Page 14 of Until Ace

“You need to let me go,” I pant.

“I told you, I can’t.”

“You have to.” I don’t understand why he keeps arguing with me about this.

“I never will, baby.” It sounds like a vow. ”But, I’ll go for now.”

In the next blink, he turns and walks toward the door.

I watch him leave in total silence, but one question comes to mind. The one that’s more unsettling than anything else in my life.

Why does it feel like he’s walking away with half of me?

Chapter 3

Ace

“Sooo… who is she?” Talon asks as he follows me to my car. There’s a strange lilt to his tone, almost as if he’s a little girl skipping her way through the parking lot.

“You know who she is. She works with Mia,” I say and turn around to look at him. “Don’t tell me you’re such a dick that you can’t remember a person you see on a daily basis.” Just the thought of anyone treating Mandy as if she were nothing more than a piece of furniture has my blood boiling through my system, pumping into my muscles and getting me ready to rip someone apart. The funny thing is, I’ve known Talon for some time now, and I never got a single inkling he would do something like that.

All humor leaves Talon’s expression as he watches me intently for a second before a gleeful smile spreads across his face. “Of course I know who Mandy is. I’m asking who she is to you.”

“No one,” I reply and try to swallow the bitter taste those words leaves in my mouth. She’s my fucking everything, and it’s pissing me off that I have to lie about it. I can’t tell him before Mandy knows it. Hell, I’m uncertain how I even got to this point. I just met her last night. “She’s Beverly’s neighbor.”

Just mentioning my aunt’s name should be enough of an explanation as to why I’m here. But Talon keeps standing there smiling like a lunatic. A strange feeling passes through me. It’s almost like he knows some secret but won’t share it with me.

“It seems to me she’s more than just your aunt's neighbor.”

I know he’s fishing, but I don’t have the patience to deal with this right now.

I can’t believe she just asked me to let her go again. I almost dropped to my knees when her whispered plea hit me. I know I should listen to her and give up. It would be the sane thing to do. The normal thing. But apparently, I’m not normal.

I know I will be back to ask again.

And again.

And again.

Until she says yes.

And until she does, I will do what I have to in order to find out what’s haunting her. It’s obvious something is.

I also won’t stop until I make her feel safe.

“And why are you looking out for Beverly’s neighbor?” Talon goes back to singsonging his questions.

I sigh. He’s not going to give up. “Because Beverly asked me to, and you know I never say no to her.”

At least that part is the truth. Well, some of it.

“I smell bullshit.”

“What?”

“Before I continue”—Talon puts his index finger up in front of my face and takes out his phone—“give me a second.”

“Talon, I don’t have time for you to fuck with me.”