Cash: Tell me where to be.
Xander: Let’s fkn go.
Beckett: I’m ready whenever.
The muscles in my neck relax, and even though I have my issues with my brothers, they’re there when shit is real.
Kian: I’m going to tell Ace we’re going out of town to look into a business deal. I’d appreciate if you told your girls the same thing for now.
Beckett: Dude, I don’t think starting the relationship off by lying is a good idea.
Cash: Shut the fuck up, Beckett. Mind your own business.
Xander: Why are you even speaking when you’re the only one who’s single, Becky-boy?
I chuckle at the “Beck” part because Beckett hates it when Xander calls him that. I can picture my little brother’s scowl as he reads it.
Beckett: Fuck you, fuckers.
Kian: I just need it to be kept quiet for now. It will be an overnight trip. Don’t wear your fanciest shoes. Meet me at Royal Aces.
Beckett: Okay, so it’s that kind of meeting. Got it.
Rolling my eyes, I glance at Cassian, but he’s engrossed in his game, ignoring me completely. I find Ace in my phone contacts and hit call, then rise. Once I’m out of my office and in a connecting boardroom, I close the door.
“Hey,” Ace answers sweetly as if she’s happy to hear from me, and my cock surges to life at the thought.
“Hey, angel. How’s your day?”
“It’s been great,” she answers, then lowers her voice. “How’s yours, Daddy?”
My heart hammers as I run a hand through my curly hair. “It’s good, baby. I had something come up for work, so my brothers and I need to fly out of town for the night. I’m sending a driver to take you to the studio, and then he’ll drive you home after.”
“Oh, okay. Is everything okay?” she asks hesitantly.
I get the feeling that Ace was taught not to ask questions because of the type of family she comes from. I don’t like that she doesn’t ask the things she wants to, but it’s working in my favor in this case. It’s something I’m going to address with her as soon as I’m home and can tell her the truth about what I’m going to do tonight. Hopefully, she’ll understand that I have to do this to put my mind at ease. I won’t be able to rest if I don’t know.
The shit Cassian told me sounds like some unhinged, psychopathic shit, but I know, as dangerous as my brothers and I are, there are much scarier people out there. Cassian being one of them.
“Yeah, angel. Everything’s fine. I’ll be home in the morning. I’m sure Jordyn and Quinn would jump on having a girls’ night with you if you asked them,” I tell her.
Ace is quiet for a minute. “When I saw Jordyn yesterday, she invited me to a girls’ night tonight but said you guys were going to be there playing poker, so I declined. Maybe I’ll take her up on it.”
Frowning, I try to remember whether she mentioned anything about it last night, but I’m positive she didn’t. What I don’t understand is…
“Why did you decline?”
She doesn’t say anything for several seconds, and it sounds like she’s walking away from whoever she’s around. “I figured you wouldn’t want me around for your poker night. Guys hate it when girls start impeding on their guy time or whatever.”
I yank the phone away from my ear and jab at the button to turn it into a video call. A second later, Ace accepts the invite, and her angelic face appears on my screen. Her green eyes sparkle with uncertainty as she peers back at me.
“Listen to me, angel,” I say, then wait until she nods. “I don’t know what the hellmost guyslike, but I’m not like most. I’m a fucking Savage, and I like my girl right where shefucking belongs. Perched on my lap like an angel. So whatever bullshit you’ve heard, forget it all. I had already planned on taking you with me to my brother’s tonight. You’remine. Do you understand me, Ace? Or have I not been making it clear enough?”
CHAPTER 35
Ace
ARE THEY DOING SOMETHING ILLEGAL?
