Grand Love by JC Hawke

10

Nina

Strippingnaked wasn’t my intention and looking back now, I wish the ground would have swallowed me up whole. So much needed to be said to Mason, but in my drunken state, I somehow believed I needed to be bare to say it.

Maggie sets a mug of hot water down in front of me. The only upside to going out last night is the Sunday dinner that Maggie has been prepping all morning. Mason was already gone when I woke up this morning, and he thankfully had already picked Ellis up from Maggie’s before I arrived. It’s his weekend with Mason, and I know that he will want the day with him after missing last night.

“So, tell me about this new job.” Maggie lifts my legs and sits at the other end of the sofa, then places them back down on her lap.

“It’s three days a week to start, which I know is more than I was doing at the hotel, but I can get Mason to help, still.”

“Nina, please. I want to help. Unless you would rather have Mason take the time off. But otherwise, let me help you. Please.”

“I can’t help but feel bad, like I’m putting on you.”

She gives me a look that basically means shut up.

“Are you sure, Mags? Shouldn’t you speak to John first too? It will be later evenings sometimes.”

“Jesus Christ, just let her have the damn kid,” Lucy grumbles from the opposite sofa.

“Lucy Mae Morgan! That is your nephew you are talking about,” Maggie scolds.

“I have a headache, Mum. Don’t pick on me today.”

I shake my head and laugh. Lucy’s definitely feeling it more than me. She managed to get out of bed when I arrived but hasn’t moved from the sofa since.

“Go shower, you smelly child.” Maggie whacks her with a cushion on her way to the kitchen, making her groan.

“I can feel your porny eyes on me,” she says, muffled against the pillow.

“Porny.” I chuckle.

“Yes.” She leans up on her elbows and looks into the kitchen to see if Maggie’s listening. “I feel honoured you’ve managed to keep your clothes on today.”

“Funny.” I give her a death stare. “How did you get home last night anyway?” I change the subject, not needing a reminder of the night before.

Lucy sighs and covers her face with her forearm. “How do you think?”

“A taxi?”

She peeks out under her arm with a frown.

“Well Ell didn’t drive you that’s for sure. He was just as steaming as you. What happened with Miller?”

“He wanted to film us… you know. But he didn’t ask, I caught the light flashing on the sideboard while he was… doing his thing,” she whispers, pointing to her crotch. “You probably would’ve loved it.” She smirks at me.

“Oh, give it up already. I was naked for twenty seconds. Stop being judgy!” I roll my eyes. “What an ass though. What was he thinking?”

“I probably overreacted but it pissed me off, Elliot was raged.”

“You told Ell?”

“I tell him everything.”

“Did anything happen when he brought you home last night?”

“Umm, no.”

“That doesn’t sound all that convincing.”

“Girls, can you lay the table? Lunch is ready in ten,” Maggie calls from the kitchen.

Lucy jumps up from the sofa, moving quicker than she has all morning. I glare at her as she whips past me.

* * *

The table isn’t asbusy as it normally is and that has a lot to do with the fact Vinny isn’t here. I haven’t spoken to him yet and I know I need to, and as much as it upsets me, I know that sometimes I won’t be the one his loyalties lie with.

John sits at the head of the table, with Maggie to his left and Lucy at his right. I sit next to Lucy.

“Good night I gather, girls?” John asks.

“Nina had a great night.” Lucy laughs, shoving a mouthful of cabbage in her mouth.

I glare at the side of her head and will her to stop talking. The Morgans can take the banter. I’ve grown up on it. But I don’t need them knowing what I get up to after dark.

She snickers to herself, and I give her a kick.

“Ow!” she snaps.

“Not nice being the butt of the joke, is it, Nina love.” John smiles warmly over at me, always defending me.

“Dad, please, will you save the butt puns for Tuesdays only!”

“Oh my god, you didn’t.” I choke, trying to swallow around my mouthful of food.

“I did.” She chuckles.

Maggie and John laugh along with us with no clue as to why. Their joy is simple and comes from us. I want that one day.

“Come on, girls, let’s not get nasty.” Maggie smiles, placing her cutlery on her plate. “Elliot left some cake this morning. Who wants some? Freya is an incredible baker.”

“Ell was here this morning?” I frown, looking at Lucy, who takes a large gulp of water.

“He dropped Lucy home.” Maggie stands, patting down her apron before excusing herself from the table.

“Of course he did.” I bring my eyes to Lucy.

“Shut up,” she huffs, shovelling in more food.

“You had a sleepover?” I turn in my seat and make myself comfortable. “You didn’t mention it.”

“Must’ve slipped my mind.” She doesn’t look at me.

“I bet it did. You stayed at his?”

“I think I will retire to the sofa for this conversation,” John says, leaving us at the table alone.

Lucy sits quiet, flipping her fork absentmindedly.

“I have all da—”

“Nothing happened,” she interrupts.

I recoil. “Nothing?”

“Nope, nothing, nada.”

“Why?”

She bites her lip, looking over at me. “I have no idea.” She smiles sadly. “But for the first time ever, I think I wanted something to happen. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, and I’m pretty sure he felt it too.”

“Well shit.” I sit back in my chair, my shoulders dropping.

“Uh-huh.”

* * *

One thingI didn’t anticipate with my new job was getting there, which is why I’m out of breath jogging up Joey’s apartment building steps.

I knock on the door once, then walk in.

“Joe?”

“Yo!” he calls out, poking his head out of the kitchen. “What are you doing here?”

“I need a lift! Can you give me a lift?” I say, breathless.

“Where’s Ellis?”

“Maggie, she picked him up this morning. I planned to run in, but I left it too late.”

“Where’s Vinny?” he asks.

I sigh, getting impatient with him. Joey has to know what’s going on, always. It’s not something he can control, it’s just him. “I know you’re busy, but I really need a lift in please, Joe.”

“Of course, here.” He picks up his keys and tosses them to me. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

“Thank you!”

He climbs into the car ten minutes later and passes me a coffee cup. “Sorry, I had to get the print finished.”

“It’s fine. Thank you for driving me. I know you’re busy.”

He waves me off, pulling out onto the road. I catch the cursive writing across his palm and grasp it, turning it over.

MEDS

“You need to pick up your medication?”

His brows pop and he squints down at the faded ink. “Shit, yeah.”

I don’t like to delve too deep into his business, especially his mental health, but I worry so much about him that I can’t help but want to check. I know his family won’t. “When was the last time you took it?”

He side-eyes me. He hates that I’m questioning him. “Last night. Don’t stress it, I’ll go after I drop you off.”

“If you don’t have time I can go after work.”

“I got it, Nina,” he snaps, gripping the wheel tight.

Nodding my head, I turn and look out the window. I will have to check later. It will put my mind at ease to know he has taken them.

“You had a good weekend? I didn’t see you,” he asks, visibly relaxing into the seat again.

“Yeah, I went out for Elliot’s birthday, didn’t I?”

“I remember” He turns to look at me. “Mase was there?”

“Yup.”

He grins wide. “How’d that go?”

I shake my head, a small smile making my dimple pop. “How do you think?”

“Humour me.” He slides his hands around the steering wheel, dropping his head back to the seat.

“We bickered. He told me we were leaving—”

“And you left,” he finishes for me, dropping his head to the side to look at me.

“Not willingly.”

“You wanted to.”

“Fuck off.”

“You can deny it all you want, you’ve been different since you started seeing him again.”

“No, I haven’t,” I snap.

“That right there is what I’m talking about.” He nods at me. “He seems to bring the bitch out in you.”

“Joe!”

He shrugs unapologetically. “Facts.”

“Let me out here.”

He rolls his eyes and carries on driving. “Don’t be a queen.”

“I know you don’t like Mason—”

“Understatement—”

“But he is Ellis’s dad. I have to make this work.”

“I know, I know, and I want that for Ellis. But you’re stressing about it and you shouldn’t. He will fuck it up long before you do. I’m not holding out much hope on the bloke.”

If only he knew why I was stressing. It’s definitely not because of Ellis.

“Speak of the devil,” Joey mutters.

I snap my eyes to his and he nods in the rearview mirror. I turn in my seat and spot the Bentley behind us.

“Balls.”

Joey indicates and pulls into the curb. “You can’t drop me here!” I watch in horror as the Bentley pulls in behind us.

“That’s the gym, isn’t it?” He frowns as he watches Mason park behind us. “What’s he doing?”

“He works just up the road.” Damn it, this is fucking perfect. Trust today of all days for him to drive himself to work. Where’s Vinny?

“Why’s he stopping there?” Joey asks.

“I don’t know, Joey.”

“He can’t park there. It’s short stay only.”

I grab my bag and go to get out of the car. “Do you need a lift home?” he asks.

“No, I’ll run back tonight. Thank you for this morning, and make sure you get your meds, yeah?”

He tuts, waiting for me to climb from his car before driving off. I lick my lips, hoping Mason is out of his car and gone already, but not daring to look over my shoulder to check. I take one step in the direction of the gym doors and a horn blares.

I close my eyes and count to five, then take another step.

It sounds again, this time over and over in short succession, as if the executor is a total prick. Reluctantly, I spin, and what would you know? He sits looking out the windscreen at me, his arm resting on his door and his pointer running over his lips.

Prick.

He crooks his finger, summoning me.

I walk to the passenger side window and wait for him to undo it. “Get in,” he mouths.

“What? No.”

“Get in now.” I can’t hear him fully, but his lips move with warning.

“Open the window, Mason!” People stare as I stand yelling at him through the glass.

He sits, waiting.

Fuming mad, I wrench open the door, dropping into the seat and then slamming it shut as hard as I can. The windows shake with the force.

“Trying to mess up my car again?” He glares.

Trust him to throw that in my face. My gaze flicks over him quickly, his woodsy scent making me heady and stupid for him. “What do you want?”

“Why are you here?” he asks, his eyes raking down my body.

“Seriously? That’s all you wanted.”

“You’re going to the gym?” He tips his chin in question. “Where’s Ellis?”

The nerve of this asshole. “I’m going to work. Which I planned to tell you about yesterday but you sent Elliot to drop off instead of coming yourself. Ellis is with Maggie today.”

“You’re working at L&M now?”

“Yes.”

“Right.” He looks to the building, deep in thought. “Why’s dickhead driving you? The guys unhinged.”

Sadness floors me. I drop my head, feeling disgusted by his words. He knows how it is with Joey. “You really are a nasty piece of work when you want to be.”

I go to open the door, but he stops me with a hand to my inner thigh. “Stop.”

My eyes drop to his hand. I swallow, suddenly more aware of him than I was moments before. “I said to stop doing that.”

He doesn’t move.

“Mase.” I brush his hand off.

“Vinny drives you,” he snaps, his voice final.

“Vinny works for you. I can’t trust you and I can’t trust Vinny.”

He screws his face up in disagreement. “That’s the most ridiculous thing that’s ever come out of your mouth, and you know it.”

“Hmmm, I don’t know, Mase. I had you in my mouth once.” I shrug, pouting as I climb from the car. “You have a good day.” I smile sweetly as I walk off towards the gym, swinging my hips for good measure.

* * *

Mase

The woman fucking rattles me,and she knows it. It’s her intention to wind me up, and I’m putty in her hands. All she has to do is smile and I’m semihard in my suit pants. Jesus, I have zero fucking control when it comes to her.

I scrub my hand over my face as I stand in the elevator on the way up to my floor. Get a grip on yourself.

“Good morning, Mason. Good weekend?” George chimes as the elevator pings. “I did spy some snaps on the gram, so I already know it was all things fabulous.”

“Not today, George. Please, mate.”

“Jasmine.” I give her a curt nod, walking to my office.

She mutters back a barely audible “’Morning” without looking up from the computer screen.

Although Jasmine isn’t bad at her job, she also isn’t great at it either. She spends the majority of her time sitting quietly behind the desk.

I should probably have a word.

“I expected this mood.” George follows me. “When I spotted Nina in that strapless piece of deliciousness. She looked hot! What happened?”

“George!” I yell, turning on him. “Get out of my office.”

He smiles, not flinching at my tone. “You got it, Bossman.” He winks, dropping the coffee cup and stack of files on my desk then leaves.

I’m at my office window before he can close the door, staring out over my home city. The skyline is fogged, the winter morning setting the sky in a dull hue. My eyes are drawn to the building three away from my own, though. The bottom floor is a blur, and the second is crowded by the equipment and people, but the top floor—although I have to squint to see it—is still, quiet, and waiting. Empty, like it always has been.

* * *

“Jasmine.”Her platinum painted head pops up from behind the desk. “A word.”

I turn and walk back to my office, waiting for her to follow. Vinny is sitting at my desk, his hands steepled under his chin. “What is it?” Jasmine asks from the door, not crossing the threshold.

“Have a seat,” I tell her.

Her eyes tighten as she looks between us both, as if she’s figuring out if she can trust us. I nod to the chair, and she moves to sit next to Vinny. I eye him cautiously before addressing her. “We need information—”

“About what?”

“If you let me speak, I’ll tell you,” I snap.

My teeth gnaw at the inside of my cheek as I try to contain my annoyance. As much as I don’t like what Jasmine has done, I still want to help her. I want to give Nina the chance at a real family.

Or at least a sister.

“Jasmine, we know your boyfriend Lenny has been in contact. If you’re serious about getting your children back, you need to think about the people you allow in your life,” I spew her the watered-down line. She probably wouldn’t like what I really had to say.

“He only wanted to know about Betty.”

“So you didn’t agree to meet with him?” I question with a raised brow.

“What’s it to you?” she asks defensively.

I want to lay into her, tell her some home truths but Vinny is concerned that she’s depressed. She’s been through a lot but it’s all on her. She has to make this shit show better now, no one else can do it for her. Speaking to Lenny will only go against her when it comes to the children.

“We’re worried, love, we come from a good place,” Vinny tells her in that comforting voice that seems so fucking foreign to me. I only ever saw the man soften when Nina came into the picture. “The children will be with you much sooner if you can leave him behind.”

She nods, gritting her teeth. “I know that.”

Vinny looks at me and nods in encouragement. “We thought you might like to meet Nina.” I clench my teeth so hard I feel my teeth crack. “Get to know her.”

Jasmine frowns, looking between the two of us. “Absolutely not. I get enough judgement around here. Why would she even want to meet me? I’ve heard a lot from George, you know.”

“Nina wouldn’t judge you, and I won’t lie to her about who you are. When she’s ready, I would like to introduce you.”

“When she’s ready? Is this your way of getting her back, presenting me like a prize?” She snickers.

“No. We thought you might like some friends, but I can see you are happy to continue your social suicide mission. You can leave,” I say to dismiss her.

“Mason.” Vinny tries.

“No, Vin, let her be. Jasmine, the only way your children will come back to you is if you sort yourself out. Change the way you live your life, and start putting the kids first, instead of always thinking about the money.”

Her chest heaves as she stands. “You know what I think? I think I’m an inconvenience and you don’t like it. I don’t know why you brought me here, but I’m doing this for my kids. Not for you or the long-lost sister you’re trying to push at me.”

“That went well,” I vent as she storms out, slamming my office door behind her.

“What did you expect, really?” Vinny smiles, leaning back in his chair. “I see a lot of Nina in her you know.”

“She’s nothing like Nina.”

“Stubborn, flighty, can get under your skin,” he lists.

My head drops back against the leather of my chair, and I huff out a breath. “I’m using L&M tonight; I brought the Bentley and will drive home.”

“You think it’s a good idea to be using the gym still, now that Nina is working there?” he questions.

“No.” But I’m going to, anyway.

He sniggers, looking towards the windows for a moment before bringing his focus back to me. “I know you’ve always said you wouldn’t take Nina back…” His head dips as he rubs his hand over his mouth, trying to articulate his words. “If you think there could be something between you still and you want to pursue it, I will support you, always. You know I’ve always rooted for the two of you.” He pauses, lifting his head to look at me. His eyes hold a warning and it has me lifting my chin subconsciously. I’ve heard from Scott about Vinny’s past, and the way he can flip the switch and become something lethal. I have a feeling I’m seeing a little bit of that right now. “If you hurt her, mess her around, and play with her feelings—”

“Vinny—”

“I will personally come for you.”

“Fucking hell.” I rake my hand through my hair in disbelief.

He nods, stands and buttons his jacket, his face morphing back to normal again as if he didn’t just threaten me.

“Vin.” I laugh. “Are you serious right now?”

“I’ve never been more serious in my life. That girl’s been through more than you’ll ever know.”

My lip twitches up at the corner, but I try to keep a straight face. I stand and join him at the door. I hold out my hand.

He looks down at it, his jaw locking, but then something that looks a little bit like pride washes over his face.

“Loud and clear, old man.” I wink, grasping his hand tighter than I should when he takes mine.

I should be pissed that he’s just threatened my ass, but I’m not. Nina needs all the people she can get fighting in her corner. Vinny is one of the best men I know, and she deserves his protection.

* * *

I don’t expectNina to be in the gym when I arrive—it’s fucking late and she’s been here all day—but she is. She stands with Megan and Lucy, both of them in their gym wear. I roll my eyes, knowing that them coming here won’t last long.

“Ladies,” I greet smugly as I saunter past them.

They don’t say a word, all of them rendered speechless. I knew Nina would be shocked to see me here, but better she knows I use L&M now than later when she is settled and thinks it’s because of her. I move to the weights and pick up the barbell. Lucy and Megan quickly disappear into the back office. Probably to chew Logan’s ear off.

Nina walks to the back wall and swipes her access card, unlocking the iPad from its holder. She scans it, her eyes flicking over it furiously.

* * *

Nina

Motherfucker!

I keep scrolling, checking he isn’t listed under just ‘Mason’ but still, I come up with nothing. Why would Gemma let him up here?

My eyes zero in on him as I stand holding the iPad with a white-knuckle force. He is so fucking hot, and it makes me even more angry. His arms strain as he lifts the weights to his chest, his pecs taut and legs bulging.

Why can’t he be a dweeb? This wouldn’t be this difficult if he was scrawny. Maybe with a tiny penis too.

“You can’t be here,” I tell him, as I step up to where he stands on the rubber mats.

“Excuse me,” he groans, his veins protruding—shouldn’t be hot but it is.

Everything is bigger now I’m closer. I shake my head, finding my thoughts. “You aren’t a member; you need to leave!”

“I’ll pay on my way out.” He winks.

Ugh, please. “It doesn’t work like that.” I glare.

“Nina, I want to work out in peace—”

“Then go home! You have a perfectly good gym there.”

“No!” He continues to pump the weight and with each rep, I get a little bit more worked up. “I always work out here.”

“Liar! You do realise I can see that you’ve never been a member.” I hold up the iPad as if it’s the holy grail.

He rolls his eyes and continues lifting.

He came here intentionally on my first day to try and piss me off. The bastard. I step closer and he steps back, catching his foot and stumbling slightly. I quickly grasp the middle of the barbell as he tries to recover his footing. “What are you doing!” he shouts, frowning as I try to take it from his hands. “Shit!”

“Mason!” I panic, taking the barbell fully as he falls to the floor, clutching his thigh. The weight is heavy, too heavy for me and I feel myself wobble. “Oh, no.”

“Shit, shit,” I hear Mason cuss from the floor.

“I can’t hold it,” I squeal. My left arm gives out, and the weight upends itself, smashing to the ground and taking me with it in some kind of gravity sequence.

“Jesus, shit!” Mason snaps from my side, clearly in pain. “The fuck is wrong with you!”

I look around at the few people on the machines nearby, feeling my cheeks flush. A big burly man with a long beard and a belt wrapped around his waist comes towards me. He lifts the weight from me with ease. Then takes a knee beside me. “Are you okay? You caught your chin.”

“I’m fine,” I mutter, waving him off as I stand and brush myself off.

“I think it’s bleeding,” he says.

“What?”

He reaches out and lifts my chin. “You might need stitches there.” He openly cringes.

My eyes drop to the floor where Mason is still sprawled out, holding his thigh. Only now he is deathly quiet and watching the man’s hold on my face with a dangerous look in his eyes.

I pull away. “Thank you, but I’ll be fine.”

“You okay, big man?” he asks Mason.

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing. He reaches down and offers his hand and Mason takes it, putting pressure on his leg then hissing.

Everything inside me coils tight.

I’ve hurt him.

“Let me see.” He hobbles to me, tilting my head to look at my chin. He’s so close, his body brushing mine as he dips down to get a better look. God, he smells delicious.

“Bloody hell, woman.”

“Logan will look at it, he had first aid training just last week. Or Scar, she will sort it. Are you okay?” I ask, shooing his hand away.

“I’m fine. I’m driving you to the hospital.”

“I don’t need to go to the hospital.” I touch my chin and feel the sticky blood pooling. Shit.

“You’re not fighting me on this, Nina. Is Logan in?”

“Yes.” I thumb towards the office and breathe a sigh of relief when he stalks off in that direction.

I can’t have Mason looking after me. It’s the last thing I need right now. I grab my things and ask Gemma to let Logan know I had to leave, then I call Maggie and tell her I’ll be late.

As I step out onto the street, I feel my chin drip and look down to see blood seeping into my tank top. I know I need to get to the hospital and have it stitched. If the girls weren’t in the office, I’d have asked them to take me, but Mason is too controlling and wouldn’t have allowed it.

I know Joey will be busy at the gallery, and Maggie is with Ellis.

“Vinny, I need your help,” I plead into the phone.