The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone

by D H Sidebottom

  “No!” He shook his head rapidly as his eyes widened, “It was fucking foolish, irresponsible and dangerous. You could have been massacred, Beaumont; does that knowledge even direct any hesitation in you?”

  I frowned at him, not quite understanding what he was trying to say but he shook his head sadly and sighed. “You have a death wish. You think you’re invincible or you just don’t care and in this job that is downright perilous and I . . .” He rolled his lips and removed his gaze from me. “It scares the shit out of me. You scare the shit out of me. I don’t know what to do to help you and . . .” He held a finger up to silence me as I opened my mouth to argue that I didn’t need help, “And I’m with the board on this one.”

  I swallowed the bile as it started to rise, my stomach twisting and turning when the man I had looked up to for seventeen years, the man who had taken me into his heart and helped me through the darkness, was now turning his back on me and throwing me to the dogs.

  “Liam.” There was a slight pleading in my tone and I hated myself for it but this job wasn’t just my profession, it was my life and without it I had nothing. I didn’t have a life; I had a career which gave me a reason to get up in the morning and drag myself from the shit threatening to drown me daily but at that moment in time my life had just been terminated.

  He closed his eyes and pulled in a hefty breath, “Your badge and gun.”

  I refused to acknowledge the stutter that rocked my spirit as I pulled my badge from my belt and my M9 from the back of my waistband and placed them on his desk, “Yes, sir.”

  His eyelids shot open at my detachment to him and the pain displayed in his eyes knocked against my heart but fuck it; he didn’t care so I wasn’t about to either.

  I nodded simply, my hands by my sides as I took a look at the only man that had ever cared for me. His eyes glistened and I frowned slightly but he blinked hard as he opened his drawer and took my belongings, placing them slowly inside. His hand stilled and he flicked a glance back at me before he pulled a brown envelope out and held it in his hand for a long moment, his eyes hard and his fingers flicking over the smooth paper.

  I was growing frustrated as I waited for my dismissal but Liam remained quiet as he contemplated the envelope, his mind obviously somewhere else as he forgot I was even in the room with him.

  Eventually he sucked air through his teeth then sighed profoundly as he slowly raised his eyes to me. “And now I need to ask a favour.”

  My brows lifted and I scoffed loudly, “Really?”

  He grumbled at my tone but pursed his lips and pushed on. “Yes. It’s a . . . personal request.”

  This was new. Liam had been the one who had encouraged my desire to join the bureau as I had allowed him and only him to help me through the worst days of my life.

  I had rebelled against everything with a determination to take myself down after the death of my parents but after numerous councillor and social service’s interference, Liam had been the one to drag it out of me and pin me down.

  He had visited me and Marcus regularly and I had clung onto his unwavering contact. It was almost as if he had felt my need for something routine and methodical in all the fucked up shit that was beating me down daily.

  He had also recognized the need in me, the hunger to take control but also he had seen the daily fight inside me that wouldn’t let me settle or move on.

  I had listened to his stories night and day, the excitement he felt for his job lighting behind his eyes every time he spoke of it. I had known then, from the age of fifteen that it was what I also wanted. I had wanted to feel it too; the thrill of the hunt, the exhilaration that swept through each and every vein when the chase ensued or the buzz in every single nerve ending once you took down a guy responsible for the death of a child’s parents.

  He had never asked me for anything, he had always given and I watched him fight with himself over whether he should do this. “Spit it out, Liam.”

  He clicked his tongue and looked straight at me. “This is personal.”

  I nodded slowly, “Yes, I got that.”

  Swallowing heavily, he passed me the envelope whilst his eyes held me with purpose. “I need protection for a friend.”

  I snorted and stared at him, “Isn’t that a job for the minions?”

  He tipped his head and studied me, “It’s one of Baxter’s targets.”

  I pulled in a breath then frowned at him, “Then how come it’s personal?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck before he sunk into his chair and gestured for me to take the one opposite. “The mark is Kade Hamilton.”

  My brows lifted before I barked out a laugh, “Nope.”

  I stood and handed back the envelope. No way was I protecting that arsehole, not after what he had done to Ava and Mason. Ava was like a sister to me after Liam had found her again. His best friend’s daughter had been shipped from pillar to post when Liam’s friends, Ava’s parents, had been killed in a car crash, but after years of losing contact, they had found each other again after an off chance meeting with Gary, Liam’s son.

  “You don’t know the full story about what happened.”

  “I don’t care, Liam. If Kade is the type of person who can carelessly take something he wants without caring about the consequences of his actions, then he deserves everything he gets.”

  “What the hell?” He stared at me, his eyes wide with confusion but I just shrugged him off.

  “Liam, he slept with Ava, his wife’s friend and brother-in-law’s girlfriend. That’s pretty shit. What the hell is it with men and their partner’s friends? Why do they think it’s always okay to just take what they want without thinking of the hurt and devastation they wreak havoc with?”

  I swallowed and lowered my eyes as Liam tipped his head, “Brady?”

  His bloody flawless intuition angered me and I clenched my fist. “Why does this have to come back to me?”

  He remained silent but the pity and question in his eyes made me regret my outburst so I did the only thing I could think of to shut him up before he said anything.

  I picked up the envelope and nodded. “Fill me in.”

  * * *

  I hated hospitals, the smell, the frantic rush, the sobbing family members, death. All I could see was the morgue and the pitying stares from people I didn’t even know. Marcus, clinging to my legs, his frightened eyes refusing to leave mine in case I followed our parents and left him alone in a world full of shit.

  I sighed, realising I hadn’t called him and pulled my phone from my bag as I hit the speed dial for him. I frowned as I walked through the busy corridor, my eyes seeking out anything untoward and I swung my bag further towards my chest, giving me quick access to the Ruger that was tucked in the waistband of my jeans when a bloke in a suit scanned the board and his eyes settled on the ward I was currently en route to.

  I shoved my phone back in my bag and hurried into the elevator next to him. He smiled, his bright blue eyes brightening and one of his blond curls falling across his eyes prompting him to sweep it away as he hit the button to hold the door.

  “Which floor do you need?”

  “Six, thank you.”

  He gave me a nod as he pressed the button then turned back to me, “Snap.”

  I nodded and smiled as I stealthily checked him out, my eyes scanning his body for any lumps and tell-tale bulges. “You have family here?” I asked but he shook his head.

  “Just a friend.”

  I nodded again as the lift pinged its arrival and we both stepped out, each turning the same direction towards the ward we needed. “Ahh, same ward too” he laughed as we both approached the double doors.

  “It definitely looks that way.” I laughed and readied myself for trouble, but this guy wasn’t giving off any vibes so I forced myself to relax and study the rest of the corridor.

  We both examined the information board before he smiled at me again and tipped his head, “Bye, then.”

  I smiled at his friendline
ss and nodded, “Yes, I hope your friend escapes soon.”

  He laughed and shook his head, “Yeah me too, he’s not the easiest patient and I dread to think exactly how bothersome he’s being.”

  I smirked as I stepped towards the room I needed, the man taking a step in the same direction. “Yes, I would imagine my . . . friend is exactly the same, knowing him. They’ll be glad I’ve arrived to break him out.”

  He laughed loudly as we stopped outside the room I needed and I glanced at the guard Liam had posted outside Kade’s room until I got there. “Beaumont,” I announced as he eyed me questioningly. He nodded and I took hold of the door handle and turned to my elevator companion.

  He was frowning at me with a faint smile but then looked at the guard, “Nathan Carter.”

  My eyes widened as he laughed at me, “Looks like our friend is one of the same.”

  I narrowed my eyes and scowled at the guard, “I am not being discourteous Mr Carter, but may I see some I.D? It should have been requested on arrival.” The guard lowered his eyes and I tutted loudly making sure he had heard my disapproval.

  Nathan lifted his eyebrows and tipped his head in confusion, “I’m sorry but may I ask who you are first?”

  I pulled out my badge, which Liam had returned to me for this personal mission knowing I would need it to remove Kade from the hospital, as I commended his hesitancy and introduced myself, “Grace Beaumont, security service.”

  His lips bowed as concern flashed across his face, “MI5?”

  I nodded as he presented his own ID and I nodded in acceptance, “Yes, sir. MI5.”

  He grabbed my arm as I started to walk through the door to Kade’s room, “Is . . . is Kade okay?”

  I smiled warmly, trying to alleviate this man’s worry over his friend, “It is now. I promise I won’t let anything happen to your friend, Mr Carter.”

  He nodded but I could see the anguish etched across his face. “Sir, I’m here to take care of any problems whilst I have your friend attached to my side twenty four, seven. I suggest you bid your friend goodbye for a while; I have to remove him from any threat so that means complete detachment and disengagement from his life, just until we can eliminate any inconveniences.”

  He exhaled heavily but nodded and I noticed a flicker of something in his bright blue eyes and I settled my hand on his forearm to assure him, “Mr Carter, without sounding like I’m blowing my own trumpet, I am one of the best in my department and usually for protection issues, an agent way below my level is assigned. Liam Thornton, head of the bureau, and a very good friend to one of Mr Hamilton’s friends, consigned me because he has a personal interest in your friends safety, so when I say the very best has been allocated, then trust me, you don’t get higher than me.”

  I could read his eyes, his head confused at the fact that a woman was capable of protecting his friend but they suddenly cleared as if something clicked and he smiled widely and pushed the door open. “Then good luck Miss Beaumont, cos’ you’ll need it to battle Kade’s temperament.”

  I smirked as I stepped foot into the cold bland room and my gaze settled on Kade Hamilton, “Oh, don’t you fret Mr Carter, I’m more than capable of handling Mr Hamilton’s sulks.”

  His eyes roamed my body as a mischievous smile covered his face, his eyes twinkling and his lips twitching, “I have a feeling you’ll be just what the obnoxious twat needs.”

  Chapter Five

  Kade

  NATE WALKED INTO the room and I blinked as a tall blond shadowed him. They were laughing quietly but Nate smiled widely when he saw me awake. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

  Pursing my lips, I pushed myself up against the headboard and grimaced at the pain that shot though my ribs, “Sore.”

  He nodded and I glanced at the blond again. Her arms were crossed over her ample chest, her hip was jutted to the side and one of her long jean clad legs twitched rapidly. She looked . . . pissed off for some reason and I quirked an eyebrow at her. “And you are?”

  She smirked and I coughed as my dick twitched. What the hell?

  “Mr Hamilton, I’m Grace Beaumont, department of security service. Liam Thornton sent me.” She held out her badge to confirm her identity and I glanced at it as I tried to figure out why they sent me a girl.

  I couldn’t hold back the snort as I assessed her tight lithe body, “Liam sent you?”

  Mason had rung me earlier to inform me he had asked Liam Thornton to provide some protection until all this shit was sorted but I had never expected a bird. What the hell was she gonna do? “Not being funny, sweetheart but I really think I have more chance of protecting myself. You’re not exactly Uma Thurman.”

  The way her eyes glinted with something made my spine shiver but the throb in my gut told me of other things my body thought of her.

  She nodded slowly, “Well Mr Hamilton, I must say you protected yourself immeasurably in the alleyway last night.”

  I narrowed my eyes. Was she being sarcastic? “And your point is?”

  I watched as she pulled her bottom lip behind her teeth as she tried to disguise her humour. “My point, Mr Hamilton, is that if hadn’t been for two drunks deciding they needed to take relief in an empty alleyway, luckily the alleyway where you were at that moment facing the end of your existence, then well . . .” She didn’t finish her sentence but I could see the taunt in her expression.

  I shifted and sucked air between my teeth at the pain. “Well maybe I was ready to face the end of existence” I shot back, my brain no longer filtering what came out of my mouth due to this self-righteous bitch and I cursed under my breath when her gaze darkened and her brow creased slightly. I ignored her and turned to Nate, “Tell me you have come to get me out of here.”

  He smiled that bloody smug smile of his as he tipped his head towards Grace, “Nope but she has.”

  “Uh-uh. No way am I leaving here with a . . . with her.”

  Nate glowered at me but I shook it off. I wasn’t in the mood and to be honest all I wanted to do was go home but she took a step towards me and leant forward, her mouth at my ear and a subtle scent of flowers and sex shrouded me. Holy fuck, why the hell did she smell like sex? I swallowed heavily, hoping she didn’t spot my erection under the bed sheets. “Mr Hamilton, you are currently being tracked by Grant Baxter. Do you have any idea who he is?”

  I shook my head and shifted on the mattress as I tried to get my dick into a more comfortable position. Christ, if she stayed there much longer, I wouldn’t be responsible for what I was gonna do. Why the hell was my body reacting to her? She was pure bitch. You could see it in her expression and the way she held herself but her contempt and self-assuredness just made me harder and I swiftly hid my panic when she leaned closer, her soft breath tickled the hair behind my ear as one of her firm breasts brushed my arm causing a sudden burst of goose bumps to erupt over my hypersensitive skin.

  Fuck, I was fucked!

  “You seem to have a death wish, sir but whether you want to die or not is none of my concern. What is my concern however is that some . . . irrational person doesn’t want to see you six foot under and my job, whether you like it or not, is to provide you with protection. Now you can either accept that and make this whole sorry experience unproblematic for both of us or you can continue being an epic arse and find out the hard way how we’re going to do this.”

  Had I just groaned? Fuck, I really hoped I hadn’t. It was getting harder to conceal the effect she was having on me so I drew my knees up, making a tent in the sheet. She narrowed her eyes as she glimpsed down but didn’t say anything more before she stood upright and looked at me expectantly.

  I shrugged and rolled my head on my neck as I stared back nonchalantly, “Fine, whatever.”

  She didn’t smile at my surrender but nodded her head marginally, “Thank you, sir. Now, I need to find a nurse to sign your release papers, and then we need to get you out of here quickly. I suggest you say goodbye to your friend.”

  “What do you mea
n, say goodbye?” I asked as she pulled open the room door, her body tight as she scoped out the corridor before turning back to me with an irritated expression.

  “Mr Hamilton, we need to remove you from any threat and the only way to do that is to hole you up in an undisclosed location. I repeat, sir, say goodbye to your friend.” With that she walked through the door and disappeared.

  “Kade,” Nate said and I turned to him with a frown when I realised I had forgotten he was even there. “What the hell is going on?”

  I blew out a breath as her words swam through my head. We need to get you out of here quickly.

  “To be honest mate, I’m not exactly sure but when Mase found out who it was that pointed that damn gun in my face last night, he seemed to . . . I dunno, all hell broke loose really and he rang Liam Thornton for help. Why would he do that, Nate?”

  He frowned and shook his head, “Well why would this Baxter guy be after you anyway?”

  “I witnessed something he did” I answered warily as I shifted my weight and slid my legs out of the bed. “Fuck!”

  Nate came round to help me but I waved him off, determined to do it for myself if I was gonna be held hostage by bitch of the year.

  “What did you witness?” Nate pressed and I grumbled at him.

  “If you think I’m gonna tell you that and drag you into this shit, you can think again.”

  He rolled his eyes but passed me my clothes as I slipped out of the stupid crunchy gown. Grace walked back in and I smirked as her eyes widened when she spotted my naked body. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’ll wait outside for you Mr Hamilton.” She flustered before she turned back around briskly and left before I could show her how awesome my body actually was.

  Nate quirked an eyebrow when my dick powered to life as Grace spoke my name. I glared at him in warning but he rolled his lips and looked away, “Well promise me you’ll stay with Grace. She seems . . . capable.”

  I scoffed as I struggled to lift my t-shirt over my head, “She’s a fucking bird!”

  Nate pursed his lips and I could see the humour behind his eyes. The twat was laughing at me, “So is Ava, and she’s managed to knocked Mason out quite a few times.”