Twisted Locke (Locke Brothers, 3)

by Victoria Ashley

  ACE

  I saw the way Melissa stiffened when I pulled the knife from my boot and threw it at the target. There was a split second that I hated she was afraid I could harm her.

  I’d never hurt her, never even dream of it. Hell, I’d kill, maim anyone who thought of putting fear in her.

  It fucking kills me and I want to give her every reason to know that she’ll always be safe with me.

  “Throw it at the target, Melissa.” She pulls her gaze away from the knife to look up at me. “If anyone has ever hurt you, they’re that fucking target. Throw it.”

  “I’ve never been hurt enough by anyone to want them to be the target, Ace.” She brushes past me to stand where I was just moments ago when I threw it. “But I’ll be more than happy to pretend it’s your parents.”

  Before I can say anything or react to the fact that she hates my parents so much for hurting us, she throws the knife at the target but misses it, hitting the wall beside it.

  “Here.” I walk over and pull the knife out of the wall before I make my way back over to her. “Don’t think so much next time. Just relax and aim.”

  She takes the knife from me as I hand it to her.

  I stand back and watch as she throws it again. A satisfied smile spreads across her face when it hits the target this time.

  I fetch the knife and allow her to throw it a few more times. She seems to be enjoying it more with each throw and I can’t help but to get turned on by watching her.

  As much as I’m enjoying watching her let loose, I still can’t get that look of fear that was in her eyes when I grabbed my knife out of my head.

  She throws the knife one last time, but instead of handing it to her and stepping away, this time I hand it to her and back her against the wall.

  “I’ll never fucking hurt you, Melissa. I need you to know that.”

  Keeping her pressed against the wall with my body, I grab the back of my shirt and pull it over my head. I toss it aside and look down to see her breathing heavily, her gaze roaming over my body.

  “I wasn’t afraid of you hurting me, Ace. I’m just in an unfamiliar place and the knife caught me off guard . . .”

  Her words trail off when I grab her hand and place the blade of the knife to my chest. “I’d let you cut me before I ever let any harm come your way. I’ll always fucking protect you.” I stare into her eyes, seeing them grow wider, her shock, maybe even a little bit of fear of the situation, claiming her. But I can also see she knows the truth, can see it in her expression. “Now. Cut me.”

  She shakes her head and attempts to pull the knife away from my chest, but I push it farther into my skin, drawing blood. “Ace—stop. I don’t want to hurt . . .”

  I move her hand along my body, digging the blade in, stopping at my collarbone. “I’ve never let anyone cut me before,” I say, my voice a low growl. “That’s how much I trust you and need you to trust me back.”

  Once I release her hand, she tosses the knife aside and runs the tips of her fingers over my wound. “I trust you, Ace. I know you won’t physically hurt me. But I’m not sure I’m ready for the things you do. The violence you bring to others. I don’t–”

  “Touch me, Angel.” I place my hand on hers and lower it down the top of my jeans. “Let loose and forget about everything else for once. Fucking touch me.” I bow my head and run my tongue across her lips. “Take my cock out and stroke it until I come in your hands.”

  She releases a sharp breath when I lower her hand to my erection. She looks surprised at how hard I am after what I just made her do to me.

  “The pain doesn’t bother me,” I whisper against her lips. “You can hurt me all you want and I’ll still be hard and ready for you. Always.”

  I lean my head back and close my eyes as Melissa’s hands work on undoing my jeans. Our heavy breathing is the only noise in the room and I love that she can’t control hers, just as I can’t mine.

  The moment her hand touches my bare cock, I bite my bottom lip and growl out my need for her. “Stroke me like you want to . . . like you own me, because you do.”

  With a small moan, she begins stroking me, her breathing picking up as if she can hardly handle the fact that she’s pleasuring me.

  I place my hands against the wall on either side of her head and watch as she runs both her hands over my long, thick cock.

  Each time her fingers move over my head, I moan, feeling like I could come any second. She moans too once she notices the drop of pre-cum wetting the tip of my cock.

  “I’m so fucking close, Angel. Squeeze tighter.”

  She squeezes me tighter, using the moisture from the head of my cock to make her strokes slicker and faster.

  I growl and grip the wall, feeling a tug at my balls. I’m so fucking close and she’s barely touched me.

  But it’s not about the way it feels to have her stroking me, although it feels fantastic. It’s about the fact that she is stroking me that has me ready to fucking explode.

  I’ve wanted Melissa’s hands on me for as long as I can remember and knowing that she’s enjoying it just as much as I am is enough to send me over the edge.

  “Fuck, yes . . .” I thrust my hips forward and move my hands down to wrap into the back of her hair as her strokes become faster and harder.

  “Holy shit, Ace,” she breathes. “I want you to come for me. I want to see you get off.”

  “Fuck!” Her words send me over the edge and within seconds, I’m busting my nut all over her hands as she continues to move them over my length, making sure to get every last drop out.

  I fight to catch my breath as I grab her chin and tilt it up so that she’s looking me in the eye. “Next time I bust . . . it will be inside your tight little pussy, Angel.”

  Her body shivers from my words as if just the thought is too much for her to handle. It makes my dick jump with excitement. “Ace . . . this is not what I expected tonight. I don’t usually–”

  “Pleasure twisted, homicidal maniacs?” I cup her face and move in closer when she removes her hands from me. “There’s a first time for everything,” I breathe. “But I can promise that it won’t be your last.”

  I move in and press my lips against hers, kissing her gently at first before deepening the kiss, until she’s fighting for air.

  Then I move away and grab my shirt to clean her hands off with.

  She watches me in silence, her gaze raking over me, as I take care of her. I may do a lot of damage with my hands, but I can be gentle with them when needed.

  After she’s all cleaned up, I toss my shirt aside again and move in so that our bodies are flush. I slowly move my hands up her body, stopping once I reach the back of her hair. “It’s late. I should get you home. I just wanted to show you this place first.”

  She swallows and nods. “Okay, yeah . . .” Her words trail off as she moves around me and heads for the door.

  I stand here for a few moments, taking deep breaths before I follow her outside and help her back onto my bike.

  The last place I want to take her is home, because it’s not my fucking home, where she belongs.

  I can feel that she’s so damn close to where I need her to be and that is enough for tonight. Soon, though, I know what I have to do to really get her to where I need her.

  I just need a little more time to show her that I’m more than just the twisted Locke she’s feared since the moment she’s heard about us.

  MELISSA

  I’ve been at the coffee shop for seven hours now and the only thing I have been able to think about is Ace Locke. Truthfully, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him since the moment he dropped me off at my house and drove off on his motorcycle last night.

  I knew if I allowed Ace to touch me, to kiss me and taste me, that I’d be completely consumed by him. Yet I allowed him to do those things anyway, because a part of me wanted to know what it’d feel like to give myself over to him.

  To give him a piece of me that I know I can never
get back.

  He hasn’t even slept with me yet, but he doesn’t have to for me to feel the way that I do about him. My feelings for him have slowly been growing with each moment we spend together and the fact that he took me somewhere so personal to him last night has my walls slowly crumbling down.

  But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m not sure if I’m ready for Ace’s lifestyle and everything that comes along with it.

  The violence.

  The blood.

  The worry.

  We’re not even together, but I find myself worrying about him. I’m terrified he’ll get hurt or even killed and the idea of that makes me sick to my stomach.

  After having his perfect mouth on me . . . and his rough, dangerous hands, I feel as if I’ll go crazy without him touching me. I want him to touch me all the time and now that I’ve touched him . . . made him come for me, I’m addicted to the rush he gives me.

  The sound that came from his throat when I made him come undone has haunted me all day, making me imagine him making that noise above me, buried deep inside me. I’m so wet, ready for him, primed in ways I’ve never even dreamed of. Only Ace can make me feel unraveled. I want more, so much more, but I’m afraid to ask for it, frightened to even imagine how real that would be.

  Once that transpires, once I allow that to happen, I’ll be his and there will be no going back. I know this without a doubt.

  And a part of me wants that.

  My shift is over soon and I haven’t decided where I should go yet once I get off. I could go home and spend the entire night thinking about the one man I shouldn’t be falling for, or I could show up at the Locke house to see him.

  Every part of me wants to see him. Wants to feel him despite the worry I still possess.

  “What’s your plans for tonight?”

  I look up from cleaning the counter at the sound of Gia’s voice. She hasn’t mentioned last night yet, but I can tell she’s been wanting to since the moment I walked through the door.

  “I’m not sure yet. I may just go home and watch TV.”

  She crosses her arms over her chest and leans against the counter as I continue to clean. “Are you just going to pretend that the scariest Locke didn’t show up at the bar last night and break a guy’s face over you?”

  I swallow and look up to see her studying me. “Ace is overprotective and that guy wouldn’t stop pushing me to accept a drink from him. He wanted to get me drunk, Gia. I’m not sure I feel sorry for him.”

  Her face softens. “I’m sorry. I had no idea he was pushing you. I was too wrapped up in Rye. I should’ve been paying more attention instead of putting you in an uncomfortable situation.”

  I shrug and toss the towel into the sink. “It’s fine. I’m actually pretty happy that Ace showed up when he did. He’s not as bad as you think . . . None of them are, Gia. They’re just . . .”

  “Misunderstood,” she says with a small smile. “I guess I can see that. Plus, they’re completely gorgeous. All three of them. Maybe I should’ve landed myself a Locke.”

  We both laugh, but stop and look over when the bell on the door chimes.

  The moment my gaze sets on Ace, who steps inside dressed in a white Henley, dark jeans and a pair of black motorcycle boots, I almost forget how to breathe.

  I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how beautifully dangerous this man looks.

  He stops and his gaze locks with mine as the door closes behind him.

  The intense look in his eyes is almost as if he’s close to losing his shit on someone and is fighting with everything in him to keep his cool.

  “Is everything okay?” I ask, my gaze slowly trailing down to see his knuckles freshly busted open. “Ace . . .”

  My words trail off as he comes at me, grips the back of my head and lowers his mouth to mine.

  He kisses me hard and deep, his tongue slipping between my lips with an urgency that makes my heart beat fast against my ribcage. It’s almost as if he needs me in this moment and the idea of that has my walls crumbling even more.

  “Are you off work yet?” he asks the moment our lips part.

  I shake my head. “Almost. I have another twenty–”

  “She’s off,” Gia interrupts. “Melissa can leave now if she wants.”

  Ace nods to Gia as he releases my head and backs away. “I’ll wait outside for you.”

  I don’t even get a chance to respond before Ace is out the door, hopping into his truck.

  “Whoa,” Gia whispers. “That kiss was pretty damn intense.”

  “Yeah.” I nod and clock out, unsure of how to feel at the moment. This kiss felt different. So much more intense than the other ones and I know it’s because my feelings for him have changed. “Thanks for letting me leave early.”

  “No worries. Kadence will be here soon.” Her attention goes toward the window. “Enjoy your time off. I know I would if I got to stare at him from the passenger side of his truck.” She shakes her head. “I promise I’m not thinking dirty things about your boyfriend.”

  “He’s not my–”

  “I’m pretty sure he is, Melissa. Just stay safe.”

  Butterflies flutter around inside my belly at the idea of Ace being my boyfriend. I like the sound of that a lot more than I ever thought I would’ve.

  “Yeah,” I whisper. “I’ll see you later.”

  I grab my purse and head outside to Ace’s truck. Just like always, he leans over and opens the door before grabbing my hand to help me up.

  “Where do you want to go?” he questions, placing my hand on his firm thigh.

  “I don’t know.” I can’t think straight right now because all I can think about is why his knuckles have busted back open. “What happened to your hands?”

  “Troy.” He keeps his eyes on the road as he drives, his jaw steeling at the mention of this Troy guy.

  “Who’s Troy?”

  “The fucker tied up in my garage who thought he could hurt my family. I’ll let him go in a few days, but not until he’s learned his lesson.” He glances over at me and, instead of being afraid like I would’ve just weeks ago, I feel the urge to climb into his lap and kiss him hard on the lips.

  Without giving it a second thought, I unbuckle my seatbelt and crawl into his lap, straddling him.

  A deep growl comes from his throat as I kiss him hard on the lips, needing to feel his mouth on me. Needing to taste him.

  I love the protective side of Ace.

  “Fuck, Melissa.” One of his hands moves up to wrap into the back of my hair and I feel him grow hard between my legs. “Where do you want to go? I’ll take you anywhere just as long as I get to be with you.”

  I look up at him as he focuses on the road, his hips slightly thrusting into me as if he wants to fuck me right here in traffic. My entire body heats up at the thought.

  “Take me to the garage. I want to talk and watch you work, Ace. I want to spend time with you.”

  He pulls up at a stoplight and moves his hands to grip my waist. “Just talking tonight,” he groans. “I have somewhere I want to take you tomorrow. I need to because I can’t control myself with you any longer.” We are both breathing hard, heavy. “I want you to really see what you’re getting into.”

  I don’t know what he’s talking about, but I trust him. “Okay,” I whisper into his neck. “I’ll go anywhere with you, Ace. But for tonight I want to just be with you. I missed you.”

  The moment the words I missed you leaves my lips, a small breath of relief leaves Ace’s as if that’s the confirmation he needed to know that I’m falling hard for him.

  And I am.

  I know without him saying it back that he’s missed me too.

  I’m not sure where he wants to take me tomorrow, but I need tonight with him. I need to get to know him before he takes me somewhere that can change everything.

  I’m not ready to for my walls to come back up. I’m ready to fall for him completely.

  ACE

  Not killing
the fucker in my garage has been proving to be harder than I expected. Every time I look at the son of a bitch’s face, I’m reminded of the fact that he had the power to hurt my family. That all it would’ve taken was one squeeze of the trigger for him to end my life or one of theirs.

  I spent the last hour torturing him, reminding him of what will happen if he ever steps foot on our property again. The need to see Melissa in order to catch my breath and think straight was too overpowering for me not to show up at her work unexpected.

  The moment my lips touched hers and her taste covered my mouth, I felt as if I could fucking breathe again.

  I need her, and the more time we spend together, the more I know that I can’t live without her. I don’t want to.

  We pull up at the garage and as usual, it’s empty. Gage never stays past five because he knows I like my alone time here. My time to work and think.

  Melissa is still in my lap, straddling me when I put the truck into park and it’s taking every last fucking bit of my strength not to fuck her right here, right now and show her just how mine she truly is.

  “Fuck, baby.” I brush her hair back and move my lips across her ear. “I missed you, too.”

  My confession has her wrapping her arms around my neck and moving to place her forehead against mine. “Tell me what happened, Ace. I want to know about the asshole who got caught trying to break in. Did he hurt you?”

  I shake my head and steel my jaw. “No. He almost did.” I pause and run my thumb over her cheek. “If it weren’t for King, though, I’d most likely be dead. He was two seconds away from pulling the trigger.”

  Her heart pounds angrily against my chest as her grip on me tightens. “Is there a target here?”

  A small smirk crosses my face as I lift her up and out of my lap. The idea that Melissa wants to let some anger out in the same way that I’ve been doing for as long as I can remember somehow makes me feel even closer to her. “No, but there can be.”

  I watch as she jumps out of the truck and slams the door behind her. Once I make it out of the truck and over to her side, she’s pacing nervously. “You could be dead right now, Ace.”