Cat
My car rolled up to the compound’s front gate. To get inside, you either had to have a code or be buzzed in through an intercom system.
Hitting the button, the scratchy voice on the other side said, “What’s up beautiful? You one of the new dancers come to party?”
I didn’t recognize the voice, so it wasn’t a surprise he didn’t recognize my face from the camera that was pointed directly at me.
“Um, no,” I answered after an embarrassed pause, “I’m here to see, Ace.”
“Ace? What business do you have with him? But more importantly, can I interest you in a drink after you finish up with him?” The invisible, teasing voice inquired.
“I’m his mate, Cat,” I answered, red faced, not sure what else to say. After all, friend, or even girlfriend, sounded way too casual for what we had.
Several curse words were issued before the man collected himself. “No shit! Sorry about that, sweetheart. And if you don’t mind, please don’t tell him I said that thing about us getting a drink later. Ace will break me into tiny pieces if he finds out I talked to his mate that way.”
I smiled to myself despite my heavy heart. “It’ll be just between us,” I promised. Besides, I didn’t even know who I was talking to. His secret was safe with me.
“You’re a real one,” the disembodied voice returned, before triggering the gate, allowing me to drive directly up to the compound.
When I got out, Ace and several of his brothers were pouring out of the front door of the clubhouse. I didn’t even have a chance to speak before my mate was crushing me in his strong arms.
Smelling my hair, Ace tucked my head against his chest and began to purr. It was the sweetest sound I’d ever heard and instantly calmed my jangled nerves.
“Where have you been?” he uttered quietly. The thud-thud of his heart beating under my ear calmed me as we held one another.
Inhaling his scent, I snuggled against him, my words muffled against his vest when I said, “About to make a very stupid decision when I suddenly came to my senses and drove to the compound instead.”
That statement caught his attention. Pulling back, his beautiful grey eyes searched mine. “Explain.”
The demand was brief but effective. “Can we go inside so we can discuss this? It’s bad.”
My response did nothing in the way of alleviating his distress.
“Tell me now,” Ace pressed, not in the mood for my cryptic comments.
He was right. There wasn’t enough time to keep this a secret. He would need to tell his brothers as soon as possible so that they could find Anna before it was too late.
“Kane abducted Anna,” I divulged, beginning to shake as I unloaded all the terrible details of what had happened.
For his part, Ace did not interrupt. He listened and quietly absorbed every detail of my story. When I got to the part about ditching Ringo and driving to the location Kane had given me, his chest expanded with rage. He didn’t say anything, though I could tell he really wanted to. After I was done talking, he kissed me fast and hard.
“We’ll find Anna,” Ace vowed, placing my hand over his heart. “As surely as I love you, Cat, I’ll find your best friend.”
Tears sprang to my eyes and began to threaten to spill over. “You love me?”
I knew he’d lusted after me. That much was obvious. But love? I hadn’t known that. Nor did I realize how much I’d needed to hear it. Especially after everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.
“Of course I love you, Cat. You’re kind, smart, beautiful, and passionate: everything I’ve ever wanted in a mate.”
That did the trick. The tears spilled over the rims of my reddening eyes as I quickly swiped them away. “I love you, too, Ace. I’m not sure when that happened, since you’ve been a total pain in my ass since we met,” the men behind me sniggered then, which made me believe they were listening to this whole exchange, “but I do.”
My pronouncement made his grey eyes sharpen with both lust and masculine pride. Remembering that time was of the essence though, he held me close for another brief moment before reluctantly releasing me and going into problem solving mode.
“Come inside. We need to discuss how we’re going to get Anna back,” he told me, gently tucking me under his arm and drawing me toward the front door of the clubhouse.
“Ace, I can’t lose her. She’s my best friend and she doesn’t deserve what happened to her, what is happening to her. Kane’s a fucking monster for dragging her into this. We have to get her back. Especially after what he told me about his club brother’s disturbing predilections. Do you know what a wendigo is?”
I shuddered from head to toe when I recalled Kane’s description of what this monster wanted to do to Anna. My words caused everyone to come to a sudden halt before moving at double time into the clubhouse meeting room.
