Page 34 of The Riders’ Reign

Using my mouth again, I grab one of the individual heads and drop it into the sink. Then I quickly turn and lean back, feeling around with my bound hands for the blade. The water is still running, covering the sounds of my activities. The plastic is wet, but my fingers curl around it. I’m wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt, so I quickly work to hide the blade up my sleeve out of view.

The door slams open. “That’s long enough,” one of the men says, grabbing my arm.

I pray he’s not going to dislodge the blade. I have no idea what I’m going to do with it, or how it will help me, but it’s still something.

14

ACE

I look at Camile with concern. Her face is blotchy and her eyes are swollen and red from all the crying she’s been doing.

“You’re staring,” she says with a small smile. “I bet I look gross.”

“You could never look gross to me.” It’s the truth. I love her, and not only for her surface appearance.

“Ace, you’re a sweetheart, but I must look awful.”

“I am worried you’re going to get dehydrated, though,” I point out. “One minute.”

I head into the kitchen and pour a large glass of water from the bottle in the fridge. Then I take it to her. “Here, drink this. You need to keep your strength up.”

How long has it been since we heard about the attack on the ride out? Hours, but how many, I have no idea.

“When did you last eat?” I ask.

She wrinkles her nose. “Ace, I don’t want to eat, I feel queasy.”

“That will be the stress and the nerves. Food might help settle your stomach.”

“I don’t want to eat.” She shakes her head. “Please, stop hovering and worrying, and just come here. Hold me. That will do me more good than anything else.”

I do as she asks. I sit by her on the couch and pull her into me. She’s so small in my arms. Fragile. Breakable. We already lost her once to a bad man, and she went through unspeakable trauma, and the possibility of something terrible happening to her again haunts me. I know I will literally lay down my life to protect her, but even that doesn’t feel like enough.

At least now that Jack has given his head a shake and admitted his feelings, I know she’ll always have either me, Ghost, Rook, or Jack with her. Although how it will work, exactly, I have no idea. I can’t picture Jack joining in a group moment like the one we had the other day. Or maybe he will, now he’s started to get his head around our dynamic.

The thought is a little intimidating. After all, he’s our leader, and he’s a scary dude. There are not many people who scare me, but Jack in a bad mood? That comes close.

His reaction to the snails amused me. I think he definitely has a mild phobia from his freakout. I will have to move them out of Camile’s house if I want to create the right atmosphere for some Jack seduction with our merry gang.

“What are you plotting?” Camile pulls back a little so she can look at me.

“Me?” I say, all mock innocence.

“Yes, you. I can hear the cogs turning in your brain.” Then she touches the top of my head. “Yep, it’s getting hot.”

“Princess! Did you just imply that I’m not the brightest spark?” I launch at her, tickling her gently around her waist.

She shrieks and giggles and kicks her feet. That sound is so good to hear, it goes a long way to soothing my heart.

“Ace, get off me. I can’t breathe.” She gasps, but I can tell she’s just playing.

I let go, and the minx picks up a cushion and bashes me about the head with it.

“Hey. No fair.” I manage to wrestle the cushion out of her grasp, and somehow, we end up with her under me, and me pinning her arms above her head, over the armrest of the couch as we stare into one another’s eyes.

Both of us are breathing heavily, and the air changes between us. My gaze flicks down to her mouth, a second before I dip my head and claim her in a dizzying kiss,

Her arms snake around my neck, and she deepens the kiss. Her tongue tangles with mine, and I groan into her mouth. Despite every shitty thing that is going on, I find myself growing hard. I can’t help it. It’s an animal reaction to having her in my arms. She tastes so good, and she feels even better.