AceFor once, I’m not stalking my little bird.This time, I have my eyes set on her loser fiancé. I knew politics was fucking boring, but it’s even worse witnessing it with my own eyes. The mundane cream walls and white tiles in this building make me want to rip my eyeballs out of my skull.It was easy to blend in with the crowd, posing as a janitor who cleans the hallways and offices. Given how far up each other’s asses these people are, I knew I would be able to lurk the hallways undetected, keeping a watchful eye.When I decided to watch Paetyn’s fiancé today, just to see what he does throughout the day, I knew what I was walking into—boring people talking about an equally boring topic. I set up a video camera in his office when he left for lunch, hoping that when he returned he would give me something, anything, that would be of interest.I have no idea what I’m expecting to get out of this. But I knew I had to find something incriminating to hold against this motherfucker with he
PaetynI’m not listening to a single word my client is speaking. The words are static in my ears as I stare at her, nodding when needed, but nothing she says registers in my mind.It’s not because I’m not interested in what she has to say. In fact, she’s telling me about her inability to choose between two men in her life and how it’s tearing her apart at the seams. This is certainly something I should be listening to as the person she has paid to help her and listen to what she has to say. But I just can’t.Her predicament makes me consider my own strangely similar one. I’m not in a position where I have to choose between two men, especially when there is only one right option in my case. But it doesn’t stop me from thinking about Liam and Ace.I shouldn’t even have them together in the same thought when they couldn’t be more different. Where Liam is kind and attentive, Ace is observant and dangerous. They are on different ends of the spectrum in terms of personality and even looks,
PaetynPAETYN: Hey! I’m going to get dinner with Raya before I head home. There is left over food in the fridge if you want to heat that up. I’ll see you later.“Texting your fiancé, are you?”My head snaps up at the sound of Ace’s voice, and I slip my phone into my purse, not waiting for Liam’s response. Ace has one hand on the steering wheel while the other rests on his lap. His eyes should be looking ahead, but instead they’re on me.Everything about him is intense, even when he’s doing something as simple as driving a car.I clear my throat and shift in the seat. “I don’t want him to worry about where I am.”“And what did you tell him?”“That I’m getting dinner with my friend.”Ace smirks and turns to look at the road, not saying a word. But he doesn’t have to since I know exactly what he’s thinking.Thankfully, he doesn’t comment on it. Instead, he surprises me by asking, “How was work?”I blink at him. “Work?”“Yeah.”I rub my hands together in my lap, staring at the side of his
AceIt’s taking everything in me not to snap the motherfucker’s neck. But I have to wait and be patient. Not only am I in public, watching as the rat lurks the street, his beady eyes following women as they pass by, but I can’t give myself away.Not yet.I lean against the streetlamp beside me, my eyes locked on the man I now know as Johnnie Abrams. After my encounter with him three nights ago when he attempted to mug my little bird, I did some digging into him and used my connections to learn everything I could about him.Nothing of importance turned up. He is nothing but a common street thug who is well-known to the police for his petty crimes, and yet, he still has the ability to stalk the streets, searching for his next victim. But not for much longer once I get my hands on him.Johnnie leans against the wall of a building beside a dark alleyway, much like the one Paetyn walks every night after work. A cigarette hangs from his lips as he lights the end of it. With it being almost
PaetynI need to get out of this goddamn house before I lose my mind.It’s been a week since Liam accused me of cheating on him, and I hit him with the evidence I have collected of his supposed infidelity. Whenever we’re in the same room, he refuses to look at me or utter a single word, choosing silence over discussing the situation at hand. Like a child.In the four years I have been dating Liam, he has never once apologized for a fight or admitted he was in the wrong. I’m the one who has to apologize first and start talking to him again. Otherwise, if I don’t, he will continue to play the silent game. And I can’t stand it. Knowing he’s in the same house, breathing the same air, and going about his day and not speaking to me makes me irate. He’s sleeping in the spare bedroom for God’s sake.By now, I would’ve given in and apologized just so he would stop this game, but I refuse to be the bigger person this time, especially when he has been no saint either.With a huff, I grab my car
Ace“How is everything with you, Ace?”I blink at Enzo from across his desk, the leather seat cool against the back of my jean-clad thighs. He leans back in the large chair, his hands running down the front of his dark blue blazer sculpted to his frame. Not a single strand of dirty-blond hair is out of place, and his hard blue eyes focused on me.“Everything is fine,” I answer, my back pin-straight. “Is there any news on those Bonanno fuckers?”“They’ve been silent,” Enzo says and leans forward. “After they messed with our supply drop, it seems they’ve gone into hiding, likely waiting for us to retaliate.”“Are we going to retaliate?”Enzo hums. “Not yet. Patience is a virtue. If they think we could strike at any moment, I want them to fester in that anxiety, waiting for the unknown.”I nod. Enzo isn’t someone who rushes into a situation like this, guns blazing, ready to kill. He takes his time planning an attack down to the finest details. Partly because he likes to keep his enemy on
AceI step forward, my eyes locked with hers. “Tell me what you want.”Paetyn blinks at me, those soft green eyes piercing through my soul. “You,” she murmurs, her voice as sweet as her scent.Fuck me.That one word would be my undoing.Everything about this woman is intoxicating and messes with my fucking head. All I want is to keep her locked up in this house so she will never have to leave me again or go home to the cheating fucker who doesn’t deserve her.Hell, I don’t deserve her, but I’m selfish enough to keep her.“Me?” I say, rolling the word around my mouth as I brush my chest against hers. She shudders, but holds my gaze. My hand grazes hers, the heat from her skin lighting a fire in my veins. “And what do you want me to do, little bird? Say the word and I’ll make it happen.”She swallows hard, strands of silver hair falling delicately around her soft features. Paetyn is the most beautiful woman I have ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on. Anytime another man looks in her
PaetynI’m greeted by harsh rays of moonlight shining through the open window above the bed when my eyes flutter open, heavy with sleep. Every muscle in my body is tense, my back aches and my limbs feel like a weight is keeping them pressed firmly against the mattress.I force myself into a seated position, dragging the thin black sheet up to my chest. My eyes sting as I rub the sleep from them, hoping it’ll make me feel more awake when in reality, I want to lie down and go back to sleep. I want to feel Ace’s arms wrapped around me, holding me close to his firm chest as he strokes my hair.Ace…My eyes widen as panic crashes through me, nearly knocking the wind out of my lungs.Ace!I nearly get whiplash from the ferocity of my head snapping to the left where my phone sits on the bedside table. With my heart in my throat, I snatch the device off the table. The screen beams to life, almost blinding me in the dark room.10:18 PM.My heart sinks to my toes at the notifications on the hom
Paetyn’s POVLiving with Ace the past two days has been exhausting. Not because he’s insufferable to live with, but because his sex drive is out of this world. To the point it keeps me up late and wakes me early in the morning before work. But I’m not complaining in the slightest. Being with Ace is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Not only is he intense and does everything he can to blow my mind when we have sex, but he knows how to take care of me and make sure I’m comfortable and happy. Ace takes care of me in a way Liam never did. Liam was a pump and dump kind of guy, but Ace takes the time to give us both what we need and clean me up afterward. What more could a girl ask for? The sun has dipped below the New York City horizon, casting the streets in darkness. I wave goodbye to Clarissa after locking up the office and wait by the front doors for Ace. Now that I’m staying with him, he insisted he picks me up from work every day to ensure I get home safely. After I leaked t
Ace’s POVPaetyn is asleep beside me when my crusted over eyes open the next morning. After spending what felt like hours making Pae beg for me to let her come, I collapsed on the bed, overcome with exhaustion from the past few days of sleepless nights, and passed the fuck out. I don’t remember my head hitting the pillow. It was a miracle my body lasted as long as it did. My gaze sweeps across to Paetyn wrapped in the sheets, locks of strawberry-blonde hair splayed across the pillow. The morning sun shines through the curtains to illuminate her soft features, making it difficult for me to keep my stirring dick in control. How is it possible that I have the most beautiful woman in the world sleeping in my bed? My dick stirs again, and I take this as my cue to get the fuck out of here. As much as I would love to wake Paetyn up with my head between her thighs and my tongue licking her sweet pussy, I’m craving a cup of coffee. Besides, I’m not sure she would appreciate me teasing her a
Paetyn’s POVI’ve barely made it through the front door before Ace has his lips attached to my neck, sucking the skin at the base of my throat harshly while his hands roam over my chest. He pinches my nipple poking through the thin material of the oversized T-shirt I threw on earlier tonight.“Did you specifically not wear anything beneath this shirt because you wanted me to kill Seren for seeing you like this or sneak into your room and fuck you until you were screaming my name?”A shiver shudders through my entire body. It should be embarrassing how soaked my panties are from hearing the words fall from Ace’s filthy mouth, but I’m not. If anything, it fuels the fire burning in my core and the electricity thrumming beneath my skin. The front door slams closed, and I arch my back, desperate for Ace to continue touching me the way he is. “Which is it, little bird?” His warm breath fans against the sore skin at the base of my neck. I won’t be surprised if the spot is purple and blue b
Ace’s POVIt’s fucking killing me that I’m forced to watch Paetyn from afar–to the point that my muscles are permanently tensed and my vision is blurred at the edges. Ever since she left my house three days ago, I haven’t known peace. And I haven’t slept either. How could I when I need to know she’s safe? And the only way to know that for sure is to watch her myself. Besides going to work, Paetyn hasn’t left Raya’s house. For good reason. She knows I was watching her when she visited her mother at the hospital two days ago. Which means she has likely chosen not to leave the house to avoid seeing me. And while that irritates the fuck out of me, I understand her reasoning. She wants time to figure it all out. While I’m not the most patient man, I am willing to give her the time she needs.Knowing she is safe at her friend’s house does bring me some peace of mind, but it doesn’t change the fact that I wish she would return home with me where she belongs.Without Paetyn by my side, it’s
Paetyn’s POV I know he’s watching me, just like he promised he would. The moment I stepped out of my car after arriving at the hospital, I felt his intense gaze on the side of my face. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to look in his direction and force my myself to walk away. After I left Ace’s house last night, I drove straight to Raya’s. She was more than happy to let me stay with her for as long as I needed. I don’t know what I would do without my best friend. No matter the circumstance, she will drop everything for me if I so much as ask, and vice versa. When I’m with her, it’s a judgment-free zone. Raya is the best at listening and offers the best advice. When I told her what happened with Ace, she pointed out that it seemed like I already knew what I wanted. Which was to put some space between me and Ace to figure out my next move, and then I’ll see him again. And she’s right. For once, I know what I want and didn’t have to hear reason from my best friend to fig
Paetyn’s POVMy eyes nearly bulge out of my head. “What?”I blink at him, trying to process what I just heard. Ace has a recording of Liam sleeping with his secretary. I mean, I had a feeling he was being unfaithful but didn’t have the evidence to prove it. But somehow Ace does…. How? He stares down at me, unmoving. His silence indicates he’s allowing me to process the bomb he just dropped on me, but his not saying anything is making the anger bubbling in my veins worse. “What the hell, Ace? How do you have footage of that?” I fold my arms over my chest. “I want the truth.”Ace runs a hand through his messy hair and takes a step back as if pushed aside by the anger radiating off me. “Does it matter how I got it? We can use it against him and destroy any chance he has at progressing his campaign. It’s a win-win for both of us.”“Ace,” I growl. “Tell me how you got the footage, or I’m walking out that door.”His eyes darken. The ticking in his strong jaw tells me I hit a nerve, but th
Paetyn’s POVI swallow hard, but the pressure of his hand on my throat doesn’t leave me with much room. “Stand up,” Ace commands, his intense blue eyes holding mine.I do as I’m told and stand, the barstool skidding across the tiled floor. My neck strains as I tilt my head back to meet his gaze. Inky strands of hair fall over his forehead, framing his intrusive eyes as they peer down at me. A nervous energy thrums in my veins as I wait for him to make the next move. Ace is a man who enjoys watching me squirm, knowing he is the one in charge and has total control over me. When I was with Liam, he never took charge and would often ask me what I wanted to do when it came to sex. But not Ace. He doesn’t need to ask what I want because he knows what I need without me having to say it. In the short time I’ve known him, he has learned to read my body and the way it reacts to him. Which means he knows how to drive me crazy. “Turn around,” he murmurs. “Hands on the countertop.”Ace releas
Paetyn’s POVIt was a long day, to say the least. My mind was a jumbled mess of everything that had happened in the last forty-eight hours, making it hard to concentrate on my clients. No matter how hard I tried to push everything to the back of my mind, I would find myself getting lost in thought whenever a client was speaking or when I was on my lunch break. I hate that Liam has somehow forced his way into the corner of my mind, despite my breaking off our engagement. Every time I picture his face, or remind myself about how he put my life on the line for his own gain, I get the urge to punch his stupid face. He deserves it. It’s easier said than done to move on from what happened, but I’m optimistic that, with a little bit of time, I can put this whole thing behind me. At least, I hope so. I expect to see Ace when I walk through the front door of his house. Now that I know what he does with his spare time, I’m not sure what his schedule looks like. I mean, being an enforcer for
Ace’s POVThis is the second time I’ve watched that asshole Liam from my car. Unlike last time when I caught him sleeping with his secretary, he has done nothing but pace his office every five minutes, constantly checking his phone.I know a paranoid man when I see one, and this fucker has it written all over his face. My fingers rub against my black jeans as I form fists on my thighs. I’m sure he’s feeling the heat after what went down with Paetyn yesterday. She knows the details of the sick plan he created to push him up in the polls and bring more attention to his campaign, all at the expense of his fiancee. If the media were to find out about it, I have no doubt it would bring a shitstorm his way. Good. It’s what he deserves for doing what he did to my little bird. Liam passes by the window of his office. He’s been on the phone for what has to be the twentieth time since I started watching him when he arrived just before 9:00 A.M. I don’t know who he’s talking to, but it doesn