His chest rose and fell so rapidly his ribs looked a little freaky beneath all of his injuries. “I know because I set them.”
“What? Why would you do that?” She stood upright, pressing her hands to her hips.
Ace winced a few times. His eyes left her face and lowered to her chest. “Ely, what are you doing here, and why are you dressed like that? This place is going to blow—”
“So you’re with the terrorist?” She hated the only conclusion she could think of, but why else would he have set the chippies? Sure, he’d saved her life but this was yet another secret he’d conveniently withheld.
“What terrorist?”
“Don’t play stupid with me,” she spat with a rough chuckle scraping her throat. “You and your bandana buddy are going around laying chippies, aren’t you? But I don’t understand. Why? Did Jenks hire you to destroy the arena?”
He shook his head and the curly, sweaty strands almost covered his face but she could still see his shiny, dark eyes. “I’m not a terrorist and I certainly wouldn’t do any of that prick’s dirty work.”
“And I suppose you’re also going to tell me you’re not a beast hiding behind the disguise of a man?” Suddenly, even though she’d run all the way down to the arena to save his life because she couldn’t bear to see him die, Ely lifted her fist and smacked him in the mouth. “You bastard, how much more did you lie to me about? Do you know who let those prisoners out?”
Ace rolled his shoulders and wiped away the line of blood now spilling down the side of his mouth. He didn’t say anything, just stared at her and another lie became obvious. Why else would he have been down there among them? How the hell did he get in anyway?
As the images of their sexual encounter played out inside her head, she lifted her fist again. With every gasp and moan she could remember escaping both of them while they’d fucked, she hit him harder.
She’d been stupid to think their encounter had been anything more than that.
He’d howled like an animal at the end of it, and now she knew why.
Ely’s heart broke a little more with every strike she delivered, but she couldn’t stop.
Chapter Nine
“Fight back, damn it,” Ely yelled in his face, but Ace refused to raise a hand to any female, let alone this one.
That he’d wanted to mate with her since the moment he first glimpsed her made him realize a few things. No matter how angry she was or what she said and did, he would make her see things the way they really were. Not how they appeared.
He had to. He couldn’t let a woman who’d touched him so deeply get away. No matter what.
He could understand her anger, though. She’d just stumbled on everything at once—his true nature, what he’d done in the dungeons, and that he was there to blow up the place. But she hadn’t asked the most important question—Why are you doing this? Or answered what she was doing in a place like this, dressed the way she was.
The zipper of her skintight suit was open all the way down to her stomach and he could see the smooth curve of her breasts. He licked his lips, even though she walloped him in the stomach. Ace groaned, but couldn’t take his eyes off her flawless skin. The sheen of sweat between her breasts made the beast growl loud enough to skim the surface.
“Ely,” he whispered.
“Don’t talk, don’t say anything to me.”
He righted himself, pressing his back against the wall so he could look at her through the tangles of his hair.
When she lifted her fist and hit him in the nose, he captured both of her forearms, using only enough force to stop her. She could pack quite a punch, damaging his already wounded body. If she kept this up, he wasn’t sure he would have enough energy left to walk out of there alive.
A heavy sensation weighed down against his chest because he hadn’t bothered to check how empty the stands had gotten while running out of the arena with Ely in tow. He could only hope Colt had been able to get most people out beforehand. The spectators in the stands helped Maine line his pockets with further credit at the expense of those forced to fight inside the arena, but they didn’t deserve to die.
Not by our hand, at least.
Ace held Ely’s arms steady in front of him.
“Let me go,” she said. Her eyes shone in the dim light, tears sliding down her cheeks, leaving a trail of sadness that struck him violently.
Why did she have this effect on him? The beast growled louder. As if saying, You know why. She might be beating the shit outta you at the moment, but we both still want her. Need her. Go on, taste her, Ace. Taste her. She’s ours…
Unable to resist the beast’s compulsion and lust, he used his grip on her arms to back her up until she was pressed against the stone wall and she squirmed in his grip but couldn’t get loose.
Ace moved in, leaning closer until his mouth covered hers for a softer kiss than he’d intended. Everything was so fucked up right now but she still felt so good, and tasted even better.
The need for revenge had left a bitter taste in his mouth. Maybe her sweet tang would help everything wash away.
Ely’s breath hitched when he reluctantly pulled out of their kiss. She attempted another half-hearted push against his chest before pressing her body onto his to initiate the next kiss. Her mouth opened wider, her tongue pushing past his lips and teeth, entwining with his and setting Ace’s body ablaze. An erection engorged underneath the tattered jeans barely hanging from his hips. He adjusted his stance, wanted to take her right now.
Ely could make him forget about everything. She could make things right. The gods knew he hadn’t been feeling right for a long time.
His hands wandered down her arms and settled around her hips, wishing the leather wasn’t there to keep him from her soft skin. All he had to do was plunge his hand down the low-cut section of her suit and he could touch her.
She pulled back, pressed her forehead to his chest and whispered, “Ace, don’t.”
He loosened his hands and she tore out of his grip, ducking under his arms. Ace slowly turned to face her, not wanting to risk her running away. “I know you’re angry, but we can work this out. I can explain everything. Just like I hope you explain everything to me.”
“Me? What do I have to explain to you?”
Ely sounded so angry. He hated to hear this harsh tone coming from her. The way her eyes glinted with disappointment and confusion tore at his very soul. But how could he have ever confided any of this in her back at the bar? She wouldn’t have understood. They hadn’t known each other long enough to get into what drove him into this situation. Besides, how could he have known she’d be here? As far as he’d known, she was a lovely jazz singer who didn’t have anything to do with Jenks Maine or the Clash Arena. He’d obviously been wrong on both counts.
A frustrated sigh escaped him. “Maybe you could tell me why you’re in a place that belongs to the corrupt Jenks Maine?”
She crossed her arms below her chest, pushing her already perky breasts higher and causing them to strain against the leather. “I don’t have to explain anything to you. And you know what, neither do you. I saved your life, you saved mine—we’re even.” Ely took a step back but he grabbed her wrist.
He wasn’t quick enough to dodge the fist to his cheek and pain throbbed across his face. It was just another ache to add to the collection. His thigh was especially sore. “Calm down, will you?” He held his arms out in front of him. “I don’t want to fight anymore. We’re on the same side.”
“Are we?” she spat, staring him down. “I’m not on the side of dealing with problems by blowing things up.”
Another explosion erupted around them. It was getting harder and harder to figure out where they were coming from.
“Ely, our intention—”
“Who made you an avenging angel, anyway?”
“I saw my people suffer.”
“Oh, that’s right. You’re one of those shaggy monsters, aren’t you? The ones who can change from man-to-
animal and tear creatures twice their size in two. A detail you conveniently forgot to mention.” The rage gave her eyes a dangerous glare.
Another explosion shook the tunnels and she looked over her shoulder.
“Ely, listen to me. I was taken too, ripped away from my everyday life with the intention of being added to these dungeons, but I got away.”
He met Ely’s dark eyes. The hot sting of her anger no longer burned his senses and her breathing had calmed down a fraction.
“Did you know that once he’s done with the Recast, Maine dumps them on a populated planet?” Ace paused for a second to lick his lips. Her sweet taste remained in his mouth. “He didn’t care about anything or anyone. Destroying Maine’s base of operations is the only way to stop the ongoing violence against my kind, and everyone else.”
She didn’t say a word, didn’t even break eye contact as she listened.
After a few beats of silence between them, Ace held out a bloody hand. “I want you to come with me.”
“To come with you where, Ace? Where the hell do you want me to go?” She took a step closer, gaze blazing.
“I’d like you to leave this planet with me.”
“Oh, so after all this destruction, you’re going to flee?” She was in his face and damn it, all he could think about was wrapping his arms around her.
He closed his eyes for a second.
“I thought this was supposed to be against Jenks?”
“Of course it was. Who else would it be against?”
“Look at me, Ace.” She held her arms up, outstretched on either side of her. “Really look at me. Who do you think dresses this way? I belong to Jenks. I’m his slave as much as the fighters in the dungeons. He calls me his Personal Liaison Assistant but I’ve killed in his name. I won’t kill you because I can’t, but if you don’t get the hell out of here right now… As soon as he gets back, he’ll order me to kill you and your accomplices and I won’t be able to do anything else but to oblige. Do you know why?” Tears were spilling down her face again. “Because the whacko stuck something inside my brain and I have to do what he says. Now get out before he forces me to change my mind.”
Ace reached for her but she swiped his hand away. “Ely…”
“Don’t make this harder than it already is,” she whispered between sobs. “Maybe we could’ve gotten past all of this and laid everything out on the table, but I belong to the bastard and no one can change that. I’ve heard your reasons and as harsh as they are, I think I can understand what drove you. You have no idea how many times I’ve dreamed of killing Jenks myself. I’ve wanted to torch this place so many times.”
He took another step. “He doesn’t matter anymore—”
“No, he doesn’t.” She met his gaze through her tear-streaked eyes, a little sparkle shining through, as if she’d just realized something. “You matter, though. So go.”
“I don’t want to leave without you.”
She shook her head, looking away. “I’m not going with you, Ace. So get the hell out before it’s too late.”
He could see the rage in her eyes. There was a lot more going on inside her than their confrontation. And no amount of insisting was going to change her mind now. She might not be willing to go with him now, but Ace knew she had to be his. Ely didn’t know the truth about Maine’s death yet, but he was positive it would change everything.
One second she was just standing there, the next she shrieked and yelled, “Let me go.” Ace looked up.
Colt was there. He’d lifted her off the ground, keeping her arms pinned to her sides. “Hey, calm down, will you? I’m just trying to get both of you to move on. What the hell are you doing chatting away when the arena’s about to explode, huh? Are you both nuts?”
“Get off me, you terrorist.” Ely squirmed in his grip, kicking her foot back against Colt’s shin.
“Fuck.” He dropped his hold on her and backed up a step.
Brynn came out of nowhere and struck Ely across the face.
Ely recoiled, lifted both hands to cover her nose, and turned to meet Ace’s gaze one last time before she ran the other way.
Ace pressed the back of his head against the stone wall and tried to relax. At least she was heading the right way. A sense of peace washed over him.
He just hoped the arena’s downfall had been transmitted across the galaxy and people took note. After this act of rebellion, he hoped no one else would be bold enough to attempt something this huge again. At least for a while.
“Hey, buddy, are you okay?” Colt asked.
Ace managed a nod.
“Well, unless we get a move on, none of us will be for much longer.” Colt reached out and draped one of Ace’s arms over his shoulder. “The majority of the guest ships are gone, so I’ve just added my final chippies to the docks. When they blow, everything else will as well.”
“So you got everyone out?”
“I got as many as I could,” Colt said.
“I’m pretty sure all the staff got out,” Brynn added.
Good. At least something had gone according to plan.
With Brynn supporting his other side, Ace used his good leg to hop as fast as he could, keeping up as they ascended the tunnel.
The domino effect of explosions rumbled beneath their feet and above their heads, shaking the entire underground structure so hard some of the earth split open in front and behind them. With the momentum they’d picked up, Ace knew they would reach their destination and finally leave this pit.
He prayed Ely would too.
Between wiping the tears from her face and the blood seeping from her nose, Ely continued to lose her footing. She’d stumbled on the dirt several times but kept getting up again, running even though part of her wanted to head back to Ace and throw her arms around him.
She’d hit him so many times, her anger manifesting against the wrong man. Ely wasn’t stupid. She’d lived in the Clash Arena for years and witnessed the control and violence Jenks used on a daily basis. How he recruited and seduced the wealthy from all around the galaxy and drew them into his corruptive web. They handed over a chunk of their wealth in exchange for their weekly pass to one of the most popular sporting events in the galaxy.
Her stomach turned every time she sat in her especially encased glass box above them, watching kings and queens who’d otherwise be prim and proper, rise to their feet and demand the opponents deliver blood. None of those people were innocent and she’d wished them dead many times herself.
Ely stumbled and her foot slipped through a crack that appeared out of nowhere. The explosions were tearing the arena apart. She twisted her foot to the side and with the aid of her shaky hands, tried to pull it out. It wouldn’t budge. She was stuck, the leather boot too thick for the unstable ground that continued to grumble under her weight.
“Shit.”
Pulling down the zipper on the side of her boot, she turned her foot this way and that until there was enough room to yank it out. She removed the other one as well, dumped both, and stood with the aid of the wall. Her right ankle complained with every step and she kept smacking her sore shoulder against the wall with every wobbly slip.
She winced, pressed both hands against the rocks and used them as leverage to continue moving.
Ely knew her ankle wasn’t broken but there was definitely a sprain.
Every part of her body shook with exertion as she pushed onward, wishing she could run instead of hobble. She wanted to keep running until she fell off the very edge of the planet. That would never happen, but if she really wanted to fall, she could certainly reach the cliffs at the utmost northern peak of this hemisphere in a few days, and drop to the great expanse of water waiting below then allow the waves to crash against her body and pull her under, and out to sea.
She’d only ever ventured out that far once, with Mike.
During a sunny, hot day, when the breeze sweeping in from the sea had stirred her hair and roused gooseflesh. The spray of salt water had dried
her lips and skin but filled her nose with the scent of life and cooled her down. She’d never forgotten the feeling of the ocean spraying her with its water, or the utter beauty of it. Facing nature at its purest and deadliest, as she stood at the edge of the precipice and looked out at an endless body of water she knew led to another land, was exhilarating.
“It’s much colder in the northern hemisphere,” Mike had said, sidling up beside her. “It actually snows all the time.”
“What’s snow?” He’d mentioned the word before but never explained it.
“It’s frozen water that falls from the sky and makes the world white and cold.”
“I’ve only ever experienced the cold of space,” she’d said with a smile. “I’d like to see it one day.”
“I’d love to show you. Someday.”
Ely had taken his hand and they’d stood on the edge of the world to watch it in comfortable silence.
They used to go on treks together all the time, and spend a few days in the wilderness whenever she could afford to be absent from Jenks’s side. It wasn’t until his latest girl-of-the-week mysteriously disappeared and he settled in Clash that Ely was promoted. She went from personal assassin to the job of assistant and could only get away the odd times when Jenks was off planet.
As she continued to hobble and press down against her injured ankle, Ely noticed the corridors were empty. If what Ace claimed turned out to be true and most of the population made it out alive, she could find it in her heart to forgive him.
Don’t lie to yourself. You already have, a small nagging voice said.
She shook her head and suddenly knew exactly where she should go.
“Mike, I’m coming to see you.”
He would hear her. Mike didn’t make a habit out of listening to her thoughts, but if she projected them the way she was now, he’d hear her every word. Sometimes she wished she could hear him back but she didn’t have any psychic powers of her own. At close range, Mike could project other people’s thoughts into any random mind, but not from this distance.
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