The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone (77 page)

As if he sensed my thoughts he settled his hand over mine and grasped it tightly, expertly driving with one hand. “I love you, baby and I promise it’ll be us soon.” I nodded but turned to look through the window, batting back the tears and refusing to set them free.

Sam arrived a little after 8 O’clock. As he walked in I couldn’t ascertain from his expression whether he had good news or not. He gestured for us to sit, so we did. He held a manila file in his hand but didn’t hand it over as he looked at Mason.

“Alex McDowell,” he said simply. Mason stiffened and screwed his face up as though in agony. I sat looking between them. Sam sighed and nodded. “You’d better update Ava about Alex.”

Mason frowned but turned to me. “A couple of months before I met you, Alex worked for me at the club and he was a doorman. We’d had some complaints about him but to be honest he seemed like an okay sort of bloke at first; did his job properly, was polite to the customers and never had time off. We had a tip off from someone that Alex was selling coke and E’s to some of the club goers. I had the others keep an eye on him and it came to my attention that he was giving entrance to underage drinkers, supplying the underage girl’s coke in exchange for . . .” He glanced at Sam and then looked back at me “ . . . For sexual favours” he finished.

I sighed but nodded for him to continue. “Before I had the chance to have a word with him he . . .” He looked away and took a deep breath. He seemed torn up by something and I looked at Sam who just shook his head vaguely so I waited for Mason to carry on. He looked me in the eye and held me there as he tried again. “One night Alex was pretty stoked up on coke and god knows what else, he let a fourteen year old girl in and sold her some coke for the usual payment. Alex ended up brutally raping her and strangling her.” He closed his eyes with his last words.

“Oh God!” I breathed.

He looked back at me. “She was a good friend’s daughter,” he revealed. The pain and guilt on his face stole my breath and I grasped his hand tightly. “It’s my fault she died,” he whispered, agony tearing through him.

I slid on my knees in front of him. “Baby, no!” I expressed, my heart breaking for him.

“Yes, Ava. That club and the staff are my responsibility. I was told what he was up to and if I had took it more seriously and ended it . . .” He swallowed heavily, his eyes were dull and the life in them had burnt out. “I finished him personally; slowly and as fucking painfully as possible,” he divulged; the anger and memory of it bringing back the rage.

He slammed his fist forcefully on the table. “Mason! Stop!” He looked away from me, not wanting me to see the disgust and self-loathing in him. “Mason, listen to me.” He wouldn’t look at me so I placed my hands on his face and turned him to look at me, “Did you sell her coke?”

He sat staring at me. “Answer me! Did you sell her the coke?” I demanded again.

“Well no but . . .” He started but I cut him off.

“Did you rape her?” I asked, my voice rising with each question.

“No,” he breathed as his eyes bore into my soul.

“Did you tell Alex to strangle her?” He shook his head this time. “Did you know what was happening as he was doing it?” I asked more quietly.

“No!” he choked out.

I knelt up and pulled him close, embracing him to me. “It wasn’t your fault Mason. Does your friend blame you?”

He shook his head. “No” he whispered and I tipped his head back to look at me.

“Then you shouldn’t. You took revenge for his parents, and believe me Mason when I say this. Taking revenge for someone’s death
does
help to heal the guilt, pain and anger that’s trapped inside. You did that for her parents and for the girl, baby.”

He smiled sadly and cupped my face. “Thank you,” he whispered.

I leant forward, brushing my lips over his in a tender kiss that showed him just how much I loved him. He sighed heavily and rested his forehead against mine, “I love you, Ava.”

“And me, you.”

He eventually pulled back and looked back at Sam. “So what does the fucker who’s after Ava have to do with Alex?”

Sam looked at me. “Sit back down, Ava.” I frowned but sat back down on the sofa as Sam sat opposite, his forearms resting on his thighs as he leant towards us.

“Five months before you finished him, Alex was reunited with a brother he didn’t know he had. They shared the same father, who apparently hadn’t known about him and after his mother had him she gave him up for adoption. However things didn’t go great for him and he ended up being fostered throughout his life until he was eighteen.”

I stiffened at the words, my heart was beating loudly in my chest and Mason frowned. “So what has this got to do with Ava?” he asked, puzzled.

Sam sighed and slapped the file on the table. “Alex’s brother is Lee Benedict,” he exposed.

My eyes widened and I shot upright, “Holy Fuck!” I gasped.

Mason turned to me. “Ava?”

I paced over to the wall and leaning on it, took a few deep breaths then turned to Mason. “Lee was the boy that lived in the foster house. The one who violently raped me every night for six months until I ran away.”

Mason’s eyebrows hit his hairline. “Jesus Christ!”

“Yep,” said Sam, “and it looks like the bloke wants revenge for his brother’s death and what better an opportunity for him than with Ava, the woman you love and the girl he spent part of his life cruelly tormenting and torturing.”

Mason walked over to me and pulled me into his arms. “We’ll get him Ava, I promise.”

“I’ve got people looking for him,” Sam said and I smiled at him.

“Thank you, Sam,” I said sincerely.

He smiled and nodded. “No problem Ava, I’ll just be glad when we get the bastard,” he said as he walked towards the door. “Right I’m off to watch Ava’s school rendition of ‘The Wizard of Oz.’” He winked and my eyes widened as my jaw dropped.

“Where the hell did you get that?” I asked, gobsmacked.

He laughed loudly, “Hey, you gave me permission . . . remember?”

He laughed again as I picked up a scatter cushion and threw it at him. “You dare show that to Mason and I will never speak to you again,” I snarled. He laughed wickedly.

“What part did you play, baby?” Mason chuckled and Sam snorted.

“Isn’t it obvious, Mase?” he chuckled and I scowled at him. “The wicked witch,” he howled as he shot through the door.

“You bastard!” I shouted after him as Mason laughed and picked me up. He slung me over his shoulder and carried me upstairs. “Come and show me just how fucking wicked you are, baby.”

* * *

The next morning Mason woke me early with a tray of coffee, freshly squeezed juice, toast and croissants.

I shuffled back against the headboard. “Wow, what have I done to deserve this?” I asked, yawning.

“Because I love you and you love me,” he said softly, stretching out beside me. Something seemed different about him this morning, the twinkle and life in his eyes had dulled and his shoulders seemed tenser.

I kissed him and then took a gulp of coffee, shuddering at the taste. Mason wasn’t kidding when he told me he couldn’t make it as well as me but I smiled appreciatively.

He chuckled, “You don’t have to pretend it’s good coffee, Ava.” He climbed off the bed and walked towards the bathroom, stripping out of his jogging bottoms and shorts as he went. I drooled, and not from the smell of the breakfast.

“You have a mighty fine ass, Mr Fox,” I groaned.

“Hurry up and eat your breakfast Miss Stone, I have a surprise for you,” he shouted as he switched on the shower.

“Oh?” I shouted around a mouthful of buttery croissant.

“Uh-huh,” he mumbled.

I jumped up from the bed and stood in the bathroom doorway. “Tell me,” I pleaded excitedly. He shook his head slowly with a twinkle in his eyes as I strolled towards him slowly. “Mason,” I purred as I placed my hands on his chest, my eyes strolled there too. God, he was so hot!

I licked my lips and saw his cock twitch to life. I trailed a finger across to his nipple and circled it gently as it puckered under my touch. “Tell me, baby.” I pouted, looking up at him through my eyelashes.

“Ava, don’t be naughty,” he hissed as my tongue swept across the other nipple and my hand slid down to grasp his erection. I stroked my finger along the length of him and swirled my thumb over the head as I bit gently on his nipple.

“
Jesus,
” he groaned as my mouth planted little kisses over his pecs, down his strong defined abdomen and through his man trail.

I dropped to my knees and hovered my tongue right over his slit as I looked up at him. “Tell me,” I teased and he groaned.

“No.” He bit his bottom lip as though he was fighting with himself over his answer.

My hands snaked around and cupped his arse as I licked the length of him and looked expectantly at him again. “No.” He grimaced. I took him full in my mouth and slid down slowly, squeezing his buttocks as I buried him in my hot mouth.

He hissed and his hands seized my hair, tugging gently as I sucked him feverishly. I felt him harden slightly in my mouth and I pulled back, stood up and strolled towards the bedroom.

“Ava?” he moaned and I shrugged nonchalantly.

“You wouldn’t tell me,” I said candidly, swaying my hips as I walked away, hiding the amusement on my face from him.

His arms circled my waist as he picked me up and threw me on the bed. “Oh no you don’t, Mr Fox,” I giggled, trying to wriggle out from under him.

“Oh yes, Miss Stone,” he chuckled back and straddled me, pinning me to the bed under him.

“Mason!” I laughed as his fingers slipped under my vest and traced up my sides. I was laughing hard, squirming and writhing under him as he tickled me torturously. “Mason!” I cried, snorting and crying with laughter as he lifted slightly and flipped me over so I was facing upwards.

His eyes were so intense that they stopped my laughter dead, they were nearly black and he was breathing heavily. We stayed still; both penetrating each other’s eyes as we pulled in heavy breaths.

His lips crashed down on mine, fiercely kissing me, devouring my tongue with his mouth as his hands scrambled at my shorts, desperately trying to get them off as his mouth was still on mine.

As soon as he got them off one leg he thrust into me immediately and we both groaned loudly. He pounded into me fast and hard, his head buried in the nook of my shoulder. Within seconds we were both climaxing powerfully and noisily, clung to each other’s sweaty bodies in a feverish, vehement passion.
“AVA”
he yelled as he pumped his seed into me, panting rapidly and jerking violently.

“Jesus, where did that come from?” I breathed heavily as he rested his forehead against mine and kissed my nose before he jumped from the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.

“Hey,” I shouted. He popped his head around the door frame. “You still didn’t tell me,” I glowered.

“I know.” He grinned and winked before I heard him enter the shower.

“Pig,” I mumbled to myself but smiled happily.

CHAPTER 46

MASON HUDDLED ME into Sam’s’ car, still refusing to tell me what the surprise was and when we pulled into the airport I frowned.

“Mason?” He grinned at me but didn’t say anything. “But we can’t be going away, I haven’t brought any clothes,” I reasoned.

The corner of his lips curled. “Don’t worry Ava, you won’t be needing clothes.” He growled playfully and Sam laughed.

I glowered at him. “Will you tell me where we are going?” I demanded.

He kissed me quickly. “Nope,” he countered as he exited the car and came round to my door, opening and holding his hand out to me. I grasped it and followed him into the airport.

He went straight over to a desk and spoke quietly to a woman who smiled widely and I must say flirtatiously at him. “Mr Fox, of course. If you would just like to follow this man he’ll escort you through departure and onto the tarmac, sir” She purred with a seductive smile plastered on her face.

Mason swiftly turned to me, grabbed my hand and pulled me along behind him as we followed the man through a series of gates, desks and doors.

We eventually exited on to a small runway and headed towards a small plane. Mason practically ran up the steps in excitement.

I gasped as we entered the aircraft. It was plush, luxurious and quite spacious. A small white leather sofa, glass coffee table and drinks cabinet adorned one side while a huge flat screen TV was bracketed to the wall. To the other side of the plane a small dining table stood. It was laden with an assortment of breads, meats, cheeses and fruits.

“Wow,” I exclaimed.

Mason pulled me further in. “We have to strap in for take-off, then we can move about.” He smiled and settled me into a luxury aircraft seat. He crouched in front of me and buckled me in as he kissed me gently, but the sadness in his eyes squeezed my heart.

He seated himself in the other one. “Good morning” A tall red haired woman in a simple grey suit smiled. “I’m Brooke and I’m your hostess for your flight. We will be taking off in a few moments and I see you’re already strapped in.” She pursed her lips and her eyes flicked to Mason as she said ‘Strapped.’ I bit my bottom lip as she went through the usual health and safety spiel and soon we were heading down the runway and soaring high.

Brooke came back over to us and bent to undo our seatbelts which I found quite strange as we were able to do it ourselves, until she bent to undo Mason’s and I understood her game plan. Mason raised his eyebrows at me in amusement as she flicked his clip and I glowered at him.

“Thank you for undoing our belts Brooke, Mason and I struggle to press the undo button.” I smiled sweetly. Mason sucked in his lips and stifled a giggle.

Brooke looked at me oddly then turned back round to Mason. “Can I get you anything, Mr Fox?” she purred and I clicked my tongue noisily.

“Yes, we’ll have some champagne and fruit I think please, Brooke.” He grinned happily at her. I was sure I had steam coming out of my ears.

“Of course, Mr Fox,” she hummed with a nod of her head.

She disappeared into a back room and I glared at Mason. “Of course, Mr Fox,” I mimicked, fluttering my eyelashes overdramatically “Aww Baby, are you jealous?” he smirked, but I caught a quick glint of anger in his eye.