by A. J. Macey
Making the Cut
Collection of Additional Scenes from The Aces Series
A.J. Macey
Blurb:
Collection of Additional Point of View (POV) Scenes from Rival (The Aces book 1)
This collection includes over seven additional POV scenes from the main characters from The Aces series including three never before seen POV scene additions as well as an exclusive look at the unedited first chapter of book 2- Adversary (releasing September 21st, 2019). Please note: two of the POVs have parts that include spoilers from book 2 and is highly recommended to read Adversary before these POVs.
These POVs are in chronological order. Corresponding chapters to Rival are noted for easy reference.
Warning:
The Aces Series is a WhyChoose/Reverse Harem trilogy featuring MFMMM meaning the female main character doesn't have to choose between her love interests. Please note, future books will contain M/M content.
This book contains references involving PTSD, sexual assault recollections, abuse, and other themes that some readers may find triggering.
Contents
Making the Cut
POV 1
POV 2
POV 3
POV 4
POV 5
POV 6
POV 7
Chapter 1
About the Author
Also by A.J. Macey
Copyright © 2019 by A.J. Macey
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover: JodieLocks Designs
Formatting: Inked Imagination Author Services
Dedicated to:
My daughter, Evelyn Rose.
Wake up and seize the day.
Making the Cut
Collection of Additional Scenes from The Aces Series
By A.J. Macey
POV 1
That Girl is Mine- Garrett & Jace
Winter 2013
Garrett
(Pre-Rival)
I ground my teeth in irritation while attempting to tie my tie, the satin material constantly sliding around my fingers. Finally growing too agitated, I yanked the strip of fabric off and chucked it onto the chair tucked into the corner of my small house. I shifted my focus from situating the tie around my neck to tucking in the black dress shirt I was wearing. This is fucking bullshit, I grumbled. I didn’t want to go to Frank’s holiday party, but after several weeks of my mother hounding me-including threatening to come to the compound-I caved and agreed to attend. Why it was so important that I had to be there I didn’t know, but every time I thought about it a pair of fire-laced mossy eyes flashed in my mind, reminding me that there was one person there who I didn’t loathe.
Kiera.
Groaning, I adjusted myself in my slacks. It had been two months since we met at the dinner at her father’s mansion, and even now the thought of her curves and gorgeous face made me hard. I had had a few more tense encounters with Frank when my mother threatened to cause a scene if I didn’t go to dinner or whatever fucking rich event he was hosting, but Kiera hadn’t been at any of them. Fucking hell dude, get your shit together, I chided myself, you’re acting like a fucking teenager with a stupid crush.
After getting dressed, I walked to the gate of the compound where a car waited to pick me up. I slipped into the backseat quietly assuming the driver Frank had sent knew where we were going. Fiddling with the stupid tie I had clutched in my fingers, I couldn’t stop the nervous energy that continued to thrum through my body as we drove across town to the lavish estate of the Casterelli family.
“Garrett,” my best friend Jace called out, stepping from behind the wheel of his new car as I made my way out of the backseat. With a scrunched face and a wave of his hand toward my chest he questioned, “Where’s your tie?” I groaned and held out the stupid piece of fabric so he wouldn’t hound me about not wearing one.
“Thing kept looking all fucked up,” I explained as we walked into the foyer. The place was spotless, like always, and empty except for the staff bustling around the space to finish the final preparations for the party. “See you in a bit?” I asked Jace, pointing towards the hall I had to go down. Not only did I have to attend this shitty party, but I had to be announced by Frank before I could show up, meaning I had to be here early.
How fucking idiotic is that?
The only plus side was Jace was allowed to come to the party. My mom thought it’d be good if Jace and Frank met since we had been friends for years, and half the time we were practically inseparable. Jace’s hand smacking me on the back with a ‘see you’ pulled me from my internal grumbling. Taking a steadying breath, I made my way down the corridor to Kiera’s wing of the house. Her bodyguard, Lorenzo, stood outside the double wood doors that led into her room fucking around on his cell phone. Upon seeing me, he gave me a slimy grin before opening the door, not even bothering to knock. I didn’t slow down or stop until I was fully in Kiera’s room, not wanting to make small talk with the creepy man standing guard outside. The doors shut loudly behind me as soon as I was inside.
“Holy shit!” Kiera’s husky voice practically screeched when she saw me, her hands clutching a plush looking towel around her chest. My cock immediately sprung to life at her long tanned legs and bare shoulders. “Don’t you fucking knock?” she bit out, her eyes spitting fire as she glared at me. Despite her anger, she couldn’t stop the brief glances she kept dropping to my all black tuxedo, and it made my cock harden even more, knowing she was still checking me out.
“I didn’t fucking do it, your guard dog let me in,” I fired back, pointing over my shoulder to the door. She paled slightly at the mention of Lorenzo, once again setting me on edge. Something is up with that man, I concluded, just have to find out what. “Don’t you have a bathroom you could change in?” I questioned. She rolled her eyes, snatching the dress I hadn’t noticed laying out on the bed.
“Fuck you very much, this is my room. I can change wherever the hell I want,” she challenged with a raised brow, “so if you don’t want a show, I would turn around.” A show, she says? Fuck that, I’m not a gentleman. Crossing my arms, I stayed exactly where I was, a silent challenge to see if she was more bite than bark. “Fine, have it your way.” She shrugged and turned to face the bed. I found myself holding my breath as the towel dropped to the floor leaving her back, legs, and fucking sexy ass exposed. Fuck me, I barely held back the growl I felt rumbling in my chest at the sight of her unblemished skin.
“If you’re going to watch me get dressed, can you at least make yourself useful and zip the back?” she snarked, glancing over at me over her shoulder. Her black gown was fitted and simple from the chest down to her lean waist, but the collarbone and shoulder part of the dress was a black lace and the skirt flowed out on a soft wave. Dragging my eyes away from her body, I strode over, getting closer than I probably needed to. Tossing the tie over my shoulder so I had both hands free, I zipped the tiny metal zipper, my fingers barely brushing her skin as I did so. Berries and the curious scent of grease filled my nose, the contrasting scents were very much Kiera in every sense of the word. Succulent and different, as unique as her personality, and I tried to take a deep breath discreetly, holding back a moan at the entrancing scent.
“There,” I stated awkwardly when I moved my hands from the material, the urge to kiss her growing the longer I stood there. She turned to face me, a brief glimpse of tanned skin peeking through the fabric of her skirt where a slit was cut into the dress. Her brows scrunched as she noticed my lack of tie, and with a tiny shake of her head she snatched it from its place on my shoulder. Forci
ng myself to stay still, I stood awkwardly as her nimble and calloused fingers tied the stupid thing around my neck.
“You should probably learn how to tie a tie if your tramp mom is going to be sticking around,” she mumbled, her attention focused on adjusting the knot. “Frankie would have a fucking conniption if you showed up to his party with no tie and untamed hair.” She looked up at my brown hair, examining the way it was haphazardly brushed away from my face with a sigh. “Stay here,” she said, walking to one of the side doors and disappearing briefly before coming back. Grabbing my wrist, she angled my hand up enough for her to drop the little tub of hair paste in it. Scooping a tiny bit out onto her fingers, she worked her hands together before running them through my messy locks. I didn’t even care that she didn’t ask beforehand. The feeling of her fingers running through my hair was amazing, making my rock hard cock ache painfully.
“Kiera,” Lorenzo’s voice barked out from the other side of the thick wooden doors, making her jump slightly, “two minutes!”
“Wow,” I breathed, glaring over my shoulder at the door. “You really let them boss you around like that?” When silence greeted me, I glanced back at Kiera and my chest tightened painfully at the mix of anger and fear swirling in her eyes.
“Let’s just get through this stupid party and you can go back to your normal life,” she bit out, yanking the tub from my hand and returning it to the bathroom. What is so bad in this house that makes someone as feisty and fiery as her cower? I watched her flit around her room, slipping her stilettos on and inspecting every aspect of her outfit, makeup, and hair. Maybe she is just the stereotypical rich girl after all, I thought, watching her make sure she looked perfect.
“Fuck you very much,” she hissed, alerting me that I hadn’t kept my thought to myself as she glared. “If you knew exactly what my father is capable of, then you’d fucking have every hair on top of your head cemented in place and made sure your shoes were shined enough to see yourself in them.” My brows shot up at her defensive tone, but the door opening cut off anything I could say in response.
“Let’s go,” Lorenzo waved a hand towards the hallway. Kiera seemed to transform as she gracefully walked out of the room. Her fire was still there, I could see it simmering in her eyes, but she bowed her head slightly and folded in on herself as if to make herself less noticeable. Although, that would be impossible with the way her dress accented every curve and her makeup brought all eyes to her pretty face.
Jace
"Ah, Jace!" Garrett's mom Barbara Newlyn called out, her voice sickeningly sweet as she made her way over followed by a man I recognized as Frank Casterelli. Running through my mental logs of what I had on Frankie 'Smokes', I recalled he was known for being ruthless as well as polished, his shiny shoes and well-styled hair a facade that tried to hide the cold that lurked underneath his exterior. Someone normal wouldn't know much blood stained his hands, but I wasn't normal.
"Ms. Newlyn," I dipped my head and grabbed her hand gently before pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. She giggled, turning to Frankie.
"Frankie, sweetie, this is Garrett's best friend Jace. Jace, this is my fiance, Frankie Casterelli." I kept my face flat at the slip of the new title, seeing as how Garret would have blown a gasket if she had told him she was getting married. Well, this’ll just be a fucking fantastic spectacle.
"Pleasure to meet you, sir." I held out my hand, holding his gaze without faltering. After a tense staredown where his shrewd gaze assessed me, he finally returned the handshake.
"You as well." His tone was respectful, which surprised me, but apparently whatever he saw in me had earned his respect. "If you'll excuse us, we have to make introductions." I dipped my head in understanding and continued to stay among the crowd of rich men, most of whom I had stolen from previously.
"Welcome everyone. Our thanks for joining us for this year's Winter Gala. I am pleased to see all of you who could attend this year, and I cannot wait to chat with all of you," Frankie said, his voice booming confidently. "Now, please welcome my daughter, Kiera, and Barbie's son, Garrett."
My head turned, and my gaze immediately fell on the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Her honey tresses were styled in a chignon, her lips curling up slightly as she walked in with Garrett in tow. The latter looking completely out of his element in such an obvious way that nearly had me laughing, but as soon as I saw her walking through the crowd towards Frankie and Garrett's mom, my eyes wouldn't fix on anything else. She was beautiful, graceful, and fucking perfect. Her black gown was fitted, accentuating every little curve of her luscious body, and in that moment I knew one thing with startling clarity.
Kiera Casterelli was mine.
Garrett
I heard Frank’s voice radiating through the room as we stood outside the ballroom. “Now, please welcome my daughter, Kiera, and Barbie’s son, Garrett.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Kiera hooked her hand around my elbow and put on a tiny smile as we walked into the ballroom. Holy fuck that’s a lot of people, I balked, barely able to keep my face flat as at least a hundred pairs of eyes fell on us. I was suddenly grateful Kiera had grabbed my arm because at that moment I felt like I was floundering in a sea of judgemental stares and rich bastards, and her arm was the only thing keeping me above water.
“Come on,” Kiera whispered under her breath through her fake smile. She didn’t look at me as she started to direct me towards our parents. “After we say hi and all that, we can go hide over by the band.”
“Kiera, sweetie,” my mother tittered with a girly giggle that grated on my overwhelmed nerves.
“Barbie,” Kiera spouted, seemingly falling into the roll she was required to play.
I stood awkwardly as they kissed cheeks before Frank’s hand appeared. Figuring it would be frowned upon to ignore it, I shook his hand, making sure to squeeze extra hard as we stared at each other. His hard, nearly dead eyes sharpened at my silent challenge. Staring into the cold depths of Frank’s gaze, I realized there was a lot more behind his lavish parties, perfectly styled hair, and slick suits. I couldn’t stop the bubble of shock at what I saw in his eyes, that someone as rich and poised as Frank could be like the guys at the club.
There was a darkness swirling behind the sharp planes of his face, a darkness I saw in several of the patch holders, especially in the Enforcer Stone’s dark brown eyes, and he had seen and done some shit in his past. Knowing that, I suddenly became very aware of why Kiera hid behind her rich girl mask because the man before me was very much someone to be afraid of. When Frank dropped my hand, the spell of our staredown broke, but I couldn’t shake the sense of dread flowing through my veins at my realization. I attempted to pay attention to what was being exchanged between my mother and Kiera, but I couldn’t, and soon after Kiera was redirecting me towards the band that was playing a soft jazz tune.
“Alright, we still have to act like we belong, but we should be left alone for a while as everyone vies for Frankie’s attention,” Kiera murmured softly as we stopped walking. Her eyes fell on me, filling with laughter. “Not so easy being the kid of a rich fat cat, is it?”
“Last I checked, I’m the son of a whore who loves her heroin and booze too much to be rich,” I countered quietly. “You’re the one who’s rich.” She scoffed, but her lips quirked in a small grin, and she didn’t bother to argue.
“Hey,” Jace appeared, his hand landing on my shoulder in a quick greeting, “feel like an official rich man now?” Kiera laughed before throwing me a look that screamed, ‘I told you so’. “I’m Jace, by the way,” he introduced himself to Kiera, taking her hand. But instead of shaking it like I expected, he brought her knuckles to his lips and placed a soft kiss on them. A wave of anger flared in my chest at the motion, a pulse of possessiveness surging as I wrapped my arm around her waist.
“This is Kiera,” I tacked on, realizing I was acting like a crazy boyfriend. Jace’s face flashed in a way I couldn’t identify before melting back into his usual friendly
expression. The transformation was so fast that it made me question whether I had seen it at all.
“Nice to meet you,” Jace dipped his head in an oddly formal way. My brows drew down at his weird behavior, but the sound of a knife clinking against a glass pulled everyone’s attention, including mine, before I could call him out on it.
“I have big news,” Frank announced, “Barbie and I would like to officially let people know that we will be getting married at the end of winter!” Claps and a few cheers erupted at the statement, while Kiera and I stood wide eyed and surprised, neither of us having realized how serious the relationship between our parents was. Kiera recovered first, leaning into my side to the point that her perky tits pressed into my arm and chest as she whispered into my ear.
“Definitely need to learn how to tie a tie now, Garrett,” she teased quietly, her breath brushing against my skin as she pulled away. Jace and several men around us turned to talk to me about the news, distracting me long enough that I didn’t realize Kiera had disappeared into the crowd. After finally escaping the wave of people, I glanced around for her, but she was nowhere to be found. As I started towards the door whispers around me caught my attention.
“...stolen...”
“...priceless ring gone…” My anger flared as I shifted my focus towards Jace. I can’t fucking believe him.
