by Lucia Grace
I shake my head. “Nothing for you to be sorry about, Ace.”
“I heard what happened when you got there. So I feel like I have something to be sorry about, since you acted out because of what happened to me.”
I cut my eyes to Ember to see a knowing look on her face. She offers me up a shrug. “She asked if you were there. I had to tell her.”
I look back to Ace. “How I reacted has nothing to do with anything you did wrong. You did nothing wrong, Ace. Nothing. That fucker is just lucky it wasn’t me who arrived on scene first.” I clench my fists.
She nods her head in what I hope is understanding. The room goes quiet.
“You’re staying with me,” I say again. Making sure she understands that.
Her heavily bruised eyes widen at my demand. Before quickly lighting with fire at being ordered around. There’s my girl.
“You can’t order me to do anything, Damon. I’ll stay where I damn well please, and that isn’t with you.” She huffs and lays her hands in her lap. “I wouldn’t want to put you out anyway. Where would you be able to entertain if I stayed with you? Because I sure as hell don’t want to see or hear any of that.” Her eyes never waver from mine.
I walk further into the room. Ember stands and makes room for me when I get to Ace’s right side, rounding to the left to stand with Amber and Sam. I take the seat at the side of the bed to bring me at eye level with Ace. “Listen to me and listen good,” I state clearly. Not caring that we aren’t alone. “I may be an asshole and I may have deserved that comment at one time, but you—more than anyone—know how I am. And if you’re staying with me, I would never disrespect you like that.”
She swallows harshly and winces slightly. I grab the small plastic cup of water from Sam’s outstretched hand and bring the straw to Ace’s lips. Her eyes water at the gesture.
I can’t help but keep my eyes on her while she slowly sips from the straw. Her small, pink tongue slipping out of her mouth to lick a drop of water from her lips, causing my blood to heat for a whole other reason at the innocent act.
I clear my throat before asking, “You good?” She nods. “Good.” I nod back. I level her with a gaze that leaves no room for argument. “There are no stairs at my house. You’ll have your own space. I’m closer to the Coffee Press when it comes time that you can go back to work. And only when it comes time. Also, I’ll be able to help you get around more easily than Em would be able to.” Plus I’ll be able to keep you close I want to say, but keep that to myself. “It makes more sense for you to stay with me than all the way across town at Em and Kayson’s.”
“You’re sure?” she asks, her voice small again. Nothing like the way she spoke to me the other day when she was laying into me for my asshole ways the last month. It fucking guts me that Wilkes rendered her down to this.
“Positive. Wouldn’t mention it if I wasn’t.”
She just looks at me, wanting to argue, but thinks better of it. “He may be right, Tracey.” I look up to see Amber looking at me then back to Ace. “His place may be the better option.” I can tell by the look on Amber’s face that it pains her to agree with me.
Ace’s eyes thin as she glares at me. “Fine.”
I smirk. “Knew you’d see it my way. It’s the best and only option, Ace.” I stand, effectively ending the conversation. “I’m going to head out and let you rest. One of you ladies mind getting a bag of Ace’s things and bringing it back here?” I ask, looking between Em, Sam, and Amber.
Ember nods. “One of us will get it.”
I lean down to place a kiss to Ace’s forehead and cheek, then trail my lips to whisper in her ear, “I’m so fucking glad you’re okay, sweetheart. And I’m so fucking sorry I wasn’t there to protect you. But that stops now.”
I feel more than hear her gasp of shock as it hits my neck. Standing, I run my knuckles along her flushed, bruised cheek, her eyes softening. “I’ll see you later, sweetheart.” I turn then offer a chin lift to the room before hearing Ace’s quiet, “Bye.”
I halt when Sam’s words hit me. “I’ll walk you out.”
Tension fills my body because I have no idea what’s about to come out of her mouth. It could be anything with that girl. We just clear the doorway when Sam marches to stand in front of me. All of her five foot four inch self standing there as if she’s ten feet tall.
She clears her throat and plasters a smile on her face. “You hurt her any more than you already have and so help me God I’ll fry your balls off with a blowtorch. The devil himself wouldn’t be able to handle the torture I’d dish out on your ass.” Smile still in place, she pats a hand to my chest twice before walking around me to rejoin the girls. “Good talk, Officer Dimples.”
I’m shaking my head at Sam’s antics when I catch sight of Kayson walking down the hall toward Ace’s room.
“How’s she doing?” he asks when he reaches me. Running a hand through his hair.
Em must have heard Kayson’s voice because she comes walking out of the room, shutting the door behind her before launching herself at her husband. “I missed you,” I hear her whisper.
“Hey, baby. Me, too,” he replies as he wraps her up and kisses the top of her head. I’ve never been jealous of Kayson and Em’s relationship before. But with my newfound resolve to make Ace mine, I can’t help but wish things could be that easy with us.
Shaking myself from the thought, I reply to Kase’s question. “She’s okay. She’s battered and bruised, but she’ll be fine, thank fuck.” I grab the back of my neck where all my tension seems to be settling. Still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Teddy fucking Wilkes attacked my girl.
Em looks between Kayson and me before joining the conversation. “Yeah, she’s okay. She’ll be okay. Just needs time to heal.” A sly look crosses her face before she continues. “Our buddy here offered for her to heal at his place.”
Kayson’s eyes flash to mine. “Did he now?” A knowing look now crossing his face, along with a smirk.
“Her parents won’t be back for another week. When I walked in, the doctor was saying that she needed to be looked after for a couple of days due to her concussion, she needed to stay off her feet, and she wouldn’t be able to do any stairs for at least a couple of weeks. So I offered my spare room.” I try to downplay what’s going on because I know Kayson and if he knows how serious I am about Ace, he’ll never shut up about it.
“More like demanded,” Em so graciously offers.
“I’ll just bet he did,” Kayson adds. Full-blown smile in place.
I give Ember a look that usually has grown men falling to their knees in fear, but no, not her. She just gives me an innocent look. “What?” she asks. “Did you not walk in when I was telling Tracey she could stay with us and demand that she stay with you? That there was no other option. Hmmm…”
I just shake my head. Not saying anything. Not admitting she’s right.
“Seems like our boy is growing up, baby.”
I turn my hard glare on Kayson at that remark. “I’ll show you how fucking grown I am, fucker.”
He tosses his hands up in front of him to indicate surrender. “Just calling it like I see it,” he says through a chuckle.
I flip him the bird and move to walk around the oh so fucking happily married couple in front of me who just loves to bust my balls.
I stop in my tracks when I hear Em’s voice, my back still to them. “Just don’t hurt her, Damon. I don’t think she’d survive that.”
Nodding my head so she knows I heard her, I keep walking through the hallway toward the exit.
Hurting her is the last thing on my mind.
“Shut the door and take a seat,” Captain Beasley instructs the next morning from his seated position behind his desk. His head is down while he finishes whatever he’s working on, revealing more gray than black in his hair these days.
I shut the door behind me and take one of the two chairs in front of his desk without a word. Captain’s gruffer than usual tone a
lerts me to the fact that he doesn’t want me talking. So I remain quiet and look ahead, waiting on the ass chewing I’m certain to get.
“Care to explain what the fuck got into you last night?” he asks as he tosses down the pen he was just using. Ice-blue eyes stare into mine, daring and waiting.
“I lost my head, sir. Saw the perp, heard his comments, and lost my head.” I keep my response short and direct. No excuses, just the plain old truth.
“Cut the bullshit, Miles,” he huffs and shakes his head. “You’re off duty so drop the formalities. This is nothing more than a courtesy chat to let you know if something like this happens again when you’re on duty, I won’t be so fucking lenient. Your ass is fucking lucky I didn’t cuff you then and there.”
I nod my head in understanding and relax into my seat.
“So let’s try this again. What the fuck happened last night?” He leans back in his leather office chair, arms crossed over his still broad chest despite him being in his late fifties.
“Fucker had it coming,” I practically growl. “I arrived on scene after hearing it come over the radio to see fucking mayhem. Kayson informed me of what happened, and I lost my fucking shit when I saw that motherfucker and heard him spewing bullshit.” I shrug my shoulders. “It won’t happen again, but I’m far from fucking sorry for doing it.” I probably shouldn’t be so honest, but fuck it. Captain knows how I am and clearly he doesn’t plan on any course of punishment for my stunt last night.
“You’re fucking right it won’t happen again,” he starts. Eyes hard, yet understanding fills them. “I know y’all are close, Ms. Cole and yourself, and you’re one of the best officers we’ve ever had. You’ve never given me or this police force any issues before. That’s why you didn’t find yourself in cuffs last night and that’s why you won’t be receiving any disciplinary actions as a result.”
I sigh in relief despite being confident that I already knew that.
“But if anything like that ever happens again when you’re in uniform”—his eyes level on mine, making sure I understand everything he’s saying—“I will not hesitate to suspend you without pay indefinitely until I see fit. Are we clear?”
“Crystal,” I reply. No hesitation. I know I’m a lucky son of a bitch. My actions last night, if anywhere else, would have had me either in a cell next to Teddy for the night or in the very least considered for disciplinary action. But as I said before, I can’t and won’t feel sorry for what I did and how I acted. That stupid cunt deserved much more than he got anyway.
“Good.” He punctuates with a hard nod. “Now get the fuck out of here on your day off.” He dismisses me with a chin lift.
“I appreciate it,” I reply sincerely, as I reach across the desk to shake the captain’s hand.
He returns my shake before dismissing me. “Get the fuck out of here,” he repeats with a smirk on his face.
I toss him a chin lift of my own and hightail it out of his office, not having to be told twice. Ace is supposed to be released later today and I still have some shit I need to take care of before I get back to the hospital to pick her up anyway.
Thank fuck for my mom, because if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have thought of half of the shit she did. Like fresh linens on the bed, stocking the kitchen full of some of Ace’s favorite things, and making sure I have a bunch of girlie shit and towels in the bathroom connected to the room she’ll be staying in.
When I told Ace she’d be staying with me, I didn’t think of everything that came along with it. Getting her in my space and winning her over were the only thoughts running through my mind. But as soon as I told my mom about my surprise houseguest, she jumped at the chance to help little Tracey Cole any way she could.
She also tried to drill me on what the fuck I was doing having Ace stay with me. I stopped that line of questioning before she could even get started, because no doubt my mom would have had Ace and me married with kids before the year’s out.
I may have ulterior motives for having Ace recover at my house, but those plans do not involve wedding bells and babies, that’s for fucking sure.
I’ll never be at that point, my past making sure of that. But I’m hoping that what I can offer her—more of me than anyone else has ever gotten—will be enough because there’s no going back now. That one night with her did change everything and I need more.
Jumping into the cab of my truck, the growl of the engine surrounds me and I can’t help but think of what the fuck have I gotten myself into.
“I’ve got it,” Ace growls, or thinks she does, as she glares at my offending hands that were trying to help her.
I tell her as much. “Easy, sweetheart. I’m just trying to help.” I smirk. Her eyes soften a touch at my dimples, then harden all over again when I grab her crutches in one hand and help her stand from the truck with my other. Supporting her weight as much as she’ll let me.
She huffs and I just shake my head at her while handing her back the crutches she’s stuck on for the next week while her ankle heals. I tighten a fist as I lock my jaw at the thought. Remembering why she’s even in this fucking position. Making me want to kill that motherfucker all over again.
Ace’s eyes turn soft again, sensing the turn in my mood. “I’m fine,” she stresses for about the millionth time since she woke up in the hospital two days ago.
The doctor kept her for an extra night, because whenever they would have her move and get up to walk, she would get dizzy and nauseous. Dr. Hardy figured her concussion was worse than they first assumed so she decided to keep her longer for observation. To say Ace wasn’t pleased at having to spend another night in the hospital would be an understatement.
And as much as I wanted her under my roof instead, I was happy to let her stay another night to ensure she was getting the best treatment possible.
Slamming the passenger side, Ace hobbles up the walkway as I trail behind her. Not staring at her ass and how good it looks encased in the leggings she’s wearing.
I set one of her bags down to unlock the door then quickly pick it back up after I’ve opened the door and ushered her in first.
She’s only been here a handful of times since I bought the place a few years ago. It was right after I graduated from the academy. My dad and his crew from his company at Miles Contracting had just finished remodeling the place for the previous owners before they put it up on the market. He told me about it, said it would be right in my price range, then two weeks later I was signing my name on the dotted line and another two weeks later moving in.
It’s a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom, ranch-styled home outfitted with an eat-in chef’s dream of a kitchen and a wide-open living space at one end of the house while the bedrooms take up the other side. An attached garage rounds out the house.
“Your room is right down the hall to your right,” I say to Ace’s back as she takes in her surroundings. The light gray walls, dark hardwood floors, black leather couches, and fireplace. Her gaze moves around the room before she nods and rounds the furniture on unsteady crutches to go down the hall toward her room.
“Last door on the right.”
“And where is your room?” she asks, while looking between the other two closed doors. One at the end of the hall, right next to her room, and one right across.
With my hands full of her bags, I nudge my head over my left shoulder. “I have the master right at the end of the hall.”
“Right next to my room?”
“Yep.” I smirk while Ace huffs a breath.
“Figures,” she mumbles.
Opening the door, she hobbles in then stops short. I almost bump into her back and glorious round ass, but come up short just in time.
I set her bags down on the bench by the door and stand directly behind her. My front almost touching her back. I’d give anything to wrap my arms around her trim waist and bring her flush against me so I can feel her ass cradling my dick. But from the cold shoulder she’s been giving me since I picked her
up at the hospital this afternoon, I know she still isn’t over everything that’s happened between us. I need to tread carefully, for a little while at least, to give her time to warm up to me again.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“It’s perfect,” she whispers into the room, and just like she did when she stepped into the house, she stands still and takes in her surroundings.
“My mom helped me out. Picked which room, changed the bed, stocked up the bathroom for you. Which is right through that door there,” I say as I point to the door to her left. “The closet is on the opposite side.”
“I figured she had something to do with it.” I can hear the smile in her voice and I fucking crave to see it. So I squeeze by her to stand at her side and take in her face. And I was right. A small smile is gracing those luscious lips of hers as she scans the lavender gray walls, matching dark wood furniture set, and king-size bed taking up the center of the room.
Ace turns her head to look at me. “It really is perfect, Damon. Thank you.” A light blush covers her face and it takes all the willpower I possess to stand still and not taste the heat on her cheeks.
I clear my throat. “Like I said before, the bathroom is through there and there’s a small walk-in closet on the opposite wall. My mom thought of everything under the sun you could ever need, but if you find that you’re missing something just let me know.” I shove my hands in my pockets, suddenly unsure of what the fuck I’m doing here.
“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Another small smile lifts her lips, and I’m grateful my hands are in my pockets so I don’t reach out for her.
“I’ll let you get settled then.” She nods as I turn to leave.
I shut the door behind me and lean my head against it. Blowing out a deep breath, wishing I were still in that room with her. Making use of every inch of that king-size bed with Ace under me, on top of me, and in front of me.
Fuck!
Seriously, what the fuck am I doing?
I can’t escape her. She’s everywhere. In my space, in my thoughts, and in my fucking dreams.