Fortitude (Heart of Stone) (2 page)

“I – am.” I gave her a quick nod to confirm her statement
and smiled at her. “But you are still so damn beautiful, stoned or not.”

I frowned as a tear slid from her eye and rolled down her
cheek until it hit the pillow, the material soaking it up almost instantly.
“You’re crying because I said you’re beautiful?” I asked as I wiped at another
tear with my thumb. “That’s a bit daft.”

Her hand covered her mouth as her other reached out and
cupped the side of my head. I nuzzled into it, planting a soft kiss into her
palm as I inhaled her sweet scent. “Even your hand smells beautiful.” I told
her with a soft sigh.

She gave me a small smile, “Thank you.”

I nodded at her, she was always polite, had always had
perfect manners. I twisted my lips as I studied her, “Will you lose your hair?”
I asked as I slid my hand into the soft copperness and twiddled a section
between my fingers.

She swallowed but held my gaze. “I don’t know baby, but I
would think so.”

I nodded again, “And your breast, will they take it
away?” She cringed slightly and I pursed my lips, “What?”

She shook her head and forced a smile, “I… I would think
so, maybe both.”

“But I love your tits, baby. That’s really not fair, is
it?”

“No,” she whispered as another tear trotted across her
cheek, its pace speeding up as it hit the edge of her face like it wanted to
actually dive off her and hit the softness of the pillow with adventure.

“You’ll have to get one of those special bras they do,
you know, for women that have had their boobs removed.” I told her as she
continued to smile at me, but it wasn’t a happy smile, it was full of misery.
“Don’t be sad, baby, I’m sure they do pretty ones, maybe even like that sexy
red one you have. God I love that red lacy thing, with the matching thongs,
Christ they drive me wild. But then again, that could be just you, you’re so
bloody sexy.” I sighed and popped my lips, “I hope you’re still sexy with no
breasts.”

“Uh-huh,” she choked out. She was coming down with a
cold, I could hear it in her throat. “I hope so too, baby.”

I shrugged at her, “Well, I would imagine so, you’d be
sexy with cavewoman armpits and a nanny McPhee wart.”

She smiled properly then, her eyes twinkling brightly.
“Why Mr Fox, you do know how to woo a woman.”

“Well I should fucking hope so. You’re my wife, I’m
supposed to make you feel sexy and beautiful.”

A small strangled sob caught in her throat. “And you do,
every day Mason. Every god damned day.”

“Uh-huh,” I muttered when my eyes started to close. I
sighed as her fingers slid through my hair gently, her caress rhythmic and
hypnotic.

“Go to sleep, baby.”

I tried to nod but the lights dimmed and an angel reached
for my hand. I was in awe as she looked identical to my wife, her wings the
same copper colour as Ava’s hair and her bright green eyes smiling at me.
“Wow,” I managed to say before I fell asleep. “You make a stunning angel,
baby.”

“I hope so, Mason. I really hope so…”

I slid the pastries onto the rack as Courtney came up
behind me. “What the hell, babe. You been up all night?” She asked as her eyes
scanned the numerous plates of pastries and cakes.

“Yeah, Mason will be hungry.”

She narrowed her eyes on me before she repeated her curious
perusal of the baked goods. Her eyes snapped back to mine when it sank in.
Mason always used to be famished after a night on the coke. “Aww no, Ava. Please…”

I shrugged as I removed the next tray of apple muffins
from the oven and hissed as my arm caught the oven door, my skin shrinking at
the scorch. “Mm-hm.”

She stared at me in confusion, her pretty blue eyes
dulling by the second. “I don’t understand. I mean, I know he’s been under
pressure with Greg and everything.”

“This isn’t about Greg.”

“Then what is it about?”

“It’s about Ava leaving me.” Mason cut in from behind us.

I turned to look at him. The muffins skidded across the
room when I caught the suitcase in his hand. He was stood leaning against the
frame, his gaze slowly inspecting each cake as if he was deliberating which to
go for first. Even though he wasn’t looking at me I could tell he was coked up
already.

“What?” Courtney gasped and turned to me.

“Oh didn’t she tell you?” Mason asked casually as he
swiped up an almond croissant. “Yeah, she’s dying.”

I slowly closed my eyes as Courtney’s knees buckled and
she grabbed hold of the table to save herself from falling. “Mason, please.”

He shrugged as he took a bite out of his choice, “What?
You are, no point hiding it anymore. I mean, you hid it from us for so long, I
think we have a right to know really.”

Courtney slid into a chair, her eyes never leaving my
face as the blood drained from hers. “Ava?”

I lowered my eyes and refused to watch the heartache roll
over her.

God damn.

“Well,” Mason barked as he chose another item from the
side. “Tell her. Tell her how you’re gonna leave us. Tell her how you’re not
afraid to fuck off and leave us all here without you.” He was slowly moving
towards me as his face morphed into something I didn’t like. I backed off a
little. I could see Courtney trying to push herself upright in readiness for
Mason’s anger. “Well, baby. Tell her. TELL HER!”

The edge of the worktop rammed into my back as Mason
suddenly pushed against me, his face hovering over mine as his fury spat from
his mouth.
“TELL HER!”

A choked sob caught my breath as he suddenly flew
backwards. He crashed into the table when Kade’s fist connected with his jaw.
Mason scrambled upright and swung for Kade, his fist connecting with his
cheekbone and sending him flying into the fridge. The contents that had
survived yesterday’s impact were now no more.

I turned and walked away, closing the front door silently
behind me before I climbed in my car and left.

***

“Allow me to show you the kitchen, Mrs Fox,” the sickly
overdressed estate agent prompted.

“No need, thank you. I’ll take it.”

“But…” she frowned when my sudden declaration shocked
her. “Well, okay then.” She smiled widely, showing me her perfect straight
white teeth.

Mason would have loved her; her large high breasts were
tight against her simple white blouse, the small buttons straining to keep her
flesh contained. Her red hair was perfectly styled with not a single strand
daring enough to escape the excessively tight bun at the top of her head and
her flawless skin glowed with excitement at the quick sale.

I smiled contentedly as I ran my finger along the old
wooden stair rail, memories jolting me as though the cottage had been waiting
for my return. She welcomed me back with open arms and a warm loving embrace.

“You seem very… at home here, Mrs Fox.”

I smiled at her perceptiveness. “Mmm, yes.”

“Well now that’s decided, we better return to the office
to fill in the finance details and…”

“I’ll be paying cash.” I cut in as I lay the flat of my palm
against the wall beside the front door.

He stood swaying slightly and I immediately realised
he was drunk and high.

He stood silently looking at me, his head tipped
slightly to the side and then he was suddenly all over me, his hands were in my
hair, tugging furiously as his mouth crashed over mine, bruising my lips in a
ferocious kiss.

He groaned on contact and pushed me against the wall
as he demanded entrance into my mouth with his tongue, his fists tightening on
my hair until the pain made me wince.

“I can’t… I can’t get the pictures of you and him out
of my head, Ava. His hands and mouth all over you… Why, Ava?” he pleaded and I
knew then that I had lost him.

A sob broke free and he screwed up his face in agony, “I…
I…” He never finished. He just turned and left.

All I had ever done was hurt him, caused him pain, over
and over again. I understood him leaving me, it was his defence mechanism, his
way of leaving me before I left him and tore his soul to pieces.

“Mrs Fox?”

“Sorry,” I turned and smiled at her. “You said immediate
occupancy available?”

“Yes, no chain. The owners have moved to France so she’s
all ready to go.” I warmed towards her when her gaze roamed over my cottage,
the appreciation she showed openly coupled with my love for my old, and
hopefully once again, safety net.

When I had entered the estate agent and she had pounced
on me, she had showed me numerous houses until she lifted a finger and pulled
the file from her desk. She had fussed and fluffed when I had started to cry.

My girl had welcomed me home.

For the very last time.

“Are you for fucking real?” Kade roared at me as he
slammed my back against the bedroom wall. Each of his fists were coiled in my
t-shirt, the material scrunched in his hands as though the hold would quell his
rage.

Greg had insisted we get the fuck out of the way as we
were upsetting Courtney. Jesus Christ.

“Get the fuck off me!” I pushed against him but he was
surprisingly strong, his anger giving him the strength to stand up to me, to
face my wrath. “Aren’t you missing something anyway?”

He narrowed his bright blue eyes on me, his stare doing
something that it really shouldn’t be doing right now. “Like?”

I chewed on my lip as I watched the deep rise and fall of
his chest, his lips parted and moist as he tried to control his heavy
breathing. His eyes dropped to my mouth, the memories playing in his eyes and
we both groaned simultaneously as my dick shifted in preparation. He turned
away and ran his hands through his hair. “Fuck Mason, not now. Save it for the
girls.”

We both fought to control it and calm down. “Like isn’t Grace
missing?” I answered to his earlier question.

“She’s taken Etta to see her grandparents.”

I nodded as he turned back round to look at me. The pain
in his eyes hurt my guts and I swallowed back the bile. “And my grandson?”

“Is it terminal?” he asked bluntly, ignoring my own
question, making me blink as a sting burnt my chest.

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“I don’t know,” I repeated stupidly. I winced as the
sting became a scorch of guilt. I hadn’t even asked her. “She said she was
dying, so…”

“So you just fucking presumed.” He lifted an eyebrow at
me in disbelief. “Have you spoke to her about it at all?”

I dropped onto the bed and rested my face in my hands.
“I…”

“You what?” he asked as he knelt before me and took my
hands in his. His eyes were wet and paler than usual, the vividness muted to a
low flatness as his patience calmed me. “Mason, please tell me you haven’t left
her to deal with this alone?”

“I can’t… I can’t Kade. I can’t face her, I can’t face…
it
.”

He lowered his eyes and sighed. “I know Mason but you
have to. She can’t do this alone, she can’t fight this without you. You have to
be strong.”

“I CAN’T!” I cried as I pushed off the bed. He fell
backwards, the flats of his hands sinking into the plush carpet, the deep rich
grey too harsh against the paleness of his hands.

“Well I’m afraid you have to,” he continued calmly. “I’ll
be here for you, but you need to be there for her.”

My veins were aching from the come down of the coke and I
blew out a breath as I tried to battle the urge to dip into my jacket pocket
and cut a new line. I strolled across to the window and stared out of the
glass, a small streak of bird shit giving me something to focus on. “How long
are you back for?”

“As long as I’m needed.” His answer surprised me and I
turned to him.

“What? Don’t you have obligations and shit?”

He sighed and closed the gap between us. His hand slid across
my cheek, his palm smearing the tears I didn’t realise had spilled. “You and
Ava are my only obligation at the moment. I said I’m here for you and I will be.
You need to score, I’m there. You need to scream, I’m there…”

“And fuck?” I asked as I quirked a brow at him.

He smirked at me and chuckled, “I’m there.” His face grew
serious as I watched the lust physically spill from him in potent currents, “All
the way, balls fucking deep right in your tight ass.”

His mouth was suddenly on mine, his tongue sliding
between my lips as his anger and rage dictated who was in charge. He groaned
and gripped my hair tightly, pulling my face further into his as I slid my own
hands up the back of his shirt until I was gripping his shoulders fiercely so I
could also pull him further into me.

His moan ignited a blaze so intense in my belly that I
had to gasp to counter the skip in my heart rate.

My arse hit the windowsill and his legs spread either
side of my thighs so he could straddle me and deepen the kiss further. I pulled
my hand from inside his shirt and slid it over his hard dick, hissing at the
barrier of material between us. He lifted his hips, driving himself on my hand
causing us both to moan as I bit down on his lower lip.

He pulled back and swallowed harshly, “No, we swore we
wouldn’t do this without the girls.”

“The girls are fine about this, Kade. They told us that.”

“I know, but we said no.”

I nodded in agreement, “I know, but I don’t think they’re
gonna go ape over a kiss so quit with the guilt.” He smiled at me and tapped my
cheek before moving back and rearranging his cock begrudgingly.

He winked at me as he opened the door. “Now pull yourself
together and toughen up for the cruellest shit that ever hit you.”