Chapter 2

Ace

I grab the papers up. I need help with this. I push Nessa off me and she pouts " Don't you want to play?" " I got business to take care of. And never come near me when I'm talking to someone. Remember your place." My first stop is Brick, our road captain and resident hacker. I knocked on his office door and let myself in. I don't give him time to say anything. " You got anything urgent you're working on?" Brick turns to me " Nothing that can't wait. You need something?"

I thrust the papers on his desk and pointed to Ailee's birth certificate. " I need to know everything about this girl. Pets, hobbies, traffic tickets, report cards. Medical records. Everything!" Pointing to the document from the lawyer. " I need to know if this is legit. I want you to go through everything with a fine tooth comb. And I need it asap."I told him. Brick nodded " You got it brother." " And Brick brings everything to me only. Don't tell anyone. Right now this isn't club business until I know more." I informed him.I don’t need anyone knowing about this yet until I figure everything out. Then I will bring it to the club. When Brick agreed I went to the room I keep at the club house. This call I had to make needed privacy. I needed to know more about this cancer if it even existed. 

" Ryans' ' the doc answered. If there was anyone I trusted to help me it was the doctor the club used. He knew how to keep quiet and we paid him nicely for his silence. He had been with the club for so long he was the first person I knew I could go to. " Doc, it's Ace. You got time to answer a few questions for me?" I ask. " I'll do my best but you know I can't give a diagnosis over the phone." Ryans says. " I don't need a diagnosis. I have some questions about a disease." That was the best I could give without giving too much away especially since I didn't have answers myself. " I'll do my best to answer what I know." Ryans says. 

" Stage three Hodgkin's lymphoma." I say. I hear Ryans suck in a breath and I know right then I'm not going like what I hear. He didn't laugh like it was some made up word or fake illness. His tone when he did answer confirmed it. " Ace." Pause. " That is a very rare form of cancer. It affects the lymph system of the body. Stage three means it has most likely started to spread through the body." Ryans says. " Are there treatments? What are the odds of survival?" I ask. 

" There are treatments. Chemo, radiation, some drugs. I can't give you exact odds without seeing the person's records to know what is being done in the way of treatments. Then there are factors such as age and previous health history" Ryans says. I take a deep breath " What about a bone marrow transplant? How does that work?" " Bone marrow is usually done when nothing else is working to get rid of the cancer. It is used as a hail mary. But matches can be hard to find. If ever." This is not what I want to hear but it is what I need to hear. " What are good matches?" " Family is usually the best. A parent or sibling is usually tested first. If no match is found then they go to other family members. The person is also put into a national database to look for matches." Ryans says.

" Thanks doc. You've given me a lot to think about." I say. " Anytime. Ace I'm sorry I couldn't give you better news. If you have any more questions just call." With that I hang up. Talking to Ryans answered some of my questions. So far everything Ailee has told me is the truth. But I need more. I need Brick to get back to me. But for now I'm getting my ass drunk and find me a bunny to fall balls deep in to get this shit out of my head. I don’t want to think about anything right now. I don’t want to think about Ailee or her mother. I don’t want to think of all the reasons I’m just now finding out I have a child. Would she have ever come to find me if she weren’t sick? I get the feeling the answer is no. I feel like I’m her last resort.

Ailee 

I'm quiet on the way back to the condo my grandfather set up for me and my guards. I met the man who I believe to be my father. To say he was shocked was an understatement. At one point I thought he might collapse. I could probably knock him over with a feather. I've grown up knowing I had his eyes. They are the only features I got from him. But to see them in the flesh was a feeling I wasn't expecting. It almost felt familiar. I tried to keep things all business-like. Keep my expression neutral but inside I felt a sense of longing for something I never had. At least until that woman sat on Mr. Ripley's lap like I wasn't there. And he did nothing to push her away despite the fact that his daughter was sitting across from him. I can’t help but wonder what my mother saw in him. Why would she be with someone like that? Did she have to put up with things like that? But I’m happy she didn’t subject me to that kind of life.  I had a wonderful childhood considering what some might see as an odd upbringing. 

To me it was normal. So the thing is my family is one of the largest and most feared Irish crime families in the US and Ireland. The O' Sullivan name is known worldwide for both good and bad. Most of the bad had been shielded from me for most of my life. At least until I got older and it was time for me to train to take over. I had friends, went to the best schools, had playdates and went to birthday parties. But I also had round the clock guards, servants and drivers.  I have never had to go without. But I also never took anything for granted.I still had chores like all kids. I didn’t have things handed to me I had to earn then. When I got sick the first time when I was in my early teens my guards were changed out to ones that have a medical background should I need it. That was when I got Callen. Who has been more like a heavily armed uncle than a bodyguard. Finn has always been with me but got medically trained so he could stay with me. He even took some nursing courses so he could take care of me. I remember the day he told my grandda that he would do whatever it took but he wasn’t leaving my side. Hell he has been with me for as long as I can remember. Besides my grandda Finn is the only father figure I have ever known. But I would trade him for anything.

I have always been my grandfather's princess. I just didn’t realize the full extent of it until after I turned eighteen. Then I started getting groomed to take over for grandfather. It is unsual for a woman to take over but I'm guessing not unheard of since it is being done. That is when I got to see the darker side of things. Things I probably always knew were there but I just chose to ignore them. Like seeing Callen kill someone right in front of me when the guy tried to kidnap me from school. He was going to try to use me against my grandfather to get him to step down. Or like the fact that my family ran guns and dealt with some illegal drugs. The list of things the O’Sullivan name is linked to is quite long. There is one thing I’m proud to say we don’t involve ourselves in and that is trafficking of people. As a matter of fact we work to stop groups who are doing it. That was my first kill. I took out a man that was selling childeren as sex slaves. That’s right, I'm a trained killer. I have tortured the worse scum in the country without blinking. That’s why I’m called the ice queen. When I need to get information I turn to ice. Nothing gets to me. I will take out any one who peddles is sex slavery.Especially involving children.  I don’t regret it either. And I will do it again. I’m proud of it.

I had been so lost in thought about my life and Mr. Ripley I hadn't noticed we had arrived. Callen escorted me inside while my driver Finn parked. I flop on the couch, suddenly very tired. Unfortunately I tire easily these days. Callen goes to the kitchen to get my evening meds ready. You think I would be used to these things by now but I still hate taking pills. I don’t like how they make me feel. I always like to keep a clear head.

When Callen comes to me he sets a large glass of orange juice down on the coffee table then holds out his hand. I grab my juice and the first of five pills. Just as I swallow the first one Callen says " You had a lot going on in your head on the way here. Want to talk about it?" I swallow the second pill before I answer. " I don't know what to say. I don't know what I was expecting. Something. More maybe.He seemed like he wanted more. Like he believed me. Then that woman came. Maybe grandfather was right and we should just keep looking." " You don't think he will help?" I sigh "I am usually pretty good at reading people. But with him I don't have the first clue." I take pill four and lean my head back. " You were hoping for something more than his marrow weren't you?" 

I take the last pill, the biggest one and chug the rest of my juice to get it down. I look at Callen `` Is it wrong of me to want to know the man? I mean other than the stories ma told me. Or maybe that he might want to know me. Just a little." Callen doesn't answer, just sits next to me and puts his arm around putting my head on his shoulder. " There is nothing wrong with wanting to know your da. I just don't want you to get your hopes up. If he will donate that may have to be enough for you. If he doesn't want to get to know the wonderful person that you are. Then it is his loss." I snuggle closer to Callen.  He has been my support, the person I confide in, or cry on his shoulder when I need it. He and Finn see a side of me I don’t show to other people. Basically I let the ice melt when it is just us." You are right. I have plenty of family. I don't need him if he doesn't want me. I made my peace a long time ago about him. I shouldn't let it bother me now."

He kisses the top of my head and gets up." That's my girl. Let's have a bite then you need to get some rest. First day of treatment tomorrow." I hate this. I don’t want to do chemo again. It was hard enough the first time when I was in my teens. At least I had my ma with me. But she has been gone for twelve years now. I know my grandda will be here for me and I have Callen and Finn so I’m not completely alone. I’m the heiress to the O’ Sullivan empire. I’m known to have a heart of ice to those who don’t know me very well. I need it that way. But to those select few I can let my emotions show. And right now they know I’m scared.