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I clung to Ace's back as we rode away from the beach. I was on edge. It felt like by the water's edge, we were safe; and now that we were on the road again, we were at risk. At any moment, my grandfather could find us and kill us. He had people everywhere.
Ace rode fast. I could sometimes feel a vibration in the bike when he was pushing it too hard, then I'd watch as he let up on the bike, hoping it would bend to his will. I could tell he wanted to hurry, which made me feel like we were at a greater risk than yesterday.
A vehicle was behind us, and my heart beat wildly in my chest. I looked back and saw a farmer in a truck carrying hay bales. He didn't seem to notice me, but that didn't mean much. What if he reports seeing me to my grandpa? Ace must've felt the same fear because, I could feel the slight wobble in the bike as he sped up. Relief coursed through me as we passed a house, and the truck turned down a driveway. There was no tapping of the brakes. There was nothing that I could see that would lead me to believe he was anything but a man going home to feed some livestock.
A motorcycle passed by us in the opposite direction, and my heart beat rapidly once more. Would we ever be free? Ace gave a small wave to the motorist and received one in return.
Minutes on the road ticked by like hours. And every single time we passed a car, my anxiety rose. The only good thing I could think of was that it helped me keep my mind off of how good it felt sleeping in Ace's arms last night, and how afraid I was of meeting my brother. Hearing Ace's stories about him made Gunner seem great. I didn't want him to be great.
Ace eventually pulled down a dirt road, then made another turn onto what looked like a forgotten path. Roots and rocks made the bike unsteady. It wasn't long until Ace cursed and stopped the bike.
"Shit, the path is too rocky. We'll have to walk the rest of the way."
"It's fine."
"It's an extra mile on foot, and our water supply is low. Here, drink this." Ace pulled out a half-full water bottle from his bag and handed it to me.
I drank it and watched some of the worries leave Ace's face.
We left the bike with the keys in the ignition. Ace hoped that if a desperate soul happened upon it and was in need that they could get some use from it. I liked that about him. I liked how safe he made me feel.
We were barely into our walk when Ace grabbed my hand, threading our fingers. I wanted to ask him why. At the same time, my brain said I should pull away. I did neither. I let his rough hand link mine and lead the way.
The terrain was rough in a way I didn't quite expect. My legs were sore, and I hoped that we would make it to the plane soon. Sweat drenched the back of Ace's shirt, and I knew that if it wasn't for the mosquitos that he would've taken the thing off. I'd already been bitten at least a dozen times.
"There," Ace pointed, "a clearing. That's where our ride will be."
I was still afraid, believing that we would never make it out of here.
We trudged on and made it to the plane, where a portly man with black hair and seemingly black eyes greeted us. Relief coursed through me as we boarded the small plane.
"I didn't know if we'd make it. Thank you," I said to Ace as we buckled our seat belts for the small plane to take off.
"I could feel your tension the entire ride on the bike," Ace admitted letting out a pent-up sigh.
"You were nervous too."
"I was. You're right. We'll be home in a few hours. Why don't you try to get some rest?"
I agreed, thinking that when Ace suggested I do something, it didn't feel like an order. He had no ulterior motives. In my life, if something was suggested to me, there was always a veiled threat lingering behind the words, but not with Ace. When he spoke, it felt honest and sincere. I closed my eyes, leaning against the window. My body was on alert in its proximity to Ace. He was right, I should sleep.
Minutes ticked by as I feigned sleeping. Thoughts of the last few days filtered through my mind. Then, I thought about what Ace had said to me on the beach about me finding me. That seemed like such a foreign concept. I'd never been allowed to discover my own interests. I knew I loved reading, but what else? All my travels had revolved around what my uncle made me do, not who I was. Everything I've learned has been about them, not what I wanted. It was a novel idea to me.
"I can feel your thoughts," Ace said in a hushed tone.
I cracked an eye open, peeking out at him. How could he read me so easily?
"Come here. Lean on me."
He pulled me close to him and away from the window. My head was tucked into his side, and his arm wrapped around me. I felt the smallest brush of his fingertips against my arm.
"It's all going to be okay; you'll see."
My mind felt at ease, and I could feel the tension quickly ebbing away as my eyes drifted shut for real this time.
***
THE SKY WAS GRAY AS the small plane descended into the Ohio sky. Ace had woken me up a few minutes prior. Butterflies danced in my stomach. I was excited to meet my brother, but afraid of seeing Hades again. I didn't want to be used against Gunner. I didn't want to be a pawn any longer. What choice did I have, though? I needed freedom. I had felt life's suffocating burden on me. It weighed me down, day in and day out, making it hard to breathe.
I also had mixed emotions about how I felt about Ace. He held me at arm's length most times, but he also held me while I slept. He made me think, feel, and have all of these emotions I was unaccustomed to. It confused me. I looked for an ulterior motive when there wasn't any that I could see.
The small plane shook as it touched down. We weren't in a traditional airport, more like a strip on a field. The pilot landed, then opened the small door. Cold air assaulted me.
Ace must've noticed my goosebumps, "I have a leather on the bike. We can go to my place so you can rest or we can go straight to your brother's. Your choice."
I thought about it. I wanted to see my brother, but I wanted to calm down and let the reality that we were relatively safe comfort me. I wanted to shower and sleep in a bed. I needed a night. So much had happened in such a short time. My life had been in jeopardy more times than I cared to count.
"Let's meet him tomorrow, if that's all right," I answered, taking in my surroundings. The sky was a dismal white. The grass looked like it had been trampled and was barely hanging on. Other than that, there was a small airplane hangar and not much else. I couldn't see any buildings in sight.
Ace moved to the hanger and retrieved his bike. He pulled out a white envelope from his saddlebag and handed the lingering pilot a stack of cash, which made me realize how expensive this rescue must've been. I wondered briefly how much money they had, and if I should be handing over the jewels that I'd brought with me.
"We're all set. Are you ready for this?" He handed me a leather jacket, and I couldn't help but bring it to my nose to smell it. The aged leather felt soft in my hands. The plane was already taxiing down the tarmac, ready to take flight again.
"Si," I said in Spanish, slipping into my native language again.
Ace smirked at me. The way his lips tilted up just the right amount, and the slight crinkle at the corner of his eyes made my heart melt a little.
"You like it when I speak Spanish." It was a statement, not a question.
His face changed, growing more intense, "Fuck, Princess. I don't just like it."
I taunted realizing how much I affected him, "Si. Te gustará más cuando lo esté gritando mientras estás dentro de mi."
Ace caged me in against his bike, surprising me. I'd become accustomed to the nearness of his body, but this felt different. He seemed bigger, more consuming. I didn't just affect him, I affected him. "Don't play with me, Princess. You're not ready for me to be inside of you. While you're screaming my name," he said, throwing my words back at me. "and you will Alex, you'll scream my name so hard and long your voice will be hoarse. I'll touch you like no man has before. I'll be your first in so many ways, and you coming for me again and again will just be one of those ways."
He was turning me on, and I suddenly felt irrationally angry. I mean, I was the one playing with fire by taunting him. "There's nothing you can do to me that hasn't been done." My words were a whip brought out by the power switch. I watched his eyes grow dark. All too observantly, he read me. I didn't like it.
"Bullshit. Everything I do to you will be a first. And do you know why, Alex? Because you'll want it. You'll be begging for it. And when you're ready, every time you want it, I'll give it to you, and I promise you, it'll never be anything like what you've had before me. Nothing between us will ever be like anything you've ever had before. Do you get that?" He bit out.
If my words were a whip, his were the lashes. The ride to his house was longer than I expected, and the entire trip, his words rang through my head.
Everything I do will be a first.
Nothing between us will be like anything you've had before.
***
HIS HOUSE WAS A SMALL white ranch, set back from the road, at the end of a cul-de-sac. I never pictured Ace living somewhere so residential. Not that I'd given it much thought, but if I had, I wouldn't have envisioned this.
There wasn't much to his landscape. A large tree was in the middle of the yard, and other than that, there was nothing special. For some reason, I noticed how the grass butted right up to the house and that it would look so much nicer with flower beds. Which was odd since I'd never really seen domestic flower gardens. All of the houses I'd been to were exuberant in wealth, and the landscaping had been meticulous and extreme in its ornateness.
As we coasted down the driveway, sensor lights lit up, and the garage door opened. The garage appeared to be nearly as big as the house. Once inside the garage, the door came down automatically. The garage was illuminated, and I looked upon the plethora of man toys in fascination. There was a black truck with wheels so high they seemed to come up past my waist. There was also a four-wheeler with a plow on the front of it. A sleek, black Camaro was on the far side of the garage, and a smaller bike than the one we were on was next to that. There were various tools laid out on a workbench. The walls had old pictures of motorcycles and a couple of pinup girls leaning against various trucks and bikes. They weren't trashy photos, more like cool vintage black and whites. The garage seemed much larger inside than what it appeared from the outside.
Once inside, there was an open floor plan, with the living room and kitchen opening up to each other. The kitchen wasn't the newest. It was clean, but looked like it could use an update or two. Even so, it was nice. There were barstools on one side of the counter that opened to the living room. The walls were white, and no real decor was up. The living room was cozy. A large, dark gray, lounger type chair with a footrest that looked like it could fit two people was facing a giant flat-screen TV. Against the window was a dark gray couch with big, deep-set cushions that looked comfortable. A small table sat next to the sofa and stacks of what looked like tech, and weapon magazines laid on top of that. It was what I'd imagined a man's house to look like.
Sure, I'd been in men's homes before but, they were always wealthy and flaunted their wealth with cold, gaudy pieces of furniture. Ostentatious gold framed uncomfortable couches, meant to scream money, were the types of couches I'd seen in a man's home.
"It's just two bedrooms. It was three, but the last bedroom I converted into my office. Follow me."
I was silent as I followed Ace down the hall. I took it all in as I watched his broad shoulders seem to take up the entire hallway. He opened a door on the left, and there was a twin-size bed. The dark navy bedding was neatly tucked at the corners into the sides of the bed. There was a bedside table, and a TV mounted to the wall.
"There isn't much, but this will be your room. The bathroom's across the hall. Next to that is my office and the door after your room is mine. There are clean towels in the bathroom if you want to take a shower. I don't think I have anything fancy for your hair. I'm sure we can both use a shower."
An image, out of nowhere, of Ace in the shower passed through my mind of Ace in the shower. I was surprised that my mind went there. This wasn't normal for me to freely have thoughts about a man. I ignored my racing heart and answered, "A shower sounds good. Thanks."
He left me in my room, and I quickly scanned the items in my bag. The jewelry, worth a small fortune, was all still there. The clothes that I had packed seemed dirty like the dust from the road had seeped into everything. At the very bottom of the bag, I felt that stupid phone. I'd have to make contact sooner rather than later.