by Melody Anne
She looked at him as he sat down in the chair, his face white, his hand trembling, his lips pressed tightly together. The full impact of the intruders, and her flight with Ace through the city and beyond, was beginning to settle in on her, but she pushed it away. There wasn’t time for her to fall apart—not yet. First, she had to make sure Ace was going to be okay. He had to be one of the strongest men she knew, and that was saying a lot, considering she had a heck of a lot of alpha-male brothers.
Lindsey and Chloe were examining Ace, and he smiled up at them before winking at his brothers, who grumbled.
“You two have done well in your choice of women,” Ace said as Lindsey leaned over him and Chloe touched his arm.
“Yeah, yeah,” Maverick grumbled. “Remember, you’re in pain, and think a little less about flirting with my wife or trying to look down her shirt.”
“I can’t help myself when I have beautiful women with their hands all over me,” Ace told his brother.
“You’re such an ass,” Nick said, but he was smiling.
“I can second that,” Dakota said as she leaned against the wall. She was afraid she was going to rush over and run her own hands over him. No one needed to see that, or realize the strong connection she felt for this man.
“You got shot twice, Ace,” Lindsey said with a frown. She then turned to her husband. “Get me some clean cloth and hot water. I’m going to grab my emergency kit from the car. He’s dang lucky I have a much better one than the average person.”
Everyone moved to get what was needed. Dakota pushed away from the wall and moved over to him. She leaned down, and Ace smiled at her. Damn, that look in his eyes took her to a place she had no business being.
“This is going to hurt. I think we should just go to the hospital,” she told him.
“I’ve been through worse,” Ace assured her.
“Not in front of me,” she said.
“Are you worried about me, Dakota?” he asked, seeming to like that idea.
“You were shot. I think I can worry a little,” she admitted.
“I like it,” he told her. The seriousness of his words made her nervous. This thing—whatever it was—between the two of them was moving entirely too fast. She didn’t trust or like it. But even knowing that, she couldn’t seem to stop it. Maybe she and Ace were tangled up in a boulder shooting down a steep hill at top speed.
“Are you ready for this, Ace?” Lindsey asked.
She and Chloe were back, and their gazes shifted from Ace to Dakota in a knowing way. Dakota was going to need to set her best friend straight before Chloe’s imagination ran away with her. Hell, Dakota didn’t even know what she was feeling, so it would be hard to set anyone straight.
“I was born ready,” Ace told her.
“The bullets are in farther than I’d like. I’m going to have to dig them out,” Lindsey told him. “Be prepared to pass out.”
“I’m tougher than your husband,” Ace said before smirking at Maverick.
“I’m going to let you get away with that considering the state you’re in,” Maverick replied.
Dakota took a moment to look at Ace’s three brothers. They might be cracking jokes and making comments to one another, but she could see the concern in their eyes, knew that they loved their brother, and didn’t at all like the situation he was in. It made her feel a little homesick for her own family. They were just as protective of her, which at times was beyond frustrating and at other times made her feel loved and safe.
“Time to let me go,” Ace said, and Dakota realized she was still clutching his hand.
She tried to pull away, but he tugged on her, bringing her forward. Right there, in front of his entire family, he kissed her. It was short and sweet, and she felt wobbly on her feet as she pulled away.
Yes, this was definitely so much more than she had expected. She refused to look at his family as she backed away. She couldn’t imagine what they were thinking about the two of them—especially with the way she was dressed. Normally she really didn’t care what anyone thought about her, but it was different with this family—with Ace. She knew who she was and didn’t shrink away in sticky situations, but from the moment she’d set eyes on Ace Armstrong, her world had been spinning. The longer she was with the man, the more the wind whipped her around.
She didn’t want to remain in the room as Lindsey and Chloe began cleaning Ace’s wound. But she couldn’t tear her gaze away from his face. He looked up and met her eyes, and she felt the sting of tears in her own.
He wasn’t making a sound, but she could see how much pain he was in as his wound was being tended to. She wanted to stop it, but this had to be done. Ace gritted his teeth around a wooden kitchen spoon as Lindsey slipped a sterilized pair of tweezers into one of the small holes in his arm. Maverick was at his side, steadying his arm. Sweat began pouring from Ace’s brow. He still didn’t make a sound, but his teeth were biting hard on the spoon. He was even more pale than he’d been when they’d walked into the house.
Blood poured from the wound as Lindsey pulled back, a bullet easing from Ace’s arm. She dropped it in a cup sitting on the table, the sound unusually loud.
“I know that sucked, Ace,” Lindsey told him, apology in her voice. “But that was the easier of the two,” she added. “The next one is going to be worse.”
“Thanks for the pep talk, Doc,” Ace said, his voice hushed as he tried to mask his pain.
“Can’t we give him a break?” Dakota asked.
“We need to get it finished as quickly as possible,” Chloe told her as she wiped his wound and put more antiseptic on the area. “The longer we draw this out, the worse it is for him.”
“Just do it,” Ace told her.
Dakota was shaking as Lindsey wiped the other wound before dipping the tweezers inside his tender flesh. This time, though she knew he was desperately trying not to, a groan escaped Ace’s tightly clamped teeth.
Dakota moved forward, not wanting to be in the way but needing to comfort the man. Without thinking about it, her hand lifted and she wiped away some of the sweat from his brow. He wasn’t even able to lift his face up and look at her. She just kept out of the way, comforting him as best she could.
“It’s almost over,” Lindsey promised. She began retracting the tweezers, and Dakota prayed she had the bullet, that this was truly almost over. She didn’t think Ace was going to be able to take much more, no matter how strong a man he was.
Time dragged on endlessly, but then the tweezers popped back out of his skin holding the thing that had caused so much pain. Blood streamed from the wound now that the second bullet was out of his flesh. Tiredly, he turned and looked at the tiny piece of mangled lead before Lindsey dropped it in the cup holding the other one.
Chloe took over, cleaning up the area. Dakota was so impressed with both women. They had remained calm the entire time, offering words of comfort and steady hands. Dakota had always thought of her best friend as a hero, but she had an entirely new appreciation for her in these moments.
Chloe washed away all the blood, cleaned the wounds again, then began to wrap his arm to protect it. Ace didn’t utter another sound, but Dakota knew the area was tender as hell. They’d given the man a healthy dose of painkillers. Still, they didn’t compare to what he would have gotten at a hospital.
“We’re all done, Ace. Before we talk, you need to rest,” Lindsey told him.
“There’s no time for rest right now,” he said. His body was trembling, and Dakota didn’t at all agree with his assessment.
“If you won’t do it for yourself, then take a look at Dakota, who appears to be on the verge of falling over,” Mav pointed out.
“I’m fine,” Dakota argued.
“No, you’re not. You need a shower and a change of clothes,” Chloe told her.
“Okay, let’s take an hour break,” Ace agreed, his eyes meeting Dakota’s. “I’ll rest on the couch while you take some time,” he told her.
“Good, it’s
a plan,” Chloe said, not letting Dakota argue any more. Chloe grabbed Dakota’s arm and began pulling her away while Ace’s brothers helped him to his feet and led him into the living room.
Chloe didn’t try talking to Dakota as she led her straight to the guest room’s bathroom. She looked at her best friend with tears in her eyes. Dakota was too close to falling apart now that the danger seemed to be over.
“Take your time. There will be clothes on the bed when you come out,” Chloe said. “Then we will talk.”
Dakota nodded, and Chloe left her alone. She was in shock. She knew this, and still, she didn’t know what to do next. People often said that when a couple was in a high-stress situation, they would misconstrue certain feelings that they believed were real. That might be the case for Dakota, because all she wanted to do was get back to Ace. She felt a connection with the man that she hadn’t planned on ever feeling for him.
She was in serious trouble—and it wasn’t because people were shooting at her.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Standing in the bathroom, Dakota looked into the mirror, barely able to recognize herself. No wonder Chloe had seemed so worried about her. Dakota always smiled and was able to find joy in almost any situation. But she didn’t recognize the image staring back at her as she turned her face to analyze her appearance.
She was washed out, with specks of blood on her hollowed-out cheeks. Her eyes were dull and her lips tight. She began shaking as she stood there, the shock of the night overwhelming her as she thought about the situation.
Never before had she even come close to experiencing what she’d just gone through. Fear and the need to escape had been with her from the moment those men had pushed their way into her house until Ace had charged in to save her.
She’d managed to catch a few minutes of rest in Ace’s car, but he’d spoken on the phone, rousing her. She now knew just how dangerous Ace’s job could be. She couldn’t believe he was trying to blame himself, though. What had happened to her had nothing to do with him.
However, Ace had been shot. She’d never witnessed a person getting shot before. She’d seen it a thousand times in movies, had read about it in books, but the reality was so much worse than she ever could have imagined. It hadn’t seemed real. She still felt as if she’d been placed in some script, or, for that matter, an alternate reality.
But all she had to do was look in the mirror to know it was all very real. She couldn’t stand to stare at herself anymore. She found that her legs were growing weaker. She sank down onto the side of the tub and cradled her face in her hands as her first tears fell.
Dakota hated weakness, prided herself on her strength, but she decided she could forgive herself for having a small meltdown. She’d been through a lot this night, and it wasn’t even over yet. She had to let out some of the anxiety before she would be able to put on a strong mask again and sit down with the Armstrong family to tell them of her crisis, which in reality wasn’t that bad. Everyone had come out relatively okay. Well, everyone but Ace.
Tears silently streamed down her cheeks, and Dakota turned on the tub’s faucet to drown out the sound just in case anyone happened to be outside the door. She didn’t need them to see her falling apart. Chloe was worried enough as it was. If her own family had even an inkling of what had happened, they’d be rushing in through the private gate of Cooper’s property, breaking it down if need be, to get to her. She didn’t need that on top of everything else.
Dakota had known from the moment she’d met Ace that he was trouble with a capital T. She’d chosen to be with him anyway. Maybe she liked the appeal of danger. Being shot at hadn’t been exactly what she’d had in mind, but sometimes her life was too predictable, too boring. After this night, that wasn’t something she could ever say again.
Slipping out of her ruined robe, she sank down into the overly hot tub and felt prickles of pain shoot through her body. She wanted this reminder that she was very much alive and unharmed. She also needed to scrub away the blood and grime clinging to her.
As she adjusted to the temperature of the water, she hugged her knees tightly to her chest and rocked back and forth in the deep tub. She felt some of the terror of the night begin to fade. She would pick the pieces back up. That was who she’d been raised to be, and there was no use in falling apart now.
Uncurling, she found bruises here and there on her legs and arms. She wouldn’t show those to Ace. He’d been so worried about her getting injured, he hadn’t focused at all on his own much more traumatic injuries. She smiled as she thought about that. He wasn’t as hard as he wanted the world to believe he was.
There was a protective spirit about Ace that made her want to stay plastered to his side. Was it possible to fall in love with a person after knowing him for such a short period of time? Dakota shook her head at the thought of that. She didn’t think so.
To fall in love, a person needed to really know someone inside and out. Anyone could mistake lust for love. That was easy. Your body reacted to another’s, and attraction was instant. But to fall in love with a man, you had to know him, know what he liked, understand who he was behind the many years’ worth of barriers he’d built around himself.
She hadn’t been with Ace long enough to feel anything more than attraction, but the thought of him being hurt any more than he already had been nearly broke her heart. She felt something much stronger than attraction for the man. She just didn’t want to think about what that was.
When the bathwater began to cool, Dakota stood on legs that were much weaker than she liked. She left the tub carefully and grabbed a fluffy towel from the shelf. Stepping from the bathroom, she found a fresh set of clothes on the bed and her best friend sitting in the corner in a chair.
“They are new underwear, don’t worry,” Chloe said with a smile.
“I’m so glad we’re the same size,” Dakota told her as she began slipping the clothes on beneath the warm towel. She felt as if she were back in her dorm room getting ready for the day while speaking with her roommate.
“These are Stormy’s, but she’s about our size as well. This worked to our advantage tonight, since you showed up here in a skimpy robe. You know I want an explanation about that,” Chloe told her.
“Ace is going to fill everyone in on what happened after he has a bit of rest,” Dakota said as she turned and put on the bra before slipping a sweater over her head. She was feeling so chilled. She was sure that was from the adrenaline rush as well. Her body had used up all its fuel, and now she couldn’t even stay warm.
“I know he is. I want to know the stuff he’s not going to talk about,” Chloe insisted.
Dakota could fight her best friend, but she knew she’d lose. When Chloe had been Nick’s physical therapist, she had tried unsuccessfully to keep things from Dakota. That hadn’t gone well for her. They had shared everything their entire lives. It’s what best friends did.
“We went flying today, though that feels like a million years ago. We had an incredibly hot kissing session that I never wanted to end, then I left,” Dakota said, wondering if she could get away with only half the story.
“And then?” Chloe prodded. She should have known that short explanation would never fly.
“And then he showed up at my house . . .” Dakota paused. “And we ended up in the bedroom.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Chloe said. Dakota looked at her best friend, who was grinning. It was so odd to see a smile after all she’d been through tonight, but it also was a relief.
“It was incredible,” Dakota admitted as she sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at Chloe. “It made me wonder why in the heck I’ve waited so long.”
“This is a huge deal,” Chloe insisted. “You waited a long time to make love, and then when you do, a heck of a lot more than fireworks happened. You got shot at afterward!”
As she processed the words her friend had just spoken, it somehow hit Dakota’s funny bone. She looked at Chloe’s serious face, and
suddenly, she couldn’t keep in the laughter that was bubbling up in her throat.
“Seriously,” she said between bits of laughter. “Who in the heck gives up the V card and then is chased by gun-toting killers?”
Chloe was looking at her as if Dakota was losing her mind. Then her lips twitched, and soon they were laughing together. It took several moments for both of them to become composed again.
Dakota stood and grabbed a comb, dragging it through her hair as she looked at Chloe. They were silent for several moments before Chloe spoke again.
“Was the sex great?”
Dakota couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, it was better than I ever imagined. Ace was worth waiting for.”
“On one hand, it’s very odd to think of my brother-in-law and you having sex, but on the other, I want to know every single detail,” Chloe admitted.
“When he found out I was a virgin, I think I nearly gave the man a heart attack. He had the nerve to lecture me and ruin my happy buzz. So I kicked him out of the house.”
Chloe’s eyes widened. “You had sex with the man and then kicked him out of your bed?” Her lips twitched again. “That’s so awesome.”
“Yeah, well, it didn’t last long. The doorbell rang, and I thought it was him coming back, maybe to do it again, but that’s when all hell broke loose.”
“You opened the door without verifying who was there again, didn’t you?” Chloe reprimanded.
“I live in a safe neighborhood. I wasn’t expecting thugs to be at my door,” Dakota explained.
“I worry so much about you,” Chloe said with a sigh.
“You need to worry about yourself. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of me,” Dakota told her.
“I’m just glad that Ace came back,” Chloe told her.
“Yeah, me too. But I’m also really pissed that those men ruined my happy buzz,” Dakota grumbled.
“You have men break into your house, threaten you with weapons, shoot at you, and of course you’re more concerned that your after-sex glow was interrupted,” Chloe said with a roll of her eyes.
