Jace

by T. A. Grey

  Spinning around on her knees, Mara pointed the gun at Corey. He smiled, looking handsome as ever with his wide smile and straight teeth. He pointed a gun at Jace.

  “I gotta say, Marabell, I’m a little disappointed in you. I mean…after all this time you finally fuck something other than one of your toys and he’s black.”

  Mara did not move. His taunts would not goad her into responding.

  “I think we need a little music, don’t you, babe?” He started humming.

  The hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end. It was the same song he hummed while beating her the day of their last fight.

  Mara put pressure on the trigger. Corey tsked and then fired. Her scream of terror was only barely louder than the blast from his gun or the sound of Jace’s grunt.

  Corey laughed and dashed for her. He tackled her, shackled his arms around her waist and started rocking her side to side. She fought him hard but he was bigger, stronger. He always was able to make her feel so weak and little—not like how Jace did; with him it was different. With Corey, it made her scared.

  He breathed in the scent of her hair with a sigh. “Oh how I missed you, my babygirl.”

  His grip around her was excruciatingly tight making it difficult to breathe. Mara reached up and grabbed fistfuls of hair and yanked hard tearing shreds. He only jerked up until her feet were no longer on the floor and shook her hard like a ragdoll.

  “Jace?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

  Corey laughed and began dancing them around the room, letting her muddy, bloody feet kick out around them as she fought.

  “What a stupid name. Just like Mara. Your name is not Mara. It is Marabell, isn’t it, Marabell?”

  She refused to respond.

  Still, he swung them in circles making the room spin and spin. She couldn’t hear Jace. The thought came immediate and strong—he was dead. Corey had shot him and now she couldn’t hear or see him.

  “I’m so angry, Marabell, girl. I’ve looked for you for so long. There were some days I thought I’d never find you.” He laughed. “But then I’d look harder. You hurt me so bad when you left me. Do you have any idea how bad you hurt me, Marabell?” he hissed between clenched teeth.

  Suddenly one arm left her. Only it came back quickly as he slammed his fist into her ribcage. The bone jarred so hard she was sure it split some. Mara cried out in agony as the pain sapped her strength.

  “Jace?”

  Corey held her like a damsel who’d fainted. He spun her around in circles. She was helpless but to watch the room spin and spin. It was so dark, she couldn’t find Jace. Then so suddenly she was free.

  Her legs couldn’t keep up to the spinning momentum of her upper body and her legs gave out. She collapsed only to be grabbed and lifted. Corey ran his hands all over her face, opening her eyelids so she had to see him. He cupped her ass and squeezed her breasts with a possessive touch that made her skin crawl like thousands of ants trekking up and down her spine.

  “Missed you so much, babygirl. It was so lonely without you. Don’t worry, I’ll make you pay and then we’ll go home and everything will be just like it used to.”

  A bubble of laughter escaped her.

  Corey bared his teeth at her. “What’s so funny, girl?”

  Mara couldn’t believe it. She was laughing. Her rib was cracked, her body hurt and cut, the love of her life was most likely dead or bleeding out as this maniac danced her around a basement—and he thought they were going to be together. The idea was so hilarious, she couldn’t stop laughing. She laughed right in his face. And his expression of pure doubt was priceless.

  Rage transformed his face with an icy glaze only moments before his fist connected with her cheek. God, she forgot how much being hit just hurt. How it sapped your strength.

  Somehow she managed to stay standing…and chuckling.

  “I won’t go back with you. Ever. You wanna know why I’m laughing? I’m laughing because you think I’ll just go.”

  He grinned. “You’re already beat. Look at you, you can hardly stand.”

  That made Mara snap up straight and slam her knees tight. Her hands curled into fists with her nails ready to claw. “You’re nothing to me. You don’t matter at all.”

  His smile died. “That hurts, Marabell. You know I don’t like it when you say mean things to me.”

  Mara’s heart skipped a beat. Not because of what Corey said but because Jace was standing up behind Corey. He’d somehow gotten the ropes off. Blood soaked his shirt to his body, sweat drenched his brow.

  Jace took a step forward and must have brushed against something because Mara and Corey heard it. That single, little sound might as well be as loud as an explosion.

  Thinking fast, Mara stepped forward, grabbed Corey’s face and kissed him. He seemed so stunned he didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want him to think about it, so she made it as real as possible. She thrust her tongue in his mouth and kissed him like he was her long-lost lover.

  That gave Jace only a few seconds but it was enough. Jace moved forward and struck. Corey jerked in her arms. Mara’s eyes popped open.

  Corey looked confused as his grip on her loosened. Mara stepped back as Corey slid to his knees. “You little bitch.”

  Jace stood behind him with a bloody knife. “Look away, Mara,” Jace said. There was something chilling in his eyes.

  “Don’t, Jace.”

  He didn’t look at her. He only looked down at Corey who began to crawl toward one of the guns that was on the floor.

  “Jace, just tie him up and we’ll call the police.”

  There was something dark in Jace’s gaze. “Go upstairs, Mara.”

  Mara watched Corey squirm a little closer to that gun before intervening. She snatched up the gun. “I love you and I’m sorry I didn’t say it like I should have earlier. I love you and I want to be with you. Now come with me and let’s call the police, baby.”

  Jace finally looked at her. He blinked several times. With each blink the danger faded little by little. There was a knock upstairs and voices. She recognized the sound of Gio’s voice.

  “Help’s here,” she said.

  “Obviously.” Jace’s lips twitched. Mara couldn’t believe he was actually teasing her. Her lips twitched too and they were both smiling as the cavalry came.

  Chapter 14

  Four days later

  Jace’s house

  Jace and Mara stepped into his house for the first time since it was half-blown up by her psycho ex, Corey.

  “It could be worse,” Mara said, taking in the disaster that was his house.

  Jace grimaced, not quite feeling the same way. “I don’t have a deck and the back of my house has a blue tarp covering it with bricks holding it down.”

  “So you’re letting in a few insects and rain leakage. No big deal.”

  He gave her a look that stated she was being ridiculous. Mara laughed and set down her hospital bag. They’d both had a short stent in the hospital, but they’d come out alive and well. Now there were other matters for them to discuss. Jace needed to figure out how to get her to stay with him.

  “God, I can’t wait to be back to my house. I miss it so much!”

  Jace’s heart throbbed. He rubbed it, frowning. “Yeah.”

  She smiled at him so brightly it was difficult not to smile back. “I’m gonna go pack my things!” With a squeal, she ran to her room.

  Jace stood in his own house feeling like an idiot. They hadn’t mentioned anything of love since that day. They’d both been surrounded by mothers and his co-workers. His mom had baked them two pies and Mara’s mom, after she heard what happened, drove out to the hospital too. She brought enough chocolate truffles to last them a few lifetimes. Of course they tasted so good, Jace doubted they’d last that long.

  He heard her zipping her suitcase. That sound conjured images of her wheeling her things out of his house and he knew he couldn’t let the girl of his life go. Jace entered her doorway. She didn’t tu
rn.

  “What’s up?” she asked, perky as ever.

  How could she be perky when she was ripping his heart out if she left him?

  “What are you doing?” he asked, his voice strangely hoarse.

  “I told you, silly, packing my things. Why? Is something wrong?” She finally turned and saw his expression. “What is it, baby?”

  She wrapped her arms around him and pressed a kiss to his chest. Jace simply held her. He let out a little breath at how perfect it felt. She was in his house, safe, at home.

  “I guess I’m a little unsure what’s going on here.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because you’re packing your things, Mara. Mind telling me why you’re doing that when we just got home from the hospital?”

  She pulled away, the smile fading. “Why don’t you tell me what you think I’m doing?”

  Jace stiffened. “You’re packing your stuff so you can leave.”

  She looked away, not meeting his gaze. His gut clenched.

  “Don’t toy with me right now,” he said.

  Mara looked up at him and smiled. “How do you feel about babies?”

  Jace jerked in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

  “I asked, how do you feel about babies,” she said very slowly. “I said that because I’m going to have one in about eight and a half months.”

  Jace’s jaw dropped open, then it snapped shut, then he staggered back a step and clutched at his chest. His heart was about to burst out of him. “What?” he said dumbly.

  She smiled at him—smiled! “We didn’t use protection and now I’m full of Jace Mathew’s baby.”

  “That’s an interesting way to put it,” he said mildly.

  She shrugged, hands touching her belly. “Maybe I like the sound of all that.”

  His stupid lips started smiling as they always did around her. “Oh yeah? Maybe I do too.”

  Her eyes lit up with a teasing light. “Then maybe you should go pack too because we’re not staying here, honey. I have my cottage, fairy tale house and I’m not leaving it for a house with a hole in the back of it.”

  “That’s all it takes to keep you at my side?”

  She pretended to think about it. “You know, I’m not sure. I might need more.”

  They were too far apart. He rectified that by pulling her into his arms. There, that made him feel all better, even as his heart went wild. “I love you, Mara.”

  Her breath hitched—such a beautiful sound—and she smiled. “I love you too, Jace. Now, why don’t you drive me home in that big black truck of yours?”

  He slid his hand over her stomach, so flat now but already he was eager to see their baby grow inside her. “Yes, ma’am.”

  He leaned down and caught her lips in a slow, sensual kiss.

  “You know what’s next, right?” he asked against her lips.

  She shook her head. “No, what’s that?”

  He waited until she looked at him. He didn’t even have to say it. With just his eyes he told her. And she gasped.

  “No, we can’t!”

  “That’s right, sweetheart. We’re getting married.”

  Instead of frightening away, Mara’s fear was gone. Her eyes lit up making joy coarse through his veins. “We are not!”

  “Yes we are.”

  “You haven’t even asked!”

  “I just did,” he said.

  She slapped him playfully. “Did not. You simply said we are like your word is law.”

  He made a serious face. “Are you saying you don’t actually want to spend the rest of your life with me?”

  “I—I’m not saying that at all. I’m saying…I don’t even know what I’m saying. Make love to me already, will you?” Exasperated, she pulled him down for a wet kiss that curled his toes.

  “I’d love to,” he said.

  And so he did. Then he drove them to her fairytale cottage that still needed to see some repairs after the damage from Corey. Jace made love to her again, this time in her bed.

  They cuddled on the bed afterward with hands entwined. “Jace Mathews,” she said.

  He grunted. He had his nose buried in her sweet smelling hair—whatever shampoo she used he couldn’t get enough of. Their bodies were warm and touching from head to toe. Life had never been better.

  “Mara Mathews,” she said slowly.

  He popped one tired eye open. “What?”

  “I’m testing it out. Before I can say yes to you, I have to know if my name will sound good with yours.”

  “You’ve got be kidding me, babe.”

  “I’m completely serious,” she said.

  “I was afraid of that.”

  She chuckled, her belly shaking. “Shut up. I’m listening. Mara Mathews. Mrs. Mara Mathews, sex toy operator.”

  “I like the sound of that,” he whispered in her ear.

  More giggles. He liked the sound; it made him smile.

  “Jace?”

  “Yeah, baby?”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too, babe.”

  “Yes.”

  Both eyes popped open and he tilted her head toward him so he could look into her eyes. “What was that?”

  She was smiling so huge her cheeks had to hurt. “Yes, I want to marry you, Jace Mathews.”

  Damn, but he started smiling right back at her. “Smart choice.”

  “You are so full of yourself.” She burst out laughing, making the whole bed shake.

  He fought his own laughter. “I know what I want and what I want is you in my life for the rest of it. Because if you’re not…because if you’re not, then life wouldn’t be worth living.”

  Mara’s smile died as wetness shined in her eyes. He hadn’t meant to say that. But it’d just come out. He was glad it did though because she pulled him close and kissed him.

  “We’re gonna be good,” she told him.

  And she was right. They did real good.

  Thank you for reading Jace. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please help other readers to find this book:

  1) This book is lendable, so send it to a friend who you think might like it so she can discover me, too.

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  Book 2 in the Bodyguards for Hire series coming early 2014! Find more of my titles at Barnes & Noble.

  ALSO BY T. A. GREY

  THE MacKELLEN ALPHAS

  The Loneliest Alpha

  THE KATEGAN ALPHAS

  Breeding Cycle

  Dark Awakening

  Wicked Surrender

  Eternal Temptation

  Dark Seduction

  Tempting Whispers

  THE BELLUM SISTERS SERIES

  Chains of Frost

  Bonds of Fire

  Ties That Bind

  The Fallen King

  THE UNTOUCHABLES

  Take Me

  STANDALONE WORKS

  Capturing Jeron

  Midnight Sex Shop

  Ecstasy Overload

  Evernight Romance Anthology –

  ‘The Vampire’s Mate’

  Dedication

  To Chuck, for being there and putting up with me.

  Acknowledgements

  To the Alpha Squad, my awesome street team, my editor, Lea Ellen, who is away diligent in cleaning up my messes, and my supportive family.

  About the Author

  I love to write the kind of stories that will keep you up late at night and make your heart pound. It's my goal to make each new book better, more exciting, and more action-packed to keep thrilling you. I'm always trying to push the boundaries with my imagination, and yours, to create something new and different.

  Open up one of my novels and you will find hot, erotic stories that will make you laugh out loud, cry, and fly through t
he pages. I write addictive love stories and I hope you like them.

  Visit my website to learn more about my books at www.tagrey.com.

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