by Jamie Begley
“Grace is my woman. Both of you knew that, and you didn’t protect her. Not only that, you let her leave before I got back. You didn’t even call me to let me know what went down. Griffin, who did your old lady call when she was in that car accident and couldn’t get you? Who was with her when she took her last fucking breath?”
“You, Ice,” Griffin’s choked voice answered.
“You’re demoted. Fade, you’ve got guard duty until I change my mind. Neither of you have my trust anymore.”
Both men turned pale. To lose trust was a deep slash to their pride. Neither would be able to participate in church or the deals that made money for the club nor sharing in the profits. He had basically turned them back into recruits without taking their cuts.
“Fuck with me again, and I’ll be taking those cuts.”
Ice turned to Lizard and Rita. “She yours?”
“Not anymore.” Lizard took a step to the side, letting Rita face Ice’s wraith alone.
“Ice...” Rita began. The arrogantly confident woman waiting for her punishment trembled, grabbing the bar counter for support.
“You also knew she was my old lady. You opened your big mouth about what happened in the club. Any brother want her?”
Blank stares and silence met his question.
“You’ve been here a long time, Rita. Too long. You’ve seen too much for me to let you walk out that door.”
“Ice please… I...”
“Be quiet! I’m going to let you live because I don’t want to kill a woman my dick’s been in.” Ice became detached as he spoke his punishment. “From now on, you’re nothing but a club whore unless one of the brothers or recruits”—Rita winced. None of the bitches were expected to fuck the recruits—“want you. I don’t want to see your fucking face or hear your fucking voice. I don’t even want to see your fucking shadow. When Grace is in the clubhouse, if she fucking sees you, you’re dead.”
Rita nodded, accepting her punishment.
“Go!” Ice yelled.
Rita ran out of the room toward the back of the clubhouse.
Ice glared at Griffin and Fade again. “Find out why her car is still outside, and this time, you better not fucking let me down. Jackal, find her.”
Ice pulled his cell phone from his pocket, going into the club office and slamming the door behind him. He had to get away from both men before he pulled his gun out and shot them.
He called Grace, not surprised she didn’t answer. He texted her, asking her to call him. The only thing he could do now was wait until she answered him or Jackal found her.
Ice ran his hand through his hair before losing his control and kicking his chair across the room when a knock sounded on the door. “Come in.”
Fade came in, closing the door. “Her car wouldn’t start. I popped the hood, and her motor is for shit.”
“So my woman is out, walking the streets of Queen City with no ride?”
Fade licked his lips. “Yeah.”
Ice’s hand went behind his back. As he was reaching for his gun, his cell phone rang. Ice picked up his phone, answering the call.
“Ice, Vida dropped off the concert tickets for Gert…” Ice wasn’t in the mood to talk to Colton and was about to tell the brother to call back later when his words caught Ice’s attention. “And she brought back a friend of yours with her.”
“Grace?”
“Yeah, brother. She looked pissed and like she’s been crying.”
“Brother, you just saved Fade’s sorry ass. I’m on my way.”
“Too late. But I can tell you where she’s going.”
Chapter 22
Grace stood backstage, watching Mouth2Mouth perform. They were playing a benefit to raise money for a children’s charity. Kaden Cross was singing with many of the socially elite present, paying exorbitant sums of money to be given a private performance from the popular band.
Penni had given her a chair backstage with her two friends. Grace felt out of place sitting next to Vida and Kaden Cross’s wife Sawyer. Vida had introduced her to the two women right before the concert had begun.
Penni was the road manager for Mouth2Mouth. She stood behind their seats, watching the band perform, troubleshooting any problems, which needed attention. Grace had already witnessed her find an electrician when the sound didn’t come on as expected and watched her climb an extremely tall ladder to fix a hanging prop that wasn’t level. She was constantly whispering into the headset at her ear, giving orders.
Grace had felt an instant affinity for the woman. Her startling blue eyes rivaled Ice’s, but where his hid his emotions, Penni’s showed everything she felt. Her lively personality gave you a shot of adrenaline just being near her. Grace desperately needed that pick-me-up right now as she battled back the tears coming to her eyes while she listened to Kaden’s song. To write a song like he was singing, he had to have lost someone he loved. Right now, she could feel each of his words shredding an already-broken heart.
Sawyer took her hand. “It’s almost over. It won’t be much longer before you can get out of here.”
Over the sounds of the only soft song of the evening, the women heard a commotion coming from the back of the ballroom where the audience was watching.
Grace heard Penni’s raised voice behind her. “Get security to get them out.”
Thankfully, the show ended after that song, and Penni escorted them back to the VIP room.
Grace had mixed with several celebrities during her years in Paris, but never any band members. She expected them to be much wilder, yet they just looked tired and hungry.
“Have a seat, Grace. I just need to pay the local staff and we can leave,” Penni told her before a band member caught her attention. “Let me see what Ax wants first.” She rushed off.
“She keeps busy, doesn’t she?” Grace asked Sawyer.
“Yes, she does. She’s indispensable to the band. They’re all beat up, finishing up their tour before they get a break, but Penni’s still going strong. She left the energizer bunny behind three states ago,” Sawyer said, making a face.
When Kaden Cross came up behind his wife, wrapping an arm around her waist, Sawyer leaned her head back on his chest.
“Kaden, this is Grace,” Sawyer introduced the reclusive lead singer of the band.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Cross.” Grace didn’t miss the flash of pain briefly crossing his face when she was introduced.
“Hello, Grace.” He paused then explained, “That was my sister’s name.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Grace said in sympathy. She still remembered the headlines when his entire family had been killed in an airplane crash. Their story had replaced her kidnapping reports and shifted the media’s attention to him.
“Thank you.”
Penni came up to their group as Grace was about to compliment Kaden on his performance.
“Kaden, I’m leaving now. I’ll see you next week.” Penni took Grace’s arm, acting strangely.
“Drive safe—” Sawyer began before her mouth dropped open and her eyes went over Grace’s shoulders.
Grace turned her head to see Ice, Jackal, Max, and several of his men entering the room. Vida’s husband Colton brought up the rear.
Penni dropped her arm. “I told security not to admit them,” she snapped. “Get Alec,” she said into her headset before placing herself in front of Ice.
“Get out. How did you get backstage?”
“Vida dropped off a backstage pass with Gert’s tickets. I want to talk to Grace.”
“I don’t want to talk to you!” Grace said, looking for a way out of the room without passing Ice.
“Too bad.” Ice picked Penni up by the waist and set her back down on her feet, out of his path. Penni tried to block him again, but Jackal grabbed her from behind, lifting her off her feet again.
As Ice moved forward, Kaden’s security rushed in the room. Ice’s men tried to push them back, and that’s when the men began fighting.
&
nbsp; Grace took several steps back as the bodies went flying. Even the band members joined in, trying to break the two groups apart.
“Not the hands. Don’t touch my hands!” D'mon yelled before he sucker punched one of Ice’s men.
Ice bashed one of the security men who was trying to keep him from reaching Grace.
Both Sawyer and Vida shifted until they were standing in front of her while Kaden was trying to help Ax pull Max off one of the security guards.
Grace saw Penni struggling against Jackal, her headset falling to the ground as she kicked back viciously at his legs. She reached into her jacket pocket, pulling out her car keys and trying vainly to swing something at Jackal’s head as he attempted to hold onto her without getting hit. It reminded Grace of a game she had played at a carnival, Whack-a-Mole. Penni managed to hit him one time just below his eye before he ripped the keys from her hand.
Penni began screaming, “Fire, fire!”
“Shut her up before someone calls the police and fire department,” Ice yelled over Penni’s increasing volume.
Jackal tried to cover her mouth with his hand, but Penni kept jerking her head to the side, screaming. Finally, he turned her around in his arms and covered her mouth with his before she could dodge him.
Ice reached Grace just as a tall, blond man entered the room with even more security.
“Son of a fucking bitch!” Jackal jerked his head back, his bottom lip torn, and bleeding. His scarred face turned frightening, and Grace unconsciously stepped forward to help her new friend.
When she did, Ice had her, grabbing her in his arms and tossing her over his shoulder.
“Put me down, Ice.” She beat his back with her fists as he went through the crowded room engulfed in fighting. Grace managed to lift her head to see Jackal had Penni pressed against a wall and was saying something to her before two security officers managed to get him away from her.
Ice almost made it out the door with her before the blond security man stopped him by pulling a gun.
“Put her down.”
“Back off, Alec. You owe me one, and I’m calling it in.” Ice’s voice was muffled to her ears because of the blood draining to her head from hanging upside down.
“Sorry, Ice. Choose something else. I know who she is. Her brother hired us a few months ago to watch her. He let us go, but if I let you leave with her, he’ll destroy my business.”
“Then I’ll get you another one, but I’m not putting her down.”
“I’ll shoot, Ice.”
“No, don’t shoot him!” Grace shouted. If anyone was going to kill or hurt the cheating bastard, it was going to be her.
“Do you want to go with him?” Alec asked.
“No.” Grace heard the sound of a gun being cocked. “Yes. Yes, I want to go with him.”
“Move,” Ice ordered.
“Are you sure, Ms. Andrews?”
No, but she didn’t want Ice hurt either. “Yes.”
Alec must have moved because Ice started walking again.
“You’ve won, Ice. Now put me down.”
Ice kept walking through the backstage area, going out a steel door marked ‘exit’. As the cool night air struck her, Ice stopped momentarily then started walking again.
“If you don’t put me down, I’m going to vomit,” Grace threatened.
Ice went a foot farther before placing her on her feet next to his bike, reaching out a hand to steady her.
“Get on the bike.”
“I want to go home. If you have to talk, we can talk there. It’s too late to call CeCe, and I’m not going to bother Penni again after Jackal attacked her!” she snarled at Jackal as he and Ice’s other men returned to his bike.
“Don’t feel too sorry for that wildcat. She nearly chewed my lip off.”
Grace almost laughed at the damage Penni had ravaged on Jackal. His bottom lip was swollen and bleeding, and she thought he might even need stitches. His eye was swollen and already turning black and even his scarred cheek had new scratches with dots of fresh blood.
“Get on the bike, Grace. I’ll take you home.”
He must have expected to take her home because her helmet was strapped to the seat. Grace untied it, put it on, and then got on the back of the motorcycle.
“Go back to the clubhouse,” Ice directed his men before getting on and starting the motor. Grace had no choice other than to hang on to Ice as he drove her home. However, she didn’t press her body to his and only held on to his belt, touching him as little as possible.
The drive took Ice three and a half hours. Grace wanted him to pick up the speed, but for once, Ice kept to the limit.
Grace wanted to jump off the bike as soon as Ice cut the motor in front of her house, yet she was too stiff. Instead, she walked on jelly legs to her front door, unlocking it and hurriedly punching in her code on the alarm.
Ice closed the door and waited while her pets greeted her. The dogs sensed her upset and Bear lay against her, licking her face as Daisy leaned into her side as Grace rubbed her fur.
“It’s late, Ice. I don’t have anything to say to you. Please leave.” She buried her face in Bear’s fur, smelling the shampoo she had used to bathe him the night before.
Her eyes squeezed tightly closed at the memory of Ice helping her to bathe him. They had laughed and had fun as they had done it. She had laughed hysterically when Bear had peed on Ice while he had been toweling him dry and she had been shampooing Daisy.
“Grace, we’re going to talk. We can do it tonight or in the morning if you prefer, but I’m not leaving until we do.”
“Then I guess we do it tonight because you’re not staying.” She carried Bear to the couch, taking a seat and holding the little dog for comfort.
When Ice sat down next to her, Grace scooted to the end of the couch away from him. Grace made herself look at Ice and could tell he didn’t know where to start. “You should go. I’m sure your friends are waiting to have your birthday party.”
“There isn’t going to be a birthday party,” Ice said grimly.
“But there was.”
“Yes,” Ice confirmed he had known the men were going to have a party for him, and he hadn’t invited her.
“I wasn’t going to fuck Brandy.”
“Don’t lie. If you weren’t going to touch her, you would have told me about the party.”
“I knew the party would be wild, and I didn’t want you there. I wasn’t going to fuck her. I’m telling you the truth.”
“But you fucked her after you were with me.”
“Yes, several times before I met you, and one time before we had sex when I came down and it was raining,” Ice answered honestly.
Grace remembered that night. The steamy kiss he had given her before he left to go home had kept her awake most of the night. While he had spent the night having sex with the woman she had seen tonight in front of his club.
Bear licked her face again and Grace rubbed her face against him. “I’m not going to see you anymore. Whatever we had, it’s over.”
“Grace, if you want to yell, scream, or hit me, go ahead, but we’re not over.”
She lifted her face, and Ice winced at her expression. “I gave myself to you, Ice. I didn’t hold anything back.” A tear slid down her cheek. “When you said I was yours, I believed you. I… I thought that meant you were mine. I fell in love with you and told you things I never told my family. I want babies, but I was willing to let that part of being a mother go for you. I just wanted you.”
“Grace, I didn’t fuck her that night because I wanted her. Dammit, I was still hard from wanting you. My men expected me to fuck her. To them, whores are part of our life. They don’t mean anything.”
“Does she mean anything to you now that she’s the reason I never want to see you again? What would it mean to you if I fucked Jones or Stump?”
Ice’s face twisted in fury.
“Exactly. That doesn’t even begin to show you how I feel, because I would have
never betrayed your trust.” Grace stood up. “I’m done talking. I want you to leave.”
“I’ll go but we’re not over.”
“We’re over and I’m not going to miss you.” Grace lied, wanting to hurt him as badly as she was. It failed. His cold expression didn’t betray a flicker of pain.
Grace waited for him to leave. When he would have reached out to touch her, Grace twisted away. Both Bear and Daisy were growling at him now.
“I’ll give you a few days. I’ll come by on Friday after you get off work.”
Grace didn’t respond, simply going to her door and opening it.
“We’re not over,” Ice said again, heading out the door.
“Ice.” He paused, looking back. “Happy Birthday.” Grace slammed the door, giving in at last to her anger. She then locked it and set her alarm.
Ice could come, but by Friday, she wouldn’t be here. Her parents were taking a brief vacation in Florida before flying down to spend a few days with her. She would get CeCe to keep her pets for her and fly down there instead for a few days. The college could find someone to take her classes. It was their fault she was in this position anyway. If she hadn’t been forced to teach that class, she would never have met Ice and had her heart broken.
At that thought, she decided to take an extra couple of days.
Chapter 23
Ice wanted to smash something. He was seriously thinking about picking a fight with Max just to get the anger building inside of him out.
Grace had fucking disappeared. He had gone to her house on Friday to find her gone and the men he’d had watching her house had reported she hadn’t returned.
He went behind the counter to get his own drink, glowering at Rita who skittered out of his way. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, but Ice didn’t give a fuck that the bitch was upset because Lizard didn’t want anything to do with her.
As he was opening a bottle of beer, Colton came in to the club.
“Got one for me?” he asked, studying Ice’s grim visage.
Ice handed him one before going back around the bar and taking a seat next to him.
“Thanks for calling me and telling me where Grace was. I owe you one.”