The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone

by D H Sidebottom

  “I’m terribly sorry, Miss.” She seemed horrified and I suddenly felt a twang of respect for her. “I don’t mean to flirt with men that are in a relationship. I just assumed you were his assistant after the previous times Mr Fox has flown with us. He always brings an assistant along,” she informed me. I slowly turned to Mason with a raised eyebrow and pursed lips.

  “Oh, he does, does he?” Mason’s eyes widened and he became very interested in the babies. Greg snorted and basked in Mason’s discomfort.

  “And he’s mine,” Courtney informed her.

  “Oh my goodness ladies, I’m so, so sorry. You must think I’m some sort of tramp.” She looked genuinely upset and I reached for her hand.

  “Well I must say my respect has just tripled for you. It takes guts to apologise and admit to flirting with someone’s guy, so Brooke . . . it’s a pleasure to travel with you and I will be sending my compliments to your senior.” I smiled warmly at her and she beamed at me.

  “Well thank you very much, Miss Stone . . . Champagne?” I nodded and lifted my glass.

  “And how many ‘assistants’ has Mr Fox graced your flights with?” I asked nonchalantly and I noticed Mason shift in his seat and grimace.

  “Well quite a few, every time he travels he brings one, although I did think it strange that he seemed to change assistants so often. He had a new one every time he boarded with us,” she offered without hesitation and I felt guilty for using her gullibility.

  “Really?” I nodded and pursed my lips. “Well hopefully it’ll be me from now on, unless he feels like a new assistant soon.” I glowered and he flicked a glance at me but diverted it straight away.

  “Oops,” Greg laughed and elbowed Mason in the ribs.

  “I must admit though Brooke, Mr Fox is quite a manwhore, you really had a lucky escape.” I laughed sarcastically. She blushed furiously and lowered her eyes and I puffed out a breath. “Oh Christ! I take it my words are too late.” The twist in my chest made my teeth sink into my bottom lip, he really had no shame. He brought me onto a private flight . . . twice! With a flight attendant he’d obviously screwed before.

  I swallowed heavily. “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.” I unbuckled my belt.

  “I’m afraid you have to stay seated, were taking off any moment,” Brooke informed me.

  “Well you’ll have to bloody wait!” I snapped and felt Courtney’s hand on my arm as I rose from my seat. I smiled at her but shook my head slightly as I stalked to the little cubicle and slammed the door shut then looked around and opened the door, nausea rising. “Please tell me you didn’t fuck in here?!” I demanded. Brooke’s eyes widened at me. “Wonderful!” I snarled and locked myself back in, trying not to picture Mason banging Brooke against the wall.

  A small tap echoed on the door. “What?” I barked.

  “Ava, let me in,” Mason’s soft voice came from the other side.

  “Fuck off, Mason,” I hissed.

  “Baby, please.”

  I shook my head at his audacity. “I can’t believe you brought me on a flight with an attendant you have banged up against the toilet wall Mason, that’s just . . . that’s a little chuffing sick!”

  “Baby, let me in.”

  I settled on the toilet. “I’ll be out in a moment,” I told him, refusing to open the door but I saw the lock turn and then the door opened and Mason sneaked in.

  “What the hell, Mason?” I scowled but he sunk to his haunches in front of me.

  “Baby, don’t do this to yourself,” he said softly and I scoffed.

  “Did you not think how I would feel when I found out you have fucked our flight attendant on this fucking wall?” I flung my hand against the wall in demonstration.

  “It was just sex, Ava and it was a long time before you, baby.”

  “You might as well have asked Rebecca to join us in our little foursome the other day, because right now I don’t think that would hurt any more than what this does.” He frowned at me and I shook my head in frustration. “You knew she would be here Mason . . . I have travelled twice with her while she flirted with you and you flirted back for god’s sake and now . . . now all I can picture when I look at her is you fucking nailing her.” I shuddered violently as the image scorched itself to my retinas. He closed his eyes and groaned. “Would you like me to introduce you to a bloke I laid before I fell in love with you? A bloke who pushed me up against a wall in a nightclub and fucked me like his life depended on it whilst I screamed in fucking ecstasy?” I spat.

  Mason’s face immediately went black and dangerous. He nibbled furiously on his bottom lip and his fists clenched. He shook his head angrily at me as his shoulders heaved with his deep breaths. He slammed the door as he left. I sat and rested my head in my hands. Maybe I had gone a bit far but he might have an idea how I felt.

  Groaning, I rolled my eyes and exited the bathroom, seating myself back in chair and buckled back up. Glancing at Mason I could see his eyes were glazed and I cringed inwardly, knowing the image I had now planted in his head would be making his craving intense and hard to drown out.

  I frowned and placed my hand on his arm. His head spun round to me but his eyes were narrow and angry. He shook his head and pulled his arm away angrily. I huffed and rolled my eyes.

  Courtney smiled sympathetically at me and I shrugged. He had put me in this position but as soon as the tables were turned he didn’t like it . . . well tough!! He might realise how I felt, but he continued to sulk and his mood got even darker. By the time we reached home and after five hours of travelling with him my mood was then the replica of his.

  * * *

  We both stormed in the house when we arrived home and I proceeded to prepare George and Katie’s suppers. Mason slammed about in the cupboard and pulled out a bottle of whisky and a glass then disappeared into his office for the remainder of the night.

  Elijah studied us from his discreet position in the hallway and I rolled my eyes to him as I heard things flying about in Mason’s office.

  I bathed and played with George and Katie before I settled them in bed but for some reason I didn’t feel like leaving them alone so I settled on the rocker in the corner with a blanket over me and rocked myself slowly to sleep.

  I murmured as I felt arms surround me and snuggled into a broad chest. My eyes flicked open suddenly. “What the hell Elijah, put me down.” I blinked but he just put a finger over my lips.

  “Shush, Ava” he whispered and I wriggled in his embrace.

  “Put—Me—Down!” I ordered. His eyes widened but he nodded and then set me on my feet. “Do you realise what Mason would do to you if he saw you doing that?” I hissed but he just frowned at me. “You have seen the mood he’s in tonight and all that is because he is picturing me being fucked by a man who isn’t him, so you can imagine what he would do if he saw me in your bloody arms.”

  His eyes widened. “He’s in this mood because he’s picturing you having sex with someone else?” he scoffed. I nodded slowly, realising he was now catching on. “Jesus.” He shook his head in disbelief.

  He held up his hands to me. “It was innocent though Ava, I just came looking for you and you had fell asleep with your head at a funny angle and I didn’t want you to hurt your neck,” he apologised and I sighed and smiled softly.

  “Thank you.” I rolled my neck and looked around. “What time is it?” I asked as we left the room.

  “2:30,” Elijah informed me and I frowned.

  “Is Mason still in his office?”

  He shook his head as we descended the steps. “No, he went out a couple of hours ago.”

  I stopped dead on the stairs. “WHAT?” I scoffed as Elijah turned towards me with a confused expression. “The mood he was in and you just . . . you just fucking let him go out without consulting me?” I asked incredibly but he just shrugged.

  “Mason isn’t my responsibly,” he informed me nonchalantly.

  “Fuck, fuck . . . shit!” I bounded down the stairs and scurried i
n my bag for my phone, dialling Mason’s immediately. It rang until the voicemail answered and I swore again, redialling and hoping he would pick up this time. “Fuck!” I swore again as I tapped my fingers against the phone. “Mason baby, where are you? I need you. Please don’t do anything stupid. You come to me if you need anything, anything Mason! I love you baby and I’m sorry, I didn’t mean what I said . . . please come home,” I spluttered into the phone in desperation and then ended the call, looking around the room in despair as though I would find him hidden in the furniture.

  This was seriously bad for Mason, the mood he was in I knew he would want to score and I had to find him before he did.

  I dialled Sam hoping he was at the club. “Hey,” he answered.

  “Is he there?” I asked and he paused.

  “No, should he be?”

  I bit my lip sternly. “Shit, we had a row and he’s buggered off, apparently my guard didn’t think him important enough to wake me when he left,” I growled, glaring at Elijah. He ground his teeth and disappeared into the kitchen.

  “Fuck!” Sam hissed, “I’ll get the guys looking for him,” he told me and rang off immediately so he could phone everyone.

  “Fucking hell, Elijah!” I snarled at him as I grabbed my bag and keys. “Watch the babies, if you’re even capable of doing that?!” I sneered at him and he lowered his eyes.

  “Shit Ava, I’m sorry, I didn’t think,” he apologised with a guilty expression

  “Well obviously!” I spat as I slammed the door behind me and raced for Mason’s car, knowing it was the faster than mine.

  I screeched out of the drive, crashing through the large gates before they had even properly swung fully open and tore down the street, my eyes scanning the road and its surroundings as I drove. I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel.

  “Think Ava, think!!” I hissed to myself as I turned the music up, needing the stimulating beat to drive my brain cells as well as the car.

  My phone rang and I tapped the Bluetooth symbol on the dash. “Ava?” Greg’s voice came through as the music automatically paused.

  “Greg, you found him?” I asked quickly.

  “No, sweetheart. Where are you?”

  I scanned my surroundings. “I’m not sure, I’m just driving and searching,” I told him as I slowed down and squinted at a guy sat on a bench by the side of the road but realising it wasn’t Mason I sped past him.

  “Listen, Courtney’s took my car to get to yours to watch the twins, swing by mine and I’ll come look with you, you shouldn’t be out on your own, Ava.”

  I glanced in my rear view to check I wasn’t being followed. “I’m fine Greg, there’s two sets of lights behind me and one just turned off and the other is way back. I’m fine,” I assured him.

  “NO! Ava, fetch me now!” I rolled my eyes at his dominance.

  “Fine, I’m near yours, I’ll be five minutes!” I told him grumpily and ended the call. I really hadn’t the time to divert to Greg’s. I needed to find Mason fast. I voice dialled Mason’s phone again but the voice-mail picked up again.

  “God damn it Mason, I’m seriously worried here baby. Where the hell are you? You promised me Mason, you promised you would come to me. You told me to tell you how I was feeling and when I do you can’t hack it . . . I am so damn mad at you right now,” I growled and terminated the connection before I said something I would regret and drive him to score faster. I just hoped he been strong enough to deny his urge but it had only been a couple of months since his last hit and the cravings were still strong.

  I pulled up in front of Greg’s and he bounded from the house still pulling his jacket on as he clambered in.

  “Any word?” I glanced at him before I pulled off again. He shook his head and reached down to tie his trainers.

  “What the fuck got him in a twist anyway?” he asked as he sat back up and buckled his seatbelt.

  I cringed. “It was my fault.” I glanced through my rear view and saw three sets of lights but they were quite far back so I wasn’t worried.

  “Well I know you’d had a row, I was there remember,” he said as he turned in his seat to look through the back window, obviously checking our situation too.

  “Well I was mad at him for what he did with Brooke so I . . . so I said something I shouldn’t have,” I admitted.

  He looked at me with narrowed eyes. “What?”

  I kept my eyes on the road as I rolled my head around my neck and pursed my lips “I . . . I asked him how he would like it if I introduced him to a bloke that had banged me up against a nightclub wall . . . as I . . . as I screamed in ecstasy.” I grimaced.

  Greg groaned. “Jesus, Ava.”

  Greg leaned forward and peered at a couple of lovers in a clinch against the wall and I gawped at him. “Well that wouldn’t be him!” I bit out but a small part of me knew it could have been him and I bit my bottom lip. “I swear Greg, if he gets high and cheats on me again . . .”

  Greg settled his hand on my thigh. “I know, Ava,” he spoke softly. My mind was wandering, wondering where he was and who he was with.

  “You don’t think. . . . ?” I asked and shuddered.

  Greg frowned at me. “What?”

  “Well you don’t think he could be at . . . hers?” I spat out.

  Greg swiftly turned to look out of the window. “No Ava, he wouldn’t,” he said calmly and I scoffed.

  “He did before,” I told him and his head shot round.

  “W . . . What!”

  I nodded slowly. “Last time he went on a coke rampage, he ended up in her bed!”

  Greg’s face contorted in pity and compassion, “Oh Jesus, Ava.”

  I shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. “Hey, at least he told me,” I said but didn’t feel the faith behind my words. I obviously didn’t relay it either because Greg’s hand settled on my thigh again and squeezed.

  “You’ve put up with so much shit from him Ava, he doesn’t fuckin’ deserve you!” he snarled and diverted his gaze back to our surroundings.

  I glanced through the mirror and saw two sets of lights; one far back and a pair that had been with us for a while. I furrowed my brow and straightened my shoulders. “Hold on, I wanna check something,” I said quietly to Greg.

  He frowned and looked at me as he saw me checking my mirrors but nodded when he realised what I was doing and gripped the edge of his seat.

  I pushed my foot further onto the pedal and kept my eyes trained on the headlights behind me—he sped up.

  “Shit!” Greg took a quick glance over his shoulder. “How longs he been tailing us?”

  I shrugged. “Noticed him as we passed the Slug and Fiddle.” I floored the accelerator a tad more.

  Gripping the wheel, I prepared for my turning and as I partially passed the street I flung the steering wheel to the left and careered into a One Way Street.

  “Shit Ava!” Greg cried as I manoeuvred us past the oncoming cars.

  Flicking my eyes into the mirror I saw the car had followed us. “Well at least I know he’s after us. Greg swipe my phone and press the icon on screen that says EMS.” I swung us around another corner and onto a high street, Greg fell into the door but righted himself and when my phone rang back I hit the blue tooth button.

  “Elijah, Blue BMW reg YH12 GRT.”

  “Gotcha Ava, Registered to a Harvey Leighton.”

  “Holy shit!” Greg said and I frowned as I tore into another road.

  “You know him?” I asked as Elijah barked orders to his men.

  “Yeah, he works at The Loft,” he informed me as he grabbed some sunglasses that had worked free from the sun visor and were skimming across the dash.

  “Never! The Harvey who works behind the bar?” I asked and Greg nodded. “Wow, he nearly took me home one night!” I shuddered.

  “Elijah . . . I need some help here, haven’t a clue where I’m going!” I told him as I sped round a roundabout but our tail just drove over it. “Fuck, hang on!” I sped up again
now recognising where we were. Greg yelped as I mounted the curb and raced through some park gates, his arse repeatedly leaving his seat.

  “What the fuck are you doing, Ava?” he asked and I just smiled wickedly.

  Now I had him! I led him through the quiet dark park. Knowing it like the back of my hand I headed towards the lake, poor Greg banging his head on the ceiling as I flew over the grassy terrain.

  “Ava!”

  I rolled my eyes. “Hang on, Greg.” I floored the pedal again and grinned to myself when I watched our tail do the same.

  “Come to Mama,” I chuckled under my breath as I sped up more, heading straight over the dark grassy area and hoping no drunk teenagers were hiding out in the darkness.

  As soon as I saw the twinkle of the lake water I handbrake turned, skidding us round to the right and then floored the accelerator again, boarding the path as the BMW sailed straight into the lake behind us.

  “Fuck Ava!” Greg spluttered as he hung his head out of the window to watch the car bob about on the water before the bonnet tipped and started to sink.

  “Jesus Christ Ava, where the fuck did you learn that?” Elijah shouted through the car speaker and I grinned.

  “It was Katie’s speciality when we had nicked a car and were trying to outrun the police.” I laughed and silently sent a thank you up to my friend, her help and guidance still saw me through even though she wasn’t with me.

  “God bless Katie,” Greg chuckled and squeezed my thigh as I pulled us back out of the park and headed towards home.

  “Straight back, Ava,” Elijah said. “I’ve got some guys entering the park now to find him.”

  I rolled my eyes, “Yes Elijah,” I said as I ended the call. “God that man annoys me!” I declared and Greg laughed.

  “I still can’t believe what you did, Ava.”

  My phone rang and I frowned at the display. “William?” I answered.

  “Ava, Darling,” William’s gravelly voice greeted and then he sighed, “I’m afraid I have your fiancé in my club and he’s in a bit of mess, just thought I should let you know.”

  I grit my teeth and Greg groaned. “On my way William, can you watch him, I’ll be twenty minutes.”