by Jen Talty
The bell over the entryway chimed.
Jefferson stepped through the door.
Her mother raced over to him. “Jefferson!” She flung her arms around him.
He on the other hand, coolly held her at a distance.
“Nice of you to finally join the party,” Ferro said.
“Fuck,” Ace muttered.
Lexi reached for her mother as she stepped back, her face white as porcelain.
“Jefferson?” her mother questioned.
Lexi narrowed her eyes, mentally stabbing Jefferson in the heart. “You told him everything we told you last night.”
“Your mother should have just signed the papers a month ago. Had she, none of this would be happening now.”
“How could you be part of this?” her mother asked as she held on tight to Lexi. “Why?”
“Money. Why else.” Jefferson shrugged.
“But we gave you an excellent retirement package,” her mother said, her words laced with shock.
Jefferson laughed. “Your husband pushed me to retire long before I was ready.”
“You set me up,” her mother’s tone infused with rage. “You bastard.”
“Mrs. Aberdean, please sit down.” Ferro pulled out the chair behind the desk. “Let’s sign the bill of sale.”
“I’m not signing anything,” Lexi’s mother said.
One of Ferro’s men lifted his rifle, pressing it against at Lexi’s temple, the metal hot against her skin. Tears pooled in the corner of her eyes.
“You won’t get away with any of this,” Lexi said.
“Oh, we will. And you’re going to help us.” Ferro leaned against the desk, setting a stack of papers in front of her mother along with a pen. “These make me a fifty-one-percent partner of the marina. We’re going to make great business associates.”
“And then what? You let us walk out of here?” Ace asked as he moved closer. His hand gripping hers in a tender but protective touch.
“Oh, the two ladies do.” Ferro tapped the papers.
“With everything we know, you’re going to let us live, just like that?” Lexi’s pulse raged. Her body shook. She shouldn’t have asked such a stupid question.
Ferro waved his hand in the air. “If either of you lovely ladies utters a single word to anyone about what is going on, one of you will die a very slow and painful death while the other watches.” Ferro pushed himself from the desk, waltzing over toward Lexi. He snagged a fistful of hair and yanked her head back.
“Let her go,” Ace said with a menacing growl.
One of Ferro’s men jabbed Ace in the gut with the butt of his weapon.
Lexi tried to swallow, but her head had been pulled back so far she couldn’t.
Ferro kissed her neck. “I think mother should watch me fuck her—”
“Get your hands off her.” Ace lunged forward.
Crack!
The man with the gun used it to smash the side of Ace’s face. He dropped to the floor, blood spurting from the side of his mouth. He groaned as he got to his knees.
Ferro released her and she raced around the desk to stand by her mother, who sobbed uncontrollably.
One of Ferro’s men hoisted Ace to his feet, cuffing his hands behind his back with some wiry thing that reminded her of a twist-tie used to close the turkey cooking bag.
“Take him out to the boat and get rid of him and his two friends.”
“Two friends? There were four here last night,” Jackson said.
Ferro grabbed Lexi again, taking out a knife, pressing the blade against her neck. Gripping his forearm, she tried not to move as the jagged edge tore at her skin. “Where are the other two men?”
“On the roof,” Ace said behind a tight jaw, staring at her, his eyes glowing with a combination of rage and sadness.
Ferro pointed to one of his men. “Find them and bring them down to the boat.”
The blade twisted against her skin and warm liquid drizzled down her neck.
“Stop hurting her. I’ll tell my men to surrender.” His eyes swirled into an array of darkness. He looked at her as if he were apologizing.
She closed her eyes. She might not have known Ace very well, but she knew him well enough to know if he’d given up, then there was no hope at all.
Chapter 8
ACE KNEW HUNTER had been on the roof the entire time and with the window opened, Ace had to believe Hunter had heard everything.
Now all he had to do was get out of the zip tie restraints and beat the shit out of the asshole that had made him bleed.
Then there was Ferro. It would take a fucking miracle to keep Ace from taking the knife Ferro held to Lexi’s neck and jabbing it into Ferro’s heart a half dozen times, watching his face as his life slowly faded into the abyss.
That asshole had taken away one women he’d loved.
No fucking way would Ace allow history to repeat itself.
The goon that had cuffed him, gripped his biceps and yanked him toward the door.
“Where are you taking me?”
“To your demise,” Ferro said.
Ace didn’t fight it. He hated leaving Lexi and her mother in the office with Ferro, but right now, he had no choice.
Ferro wouldn’t bat an eyelash ordering one of his men to put a bullet in Ace’s head and that wouldn’t help Lexi one bit.
Besides, Ace didn’t feel like dying today.
Once outside, he scanned the area.
Fuck.
Jax, Brodie, and Declan were on their knees, hands in the air, on the dock in front of Ace’s boat.
Ace glanced up and over his shoulder. Hunter stood on the roof, hands in the air, Ferro’s hired help pressing a gun in his back.
Hunter raised his hand in front of his chest and quickly pointed toward the intercoastal, then held up five fingers, made a fist, and held up three.
Back up was eight minutes out.
All Ace had to do was remain cool for the longest eight minutes of his life.
The goon pushed Ace toward the dock. “So, what’s the plan?”
“You’re going to die, that’s the plan,” the goon said.
“How?”
“Shut the fuck up before I hit you again.”
“Don’t you think it’s only fair—”
Smack!
Ace’s head jerked to the side when the goon’s fist landed on his cheek.
“Mother fucker.”
“Keep talking asshole, and I’ll keep using you as a punching bag.”
Well, that took up maybe forty-five seconds.
The sound of Hunter dragging his feet echoed behind Ace. He wanted to turn around and tell Hunter to pick his fucking feet up. It drove Ace nuts when Hunter was too lazy to walk like a normal person.
The dragging got louder.
“Jesus, Hunter. Walk much.”
“I’ll walk however I like, especially when you might get me killed, jackass.”
“You’re not dead, yet,” Ace said as his feet hit the dock, eyeing his other buddies as their captors loaded them onto his boat.
Down to five minutes.
Ace cleared his mind. He hated not knowing other people’s plans and right now all he knew was that Lexi’s life was in someone else’s hands.
He stopped in front of his boat slip and blinked, letting the reality of the situation sink in.
He smiled.
Jax, Declan, Brodie and the two men he thought had been Ferro’s goons, had turned out to be Zach and Garrett, junior firemen and the two newest additions to the crew who all held assault rifles.
The goon holding Ace’s biceps held his weapon up.
“I’d put that down if I were you,” Jax said, pointing his gun to the Hunter’s yacht. “We’ve got this place surrounded.”
“Now help our buddies onto the boat and hand over your weapons,” Brodie said.
Ace didn’t wait for any help. “Get this shit off me.” He jumped onto the bow, holding his hands out. Declan quickly cut through the
tie, handing him a weapon.
“Hold that for one second.” He grabbed the goon that had hit him. “Pay back is a bitch.” He clenched his right hand into a tight fist and jabbed the asshole in the nose.
Hunter caught the goon before he fell backward into the water.
“And you.” Ace pointed at Hunter. “You said eight minutes out.”
Hunter smiled. “I lied and I enjoyed every second of watching your face as you pondered all the different scenarios of how this could go down.”
“You’re a dick,” Ace muttered.
“We got a problem,” Jax said, pointing toward the office. “They know we’re here.”
Ace stepped onto the dock and sucked in a deep breath.
Ferro hid behind Lexi and her mother as they made their way toward Gretchen’s sport SUV. Ferro held a gun to Lexi’s temple.
“Does anyone have a clean shot?” Ace yelled.
“We’re firefighters, not snipers,” Hunter said, his weapon raised. Of all of them, Hunter was probably the best shot. “Not going to happen, but I can blow out the tire—”
Bang!
“Fuck me.” Hunter groaned, dropping to his knees, clutching his thigh. “Ace, you’re gonna pay for this.”
“I didn’t shoot you.” Ace took off running, weaving between the boats as Ferro took a couple of pot shots.
A few shots rang out from behind him as one of his buddies blew out two tires. The sound of boots hitting wood echoed. His heart thumped against his chest in a painful beat. The only man not accounted for was Jefferson, a thought that disturbed him as he ran out onto the open pavement, waiting for Jefferson to appear from the main building, gun at the ready.
Ace clutched his weapon with one hand, digging into his pockets for his keys. They couldn’t have gotten too far ahead, but if they made it to the first intersection, he’d have to guess their direction.
He’d barely shut the truck door when he rammed the gear shift into drive and punched the gas, fishtailing. Off in the distance, he heard sirens.
Taking the turn onto the main road, he saw Mrs. Aberdean’s car make the left turn at the first light. He slammed the gas pedal, banging his fist on the center of the wheel as he passed two cars. Red lights flashed a few miles down the road.
As he took the corner, the wheels on the right side of his pickup lifting slightly off the ground. No sooner did he straighten out, gaining control of the vehicle, did he see the sport SUV spinning out of control.
Crash!
It slammed into a tree, sending it into the air, before flipping it upside down.
Ace’s heart dropped to his gut as he raced toward the car. A spark sizzled and crackled as flames erupted. He snagged his fire extinguisher and doused what he could. Kneeling beside the car, careful not to get glass stuck in his knees, he peered inside.
“Ace,” Mrs. Alberdean moaned, her body hanging from the front seat, her seatbelt holding her in place.
“I need to get you out of here.” Ace saw Ferro crawling from the driver side. Nothing he could about him right now.
Tires screeched behind him as a police car pulled to the side of the road. He glanced over his shoulder to see Rusty leap from the vehicle.
“Get Ferro.” Ace turned his attention to the backseat. His chest tightened, squeezing out all the air in his lungs. Lexi lay on the roof of the car, her body twisted, blood tinged her clothes.
“Help Lexi.”
“I will, but let’s get you out of here first. Do you hurt anywhere?”
She shook her head, her hands fisting his shirt. “My daughter.”
“Ferro is secure,” Rusty said, taking the fire extinguisher. “Ambulance is ten minutes out. Fire engine six.”
He had no idea the extent of Lexi’s injuries, but it didn’t look good. He blinked, forcing himself to focus on getting them out.
“Hold on to my shoulders, okay?” He reached around Mrs. Aberdean’s body, grabbing hold of the seatbelt.
Flames continued to flicker and the smell of gas once again filled his nostrils.
“Tuck your head into my shoulder. I’m going to release this on the count of three and you’ll fall, but I’m going to catch you. One, two, three.” He tugged at the metal clasp. Her body plunged into his arms as she gripped his shoulders.
Black smoke filled the sky as he ran toward his truck, setting her gently in the passenger seat.
“Oh, my, God,” Mrs. Aberdean whispered.
“Stay right here, don’t move.”
Ace’s pulse soured out of control. He climbed into the back seat, feeling Lexi’s body for any broken bones.
She moaned, rolling her head.
“Lexi, sweetheart, can you hear me?” he asked. Nothing appeared to be broken, but again, no way of knowing what kind of damage had been done internally.
He pressed his fingers against her wrist. Her pulse slow and weak.
“Lexi, honey. Wake up.” He reached down, lifting her eye lid. He swallowed. Hard.
“Ace, you’ve got to get her out of there now. This tank is about empty and the fire is kicking up.”
He slid his arms under her body, ignoring the searing pain of glass ripping through his skin. He coughed as the black, oily smoke filled his lungs. Careful not to jostle her too much, he inched his way out of the vehicle just as the fire engine rolled down the street.
“Lexi!” her mother called as she hopped out of the truck. “Is she okay?”
Ace turned his body, protecting Lexi’s. “I need to keep her as still as possible.” Tears stung the corner of his eyes. With each rise of her chest, a faint gurgling sound filtered from her lips.
“Why? What’s wrong with my little one?”
He held Lexi in his arms, his lips pressed against her forehead. Her skin cold and clammy to the touch.
Firemen shouted in the background. The spray from the hoses floated down on him like the mist from a car wash. The paramedics rolled out the gurney.
“I think she has a punctured lung,” he said as he stretched her out on the flat board. “I hear gurgling. Her pulse is weak. She’s cold, clammy, and unresponsive.”
“What!?” Mrs. Aberdean cried out, reaching for her daughter.
“Step back, ma’am,” the paramedic said, pushing the gurney toward the ambulance.
“That’s my daughter.”
“Let them do their jobs,” Ace said, raising his arm to wrap it around Mrs. Aberdean, but thought better of it when he saw all the blood.
Another paramedic approached them. “I think we need to take a look at both of you.”
“Start with her.”
“I want to be with my daughter,” Mrs. Aberdean protested.
The paramedic pointed toward the first Ambulance. “They are transporting her to the hospital now. Let us check you over, assess any injuries and we’ll make sure we keep you updated on your daughter’s condition.”
“Ace?”
He squeezed her shoulder. “Let them take you to the hospital. I’ll be along shortly.”
Ace wiped his eyes as he marched across the road where paramedics were attending to Ferro.
Ace bent over Ferro and grabbed him by the shirt. “You’re a fucking piece of shit.”
“Let go of me.”
Ace released one hand and fisted the other one.
Crack!
The first swing hit Ferro on the cheek bone.
Smash!
The second, landed square on Ferro’s nose.
“Might want to have that nose checked out. Looks broken.”
“That was uncalled for,” Rusty said.
“Yeah, but it felt really fucking fantastic.”
Chapter 9
ACE HELD LEXI’S hand as he rested his forehead on the hospital bed. Medical equipment beeped in the background. IV bags hung from a metal post, pumping fluids and medicine into her veins. An oxygen tube in her nose.
The broken ribs would heal.
The punctured lung would mend.
But it had bee
n three days since the accident and Lexi had yet to wake up.
“Ace,” Mrs. Aberdean’s voice rang out soft and sweet. “You didn’t sleep here again, did you?” Her warm hands came down on his shoulders. “You really should go home for a few hours.”
“I’ll go home when she wakes up.”
“I know you care very much for my daughter, but really, you’re not going to do her any good if you end up getting sick because you’re so run down from not taking care of yourself.”
He reached up, patting her strong hand. “I’d be in worse shape if I left.”
“You’re a good man.”
He hoped…prayed he’d get the chance to prove he was good enough to have Lexi on his arm.
“Anything happen overnight?”
“Not really. They said the swelling in her brain is down,” he said, lifting his head, watching Mrs. Aberdean tug and pull at the sheets.
“That’s a good sign.” Mrs. Aberdean moved to the other side of the bed, stroking Lexi’s hair.
The cuts and bruises had started to heal and she looked peaceful.
“Have you had anything to eat since last night?”
“I’m not that hungry.”
She shook her head. “I’ll go get you something.”
“You don’t have to do that. Really. I’ll get something later.”
Lexi’s hand twitched in his.
He stood up. “Lexi?” he whispered.
Her eyelids fluttered.
“Lexi, sweetheart,” he said a little louder.
Her head rolled to the side.
“I’ll go get the doctor.” Mrs. Aberdean shuffled out of the room.
Ace’s pulse raced. His hand trembled as he reached out and cupped her cheek. “That’s it honey, open those beautiful eyes.”
“Ace?” she asked with a raspy voice. “Where am I?”
“In the hospital.”
She tried to lift her head up and groaned. “My head feels like a bomb exploded.”
“Shhhhh.” He kissed her forehead. “You’ve been asleep for a few days with a concussion.”
“A few days?”
Before he could explain what happened, the doctor and a nurse came in.
Ace stepped back, leaning against the windowsill, tears threatening to break free, while the doctor examined Lexi.
The doctor asked a series of questions and Lexi answered them all. Other than her physical injuries and a whopper of a headache, she seemed to be just fine.