Kace (Shattered Souls MC Book 3)

by Heather Dahlgren

  If I want to try and make this work with her, I won’t lie to her. In order to trust someone, you have to be honest and know without fail that what they are saying is the truth. I’ve always told people how I feel, even if it hurt. It’s better than lying.

  “I thought I was in love once, but he turned out to be an asshole. I get what you are saying and I’m not saying you’re lying to me, I was just asking,” she says.

  My cell phone rings, and I grab it off the floor. It’s Zane so I apologize as I answer. “We’re coming to say goodbye because Brooks wants us back now. He’s got a lead and we need to hurry up.”

  “Fuck, alright.” We hang up and I look at Ivy. “They are coming to say goodbye because we are needed back in Vegas.”

  She gets out of bed, keeping the sheet wrapped around her as she goes into her closet. I sigh as I get up and grab my clothes off the floor. I’m fully dressed before she comes out of the closet. She’s got on a pair of jeans and a white sleeveless shirt. She looks just as sexy as she did naked.

  “I need to go get a new phone today,” she says, walking past me and out the bedroom.

  My brow dip in confusion as I follow her out. “Okay good,” I say.

  She opens the fridge and after looking for a few minutes closes it. I lean on the counter crossing my arms as I wait to see what her sudden change in mood is for.

  “So, I guess I’ll see you whenever I get back to Vegas,” she says, turning her back on me.

  These fucking mood swings are gonna be the death of me.

  Chapter 8

  Ivy

  I know I’m being a bitch, but I can’t help it. He told me he wants to give us a try. He said he wants me to move in with him. We had sex. Now he’s leaving and I selfishly don’t want him to. I want him to stay and keep saying things that make my heart pound. I want to have sex with him over and over until I am no longer shy in front of this Adonis of a man. But as always, the club calls and they all have to run. I know being with him it’s something I’m going to have to learn to accept, but right now I’m pissed it’s coming before me.

  “Ivy,” he whispers as he wraps his large, muscular arms around me from behind. “Come back with me. I don’t want to leave you. I want you with me.” He runs his nose up along my neck and kisses me softly below my ear.

  “I can’t Kace. I need to get a lot in order here before I leave. Just go, I’ll be fine,” I say, keeping my focus on the cabinets in front of me.

  He spins me around and his dark eyes narrow when he looks at me. “The reason I need to go back is to take care of things to ensure the safety of a lot of people, but most importantly you and the baby. Don’t try to make me feel guilty about needing to protect everyone. I know you have a lot to handle here, but I have a lot to handle in Vegas. My obligations can’t wait, yours can.”

  I jerk back a bit at his words. They are hurtful, even if that’s not how he intended them. I pull out of his hold and cross my arms as my eyes narrow. “My obligations are important to me. I know the club comes first, but right now I’m upset because we were finally talking.”

  He blows out a breath and runs his hands through his hair. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I know your obligations are important.” He takes a step closer to me and rests his hand on my cheek, rubbing his thumb gently across my lips. “We were finally talking, and it was really great. Just because I need to leave doesn’t change anything we talked about. I still want this to work out, I still want you to move in with me, I still want you. That’s why I asked you to come, but I understand you need to take care of things here.” He leans down and presses a kiss to my lips and my eyes flutter closed. Once our tongues intertwin, he pulls me against him and deeps the kiss. It’s rough, demanding, and hard - just like him.

  He breaks the kiss too soon and I let out a protesting groan. He chuckles and kisses my swollen lips. “How long until I get you in my arms again?” he asks.

  “I don’t know. I need to figure out this apartment, that’s the biggest thing. Then I need to pack, get a moving truck, and drive back to Vegas.” My heart is pounding in my chest with the realization that he wants me as much as I want him. It’s also breaking knowing that he’s leaving. I no longer question where I belong, it’s just getting there sooner rather than later. I push up on my toes and press a soft kiss to his demanding lips. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “We’re gonna make this work, Ivy. I’m going to take care of you,” he whispers.

  Before I can say anything, the front door pushes open, hitting the wall. “Woah shit sorry. I didn’t realize you guys were screwing already,” Riley says, smiling.

  “Fuck off,” Kace growls.

  Zane, Harper, and Finn follow behind him. Zane smacks him upside the head but Riley just laughs it off. It’s clear whatever happened to Kace that Riley was also involved. He’s got signs of healing on his face as well.

  “So, you guys together or just fucking?” Riley asks, opening the fridge.

  “Z, get him away from me before I fucking kill him,” Kace hisses.

  Riley laughs as he backs away with his hands up. “Shit, I was just asking.”

  I look up at Kace as his piercing eyes are holding their dark stare on Riley. I glance at Harper and wonder if Kace has told anyone I’m pregnant besides for Zane. I guess that’s something we should’ve discussed, but it’s too late now. I can’t exactly bring it up with everyone standing here.

  Kace peeks down at me and his eyes soften as he grins. “Ivy and I are together now.” He looks back up at everyone and his attitude quickly changes. “She gets treated with the same respect as Harper. Fucking got it?”

  “It’s about time,” Harper says smiling.

  Kace rolls his eyes as I feel my face redden. I notice Zane nod at Kace with a small grin and I realize it’s something that they’ve discussed. It makes my stomach swim with butterflies, which immediately leads to me getting nauseous. I try to breathe slowly but I start sweating and there’s no avoiding it. I run to the bathroom, slamming the door shut as I make it to the toilet just in time. I only have a bit of water in my stomach so after that is out, I can’t stop the dry heaving. I can’t stop the tears that are rushing down my face. I’m so tired of feeling sick and throwing up. I don’t know how I’m going to handle this for all these months.

  The door pushes open and I don’t even need to look to know it’s Kace. “Fuck, sweetheart,” he sighs. Just like last time, he rubs my back and it starts to relax me. I rest my head on my arm and continue to cry.

  “I’m so tired of being sick,” I say into the toilet.

  “We need to get you to a doctor. Maybe they can give you something,” he says getting up and wetting washcloths.

  “I don’t think there’s much they can do,” I whisper.

  He places a cold washcloth on the back of my neck and hands me the other to wipe my face. “You won’t know unless you ask.” We sit in silence for a few minutes until he kisses the top of my head. “Are you alright for now?”

  I sigh and sit up. “Yeah.” He lifts me off the floor again. “You don’t need to carry me,” I say. I’ll admit I love that he is though. It’s incredibly sweet and shows me this caring, protective side that I’m starting to love. Being pressed against his solid body is not something I’ll complain about. He carries me to my bed and lays me on it. I smile up at him as he tucks my hair behind my ear. “Kace, this is all very sweet, but I can’t come to bed every time I’m sick. I’ll never be out of bed.”

  “All the more reason for you to come home with me,” he says, running his fingers through my hair.

  I don’t say anything because at this point, I can’t just pick up and leave. I have obligations I need to handle, and I know that he understands that because he’s leaving to handle his. He searches my face and I can tell there’s more he wants to say, but he holds back. I want to push him, but I don’t. I know all too well how difficult it is to say things sometimes.

  “I’ll go get you so
me water and please try to eat some crackers,” he says, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

  After he walks out Harper comes in. “Damn, are you alright?”

  I sit up and grab a cracker off the nightstand. “Yeah, tired of being sick but I don’t need to be lying in bed,” I say, biting my lip to contain a smile.

  She sits on the edge of the bed and smiles. “He cares about you, more than he’s willing to admit.”

  I’m starting to believe that she’s right. His actions are proving a lot to me. I’m still scared of where this will all go, but when he’s around me those thoughts get pushed to the far back of my mind. Harper is my heroine and I trust her completely. I think I’m going to need to have a long talk with her about how to handle it all. However, right now isn’t the time. They need to get back and I’m not going to be the reason Brooks has their asses. See I think I’m starting to get it.

  “We’re going to try this, see where it goes,” I say.

  Her bright blue eyes seem to smile as she does. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited to hear you both admit all this. You’ve both pissed me off a lot,” she says, laughing. “Seriously, you’re good for him and he’s good for you.”

  “Yeah hopefully,” I say.

  “You’re having a baby together, so I’d be a bit more than hopeful.”

  She has a point, but I’m not ready to admit it. “Kace wants me to come back with you guys, but I just can’t until I get everything taken care of here,” I say, changing the subject.

  She nods and adjusts her position. “That’s understandable. You know he’d stay if it wasn’t imperative for him to get back, right?”

  “Yeah, doesn’t mean I like it,” I say.

  She laughs as she stands up. “No, it doesn’t, but the club has some really big shit going on. I know it’s still not something you’re sure of, but now that you’re together, you need to work on it. I didn’t push you before, but I will now,” she says with a wink.

  She said a lot there, but the only thing that I’m focused on is that the club has some really big shit going on. It makes my stomach drop and fear wraps around me. “What’s going on?”

  She gives me a tight smile before leaning down to hug me. “You’re Kace’s girl now, it’s not my place to tell you, it’s his.”

  The door opens and everyone walks in. I’m mortified being in bed and narrow my eyes at Kace. “Get out, I’m fine. I’ll come say goodbye in the living room,” I say, rolling my eyes.

  Riley of course jumps into my bed and looks at me. “Damn, this bed is comfortable. Come cuddle with me,” he says, moving closer.

  “Touch her and I will fucking rip your heart out of your chest,” Kace growls. He pulls Riley off of the bed and pushes him toward the door. “Go wait in the living room.”

  We all laugh but Kace. I walk over to him as everyone leaves my room. I place my hands on his chest and smile up at him. “Your possessiveness is hot.”

  He lifts me off the ground and crashes his mouth to mine. I wrap my arms around his neck and my legs around his hips and kiss him back. His hands settle on my ass and his fingers dig in. I moan in his mouth and he growls in response. He breaks the kiss and searches my eyes.

  “Get that new phone and call me tonight. I wrote everyone’s number on a piece of paper in the kitchen. Get your obligations taken care of so you can get back to Vegas, back to me,” he says, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

  I can see the sadness or regret, I’m not sure which, in his face. This is as hard for him as it is for me. I can’t make it any worse for him, so I smile as my fingers squeeze the back of his neck. “I promise to call you tonight and to get to Vegas as soon as I can. Please be careful driving back and taking care of whatever it is you need to do.”

  “I’m always careful, sweetheart, but it’s kinda nice having you care that I am,” he says, letting me slide down his body.

  We walk out to the living room, hand in hand, stopping in front of everyone. Kace steps aside to let Harper hug me. She tells me she will call me tomorrow. Zane, Riley, and Finn say goodbye and I tell them all to be careful. As they walk out the door Kace walks to me. He lifts my chin and gives me that sexy grin of his. “If you need anything, you better tell me. Be honest with me because I promise to be honest with you.”

  His deep sexy voice and his words squeeze at my heart and I blink back the tears. “I promise, Kace.”

  He kisses me one last time but it’s slow and sweet, so unlike anything I’ve experienced from him yet. It’s overwhelming. When he breaks the kiss, he wraps his protective arms around me and sighs. “I’m gonna miss you, Ivy.”

  “I’m gonna miss you too.”

  “Seriously, how could you have left out how fucking hot they all are,” Mia says for the hundredth time.

  I just picked up my new phone, so we’ve been walking around the mall. She showed up at my apartment a few hours after Kace left and has been talking about them since. She said that I was lucky to have such great friends. That she could tell how they all cared for me. It meant more to me than I ever imagined it would. I saw how much they all love Harper and I wanted to be accepted like that and hearing Mia say that makes me feel like I just might be accepted.

  “Ivy,” Mia says, snapping me out of my thoughts.

  I laugh as I bite my pretzel. “Sorry, I guess I didn’t think about saying they were hot.”

  “I’m not a jealous person, but I’ll admit I’m jealous of you,” she says, knocking her shoulder into mine.

  “Oh stop,” I say, laughing.

  We exit the mall and sit on the small benches outside to enjoy the warm sun. I don’t want to go home yet. Before all this it felt a little lonely, but now after having Kace there it feels empty. I’m not ready to face the loneliness yet.

  “So, you and Kace are getting back together?” Mia asks, sipping her vanilla milkshake.

  “We weren’t together before, but yeah we are together now,” I say, watching all the people exit and enter the mall.

  “Did you guys talk about everything?”

  “We talked but there is still a lot to learn about each other,” I reply.

  We sit quietly for a little bit, laughing occasionally as we people watch. I will miss the peacefulness of being in California and I’ll miss Mia. Going back to Vegas is what I want, but it still scares me. I’m terrified I’ll go back to exactly how I was before I left. That I’ll be sitting in a room filled with Shattered Souls and feel like an outsider. That I’ll end up having to go back to shitty waitressing jobs, having my ass grabbed as I drop off drinks. That I’ll be stuck in a rundown place that I’m paying too much for. The rumors that will start because I’m pregnant will be awful and doing it without any family will be a sad realization. I know Kace has plans, but I’m here and thinking all the worst-case scenarios.

  I glance over at Mia and see she’s staring at her phone. She looks kinda shocked, so I reach over and touch her arm. She jumps and looks at me. “Shit, you scared me.”

  “Is everything alright?” I ask, lifting an eyebrow.

  “Of course,” she says, shoving her phone into her back pocket. “So, what do you want to do now?”

  “I guess I need to get back and figure out how to get out of my lease,” I say, standing up.

  She wraps her slender arm around my shoulder and smiles. “I’ll help.”

  That’s exactly what she does. I’m watching her pace my living room talking to different people, yelling until they agree to do as she’s asked. I’ve never seen this side of her, it reminds me of Harper. She’s in complete control and doesn’t take shit from anyone. Yet, she’s respected and admired.

  When she finishes her call, she plops down next to me, letting her head rest against the back of the couch. “I got you out of your lease. You have until the end of the week to pack up and leave.” She turns her head, leaving it resting on the couch and smiles. “I’ll help you pack don’t worry.”

  I tilt my head trying to understand what the hell ju
st happened. “Wait, what? Who did you call?”

  “I know a lot of powerful people,” she whispers.

  “What the hell does that mean?” I ask, sitting up a little straighter.

  She tosses her phone next to her and sits up with me. “My family is powerful and wealthy. If something needs to get done, they can get it done.”

  “Mia, are you part of a motorcycle club?” I ask, completely taken back.

  She laughs and stands up to stretch. “No, they are businessmen.”

  I’m not sure if that’s code for something or if they really are just powerful businessmen, but I’m not going to question it. She got me out of my lease and that’s what I was worried about.

  “Thank you, Mia. I really do appreciate it,” I say, smiling at her.

  “You’re welcome. Unfortunately, I need to head out. I have to meet Rob. I’ll text you later.”

  She’s out the door before I can thank her again and the silence of the apartment settles over me. I look around at my little apartment trying to memorize it all. I’m going to miss it, but not as much as I’m missing Kace right now. I’m nervous for this move, but the feelings I’m allowing myself to experience for him overpower the nerves. It’s time for the next chapter, I just hope it goes the way I imagine.

  Chapter 9

  Kace

  We are sitting around the table waiting for the phone to ring. Marco pulled through and found out who Kingsley’s supplier was. Now we are hoping we can convince him to deal with the Raging Devils. I’m having a hard time keeping my focus because I keep checking to see if Ivy texted me. When she called the other night and told me that she got out of her lease and would be heading back to Vegas at the end of the week I couldn’t have been happier. I’ve been tense not being able to watch over her but once she’s here I will feel better.