Atonement (Heart of Stone) (9 page)

Her shocked face gave away her surprise and I cupped her
chin and made her look at me, “I did not mean that the way it came out.”

She widened her eyes on me but then smiled softly, “I
know.” She finished with a laugh as I pulled out and used the towel to clean my
cum off her thighs.

“My hero” she sighed before she jumped down and pulled
her skirt back to its original position.

“You gonna be okay with me gone?”

She sighed but shrugged, “Sure. This weekend was for you
though.”

I nodded and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, “And
you’ve made it one to remember, Ava. Thank you; for the gifts, the weekend and…
Connor.”

She scrunched her nose deliciously, crying out for me to
kiss it, and nodded. “It was my pleasure, Mr Fox. Ring me when you hit home.
Are you leaving the kids at your mum’s?”

I nodded in confirmation to both questions as I enveloped
her and pulled her in tight, “Try and get some sleep tonight.”

I knew she had trouble sleeping without me and tomorrow
she would be grey, pale and exhausted. She nodded once and smiled warmly, “Don’t
worry, and get this shit at work sorted.”

Yeah, like it was gonna be that easy.

“I will, baby. I love you.”

“And me, you” She answered as we walked out of the small
room to cat calls and wolf whistles.

Ava laughed and bowed but I didn’t miss the dark look in
Kade’s eyes.

Yeah, numbnuts, I can make her scream!

Monday night saw me back at the Panther. It was packed
with it being ‘open night’ as Layla called it.

One night a month William opened the doors and allowed
entry to non-members and I was currently chuckling at Willow’s choice of pole
music.
Theory of a Deadmans ‘Little Smirk’
was blasting through her
individual speaker and just as it sang ‘Karma bitch’ guess who walked through
the door?

Rebecca!

Fuck!

Owen eyed me when the deep growl filtered through my
system and erupted from my throat fiercely.

I could see Layla stutter on the pole from the corner of
my eye as the room developed a chill. I felt William’s worried gaze settle on
me as he approached Rebecca and said something in her ear. Her eyes swept to
me, a slight smirk on her lips and Owen whipped the glass bottle out of my hand
before I crushed it under my hold.

But then I remembered Mason and his renounce of war with
Kade.

“William, its fine, let her in.” He narrowed his eyes on
me and I held my hands up, “I won’t hurt her.”

He regarded me for a while but then nodded his relent and
moved aside.

The fuck whore decided to pop her skinny arse on the
stool in front of my side of the bar. Owen, bless his heart, whipped the towel
off my shoulder and handed me a tray, “Room 12, honey.”

I nodded, gave him a sly wink and made my way around the
bar, balancing the tray expertly in one hand as I opened the security hatch. 

“Ava.” Rebecca called as my foot hit the hallway towards
room 12.

Fuck, shit and bloody bollocks!

I stilled but didn’t turn. “You want something?”

“Uhh, can I have a word, just a quick one?”

I sighed, then huffed, then inhaled, then exhaled, “If
you must.”

She nodded and swallowed but I caught the evil little
glint in her eye. “I just wondered if I can have a word with Ginny and
Marlene?”

What the fuck!

What the fucking fuck?!

I licked my lips in an attempt to replace some of the
dryness now working its way through my system. “You know them?” I asked, mad at
myself for giving this bitch exactly what she wanted but unable to help myself.

Her eyes gleamed and I bit my bottom lip at my stupidity.
“Yes. They used to work at Allure. I just need a quick word with them.”

I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing me ask any
more. “Sure” I replied as nonchalantly as I could but I knew she could read me,
could see the question in my head of how come this…fuck whore was associated
with Allure, just as Mason was.

Did she work there? Was she a prostitute now? It wouldn’t
surprise me! Was it her that owned the place? If so, then what was Mason’s
connection as well?

God fucking damn!

She smiled too sweetly, the saccharine squeezing from all
the Botox in her lips like a lump of syrup. Gross!

“Go for it” I told her as I held a finger towards the dressing
room.

“Thank you, hun.”

“Don’t fucking
hun
me Rebecca. I am not and never
will be your fucking
hun
. Got me?”

She nodded, her false face paling slightly before she
turned and knocked on the room door.

I made my escape, scurrying down the corridor to room 12
before I slammed the tray, contents included, into her face.

I took a deep breath and painted a hosts smile on my face
as I placed the tray on the table between the men currently watching an act
between one of the pro’s and one of their friends.

“Thank you, darling… Ava?”

I blinked at the guy studying me with twinkling bright
blue eyes and a soft smile, and then it clicked. “Jay,” I laughed when he stood
and lifted me up high in his embrace. “When did you get home?”

“A couple of days ago. Have you not seen my dad? I
thought you worked with him.”

I shook my head at the spitting image of my best friend.
Jay, Nate and Liv’s son, was the replica of his dad apart from the deep scar
that ran down the right side of his face. “I saw him over the weekend, we went
up to the cabin but he didn’t say anything.”

“Right, I thought you had seen him today. He didn’t know
I was back until he got home last night.”

“Ahh, bet your mum’s pleased. How long are you back for?”

“A while, just finished my contract overseas. I missed
the UK too much.”

I nodded; I knew how he felt when I had gone to America
for six months to run Nate’s company when it was having trouble.

“Well I better get back to it. It was good to see you.”

“And you, sweetheart. I’ll probably see you soon now I’m
back. I’m staying with my mum and dad until I find an apartment I like. Nothing
but shit so far.”

I laughed, “I’ll keep my ears open and ask Mason if he
knows of anything.”

He winked then turned his attention back to the show as
he picked up his pint off the tray.

I strolled back down the corridor but halted at the open
dressing room door when I heard voices. “Come on girls,” Rebecca near begged.
“He’s sorted it. He’s interviewing tomorrow night. Why don’t you come along,
you don’t have to go through the process, you know that. Your regulars are
missing you both.”

He, whoever he was, was interviewing tomorrow night.
Really?
That was a nice snippet of information Rebecca, thank you.

I hurried away as I pulled my phone from my bra and text
Courtney.

Me:

Need you in your sexiest gear tomorrow night, hun.
Keep it secret from Greg. Will explain later xxx

Courtney:

Sure babe, time? xxx

Me:

7? xxx

Courtney:

Sexy, elegant or sexy, tart? xxx

Me:

Definitely tart! xxx

Courtney:

Ooh, now I’m excited. Gotcha, see you then. Xxx

***

“Hi” I smiled widely at the doorman to Allure the next
night. “We’re here for the interviews.”

He scanned both Courtney and I before he gave us a slight
nod and tipped his chin towards the interior doors.

Wow, easier than I thought.

Courtney giggled and I slapped her thigh as he gave us a
stern stare, “Chill.”

“I can’t, I’m excited, it’s like we’re undercover. I feel
like Wonderwoman or Cagney and Lacey.” She jigged about as we entered into
another room, this time a big burly bloke held a clipboard and grinned widely
at us when we walked in.

“Hey, girls. You here for interviews?”

Courtney nodded like she was on fast forward x30 and I
thumped her in the thigh. She scowled at me but calmed as I held out my hand in
greeting.

“I need your name, sweetie” He asked as he poised his pen
at the ready.

He was nice, I liked him.

“My real name or professional?” I asked as I scanned the
room. I knew Mason wouldn’t be here tonight, he’d got some business at Pulse to
deal with, apparently one of the staff had developed itchy fingers and I knew
Mason was developing itchy fists about it all.

“Real” he winked as his eyes perused every inch of me,
“You can tell me your pro name when you get the in.”

I smirked at him as Courtney gasped. Bloody woman, we were
supposed to be tarts not fucking teenage virgins.

“Jenni Wren” I told him.

God bless him, he never flinched.

He turned to Courtney with an expectant look and she
inhaled deeply. “What would you like me to be called, sugar?”

I nearly spat out my tongue. Jesus Christ, I was gonna
kill her.

He smiled wickedly, “I’d like you to be called to my room
in the middle of the night but until then I need your real, sweetie.”

She hummed, good god, this girl vibrated beside me and I
had to hold back the curse that was on the tip of my tongue.

“Jessica Hare.”

He nodded as he wrote it down and I couldn’t believe how
gullible this sweet giant was.

I could see Courtney’s body trembling as she held back
her laughter and I treat her to my best glare.

“Okay, ladies, follow me.”

I studied the place as we followed through a few
corridors and doors. It was fairly upmarket and clean, nothing like I had
expected, and I was quite amazed at how they could have a security issue here.
There were plenty of cameras scattered about.

We approached another door and Burly offered us the sofa
facing a door that had a ‘private’ plaque attached. He opened the door and
spoke to an invisible someone. “Two more, boss.”

“Twenty minutes, Gabe.”

No! No!

What the hell was happening?

Courtney stared at me as the voice reached her ears as
well, her eyes were wide and I watched as the colour slipped from her face and
she turned a funny shade of green.

I was shaking, it couldn’t be him. No!

What the fuck!

But…

Gabe closed the door and looked over at us. “He’ll be about
twenty minutes, got someone in there with him.”

I nodded slowly as Courtney just stared at him. “You
okay, sugar, you look a bit…ill?”

“Water” I croaked out, “She needs water.”

He looked rather panicked as he looked at the closed
door, then to Courtney, then back to the door. “Right, wait here.”

He grimaced then disappeared down the other way and into
a door at the bottom.

Courtney turned to me, her head shaking wildly as if we
had misheard who we had heard. “Fuck… Ava… fuck!”

My heart was threatening to erupt through my chest as my
stomach vaulted in disbelief.

I stood up. I sat back down. I stood again.

“Fuck!”

My breathing was getting frantic as my palms sweated
profusely, “Fuck! FUCK!!”

No way. No – fucking – way!

My hand shook as I gripped the door handle. Burly came
stumbling up the corridor towards me.

Now or never, Ava.

I flung open the door and palmed the frame for support as
my eyes took in the scene.

Two naked girls were writhing about on a large sofa,
their tongues in each other’s
parts
as they performed for the
management. Their erotic moans loud in the silence of the room as I turned my
gaze to the desk opposite.

The management was sat side by side behind the desk
watching the girl’s performance.

“…Ava?”

I stared at him as he shot upright up from his seat. His
face was pale and agonised as the fuck whore beside him smirked, “Well, this is
a pleasant surprise, isn’t it Mason. Hello Ava, come in.”

I didn’t even look at her; I couldn’t remove my eyes from
Mason. His hands hit the desk in front of him for support as he swallowed
heavily.

“WHO THE FUCK LET HER IN?”

“I did boss, sorry. I’ll get her out.”

Hands came around the top of my arms and I was pulled
back, my shock rendering me passive and unable to fight.

People seemed to shoot from everywhere as I was dragged
through the corridor backwards, my feet limp and loose under me as Gabe
supported all of me.

“GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HER!” Mason bellowed from the
hallway, his shock dissipating enough for him to now move.

Gabe dropped me and I fell to the floor in a heap, my
eyes still fixed on nothing as my heart slowed and my soul wept.

He wouldn’t do this, he wouldn’t. Eight years. Eight
years of lies. All of it a lie. Our marriage…a lie. A fucking lie!

He came before me, crouched on the floor before me but I
didn’t see him. I didn’t see
him
. I saw a liar, a sham, a fraud but then
I saw
her
.

Oh, I saw her and she had seen me coming. And I’d fallen
into her trap; hook, line and fucking sinker. In fact I’d fucking dived into
it, jumped and hurled myself right at it.

How fucking stupid was I?

I hadn’t seen it.

I hadn’t seen this.

I hadn’t seen
him
.

“Ava” he choked out and I finally swung my eyes to him.

His hands came out to wrap around me but Courtney slapped
him off, “Don’t fucking touch her.”

He narrowed his eyes on her, “Stay out of this Courtney.”

“Don’t you fucking dare, you bastard. Look at her, look
at what you’ve done to her.” Then she turned on Rebecca. She didn’t say
anything, just hurled her fist back then slammed it right into Rebecca’s face.

I loved my girl.

“And you, you fucking whore. You better move before I
decide to fucking kill you.”

Rebecca scrambled back as a random helped her to her feet
and she pointed a long talon at Courtney, “Fucking try that again.” she warned.

Courtney whipped her head back and laughed quite
manically, “Yes, please.”

“Rebecca, go, just go!” Mason barked and I trained my
eyes back on him.

The pain and anguish held in them angered me more.
“Baby…”

My fist slammed into his cheekbone and he shot backwards,
his back hit the floor with so much force it vibrated my arse an inch up the corridor.

Everyone stared at me; their mouths and eyes wide open as
they wondered how this little woman could floor their huge boss.

“Come on, babe.” Courtney said softly as she lifted me
off the floor.

“What the fuck?” Gabe said as he stepped in behind me and
gripped my hair in a tight grasp.

“Move - your – fucking – hand – NOW!” I growled.

I felt the tremble in his hand but he didn’t release me.

I released me for him as I rammed my elbow into his gut,
then turned and kneed him in the groin before I fisted the side of his head and
knocked him out.

Mason was sat now, on the floor, his knees bent and his
head rested against them in resignation.