Ace shrugs. “Women like animals.”
“Have you been rescuing things again, Ace?”
He bites his lower lip, his gaze shifting from side to side. “No?”
Ace’s expression clearly says that he has. Never mindthe fact that he answers as if asking a question himself. It almost makes me smile.
“Listen, get to fucking bed right now before I beat some sense into you, and seeing as I think that’s impossible, it will be a massive beating.”
Ace nods. “Yes, Prez.”
Ace turns to me, makes the prayer thing with his hands, and bends his head then leaves.
Once he’s gone, I focus my attention on Jack. “I’m sorry. I swear, I didn’t ask him in or anything.” Then I add, “He’s… a lot.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“Fucking kittens,” one of the men from outside says. “First it was raccoons, and then a goddamned rat, so I suppose kittens is a step up.”
I glance between them, confused, and Jack’s face breaks into the first smile I’ve seen all night. It’s small, but it’s there, and it takes my breath away.
“Ace likes to rescue things,” Jack explains. Then his face grows thoughtful as he looks at me. “He collects lost things.”
Snapping back to being his usual bossy self, he turns to the two men. “You can go; I’ll stand guard.”
He goes to leave, but my words stop him.
“Jack, did your men find Ledger yet?”
Beneath his beard, his lips press into a thin line. “Sorry, baby-girl. Not yet.”
“Oh.” I exhale my disappointment.
Turning on his heel, he walks to the door and pauses to glance back at me. “Shout if you need anything. I’ll be just the other side of the door.”
With those final words, he closes the door, leaving meall alone. I’m hyperaware that tomorrow my fate might be decided, and even more aware that all that separates me from Jack-the-blood McGrath is a flimsy door.
Sitting on the bed, trying to take it all in, four words keep running through my mind.
He collects lost things.
6
CAMILE
It takesme forever to get back to sleep, and no sooner than I do, the morning sun penetrates the thin curtains and wakes me again.
Suspicious, I glance over my shoulder to make sure Ace hasn’t sneaked back into bed with me. I find the spot empty and try not to analyze the jostling of emotions that stirs within me. I did not want to wake up to find some crazy man in bed with me, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want to findanyman in bed with me.
Perhaps the one I yearn for is still sitting outside the door.
I let out a sigh and squeeze my eyes shut. I cannot allow myself to go there. That’s Vani’s dad, and she’s already gotten suspicious of my intentions once, when I had to reassure her that I had zero interest in him. Vani’s friendship means way too much for me to jeopardize it, but damn, if that doesn’t make me sad.
It’s stupid even thinking about it, anyway, because Jack’s already sent meon my way once before. Why would I want to keep making a fool of myself over him? Besides, I’ve got way bigger things to worry about, like whether they’ve caught up with Ledger, and if they haven’t, if Ledger has made it back to the college.
I suddenly remember my cell phone and sit up, trying to see where I left my purse. It’s on the chair in the corner of the room, so I get out of bed and go to fetch it. I’m surprised it’s not blowing up with messages since I clearly didn’t return to my dorm last night. Aren’t my friends wondering where I am? I thought they’d have wanted to get the lowdown on my nightmare date.
But there are no messages or missed calls, and what’s happened dawns on me.
