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I smirk, knowing full well they’re both backing me and completely blaming Ace for my broken heart. “Oh sweetie,” I croon, taking Abel from him and sitting him on my hip, “Did that nasty Ace upset you?”
“Hey, can we not do that? I’m his Gramps.”
“Gramps?” I repeat.
“Yeah, sounds less old than Grandad.”
I shake my head and slowly walk around with Abel. His cries slow down and, eventually, he rests his head against my shoulder. “Have you taken him for a walk? He likes to go out in his pushchair.”
“Oh crap, Lucy told me that. I forgot.”
“Well, let’s try it.”
We head out, and I fasten Abel in and lay his cuddle toy next to him. He snuggles it and rests his head back like he’s tired. We head for the park, and Ace follows with Dodge by his side. We remain silent for the first few minutes. Things feel awkward, and it makes me sad. We are so far past friends now that it’s too hard to go back there. After all, I’ve seen him naked. “We look like the perfect family,” he says with a smirk.
“If only people knew,” I mutter, rolling my eyes.
“If we were together, would that make you Abel’s step-grandma?”
“We’re not together,” I say sharply. I need us to change the subject, so I go for the obvious. “How’s things with you and Angel?”
“Don’t do that, Mae,” he groans. “It pisses me off when you try to act like you don’t give a shit.”
“I don’t, I’m being polite.”
“Are you seeing anyone?” It crosses my mind to lie, but I can’t. He’ll know by the blush on my cheeks or the fact that I never leave the clubhouse. I shake my head. “Good.”
“So, you don’t want me, but you don’t want me to move on?”
Ace growls. “Can we have one conversation that isn’t an argument?” We fall silent again. The park is now empty compared to just ten minutes ago. Dodge runs off ahead, sniffing every bin and post he spots. “Do you want kids, Mae?”
“Not really. I mean, I can’t have them, so I’ve never really put any thought into it.”
“You can’t?” He looks surprised. Over the last few years, Ace and I have spoken a lot, but it’s something I’ve never talked about with him. Our talks have always been about Ace and the struggles he was facing.
“I have cysts, polycystic ovaries they call it. I think with medication or some sort of intervention, I could possibly have kids, but if I’m honest, kids don’t really interest me. Does that make me weird?”
Ace shakes his head. “Not at all. I guess it’s a common expectation to think all women want kids. I mean, you’re good with kids, so I just thought you’d want them some day.”
“What about you? Can you see yourself having more kids?”
“I’m too old,” he says. “Forty is no age to begin again. Having Hulk and Lucy young was out of my control in some ways. I should have waited, done it all properly with a wedding, but it is what it is, and I’m blessed to have them both in my life again. Besides, now I’m a gramps, it just doesn’t seem right.” Ace whistles for Dodge. “I’m not sleeping with Angel,” he suddenly blurts out, and I glimpse up at him.
“Well, it’s your business.”
“I know, just wanted you to know that I’m not jumping into bed with someone else after everything that happened between us.” I can’t deny that the news pleases me. I’d like to think he was just as cut up as me, but I have a feeling it’s more to do with how she lied to me. “What she did, lying like that, it pissed me off. I don’t want to lead her on anymore, and I can’t risk her wrecking future relationships.” The pain in my chest twists, and the thought of him having future relationships hurts me. It’s too soon for me to think of him like that.
Dodge hasn’t returned, so Ace whistles again. We hear a whimper, and we exchange a concerned look, then rush along the path. As we round the bend, we spot Dodge by the park exit. There’s a rope attached to his collar, and he’s tied up to the metal gate. “What the fuck?” mutters Ace, crouching down to stroke Dodge, who pulls at the rope. He’s used to running free as Ace hardly ever puts him on a leash.
There’s nobody around and the park is eerily quiet. I wait patiently as Ace tries to untie the rope, but the knot is pretty tight. We’re so busy concentrating on that, I don’t hear anything until an arm wraps around my neck and I’m pulled back against a hard body. I let out a surprised squeak, releasing my hold on the stroller. Ace looks over his shoulder and stands, immediately pulling a gun from his ankle strap. He points it at me, and I gulp. Something hard presses against my cheek. “Drop the gun or I’ll stick this straight into her skull.” The voice behind me is low and gravelly, but I don’t recognise it. Ace lowers the gun and places it on the ground. “Now, the rest.”
I watch as Ace begins to pull out weapons from hidden holsters around his body. When they’re all on the ground, a white van pulls up and two large men dressed in dark clothing get out. One collects up the weapons and places them in a bag.
“Now, I’ll tell you exactly what’s gonna happen. You’re gonna get into the van, any funny business and I’ll kill this bitch right in front of you. I’ll start by torturing her slowly, so her death will be long, drawn out, and painful, and you’ll watch every second of it. Are we clear, Ace?”
Ace nods. I’ve never seen fear in his eyes before, but it’s there now. “What about the baby?” he asks.
“The dog can watch it. I’ll get a message to your club.”
