Speed King (Men of Action 1)

“Hey.” Ford shakes my shoulder gently, bringing me out of my nostalgic haze. “You okay?”

We’re standing at the foot of the steps, and I realize I missed most of the walk over. I shake my head and glance up at him, smiling the best I can. “I’m great. Thinking about my best strategy. It may have been years, but I’m not going down without a fight.”

He scans my face, his eyes filled with sympathy. “You’re a shit liar, but I’ll let it pass because I have a feeling what you were actually thinking about.”

“Probably,” I whisper, hoping he doesn’t push further.

“I’m gonna say this, and if you ever repeat it, I’ll deny like fuck. But you need to hear it.” His expression grows serious.

“What?” I hold my breath, waiting anxiously.

“Ace is my guy, he’s my brother, and he’s a man I’d die for without thinking twice. There is no question of my loyalty. You know I’m crossing a line by telling you this. But give him a little more time, Jay. Don’t give up on him.”

“Almost eleven years is a lot of time.”

“There’s a reason for everything, and it’s his story to tell. But mark my words, don’t give up on him.”

I want to push, I want to stand my ground and demand Ford elaborate, but it would be useless. He’s right. Loyalty is the blood vein of these guys and he won’t budge.

So instead, I twist into his arms and press my head to his shoulder. “I’ll never give up on him,” I admit shyly, hearing the pathetic teenage girl make an appearance.

“We doing this?” His fingers poke into my side as his tone changes, the seriousness of the moment shifting.

“Absolutely!”

“Talon!” he yells, and the door flies open. “Fire up the game room. Time for a rematch.”

Talon smiles wide, making a sweeping motion with his arm for us to hurry inside.

I return his smile, jab Ford in the ribs, and escape his arms, jogging up the stairs.

5

Ace

“Remind me not to volunteer for this shit again,” Major grunts.

“No one asked you to come.”

“No, but considering what happened at the gym, I think it’s best you have an alibi at all times.”

I roll my eyes and turn onto our street, picking up the pace and leaving him behind as I run the last half-mile. My blood pumps harder, adrenaline pulsing through my veins. He may be exaggerating the situation, but he’s not all wrong. When Ford and Talon told me about Harley and Jewls’ visit last night, I didn’t react. But when they told me the reason for their driving all the way out here to investigate the fucking Casanova Club, I came close to losing my mind.

I’m generally a pretty level-headed man. When I joined the Marines, I learned to control the temper that almost cost me everything my senior year of high school. Since then, it takes a lot to get a rise out of me. I’ve gotten a handle on controlled reactions. There are few exceptions.

Harley is one of these exceptions.

When I get to the house, I jog in place, slowing down and waiting for him to catch up. His expression is hard and eyes sharp as he approaches.

“We done now?”

“For now.” I rip my soaked shirt over my head, tucking it into my waistband, and grab the towel I left sitting on the porch table.

Major does the same, breathing heavily as he wipes himself down. He follows me through the house and into the kitchen, mumbling his thanks when I toss him a bottle of water. I swallow most of the bottle in one gulp and catch his expression as he watches.

“We’re in the house now, no need to monitor me.”

“I’ve got something to say.”

“If it’s about Harley, save your breath.”

“Held my tongue for a long time, man. It’s time you hear me out. You’re a lot of things, Ace. You may have come from a bad situation, but you became a decorated Marine with an intuition like no other person I’ve ever met. You overcame all the fucking shit and are one of the most badass men I know. I’m proud to call you my brother. But right now, I’m wondering when you became such a cruel son of a bitch.”

I stumble back on my heels, not expecting that last blow. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Why the hell are you holding back? She’s yours, Ace. And I don’t mean she loves you like the twenty-one-year-old that has feelings for the boy from high school. I’m saying she’s yours in the sense that the woman here last night has feelings for you that run so deep she can’t get away from them. Forget the reason she drug her ass out here. She didn’t believe the rumors. I clocked that with one look at her. She may have toyed with the possibility they were true, but she knew better. There was another reason for coming here, and that reason was you.”