The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone

by D H Sidebottom

  But then I remembered Mason and his renounce of war with Kade.

  “William, its fine, let her in.” He narrowed his eyes on me and I held my hands up, “I won’t hurt her.”

  He regarded me for a while but then nodded his relent and moved aside.

  The fuck whore decided to pop her skinny arse on the stool in front of my side of the bar. Owen, bless his heart, whipped the towel off my shoulder and handed me a tray, “Room 12, honey.”

  I nodded, gave him a sly wink and made my way around the bar, balancing the tray expertly in one hand as I opened the security hatch.

  “Ava.” Rebecca called as my foot hit the hallway towards room 12.

  Fuck, shit and bloody bollocks!

  I stilled but didn’t turn. “You want something?”

  “Uhh, can I have a word, just a quick one?”

  I sighed, then huffed, then inhaled, then exhaled, “If you must.”

  She nodded and swallowed but I caught the evil little glint in her eye. “I just wondered if I can have a word with Ginny and Marlene?”

  What the fuck!

  What the fucking fuck?!

  I licked my lips in an attempt to replace some of the dryness now working its way through my system. “You know them?” I asked, mad at myself for giving this bitch exactly what she wanted but unable to help myself.

  Her eyes gleamed and I bit my bottom lip at my stupidity. “Yes. They used to work at Allure. I just need a quick word with them.”

  I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing me ask any more. “Sure” I replied as nonchalantly as I could but I knew she could read me, could see the question in my head of how come this . . . fuck whore was associated with Allure, just as Mason was.

  Did she work there? Was she a prostitute now? It wouldn’t surprise me! Was it her that owned the place? If so, then what was Mason’s connection as well?

  God fucking damn!

  She smiled too sweetly, the saccharine squeezing from all the Botox in her lips like a lump of syrup. Gross!

  “Go for it” I told her as I held a finger towards the dressing room.

  “Thank you, hun.”

  “Don’t fucking hun me Rebecca. I am not and never will be your fucking hun. Got me?”

  She nodded, her false face paling slightly before she turned and knocked on the room door.

  I made my escape, scurrying down the corridor to room 12 before I slammed the tray, contents included, into her face.

  I took a deep breath and painted a hosts smile on my face as I placed the tray on the table between the men currently watching an act between one of the pro’s and one of their friends.

  “Thank you, darling . . . Ava?”

  I blinked at the guy studying me with twinkling bright blue eyes and a soft smile, and then it clicked. “Jay,” I laughed when he stood and lifted me up high in his embrace. “When did you get home?”

  “A couple of days ago. Have you not seen my dad? I thought you worked with him.”

  I shook my head at the spitting image of my best friend. Jay, Nate and Liv’s son, was the replica of his dad apart from the deep scar that ran down the right side of his face. “I saw him over the weekend, we went up to the cabin but he didn’t say anything.”

  “Right, I thought you had seen him today. He didn’t know I was back until he got home last night.”

  “Ahh, bet your mum’s pleased. How long are you back for?”

  “A while, just finished my contract overseas. I missed the UK too much.”

  I nodded; I knew how he felt when I had gone to America for six months to run Nate’s company when it was having trouble.

  “Well I better get back to it. It was good to see you.”

  “And you, sweetheart. I’ll probably see you soon now I’m back. I’m staying with my mum and dad until I find an apartment I like. Nothing but shit so far.”

  I laughed, “I’ll keep my ears open and ask Mason if he knows of anything.”

  He winked then turned his attention back to the show as he picked up his pint off the tray.

  I strolled back down the corridor but halted at the open dressing room door when I heard voices. “Come on girls,” Rebecca near begged. “He’s sorted it. He’s interviewing tomorrow night. Why don’t you come along, you don’t have to go through the process, you know that. Your regulars are missing you both.”

  He, whoever he was, was interviewing tomorrow night. Really? That was a nice snippet of information Rebecca, thank you.

  I hurried away as I pulled my phone from my bra and text Courtney.

  Me:

  Need you in your sexiest gear tomorrow night, hun. Keep it secret from Greg. Will explain later xxx

  Courtney:

  Sure babe, time? xxx

  Me:

  7? xxx

  Courtney:

  Sexy, elegant or sexy, tart? xxx

  Me:

  Definitely tart! xxx

  Courtney:

  Ooh, now I’m excited. Gotcha, see you then. Xxx

  * * *

  “Hi” I smiled widely at the doorman to Allure the next night. “We’re here for the interviews.”

  He scanned both Courtney and I before he gave us a slight nod and tipped his chin towards the interior doors.

  Wow, easier than I thought.

  Courtney giggled and I slapped her thigh as he gave us a stern stare, “Chill.”

  “I can’t, I’m excited, it’s like we’re undercover. I feel like Wonderwoman or Cagney and Lacey.” She jigged about as we entered into another room, this time a big burly bloke held a clipboard and grinned widely at us when we walked in.

  “Hey, girls. You here for interviews?”

  Courtney nodded like she was on fast forward x30 and I thumped her in the thigh. She scowled at me but calmed as I held out my hand in greeting.

  “I need your name, sweetie” He asked as he poised his pen at the ready.

  He was nice, I liked him.

  “My real name or professional?” I asked as I scanned the room. I knew Mason wouldn’t be here tonight, he’d got some business at Pulse to deal with, apparently one of the staff had developed itchy fingers and I knew Mason was developing itchy fists about it all.

  “Real” he winked as his eyes perused every inch of me, “You can tell me your pro name when you get the in.”

  I smirked at him as Courtney gasped. Bloody woman, we were supposed to be tarts not fucking teenage virgins.

  “Jenni Wren” I told him.

  God bless him, he never flinched.

  He turned to Courtney with an expectant look and she inhaled deeply. “What would you like me to be called, sugar?”

  I nearly spat out my tongue. Jesus Christ, I was gonna kill her.

  He smiled wickedly, “I’d like you to be called to my room in the middle of the night but until then I need your real, sweetie.”

  She hummed, good god, this girl vibrated beside me and I had to hold back the curse that was on the tip of my tongue.

  “Jessica Hare.”

  He nodded as he wrote it down and I couldn’t believe how gullible this sweet giant was.

  I could see Courtney’s body trembling as she held back her laughter and I treat her to my best glare.

  “Okay, ladies, follow me.”

  I studied the place as we followed through a few corridors and doors. It was fairly upmarket and clean, nothing like I had expected, and I was quite amazed at how they could have a security issue here. There were plenty of cameras scattered about.

  We approached another door and Burly offered us the sofa facing a door that had a ‘private’ plaque attached. He opened the door and spoke to an invisible someone. “Two more, boss.”

  “Twenty minutes, Gabe.”

  No! No!

  What the hell was happening?

  Courtney stared at me as the voice reached her ears as well, her eyes were wide and I watched as the colour slipped from her face and she turned a funny shade of green.

  I was shaking,
it couldn’t be him. No!

  What the fuck!

  But . . .

  Gabe closed the door and looked over at us. “He’ll be about twenty minutes, got someone in there with him.”

  I nodded slowly as Courtney just stared at him. “You okay, sugar, you look a bit . . . ill?”

  “Water” I croaked out, “She needs water.”

  He looked rather panicked as he looked at the closed door, then to Courtney, then back to the door. “Right, wait here.”

  He grimaced then disappeared down the other way and into a door at the bottom.

  Courtney turned to me, her head shaking wildly as if we had misheard who we had heard. “Fuck . . . Ava . . . fuck!”

  My heart was threatening to erupt through my chest as my stomach vaulted in disbelief.

  I stood up. I sat back down. I stood again.

  “Fuck!”

  My breathing was getting frantic as my palms sweated profusely, “Fuck! FUCK!!”

  No way. No—fucking—way!

  My hand shook as I gripped the door handle. Burly came stumbling up the corridor towards me.

  Now or never, Ava.

  I flung open the door and palmed the frame for support as my eyes took in the scene.

  Two naked girls were writhing about on a large sofa, their tongues in each other’s parts as they performed for the management. Their erotic moans loud in the silence of the room as I turned my gaze to the desk opposite.

  The management was sat side by side behind the desk watching the girl’s performance.

  “ . . . Ava?”

  I stared at him as he shot upright up from his seat. His face was pale and agonised as the fuck whore beside him smirked, “Well, this is a pleasant surprise, isn’t it Mason. Hello Ava, come in.”

  I didn’t even look at her; I couldn’t remove my eyes from Mason. His hands hit the desk in front of him for support as he swallowed heavily.

  “WHO THE FUCK LET HER IN?”

  “I did boss, sorry. I’ll get her out.”

  Hands came around the top of my arms and I was pulled back, my shock rendering me passive and unable to fight.

  People seemed to shoot from everywhere as I was dragged through the corridor backwards, my feet limp and loose under me as Gabe supported all of me.

  “GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HER!” Mason bellowed from the hallway, his shock dissipating enough for him to now move.

  Gabe dropped me and I fell to the floor in a heap, my eyes still fixed on nothing as my heart slowed and my soul wept.

  He wouldn’t do this, he wouldn’t. Eight years. Eight years of lies. All of it a lie. Our marriage . . . a lie. A fucking lie!

  He came before me, crouched on the floor before me but I didn’t see him. I didn’t see him. I saw a liar, a sham, a fraud but then I saw her.

  Oh, I saw her and she had seen me coming. And I’d fallen into her trap; hook, line and fucking sinker. In fact I’d fucking dived into it, jumped and hurled myself right at it.

  How fucking stupid was I?

  I hadn’t seen it.

  I hadn’t seen this.

  I hadn’t seen him.

  “Ava” he choked out and I finally swung my eyes to him.

  His hands came out to wrap around me but Courtney slapped him off, “Don’t fucking touch her.”

  He narrowed his eyes on her, “Stay out of this Courtney.”

  “Don’t you fucking dare, you bastard. Look at her, look at what you’ve done to her.” Then she turned on Rebecca. She didn’t say anything, just hurled her fist back then slammed it right into Rebecca’s face.

  I loved my girl.

  “And you, you fucking whore. You better move before I decide to fucking kill you.”

  Rebecca scrambled back as a random helped her to her feet and she pointed a long talon at Courtney, “Fucking try that again.” she warned.

  Courtney whipped her head back and laughed quite manically, “Yes, please.”

  “Rebecca, go, just go!” Mason barked and I trained my eyes back on him.

  The pain and anguish held in them angered me more. “Baby . . .”

  My fist slammed into his cheekbone and he shot backwards, his back hit the floor with so much force it vibrated my arse an inch up the corridor.

  Everyone stared at me; their mouths and eyes wide open as they wondered how this little woman could floor their huge boss.

  “Come on, babe.” Courtney said softly as she lifted me off the floor.

  “What the fuck?” Gabe said as he stepped in behind me and gripped my hair in a tight grasp.

  “Move—your—fucking—hand—NOW!” I growled.

  I felt the tremble in his hand but he didn’t release me.

  I released me for him as I rammed my elbow into his gut, then turned and kneed him in the groin before I fisted the side of his head and knocked him out.

  Mason was sat now, on the floor, his knees bent and his head rested against them in resignation.

  I stood over him and he looked up at me. His eyes were bloodshot and accepting. “I don’t want you anywhere near me or the twins.”

  He nodded slowly, “Of course.”

  “And I want a divorce.”

  That got his attention.

  He shot to his feet, his head shaking from side to side rapidly, “No, NO! No fucking way.”

  I didn’t reply, just scanned him slowly, my heart broken and dead already before I turned and left.

  And never looked back.

  Chapter 13

  Mason

  SHE HAD GONE. She had really gone.

  She had left me.

  I sat, on the floor of the corridor surrounded by many people, but very much alone. Empty, hollow and broken.

  I didn’t blame her, hell, I knew it was coming. I had known. I had even warned her it was coming.

  I had hurt her for the last time. She wouldn’t let me hurt her again. I wouldn’t let me hurt her again.

  But I wouldn’t let go, I would never let her go. She was mine and as much as she wanted to run, we both knew I wouldn’t let her.

  If she thought she was getting a divorce, she had a shock coming. I would fight it with everything, everything I had, everything I was and everything I could find inside me.

  God, I was so damn stupid.

  How the hell I had managed to keep this place hidden from her for eight years was beyond me.

  Her face destroyed me when she had clocked Rebecca. I knew it was that Rebecca was in there, in full knowledge of this part of me that had ripped Ava apart.

  The one thing I could have hurt her with was sat beside me when she discovered this god damn fucking place.

  How the hell she had found out was beyond me.

  How the hell had she found it?

  I thought I had everything covered, hidden away from her so tightly no-one could establish who owned Allure.

  “Boss?” Gabe’s voice brought me from my trance and I peered up at him.

  “I, uhh . . . I dunno what to say really, I thought she was here for an interview. She said she was here for an interview. Is she someone special?”

  I sighed and sucked in my lips, “She’s my wife.”

  His eyes widened in shock. Nobody here knew anything about my life outside of here. That’s how I had managed to keep it a secret for so long. “She was my wife?”

  He nodded faintly, his obvious pity displayed openly, “Real sorry, boss.”

  “It’s not your fault, Gabe. Get yourself off home. In fact, clear the place out for me.”

  “Sure thing. You need anything before I go?”

  I shook my head in reply and watched his large frame retreat through the door at the end of the hallway.

  I lifted myself off the floor, my desolation making my body heavy and sluggish as I dragged myself into the office.

  Fuck, the girls were still bloody at it on the sofa. Christ, did they not hear the commotion?

  Picking up their clothes from the floor, I threw them at the entwined bodies. T
hey actually broke off and blinked at me. “Go, get out.”

  They both frowned and I sighed in frustration, “OUT!”

  They listened then. They both shot up and exited the door whilst pulling their clothing on.

  I exhaled heavily as I unscrewed the cap off the whisky bottle and took a large gulp. It seared my throat but warmed my frozen gut.

  My phone alerted me to a message and I quickly picked it up, praying it was Ava but groaned when I saw Nate’s name:

  Nate:

  Again! A—fuckin—gain. You piece of shit!

  Me:

  Is she with you? Is she okay?

  Nate:

  Okay? Okay? She’s fuckin’ gutted. Why, Mason? All the damn time!

  Me:

  Tell her I want to talk.

  Nate:

  You really think she wants to talk? You’re more stupid than I thought.

  Me:

  Don’t interfere in this Nate, so help me . . .

  Nate:

  Don’t fuckin threaten me, you god damn prick! My best friend was fucking sobbing so hard she fucking passed out.

  Oh Jesus Christ.

  My hands gripped the edge of the table.

  Fuck, fuck, FUCK!!!

  The table tipped as I heaved it, the contents flying across the room with my strength. The cupboard went next as I lifted one end and flung it with ease into the opposite wall. The monitors came off the wall with a surprising effortlessness, their screens shattering and sprinkling the room with smoked glass. Everything else in the room followed suit, from the pictures of the many naked women that had donned the walls to my laptop.

  I wanted to destroy it all like it had destroyed my marriage, my family, my heart.

  I slumped back into the chair; the only thing left intact, and took another swig of the much needed alcohol.

  “Mason?”

  I turned to Rebecca, stood in the doorway, her skinny hip resting against the frame as she looked in horror at the mess.

  “You need something?” She asked it in a way there was no misinterpreting her meaning.

  I shook my head, I didn’t need that shit. I needed that shit so bad, so fucking bad.

  “It’ll make you feel good.” She offered and I closed my eyes and clenched my fists.