Decay (Heart of Stone Book 13)

by Sidebottom, D H

  I became a jumbled mess as he slowly stripped me down and tasted every part of me, every single element of me. My back arched and a long whimper broke from me when he slowly dragged his tongue over the swollen flesh between my thighs, the very tip of his tongue torturing parts of me that I never knew could be so sensitive. Raising his hands to mine when I lowered them down my stomach, he hooked my fingers through his and held onto me as he brought me to the precipice time and time again, his religious dedication to giving me pleasure leaving me breathless and dazed.

  “You always taste so good,” he announced when he eventually drew his body back up in line with mine and took me in another toe-curling kiss.

  Lifting me, he positioned me over his cock and slowly lowered me onto him. The stretch burned but filled me with a pleasure that was mind-blowing.

  “Slowly,” he urged me when I started to move. “Take me slowly, sweetheart.”

  I nodded, trying to obey and prolong our love-making. Our bodies slid and slipped together, chest to chest, mouth to mouth, heart to heart as we joined in a way like never before. His hands held mine, his eyes held mine, his soul carried the weight of my own as his love nurtured me.

  “You’re all I’ve ever wanted, Katie. You are the most beautiful, crazy, amazing woman.” His words were said with every sharp intake of breath, his pleasure making him growl out every word. “Your strength astounds me, your devotion to who you love is humbling.”

  “Stop talking,” I pleaded when his affection brought forward more tears. I never cried, I was too hard for that shit. Yet Steed had the stuff pouring from me in waves of choked cries.

  “You need to let go, sweetheart. You need to let me take you there.”

  I nodded, hoping and pleading with his demand.

  “Let go, Katie. Let me carry you over.”

  My orgasm broke with a sob of emotion. Roll after roll of ecstasy dragged a scream from me as I wept for what I knew was to come. Steed shuddered deep inside me, growling out my name as he came with a violence that matched my own climax. He dropped his forehead to my shoulder and gasped for breath.

  We stayed like that for a while, silent and brooding.

  But then he tipped his head back, stared straight into my eyes and whispered two words that sent a surge of panic into my veins.

  “Marry me.”

  Nine

  Ava

  Untangling myself from the two men encompassing me, I slid down the bed and slipped out of the bottom. Memories of last night slithered in and I inhaled deeply at the vision of Kade pinning Mason to the bed and fucking him hard, both of them eager to make up for lost time. I’d sat and watched them, my hand between my legs to pleasure myself. We never grouped without both Grace and me there, only the men fucked. That way there could be no comeback on either me or Grace. It suited us, it worked and we were all happy with that arrangement.

  Pulling my robe around me, I used the loo then made my way downstairs for coffee. Scooping up the mail from the doormat, I placed it on the kitchen side and smiled widely at my daughter when I found her sat drinking tea at the table.

  “Morning, peanut.”

  She grinned up at me when I dropped a kiss to her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo. Nothing could ever beat the scent of your own children, it not only soothed the anguish as a mother but eased the soul.

  “Hey,” she whispered.

  My gut tightened at the sound of worry in her voice. Pouring myself a coffee I sat beside her and gave her an encouraging smile. “What’s up?”

  She sighed when my phone pinged a text alert. Growling at the disturbance I quickly read the message;

  Greg: Did Courtney stay at yours? She didn’t come home.

  Something twisted in my gut as I replied a ‘no’. Courtney’s youngest, Little Mason as we all called him, was only three. It was rare for her to go very far without him.

  “Everything okay?” Katie asked.

  Running my tongue across my teeth to alleviate the dryness that had them sticking to my gums, I gave her a forced smile. “Yep. So what’s up?”

  Taking a deep breath, she blew it out then looked at me. “I have something to tell you.”

  The way her voice became quiet had me on alert. For my daughter to be scared told me everything. She was so like Mason. She never showed her emotions or fear, and she fought every problem head-on, hence why I knew instantly that this was serious.

  She closed her eyes and bit into her bottom lip when Mason strolled into the kitchen. “Morning, love.”

  She smiled up at him, returning his kiss. “Hey, Dad.”

  He poured himself a coffee, snatched up a pastry I had baked yesterday and sat down with the mail.

  “You’re early,” he said as he opened the largest brown envelope. “Everything okay?”

  She nodded, flicking her eyes to me. “Yeah, I’m good.”

  He narrowed his eyes on her. There wasn’t much that got past my husband and I knew he’d heard the anguish in her voice. “Everything going okay businesswise?”

  “Yep, nothing to report. The Vaughans are getting a little out of hand but it’s being taken care of.”

  Mason grinned, nodding as he pulled out some papers from the envelope. “I have no doubt it is.”

  Something in the air shifted, I felt its presence crackle almost instantaneously. Mason froze, his eyes glued to the paper in his hand. Both Katie and myself shivered with the wrath that started to stream from Mason, the thick waves of fury curdling the oxygen around us.

  “Mason?”

  He didn’t appear to hear me as he shifted through the few papers, slowly moving the top one behind the bottom one as he worked his way through each one. From what I could see they appeared to be photographs, A4 size ones.

  He started to pant, his chest falling and rising deeply and quickly. Abruptly, his face snapped up and his eyes slowly moved to Katie. His jaw was clenched so tight I was worried for his teeth. His forehead glistened with tiny drops of perspiration and the customary tic started to convulse in his right cheekbone.

  Shit!

  My body shifted into prep mode, the tiny little bubbles popping in my gut and releasing the adrenaline I knew I would need any second. Slowly, I moved my hands from my lap and rested them on the table. My heart was beating so rapidly that the room started to swim around me.

  And then he pounced. For his own daughter.

  “MASON!” I screamed when Katie’s chair toppled backwards and Mason was on top of her, his hands clamped around her face, her cheeks crushed under the strict hold he had over her.

  “You stupid girl!” he bellowed. “Are you determined to crush this family?”

  “Mason!”

  He was solid as I tried to drag him off her, his body rigid with vehemence. Katie was so dumbstruck that she couldn’t shift from under him, her wide terrified eyes fixed on her father as he struggled to hold back his rage.

  “Mason!”

  Suddenly, as quickly as he’d pinned her down, he shot upright, glaring down at Katie as she panted and strived to catch a breath. Leaning into her, his face red with rage, he snarled at her, “Make a choice. Him or us! There’s no in-between. None!”

  And then he stormed from the room.

  My eyes moved from Katie to the photos tossed across the table. “Shit.”

  Katie scrambled upright, her eyes watching me warily as if I would be the next to launch for her. A sob broke from her before she picked up her chair and stood staring at me, waiting for my reaction.

  Letting out a long sigh I dropped onto one of the chairs, trying to avert my eyes from the explicit pictures of my daughter and my ex-lover.

  We were both silent for a long time. I could practically hear Katie’s heart beating in the quiet room.

  “Who died?” Kade asked when he stepped into the kitchen, his curious eyes shifting between me and my daughter.

  Katie and I looked up to him when his short gasp told us he’d spied the pictures.

  “Oh b
loody hell, Katie.”

  She swallowed, lowering her eyes but took a deep breath. “He asked me to marry him.”

  I couldn’t form words, or thoughts. Her revelation knocked the wind from my lungs and I just stared at her.

  She fixed her eyes on mine. “And I said yes.”

  Kade clicked his tongue and let out a long moan. Pushing his long fringe from his face he quirked an eyebrow at her. “Bit quick isn’t it?”

  I could see her reinforcing herself, dragging down her anguish and preparing to take Kade and me on. “We’ve been on and off for over three years.”

  “What?” They both turned to look at me when I gawped at Katie with shock. “Three years?”

  She nodded, lowering her eyes. “I didn’t want to lie to you, Mum. But I… Well, shit,” she shrugged, “It’s a bit difficult.”

  “A bit?” Rubbing at my temples, I groaned. “You don’t do things by half, do you?” She was so like her namesake it was unbelievable. It was like the ghost of Katie had resided inside my daughter, sitting and waiting for the fireworks to detonate.

  Kade, respectfully, turned the photos of Katie over so we wouldn’t have to stare at her breasts any longer – and Steed’s arse come to that, and then picked up the brown envelope. “Well Katie, love, it appears you’ve upset someone.”

  “Any clue as to where it’s come from?” I asked, leaning forward so I could study the envelope.

  Kade shook his head. “Nothing, but I’ll get Sam to do a thorough once over on it.” Lifting his eyes to me, he winced. “Mason?”

  I shook my head and stood to replenish my coffee. “Fuck knows.”

  “He’ll go after Steed,” Katie speculated, most likely correctly.

  “Is Steed ready for him?” I asked, leaning back on the counter so I could give her my full attention. “You know this isn’t a game anymore, Katie. It will never be okay with your father.”

  Sorrow covered her face and she nodded. “Don’t make me choose, Mum. Please.”

  “Because you’ll choose him,” I finished for her.

  She didn’t reply but I could read the answer in her eyes. The pain in them made my heart ache for her. Her face screwed up and devastation took her, a heartbroken sob breaking through the tough exterior she always wore. “I love him,” she whispered, “I’ve tried to stop, I have tried so hard, but…”

  “Shh.” Wrapping her in my arms I held her tight, allowing her grief some comfort. “It’s okay. We’ll sort it.”

  Kade lifted both brows at me from behind Katie’s shoulder. We both knew there was no way on this Earth or the next that Mason would sanction this.

  And once again, it was all my fault.

  Kade narrowed his eyes and shook his head silently. Reading me like a book, he mouthed, “Not your fault, sweetheart.”

  But it was. If I hadn’t been so damn selfish and slept with Steed, then Mason wouldn’t ever have a problem with him. Steed was, actually, a good guy. His loyalty was steadfast and he was sincere, and I knew he would protect my daughter with his very life.

  I just prayed he still had his life to protect her with once Mason got to him.

  ♡

  My feet were glued to the carpet – and it wasn’t because of the filth that coated every surface. I couldn’t take my eyes away from him as my body froze in horror. Visions of many years ago came flooding in and vomit surged up my throat as I took in all the used and broken needles tossed about the dirt George sat in.

  Rushing to the bathroom, deciding to deal with my puking first, I heaved even harder at the state of the toilet bowl.

  My head pounded and I released a long groan as I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand, not daring to touch the towel that hung over the edge of the bath. Quickly turning on the cold tap I splashed my face with water, the icy temperature snapping me from my disgust.

  Looking into the mirror it shocked me how old I looked. My skin was ashen, red blotches the only colour that stained my cheeks. My lips were shaded with a blueish-grey tint, and my green eyes were dull and lifeless. Even my hair was drab and limp, it’s once lustrous copper colouring now replaced by a dull rust with more than a few greys. It occurred to me that I hadn’t taken care of myself lately, my religious beauty regime long gone and replaced by a quick buff when I found the time for myself.

  Closing my eyes, I dragged in a breath and pushed aside my own troubles. I couldn’t face them yet.

  Mindlessly, I lifted my fingers to my neck and felt for the two small lumps that constantly pressed on my mind. My health always chose the wrong moment to remind me it wasn’t doing so well. I didn’t have time for that shit now, I’d deal with it later.

  Once more I washed my face and as I wiped away the water with my t-shirt, something on the very edge of the sink caught my attention. Blinking at it, I ran the edge of my thumb along it, my mouth drying when the blood smeared across my skin.

  Spinning round, I scanned the room. There were more spots infrequently dotted about the beige carpet, very faint, but definitely blood. It was when I studied the bath and found it squeaky clean that panic set into my heart.

  Sliding my phone from my bag, I dialled Rosie, a cleaner the family used.

  “Hello, Ava.” Her tone signified her wide smile and I found myself smiling with her.

  “Rosie, hun. How are you?”

  “Good, good,” she answered as I mouthed her words myself. Rosie was always ‘Good, good’. Last year she was hospitalised with pneumonia and when I’d gone to visit her and asked how she was she had given me the usual ‘Good, good.’

  “Got a job for you, Rosie.”

  “Usual?” she asked, referring to a body clean-up.

  “No.” I paused, and swallowed. “It’s uhh… delicate. Just for me. Full house sanitisation, and… blood and needle disposal.”

  “That’s not a problem, love. Just myself for this one?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Giving her the address, I ended the call and took a deep breath. Then went back downstairs to deal with my unconscious son.

  Ten

  Mason

  If he hadn’t opened the door with such a smug smile I wouldn’t have hit him as hard, as it was, the cunt thought he was clever. So I hit him. Hard.

  The fucker got back up though. “Uh-uh,” he sneered. “This time I hit you back. I allowed you the once, but only cos’ it was your wife.”

  My fingers found his throat in a tight vice as his back found the wall with a heavy slam. “I don’t advise you to goad me.”

  Shaking his head, Steed scoffed. “You never need any goading, Fox. You hurt whatever you want, whenever you want. You think you own this god damn planet.”

  “You touched my wife. I warned you then. And now you’ve taken something even more precious.”

  “I haven’t taken her, you fucking fool.” He narrowed his eyes on me angrily. “You’re doing a great job of pushing Katie away all by yourself.”

  “Don’t you fucking dare lecture me.”

  My soul was drowning under the darkness and I was struggling to keep it above the surface. Visions of Steed fucking Ava from behind never gave me a moments peace. They invaded my dreams, my mind when I looked at her. The memory of the ripped skin on her back after Steed had took the belt to her hurt, and now all I could think of was this fucking prick hurting my baby.

  “I know you, Steed. I know what fucking sick desires you have.”

  He watched me warily, knowing where I was going. “Mason…”

  “No, I won’t allow you anywhere near her. Do you understand me?”

  “That’s not your choice to make. It’s Katie’s.”

  “There’s no way I’ll let your sickness near her.”

  His mouth fell open and he laughed. “My sickness?” As if he was sad, he shook his head. “You just don’t see it, do you. You’re so blinded by your own bitterness that you can’t see anyone else be happy. I love her, Mason. I fucking love her!”

  His nose exploded under my knuckles
, blood spraying across his face and my hand as the back of his head thudded the concrete wall.

  “DAD!”

  I groaned when Katie came running into Steed’s house. She pushed herself in front of him, fury covering her pretty face. “Get the hell off him!”

  “Move, Katie!”

  “No.” Her head shook firmly. “You hurt him, then you hurt me. I love him, Dad. Don’t make me pick over the two of you.”

  Stilling with her words, my heartrate dipped and I clenched my fists. “I told you to choose. You can’t have both.”

  Tears spilled from her eyes as she stood her ground, her body remaining motionless in front of the man she chose.

  Pain speared my gut.

  “I love him,” she whispered, her eyes begging me to give in. But I couldn’t.

  “He did the unthinkable, Katie. He betrayed my trust. He lied to me. He mocked me by sleeping with your mother! Are you seriously telling me that’s a man you can love?”

  “We can’t choose who we fall in love with, Dad. Steed has been there for me at the lowest points in my life. He’s held me when I’ve cried, he’s clung to me when I’ve lost my mind. And he gave me his heart. I won’t apologise for loving him back.”

  She gazed at me, her stunning green eyes pleading with me, begging me to understand. Slowly running my fingers over her cheekbone, I memorised the feel of her as my eyes engrained my daughter’s pretty features to my mind. “Then you’re on your own.”

  I closed my eyes when I heard the sob tear from her, but I refused to listen to it. I made my way back down Steed’s path, and climbed into my car, trying for the life of me to engrain my daughter’s pretty face to my memory.