by Lacey Silks
“—Mom, I love you. I love it that you had the strength to leave a man who wasn’t good enough for you, even if that meant rebounding a few dozen times.”
I was so under-estimating now, but I didn’t want to be rude.
“But if you remember your life, when you met Dad or even Sid, you know that life gets complicated. My life is a little complicated right now, and I don’t want you to worry, but I need time to figure things out.”
She looked at me in an understanding way and smiled. For someone who butted in a lot, she knew when to take a step back.
“Just promise me that if you do find that someone special, you’ll tell me. I’ve known many men, and I’m a pretty good judge of character.”
Part of me couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she saw me and Ace together. Another part was afraid she’d get a baseball bat and focus on Ace’s head.
Just as the waitress brought our food, I saw the front door to the restaurant open and my gaze flew to the mouth-watering man who stepped through. At first, I didn’t recognize him. Ace Wagner was wearing a black v-neck shirt with rolled up sleeves, revealing the black rose tattoo on his right arm, and black jeans. His shoulders stretched the fabric so that it hugged his bunched muscles underneath. He looked so sexy, for a moment, I forgot where I was and who he was. The last time I’d seen him, yesterday morning, felt like eons ago. Feeling hotter, I picked up a napkin and unknowingly fanned, myself appreciating the perfect specimen of a man walking toward us.
Oh, no!
He was heading right for our table.
Shit!
“Ahm, Mom. Do you need to use the washroom?”
“Don’t be silly. We just got our food.”
They couldn’t see each other. She would freak. And then she would explode. But he was already at our table, standing tall and proud and looking so handsome that I wanted him to be part of the meal. My meal. He stood at an angle, just to the side of our booth behind my mother, so she hadn’t seen him yet. My eyes wandered down his body, saliva collecting in my mouth, and my breaths became shorter. And why was I paying so much attention to that bulge underneath his pants? Jesus, he wasn’t even hard, and I had a difficult time concentrating on anything else. Was he that big at the guest house when I spent three days with him? Or maybe I just hadn’t allowed myself to think about him that way, because I had no hope.
“Hello, Zoey, Clare. Do you mind if I join you?”
“What in the world are you doing here?” My mom’s eyes went wide, ready to pop out.
Ace didn’t wait for her answer. He leaned down to me, kissing me on my cheek, and slid into the booth beside me.
“What’s going on here?”
“Mom, it’s not what you think.” I kept looking from her to Ace, waiting for a believable explanation to materialize from thin air to justify the meeting. I pinched my thigh underneath the table, and it hurt like hell. This was worse than a nightmare—it was real!
“Is this… is this the first time you’ve seen him since Colorado?”
“Not exactly.”
“Clare, I’m sorry I didn’t call after kissing you, but I thought you needed time to make up with your boyfriend.”
What was he doing?
“Sid is now my husband.” She pointed with pride to her platinum wedding band. “And you’re not welcome to be around my daughter.”
“Mom, please.”
“Are you seeing him?”
I ignored her question and turned to Ace. “What are you doing here?”
“I came in for a bite and saw you two lovely ladies. Thought I’d say hello.”
Bite my ass.
“Wait, so have you two seen each other before today, or not?” Mom asked.
“Does it matter, Mom? Ace, this is not a good idea.”
“Clare, as I recall, you were quite fond of being in my company, with your hand on my dick and my tongue in your mouth.”
Eww. What the hell was he doing?
My mom shifted in her seat.
“Ace, you’re not making this any better.” I nudged him with my elbow.
“How long has this been going on?” Mom pointed between Ace and me.
“We ran into each other last weekend.”
“And now you’re dating?”
“Not exactly,” I replied, only to be stunned by Ace’s strong answer: “Yes.”
I looked to the side and felt my jaw drop open.
“I’m trying to convince Zoey that you’ll approve of this relationship.”
Relationship? What?
“Zoey, this is Ace Wagner. The same man whose father has dealings with the mafia,” my mom said through her tight lips, as if that would prevent Ace from hearing her.
“I can assure you the businesses I deal with are nothing close to that.”
“That’s exactly what someone like you would say to hide their crimes.”
“As I recall, my business wasn’t that important six years ago.”
“Ace…” I nudged him harder. He barely twitched and my elbow felt bruised.
“Look, Clare, I think we should let bygones be bygones. I am sure you want your daughter happy, and I’m the only man to do that. Zoey will be staying with me for a few weeks. We may take a trip to get away from the city as well, and I just didn’t want you to worry about her.”
What trip? Did it have anything to do with Infinity?
“So, are you asking me for some sort of a blessing?”
“I’m asking you to accept that Zoey can make her own decisions.”
“She needs to find a job,” she said.
“She needs to be her own woman; otherwise she’ll get burned by men her entire life. I think you’ve raised her well and you should be proud of her. You’re one of the few smart women in this world who knows what it feels like to be lied to and to be taken advantage of. Don’t let that happen to Zoey because she’s misguided from a lack of information from you.”
“But you’re a two-timing man.”
“I’ve never cheated on anyone. And if I ever hurt your Zoey, I promise to be the first one to walk away.”
My mom leaned over the table. “Let’s get one thing straight. If you ever hurt her, I will castrate you.”
“Deal.”
He reached toward her. She shook his hand, and if I were to bet, I would say that she held onto it for a bit longer than she should have. Ace had that charm about him that made women want to be close to him. He was definitely a master of persuasion.
The dinner I sat through was one of the most uncomfortable ones in my life. Ace kept up his charms through the afternoon, slowly melting my mother’s guard down to a puddle. I had a bone to pick with him, yet as the time passed well into evening, I was beginning to feel like the only bone I wanted to pick at was the one straining underneath his zipper. When Mom went to the washroom, his hand slid up my thigh.
“Ace, what are you doing?”
“Do you want me to stop?”
No.
His fingers slithered underneath my skirt, right along the sensitive skin of my inner thigh.
“You’re complicating things.” My heart was pounding.
“What’s so complicated about me wanting to be with you?”
I was running out of air too quickly. “Usually when someone’s dating, they let the other person know ahead of time.”
His fingers traced the band of my panties as the back of his hand brushed over my sex. I shivered with delight.
“Ah, so you’re upset that I told Clare we’re dating.”
“Are we?”
“Well, for that to happen, we’d have to go out on a date.”
“Don’t you think we should concentrate on other things first?”
“That won’t stop me from feeling you up right now. Please let me touch you.”
His request sounded more like I was about to receive a gift from the heavens. Why did he have to be so damn loving and ask for my permission? How could I refuse this?
“
Not here, Ace.” My stupid mouth double-crossed my need!
His hand slipped away, and the wonderful heat of his touch faded. Disappointment loomed over his eyes, and he sighed deeply.
“I have this need to protect you, Zoey. When you left yesterday, I… it didn’t feel right. I barely slept. I know I fucked up when we first met, and I have no right to ask you for a second chance. But if you let me, I will show you how good we could be together. I would give my life to keep Infinity away from you, and once they’re gone, you won’t ever feel another man’s hands on you again. Only mine.”
“That’s a bit possessive.”
“You seemed to enjoy my hands on you six years ago.”
I did.
“A lot has changed since then, and you know it. We would be complicating an already difficult situation. If things were different, if Infinity didn’t exist, then maybe. But now, I’m just not sure this is such a good idea.”
Was I really turning down Ace Wagner? But I didn’t have much choice. My life didn’t exactly belong to me, and I wasn’t about to put him in more danger than he already was. We’d taken too many risks already. A few more, and this mission to destroy Craig Harper would be blown. We’d make a mistake when we couldn’t afford any.
“Don’t make me beg,” he pouted.
That was a picture definitely worth a gamble.
Pouty Ace was so damn cute that he was melting my heart. It still surprised me how quickly he had managed to change my initial opinion about his bad-boy persona.
“You can’t taunt my mother like this.”
His eyes lit up as if I’d just agreed to being more than partners in crime. “Oh, come on. It’s just some fun.”
“Fun that reminds me of you sticking your tongue down her throat. Is that the image you want me to have when I think about you?”
“No, of course not. I’m sorry. I’ll back off.” Yet he leaned closer. His taunting aroma filled my lungs as I imagined the somewhat metal taste of his skin where the black roses had been inked. A million tingles collected on my arms. “The only image I want you to have is of me between your legs, taking care of your lips only.”
Jesus, with words like that I’d need to start carrying an extra pair of panties in my purse.
“Please tell me you’ll go out with me on a real date.”
I sighed. “Maybe.”
His phone buzzed. Ace looked at the display and frowned.
“Maybe is better than a no.” He leaned over and touched his lips to my forehead, teasing me with their soft warmth. “I gotta go. Tell Clare I’m sorry I couldn’t stay for dessert. The dinner is on me, by the way. It’s already taken care of.”
As soon as he disappeared through the front door, I felt empty and alone. Ace was so entertaining to be around that I could not help but miss him. He reminded me of my old life, even when I hated him for aggravating my mother.
Chapter 9
Ace
I parked two blocks away from Zoey’s apartment at a quarter to six. The streets were packed curb to building as people returned from work, giving me the perfect cover. I’d never paid much attention to the neighborhood, and wondered briefly how Zoey would feel about moving away from here. Walking into the restaurant when she was with her mother might have been a mistake, but I couldn’t keep away from her. For one thing, I worried she would actually run into some asshole from Infinity. I had done my best to lower those chances. Zoey might not have known it, but her newfound freedom had taken a lot of legwork in the background.
It had been almost two weeks since I’d first run into Zoey at the hotel – Two excruciatingly long sexless weeks of dreaming about her wet pussy. All I had to go on were memories, and each time my mind traveled to when I had licked her clean, my dick became restless. No dates, no kisses, barely enough touching to satisfy my needs. But her safety was a priority. I needed her courage to grow and her self-worth to blossom. If we were going to pull this off, Zoey couldn’t doubt what would be asked of her. While the plan to backdoor Craig into his own load of crap was coming along smoothly, there was still information we were missing.
Stepping out of the car, I saw my contact sitting at the outdoor patio of the café, smoking a cigarette. With warily calculated steps and a watchful eye, I headed toward him. My gut twisted on the inside and I paused, checking my surroundings. No one looked suspicious, but I didn’t entirely trust him not to throw me to Harper. I had a bad feeling about this, although I didn’t know why. So far, he hadn’t given me a reason to walk away. But what was his motive? It couldn’t be his family since he hadn’t cared about them for years. I just felt that men like him, Infinity members who would probably never stop using the services, couldn’t be trusted. It didn’t matter who they were.
I pulled out the chair across from him. His beard was longer than the last time I’d seen him, and his eyes were shadowed with dark circles of exhaustion. Had he lost weight? Zack Blakely put out his cigarette in the ashtray and blew the last breath of smoke out my way. “You’re early,” he said checking his watch.
“So are you. You wouldn’t be trying to have me tagged, would you?” I asked.
“Look, I told you. I’m on your side. How is Zoey?”
“None of your concern.”
“Then neither is the information I have yours.”
He stood up and I grabbed his arm. He looked at me from above, and I felt like a fucking fly trapped in a jar. I hated being the one without the upper hand. But he had intel I needed, so as much as I wanted to let him leave, I couldn’t.
“She’s doing better.”
He sat back down.
“You can’t exactly expect her to recover in a few weeks after what she’s been through. I doubt that a month or even a year will be enough.”
“She’s strong. She’ll get past this.”
Get past this?
“Do you have any idea what it’s like to service men like you? To be forced into bed with strangers and perform sexual acts at their wish?”
I looked around to make sure nobody could hear me. He cringed. Yeah, I wanted him to feel guilty. I wanted him to admit to being a soul-less asshole.
“Do you have even an ounce of emotion left for your daughters? You weren’t there for them when they were growing up and needed you the most. You were supposed to protect them from scum men like yourself and Infinity, but you chose to lead your own scandalous life. Why are you here now? Why do you care? What’s in it for you?”
He shifted in his seat. Was that regret I saw flash in his eyes? Was there any empathy left inside him? And then it was gone just as quick. All of it.
“I’m not going to sit here and apologize for who I am,” he barked.
“I didn’t think you would know how to, but if you want her to ever have a life again, you’ll help me.”
“Do you know how much I’m risking by doing this?”
“Why exactly are you doing this?”
He took in a deep breath.
My father might have been a criminal. He might have led his family all the way down to hell, but he was never a coward and would have fought Satan himself with his bare hands. Unlike Zack Blakely, Frank Wagner always protected us, and there was no price he wouldn’t pay for our safety.
“I need to make right by my girls before it’s too late. I’m not in the best health,” he said, bringing a napkin to his lips, coughing, and then crumpling it in his fist.
He sounded like a man on death row. Was he sick?
“I want to see her.”
“Just so she can spit in your face? That’s not a smart move. It’s a bit too late to try to make nice.”
In my conversations with Zoey, she’d mentioned they were estranged, that and the last time she’d seen her father was when she graduated from high school. From what I gathered, he didn’t even know where the girls lived.
“One day you’ll learn that it’s never too late. Until then, well, you’ll just have to make it happen. I don’t have to talk to her – just see
her.”
“You’re asking for the impossible. She may be better, but she’s still frail, and you’re the last person in the world she’d want to see. Do you know what she would do if she knew about you and Infinity? All it would take is seeing us together for her to know. Hasn’t she been hurt enough?”
“She doesn’t need to know.”
“Then don’t make me tell her.” I gritted my teeth. “Now, do you have the information I’m looking for or not?”
Zack slid a piece of paper across the table. “He’s having a party here in two weeks.”
“How did you get this information?”
“I’m one of their biggest clients. We mingle. He drinks and talks.” Zack paused and looked down. For a moment, I felt sorry for the man. If he had only taken a different path in his life, perhaps he wouldn’t be a hated father, addicted to women and sex, struggling to re-connect with his daughters. I doubted that would ever happen now, and from the drip of blood under his nose that he wiped away swiftly, it didn’t look like he had much time.
I still had my reservations about trusting him. They were too close to each other. Zack could be playing us. As much as we needed Craig’s schedule, we didn’t need our cover blown. Right now, I was taking a risk and putting the entire operation in Zack’s hands. Hopefully, he cared about Zoey and Julia more than he did about his own dick.
Yet looking at him now, I couldn’t help but feel empathetic. Was I softening?
Shit!
“Let me see her. Please.”
“Not yet. But I’ll see what I can do if we pull this off.” I took the packet of papers and stood up.
“I… I may not have that much time,” he said as I began to walk away.
I stopped and turned around. That desperate look in his eyes made me pause, but my hands were tied. Even if I wanted to, which I didn’t, I couldn’t do anything for him now. It was too dangerous to have Zoey see her father; he was too close to Craig. I couldn’t let down my guard. I had to keep it cool until Craig Harper was either rotting in a cell or six feet under.
“If you want a chance to renew the relationship you once had with your daughters, you’ll have to wait until Harper is out of the picture.”