Ace (Reckless Souls MC 2)

Hector has declared all-out war on the Reckless Souls, which means just one thing.

War isn’t just coming. That shit is here.

Now.

Chapter Twenty-Three

McKenna

“What did you mean by take care of him, Mark?” I tug on his arm in an effort to get his attention but his thousand-yard stare is far off in the distance.

“Mark, tell me what you mean by that.” I hope it isn’t like a mob movie where take care of means the end of his life. I just can’t bear it, not when Nico seemed so broken up over Grace’s murder. He’d been there, seen her take her last breaths.

“Mark?”

“That’s club business, Kenna. Nothing for you to worry about.” His tone is serious and gruff, the kind that says don’t poke the bear.

“Okay, but just tell me why you would want Nico dead? He gave you all the information he has. Why isn’t that enough?”

“Who said it wasn’t?” He slides onto his bike with ease and looks at me over his shoulder, a question in his eyes.

“Then why are you being so vague and tight-lipped?”

A smile flashed in his eyes. “I told you. That’s club business, not McKenna business.”

Stubborn damn man. His jaw is set in stone, shoulders stiff, expression unmovable. “Mark, please.”

“Get on the bike, McKenna.”

I shake my head. “No, thanks. I think I’ll find my own way home.”

This is ridiculous. I don’t want to end up like Grace, collateral damage in some biker war that has nothing to do with me all because I have feelings for a guy who can’t even promise me he won’t kill someone.

“I’ll see you around, Ace.”

I turn on my heels and walk away, damned and determined to get over my stupid feelings for this man. It doesn’t matter if our chemistry is off the charts, that he does things to my body I didn’t even think was possible.

Who cares if he makes me feel special, like I’m someone worth knowing and caring about? None of that matters if being with him means running and hiding because he has enemies lurking around every corner.

His footsteps sound behind me, quick and almost stealth, as I walk a little faster to put some distance between us.

“Goddammit, McKenna, now is not the time to act like a fucking brat.”

“It’s a good thing I’m not your problem then, isn’t it?”

I don’t stop, I just keep walking away from Mark. No, from Ace. Ace is the one who orders killings, not Mark. Pretending otherwise isn’t going to help me end my fascination with him.

“McKenna.” He wraps his hand around my upper arm, and my feet come to a sudden stop. “I’m not trying to control you, but I am trying to keep you safe from these dumb fuckers. They are not good people.”

“Yes, I am perfectly aware of your motives, Ace. Thank you, and I promise to be mindful of my safety.”

“Damn right you will. Get your ass on that bike right now.”

“Or what? Will you order one of your men to take care of me?”

A low growl of frustration escapes, and I roll my eyes a moment before his shoulder thrusts into my midsection. A second later, I’m upside down over his broad shoulder.

“Dammit, woman, you can be so damn frustrating. There’s no way in hell I’m letting you walk back to your fancy-ass neighborhood from here. Did you hear anything Nico said about the Iron Kings just randomly fucking killing women as their initiation ritual or did that little fact just go over your head?”

“I heard him just fine,” I say and beat my fists against his back. “That’s why I’m going home. Straight home.” And right into a long hot bath where I will not think about Mark or Ace, naked or otherwise.

“I know where you’re going because I’m taking you.”

His growl is sexy, and shivers of awareness shoot through my body. It’s an inconvenient feeling that only makes me angrier.

“Home.”

Home is exactly where I need to be after seeing Nico in the flesh and hearing his words about Grace’s death. He cared about Grace. Yeah, and look where it got her.

Right. That’s a good reminder.

“Kelsey,” I say out of the blue. “I’d like to talk to my sister. Please.”

A few seconds later, Ace sets me on my feet with shaky legs as my gaze locks on his eyes.

“Fine.”

He crosses his massive arms over his chest, and my mouth waters at the sight of those sculpted muscles even though I’m angry with him. “Call her.”

I pull out my phone, nodding in satisfaction, and dial my sister’s number, hoping that today is one of the days that we get along.

“Kelsey, hey, it’s me. McKenna.”

She lets out a grunt of laughter. “I know who you are, Kenna. What’s up?”

“I need you,” I admit with more vulnerability than I’ve ever shown to anyone but Grace. “I don’t like that it’s true, but it is. I can’t explain right now, but…” I pause and suck in a deep breath as I prepare myself for the question I have to ask and hope she agrees. “Can you meet me at Mom and Dad’s place?”