The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone (263 page)

The sky matched my sombre mood, the clouds thick and grey as they hung heavy in the air, causing the atmosphere around us to press against my soul. There was a trace of snow lingering even though March was almost over, thin borders of it gathered along the low edge of the airport terminus building—the simplicity of the white lines mocking me.

Although my heart hurt, the sight of the man waiting for me made my soul sing. His expression mirrored my own, a large smile curving his lips but his eyes screamed with sadness.

He opened his arms. Mason removed his from me as I fell into Nate’s embrace. His fingers grabbed almost painfully at me as his lips rested against my forehead. A small choked sob caught in his throat as his devastation flooded me, making it almost difficult to draw breath against the solidity of it.

“Ava. I’m so sorry, so sorry sweetheart . . .”

I reared back and shook my head at him whilst sealing his lips with a finger. “Hey, none of this is your fault.”

He rolled his lips and squeezed his eyes shut as he desperately tried to bring his emotions into check. “I had no idea. He just . . .”

“He would have made sure that you had no idea, Nate.” Mason cut in, “That’s how it works. Neither me or Ava blame you in the slightest.”

“But he was in my care,” Nate sighed heavily and rubbed at his temples. He was exhausted, his eyes almost black with fatigue in addition to the surplus crinkles marring his handsome face.

“Please, Nate. I just need to go to him.”

He nodded and took my hand, leading me from his private jet into the building. He was hesitant, his eyes flitting around the building. I had known this man, my best friend, for twenty years and I knew when something was troubling him. I was too afraid to ask him, knowing that on top of everything I couldn’t take any more bad news. However, at the same time, I knew it was something I needed to know.

“Just tell me.”

Mason narrowed his eyes on Nate as he closed his eyes momentarily and drew in a deep breath. He blew out the same breath then turned to me, “Yeah, there’s more . . .”

* * *

I scoffed as I took in the dark haired beauty sat beside my son. Her hand was tightly gripping his, her long nails curled like talons around his pale skin. Her eyes were roaming George’s face as though searching for answers from him, her teeth ravaging at her bottom lip as she worked her tongue oddly over each tiny bite.

“Get out!”

Her head snapped up and she stared at me. Her forehead creased as she frowned but her eyes were knowledgeable, like she had been expecting me. “Mrs Fox.” She stood up straight, her body in battle mode as she prepared to defend herself.

I smirked at her as she pulled her shoulders tight and took a step forward to oppose me. “You wanna take me on, hun? You think you can?”

She shook her head rapidly, “No. I . . . just please, listen . . .”

“Get—out.”

“But . . .”

I took three steps towards her until our faces were mere inches apart, the stench of her expensive floral perfume curling my stomach, “I won’t tell you again. I don’t want you here; I won’t ever want you near George. I will make sure you are never near him again and you even attempt to come anywhere near him, I will hurt you.”

“But . . .”

Courtney appeared from nowhere and took hold of her arm, “Debora, come on. Now is not the time.”

I narrowed my eyes on Courtney, the gentleness in her voice directed against my nemesis’s daughter hurting me more than I cared to admit. “Never will be the right time.”

“Ava, we’ll talk about this.”

“Like fuck we will, Courtney. You seem to have forgotten who her mother is.”

“No, Ava” she snapped. “I haven’t forgotten and neither will Debora if no one will let her. George is happy; let him make his own decisions in life.”

I snorted and shook my head, “Happy? He’s that happy he had to take drugs.”

Courtney quirked an eyebrow at me, her expression full of disbelief with my double standards. “And how long did it take Mase to come off the drugs? I mean, if that’s the case and men only take drugs cos’ their relationships make them unhappy. He did take the white stuff regularly whilst he was with you, so he must’ve been really miserable.”

I stared at her. Where was my friend, my best friend who had supported me through everything life had thrown at me? Were we now so apart that she would push me out for someone who resembled Rebecca so much it hurt my heart as well as my eyes to look at her?

“Baby,” Mason spoke quietly beside me as he took hold of my arm. He knew I was ready to pounce, my nerves already on edge as I desperately tried not to look at my son laid in a hospital bed with so many tubes and monitors attached to him I didn’t recognise him. The pain in my chest was unbearable, the pressure it was crushing me with making it difficult to breathe.

I blinked back the tears and forced myself not to react, burying the need to hurt something—someone. “I suggest you go now, Courtney, before we both say something we regret and I do something I
won’t
regret.”

She sighed and shook her head. “I get you’re angry, Ava, believe me I would be too. But you’re taking it out on people who aren’t to blame. Debora has done nothing but fall in love with your son. Don’t condemn someone for loving your own son, be proud that you made such a remarkable man that anyone would fall for him.”

“It’s not the fact that
anyone
has fallen for him, Courtney. It’s like . . .” I rolled my lips as the tears started to squeeze from my eyes, all the past twelve hours since Nate had rung me forcing the heartache I had been trying to contain to flow free. “It’s fucking history repeating itself. It’s a Delaney and a bloody heroin addicted Fox. I don’t want that for him, for George. I don’t want him to go through what Mason and I went through. I can’t do that again, I
won’t
do that again.”

“Mrs Fox . . .” Debora stepped forward then halted when I turned my head slowly to her. My lip curled as my gaze roamed over her with contempt. She was so much like her mother, her beauty available to her like a weapon and if I was honest, that’s what frightened me. Rebecca had cursed my life, she had once had Mason in the palm of her hand, and to watch that happen again was like physical torture. It restricted my throat; it clamped each vein in my body and gripped my heart so tightly that my body felt electrified and oversensitive.

“Don’t come any nearer. Or I won’t be responsible for what I do to you.”

She paused and held her hands up before her. “I just want to say, that George is . . . he’s my life. I just want him to be happy; I want to make him happy . . .”

“Shut up!”

She gulped when I took a step towards her but Courtney stepped in front of me, blocking the one person that I could so easily take out my frustration on. Mason moved in behind me and took my arm again, stopping me from letting my rage loose. “Let go of me Mason or you’re going with her.”

He leaned in beside me until his mouth rested beside my ear, “I’ll pretend you didn’t just say that to me, Ava. Calm the fuck down—now.” I bit my tongue, holding back the words I so desperately wanted to say. “Just let the girl say what she has to say.”

I scoffed and glowered at the floor, “Of course you would say that.”

“What?” he asked as his brow furrowed with his confusion.

“Nothing.” I shook him off and stood aside as I turned back to Debora. “Just go please. I’ll give you chance to say your piece when I have spent some time with my son. Right now, I don’t think I can give you my full attention.”

I laid the olive branch before her even though every word had nearly choked me. She nodded once, “Thank you.”

Mason moved away from me but I caught the angry blaze in his eyes. He had heard my words but I didn’t care, fuck him. Fuck them all. My son needed me, not their fucking egos, my son!

“Debora,” Mason cut in as she walked through the door. “I want the name of George’s dealer.”

She shook her head and sighed, “I don’t know, Mr Fox. I don’t use, and I had no idea he had got this bad. I thought he just used occasionally, just coke. I’m as shocked as you to . . .”

Mason nodded to her as her eyes filled with tears. Christ, she was such a manipulator. Rather like her mother after all.

Courtney glanced at me before she led Debora from the room as Greg came in. His wide smile was marred by sadness but he rushed over to Mason and pulled him into a hug. It made me smile to think how strong and supportive our friends were, even after so many years.

“Hey you,” he whispered as he pulled me into an embrace. “How are you holding up?”

I shrugged as I took the chair beside George and gripped onto his hand much too tightly. My heart roared inside me just to touch him again. It had been two years. He had refused any contact after I had refused to come back to England with him and his distance had mentally and physically broken me.

Greg gave me a sad smile before he gestured to the door with his chin at Mason. I frowned when his throat twitched as though he was worrying about something. “Is everything okay, Greg?” I asked as they both approached the door.

He hesitated for a fraction before he looked over at me with a fake smile plastered to his face and nodded, “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

I knew he was lying. Mason did too as his face darkened and he followed Greg into the corridor.

Chapter Two

Mason

GREG’S EXPRESSION GAVE away his worry and I was quickly concerned. “What?”

He sighed as his eyes roamed over my shoulder. “George didn’t OD.”

He said it so bluntly that I immediately believed him. My heart soared as I realised my son hadn’t purposely tried to take his own life. “How do you know?”

He sucked air through his teeth and gestured for me to follow him. “Not sure about you mate, but I could really go a drink.”

I tilted my head and frowned, “That bad?”

He nodded slowly, “I’m afraid so. I need to talk to you.”

His face was tight with worry as his adam’s apple bobbed up and down relentlessly. “Greg?”

He squeezed his eyes closed and sank his teeth into his lower lip. “Can we do this over a drink?” he asked when his eyes opened and locked onto mine. There was a desperate appeal in his expression and I nodded.

“Yeah. Let me tell Ava and I’m all yours.”

* * *

“So.” I knew what was coming when Greg smirked at me. “How’s Kade?”

I shook my head but couldn’t help the chuckle. “Good God, does the miles between us mean nothing to secrecy.”

He laughed as he took a sip of his drink, “Mase. I . . .” He stopped suddenly and swallowed heavily. His expression brought an ache I couldn’t describe. Greg was many things, but very rarely did he show any weakness in this life. Yet, as he sat opposite me at the small round table in some random pub we’d found, every inch of his anguish, pain and fear flooded his features.

“You know, all those years ago when I joined you, I just thought it was a new job, something to pay the bills, you know?”

I nodded and waited patiently for him to get out what was desperately banging on his brain to be freed.

“But . . .” His cheeks flushed as embarrassment overtook him. “But it never turned out to be a job. It turned into my life . . . you all, well you all turned into my family.”

“Greg . . .”

“No,” he shook his head. “Let me say this, Mase.” His eyes roamed the room as he tried to find the words he needed to say. My senses were on alert. Something was bothering him and by the looks of his distress it was something big. “We were young back then, ruthless and merciless. But I enjoyed it, it was in me, the hunt and chase for violence. We were unstoppable, respected and I fed from it, it became sustenance to me. My daily diet was blood spilt by me from them.”

“Do you want to quit?” I asked quietly. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“No,” he shook his head slowly as he brought his eyes back to me. “I . . . I need to ask something huge from you.”

“Anything. You know that, Greg. We’re brothers . . . family.”

He paused and took a breath as one of the barmaids came and took our glasses, placing fresh ones before us as had been ordered by Greg. “I have to start at the beginning.”

“I’m here as long as you need me, mate.”

He smiled, but it was sad. My worry was growing more by the second but I held out and settled down to make him know I was with him for the duration, my ears his soundboard.

“About six months ago, Kerrie got news of some dodgy heroin doing the rounds.”

I frowned when he refused to look at me, his eyes anywhere but on me. “Right.”

“One of her friends got caught up in the stuff, as I’m sure you’re probably aware?” I acknowledged him with a nod. “The family is newish in the circle but they’re another level, Mason. Nothing like us. They don’t have an ounce of empathy. They want something, they will take out anyone that gets in their way, whether it be another family, or even the fucking Queen, they’ll shoot their own in the back so long as it guarantees their pockets get lined.”

His eyes finally met mine. “Kerrie gave me an in. I was planted in the middle of their group as a runner, just to get the ins and outs so she can take them out.”

I sighed heavily, “Jesus Christ. When will my sister learn that she can’t rule London?”

“It’s not because she wants London, Mason. They killed her friend, this is personal to her and to be honest, I’m behind her one hundred percent.”

“And what do you want from me?”

He hesitated and rolled his lips. I could see the heartache on his face and as one of my own; I physically felt each fracture with him. “George came in for a fix.”

I stared at him as my body locked up. My heart rate sped up at the same time my blood thickened and slowed down causing my brain to panic.

“I didn’t know what to do. I knew the heroin was dodgy. They’re distributing it through Trevor Hayford’s circle, trying to pin the defective heroin on him to get rid of him so they can move into his zone.”

His eyes scanned the room again. I knew he was scoping the place out, making himself aware of all exits, hunting for any rival gang members and that worried me.