Page 76 of Until Ace

“He did, Ace. I felt the cold of the steel on my skin,” she insists.

“What you felt was a set of handcuffs in his hand. Your fear got the better of you, and in the dark, your mind came up with conclusions that made sense in the situation you believed you were in,” I explain, and her head tilts, but she stays leaning slightly my way, her hands on her hips. I take a step toward her, but she stands back up, her spine rigid, so I stop. “I promise he didn’t hold a knife to your throat. He called and told me what happened. Said he pulled out the cuffs to restrain you and bring you to me, in case you wouldn’t cooperate, but after he read your reaction, he decided on the hood instead. Warned me you thought they were a weapon.”

She shakes her head, looking at her feet. Taking a big breath, she lets it go and looks back up. “Let’s go back to that. How did you know I would be there tonight, and why did you have ‘your men’ there?” She makes finger quotes on the words, then lets her hands drop.

"One day, baby, when it's safe to do it, I'll explain everything to you. For now, all you need to know is you’re safe.” Or as safe as I can make her, which at this point is very fucking safe. I won’t let anything happen to her, nor let her be pulled deeper into this shitstorm than she already is. “And I will take care of everything.”

Her eyes widen, and her lips part.

Fuck, she’s cute. And then in an instant, the look of wonder is gone, and she closes her eyes, two tears gliding down her cheeks.

And that’s proof enough she had no business walking into the club tonight—or any night, for that matter.

She has no business being near those people, because that’s not who she is.

“Now, Mandy, tell me what the fuck you were thinking,” I bring us back full circle. My anger is back full force. “What were you doing there?”

“You know what.”

Her whispered words have no effect on me now. I’m beyond taking her explanation about how she needs to help her brother out.

“I know you said it’s because of your brother, but what I don’t get is why you went there after you promised me you would leave this alone. After we talked and I told you that you shouldn’t go anywhere near that man or that place. You promised, baby. But then, fuck me, you walked your sweet ass in there anyway. Why, Mandy?”

She doesn’t say anything. She won’t even look at me now.

I go to her and take her into my arms, relieved when she doesn’t resist, and I continue. “Baby, that man is not a reasonable person. He's not a good man." I say the words slowly. I have her in my arms now, but since she exposed herself the way she did, there’s no way of telling what will happen next. "I can't believe I'm having to explain this to you."

She looks up at me, a desperate look in her eyes.

"Ace, I have to talk to him. I have to try to help my brother.” Her eyes are pleading with me to understand.

“He betrayed you! He put you in danger, knowing full well what he was doing.” I don’t miss the flinch my words cause. But I have to go for the kill. I sigh, praying to everything that’s holy that I don’t lose her with what I say next. “Your own family member sold you—your actual body—to settle a debt.”

Her face changes in a way that feels like a sharp knife is twisting in my gut. Tears pool in her eyes, and her lips start to quiver.

I gather her even closer and murmur, “Baby.”

That’s when it happens. Her whole body sags, her knees buckling, and it’s a miracle we don’t both end up on the floor.

Her head falls as if she can’t hold the weight of it, her forehead landing softly on my collarbone.

Fuck.

She leans back a little to look me in the eyes and rasps, “He’s my brother.”

"You can't help your brother, Mandy," I whisper. I have seen fucked-up shit in my line of work, even lived through a share of my own. But I have never in my life, until this very moment, witnessed a person breaking down so completely.

"I'm sorry, and I know you don't want to hear this, but it's true. You can't help him. Nothing can help him anymore. He's too far gone." I’m not sure what I’m saying is the truth. I know there’s no whisper of a gambling debt to be heard among the players who are in the know. There’s some other reason Jim used his sister as collateral, but it doesn’t matter. He did, and that means he’s beyond redemption.

"I have to help him."

"You can't."

"But I have to."

"Why?"

"Because… because...,” she stammers, looking around like the answer is hiding somewhere. "Because he's my brother. He's my family. One thing you have to be able to count on in life is your family. Family is love and security. Family is one thing that is supposed to always keep you safe. The one thing that's supposed to have your back. And sure, I'm the one giving all the help and whatnot. I'm the one who’s bailing everyone out. But that's right now. And yes, I'm the only one who gives a shit. But so what? Someday, I'll need help. I will be the one who needs someone. And if I don't help him now, if I don't take care of my family... if I don't show them I love them and that I'll be here no matter what or where or even fucking when, then… then who will be there for me when I'll need all that?"