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“Open your goddamn eyes, Mia. Stop hiding from me.” His fingers wrap around my chin in a punishing grip. If it were anyone else holding me like this, I have no doubt that I’d be panicking, but it’s not the same with Ace.
He’s always been the exception to every single rule.
I follow his command, and my breath catches at the sight of his green eyes on fire, staring at me with reverence and anger, silently begging me to understand.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the scars, Mia? You had to have known I would see them eventually. That at some point, it was inevitable living together. So why hide them?” He sounds so angry, angrier than I think he’s ever been at me, and his anger only makes me cry harder. I hate that I’ve disappointed him.
“I…I…” But I’m too far gone. I can barely breathe through the sobs that force their way from my throat.
Something crosses his face, something I can’t quite identify. But he doesn’t make me wait for long before a deep roar surrounds me. “You thought you’d be gone before I could see them.” It’s not a question. He knows me better than anyone else ever has and has always been two steps ahead of me.
Emotions flash across his face faster than I can identify them. Anger. Frustration. Sadness. Disappointment.
And each one hurts more than the last.
This is why I can’t stay.
This is why I have to go.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
ACE
The realization hits me like a goddamn freight train.
I thought we were done with this. I thought she was going to stop running from me. I thought we were finally making progress.
But we weren’t.
She was just biding her time before she ran again.
I take a deep breath, forcing my hand to release her chin before I hurt her. No matter how angry I am with Mia, I’ll never lay a hand on her. I’ll never be one of the men who have put the terror in her heart.
“Ace,” she whispers.
“Shut up,” I snap. I allow myself another second to calm down, but it’s no use. The beast is chomping at the bit to escape, and for once, I’m going to let him out to play.
Without a second thought, I throw her over my shoulder with little regard for the sheet that’s wrapped around her and start toward the stairs. She lets out a surprised shriek at the impact but doesn’t protest like I expect her to as I take the steps two at a time before walking straight back into my bedroom.
I deposit her in the middle of the bed, and when she moves to wrap the sheet back around herself, I level her with a harsh stare, and she stops in her tracks. Good to know she’ll listen to silent commands.
“Stay,” I growl.
I walk toward the wardrobe and disappear from her view for a few moments while I find what I’m looking for.
When I return, she’s still in the same spot I left her, the sheet barely covering her tits and pussy from my gaze. I allow myself a moment to take in every inch of bare skin before me. She’s so fucking beautiful, and all I want is for her to see herself how I see her. I want her to realize she’s a fucking warrior, and that no scar or blemish is going to make me see her any differently.
Because I love her.
I’m obsessed with her.
And I’ll do anything to prove that to her.
Mia’s eyes track down my body, clothed in nothing but a pair of sweatpants, before locking on what I’m holding.
All the color drains from her cheeks, and for a moment, I consider throwing in the towel on this plan. But she needs this. I need this.
I close the distance between us, crawling up the bed until my hips straddle hers, pinning her to the mattress with my body weight. “Grab the headboard, sugar,” I command.
