The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone (262 page)

“Well you see I have a little problem.” Ava started then sat on the chair facing Vickie, who was currently strapped to another one.

“And what might that be, dear.”

Ava smirked and shook her head at Vickie’s antagonism. “Etta. Even if you don’t give a shit about your daughter, doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t.”

Vickie actually looked stunned and confused, “What the hell are you on about?”

Ava looked shocked at Vickie’s lack of principles, I wasn’t.

“Etta . . . your daughter.”

“Yes,” Vickie snorted. “I know who she is.”

“Jesus Christ, Vickie. If I finish you, I leave that poor girl with no family.” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she glared at Vickie, “Then that makes me as fucking evil as you.”

Vickie actually stuttered but covered it quickly with a lift of her perfectly groomed eyebrow, “Awww, such a dilemma.”

I watched the blood spray from Vickie’s mouth as Ava’s fist connected with her mouth, her lip splitting wide open under the pressure as her teeth knocked against each other. “Do you ever think about anyone else other than your own miserable self?”

Vickie hissed at the pain but stared straight at Ava in defiance, “Etta will be fine. She’s ready to handle things. She’s even fucked off that pussy whipped son of yours. Etta needs no one, I made sure of that.”

I watched as Ava’s face contorted with the knowledge of George’s doomed relationship. “She’s pregnant, Vickie, with yours and my grandchild, does that mean nothing?”

“Not really. Before you know that little bairn will be ruling the slaves with an iron fist, just as his mommy will do and George could have done.”

“Are you telling me Etta knows about the girls?” I butted in.

Her eyes whipped to mine and a triumphant smile curved her mouth, giving her a sinister appearance. “Who do you think entices the teenagers?”

My legs trembled as my lungs groaned under the shock. Whilst I was disgusted I was also impressed with Etta’s manipulative skills, she had brilliantly pulled the wool over my eyes.

Ava’s eyes closed slowly as she shook her head. “Then I’m glad Etta ended things with George. I want him nowhere near this . . . this evil.”

She stood back up and walked over to Sam, her hand held out in front of her to accept the gun. She strolled slowly back over to Vickie, her fingers sliding up and down the muzzle before she lifted her eyes and stared straight into Vickie’s soul. “You have three options. You die or you take Etta and get the fuck out of here.”

“And the third?” Vickie asked as she moistened her dry lips with her lips.

“You won’t like the third so I won’t offer it.”

“Don’t underestimate me, Ava; I’m as tough as you.”

Ava nodded but then frowned sadly, “I’d say you’re tougher than me, Vic. You know why?”

“Why?” Vickie asked as she finally gave Ava a dejected look.

Ava hesitated and regarded the gun with an almost loving expression. “I have empathy Vickie, you don’t. Nothing can hold you back, not even family matter to you. The only thing that matters to you, is you. Whereas me, my family mean more to me than my own life. They are the oxygen that feeds my blood, the nutrients my body needs to survive and the strength that keeps me upright daily. It’s the empathy in me that weakens me.”

Vickie nodded humbly but then smiled softly, the expression looking awkward on her. “But you have something I could never have Ava.”

“What’s that?”

“Endurance; the natural instinct to survive for your family.” She sighed and once more the vice controlled her, “Do it. Finish me.”

Ava nodded and held the tip of the gun to Vickie’s head, “I actually loved you. You have been my friend for the last eight years, our kids grew up together. We holidayed together and we helped each other through the shit, Vic.”

Vickie nodded and smiled as a tear slid from her eye, “The feelings mutual, love.” She gave Ava a firm final nod and then closed her eyes.

I watched as the hole ripped through her forehead and the bullet refused to make a reappearance through the back of her skull. My wife was getting better at her skills. She was learning where to aim to get maximum carnage from the shot.

She turned and gave her customary explosion of vomit on the concrete floor. I sighed, would she ever not vomit each time she ended someone?

“Come on, baby.” I whispered as I slid my hand over hers and pulled her against me. She sagged and sobbed into me as her arms held onto me with near desperation. “It’s okay, I’ll make sure Etta’s sorted, I promise.”

She nodded against me but then peered up at me, “But . . . with what Vickie said, she’ll just take over the running of the family business.”

I smirked at her, “Not where she’s going.”

She reeled back and stared at me, “What? Why, where’s she going?”

I laughed at the image in my head, “Well let’s just say our friendly bondage expert is gonna keep her
tied up
for a while.”

Her mouth dropped open as her eyes widened, “You’re sending her to live with Kade and Grace?”

“Yep,” I grinned. “I doubt she’ll cause trouble for Grace and if she does, Kade will soon have her strapped up or Grace will drill some obedience into her.”

I watched the many emotions cross her face but eventually understanding took over with a slight hint at humour. “Dear God” She chuckled as the same visions I was having assaulted her. “Yeah, I think that’ll work.”

“Come on,” I tugged on her hand. “I’m hungry, feed me wench.”

She snorted and gave me a disbelieving shake of her head. “There’s only you that can eat after watching someone’s brains splatter the wall.”

“Hey!” I chastised, “You did well, baby. No mess this time. I’m proud of you.”

She beamed up at me and gave a small proud shrug of her shoulders, “Yeah, I hoped you noticed.”

“I did,” I confirmed with pride at my little warrior as I kissed the top of her head and led her to the house.

Chapter 15

Ava

WE WERE BOTH laughing loudly as we fell through the front door of the house, Mason attempting to cheer me up with small tickles and prods on my backside. He slammed into my back when I came to an abrupt halt at the sight before me.

Nate stood silently with a forlorn expression on his face, Liv beside him with her face downcast, staring at the pattern on the carpet but it wasn’t them I couldn’t tear my eyes from. It was the three suitcases planted on the floor beside George.

I knew before he opened his mouth that he was leaving and I whimpered as my soul ripped from inside me in preparation to leave with him.

He looked at me, a haunted appearance marring his handsome face. A tear slipped free and the sight of it finally broke me. “George, please . . .”

He shook his head angrily, but I knew it was his way of coping. His father was the same. “I can’t do this anymore, Mom. He’s . . .” His voice broke as he pointed at Mason, “He’s dangerous. Everything within range of him shrivels and dies, you included.”

“No, sweetheart,” I urged as I hurried towards him and took his hands, gripping onto them too tightly but unable to let go. “No.”

“Yes,” he hissed as his fury surfaced. He grabbed at my arms and spun me around until I was facing the mirror, his dark eyes looking back at mine in the reflection. “Look at you. Look what he does.”

I tried to close my eyes but he shook me, “Mom, look at yourself.”

“This wasn’t him, George. This was . . .”

“NO!” He bellowed in my ear, making me jump with the severity of it. “This is the carnage he leaves in his wake. It’s not even the first time; it’s not even the second or the third. It will never end and I can’t stand here and watch you be destroyed. I can’t and won’t wait in the background while
he
destroys you.”

“But . . .” I stuttered as I turned to him. “I can’t do this without you George. You’re my son, my life and I’m nothing without you.”

“Then come with me. Leave him.”

“Wh . . . what?”

Everything was going wrong. Everything I had built up since moving here was falling around me, the shelter and defence I had struggled to erect for my family was crumbling around me and burying me under its rubble.

I turned to Mason, angry that he was just stood silent, angry that this was all his fault, angry that he was letting this happen and wasn’t doing anything to stop it. “Please, Mom. Come with me. Start again, a fresh life, free from his fucking dodgy shit and his extreme ability to ruin everything, you included.”

Mason continued to stare at me, expressionless and stoic as my son begged me to leave his father and start a new life with him. Visions of the last fourteen years ripped me apart; Mason’s torturous drug habit, his addiction to whores and women, his dominant rule; Dane’s cruelty and persecution, the rapes and beatings, the slice of excruciating agony when the poker seared my back. Rebecca’s taunting smirks, ridiculed me, her evil face mocking me as she ran her hand across Mason’s arm, her sneer as she wrapped her arms around his neck and broke my heart. Then finally, Kade’s loving eyes, the warmth and adoration on his face and the way he would make love to me.

I turned back to George and smiled, “No.”

He swallowed and the sight of devastation on his face tore my heart into pieces. “Whatever you think of your father, I love him and I know without a shadow of a doubt that he would use his last breath to protect me. Life is life, George and one day I hope you’ll understand why I’m doing this but I love your father with everything I am. He is me . . . and I am him. We’re one, we share the same breath, the same air and the same soul. You will never know the extent of what he has done for me, and I never want you to know, there are some things that shouldn’t be shared with your children.”

“Oh, believe me, I know.”

I palmed his cheek softly and shook my head, “No George, you don’t. You have no idea what he pulled me through. He forced me through the gates of hell and taught me to keep fighting until I reached the other end, and until you have experienced life, I don’t expect you to understand. But I need you to know, although I’m not coming with you, I love you so much it hurts. You gave life to me as I gave it to you, you gave me hope and happiness and for that, you will forever be in my heart. But I can’t and won’t leave your father, I will never leave him until the heavens decide it’s our time and even then I know he’ll be behind me, holding my hand and following me through.”

The tears he shed shredded any strength I had left but I locked my knees and stood firm, not allowing him to see how much more painful this was than anything Mason had ever done before. My husband could be cruel and merciless but I knew with my very soul that he would never abandon me.

But now George had to experience life to understand it and I wouldn’t be the one to hold him back. I couldn’t force him to stay and I wouldn’t. I knew he needed to this as much as I needed to breathe to live.

He nodded then bent to pick up his case, “I’ll be with uncle Nate and Aunt Liv if you need to get hold of me.”

I returned his nod, holding his gaze determinedly but he finally broke and dropped his case, his arms curling around me as he press me so tight I was scared for my ribs. “Christ Mom, I . . .” his sobs swallowed his words but I held onto him with as much strength as I could find. “I love you,” he whispered as he pulled away and walked form the room, the sound of the front door closing too loud for the delicate air around me.

I stood silent, my knees trembling and threatening to admit defeat as my soul shrank and wept.

“Baby,” Mason whispered behind me.

I hadn’t realised we were alone and wondered how long I had been stood there. I turned to him, the pain on his face as agonising as the shredding of my heart. “I’m so sorry, Ava. I . . .”

He dropped to his knees before me and sobbed, his wretched cries tearing at the final strands of my heart as I fell before him and wrapped him up, “Ssshhh, baby.”

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry . . .” he repeated over and over until his throat became too dry and he began to rasp. Both the men in my life had finally and ultimately destroyed me, shattered my soul and defeated my endurance.

Vickie said my family was my strength but I begged to differ. Nobody, not even Vickie, could estimate how much my family broke me, how much they took from me and how much they crushed me.

But, as my soul splintered, my spirit kicked in and fought back. My heart punched me in the guts and declared its vitality with another beat and my armour strengthened yet again and demanded that I get to my feet and live another day.

“He’ll be okay, Mason. I promise.”

He nodded eagerly against me, his tears drenching me and his pain engulfing me as I pulled him closer and devoured it all from him.

Once again, my glorious bastard fed the warrior in me and I knew we would make it through.

Endurance was underestimated.

The End

Chapter 0ne

Ava

THE BITTER WIND bit at my nose and I sighed heavily as I stepped onto the tarmac. Mason wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close, his lips softly brushing my temple in an effort to console me.

I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to face the English winter once again. I didn’t want to face
this.
I longed for the heat of home, the roar of the waves as they crashed against the rocks under my kitchen window. I missed it with an ache already.