and my stomach
tightened in anticipation to what I knew was coming.

“Well my
head was fucked Ava… I... well, I woke up and she… she was there… in my bed” he
cringed.

My blood
froze. “Who was?” I asked oh so slowly.

He swallowed
heavily. “I need to tell you before she does because I know she will” he
swallowed again.

“WHO?” I
yelled.

“Rebecca” he
whispered.

A sob tore
from my throat and he shook his head rapidly. “I don’t think I did though Ava,
I mean I know I was high but I’m positive I didn’t sleep with her baby, in fact
I know I didn’t, I think I would know the next morning, baby” he said
frantically.

“DON’T YOU
FUCKING CALL ME THAT EVER AGAIN, NOW GET THE FUCK OUT!!!” I screamed at him.

“Ava no, I’m
sorry baby” he declared.

I picked up
my glass and threw it against the wall. “GET FUCKING OUT YOU BASTARD” I roared
as I shook my head at him.

He closed
his eyes in pain but turned and left and I slid down the cupboard and collapsed
on the floor. I pulled at my hair and screamed in pain and hurt. Why did he
keep doing this to me? I thought he loved me!

 I wept and
sobbed as I curled up within myself and I felt myself being dragged onto someone’s
lap and arms tightened around me.

I looked up
to see Elijahs’ pained expression. “Shush Ava, he doesn’t deserve your tears”
he whispered into my hair.

“Why does he
keep doing this to me?” I sobbed. “He’s fucking destroying me” I cried and he
stroked his thumb across my cheek, wiping away the tears that fell.

“Shush, Ava”
he repeated.

My screams
turned to sobs and then to weeps and then sniffles as Elijah rocked me steadily
and rhythmically.

My head was
rested against his chest and the rhythm of his heart lulled me into relaxation.
 I sighed deeply. “Your hair smells amazing” Elijah said softly and I tilted my
head back slightly and looked at him.

“Thank you”
I smirked and his lips lifted on one side.

“Sorry” he chuckled,
“very random.”

I grinned at
him and his eyes softened as he gazed at me, his breathing deepened as did my
own and I parted my lips and licked them as his eyes dropped to them.

He leaned in
and brushed over my lips with his as he hovered over me, his warm breath
breezed over my mouth whilst he waited for my refusal but he didn’t get one.

My hand
slipped into his hair and I pulled his mouth to mine and I kissed him, needy
and demandingly. He returned it with as much need and passion, slipping his
tongue into my mouth and tracing along my teeth with it.

A moan
rumbled from my throat and he returned it with a long heavy groan as both his
hands slid around the side of my face and into my hair.

He deepened
the kiss and a hand left my hair and slid down my back to cup my backside and
pull me further onto him and I could feel his erection straining against his
trousers. I swung one leg over him and straddled him and one of his hands slid
up my side, over my ribs and he gently embraced my breast.

I moaned and
pushed myself further into his hand as he started to softly caress and massage
me, his thumb stroking over my erect nipple. I slid my crotch over his hard
length and he groaned loudly as his mouth left mine and journeyed downwards
onto my neck.

“You smell
so good Ava. Your scent drives me wild” he rumbled and I grabbed his ponytail
and pushed him further into my neck.

I rocked
against him again, harder this time and I heard him hiss “Fuck, I need to feel
you” he snarled.

I groaned as
his hands parted my robe and swept under my vest and over the bare skin of my
breasts. “Oh god” I moaned as I rubbed on him harder and faster.

He pushed my
vest up and gazed at my breasts, his expression full of lust and want. “I need
your mouth on my breasts” I told him, my voice low and carnal.