“No threats have been made. No fucker would dare!”
Shaking my head, I reached up and cupped his face. “This life is different now, Mason. Twenty years ago I would tend to agree with you. But now it’s full of stupid fuckers who don’t value the concept of the criminal food chain. They want the top spot and the greedy twats won’t abide by the rules to get it. They will try to take you on…”
He pressed a finger to my lips. “Stop right there. You just said it yourself. They will try. Doesn’t mean they’re going to succeed.”
There was no talking to him. It was like trying to crack through a four-foot concrete wall. I also knew that he was lying, I could read it in the depths of his beautiful eyes. Threats had been made but he wouldn’t tell me. I knew he thought he was protecting me but I couldn’t prepare if I didn’t know the full extent of the problem. I made a mental note to talk to Katie, and conceded with a nod.
Changing the subject quickly when I saw the drop in his mood, I grabbed his hand and began walking again. “You heard from Kade and Grace?”
“Yeah, he’s hopefully coming out in the next few days. Grace has finally been in touch.”
“Good, I miss them.”
Kade had been waiting for Grace to return from her latest assignment before he made his way to England. She had taken a job with Memphis, a government specialist team that worked both alongside and separate to the MI5 and MI6. When the secret service needed a delicate matter dealing with but it went out of their jurisdiction the job was handed to Memphis. The only trouble was that sometimes it could take Grace away for very long periods of time. Kade missed her with a fury but, thankfully, living with Mason and I kept him sane – or insane, whichever way you wanted to look at it.
There had also been a terrorist attack on a nightclub in the middle of Portugal, and Kade as nursing manager to Portugal’s largest hospital, had been unable to fly out, his responsibilities tied to the emergency services. The country had also been on red alert for another attack but it seemed things were now calming down.
The cottage came back into sight and both Mason and I stilled when we stepped out of the trees and saw that the front door of the little thatched house was ajar.
Instinctively, he yanked me behind him and I turned my back to his, scoping out the area behind us. Slowly Mason moved to his car and opened the boot.
I stared with wide eyes when he unzipped a large bag and a mass of various guns made my heartrate escalate.
“I’m glad to see you brought a little backup, baby,” I scoffed.
He quirked an eyebrow at me as he shoved Barbara, my trusty Beretta, into my hands. “I’m a man, Ava. We always come equipped,” he murmured as we both checked the ammo and slid off the safety. “Like a night out, a box of condoms comes with us.”
I spluttered. “Mason, you never used condoms! You hated them. Hence little Mason and the twins!”
He paused, then shrugged. “Principles there.” He held me against the car and lowered his voice. “Stay here.”
Rolling my eyes, knowing he wouldn’t allow my argument, I dipped behind the car and watched him furtively move towards the house.
The area was quiet, too quiet. Something didn’t feel right in my bones. If someone was in the house, then why leave the door open?
My heart started to gallop as every single one of my senses became hyperaware.
Why would someone invite us in?
Why, if they were here to kill us, would they make their presence known? Allow us to prepare for the fight?
…Unless they wanted to tempt us in. Goad us by dangling a carrot in front of us.
SHIT!
“Mason!” I screamed, “GET OUT OF THERE!”
As if he’d read my thoughts, Mason came running back through the front door. “AVA!” he shouted. “GET DOWN!”
I ran. It was instinctive. Get the hell out of the danger zone.
A deafening explosion rocked the ground under me, sending me sprawling to the grass as my ears rang and heat blasted my body. A whoosh of fire licked at my skin, the agony intense before it receded, leaving me gasping for breath when a heavy weight crushed me to the ground.
The sound of the fire was thunderous, the force of the flames sending the wildlife into a frenzied panic. Birds erupted from the safety of their nests, bursting into the sky in unison and creating an artificial dark cloud above us.
Mason groaned above me and rolled to the side, releasing me from his protection.
“You okay?” I asked quickly, scanning him furiously as I looked for any sign of injury.
He nodded, closing his eyes for a second as he tried to find his bearings. Sitting up, he stared at the cottage, the setting that was once peaceful now resembling a scene from hell.
“Well, I think we might have lost our deposit,” I sighed.
He turned to look at me with a look of shock. His lips twitched before he started to laugh. His arm found me and he pulled me into his side. “I’m not so sure I want to buy it now.”
I shook my head, my focus fixed on the rapidly crumbling cottage. “Nah, maybe somewhere closer to the water.”
“Good idea.”
Seven
Mason
“Hey, babe.”
Layla smiled widely and slid onto the stool beside me after pressing a quick kiss to my cheek. Oliver, the Panther’s head barman, placed Layla’s usual pint of bitter in front of her.
“Where is everyone?” she asked after smiling her thanks to Oliver.
“Ava and Courtney are coming in later; they’ve gone shopping with Liv. Greg and Sam are working on something, and I have no idea about everyone else.”
She watched me closely as I swirled the whisky around my glass, my concentration nowhere but on my thoughts. “What’s on your mind?”
Sighing, I paused and chewed on my lower lip as I once again didn’t like what my intuition was telling me. Then, sliding around to face my best friend, I tipped my head and watched her face carefully for her reaction to my upcoming statement. “No one but close friends and family knew where we were, Lay.”
She stilled for a fraction of a second, slowly swallowing a mouthful of bitter before she licked the froth from her lips and then twisted them in thought. “Okay. So you think someone stabbed you in the back?”
Shaking my head slowly, I shrugged. “It’s the only explanation. Some fucker knew we were at the cottage, and knew we would be alone. It was an open invitation.”
Running her fingers across her lips, something she always did when she was thinking about something, she narrowed her eyes. “Mase, everyone in our tight circle have been your friends for over twenty years, we’ve always had your back. Even times when we haven’t agreed with you. We wouldn’t ever betray you. None of us would.”
Nodding, agreeing with her, my mind still wouldn’t let up on what the explosion to the cottage meant. “I know, but it doesn’t make sense otherwise. I picked Ava up and went straight to the cottage. We weren’t followed because I checked.”
“So who exactly knew?”
“Greg and Sam, in case they needed to get hold of me. Courtney, Nate and Liv. The kids, Kade and you. That’s it.”
“What about the travel agent?”
“Well I suppose. But I paid cash, in store. There was no private correspondence, no one could have known where or which agent I booked with.”
“Unless,” she muttered quietly as she contemplated my argument, “They followed you and saw you go into the agents. Then went in after you.”
Holding out my hands, I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I suppose.”
“You should get Sam to check the High Street CCTV.”
Hands suddenly dropped to my shoulders. Layla looked behind me with a smile as I felt a kiss softly press to the top of my head. His scent engulfed me and I sighed at the touch of him. “Kade.” His name rushed from me on a breath.
Spinning on my stool my eyes lifted to Kade’s, the glint of happiness twinkling back at me.
“Hey, handsome,” he whispered before the kiss to my head moved to my mouth. My heartrate escalated as his hands slid into my hair and his kiss deepened, the feel of his soft lips on mine pushing away all the troubling thoughts that had been overwhelming me.
The thought of death no longer mattered. All the conflict raging inside me, and the bitter taste of betrayal licking at my gut, evaporated when his touch on my skin diluted everything of importance.
“You’re here,” I breathed.
“I’m here,” he echoed. “I’ll always be here when you need me.”
Just as he settled on the stool beside me, Ava and Courtney walked into the bar area, their laughter loud and their hands full of bags. I groaned when Ava grinned at me, her long eyelashes fluttering at me.
“Darling, me and your credit card had the most wonderful afternoon.”
Kade laughed, reaching up to give Ava a kiss when she beamed at him. “You had fun, sweetheart?”
She nodded eagerly. “The best, I forgot how much my best friend could shop. The girl is a professional.”
Courtney sighed happily as if being a professional shopper was a thing to be proud of. “I was taught well,” she offered back to Ava with a wink.
Oliver placed Courtney and Ava’s drinks on the bar and Ava downed her Vodka cranberry in one mouthful. “Thirsty work.” She grinned at Oliver when he refilled her glass.
“Ladies.”
All heads turned towards William when he strolled across to us, his usual couple of security guys close behind him. Embracing Ava with a robust hug, his eyes closed and he blew out a breath. “Glad you’re back with us.”
She tutted, rolling her eyes playfully. “Can’t keep me back for long, William.”
He smiled broadly and turned to Layla. “If you want to take the night off with your friends I can get Misty to cover.”
She clapped excitedly, bouncing her tiny backside on her stool. “This is why you’re the best boss.”
He chuckled, nodding his head. “I know. I know.”
“Phone Liv and Nate,” Ava told Courtney who’d just pulled her phone out of her bag when it started to ring.
Her brow creased and she held up a finger as she slid off her stool. “I just need to take this.”
Ava nodded and turned back to Kade when Courtney scuttled off to answer the call. Courtney was never usually a secretive person and I watched her closely when she seemed to argue with someone before she gritted her teeth and ended the call.
“Babe,” she said to Ava. “I have something I need to do. I’ll be back in an hour. You call Liv and Nate and they’ll be here by the time I’m back.”
“Everything okay, Court?”
She swallowed, glancing at me when I questioned her, and nodded but I could see the worry cross her face. “Everything’s fine. Just enjoy your night. Won’t be long.” Her smile was forced but she hurried away.
“Mason?”
“Huh?” I turned back to Kade with a smile.
“Another?” He held up my glass in question.
“Uh, yeah.”
“What’s up?” he asked, leaning into me so the others wouldn’t hear him.
“I dunno, Courtney’s acting weird.”
He frowned, pursing his lips as he flicked his eyes to the door Courtney had just left through. “Booty call, you think?”
“I fucking hope not.”
Kade coughed quietly. Courtney had once had an affair with him when she was married to Greg and I could read the shame on his face.
Pushing away my anxiousness and trying not to spoil the other’s night, I shook my head and made myself forget the shit for one night. We all needed this. We hadn’t all been together for so long, and it was nice for all the gang to catch up again.
Although Courtney never did make it back.
Eight
Katie
Steed stood staring at me, his eyes fixed fiercely on me. I refused to open the door fully to allow him in, and he remained still, chewing his lip nervously.
“We should talk.” He spoke quietly and I couldn’t miss the hurt that covered his face when I shook my head.
“There’s nothing to talk about, Steed. You shouldn’t be here.”
His eyes moved behind me and my stomach dropped when I heard Kris walk into the hallway, most probably naked knowing him.
Steed gulped and clicked his tongue. His steel blue eyes turned back to me and the pain in them made me dig my nails into the palm of my hand. “Nice.” Without another word he turned and walked away.
I stared after him, the agony in my chest making it difficult to breathe.
“You okay, babe?”
Sighing, I spun back round to Kris. “You need to go.”
His face screwed up with confusion. “Eh?”
“This was a bad idea. I’ve changed my mind.”
“What the fuck, Katie?”
Getting annoyed, I blew out a breath in attempt to calm the rage building. “I asked you to go. Unfortunately, you’re still stood there like an arsehole, staring at me. You’re not god’s gift to women, Kris. You haven’t got a gold-plated dick. I’m not going to fall to pieces when you leave.”
He stood staring at me like I had suddenly grown four heads. I knew I was being a bitch but even he had to know I wasn’t ‘into’ him like he was me. I’d been making excuses all night, hence why he was naked and I was still fully clothed.
“Jesus Christ!” I screamed. “Go!”
“Bitch,” he hissed under his breath as he snatched up his clothes and slammed the door shut behind him.
I needed a drink.
The first tequila didn’t even touch the burn and the second only just subdued the need. The third was sprayed across the wall with a million shards of glass when I threw it across the room with a scream.
Slumping down on the sofa, I placed my face in my hands and cried. Why the fuck did I have to fall in love with someone I couldn’t have? Why the fuck did it have to be Steed? And why did he have to fall in love with me?
“It’s all a mess,” I sobbed when I felt Steed lift me into his arms.
“Shh,” he whispered when he settled me onto his knee. “It’s okay, Katie. It’s okay. I’ll make sure it’s okay.”
“How?” I asked, finally lifting my face to look at him. “How will it ever be okay?”
His thumbs brushed the tears from my cheeks. “It’s always going to be okay because I love you. I don’t need anything else. I don’t need approval, I don’t need guarantees, because I have you.”
“I need a guarantee that my dad isn’t gonna gut you,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
His smile broke my heart and I couldn’t help but touch the curve of his lips with my fingers. He was such a beautiful man, his eyes the very thing I first fell in love with. They were crystal clear but so intent on everything he studied, me included.
“What would you say if I promised you that wasn’t going to happen.”
Wiping the tears from my eyes I sat up a little straighter. “And how can you promise that?” I hiccupped and Steed chuckled, giving the tip of my nose a quick tap with his finger.
“It doesn’t matter how, just trust me.”
He stared at me intently, his declaration strong and clear in his gaze. I was so exhausted that I just nodded. “Then promise me,” I whispered as I shuffled round to slip both my knees either side of his thighs so I was straddling his lap.
His erection was already hard and eager, the feel of it making my belly throb with the rush of blood between my legs.
Taking my chin between his forefinger and thumb he tipped my face back. “I promise,” he vowed before he lowered his mouth to mine. His kiss was so full of love and devotion that I quickly pulled away.
My heart was thumping as impatience overtook me. “I love you,” I blurted out. I needed him to know right then, right at that very moment. I was terrified something would happen to him before I could tell him so it burst from me in a jumbled mass of syllables
that I was sure he couldn’t understand.
For a moment he just gazed at me, his eyes wide, but then he dragged air through his clenched teeth. He shot upright, holding onto my legs so I was hooked around his amazing body.
“Does this mean I can now actually make love to you instead of fuck you?”
It was my turn to remain mute. He didn’t wait for my answer. He carried me through the apartment and kicked open my bedroom door, and then very gently lowered me down onto my bed.
He gazed down at me for a long time, his eyes feasting on my face as though I was the most precious thing he’d ever seen. “You overwhelm my senses,” he whispered. “My emotions can’t keep up with every thought process. My eyes can’t quite believe what they’re seeing.”
Cupping his face, I ran my thumb tenderly over his eye. “Make love to me.”
He took a deep breath as if he was nervous. “I’ve never made love before, Katie. You have to work with me here.”
I nodded, hating that my eyes were filled with tears and blurring the vision before me. “Let’s do this together.”
He moved back so he was kneeling between my thighs, and threading his fingers through mine he brought them up to his mouth and kissed my knuckles. Then flicking each finger with his tongue, he took each one into his mouth and sucked them steadily. It wasn’t so much the action that made my blood turn to lava, it was the look of utter adoration and desire in his eyes as his tongue twirled and swirled around each of my fingers.
“My beautiful girl,” he breathed as his kisses pressed down over my palm and onto the inside of my wrist.
“Steed.”
I squirmed underneath him, my body on fire as he drew his wet tongue along the underside of my arm. When my shirt got in his way of my skin he slowly unbuttoned it and spread the material open, baring my small breasts – something I didn’t get from my mother – to his greedy gaze.
He ran his finger along the edge of the black lace, dipping inside occasionally and making my skin itch for more. His mouth then followed the route of his fingers until he pulled down the cup and gently sucked on my nipple. I was used to rough, violent twists and pulls of my flesh, but this, Steed’s tenderness, had my body energised like never before. Everywhere felt super-sensitive, like I was going to burst into flames the longer he took to tease and worship me. Yet he took his sweet time, tasting every inch of my skin, kissing every slope, every mole, every blemish and freckle that decorated my chest. He idolised my body like it was made from the richest, most expensive substance in the world, his devotion refusing my heart to beat and my mind to work properly.
Decay (Heart of Stone Book 13) Page 6
