by Kelsie Rae
Pulling away, he looks down at me with a wicked grin. “Do you like that, Wild Card?”
I roll my eyes and tug him closer. “And here I thought you were the smart one. Didn’t think I’d need to walk you through this, but—”
He cuts me off with another kiss before pressing his fingers against me all over again. My smartass response disappears into thin air, and a low growl escapes King when he unbuttons the top of my jeans and finds me hot and ready.
“Shit, Ace,” he murmurs against my mouth.
“Don’t stop,” I beg, grabbing his wrist and urging him to continue.
With a slow curve of his fingers and a quirk of his lips, he mutters, “Not a chance in hell.”
Minutes later, the orgasm rushes through me like a tsunami, hitting everywhere at once and spreading like wildfire along with a flurry of emotions that leave me breathless. Once the waves of pleasure have subsided, and I’m busy gasping for air, he pulls his hand from my jeans and licks his fingers, his gaze still heated with lust. And maybe something else too, but I can’t quite place what the emotion is, though I’m afraid it’s shining in my eyes too.
I watch in fascination, speechless until he puts his freshly cleaned fingers into the belt buckle loops around my waist and jerks me closer, planting a soft last kiss against me.
Whatever this is? It’s real, and I think I’m sick of fighting it. He says that I’m his, and I think I’m ready to admit that he’s mine too.
“Good talk?” he jests.
With a laugh, I joke, “Yeah. Good talk.”
Chapter Six
Ace
I sleep in a spare bedroom. I don’t know why, and it probably has something to do with the fit I threw about needing my own life and space, but Kingston ordered Diece to put my stuff in a room across the hall from his. Maybe it’s a good thing. I mean, moving in together when I’ve barely admitted to myself that I’m okay being owned by him? I’m pretty sure that’s the definition of moving too fast.
But it didn’t stop me from tossing and turning all night, wishing he was there to hold me and keep my nightmares of Diece’s brother at bay.
After showering and getting dressed in a white tank top and shorts, I head to Kingston’s office. I haven’t been here long, but I’ve already learned where Kingston spends the majority of his time.
“Hey.” I knock against the doorjamb, and he glances up at me before his mouth quirks.
“Hey. How’d you sleep?”
With a shrug, I step over the threshold and take a seat across from him. “Fine, I guess.”
“Lie. What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I just missed you,” I admit, surprising myself with my vulnerability.
The truth brings a smile to his lips before he leans back in his office chair and lifts his chin. “Come here, Ace.”
Pushing myself up from my seat, I walk around the desk, and he pulls me into his lap. The scruff from his beard scratches my neck as he nuzzles into me and places a kiss along the column of my throat, making me close my eyes.
“I have some work to get done today,” he admits. “We have a lot of shit going on, and I’m trying to keep all of it moving in the right direction while also keeping Regina’s disappearance under wraps. But how about I take the night off, and we’ll grab a bite to eat?”
I don’t miss how he states it like a question instead of an order, and I have to bite my lip to keep from grinning.
“I’d like that. Would you be okay if I go to the diner today?”
Kingston’s brows pinch as his hand rubs up and down my back, making my muscles melt under his touch.
“That place you used to always go?”
“Yeah, Dottie’s. I have a friend there. A pretty close friend, actually. I wanted to let her know that I won’t be coming around for a little while because of everything that’s going on. I don’t want her to be worried or anything.”
Reaching around me, he grabs his phone off the top of his desk and dials a number before waiting for the other person to pick up. When he does, Kingston barks, “D, I need you to take Ace to a diner.”
The room is silent as Kingston listens to his right-hand man on the other end before answering, “Yeah, I know. She’ll be thirty minutes, tops.”
More silence until Kingston looks me up and down as I sit in his lap. “Yeah. Sounds good. She’s ready to go.”
Hanging up the phone, Kingston lifts his chin. “D will be here in five. You can go with him. He’s got shit to do though, so you’ll have to be quick.”
I smile then wrap my arms around his neck and plant a loud, smacking kiss against him.
“Deal.”
“The food any good here?” D grunts, eyeing the place.
“Yup. Their eggs and hashbrowns are amazing, but my friend loves the pancakes, waffles, and French toast too.”
With his lips tilted up in amusement, D offers, “So pretty much everything on the menu then.”
“Pretty much,” I laugh, swinging the door open.
Dottie comes rushing over and throws a big hug around me. “Oh, thank the Lawd!”
My arms hang awkwardly at my sides as she squeezes the crap out of me before putting me at arm’s length and assessing the damage to my face that’s still an angry purple and blue.
“I was so worried ‘bout y’all!” she adds while fretting over me like a mother hen.
I look over at D to see the same confusion painted on his face. Even he can tell this greeting is unusual.
“Everything okay, Dottie?” I ask, sensing her anxiety.
“Haven’t y’all seen the news? About all those missin’ girls? And then y’all didn’t come in for breakfast and…and…” Her lower lip quivers as her eyes gather with tears. “What happened to your face, doll?”
I knew she’d ask questions. Part of me wanted to wait until I’d healed before showing my face here, but I was too anxious to talk to Gigi. Still, the horrified expression painted on Dottie’s face makes me feel guilty for causing her any added stress.
With a shake of my head, I clear my throat. “Nothing, Dottie. It’s all taken care of. Promise.”
She continues fussing over my busted lip, staring at it like it’s a third eye before wringing out her hands and taking a small step back.
“Well, alright, then. As long as you and Gigi are sure you’re okay.”
“Speaking of G, is she here?” I begin searching for her throughout the diner but come up empty as Dottie’s breath catches. Her wrinkly old hands cover her open mouth in surprise.
“You haven’t seen her?”
“No? You know this is the only place we ever meet. I was hoping I’d see her today.”
“Honey, I ain’t seen her since she rushed out a few nights ago. I don’t know where she is.” Her tone is worried and laced with sympathy as her eyes bounce from me to D, then around the diner before landing on my bruised face all over again.
D eavesdrops on our conversation from a few feet away, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other with his hands in the pockets of his slacks. I look over at him in hopes that he holds all the answers, but his stone-cold expression doesn’t give anything away.
Turning back to Dottie, I force a smile, though it feels about as fake as they come. “Okay. Well, I think we’d still like to sit and order and maybe wait to see if she comes by. Is that all right with you?”
“Of course, of course.” She waves her hands in the air, motioning to the booths and tables scattered throughout the diner. “Just find a place anywhere. I’ll bring your usual.”
“Thanks, Dottie. Make it two. I just got done telling Diece how amazing the food is since his stomach was rumbling the entire way over here.”
“I can fix that. I’ll bring it over when it’s ready.” She winks at Diece, making his cheeks turn pink from her innocent flirting before going on her way.
D follows behind me as I lead him to a corner booth then sit down, tucking my backpack beneath the table with one leg on each side of
it out of habit.
Rule #7: Never leave something of value out in the open. Even if there isn’t much in it nowadays.
“What’s with the bag?” D asks with a quirked brow.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I don’t ever see you without it, and you get weird if it leaves your sight.”
I grimace at his observation because I always thought I was more subtle when following my rules, but apparently, I was wrong.
Chewing my lower lip, I admit, “It kind of holds my whole world.”
Instead of scoffing like I would expect, he casually leans back in his seat and rests his hands behind his head with a smirk.
“Then I guess you’ll have to let me take a look inside one of these days.”
“Doubtful, my friend. Very doubtful. Speaking of friends, though…” I sober instantly. “Do you have any idea where mine is?”
Bringing up Gigi is enough to put a halt on the innocent teasing from only a moment ago. D scratches the side of his face while staring into the distance like he’s debating something with himself. “Tell me about your friend.”
I shrug. “What do you want to know?”
“Who is she? Does she have family who would report her missing? Tell me everything you know.”
Well, crap. I search through the conversations Gigi and I have had over the last few months and don’t find much information that would be useful, but I divulge everything I can.
“Umm…let’s see. Her name is Gigi. She has a pretty rich family but hates them. Owns a house in the Hamptons…I think? Or maybe that was a joke? Umm…”
D stares at me, confused.
“What?” I ask, defensively.
“How long have you known her?”
“A few months? We met here at the diner and clicked, but we didn’t really talk about our personal lives, which is probably why we got along so well.” I laugh. “Our backgrounds are so screwed up that we decided to connect over things like bacon and eggs.”
“Sounds like a pretty good friendship,” he admits, surprising me with his sincerity.
“It is.” I smile. “But I’m sorry I can’t give you very many details that would help find her.”
Shifting in his seat, he releases a sigh. “I’m afraid that whatever information you could bring to the table might not help anyway. I have an idea of where she could be, but you’re not going to like it.”
There’s something about his apologetic voice that makes me nervous.
“Tell me, D,” I push. “I need to know.”
“Do the math, Ace. If she was close to you, then I’m going to say it’s possible Burlone or his men knew that.”
My knee starts to bounce beneath the table, my palms growing sweaty, and my eyes welling with tears. “How possible, D?”
Leaning forward, he puts his hand on mine as it rests on the table.
“Pretty fucking possible.”
Burlone wouldn’t…would he? Drag an innocent girl into human trafficking all because she knows me? The answer is glaringly obvious and serves its purpose by acting like a dagger to my chest.
He would. And I think he did. The realization is crippling.
I want to cry. I want to hit something. I want to run away. And I want to hurt Burlone all over again. My emotions are all over the place as tears well in my eyes, and I brush them away angrily before grimacing when my cheek throbs in pain.
I hate him. I hate him so much. He needs to pay for so many things. The knowledge that Kingston’s sister is enduring terrible things at the hand of Burlone was unbearable. And now there’s a possibility of Gigi enduring the same treatment. I need to fix this. How the hell do I fix this? I’ve never felt so helpless in my entire life as I’m transported back to when I was a little girl, and he would hurt me just for the thrill of it. Stomach rolling, I remember all the things he put me through while recognizing that there’s a giant possibility that he’s doing the same things to my best friend.
And the only reason she’s in this position is because we regularly sat together in a diner and ate breakfast at two in the morning.
I squeeze my eyes shut, another salty tear rolling down my cheek.
“Ace. You okay?”
It’s a stupid question. Diece knows that. I know that. But it seems to pull me back from my fucked-up past long enough to help me get hold of my emotions. I release a shaky breath before staring blankly at the empty table in front of me, speechless.
Dottie still hasn’t come around with our food, but it doesn’t matter, anyway. There’s not a chance in hell I could swallow a single bite.
“I’m not so hungry anymore,” I admit.
“Then let’s get you home, Ace.” D opens his wallet and tosses a few twenties onto the table before sliding out of the booth and waiting for me to join him. When I do, we walk side by side back to the car with a Texas-sized stone in the bottom of my gut.
Chapter Seven
Kingston
The garage door slams, tugging at my curiosity. I walk down the hall to see my right-hand man following behind a petite blur who just disappeared up the stairs. When D looks at me, I can see the helplessness written across his face. The overwhelming need to follow her drives me to step toward the base of the stairs, but I stop myself and turn to the only man who knows what’s wrong.
“What happened?”
With a look of sheer exhaustion, he murmurs, “Her friend is missing.”
“And do we know where she is?”
His laughter has a sharp edge to it as he looks toward the ceiling. “We have an idea.”
Fuck.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out where her best friend disappeared to. My blood starts to boil. I’m going to kill him.
Taking the stairs two at a time, a sense of need pulses through me. I need to fix this. I need to make her feel better. I need to make this right. I need to find my sister and Ace’s friend. And I need to put Burlone in the ground.
I stop my pursuit when I reach the door, finding myself in a foreign situation. Do I knock? I raise my hand to do so before dropping it to my side.
With a twist of the handle, I call out, “Ace?”
Sniffles greet me.
The hinges squeak slightly as I push the door the rest of the way open and step into the room across from mine where Ace slept last night.
Sitting on the edge of the bed is a distraught Ace with her head in her hands, her entire body racked with sobs.
My chest tightens, and my lungs struggle to expand as I watch as the girl who’s been through too damn much…breaks.
“Ace?” I rush over and wrap my arms around her, holding her tight as she completely loses it.
“She’s gone. She’s gone. It’s all my fault. I can’t do this. I can’t take it anymore.”
The sound of her gut-wrenching cries is like a knife to my chest. I slowly rub my hand up and down her back because I honestly don’t know what else to do. She’s hurting, and it’s killing me. I’d give anything to fix this. I just wish I knew how. Her fingers tighten their grip on my shirt, twisting the material back and forth, wringing out her agony through her hold.
“Shh. It’s okay.” I try to comfort her the only way I know how, but I can tell it isn’t working by the way her back continues heaving as she keeps beating herself up.
“I never should’ve talked to her. I never should’ve entered the tournament. I never should’ve tried to get back at him for what he did. This is all my fault, but she’s the one paying for it. All because we were friends.”
“It’s going to be okay, Ace—”
“You don’t understand!” She cuts me off. “I know what she’s going through. I know what he’s forcing her to do. I know all of it.” Another sob escapes her ruby red lips as she looks up at me with tear-stained cheeks before dropping her head back to my chest and burrowing deep. Like I might have the power to save her from her past, and I’d give anything to do exactly that. Still, I need to know the truth. All of it.
/> “What do you mean, you know?”
She doesn’t dare look up at me as I voice my question, keeping herself tucked against my chest. Warning bells are ringing in my head, but I don’t want to believe them, and I pray I’m wrong.
“Because I got to experience it first-hand as a little girl.” Her voice cracks on the last word, my heart following right after.
“Ace—”
She shoves away from me, shaking her head back and forth over and over again in an attempt to scatter the nightmare of memories that were her childhood.
And I want to flay the bastard who hurt her all over again.
“I can’t. I can’t let that happen to her. I can’t let that happen to your sister. I can’t do any of this anymore.” Collapsing into my arms once more, she rests her forehead on my shoulder as she mourns for the little girl she once was and the experiences she had to suffer through while knowing her best friend and my little sister are likely suffering the same fate at the hands of a monster. One who puts men like me––men who have murdered and maimed––to shame.
I don’t know how long we sit like this, and in all honesty, I don’t care, either. All that matters is Ace. All that matters is finding a way to let her heal and to keep her safe. All that matters is killing the sonofabitch who hurt her.
When the sobbing has stopped, and the tension in her body melts away, I whisper, “I’m going to get your friend back, Ace. I’m going to get my sister. And I’m going to kill Burlone for what he did to you.”
Ace backs away a few inches and dares to look up at me, her eyes still swollen from crying and from taking a beating a few nights before. But it doesn’t make her any less beautiful. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a bluer set of eyes.
With a pitiful squeak, she replies, “Truth.”
Gently, I drag her closer and lay down onto my back, the mattress dipping beneath me.