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“Because he’s a piece of shit.”
“Is Cole—”
“He’s right behind me, but don’t worry, he’s our escape plan.”
“No,” I cry. “He can’t take them on by himself.”
“Hey, this is Cole we’re talking about.” Ace’s eyes bore into mine. His intensity should scare me, but oddly, it grounds me. “He’ll figure it out. Are you okay? They didn’t...”
“The guy who took me… he gave me something. I woke up in a van. But they didn’t hurt me, not really.”
“Thank fuck.” He breathes a sigh of relief. “I’m going to see if I can get these cable ties off.” Ace twists and turns, trying to see his wrists. “Shit, they’re on tight.”
“What time is it?” I ask.
“About eight.”
“How did you find me?” I ask, watching him struggle against his restraints.
“I recognized the trailer in the photo Donny sent Cole.”
“He sent him a photo?”
“Yeah. But when we got to the trailer park to check it out, it was gone.”
“Gone? But how—“
“Donny must have had it towed here. He owns the Heights. No one would have batted an eyelid.”
I try to process everything Ace is saying, but it’s a lot.
Cole is out there. He came. But the relief I feel is nothing compared to how terrified I am that he’ll get hurt.
Silence falls over us. Ace is sagged against the counter. I can just make out his profile in the shadows.
“I’m sorry you got caught up in all this,” he says.
“It’s not your fault.”
“It is... I should have paid closer attention, forced Cole to tell me what he was—”
“Ace, stop. People choose their actions. Nobody forced Donny to do this, just like nobody forced Cole. He did what he did because he cares about you, because he wanted you to have a shot at something different.”
“Yeah, but fuck, he’s my brother.” Pain twists his features. “It’s supposed to be me protecting him.”
“So this is where you lived, huh?”
It doesn’t resemble a home now. It’s trashed and smells like something died in here.
I shudder, hoping it didn’t.
“Yeah,” he answers. “Although so much has happened since we left, it doesn’t really feel like home anymore, ya know?”
Everything goes quiet again, until Ace says, “He’s different with you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my brother care about something other than me, Conner or football. Can I ask you something?”
“Okay.”
“Do you love him?”
