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He snorts a laugh and shakes his head. “What the fuck isn’t going on, man? Things are a shit-show right now.”
I can’t argue that point, but that’s not what’s bothering him. “Things are a shit-show more often than they aren’t. Why are you so bothered by it now?”
Ace shrugs. “I don’t know. Feels different this time, I guess.”
I nod because that I can understand. “This is the closest Hector has ever come to getting what he wants, but he won’t. His shipment has set the Iron Kings back at least a few weeks.”
“Doesn’t mean he won’t strike back again just to piss me off.” Ace shakes his head again and lets out a sigh. “Your head isn’t in the game, not fully, is it?”
I frown and look down at my phone once again. “What are you getting at, Ace?” It’s not like I don’t know what he’s getting at, but if he’s got a fucking problem, then he needs to be really specific about it.
“This girl you’re seeing, she’s got your head fucked up. Cloudy and not in the game.”
“Bullshit. If not for that girl, we wouldn’t have known about the shit at the docks, would we?”
I shake my head, vibrating with anger at Ace.
“I haven’t missed one fucking meeting or one shift. I’m doing everything I need to be doing, so don’t come at me with that bullshit, Ace. Not now.”
Not when my stomach is twisting in knots worrying about whether Kelsey is okay.
Ace stares at me for a long time, his deep brown eyes all-fucking-seeing, right down to my soul. At least, that’s how it feels as I try not to squirm under his examination.
“You’re a lost cause, Coop, so I’ll just say this. Be careful. Women are a weakness, one that can easily be exploited. I don’t want you to be put in the position to choose the club over your love.”
“Love?” I frown. “Who said shit about love?”
Ace’s mouth pulls into a crooked grin, and he shakes his head at me again.
“It’s written all over your fucking face, brother. Just be careful. Shit is too sensitive right now to risk a girl like that getting caught in the middle.”
“A girl like that?”
Ace nods. “Yeah, Coop. Don’t act stupid. Not now. If something happens to that rich girl, we’ll all come under fire. Every goddamn cop in the state will be breathing down our neck.”
I fold my arms and glare at him. “You tellin’ me to steer clear of her?”
“If I could, I would. I’m just telling you to be careful. Tell her to be careful. That’s all.”
Ace’s words hit me wrong, not because of the message but because of Kelsey’s lack of communication for the past thirty-some-odd hours. It’s unlike her, and Ace’s warning makes a ball of concern settle in the middle of my gut.
“Shit.” I tap the black screen to life and dial Kelsey again.
“Hey, this is Kelsey!”
I press the end call button and growl my frustration.
“Something wrong?” Ace’s thick brown brows lift in concern.
“Yeah. No. Fuck, maybe. I don’t know, and you’re in my head now.” I shake off the concern, convincing myself that Kelsey is all right. If she weren’t, I would know. Wouldn’t I?
Ace lets out a big boom of laughter and shakes his head.
“That pussy has got you all kinds of fucked up, my friend. I have just the thing to distract you.”
He claps me on the back and gives my shoulder a supportive squeeze.
I flash a smile I don’t feel and give him a playful shove. “The last thing I need right now is hoagies and titties.”
Ace barks out a laugh and guides me toward the door.
“You got me confused with Shades. I don’t eat while titties are exposed unless pussy is on the menu. Come on.”
Together we cross the parking lot and head inside Angel Harbor Choppers, which is Ace’s baby. The man lives and breathes motorcycles, and this place is as important to him as the MC.
“Look at this beauty. Isn’t she great?”
I stare down at the rusted pile of metal with hints of red leather underneath the thick layer of muck and look at Ace as if he’s lost his goddamn mind.
“What the hell is this thing, Ace?”
“Heathen,” he says and shakes his head in a smile. “This beauty right here is a 1957 Panhead, and I’m gonna bring her back to life.”
I look from Ace to the bike and back again. “Why?”
“Because, asshole, this bike is the epitome of cool. Because it gives me something to do other than hunt down Hector and beat the holy fuck out of him.”
“Yeah,” I sigh, “let’s do that. I could use a good fight right about now.”
Ace just laughs. “I have no doubt we’ll have plenty of time to kick ass. Soon.”
“Promises, promises,” I grunt and pull out my phone one again to stare at the screen with no new missed calls or messages. “All right, let’s resurrect the dead for a few hours, then.”
