59. Tangled Secrets
Ace’s dark eyes moved down my body, taking in my brown hair hanging loose over my shoulders, my upper half still covered by his dress shirt, my legs on full display.
The longer he stared at me, the more his breathing started to slow. His tight muscles relaxed. Yet, his gaze remained clouded, promising violence to anyone who dared cross him.
Without saying a word, he marched to his dresser and practically tore his drawers open as he pulled out various articles of clothing. He turned back to me.
“Come here, Doe,” he told me, standing near the end of his bed with the clothes in his hands.
I took tentative steps toward him, eyeing his furious expression. I stopped a foot away from him.
He growled once in appreciation of my obedience. “Arms up.”
I followed his orders without hesitation, too put off by his behavior to challenge him.
Ace pulled the shirt I was wearing over my head and replaced it with one of his cotton T-shirts. The fabric felt soft against my skin and smelled like him.
Next, he helped me step into a pair of his sweatpants that were similar to the gray ones he was wearing.
“Ace, what’s going on?” I whispered, trying to keep my voice as gentle as possible as he tied his pants extra tight around my waist and then bent down to roll the bottoms so my feet were visible.
Ace straightened. “Madoc is going to give you a ride home.”
“Why? Did something happen?”
He helped me put on one of his sweatshirts and then took a step back to look me over. He nodded his approval.
I understood why he was dressing me this way without having to ask.
It was something he did when he felt particularly out of control: put me in his clothes. He was making sure I was completely covered in his scent so everyone “knew who I belonged to,” as he put it.
He cupped my face in his hands, caressing my cheeks with his thumbs. “You’re so beautiful,” he said.
“Absolutely perfect. And you’re all mine.”
Yeah, something was wrong. I knew that tone. It was deeper, rougher. It was his dark side talking.
“Say you’re mine, Doe,” he growled.
“I’m yours,” I whispered. I curled my fingers around his wrists, squeezing them gently in reassurance.
“I’ll always be yours.”
That seemed to calm him a bit.
“Let me see your neck,” he said abruptly.
Ace tilted my head and brushed the collar of his hoodie to the side. He swept his eyes over the bump on my neck and what I was sure was another bite mark, courtesy of the previous night’s activities.
“You bit me. You said you wouldn’t do that again,” I tried to joke, hoping to lighten the mood a bit.
He licked his lips. “You wanted it this time. You squeezed me extra hard every time I dug my teeth into your perfect flesh.”
A warmth starting at my cheeks moved all the way down to my breasts. I tried to shove him away,
shocked by his brazen words, only to have him tug me back with a growl.
He bent down and nipped at my neck once again, licking the bump. My legs turned to Jello.
I needed to change the subject. “Why is Madoc taking me home? What was your phone call about?”
Ace snarled again. “I have to go to Croatia.”
I blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“I have to go to Croatia,” he repeated just as casually, murmuring the words into my neck. He licked
n as he pulled out from my collarbone up to my ear.
I swallowed my moan, fighting to keep my focus. “Uh, do you want to explain why, maybe?”
Ace dropped his head onto my shoulder, kept his hold tight around my hips, and pressed his nose against that little bump on my neck, breathing in my scent by the lungful.
“That was…a friend of mine. His name is Kyle King. He—”
I stopped him. “I thought whoever was calling was named Grayson Stoll.”
Ace swerved to look at the clock on the dresser behind him. It was nearly three in the morning. A muscle popped in his jaw. He kissed my cheek and stepped away. he was wearing.
“Kyle is Grayson’s friend,” he explained from his closet. “Grayson is my cousin and he’s not doing well right now. It was Kyle who called me from Grayson’s phone.”
Ace reappeared seconds later with a black T-shirt on and a duffel bag in his hands.
“I’ve met your family hundreds of times but have never heard you mention the name Grayson.”
“We’re both very busy people.” He went back to his dresser and began pulling clothes out of the drawers and shoving them into his bag. “And he lives in Croatia.”
“Croatia?” I questioned incredulously. “You have a cousin who lives in Croatia?
How did I not know about this?”
Ace shrugged. “He moved there recently. He used to live in Minnesota.”
I flopped down onto the edge of his bed with a huff. “I’m really getting sick of not knowing basic information about my boyfriend and best friend of twelve years.”
Once his bag was filled, he dropped it on the bed next to me. He looked down at me with a much softer gaze than before.
“It was never my intention to keep Grayson from you, love. He just never came up in conversation.
And, like I said, he’s a very busy man. I haven’t seen him for quite some time.”
“So then, why was his friend calling you a million times in the middle of the night if you’re not close?”
Ace brushed his fingers over my chin and down my neck to caress the mark he’d left on my neck once again.
He was really obsessing over the stupid thing tonight—which annoyed me because it was making it
over the bump on extremely hard for me to concentrate.
“My father tried to kill him yesterday,” he stated.
I nearly choked on my own spit. “He what?” dug my teeth into Ace grinned at my reaction. “Don’t worry, Doe. My cousin is more than capable of handling himself.
My father didn’t touch him.”
My jaw was nearly on the floor. His nonchalant attitude made it difficult to tell if he was serious or not.
“How can you be so casual right now? You just told me your father went to freaking Croatia to try to murder your cousin!”
He shrugged. “This isn’t necessarily surprising behavior from my father. The bastard’s been making some pretty bad decisions recently.”
“Like trying to murder someone? Why would he even do that?”
“For power mostly. It’s hard to explain.”
Of course it was hard to explain. When it came to Ace, everything was hard to explain.
“So that’s why you have to go to Croatia?”
Ace nodded, still petting my neck with careful fingers. He seemed more concerned with the goosebumps he was causing to rise on my skin than the shocking information he was relaying.
I could barely wrap my head around what was going on. Or how he could be easygoing about it all. His father tried to murder someone.
“So, what are you going to do?” I asked. “Are you going to go get your father?”
Ace thought about it for a few seconds. His lips slowly turned up in a wicked smirk.
“I’m going to take care of him.”
I don’t like the sound of that. I narrowed my eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t ask questions you don’t want to know the answers to, Doe.”
He grabbed my hand and brought it up to his lips so he could press a firm kiss into my palm. “As soon as you leave with Madoc, I’ll be getting on the first plane out of here.”
“You have to go now? You can’t wait until morning? I…kind of wanted to wake up next to you.”
I also wanted to get back to the conversation we were having before he ran off to go talk to his cousin, but I was a little afraid to bring that up again when he was in such a touchy mood.
I hadn’t forgotten, though. I’d meant what I said about finding answers myself if Ace refused to explain things to me tonight. And it looked like things were heading in that direction.
Ace’s hard eyes melted a bit. “Come here, sweet girl. Let me kiss you.” He drew me up until I was standing in front of him and then kissed me in a way that made all my worries dissipate. ith a much softer We were both breathing heavily when he pulled away several moments later. He brushed my hair out of my face. “The sooner my father is taken care of, the better things will be—for everyone.”
Despite his threatening words, the air filled with sexual tension as he trailed his nose up and down mine. “My cousin has enough on his plate. He shouldn’t have to worry about my father as well.” ou’re not close?”
My hands had somehow made their way into his hair, and I twirled the strands around my fingers.
“He’s not in jail? Didn’t they call the police?”
Ace chuckled. “No, Grayson left him with some of his dignity intact. He’s just keeping him detained at his home for now.”
He pulled his head back. “Madoc is waiting.” He looked back down at me, frowning slightly. “I didn’t forget, Doe. I promised you I would explain everything to you. I still plan on doing that.”
I was a little surprised he brought the topic up again. I had provided him with an out and was already scheming up ways to find out any information without his help.
“Oh, yeah?” I challenged. “Why do I find that hard to believe?” as serious or not.
Ace narrowed his eyes. “I know that look, Doe.”
I tilted my head, attempting to look innocent. “What look?”
“Doe,” he said, his tone warning me, “I need you to wait until I get back. No investigating. You have to promise me.”
I pulled his hair a little, hoping to distract him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Without warning, Ace grabbed my chin and turned my head back to him, squeezing me extra hard. It didn’t hurt but it did make my breath stall in my throat.
“No, Doe,” he said through his teeth. “You will not go looking for answers on your own.”
I scoffed despite my heart hammering behind my rib cage. “And why not? You’re obviously incapable of explaining things to me.” g about it all. HisAce snarled and squeezed me harder. “I’m not fucking kidding. I know you want answers but I’ll be
damned if you put yourself in danger because you can’t wait for me to come back and tell you myself.”
“Danger?” I let out a humorless laugh. “You’re so ridiculous. The only danger I’m in is from you and your insane mood swings.”
His eyes spit fire but I didn’t back down.
“I’m done waiting for you, Ace. Done. ”
I tried to pull away from him but he snarled and tugged me back so our faces were inches away from each other. He was still holding my jaw.
Looking into his eyes, I noticed a sinister hue to his blue eyes. Dread churned in my stomach. There was something evil swirling behind his pupils. And it was staring straight at me.
I gasped, struggling against him. “Will you please let me go? Y-you’re scaring me.”
Ace immediately loosened his hold and took a small step back. He caressed the heated skin his fingers efused to explain had just been digging into. His gaze softened as well, making me feel like I could breathe again.
“Please, baby. Please.”
It surprised me to hear him beg.
“I want to be the one to tell you. Just give me a few days. Let me figure things out with my father and ed my hair out ofmake a plan. The moment I get back, I’ll tell you everything.
You have my word.”
I didn’t respond. The fact that he needed a plan before telling me what was going on in his life just made me all the more curious and impatient to know. Whatever it was, it was serious. And big.
“Don’t you want to hear it from me?” Ace continued. “Don’t you want me to be there to answer your questions?” g him detained atTears of frustration threatened to pool in my eyes but I pushed them down. “I’m so sick of waiting.”
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my head. “I know you are. Not much longer though.”
Ace narrowed his eyes. “I know that look, Doe.”
I tilted my head, attempting to look innocent. “What look?”
“Doe,” he said, his tone warning me, “I need you to wait until I get back. No investigating. You have to promise me.”
I pulled his hair a little, hoping to distract him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Without warning, Ace grabbed my chin and turned my head back to him, squeezing me extra hard. It didn’t hurt but it did make my breath stall in my throat.
“No, Doe,” he said through his teeth. “You will not go looking for answers on your own.”
I scoffed despite my heart hammering behind my rib cage. “And why not? You’re obviously incapable of explaining things to me.”
Ace snarled and squeezed me harder. “I’m not fucking kidding. I know you want answers but I’ll be damned if you put yourself in danger because you can’t wait for me to come back and tell you myself.”
“Danger?” I let out a humorless laugh. “You’re so ridiculous. The only danger I’m in is from you and your insane mood swings.”
His eyes spit fire but I didn’t back down.
“I’m done waiting for you, Ace. Done. ”
I tried to pull away from him but he snarled and tugged me back so our faces were inches away from each other. He was still holding my jaw.
Looking into his eyes, I noticed a sinister hue to his blue eyes. Dread churned in my stomach. There was something evil swirling behind his pupils. And it was staring straight at me.
I gasped, struggling against him. “Will you please let me go? Y-you’re scaring me.”
Ace immediately loosened his hold and took a small step back. He caressed the heated skin his fingers had just been digging into. His gaze softened as well, making me feel like I could breathe again.
“Please, baby. Please.”
It surprised me to hear him beg.
“I want to be the one to tell you. Just give me a few days. Let me figure things out with my father and make a plan. The moment I get back, I’ll tell you everything.
You have my word.”
I didn’t respond. The fact that he needed a plan before telling me what was going on in his life just made me all the more curious and impatient to know. Whatever it was, it was serious. And big.
“Don’t you want to hear it from me?” Ace continued. “Don’t you want me to be there to answer your questions?”
Tears of frustration threatened to pool in my eyes but I pushed them down. “I’m so sick of waiting.”
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my head. “I know you are. Not much longer though.”
