Craving Rose (The Aces' Sons)

by Nicole Jacquelyn

“Mom said she can drive you home,” Will interrupted helpfully.

  Rose stared at me for a long moment. “Fine. I’ll be back in a couple hours.”

  “Four hours,” I replied.

  “Two.”

  “Four.”

  “Three.”

  “Four,” I said firmly.

  “Two, it is,” she replied. She laid her hand gently against the side of my throat and looked me over as she let out a shuddery breath. “Why are you always making me leave you?”

  “It’s only for a couple of hours,” I said quietly. “Go rest, sweetheart.”

  She nodded, then kissed me again.

  As soon as she was out the door, I looked back at Dragon and Will.

  “What’s the story?”

  I listened while they filled me in on the shit I’d missed while I was out of it, what they’d found at the old farmhouse, and the police coming to question them, warning that they’d be stopping by to see me soon. I wasn’t surprised by any of it, and I was glad that they’d figured out a way to keep Rose as far from it as possible.

  “That’s not all of it,” Will said when Dragon finished speaking. “I found Rose’s bag at the house.”

  I stared at him for a minute, wondering what the fuck he was talking about. When realization hit, I damn near jumped out of the bed. Every muscle in my body tightened, and the pain was so fucking intense that I had to hold my breath to keep from screaming.

  “Fuckin’ Copper?” I asked for clarification. I had to be sure that was what he was trying to tell me. I had to know.

  “It’s the only thing that makes sense,” Will replied. “Don’t know cause we couldn’t ask them, but workin’ theory is that they were only supposed to grab you. Took Rose with ’em to keep you cooperative, but were probably ordered to leave her be.”

  The fact that they’d left Rose alone had confused the hell out of me, considering they knew I’d do whatever I had to in order to keep her safe. I thought back to the shit they’d asked me about, mostly money and transport routes we used, neither of which I could answer. I didn’t deal with club money beyond getting my cut of the profits, and our routes changed constantly because we weren’t fucking idiots. Realization hit me like a sledgehammer. They hadn’t needed to know anything—they’d just been fucking with me, trying to make me feel even more helpless than I was. That fucking pussy had hired people to do his dirty work because he was too chickenshit to face me himself.

  Wait a second…

  “Why couldn’t you ask?” I said in confusion. “I only took one of them out. Did the other one bail before you got there?”

  Dragon and Will shared a look.

  “Found the one you took care of on the pool table,” Dragon said quietly, watching me. “Other one was dead in the yard.”

  “Man, I never made it up the stairs,” I argued.

  Will’s lips twitched, irritating the hell out of me. “Rose took care of the other one.”

  “Say what?” I said in surprise.

  “Used a pair of gardening shears,” Will replied.

  It took everything in me not to let my mouth drop open in surprise.

  “Stuck ’em so far into his eye, damn near hit his skull on the opposite side,” Dragon said proudly. He looked at me. “If you hadn’t noticed, we raise strong women.”

  I understood the pride because I felt that, too. But I also felt concerned as hell for Rose. Killing a man wasn’t something a normal person just brushed off like it was nothing, and Rose was more sensitive than most—even if she tried to hide it.

  “Keep an eye on her,” I ordered Will.

  Jesus, I could feel exhaustion pulling me under, and whatever pain medicine they’d given me was starting to wear off.

  “We’re already on it,” he assured me. “She won’t be alone while you’re in here.”

  “She know this was Copper?”

  “No,” Dragon said firmly. “Only me, you, and Will know. Waited on you, see how you want to proceed.”

  I looked at him in surprise.

  “Brother,” Dragon said, “I might be your president, but this was personal as fuck. You tell me how you wanna do this.”

  “Rose doesn’t know,” I said, looking at her brother. “She’ll blame herself and be all torn up about it.”

  “Agreed,” Will said.

  “Round the clock guards on my girls?” I said, finally giving up and laying my head back on the pillow. “I’m awake,” I said as I closed my eyes. “Just takin’ a break.”

  “Do whatcha need to,” Dragon said in understanding.

  “Round him up,” I said, curling my good hand into a fist. It was infuriating that I couldn’t run the bastard to ground myself, but I wasn’t going to be in any shape to do that for a long ass time, and my woman needed to be safe now. She’d never be safe while Copper lived. Sick fuck. “Let Grease do it. Then burn the fucker.”

  “That was oddly nonspecific,” Will said in amusement.

  I opened my eyes to look at him. “I’m flat on my back, here,” I replied flatly. “Your pop’ll get the job done the way I would.”

  “Fair enough,” Dragon said, getting to his feet. “We’ll let you know when it’s finished.”

  “Appreciate it,” I murmured, closing my eyes again. “Tell the nurse to send in some pain meds, yeah?”

  “Pussy,” Will joked.

  I curled my fingers down, but didn’t even bother lifting my hand as I flipped him off. Then it was lights out. Even the pain radiating through my body wasn’t enough to keep me awake.

  * * *

  My hospital stay was a blur of visits from Rose, Kara, my parents, and nearly every brother and old lady in the club. I was rarely alone once I was moved out of ICU, and when I was, it wasn’t ever for long. Police came and left when they realized I wasn’t going to say anything about how I’d gotten there or who had attacked me. I had so many wounds, there wasn’t any way to prove that I remembered a damn thing. Eventually, they gave up.

  Rose slowly lost the exhausted, hollow look around her eyes. We didn’t talk about our time in the basement, but I knew we’d have to at some point. That shit would fester if we didn’t talk it out, and I wasn’t going to let that happen.

  God, I loved her. Any doubts I’d had disappeared. The knots I used to get in my gut when I saw her mothering Kara were completely gone. She wasn’t going anywhere, and I knew with absolute certainty that it didn’t matter what happened between us—even if I fucked up big and she left me—she’d never leave my kid.

  Rose slept at the hospital most nights, even though I told her over and over to go home and get some sleep in a real bed. It seemed that I wasn’t very intimidating when I couldn’t even get out of bed to piss without help. I wasn’t sure how she did it, but by the time I was cleared to go home, Rose was completely moved into my house. We hadn’t discussed it, but I wasn’t going to complain. She was exactly where I wanted her.

  “What the fuck?” I asked as we stepped through the front door.

  “You’re not good on stairs yet,” she said, following me in. “So I did a little rearranging.”

  “There are three steps between the upstairs and downstairs,” I stated flatly. The house was split-level, it wasn’t like I had to crawl up a flight of stairs.

  “I had the boys bring the couch to our room,” she said, moving around me to put my bag on the edge of the bed. “So Kara can watch TV in there.”

  “Maybe I want to watch TV in the living room,” I said stubbornly.

  “Then it’s good I brought the smaller TV down here,” she replied, unruffled.

  “You’re forgetting that I have to use the steps to get to the bathroom,” I said smugly.

  “Bedpan,” she said easily.

  “Not ever fucking happening,” I snapped.

  Rose burst out laughing. “You can pee off the back porch,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “You only poop once a day, before your shower in the morning, so that’s not an issue. I’ll just help you up t
here and leave you to it.”

  I sputtered.

  “What?” she asked innocently. “Was I not supposed to know that you pooped?”

  I stood there dumbly, absolutely without words.

  “Everybody poops,” she whispered, like she was letting me in on a secret.

  “This is my life now, isn’t it?” I asked as she laughed.

  “Yep,” she said. “Get used to it.”

  “How are we supposed to get down when our bed’s in the fuckin’ livin’ room?” I asked, following her into the kitchen. Jesus, I hated the cane I had to use until I was done with physical therapy. Every thump against the floor grated on my nerves and I felt unsteady as hell using my left hand. My right hadn’t needed surgery, but I still couldn’t use it for much.

  “I’ll fuck you once you’re healed enough to get up the stairs,” Rose replied with a shrug.

  I automatically turned toward the stairs. I could get up those motherfuckers no problem. I’d crawl if I had to.

  “Mack,” Rose called in exasperation. “Come sit down while I make dinner.”

  “I haven’t seen you naked or had my mouth on you in too fuckin’ long,” I argued. “I’m goin’ up those stairs.”

  She jogged around me and planted herself directly in my path, her hands on her hips.

  “Jacob MacKenzie,” she said, making me stop in my tracks. “I want one night of peace, alright? One night where we have dinner and sleep in our own bed and I don’t have to worry.” Her eyes filled with tears.

  “Aw, baby,” I said, instantly feeling like shit. “Come here.”

  She came to me and wrapped her arms loosely around my waist, careful not to press up against my surgery scars that were already mostly healed. Shit still hurt, and I wasn’t going to be one hundred percent for a while, but the hardest parts were behind us, thank Christ.

  “I’ll come hang out while you make dinner,” I said into her hair, enjoying the feel of her against me. It had been too damn long since I’d held her.

  “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll sleep naked tonight.”

  I grinned. “You’re so good to me.”

  “Say that again tonight when you’re hard as a rock and I won’t ride you.”

  I let her lead me into the kitchen again and sat down at the table, propping my leg up on a chair.

  “We should have a fire in the pit tonight,” I said as she pulled things out of the fridge.

  “Getting pretty antsy to be outside, huh?” she asked sympathetically.

  “Swear to God, hospitals have recycled air, like airplanes,” I grumbled, making her laugh.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Entire place stinks,” I said with a sigh. “It’s good to be home.”

  As we ate dinner, we discussed the logistics of our new normal. Kara was staying the night with my parents so they could take her to school the next day, but after that, we’d all be in the same place again. I couldn’t fucking wait. It was nice to spend the first night home just me and Rose, though. We needed the time. I was fucking starving for her—not just her body, though that craving was insane—but for her smiles and her looks across the table and the way she moved around the kitchen.

  I followed her outside after the dishes were cleared away, and sat on a lawn chair while she lit the fire. Damn, I’d be glad when I was healed up and she didn’t have to wait on me. As I watched her, I couldn’t help but smile. I knew Rose couldn’t wait for me to be back to normal, either, but she seriously got off on helping me. Farrah had been right—Rose loved taking care of the people around her. It was her thing.

  “Sit with me,” I said as she finished.

  “I can’t,” she said, looking at me in indecision. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t hurt me,” I assured her, patting my leg. “One of my legs is still good.”

  “Both of your legs are good,” she said as she sat down gingerly on my left thigh.

  “Be a while ’til I can ride again,” I said, staring at the flames. God, she smelled good.

  “But you will,” she said sweetly, leaning her head on my shoulder. “Just give it some time.”

  “Should probably see about gettin’ my nuts reconnected,” I replied, making her snort incredulously.

  “Get your nuts reconnected?” she asked, leaning up to look at me.

  “You know, get the vasectomy reversed.”

  “I knew what you meant,” she said with a huff. “Nuts reconnected.” She snorted again.

  “Just sayin’, the time would be now, while I’m not ridin’, anyway.”

  “Is that what you want to do?” she asked tentatively.

  “You want more kids, yeah?”

  “Yes.” The word was so soft I could barely hear it.

  “Then I better take care of it.”

  Rose was silent for a long time.

  “It might not even work,” she said quietly.

  “Then we’ll figure something else out,” I said, rubbing my hand up and down her back. “Plenty of kids needin’ homes out there.”

  “Maybe we could do both,” she said hopefully.

  “Well, now you’re just pushin’ it,” I joked.

  Rose leaned up again, a small smile playing on her lips. “What made you change your mind?”

  “Guess it was probably the same thing that made you change yours,” I replied honestly. “Don’t wanna be without you.”

  She opened her mouth to speak and I covered it.

  “Don’t wanna be the one that takes your dreams away, either, baby.” I let my hand drop. “You’re not goin’ anywhere and neither am I. I’m so tangled up in you, can’t even tell where I stop and you start anymore. So if you wanna have some more kids, I’m down. I love bein’ a dad, it’s no hardship.”

  “I love you so much,” she said, her voice quivering. “I had no idea I could love someone this much.”

  “Love you, too, Rosie,” I murmured as she leaned in to kiss me. I ignored the twinge in my chest as her shoulder pressed against it.

  “I want to adopt Kara,” she said as she pulled away. There was fear in her eyes, but her chin was tilted in the stubborn way I’d always associate with Rose. “We can wait until we’re married, if you want. But I want that piece of paper.”

  “Okay,” I said slowly. “But gettin’ married is separate, baby. That’s about me and you.”

  “You don’t want to marry me?” she asked, stiffening.

  I chuckled. “Could you let your man do the askin’?” I asked in exasperation.

  “Oh,” she said sheepishly. “Yeah, I can do that.”

  “Appreciate it.”

  “I’m happy,” she said.

  “Me, too.”

  We sat outside until it got so cold that Rose started shivering.

  “Come on,” I murmured. “Lets go to bed.”

  I watched as Rose put out the fire, then followed her inside, losing my balance a little because I was staring at her ass and my cane got caught up on the track of the slider.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, looking at me over her shoulder.

  When someone knocked on the front door, her face paled. She put on a good show, but I knew it was going to be a while before she felt safe again.

  “I’ll get it,” I said, resting my hand at the base of her spine as I moved around her.

  My eyes widened when I opened the door to find Grease standing on the other side.

  “Got a few minutes?” he asked.

  “Sure, man,” I said, swinging the door wide. “Come on in.”

  “Hey, Dad,” Rose said in surprise and she moved to give Grease a hug. “What are you doing out this late?”

  “No rest for the wicked,” he replied with a smile. He shot me a look over her shoulder.

  “Baby,” I said as she stepped back from the hug. “Give me and your dad a minute?”

  She looked between us, then nodded slowly. “Okay. I’m going to take a quick shower.”

  It was really
fucking inconvenient that I immediately pictured her in the shower, considering her dad was standing less than five feet away.

  As soon as Rose was gone and we heard the bathroom door close behind her, Grease spoke.

  “Got him,” he said.

  I nodded as I walked toward the bed. My leg was throbbing like a motherfucker and I needed to get off of it.

  “Feel free to sit,” I said, waving my hand toward the foot of the bed.

  “I’m not sittin’ on your fuckin’ bed,” Grease said, his tone a mixture of amusement and disgust. He walked over to the wall and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Rose didn’t want me usin’ the stairs,” I explained lamely.

  He looked toward the tiny flight of stairs and grinned.

  “Where’d you find him?” I said, bringing the conversation back around.

  “He was holed up in Corvallis,” Grease said, the smile disappearing. “Stayin’ at a nasty ass motel that rented by the month.”

  “Fuckin’ moron,” I huffed. Corvallis was only a couple hours away. Copper hadn’t even tried to run.

  “Man just about shit his pants when Tommy found him,” Grease said, keeping his voice low. “Didn’t take much to get him talkin’.”

  “Ain’t surprised.”

  Grease nodded. “From what I could gather,” he said, glancing toward the stairs before continuing, “he set you up so he could save you.”

  “Come again?” I said, tilting my head to the side. I couldn’t have heard him right.

  “Yeah,” Grease said with a bark of laughter. “Hired a coupla meth heads to take you, figurin’ no one would miss ’em when he took ’em out.”

  “Copper was never there,” I said flatly.

  “He set up the house, found the men,” Grease continued. “Had ’em snatch you. Planned on showin ’up to save the day after they’d worked you over.”

  I just stared at him.

  “Stupid motherfucker got arrested,” he said, scoffing. “Drunk and disorderly. By the time he got out and went back to the house, cleaners had already been through—no sign of you.”

  “Jesus Christ. End game?”

  “Thought he’d be forgiven,” Grease said flatly. “With a hero’s welcome.”

  “And Rose?” I asked.

  “Lost his mind when he found out she was there. Wasn’t part of the deal.”