by Melody Anne
“Stop being paranoid,” Dakota whispered in his ear.
“With strange things continually happening, I can’t relax,” he told her.
“Everything will be okay. I’m not allowing a few unfortunate events to alter my life. No way, no how,” Dakota said. “Then all the villains of the world win.”
“The guns they have make them victors,” Ace told her.
“This event raises a lot of money for charity. You’re simply going to have to suck it up and enjoy yourself. The event will have lots of security. No bad guys have been invited,” she assured him.
“I know it’s been a bad few days. And trust me, I’m unhappy about losing my truck, but we’re all fine. In the end, that’s what matters,” Nick said as he eyed the crowd. He might be saying those words, but he was obviously growing a little suspicious himself.
“Your wife insisted we support Dakota in this, so you’re just trying to stay on her good side,” Ace grumbled.
“When you are married, you’ll understand how important it is to make your wife happy,” Nick assured him.
“I’m never getting married, so that’s not something I will ever have to worry about,” Ace responded.
He was glad Dakota had walked away to join her team. As a couple, she and Ace were nowhere near ready to talk about long-term commitment. Still, saying those words to his brother sent a pang through him. He didn’t want Dakota to hear his feelings on marriage.
Maybe it was because she wasn’t your typical woman. Normally he could sleep with a lady and forget about her by the time he woke up the next morning. That hadn’t been the case with Dakota—not from the first moment she’d smiled at him in that perfectly sassy way she had. He didn’t know how he was ever going to walk away from her. And he was scheduled to do that in just over a week.
The night could have been a fun adventure, but he couldn’t relax. He ate a meal he didn’t taste, his eyes constantly scanning the crowd for danger. Dakota moved through the room with ease, talking and laughing with big donors, making a lot of money for the charity.
There were too many people crowded into the glitzy hotel ballroom. He was constantly on the move as he made sure to keep Dakota in sight at all times. With her face flashed across television screens all across the United States, it wasn’t as if he could easily hide her. He would be grateful when football season was over. That was a thought he’d never believed he’d have.
Cooper was speaking to Ace when Dakota walked through the crowd, her smile lighting her way as she approached him. Ace didn’t hear a word Coop said to him. All his attention was focused on the beautiful woman coming straight at him.
“I’m going to be out of your sight for a few minutes. It’s time for us to perform,” she said. “I didn’t want you to cause a riot when I go backstage.”
“I will come with you,” he told her.
“Not a chance. We have security back there. You sit down and have coffee while you enjoy the show.”
Ace put his arm behind her back and pulled her to him, her eyes instantly dilating as she looked up at him and bit her bottom lip, something that drove him to insanity.
“You should learn to listen more,” he told her, a low growl in his throat.
“And you should know that only good boys are rewarded,” she said before giving him a quick kiss and then pulling from his arms.
He had no doubt she was adding a little extra sashay to her ass as she left him, knowing his eyes would be on her delicious rump. His brother’s laughter pulled him from the dark place his thoughts had sent him.
“I think marriage is on the horizon for you much sooner than you think,” Cooper told him.
“I can desire a woman without wanting to put a ring on her finger,” Ace snapped.
“Yeah, there’s desire, and then there’s obsession. From the moment I met Stormy, I was a lost cause.”
“That’s you, brother, not me,” Ace told him.
But he did feel lost as soon as Dakota was out of sight. He again tried to reassure himself it was only because of the current situation. If danger didn’t seem to be lurking behind every dark corner, he wouldn’t feel this unbelievable need to be with her twenty-four-seven.
The lights dimmed in the large room. Only the stage was illuminated now as a well-known host stepped out, a microphone in his hand. He announced a special treat for all the guests and asked them to sit.
Ace was much too restless to sit anywhere. He stayed where he was, with Cooper on one side of him and Maverick showing up on his other. All of them stared at the stage. Nick was sitting at a table with their wives, but even he was on alert. Nothing had been out of place the entire evening, but that still didn’t make Ace feel better.
Music started, and the curtains pulled back. Ace let out a relieved breath when Dakota sashayed onto the stage with the rest of the cheerleaders. Ace felt the tension leave his shoulders as he enjoyed their choreographed routine. The way Dakota could twist and bend gave him a whole heck of a lot of ideas he’d love to implement when the two of them were alone.
As much as he enjoyed the show, he was more than grateful when it ended. The night had gone off without a hitch, but he still wanted nothing more than to leave this elaborate event. Dakota was too far away from him. He wanted to get back to his brother’s place, where he felt a lot more secure.
Dakota stepped back out into the main crowd, and he wanted to break a few necks when people swarmed her, congratulating her on a beautiful performance and promising to write a nice, fat check to the charity.
She stroked egos and smiled, softly touched people on their arms, told each person they were special. Ace’s gut tightened more when a businessman got a bit too handsy with her.
“Not the time,” Mav said as Ace tried to rush in and stake his territory.
“That man is making a pass at her,” Ace growled.
“Half the men in here have been doing that with all the girls. They handle it well, and they are making a lot of money for people who need it,” Mav said.
“I don’t think you’d be so calm if it was your wife flirting for money,” Ace told him.
Mav tensed next to him for a brief moment. “Well, you have me there, but Dakota isn’t your wife, is she?” Mav pointed out.
Ace sent his brother a cloudy look before pulling out of his grasp. He walked straight to Dakota and slipped his arm around her back, staring at the man she’d been talking with. He didn’t punch him like he wanted to do, but he offered a forced smile instead.
“Ace Armstrong,” he said, holding out his hand.
“Eric Winters,” the man replied. “I haven’t seen you at any of these events.”
“You go to a lot of them?” Ace asked. He kept his tone civil, even though he was feeling feral.
“I believe in giving back, and I’m a huge Seahawks fan,” Eric said.
“I’ve become a much bigger fan since meeting Dakota,” Ace said, his hand possessively holding her perfect hip.
“Thanks again for coming, Eric. It’s always a pleasure to have you here,” Dakota said, giving the man her sweetest smile. It made Ace want to punch the guy in his perfect jaw.
Knowing he was dismissed, Eric told them both good-bye and walked away. “What in the hell was that about?” Dakota asked, no longer smiling.
“I missed you,” Ace said.
“You knew I was going to be busy tonight. I warned you before we left the house,” she said.
“I don’t like watching you flirt with other men,” Ace said. His own smile was long gone.
“That’s part of the job, Ace,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“You aren’t available to flirt with any other man but me,” he told her. He knew that was exactly the wrong thing to say, but he was leaving soon. He couldn’t call her his. He wouldn’t be around to ensure she would be.
“What gives you the right to enforce such a rule?” she asked. He could see that fiery temper she’d told him she’d often used with her brothers. Maybe
it should bother him more, but the fire in her eyes just made him admire her more.
“We’re together,” he said. For now, at least.
“Just because we are having a good time doesn’t mean I belong to you,” she told him.
Her words made him feel even more possessive. “You’re mine,” he said, his eyes narrowing. He didn’t even try to analyze where these words were coming from.
“I belong to myself, Ace. Don’t for one minute think you own me,” she said, tugging against his hold.
“It’s time to go.” He needed to remind her what the two of them had together. He decided he was going to do it all night long.
“Maybe I don’t want to leave yet,” she said.
He just smiled at her as people passed by. This was going to be fun.
“We can walk out of here side by side, or I can throw you over my shoulder,” he said pleasantly.
He could see that it took a few moments for her to process what he’d just said. Then her eyes lit on fire. She gave him a ferocious look that had his lower half throbbing with the need to take her.
“You’re going to be very disappointed to learn I’m not some docile woman who will be at your call and beck,” she snapped.
Ace smiled, deciding not to correct her. “I’ll give you to the count of ten to decide what to do,” he said.
“What?” This was growing more fun by the second.
“Ten . . . nine . . .”
“Are you seriously counting?” she gasped. She looked around as couples milled nearby. Ace would have no problem throwing her over his shoulder as he’d threatened, and she knew it. She was running out of numerals.
“. . . four . . .”
“Let’s go,” she said. Obviously, she knew he wasn’t bluffing.
Ace locked eyes with Cooper as he led Dakota from the room, and Cooper nodded at him. He’d let the rest of the group know it was time to leave. Ace was just grateful they’d all taken separate vehicles. He wanted Dakota all to himself. He didn’t think he’d even last until they got home before he had to sate his hunger. It seemed lust took the edge off his paranoia.
They made it outside to the SUV he’d just bought. With everything that was going on, he’d decided his car was unsafe.
Suddenly, Dakota turned her wrath on him.
“Of all the foolish, macho-man, ridiculous behavior, this is so over-the-top, I don’t even know where to begin,” she snapped as she poked his chest.
Ace just grinned at her. “Damn, you’re amazing,” he said.
He pushed her against the side of the SUV, his body pressed tightly against hers.
“What are you doing?” she asked. But her voice had gone from irritated to hungry.
“What I probably shouldn’t,” he said. “But I need a taste right now.”
Talking stopped as he took those lips the way he’d wanted to all night. He wanted to be sure everyone knew she was off the market. Truth be told, he was completely and utterly owned by this woman. With the snap of her fingers, she could have him on his knees, begging her to never let him go. He was too enthralled with her to let that thought scare him. She was his. But he was also hers.
When Ace finally came up for air, he realized he was out in the open with her with too many people around. That wasn’t good. “We should get going,” he told her, his voice strained.
“Is there a problem, Ace?” she asked in a husky voice. The little minx had a knowing look in her eyes. She knew what she was doing to him, and she enjoyed the power. That was the problem with a woman like Dakota. She held far too much power in the relationship.
“Yeah, I have a definite problem,” he told her, taking her hand and pressing it to his pulsing arousal.
“That doesn’t seem like a problem to me,” she said as her fingers stroked over him, nearly making him come in his pants.
A scuffling in the parking lot made Ace stand at attention, his desire lessening as someone shouted. There were a lot of people leaving. He was sure it was nothing. The hair on the back of his neck had been standing on end since Dakota had been attacked. It was nothing new.
“He has a gun,” someone yelled, and people in the parking lot scrambled to hide.
“Get down!” he yelled to Dakota half a second before several gunshots rang out, shattering the joyous voices of just a moment before.
Ace reached for his gun—he had refused to leave it at home. He glanced at Dakota, who was white-faced, her mouth open in shock. There was the sign of danger he’d been wanting to see in her eyes. Too bad it had taken another gunshot for her to take his unease seriously.
“Get in,” he told her, thrusting open the door to the SUV. Ace crouched down, gun in hand. Another shot rang out, this one hitting the pavement where Dakota had just been standing. Two more shots rang out, and the only thing Ace cared about was getting Dakota the hell out of there.
There was no way this was a coincidence.
His heart thundered as he shoved himself into the SUV, pushing Dakota down as he revved the engine, his gun hanging out the window as he looked for the shooter. He was nowhere in sight.
Peeling out of the parking lot to the sound of police sirens in the distance and more shots, Ace’s adrenaline continued pumping as he made a swift left. Another shot rang out, shattering his back window, hitting the passenger headrest. Ace had been in many sticky situations before, but never had he been so damn scared.
After he turned another corner, no more gunshots rang out, and he knew he was out of the shooter’s range. Still, Ace didn’t slow the car for even a second as he made his way down the road, taking side streets and altering his course to throw off anyone who might be tracking them.
Dakota spoke to him, but Ace held up a hand as he concentrated on where he was going. He was listening for more gunshots. She quickly took the hint. He felt bad as he glanced at her, huddled down in her seat, fear making her body tremble uncontrollably.
Though she’d been in danger at her place, the men hadn’t drawn their weapons until he’d arrived and taken over. He punched in Cooper’s number. His brother answered immediately.
“Are you all safe?” Ace asked.
“Yeah, why?” Cooper asked, seeming confused.
“A man opened fire at the stadium,” Ace said. “Are you still inside?” What the hell. Ace was getting ready to turn back around.
“No, we all left while you were . . . um . . . having some time with Dakota against your vehicle,” Coop said.
“Good. We’re on our way,” Ace said. He knew he should head in another direction. He now had no doubt that these acts were deliberate. Someone was after him, and going to his brother’s place was putting his family in danger. But right now, he didn’t have anywhere else to go. He had to protect Dakota as well as his family. And if whoever was doing this was openly attacking him now, Ace had no doubt they knew where Coop lived.
They drove for a good fifteen minutes before the tenseness in Ace’s shoulders let up. He was still on alert, but at least he was speeding away from the danger.
“I’m sorry, Dakota,” he finally said.
“Who is doing this?” she asked, still doubled over, her eyes facing the floor, her body shaking.
“I don’t know,” he admitted.
“I’m sorry,” she said, on the verge of tears.
“It’s not your fault, Dakota. None of this is,” he said, forcing his voice to lower. She was scared enough as it was. She didn’t need him making it worse for her. “It’s mine. I should have figured this out sooner.”
“Don’t put all of this on your shoulders,” she insisted.
“We just need to get to my brother’s place, then we can get all of this figured out,” Ace said.
Slowly Dakota sat up in the seat next to him. He glanced at her, impressed when he saw the determination on her face. Her lips were tightly clasped together. She stared at him.
“What?” he finally asked, wishing he could read her mind.
“You saved me again,” she
finally said, her eyes filled with awe. He didn’t want her to feel that for him. He knew he would fail her if she did. He chose to stay quiet instead of responding.
She seemed to want something from him, so Ace reached across the space between them and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as he looked into her brave eyes for a brief moment. They were going to be okay. He wouldn’t rest until they were.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
His phone rang, and he looked down to see Bill calling him back. He hit the green button on his wheel and waited to see what the man had to say. If he again told Ace he wasn’t in danger, Ace wouldn’t be responsible for his own actions.
“Ace?” Bill said after a moment, obviously irritated Ace wasn’t speaking.
“I’m here,” Ace said through clenched teeth. “You better have something for me, because I’m getting really tired of shit happening.”
“You were right,” Bill said, tightness in his tone. “Someone is after you.”
Ace was silent for a beat as he tried to wrap his mind around his boss’s tone. He knew someone was after him, but to have it confirmed nearly made his throat close. He was responsible for the threat against Dakota . . . and his family.
“Tell me,” Ace said through his tight jaw.
“We know who it is,” Bill said.
Ace’s blood ran cold.
“Where did you get the information?” Ace asked.
“Isn’t it more important to find out who it is?” Bill asked.
“Don’t mess with me, Bill. Where did the information come from? I want to know that first before a name is thrown at me. I need to know if I even trust it,” Ace said.
“This came from ops. It’s legitimate,” Bill told him.
His gut told him Bill was speaking the truth. “Who is it, Bill?”
