The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone

by D H Sidebottom

She nodded but didn’t turn as she pushed it further open and we all moved into another long corridor.

  “You’re nearly with her” Elijah stated as we crept along, “She’s round to the right but hurry before she decides not to wait any longer.”

  Ava rushed forward, Nate and me hot on her trail. “When I get my hands on her, I’m not gonna be held responsible for what I do to her.”

  Ava turned and lifted an eyebrow at me “I’m sure whatever punishment you come up with Lucas, Lay will be secretly thanking you for it.”

  I shrugged in agreement, entirely sharing her thoughts.

  I saw her as we rounded the corner. Her hand was on the handle and I saw her shoulder’s heave as she pulled in a breath then she opened the door.

  “Red. . . . .”

  Too late.

  Always too fucking late.

  Chapter 31

  Layla

  IT LOOKED LIKE something from an action movie.

  Diablo had hold of Sara, flanked by three men, each of whom had their guns low but trained on Mason and his men.

  Mason also has his gun low, away from public eyes but he never faltered in his aim on Diablo.

  I flicked my eyes around and spotted Neo situated on a bench, a newspaper held before him but his eyes trained on the situation and I couldn’t help but notice how one of his hands was on his lap, most likely securing his gun.

  Moving my gaze further round the area, I then spotted Gerry leaning against a column and I couldn’t help observing another couple of strange guys dotted about.

  My heart froze when Diablo lifted his gun into Sara’s side and she whimpered. Neo caught my attention from where I was screening myself behind a giant noticeboard.

  He gave me a small nod and lifted his paper an inch so I could see his piece and I saw him mumble something to himself, obviously alerting the others to my presence.

  It was hard not to notice Mason’s shoulders stiffen, evidently wearing an earpiece as well.

  He moved his hand slowly behind him and held up three fingers.

  As he lowered one I steadied and braced myself.

  As he lowered the second I pulled in a huge breath.

  As he lowered the third I stepped out.

  “Diablo!” I shouted.

  It kind of happened in slow motion, just like the surreal movie I felt I was part of.

  His eyes swung to me before his face erupted in pain and blood seeped from a hole in the centre of his chest.

  Each of the men flanking him went down.

  The whole airport spewed to life as police officers, trained marksmen and ambulance crew discharged from every angle.

  Sirens emitted the length of the airport windows, their blue lights blinding as Sara slumped to the floor and Mason turned to me stiffly.

  Me? I couldn’t remove my eyes from Diablo.

  His eyes held mine before he dropped and it didn’t take a genius to read them.

  I love you.

  “I loved you too” I mouthed as he went down.

  His lips curled into a soft smile as his eyes flickered closed and I dropped to my knees before him.

  I cupped his face, the blood from his mouth trickling over my fingers and onto the floor, merging like a pool of red beside me as I closed my eyes and prayed for him to finally be free.

  I know to everyone else, my compassion with a man who had hunted me and haunted me for many years, may seem incomprehensible. But to me, I had genuinely loved him before something inside him had twisted cruelly, completely morphing his once pleasant and gentle character into a monster.

  Jealousy.

  Such a simple word, but a highly potent emotion.

  His love for me had changed him into a jealous, controlling beast that couldn’t handle the thought of me loving anyone other than him; anybody but him touching me and it had eventually and finally eaten away at him.

  And now as I looked at him, uncontrolled and lifeless, I didn’t feel free or even relieved. I felt sad and empty and I closed my eyes as the tears came.

  Mason crouched beside me and snaked his arm around me, lifting me upright as the paramedics moved in.

  I softly blew Diablo a kiss and closed my eyes as they covered his face with a blanket.

  Mason turned me away and my gaze lifted to meet Lucas’s confused and very hurt expression.

  His eyes searched mine, looking for an explanation of my actions but I couldn’t give him one, this was me, all of me and it was all I had to offer him.

  He scrunched up his face as if he actually felt the physical pain at my grief for Diablo, before he gulped heavily, turned and walked away from me with sadness covering his beautiful face.

  The third man I loved to leave me this week.

  * * *

  Sara and I entered the flat and she suddenly broke down in tears, the familiarity of home bringing forward the enormity of the events that today had brought.

  I sank to the floor with her and we huddled together, both of us sharing our grief, relief, pain and shock as we wept uncontrollably and loudly whilst we pawed at each other, needing to take the support each of us offered and both of us giving the support the other needed.

  “I love you” I whispered into her hair.

  She gripped me tighter to her and reciprocated my loving words and we stayed there, on the hallway carpet for hours, until the sun came up and our souls mended.

  “Tea?” Sara declared suddenly as she lifted herself off the floor and made her way to the kitchen.

  I stared at her retreating back for a while before I realised she had a dead-on conviction of life and I pulled myself up and went to join my friend.

  The only person who loved me right now.

  The only person left who continued to support me after my behaviour over Diablo.

  Mason had showed compassion but I could still see the confusion behind his face and Ava had simply shook her head and walked away.

  Lucas? Well, he had proceeded to post the key he held to my flat through the letterbox and dumped the few things I had left at his place, outside my front door.

  That had hurt, after everything I had been through this week, he couldn’t fucking wait a while before he ripped my heart into more pieces.

  Even tomorrow would have been better than now, than coming home from . . . that, to coming home to . . . this.

  After the pain of losing Lucas, the man I loved more than anything, I knew I had to pick myself up as I had done many times before and get on with life. But right now, right at this very moment, Lucas couldn’t have hurt me more if he’d jilted me at the altar.

  Because right now, right at this very moment in time, I needed him more than I ever had before, but he had abandoned me over something he didn’t understand.

  Instead of trying to talk to me to understand, he had just decided that I had never loved him, choosing to love a lunatic instead.

  And the fact that Lucas thought that of me showed that really, he didn’t know me at all.

  * * *

  Sara gripped my hand tightly as we made our way into the church. “I’m right here beside ya’ babe, no matter how bad it gets in there.”

  I nodded. He was my husband and I had loved him. Being my first love, nobody ever lets that love free and even though Ry and I couldn’t live together without hurting each other, we had still held onto our love for each other.

  Ryan had given his life for me twice, and even if the people now glaring at me as I entered the church, I would grin it and bear it for the sake to say goodbye to my first love.

  I straightened my shoulders as Sara’s hand tightened for support and made my way up the aisle, slowly and surely, ignoring each set of eyes that burnt through my skin and attempted to torch me alive.

  As I reached the front of the aisle I heard a male voice, a bitter male voice hiss at me “You attempt to approach that coffin and I will personally see you out of here on your arse.”

  Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I took the remaining six steps that
led to Ry’s coffin.

  Sara, God bless her, spun round behind me and threatened any advancing person as I had my few moments with my husband.

  “Ry,” I smiled softly at the coffin, as though he could see and hear me, “I will never forget you baby, never. And I know you’ll wait for me, make sure I get through those gates so we can be together.”

  “One more fucking step and you’re on your arse buster . . .” Sara hissed behind me and I placed my hand on the shiny mahogany, the luxury of the wood had my pale gaunt face staring back at me.

  “You remember our wedding day, Ry?”

  I smiled then, a huge grin as I pictured our wedding day. It had pissed it down, thoroughly and relentlessly and Ry had thought it hilarious that when I finally got to him in the registry office, I had been so late I hadn’t had chance to fix my make-up. The rain had pelted against me as I ran all the way there and it had also pelted against my face all the way there.

  By the time I had got to him I looked like something from the living dead. Ryan had grinned at me all the way through the service like a lunatic and cupped my face, calling me beautiful and sexy, as my mascara streaked black lines to my lips, my eye shadow had run and given me dark black eyes and my foundation had seeped all the way down my neck, in thick smeared stripes.

  After the service, he had taken my hand and led me into the bathroom and proceeded to wipe my face gently, in front of the many disgusted women that came and went.

  “You were so handsome baby, in your suit, the only suit you ever wore.” I chuckled then a sob erupted from my throat and I gripped the coffin as my knees jerked.

  “Goodnight, baby. I love you so much. Always, Ry.”

  “Always, Kay” His voice said in my head and I nodded to him.

  I kissed my fingers and planted them on the coffin before I turned and went to sit at the back of the church, Sara growling at the many people who glared at me along the way.

  As soon as we exited the church after the service I felt the fist hit the back of my head and I stumbled to the ground, my knees skimming across the gravel pathway as my hands shot out to stop my face hitting the floor and I hissed at the pain.

  Sara launched at Ryan’s brother Todd, her small petite fists furiously pummelling into his face. “You fucking twat. Big man aren’t you, hitting fucking women . . .”

  I pulled her off him and shook my head at her “He’s not worth it, Sara.”

  She glared at him, pulled in a huge breath and pointed at him “When you know the full story arsehole, then you can cast aspersions, until then keep your fucking fists to yourself. Whatever you think of Kay, Ry loved her and she loved him and all she wanted was to say goodbye to her fucking husband.”

  “Sare, come on.” I tried, pulling at her arm as Todd got to his feet.

  “He’s dead because of you bitch. You cost him his fucking life twice and I’ll personally make sure you’re joining him soon.”

  I spun around and spat at him, right in his fucking smug face. “Please make sure you keep your promise Todd, cos’ I would give anything right now to tell your brother I loved him. I fucking loved him . . . you even know what that is Todd? Love? Nah, cos’ you aint fucking worth anybody’s love. You have the cheek to stand there and blame me for Ry’s death. Where were you for the last seven years? Eh?”

  He took a step towards me as he wiped my spit from his face “Where was I Kay? I was well away from the place where you put him, that’s where!”

  I nodded slowly “Did you ever go and see Ry and ask why he was actually there?”

  He scoffed and I noticed his mother and father watching me carefully. “Well?” I urged but he remained silent. “No you didn’t. So don’t fucking preach when you have no idea. Ryan loved me, Ry loved me to the ends of the earth and I think myself privileged to have been on the receiving end of that love, because he was the most honest, compassionate, caring man I have ever met. Yes, it was my fault he died, and that will haunt me until the day I die, Todd. But I went to visit him every two weeks. I never missed one order, never forgot him in there. I wrote to him every week and every time I left him there it ripped me apart. But I visited, Todd. You haven’t seen him since he went in that place, so don’t you dare pretend to even know what your brother went through.”

  I shook my head sadly at his angry face and then turned and left my in-laws behind me, their mouths wide and their eyes even wider.

  “I could’ve taken him down, babe” Sara whispered in my ear as we kept our chins high and our spirits higher.

  I smirked at her “I have no doubt, love, but I didn’t want you to damage your nails on that tosser.”

  She shrugged and regarded her fingers “Awww hell. I think I left one in his eyeball.”

  She sighed heavily then eyed me “Pub?”

  “Hell, yes.”

  Chapter 32

  Lucas

  TWO WEEKS LATER

  “FOR CHRIST’S SAKE, how hard is it to e-mail somebody?” I barked at a flustered Fiona “Move you stupid woman, I’ll do it myself.”

  “I’m so sorry, Mr Hunt. The programme just closed down on me then I seemed to have lost the document. Then the phone rang.”

  I glared at my new temp and shook my head. “God forbid! You actually had two things to do? No wonder you couldn’t cope sweetheart.”

  She grinned and started breathing again and I rolled my eyes when I realised the brain dead tart had thought I was genuinely being compassionate.

  Hitting the send button I stood and turned to her. “Can you manage now?” I asked slowly. She narrowed her eyes slightly as she wondered if I was taking the piss.

  Well done!

  I shook my head and ventured back to my office, dragging my tired feet along the plush carpet as I walked in and my gaze swung to the coffee machine as it had for the three millionth time over the past two weeks.

  Nobody could make coffee like Red, it was perfect; not too weak but not over strong; perfect. Just like her.

  “No, Hunt! You are not gonna do this again” I chastised myself and flopped down in my chair.

  I opened my own e-mails looking for a diversion and my heart skipped at one from a lay.willow. It had to be her, nobody else would use that name and I opened it immediately.

  From: Layla Summers

  To: Lucas Hunt

  Sent: 19/05/2013 11:15

  Subject: Stuff

  Hi Lucas,

  I was wondering what you wanted me to do with your things.

  I can send them by courier to the office or I could give them to Ava to pass on?

  Which would be best for you?

  Anyway, I hope you’re okay and well, sorry.

  Red x

  The way she’d signed it Red brought a smile to my lips, I thought she’d always hated the nickname I gave her but . . .

  I closed my eyes as her smiling face erupted onto the back of my eyelids and my heart clenched again.

  “God damn it, you fucking pussy!” I slammed my fist on the desk and I heard Fiona yelp.

  I rubbed my eyes with my palms and clicked reply on the e-mail. My fingers hovered painfully on the keyboard. What the hell did I say?

  I can’t stop thinking about you, Red.

  I love you more than I can even type, Red.

  Please, I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to turn my back on you.

  You are so fucking beautiful and I miss you so much.

  I need you.

  From: Lucas Hunt

  To: Layla Summers

  Sent 21/05/2013 14.11

  Subject: re: Stuff

  Hi,

  Just give them to Ava.

  Thanks

  Lucas

  Why the hell had I hit send?

  “Jesus Christ Lucas, you arsehole!”

  I sucked air through my teeth and wondered if it would help pull the words back through the bloody phone line.

  I had sounded like a hear
tless bastard. “You are a heartless bastard, Hunt!”

  “Well, finally we agree” Nate smirked from the doorway and I narrowed my eyes on him.

  He lifted a brow at my mood as he stepped into my office and closed the door behind him. “I see your temp is as efficient as ever.”

  We both scoffed at that statement. Fiona had ballsed up many documents that had been forwarded to Nate and if it wasn’t for Ava, checking and editing them, the whole of NSC would’ve probably gone down the pan due to her adding nine zeroes on a finance payment to a company who supplied us with water fountains. Her excuse had been ‘I’m so sorry; the zero key must have stuck.’

  Nate sat in the chair opposite me and regarded me intently. “What do you want, Nate?”

  He sighed then pursed his lips and looked rather uncomfortable for a while. “Had an e-mail from Sandra.”

  I lifted my eyebrows at him but nodded for him to continue. “She’s not coming back. Married the toy boy and they’ve decided to open a bar out in Mexico.” He informed me and I nodded my head respectfully. “Good for her.”

  Nate smiled and nodded, obviously as impressed with Sandra as I was.

  Good luck to her, she must be going on 60 and lover boy was roughly around 30, and to take a risk like that at her age earned my admiration.

  “So . . .” Nate smiled a bit too widely and I braced myself. “Well, we need to get rid of the temps and get a permanent P.A for you now.”

  “Don’t tell me you’ve offered it to the thick tart out there?” I closed my eyes in preparation.

  Nate barked out a loud laugh and shook his head in humour. “Lucas, I’d really like my company to stay afloat if possible.”

  I glanced through the glass in the door and squinted at Fiona who was stabbing at a key on the keyboard repeatedly and holding her forehead in the other hand. I dreaded to think what she had done now.

  “No, not Fiona but I have managed to get somebody for you. She’s lovely, you’ll like her. She really needs the money so she couldn’t refuse my offer really. She’s efficient, intelligent and a great looker.” He smiled and I liked the first two but wasn’t so bothered about the latter. Red had been a looker and I couldn’t see anybody being more beautiful than her but I nodded to Nate appreciatively. He didn’t need to know I was still pining for my sassy redheaded dancer.