The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone

by D H Sidebottom

  “Oh Christ, Mason.”

  He lifted a brow in agreement but didn’t release me from his lockdown, “Now you see.”

  “Does Vickie know?”

  He snorted, “Of course she knows. She fucking picks them out.”

  I shook my head in disbelief. Vickie was my best friend here in Portugal and I couldn’t believe she had fooled me for so long. “So . . . ?”

  “So, like I said, I have sorted it.”

  “But Mason, it’s not that simple now.”

  He shook his head in exasperation, “Well now I know that. You should have told me. He should have told me.”

  “Yeah, like he could do that. You never listen to him. You’re always demanding more from him, trying to make him into something he isn’t.”

  “What? Don’t be stupid.” He argued as his face contorted.

  “He isn’t like you Mason, he doesn’t want to be that person you want him to be.” He huffed; the ridicule I knew was within him angering me. “Don’t you dare mock him. Just because he doesn’t want to gut and maim people doesn’t make him less of a man.”

  “What the fuck, Ava. Where the hell has this come from?” He plucked the small tin of weed from my pocket and my eyes widened when I hadn’t realised he had known where it was. “This,” he shook it in front of me. “This has you paranoid.”

  “Don’t fucking judge me. At least it isn’t bloody heroin.” I snapped, my anger now biting and allowing my mouth to say things before my brain could filter them.

  His face darkened, “Don’t go there, Ava.”

  “Why, frightened I am too close to the truth?”

  I was baiting him, I knew this but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I needed his anger, sought the dominance I knew could clear my mind from all the things currently tearing me to pieces.

  His eyes scanned my face then narrowed as a cruel smirk twisted his lips. He slammed both of my hands on the wall above my head and ground his prominent erection into my stomach. “Is this what you’re after? Hmmm? Do you need me?”

  I narrowed my eyes on him in denial but he knew, he could read it in me. He knew me like I knew myself. “Taunting me is dangerous, baby.”

  “Who says I am taunting? Maybe for once I am just fucking angry.”

  He snorted and shook his head knowingly as he leaned into me and rested his mouth beside my ear, “I can smell it, Ava.” He breathed in deeply and circled the tip of his nose below my ear, causing electricity to spark in me, my sex throbbing as my thighs twitched rapidly.

  I released a small moan, cursing silently as its quietness echoed loudly in the soundless room. Mason’s chest heaved with the sound and he took a step back. “Get on your knees.”

  I swallowed as arousal eradicated the dark thoughts in my head. I dropped immediately causing Mason to smile arrogantly as he pulled his belt from the loops in his trousers.

  Oh Christ, I was burning up as he wrapped it around his hands and continued to watch me formidably.

  He dropped to his haunches before me and demanded my gaze, “Hands behind your back.”

  I did as he asked, knowing how to play the game. Both our heavy pants were now loud, destroying the silence as he wound the belt around my wrists and secured my arms. He grabbed my hair and yanked my head back, whipping my eyes to his. “Tell me.”

  My mouth had dried and my throat started to close in as lust and need took over. “I need it, please.” I begged as I swiped my lips with my tongue, desperately trying to moisten them. “Fuck my mouth.”

  His pupils fired with my demand as a growl rumbled through his throat. He regarded me for a while, his eyes dark as he contemplated his decision to give me what I needed. He was suddenly kissing me, his lips brutal and cruel as he punished me, his tongue forcing mine to fight with his as his angry dominance ruled and disciplined. He groaned and pulled my head further into him, his mouth expertly regulating our kiss as I moaned and gave in to him. His lips were soft but hard on mine, his control furious but his adoration as enthusiastic until he pulled back and came to stand before me.

  His eyes never left mine as his fingers slid the zip of his jeans and he released his hard thick cock into his hand. I watched eagerly as he fisted himself and stroked his hand slowly up and down, torturing me with his wicked self-pleasure.

  “Always so fucking greedy for my cock, my little warrior.”

  “Yes,” I panted as sweat started to dampen my brow and chest, a small trickle easing its way between my breasts as I continued to watch Mason masturbate.

  He stood out of reach, his punishment for my behaviour as my knees started to ache and my pussy moistened. His thumb swept across the head of his cock, collecting the small amount of pre-cum before it dribbled down the side of his shaft. He placed it on my bottom lip and dragged it across, his eyes watching my face struggle with my restraint. “Taste me, taste what you do to me.”

  I trailed the tip of my tongue over his residue and moaned as his flavour burst into my senses, the unique tang only Mason produced driving my lust higher and my need greater. “Please, Mason.”

  He tipped his head at me, “How did we go from fighting to this?”

  He seemed sad and I frowned at him, “Because this is what we do. This is how we work.”

  I watched his throat ripple but he eventually took a step further into me until my tongue could reach the tip of him. “Not yet!” he barked when I slid my tongue out.

  His hands slid into my hair and gripped tight, pulling my face upright to him. “Tell me why you love me, you didn’t answer me earlier.”

  “Do we have to do this now?” I asked in frustration. What was it with his need for reassurance every time his cock was out?

  “Yes Ava, we have to do this now” he answered sternly and I sighed heavily.

  I knelt back on my heels and held his eyes, “I love your strength, the way you fight for what you want with a determined resilience and the way you become courageous and fearless where your family is concerned.”

  He remained passive, watching me closely as if reading my eyes and deciphering the truth but his grip on my hair loosened marginally. Was he really struggling that much?

  “I love your spirit, the essence of you. Although you deal with some . . . dodgy stuff you still have your morals and principles.”

  He nodded, encouraging me to continue, “And?”

  “And I love this . . .” I leant forward and kissed the crown of his cock bringing a smile to his previous seriousness. “I love what you do to me with it. I love the taste of it.” I grinned as I stole a lick, “I love how it feels when you’re deep inside me. I love to watch it disappear into my mouth or a man’s arse, I love to watch your face when I give you pleasure with it and I love how I can torment you with it.” He chuckled and shook his head in humour.

  “But most of all I love the way you love me.” He gulped and his face softened. “I love how your face lights up when you see me, either a warm soft look in your eyes or a wicked glint. I love how you accept me and all my faults. I love how you take care of me when I want to climb into a hole and never come out and I love how much of yourself you give to me. I watch you Mason, I know how . . . restrained you are with people, how you don’t allow them to see you but I see you, I see how utterly beautiful you are inside and how fucking amazing your heart is.”

  He dropped to his knees before me and cupped my face softly, “I’m struggling Ava.”

  I swallowed back my pain to let him release his. “I know,” I whispered softly.

  “It’s not in me to sit back and watch something . . . something evil and sordid break free. I can’t do that. I don’t want to hurt you or George, or even Etta but I can’t see any other way. They’re just kids Ava, some of them as young as fourteen. Think of Katie and if it was her.”

  I nodded. “It’s gonna hurt him so much Mason and I’m frightened the tiny bit of thread holding you two together won’t withstand this, it’s frayed and burnt already and this will finally be as much as it ca
n sustain.”

  His eyes closed in distress but I shuffled my bum and climbed onto his lap. “Make love to me,” I whispered when he opened his eyes.

  He lifted me easily, swept my robe open then lowered me onto his rigid shaft. We both groaned in unison, both our souls sighing at the bond as pleasure coursed through my body.

  Mason’s breaths were heavy and laboured as I rocked in his lap, rising and lowering myself on him to feed us both with much needed bliss. “I love you, Ava.” he breathed as he released the belt from my wrists.

  I reached up and slid my hands behind his neck, pulling him to my mouth. His lips were always so soft but firm and I’m sure a piece of me both enlivened and died at the same time. “Ava,” he whispered against my lips. I knew he was close; his cock was firm and swollen inside me, brushing against my walls in amazing ecstasy as I moved harder.

  “Love me, baby” he rasped as his face tightened with his pleasure and hunger for climax. “Love me harder.”

  I rode him wildly, my body was so tightly wound I was frightened the release would kill me. He felt so good, his love and adoration displayed on his face as his fingers sank harshly into my buttocks to help lift and control me.

  “That’s it, Ava. Fuck me hard, take it.”

  I screamed out as his teeth secured on my neck and broke through my pain barrier, heightening my pleasure with the surge of adrenaline and slamming my orgasm through my weary body. He followed me with a deep cry and an unforgiving thrust of his hips, urging his cock impossibly deeper inside me. “Fuck! Ava!”

  We were both panting hard, our eyes fixed on each other’s in a silent moment until Mason smirked at me, “I love it when your cum coats my cock and drips down to my balls.”

  I shrugged and smiled at him as I rested my forehead on his, inhaling his unique scent and settling my frayed nerves. “I think right now your cock and balls are coated in both our cum.”

  He grinned at me mischievously as he swept his thumb across my bottom lip, “Lick me clean.” His demand wasn’t up for debate; his requests never were, so I slid off him and lowered my mouth to his softening erection. “Spotless, baby,” he reminded me.

  I heeded his command and rolled my tongue over his cock, swiping up and around slowly, devouring and accepting him as I cleansed him and gave him his little bit of power over me. I wasn’t complaining though, I enjoyed this side of my husband; his authority made me feel wanted and desired, his control made my heart beat that bit faster making me aware of just how much this man made me come to life.

  “My cum always belongs to your mouth, Ava cos’ you belong to me.” His large, rough hand cupped the side of my face as a finger tilted my chin until I was looking up at him. “Mine,” he growled in dominance and I smiled softly.

  “Always yours, baby.”

  He gave me firm nod as I tucked him back into his jeans with a slight feeling of loss. He stood and held his hand out to help me up but as I came to stand he pulled me against him and wrapped his strong arms around me. “We’ll get through this, Ava.”

  I nodded against him, my cheek brushing against the dusting of hair on his bare chest, “We always do, Mason.”

  Chapter 4

  Mason

  I GRINNED WIDELY as the door to the upper floor at the club opened and my family descended into the room. I heard Ava’s squeal over the music and from across the room as she darted through the hoard of teenage dancers currently gyrating to some techno shit on the dance floor and leapt at Nate, her legs instantly wrapping around his waist as he hugged her hard. “Fuck, sweetheart” Nate laughed as he spun her round.

  I was aware of Ava’s need for her best friend’s. It had been too long since their last visit and her spirit had darkened in their absence. If anyone could talk some sense into my wife then this was the man.

  I was squeezed just as hard from both Courtney and Greg, both of their smiles as wide as mine. “Where are they?” Courtney demanded as her eyes scanned the room.

  Her face broke into a brilliant beam as she spotted her Godchildren across the room. The air stilled and my eardrums burst when she slipped two fingers into her mouth and whistled at such a high pitch I’m sure Greg and I felt blood drip down our inner ears. “Shit, Courtney, couldn’t you just have walked up to them?” She waved me off as Katie flung herself at her and Greg seized George, pulling him hard into an embrace.

  “Look at you two,” Courtney smiled with a few tears as she held Katie at arm’s length and studied her. “God, you make me feel old.”

  “You are old, Aunt Court,” Georgie laughed as she swiped her hand at his shoulder then pulled him into her.

  “You may be sixteen now but you aren’t too old for a beating, boy.”

  He quirked an eyebrow at her and chuckled as she scowled at him. Why couldn’t my relationship with George be this easy and relaxed? He hated me, couldn’t stand the sight of me but now I was beginning to understand why. Yes, it hurt but I also understood it.

  “I’m old enough to drink beer over here so I’m old enough to take you on,” he joked as Courtney gasped.

  She snapped her eyes to mine, “He can drink alcohol in Portugal at sixteen?”

  I nodded but then narrowed my eyes on George, “Only beer and wine, no spirits.” I warned him. He shrugged without even giving me his attention and turned to face Etta who had come to stand by his side. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, the look in his eye the mirror image of how I looked at his mother. My heart clenched as I saw the replica expression on Etta’s pretty face.

  Greg shot me a questioning look but I shook my head slightly. The rest of the group had come over to us, Nate still with his arm around Ava as Sam hugged me and gave me slap on the back, “Mase.”

  I smiled at him. I missed them, all of them and I was dismayed Kerrie couldn’t make it but she was eight months pregnant. Her doctor as well as the airline had advised against flying, however, my heart skipped a beat and my throat ached when Layla tilted her head to me with an overwhelming smile on her face. “Babe,” I whispered as I wrapped her up and held her close. She sighed with contentment and gripped me hard. She felt it, my pain, I knew she did, her grip hardened and she gasped.

  “You okay?” She narrowed her eyes on me but I gave her a warning expression. She understood and nodded back with a small wink. I knew she would tackle me when we had time to ourselves.

  “Now the party can begin,” Ava beamed and her stunning smile made my heart stutter. Her eyes hadn’t been this alive for a while. I got that mine and George’s constant battling was dragging her down and I would give my last breath to make her smile that way again. But now, maybe she understood why I had done what I had done. I glanced at my watch, Frank would now be walking the long corridors of Lisbon prison and hopefully the half dozen young girls in the crates aboard the boat he had pulled them in on would now be on their way back home or somewhere safe at least.

  * * *

  “You bastard!” George roared in my face before I felt the full force of his strength on my chest and I was shoved backwards into a melamine table holding the mass of food. “You couldn’t keep out of it, could you? You have to fuck up everything that walks within ten inches of you.”

  I let him have a punch, making sure it hit my jaw to let him pursue a slight amount of vengeance but my hand shot out and seized his fist when it came back for seconds. “I’ll let you have one George but no more.”

  “You are scum!” He hissed as he shook his head angrily, “You aren’t content in fucking up my mother’s life as well as mine but now you have to ruin Etta’s. Who the hell do you think you are?”

  “George!” Ava exclaimed as she came to stand in front of me. What the fuck! I gripped her arms and moved her to the side.

  “Stay out of it Ava, let him have his say.”

  “Yes,” George sneered as he turned to Ava. “Stay out of it mother, after all it was a slip of your tongue that has ruined mine and Etta’s relationship by telling this cunt what I
told you in secret.”

  She gasped as hurt covered her face and her stunning green eyes dulled when tears pooled in them. I grabbed the front of his t-shirt and yanked him towards me, my wrath gravely on the precipice of danger. “You ever—EVER talk to your mother like that again I will cut out your tongue and shove it so far up your arse you’ll be licking seats until your eighteenth,” I warned him with a low snarl. “Apologise!”

  He scoffed. He wasn’t quite so confident when I wrapped my hand around his throat and pushed him in front of Ava. The slow trickle of fury was rising and although I was doing my all to dampen it, I was also relishing in its potency. It had been too long, way too long.

  “APOLOGISE, NOW!” I roared as my body began to tremble.

  We had gathered an audience now, all of their eyes expectantly on George awaiting his apology. I groaned as I saw Katie watching from the edge of the room, a guy trying to wrap his lips around her throat not even aware that she was paying him no attention. “BLAKE!” I roared. The stupid fucking cocksucking scrote snapped upright and turned to me, his face and neck blushing fiercely. “Get your filthy paws off my daughter!”

  He nodded and scurried away as I turned my attention back to George after I heard him heed my wishes and say sorry to his mother. “Get out and when you’ve calmed down, come back and we’ll talk about this properly.”

  He glared at me angrily, his solid chest even at his age, rising and lowering harshly, his own unique fury taking him places I had never wanted him to see. “Fuck you!” he spat as he yanked out of my hold and stormed from the room.

  I turned to Ava. Her face was so dark and painful my stomach revolted and I had to hold back the vomit as it coiled in my gut. “Baby,” I groaned as I reached for her.

  She closed her eyes, her determination to hold back her tears both enraged me and crucified me. She rolled her lips then opened her eyes slowly. I gasped at the emptiness and ache that took me hostage under her. “Ava?”