The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone (221 page)

I pushed off the bed and reached up to him on tiptoes, “Kiss me, Mr Fox.”

His wicked smile warmed my heart and settled my uncertainties. His soft lips crashed over mine and his dominance and control bled into me, claiming me back as his mouth moved over my neck and his bite left its signature mark. “Jesus, I love you Ava. You’re everything, baby. Everything worth living in this damned life for.”

I frowned at his sadness, “It’s gonna work out okay, Mason, I promise. A woman knows these things.”

He smirked as he stroked my wound dressing softly before his eyes darkened and the room cooled slightly with the abrupt change in his mood, “This Ava, this scared the shit out of me baby. I was so fucking frightened . . .”

“Enough!” I snapped, “I don’t wanna hear about the what if’s, Mason. We concentrate on the now and the future, not what has been.”

“Ava! You really need to face this . . .”

“No, Mason, it is done, over. What’s the point in worrying about things that haven’t even happened yet and what’s the point in going over things that have happened and cannot be changed?”

He sucked in a breath but nodded reluctantly, “Fair enough, but I’m just saying you need to be careful, Ava. I will not allow anymore shit to happen, they go through me next time. Understand?”

I nodded, “I know. I just can’t figure out why this bastard wants you, Mason. What his grievance is with you.”

He laughed as Kade returned to the room, Mason’s eyes flicking to him swiftly before they settled back on me, “Baby, it could be any number of things.”

“The stats should be back soon, and then you’ll know where your money went. My program will pinpoint the exact location as well as the transaction details. It will find him for you.” Kade divulged as he pulled on his jeans but left them unbuttoned and my eyes feasted on his pure masculinity, my gaze lowering onto the sprinkle of black hair now disappearing into the waistband of his denim.

Mason laughed and I blinked, “Ava, you’re eating him whole.”

I shook my head to clear my thoughts before I pulled on my clothes. “By the way, Brad stays with you all day until I can replace Wes.”

I nodded in confirmation; there was no point in fighting Mason when he was like this, even though the thought of Brad tagging along beside me all day didn’t exactly bring a smile forth. He looked the type to try it on but I brushed it off, knowing I could take care of myself. “Sure, I’m just nipping to the cemetery to replace George’s flowers, then picking Katie and George up from your mother’s, and then I’ll be home all day. Will you still be here, Kade?” I asked as I dressed and flicked a look at Mason as he also turned to Kade, waiting for his answer.

“Yeah, I gotta run through with the program. It needs some other stuff doing once it pinpoints the IP’s so I can track the movements of the money and bring up the name of the account it eventually landed in.”

“Did you manage to get a link on what I asked you?” I asked Kade quietly when Mason stepped into the shower.

“Not yet but that could take weeks, Ava. I know I write brilliant programs but sometimes they’re a little slow.” He chuckled and took my hand in his, “Is Mason okay?”

I shrugged and pursed my lips, sighing as Kade’s thumb gently rubbed my knuckles, “I’m not sure, I think he’s fighting a few new emotions.”

He cocked his head as a small frown puckered his brow, “Emotions involving me?”

“I dunno, he clammed up when I asked him,” I replied as I shot a look to the bathroom when the shower shut off. “The best thing to do is sit back and let him deal with them. He’ll let us know when he comes to some sort of conclusion about them.”

He nodded then pulled in a heavy breath, pulling me back slightly as I turned to walk away, “I need to say something, Ava. I know you don’t want to hear it but I need to say it.”

I swallowed back the worry and let him have his say as I nodded to him.

“I love you Ava, you know that and I know you love me but this . . . this whatever it is, it was the right thing to do. Years Ava, for years I have wanted you and it tore me up inside but now we end it. We move on, get on with life and . . .”

He ran his tongue over his teeth as his throat bobbed and my skin tightened when I knew his next words would hurt, “And I can’t see you again, Ava.”

My heart dropped through my stomach as I shook my head urgently, “Kade, no, I . . .”

“Ssshhh, sweetheart.” He pulled me against him tightly, my hip screaming in pain but that was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

“Last night and this morning . . . it made me realise how much I want you, Ava. How damn in love I am with you and I can’t . . .”

His fists clenched beside him as he closed his eyes, “I can’t watch you be with someone else. I will never get over you whilst I watch you, see you every day and know that you will never be mine.”

Tears spilled down my face and he swept his fingers over my cheeks, catching them before they dripped from my chin, “You’ll be fine Ava, Mason loves you so much. His eyes are so alive when he looks at you, his whole aura lights your shadow, sweetheart. And you, you absorb that Ava and it’s what makes your heart beat every day. I can never compete with that kind of love. I know you love me, but I know you worship Mason. I have seen the adoration and idolisation in your eyes and I can visibly see your soul reach out for him. I can feel the thud of your heart when he enters a room and fuck, I might be a bastard at times but even Hell wouldn’t forgive me for destroying that.”

“But . . .”

He shook his head firmly before he leaned and grazed his lips over mine, the salt from my tears mixing with his love and stimulating my tongue and lips as my heart stuttered against my chest. His mouth moved over mine with so much passion and I sighed into him as his tongue stroked across the underside of mine. I let it flow, let him take what he needed from me as I palmed his face and fed him as much love as I could.

He rested his forehead on mine as his eyes held me but a smile lifted his lips, “I’ll be here when you get back, I promise.”

I nodded against him, inhaling his deliciousness one last time as I pulled my shoulders back, halted my tears and dragged my heart back into place.

His gaze pierced my soul before he slipped past me and went to check his equipment in the office.

I didn’t watch him go, just stood rooted to the spot, my fingers against my lap as I closed my eyes and strived to steady myself. I knew it would come, knew last night would make it difficult but that didn’t help stop the ache that was killing me inside.

I had always hated myself for what I did to Kade all those years ago and now, now it felt like retribution, my turn to feel the pain as I tried to let go.

Chapter 37

Mason

I WATCHED KADE walk away then gazed at Ava as she struggled with her emotions in the centre of the room.

I had heard every word from behind the door, listened to them each declare their love but what had surprised me was Kade’s words and Ava’s acceptance. She had fought with her feelings for Kade for over seven years but she had controlled them, allowing her friendship with Kade to continue and grow. Now she had even lost that and I couldn’t help but feel guilty for pushing last night’s amazing experience.

My own emotions over Kade weren’t something I was willing to decipher at the present moment, not until this shit was over with and I stayed motionless until Ava left the room.

I sat on the edge of the bed and stared around the bedroom, my bedroom for the last twelve years. This was where I had first taken Ava, first made love to her, first accepted that I was in love with her, first asked her to marry me and lost our first child in this very room. It was part of me, part of our family and I sighed heavily as I visualised the rapture on Kade’s face this morning when he slid into Ava’s warm wet pussy. The love that had been displayed on his face mirrored mine and then the adoration on my wife’s face not ten minutes ago when Kade gave her a final kiss.

Would she ever move past this? I had no worries or concerns about whether she loved me but I hated to see her ache; an ache that she would carry with her for the rest of her life. An ache that was now wiggling its way inside me.

No, I wouldn’t go there, wouldn’t accept what my heart was telling me. This was over, finished and it would stay that way.

I climbed from the bed and dropped the towel to pull on my clothes. “Ava asks if you’re ready for breakfast.” Kade asked from the doorway.

I turned and watched his eyes lift from my backside as a sly smirk appeared on his face. He had been checking me out and I frowned at myself when my gut pooled with heat and my stomach fluttered with satisfaction.

“Yeah, five minutes.”

He was about to turn when he turned back to me and held my gaze, “About this morning, I know you were listening and I wanted to apologise for what I . . .”

I lifted a hand and stopped him mid-sentence, “I knew it all, Kade. I want to thank you for . . . I dunno, for handing me the reins I suppose. Your honesty to Ava means a lot.”

I sighed and penetrated his eyes; his gaze grew serious when he felt the sadness in me. “We’re moving to Portugal, Kade. After we get this bastard we’re selling up and moving into George’s place.”

He sucked a hefty intake of air through his teeth and I noticed the slight tremble in his legs but he held it back and I could see the acceptance absorb into him, “Probably a good thing then. I need complete separation, Mason, otherwise I have no chance of . . .” He shrugged to finish his sentence and I nodded to show I understood.

He left again and I watched him go, my heart racing in my chest as my eyes dropped to his arse and devoured the way his backside hugged the denim nicely.

Fuck! I did not need this right now; I needed complete concentration on finding our guy. I didn’t need my attention somewhere else until I had him.

I shook myself off and dressed before following the smell of fried bacon and eggs. I didn’t need to follow the scent of Ava; my soul dragged me to her intuitively. It was always on the hunt for its mate and I smiled as I noticed the customary dip in her brow as I entered the kitchen.

Her eyes lit up as I approached and slid an arm around her waist. “Smells good, you two have given me an appetite.”

She scoffed and slapped me with the spatula until I let her go, “Mason, you’re always hungry.”

I smirked and nibbled on the nape of her neck as I answered in a slow growl, “Always, baby.”

“Not for me, I mean food.” She scolded and Kade laughed from his place at the table. “Sit, it’s ready.”

“You’re always ready, Ava” Kade laughed then quietened when she narrowed her eyes on him and glared.

“Don’t you start” she admonished but I couldn’t miss the twinkle in her eyes and the slight twist of her lips in the corner.

He saluted her and grinned as she placed a plate of food in front of him. He watched her, his eyes trained on every move she made and I bit my lower lip as I surveyed the easiness they portrayed together.

Why did I feel guilty? Fuck, she was my wife and Kade meant nothing to me.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

* * *

I took the stairs up to Kade as Ava left with Brad to go to the cemetery and I frowned when Kade started to hit numerous keys rapidly on one of his four laptops.

“Found something?” I asked as I crouched beside him and watched different images flick over the screen.

“Come on, come on . . .” he hissed through his teeth as though he hadn’t heard me.

“Is it the trace?” I tried again.

He shook his head despondently without looking at me. The computer made a succession of beeps as Kade hit more keys furiously. “It’ something Ava asked me to look into.”

“What?” I murmured as old newspaper clippings flocked the screen and I squinted as Kade scrolled through them.

“She asked me to find a connection between your men, both personal and from Allure.”

“She what?” I barked but Kade didn’t even blink.

“I also ran Ava’s name through to see what came up and the fucker’s just found a hit . . . Fuck!”

I leaned in, goose bumps erupting over my body as my breath lodged in my throat, “Is that . . . ?” I stuttered as my blood cooled.

“Katherine Tammy Davidson.”

“Holy Fuck!”

“Katie!” I whispered.

“The newspaper clipping is dated thirteen years ago. This must be before she ran away. It’s something about her family winning an award for services to the community.” Kade relayed as he read the words below the photo.

“Oh—sweet–Jesus!” I reared back, my arse hitting the floor with a heavy thud as I scrutinised the picture.

“What?” Kade hissed as he watched my body shut down with fear, his eyes hard as he reached for me and pulled me up, “WHAT?! MASON!”

“Katie’s brother . . .” I managed to choke out.

He turned back to the screen, his face close as he squinted at the fuzzy image. “No . . . no, no, no . . .”

I watched the horror pass over Kade’s face as I looked at the ceiling, “Stop him Katie, please” I begged to a ghost, unable to move as fear and terror ripped through every muscle in my body.

Chapter 38

Ava

“HEY” I SAID to George as I pulled a few weeds that had already grown through the new soil. “You’re pushing up weeds already you sour bastard.”

I chuckled as I walked over to the bin and dumped the pile of greens. Brad lifted a hand from his position at the back of the plot, his eyes scanning the area as he gave me the much needed privacy I needed as I hashed out my life with George.

“The twins send their love, and Mason of course.” I said quietly as I settled on the ground beside the man who I loved more than I had ever loved anybody, apart from Mason of course.

“Well, it’s a mess again; you’ll be pleased to hear. I have had all my money pinched, my husband has asked the other love of my life into our bed and I got fucking shot. When you said I had killed too many robins, I think you may have been right.”

I scowled as I grumbled at the ringing tone in my bag. “Not now, I’m with George” I scolded as I ignored it.

I ran my fingers along the small cross, the headstone yet to be fitted as I smiled softly, “I miss you George, so bloody much. You were always there for me to growl at, to sound things over with and just drag me up when I need it. I’ll never forget your love and care that night behind the Blades nightclub where you found me . . .”