Incineration (Heart of Stone) (43 page)

“Do you wanna know why I’ve drank too much Kerrie?” he
hissed, an evil smirk curling his lip “Mason!” I warned “Not Kerrie” I growled,
shaking my head slowly at him. Kerrie didn’t need this on her shoulders as well
as the cancer. Masons eyes drifted to mine and I begged him with my eyes, not
for my sake but for Kerrie. He seemed to understand what I was saying and let
go of me.

Sam and Nate had come across, noticing that something was happening.
Sam stepped forward “Mason, come on. I’ll take you and Ava home” he said and
grabbed Masons forearm. Mason took a step with Sam but I remained still and Sam
turned to me “Come on Ava” he said and turned back around but I still didn’t
move, I couldn’t.

Mason halted and paused before he turned to me. He didn’t
say anything but cocked his head. I looked at him sadly, my heart breaking and
I tried to swallow the lump that was wedged in my throat. My eyes filled with
tears as I shook my head slowly “No Mason” I said softly. I could feel
everybody’s eyes on me, confusion written all over them.

Mason pulled in a large breath and stalked towards me,
gripping me harshly again by the upper arms and pulling me “We need to fucking
talk” he hissed and I cringed. Sam stepped forward again “Fucks sake Mase, let
go of her, you’re hurting her” he demanded. He shot a glare at Sam but released
my arms “You’re coming with me Ava” he ordered and I shook my head “No Mason,
not when you’re like this” I said quietly, aware that everybody was watching
us.

I could see his chest heaving in anger “Yes. You. Are. You
are fucking mine!  I need to fuck him out of you!!” he snarled viciously and I
heard Sam hiss between his teeth. 

My fist slammed into his cheekbone, snapping his head
backwards forcefully. Sam and Nate moved forwards and grabbed Mason’s arms as
Brian stepped forwards “Get him fucking out of here!!” he bellowed as he
slipped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close.

Masons eyes landed on mine. The hurt, pain and disgust in
them brought my tears and I shook my head at him as he reached out to me, his
own tears now falling “Ava” he choked “I’m so sorry Mason. I’m so sorry” I
sobbed, and turned.

Brian and Brenda huddled me into their car and took me back
to their house. They didn’t ask, they didn’t pity me and they didn’t say
anything about the night events and for that I loved them even more.

Brenda quietly led me to their guest room and placed out a
pair of her pyjamas, a spare toothbrush and a towel. She kissed my forehead and
quietly closed the door behind her and I sat in the dark silence for a long
time. 

Around 2 O’clock my phone alerted me to a text

KADE

You okay? What’s happening?

ME

I’m okay. I’m at Brians. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I’ll
be at yours around 12:30

KADE

Are you sure you’re okay? I’m worried about you
sweetheart. I swear to god if he hurts you….

ME

I promise I’m fine; it’s you I’m worried about. Don’t let
him in!!! He’s not coping well with the news

KADE

Can I ring you? I need to hear your voice

ME

No Kade, I’m tired. We’ll talk tomorrow

KADE

Okay. Sweet dreams xxx

I took a quick shower and climbed into the too long PJ’s,
rolling up the legs and as I climbed in bed my phone rang.

“Hey Babe” Courtney said softly when I answered “Hey” I
breathed in relief to hear her voice “Where are you?” she asked hesitantly
“Brians and Brenda’s. Thank you for getting Kade out of there” I whispered, not
wanting to disturb my hosts “No problem babe. He didn’t wanna go though. He
kept trying to get back in to protect you. Which I thought was quite sweet” she
said and I closed my eyes “Mason would have killed him, the mood he was in. I
ended up punching him” I declared and I heard her gasp as I told her what had
occurred

“I hate myself for what I’ve done to him Courtney” I
admitted. She was silent for a while “Ava, there is nothing I can say that will
make you feel any better but you have to work out what you want now” she said
and I nodded to the darkness “I want Mason, I always have but I don’t think…He’s
so angry at me…I’m so damn angry at me and I’ve broken his heart. We always
seem to be hurting each other. We’re killing each other slowly and painfully” I
told her “Oh Babe” she breathed “Can I stop at yours for a while? I don’t wanna
go back to the cottage” I asked “Of course”

I smiled gratefully “Okay; I’ll be round after work
tomorrow. Love you” I ended the call and curled up in bed, visions of Masons
broken face filled my head as I drifted into a restless and fretful sleep.

I managed to squeeze my breasts into one of Brenda’s silk
grey shirts and my ass into one of her skirts and I was surprised how good I
looked with a hangover from hell and an arm covered in bruises and a neck full
of bites. I had stood in front of the mirror naked this morning and regarded
all the love bites Mason had given me in France and now I understood why, he
had wanted to mark me as his possession because of Kade.

I still couldn’t understand why he had waited until the
dinner last night to confront me but I had a feeling it was the fact that Kade
had been there and the amount of alcohol and coke he had consumed.

I managed to drag myself through the morning and at 12:30 I
was climbing out of a taxi outside Kades apartment with my stomach in knots, my
head pounding and my heart clenched in a tight hold at what I had to do. The
apartment concierge told me Kade was expecting me and to take the elevator to
the 11
^th
floor.

On exiting the lift Kade was already waiting for me with a
huge grin on his face. I smiled timidly and he held the door open for me. I
entered slowly, taking in my surroundings as I walked into his large lounge.

“Drink?” he asked and I smiled and nodded. He disappeared
into a kitchen and came back with two glasses and a bottle of wine and gestured
to the sofa. “You okay?” he asked softly and I nodded again. His eyes lowered
to the patch of neck skin peeking out from behind my open shirt, and his eyes
darkened but he didn’t say anything

“You heard from him?” he asked quietly “No, have you?” he
shook his head and I frowned “I can’t understand. He’s known for a while and he
didn’t say anything until last night in the restaurant” I took a sip of the
wine and it sang in my mouth, its crisp fruitiness stroking my taste buds

“How did he find out?” he asked “My wonderful neighbourhood
stalker sent him photos of us in your pool house” I whispered and Kade closed
his eyes and groaned “It must have killed him Kade” His eyes shot to mine at
the sadness in my voice and he searched my eyes and then sighed and looked away
“You’re not here to make love to me are you?” he said softly and I closed my
eyes “No” I whispered and he didn’t look at me but I heard the intake of breath
and the harsh swallow.

We were both silent for a while and he eventually looked at me
and smiled sadly “I only hope he can make you happy Ava. I’m going to let you
go because I want you to be happy and I know you love him entirely” his voice
broke a little and I could see the struggle on his face as he set me free.

A tear broke free at the pain I felt for him “I am so sorry
Kade; I care so much for you but…” I didn’t finish as he placed a finger
against my lips “Shush, I know. Don’t let him hurt you Ava, don’t ever let him
hurt you” he beseeched and paused before taking a long breath “I’ve been
offered a job in Italy Ava” he said on a whisper and held my eyes, wanting me
to understand why he was leaving.

My heart clenched at the thought of never seeing him again
but I had to let him go, I needed to let him go for his sake. I nodded slowly and
his sad eyes filled with wetness.

Framing his face in my hands I leant over and kissed him
tenderly and gently one last time. His hands slid into my hair and he held me
against him, my forehead against his for several minutes until I pulled away,
stood and left and as I softly shut the door behind me, my heart broke as I
heard his sob break free and I wept all the way down in the elevator and all
the way back to the NSC building.

A part of my heart would always belong to Kade and I knew I
would never forget him or the way he had made me come alive and feel.

Just as I was leaving work my phone rang and I fished it out
of my bag and saw Sam’s’ name on the display “Hi” I said timidly, waiting for twenty
questions

“Ava” he breathed and I stuttered to a halt, the hairs on
the back of my neck stood to attention “Sam?”

“We’ve got him Ava” he said and I grabbed onto the doorframe
to hold myself up “Really?” I could sense his grin “Oh Yeah. I have some
software that traces all his bank activity and I narrowed him down this morning
when he tried to draw out some cash” he chuckled.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to rein in
each of my many emotions “Ava” He said hesitantly “Mason wants you to deal with
him” he said quietly and slowly and I swallowed heavily.

 “Okay” I whispered “I’m coming to fetch you, stay at work
until I get there” he said and I agreed and ended the call.
Holy shit!!!

I sat on the steps of the building and waited. Could I do
this? It had been easy with Dean because the need for revenge had eaten away at
me for five long years and every time I had pictured Katie’s face it had fed my
rage but Lee was different. Yes I hated him for what he did to me but did I
hate him enough to help me finish him?

Sam arrived fifteen minutes later and drove me out somewhere
deserted and derelict. I exited the car and looked around at what looked like
an old factory of some sorts and followed him through a series of floors and
doorways, his hand in mine to support me as we climbed across some dodgy flooring
and over some rubble.

We eventually entered a room where Greg, Mark, Simon and a
couple of other guys waited for me.

 Greg smiled and walked over to me “You ready Ava?” he asked
calmly and I nodded. I was saddened that Mason wasn’t there and I wasn’t sure
if I could do this without him but I didn’t blame him, the hurt and pain I had
caused him had severed his feelings for me, destroyed his love and I couldn’t
blame him for not wanting to see me. Even though I expected it I couldn’t say
it didn’t hurt, my heart ached for him; to see his beautiful grey eyes, his
gaze upon me and the way he smiled at me, the smile he had just for me.

Sam held out his hand to me and I stared at it, took a deep
breath and placed my hand in his. His fingers curled around mine immediately
and strongly as if he knew I needed his strength and reassurance.

He nodded once and then we walked over to another door and
he looked at me as he opened the door and then led me through.

The room was dark apart from a
small bulb that dimly lit the middle of the room, right above a chair in which
Lee was secured with some rope. He was bloody and already half dead. His head
hung low and his breathing was laboured.

My stomach lurched at the sight
of him, the memories surfacing of the way he had held the pillow over my face
as he brutally raped me night after night, the feeling of his tongue in my
mouth and the way he had clawed and pawed at my body and the recollection of
the time he had held his fingers round my throat, squeezing the life of me but
I still wasn’t sure it was enough to help me do this.

I realised why I hadn’t fully
recognised him in the NSC car park and the pub; he had been built heavily when
we were in care and he was now a lot thinner, he had worn glasses as a
teenager  and he had now dyed his hair.

When I took a step closer to him, he lifted his head at the
sound of my heels on the hard concrete floor. His eyes were bruised and half
closed, his nose was already broken and his mouth looked like it was missing a
few teeth behind his split lip. His t-shirt was ripped revealing numerous
bruises, cuts and what looked like slash marks. His hair was mangy and stuck
out in clumps, knotted together in the dried clusters of blood.

Somebody had really worked him over, trying to tear him
apart whilst still keeping him alive for my benefit.

He strived to open his eyes as I took a step closer and they
widened a little when he saw me. His lip curled and he winced at the pain in
the simple action. His head tipped to the side as he gazed at me with hatred
and repulsion. My face was completely impassive, not showing one ounce of
emotion or feeling towards him. I knew for some reason he would love to stir a
reaction out of me, watch me crumble under his abhorrence for me

“Well well well, if it aint the whore” he sniggered and then
winced at the pain of talking. I noticed he was struggling to pronounce some
words now that he was missing a few teeth and his mouth and jaw was swollen.

I remained silent with a vacant expression. “You miss me
Ava?” he laughed bitterly and then cringed again “I must say, I miss fucking
your lovely cunt” he sneered and I took another step towards him.
Keep going
Lee!!
“You were always good for a fuck, even with a pillow over your face”
he scoffed and he shut his eyes for a moment as though it was painful to keep
them open for too long.

Sam’s hand was still gripped tightly in mine and I felt him
squeeze it reassuringly as I took another step towards Lee and I was now stood
directly in front of him “although I do regret never screwing your arse. I
would love to rip your arse to fucking shreds and hear you scream whilst I do
it”