I felt safer now that we were in a vehicle that didn’t look like it would fall to pieces in the road if we rolled over a speed bump. That old hoopty got us through some things, but I’m just saying. I was still not one hundred percent comfortable with the situation and found myself glancing in the side view mirrors every now and then, gauging if I saw any suspicious activity behind us. We seemed to be tap dancing around the big elephant in the room, trying to forget about the shootout.
“Well, what I’m actually trying to say,” I laughed, “is how much longer are we going to be on the run?” My heartbeat pulsed in my ears in anticipation.
Ace squared his jaw and glanced at me, but quickly flicked his gaze back to the road. He paused briefly and opened his mouth as if to respond, but eventually pressed it shut again. He didn’t want to answer. My heart dropped when I realized that there was the potential that we would always be running.
I didn’t want to view my future in that bleak way. I closed my eyes, dreaming of better times to come. I refused to give up or cave to my fears. My mind drifted and wandered, eventually settling on a time where I could be happily sitting on the porch of my grandfather’s cabin, thinking of new wedding dress designs.
Ace would be there, his arms protectively clinched around my waist as he kissed my neck and sent shivers of pleasure up my spine. My lips curled deliciously at the idea of being able to have my dreams come true. My subconscious must really want Ace, but in my waking life, I still needed answers. Perhaps in a perfect world or an alternate universe, we were meant to be together. Either way, I knew I had to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially since he was leading me in the direction of safety and seclusion.
I must have drifted off to sleep for a while because when I awoke again, my mouth was as dry as sandpaper. I coughed and rubbed my sleepy face. There were sleep lines and marks on the side of my cheek from where I guess I had been pressed up against the seatbelt.
Ace was looming over me, looking rugged, masculine and handsome. His dark hair looked smooth and soft. I yearned to run my hands through it and for this nightmare to be over.
He slipped his arms underneath my back and gently pulled me up, lifting me to meld perfectly in his protective grip.
“We’re here,” he whispered.
I was drowsy and still out of it, trying to crack through the lethargy I felt after the long ride.
Ace carried me all the way inside the log cabin. It was warm and cozy already. He tenderly placed me on the bed and delicately pushed a strand of hair behind my ear.
He pressed his mouth to my forehead where he planted a fiery kiss on my skin. “We’re here.”
“Thank you,” I sighed with contentment, allowing my body to sag into the mattress.
My jeans shorts were being pulled down my thighs. It was Ace. Ace was taking off my clothes.
“Ace?” I mumbled, groggily, my eyelids so heavy I could barely hold them open.
“I’m right here,” he whispered. “You’re safe now.”
He lifted the ends of my shirt and I raised my arms to help him. Something bigger, lighter, and cooler was placed over me. I yawned as my legs were pushed aside and my body was roped in the covers where I became swallowed up in the sheets like a cocoon. I felt as if I could sleep for days to peel off the layers of exhaustion. I pressed my head into the pillow and rubbed my cheek softly against the linens. The pillow smelled familiar and comfortable, much like Ace. I wondered if he had been here and how recently.
Before my mind could brainstorm any other ideas, I succumbed once again to the compelling power of sleep. This time, I knew I was home, and I would do my best to adapt to the new normal accompanying me.
Chapter Sixteen
Khloe
Fresh morning light stung through my still sealed eyelids. I blinked and stretched, yawning. I sat up in a jolt, delirium racing through my heart.
"Hello?" I croaked in a raspy, sleep-induced voice.
At first, my eyes were blurry. As my vision shifted into focus, I glanced around. The room was unfamiliar. The walls were covered in pine and cedar logs, bringing a warm and cozy glow into the room.
I tossed the sheets off of my body and repelled my legs to the floor. The cool wood was smooth across the surface of my bare feet. I walked over to the wall and grazed my fingertips across the edges of the knots in the wood.
“Where…?” I whispered. I was wearing nothing but a t-shirt. Ace’s t-shirt. He must have pulled off my jeans shortly after bringing me inside and tucking me under the covers.
Then it dawned on me. A vision of Ace carrying me through the darkness rushed into my head. We were at the cabin. My pulse pounded in my ears. A fresh heat of panic made my skin hot from the inside out. I didn’t hear any movement besides myself inside the house. Did Ace really just drop me off here and leave me?
I fumbled across the wall, feeling almost blind as I swung the bedroom door open. My throat was closing in. “Ace?” I managed to squeak.
I dashed to the front door to check and see if the truck was still parked out front. I heaved a sigh of relief when I noticed that it was still there, gleaming in the sun. So, I was able to establish that he hadn’t left me, but where was he?
I started to walk away when something moving rhythmically outside caught the corner of my eye. I didn’t think. I burst through the front door like a barrel. My reaction wasn’t clever or safe, but I was still trying to come into my element after the deep sleep. It was jolting, the last thing I remembered was being in the car at night and then suddenly it was back to broad daylight.
Ace was sitting on the far side of the porch. He smiled. “Good morning.”
“Good…” I trailed off as I noticed the drastic change about him. “…morning.”
He had shaved all of the hair off his head. I smiled. He looked a different kind of handsome that way. I couldn’t tell whether I preferred him with his beautiful chestnut hair or none at all.
“Why…?”
He grinned. “I did it last night. It’ll grow back.”
“I’ve seen you with this look one time before when you came to visit my grandfather. I like it,” I said, blushing.
I glanced around the scenic forest views. We were completely surrounded.
The yard looked so familiar. A makeshift gravel driveway sat between two huge cedar trees. There was an old rundown swing set to the far left corner of the property. It looked like it had been abandoned and forgotten. My mouth fell open as recognition set in. Ace wasn't lying. Well, I knew he wasn't lying in the first place, but this trumped all disbelief I may have held in me. This was my grandfather's vacation cabin. The one where mom and I had spent many summers.
"Did you sleep well?" He was sitting there on the front porch, casually cleaning handguns with a white cloth.
An image from the fight at The Red Pony came back to me. I shuddered. “What are you doing?”
I noticed Ace's shoulders tense a little. "I like keeping them clean." He glanced out at the tree-lined horizon. “After I complete a hit, I clean up. Sometimes I shave my head too. It’s a habit.”
I swallowed hard, biting my tongue. I didn’t want to press the issue. I gently floated over to him. I invited myself to sit down next to him, tucking my knees up to my chest.
“Thanks,” I mentioned. “For everything. For bringing me here even though there were…hiccups along the way.”
My heart pounded as I bravely took the plunge and rested my head on his shoulder. He watched my movements, staring at me with curiosity and intrigue. Then, a smile curled at the edges of his mouth.
“You’re welcome,” he said softly.
"Do you come here a lot?"
“Just a few times a year to rest my head, refuel, hide my stash, and be somewhere secure and familiar for longer than a night,” he admitted. “But, I’ve mostly been living on the road.”
I watched his fluid movements as he cleaned each gun. The weapons didn’t make me as uneasy as I had expected. I viewed it as just
another challenge for the bad men chasing us to get past.
I reached out and rubbed his head, sliding my palm across the smooth surface. He closed his eyes and sighed as if he enjoyed the massage. I kissed him against the temple.
“Anyone else live out here?” I asked.
“Yes. We have neighbors. Mostly wildlife. Wolves, bears, foxes. People, too.” He chuckled. “It’s not like the city where most of the homes are built not even thirty feet apart.”
“It’s so peaceful.”
“I enjoy the silence.” There was a refreshing and serene expression that washed across Ace's features. He didn’t have that guarded exterior. It was as if the walls were stripped down and his emotional shield was left pleasantly vulnerable.
“I can see why.” I adjusted myself on the hard, wooden steps.
Ace looked up at the sky. “There's nothing but trees and blue skies and nature. It's peaceful and tranquil. When I come here, I forget all my problems. They melt away.” His eyes were hazy and dreamy.
I admired the way he was able to just switch gears and let go of his rough exterior. I wanted to see more of that. I wanted to bring out the best in him.
“Don’t you ever get lonely? I mean, even on the road, it must get lonely.” I didn’t mean to sound invasive, but for whatever reason, I regretted the question as soon as I uttered it.
Ace smiled with amusement as he met my gaze. “Sometimes, especially when there's no one here for me to talk to. It's pretty secluded, and most people who live out here don't want to be bothered…like at all.”
“I can understand that,” I chuckled. “Everybody needs people to talk to every now and then though.” My comment was an attempt to get him to open up a little more. I wasn’t expecting him to wear his heart on his sleeve, but I enjoyed getting to know him. He was mysterious and alluring. Everything about him was compelling. I was drawn to him with a stronger force than a pull of a magnet.
“I’m not the perfect man though. Not at all. I get into trouble when I’m bored. Nothing beats the adrenaline rush of successfully completing an assignment.” His eyes flickered with electric warmth.
Since he brought up the subject on his own, whether it was intentional or not, I observed the opportunity and decided to take advantage of it.
"How do you make money?"
“I got my start in flipping assets. I stole cars, motorcycle, and vehicle parts and traded them in for cash. It wasn’t an easy job, but it’s how I linked up with the cartel. We only work with a few trusted kingpins. I do some independent gigs, mostly as a hired gun or a courier, but it’s word of mouth.”
“Hired gun? Is that what my grandfather hired you for?”
“Yes.” He placed one gun down beside him and picked up another. He fluidly stroked the magazine of the weapon with the same white cloth he was using before.
“Oh.”
Ace had done something my grandfather never could have built up the courage to do. He’d done something I’d always imagined doing.
“Yesterday was the first night I had taken a life in a long time. These days, I’m usually hired to clean, as in, getting rid of evidence. I have an eye for things most people don’t,” he confessed. “Can you imagine what my fellow crew members must have thought about me when I tore off leaving them to clean up and stage the area after they whacked your landlord?”
“They’re not mad, are they?”
“Naw, we’re all good.”
I knew enough about the lifestyle. I was familiar with some of the terminology and protocols, especially after growing up around my grandfather. He used to run in circles with these kinds of groups all the time. That’s how my mother was first introduced to the man who abused her and ended up ultimately taking her life in the process.
It as a tough pill to swallow, and I was still licking my wounds from her death. I didn't know if I would ever be able to close the walls of pain from my past, but every day it did get a little easier than the last.
Ace stood up, retrieving the guns and putting them back into a briefcase. “Come on,” he beckoned me to follow him. “You slept through breakfast, but I can make you lunch.”
“That sounds good.” I didn’t realize it until he mentioned food that there was a pang of hunger slicing through my belly. It would be good to regroup and refuel.
Ace made us both turkey sandwiches. “How did you get food here by the way?” I asked glancing up at him between mouthfuls.
He smiled. “I’m magic.”
I laughed. “You wish.”
Ace took a gulp from his glass of water. "I went to the market before you got up. I made sure that everything was locked up tight before I left. Don't worry, I didn't go far. The farmer's market is just around the bend, through a valley, and straight up the road."
I laughed. “Well, that sounds like a maze. It’s really okay, though. I’m not mad at you or anything. As long as there’s food, I’m happy. Also helps that there’s a store around here too, even if I need a compass and a roadmap to get there.”
“The market’s owned by a bunch of homesteaders. They don’t say much. They just get you what you need and send you on your way.”
“So, this place has everything then?”
"Yup, but we just have to travel a bit further to get what we want. Your grandpa has a huge stash of shelf-stable food down in the cellar. He must have been planning to move out here way before he sold me the place. But I wouldn’t break into that stash yet if I were you. I wouldn’t unless I was in a dire emergency, and I’m talking apocalypse-type emergencies,” he said.
“Hopefully the zombies won’t take over anytime soon.”
He laughed. “Hope not. I’d need more bullets. However, your grandfather seemed really resourceful. These parts have been known to get some bad storms, snow-ins, and floods. It’s nothing we can’t handle though.”
“I’m up for it. I can take care of the cooking part while we’re out here. Aside from sewing, I can follow a recipe to the “T”.”
“You mean I’ll be able to eat more than just sandwiches and burgers from now on?” he joked. “Works for me.”
As soon as he was finished, I watched him walk to a nearby linen closet off to the side by the kitchen. He removed over two dozen bricks from the wall, stacking them just outside the door and pulled out another briefcase.
“What’s that?”
“I want to show you something,” he said as he wandered back into the kitchen carrying the briefcase.
I glanced down as he placed it on the kitchen table beside me.
“Everything you need to know is tucked away here,” he said, patting the top.
“Really?” I stood over the briefcase, looking inside.
“Yes.” Ace pulled out some documents from a sealed waterproof envelope. “All the proof is contained in here about my deal with your grandfather. You can see here that he signed over all his possessions, including the cabin. Like I explained, I asked him for you. He accepted the trade. Later on, he told me that he trusted me to keep you safe. I kept coming to visit. All of it was to see you and he caught on to that real quick. He low-key questioned me and learned a lot about me. I think I rubbed off on him. He said he didn’t know how long he’d be alive because of his bad lungs. He wanted me to have the cabin as a backup, just in case, just to have somewhere safe to settle down after the trade was made. I think he knew. He knew that you loved this place. That’s why he wanted me to bring you here.”
“Wow,” I said, relieved to witness it all in person. I don’t know why, but it made me feel better. There it was, my grandfather’s signature. Frozen in time and perfectly preserved with blue ink.
“And in here,” Ace said with a grunt as he pulled back a secret compartment in the briefcase,” is enough money for you to survive on. I have more, but the other stashes aren’t that easy to dig up.”
I glanced at him with a frown, feeling puzzled. “Why are you showing me this? Why do I need to live off this?” My heart raced. I stared at the enor
mous stacks of fat bills, all hundreds and fifties.
“I have to go take care of some business,” Ace replied reluctantly after a pause.
"You're leaving me here?" I cried in a panic.
Ace wouldn’t meet my gaze. “It’s enough money for you to live on for several years if you need it. You wouldn’t have to do anything you didn’t want to. You’d never need to do anything illegal. All the money is here. Us it to get where you want to be and then I’m sure you can handle the rest. You’re smart, Khloe, and you have talent.” He still wouldn’t look at me.
“What are you talking about?” I pressed. “Are you not coming back or something?”
Ace pushed the briefcase back inside the closet and started putting the bricks back. “I plan to come back.”
“Then why are you talking like you won’t be returning?” I asked, following him as he wandered the room.
He ignored me. “In here,” he pointed to a drawer. “Is everything you’ll need to obtain a new identity. This is my buddy, Garrett. I trust him with my life, and with yours.” Ace's eyes flashed into mine, burning my soul with longing and fright. He pulled out a piece of paper and showed it to me.
“Do I need a new identity?” I whispered.
“Not yet,” Ace shook his head. “But we can never be too careful. If you find yourself alone, call this number and Garrett will help you. He’ll tell you where my storage unit is.”
“Okay…” I trailed off meekly. The room was spinning, and I suddenly felt a wave of unsettling nausea nearly sweep me off my feet.
“Hey.” He took me by the shoulders and pressed his forehead to mine. “It’s going to be okay,” he whispered tenderly. “I promise.”
Hot tears pooled in my eyes. I couldn't speak. My throat was stiff and swollen. I nodded so that he would understand I was taking his word for it and doing my best to believe his words of reassurance.
He walked over to another drawer in the kitchen. He pulled out a map and pointed to several locations. “Here are the directions on how to leave the property and get back to the town. Since you were asleep when we arrived, you’ll need to refer back to this map.”
Claimed by the Ex-Con: An Ex-Con Second Chance Contemporary Romance Novel Page 9
