Page 42 of Hers To Keep

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I mutter back to him, trying to hold back my true feelings and shout out how fucking delectable he looks. Leave it to me to be the one not able to keep it in my pants.

This man has made me into some insatiable nymphomaniac. I enjoyed sex with Drake, both of us new to it and not knowing what to expect. Then, after that, it felt good, but was always one sided, either he’d come or I would, rarely the both of us without alittle extra help. Yet with Ace it’s absolutely mind-blowing and all-consuming.

Ace extends his arm to me, motioning for me to take it. “Why don’t we go enjoy ourselves,” he says, and after the shit week I’ve had, that’s exactly what I need.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

SCARLETT

Unknown: Meet me on the second floor, third door to your right. I need to ask something of you and need your utmost discretion. Don’t make me remind you my nephew must not see you sneak away.

I scowl at the screen of my phone, my heart’s racing rapidly, threatening to escape the safety of its chamber in my chest. Sneaking away from Ace won’t be a problem since he’s been nowhere to be found for the past hour. He said he needed to take care of some drunk guys that were getting out of hand, but I’ve yet to see him since he left with Bass. I’ve actually enjoyed myself even with Carrington and her minions glaring at Ace and I all night long. Thankfully, neither one of them is lurking around here anymore either.

I turn to Stella, placing my hand upon her shoulder and whispering in her ear. “Have you seen Jade?” She shrugs her shoulders, shaking her head.

“She’s been gone for a while. Suspiciously, I haven’t seen Bass either,” she slurs, raising a brow at me insinuating they’re somewhere off together.

“It’s almost midnight, I’m going to go look for Ace,” I say, as she nods, drunkenly mumbling back at me.

“Hurry, everyone’s heading outside to see the fireworks show.” I take off, leaving her with an equally drunk Ruby.

I was hoping today would be different. That I’d be able to enjoy myself without the impending threat of Agent Servite since I hadn’t seen him all night. I even went as far as believing he skipped out on today’s festivities, but just like he said he would, he summoned me.

I head up the stairs without being seen, mostly because everyone has gone out to the beach, and those who are still here are too drunk or are just not paying me much attention. I walk up to the door he mentioned, and find it unlocked and slightly ajar. Before entering I halt, hearing familiar voices coming from inside.

“She doesn’t know you already knew she was in town, does she?” I recognize Carrington’s screechy voice and can see the waves of her blonde hair peeking through the small opening of the door.Why is she up here with Agent Servite, and more importantly who are they talking about?

“There was no need for her to know when I first met her. So don’t even think about running off to tell her.” My heart drops as I hear Ace’s voice.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it, love, to ruin this charade you’ve got going on. I must admit even I’m starting to believe you actually like the poor girl.” I push the door open further being careful not to make a sound, but the hollering from the guests outside is so loud they wouldn’t hear me if I did.

I can clearly see Carrington by Ace’s side, her hands roaming over his shoulders as she walks around him. His back is to me as he stares out the open window before him looking out toward the crowded beach below.

“I know where she’s hiding,” Carrington says, pausing as she places a hand on his chest. “She’s terrified of Wesley, but you already knew that since you’re the one who convinced her to come back to Hillcrest. My father’s been helping her, much to my mother’s dismay. I guess she’s a whore just like her daughter. Luring the men who belong to another.”

My blood is boiling as I take in what’s playing out in front of me. Carrington has her hands on my boyfriend, once again thinking she can touch what belongs to me, all while talking about my mother, insinuating Ace brought her back to Hillcrest and not Agent Servite.

“We were never anything, you need to get that through your head, Carrie,” Ace says, pushing her hand off of him. At least he did one thing right.

“Oh but, my darling Ace, what you need to get through that thick head of yours is that when your uncle says it’s over, this charade, this relationship you’ve concocted in your head will be done with. And I’ll be here to pick up the pieces of the broken king, just like a queen must do.”

He turns to her, pushing her back against the wall, his hand moving to grip her shoulders. I feel a profound pain shoot through me, at the sight of him so close to her, his hands on her, his lips a mere inch from hers, and I can’t keep quiet anymore.

I push the door the rest of the way open. “Ace,” I mumble, between broken sobs, as I come out from my hiding spot in the shadows.

He turns to me abruptly, a look of sheer panic instilled within his dark blue irises, his hands dropping to fists at his sides as he approaches me. All while Carrington stands smiling smugly in my direction.

I should take off. I should leave the room and run to the safety of the outdoors, amidst the crowd of drunken interlopers roaming the beach, instead I move further into the room. Carrington mentioned knowing where my mother is, and I need to talk to her.

“You know where she is?” I ask, ignoring the fact that I found her with her hands on my boyfriend.

“I know where she’s hiding, yes,” she says arrogantly.

“You need to tell me now!” I shout, pushing her back against the wall, into the same compromising position I found her in with Ace.

However, my arm comes up to her neck as I push it into her, cutting off her air supply. She wriggles beneath me, her eyes bulging and begging me to loosen my grip.