Coming Up Aces (The Hounds of Zeus MC #9)

Chapter Seven

Ace

When Ace woke to a silent room, he worried Rayna had left, but his Gryphon informed him where she was. He scrubbed a hand down his face, then lowered the footrest. As he stood, a phone rang, but it was in the back of the house. He glanced outside to see Rayna resting on a lounge chair she’d pulled out into the yard so she was in the sun. She didn’t move at the sound of the ringing, so he strode to the room where her things were. Was it an invasion of privacy to enter the room even though it was his? The device pinged, and Ace followed the sound, finding a burner tucked away under some of her clothes, only it wasn’t the one he’d given her. Why didn’t she admit she already had a phone when he offered her the new one earlier? Ace snatched it up and closed the drawer. He didn’t try to open it to see who was contacting her. More than likely, it was her partner.

Ace retraced his steps and opened the back door. Rayna didn’t move. Either she was asleep or deep in thought. He stopped next to the lounge chair, and the female opened her eyes.

Holding it out to her, he said, “It was ringing. I thought it might be important.” If she got pissed at him for going through her things, he’d ask forgiveness later. Ace returned inside, grabbed a beer, then leaned against the counter where he could see her. Rayna didn’t return the call, but she did tap at the screen, sending a message. A few minutes later, she rose and walked to the back of the yard, leaning against a tree. Her body language was tense, and her pretty face was frowning. His beast wanted to soothe whatever was bothering her. That didn’t bother Ace. In fact, he found it fascinating. What did bother him was her reluctance to trust him.

She trusted us to come here.

But not enough to tell me she already had a phone?

Maybe she thought it was a nice gesture and didn’t want to hurt your feelings.

Rayna strode toward the house with purpose. Ace remained leaning against the counter as she entered the house. She pulled the cover off the phone and removed the battery, searching. She then put it back together but powered it down. When she spoke, she said, “I need a favor.”

Ace inclined his head. “If it’s within my power.”

“Can you have Bishop run a discreet check on Seth?” Rayna blew out a breath. “I have no reason not to trust my partner, but something isn’t sitting right with me about this whole situation. I asked why he left me at Haven when Spencer had been released months ago, and he told me because I was safer there.”

“Safer from whom?”

“That’s what I asked. Myself, not him. I’m a trained agent, and my record is spotless. I’ve received several awards over the years. Not tooting my own horn; I’m just saying that I’m good at my job. If I was in danger from someone, why not just tell me who it is and what they want?”

“Have you considered Seth is protecting you?”

“Maybe, but my instincts are telling me something isn’t right.” Rayna paced the kitchen.

“Let me have Bishop run a search to put your mind at ease. Tell me about Seth. His family. What their day-to-days are like. What kind of house they live in, cars, etc. Better yet, let me get Bishop on the phone and you can give him the information. That way if he has questions, you can answer them.”

“Yeah, okay. I hate this. I’ve never doubted him in all the years we’ve known each other.”

Ace dialed Bishop. When he answered, Ace said, “Hey, Bishop. I need you to run another search. This one is on Rayna’s partner, Seth McCauley. And I have her on speaker to answer any questions you might have.”

Bishop cleared his throat. “Actually, I’ve already done that. Since Rhiannon’s safety is threatened, I wanted to cover all our bases. I’ve also asked Zedra if she’ll shadow the wife and kids.”

Rayna leaned her arms on the bar and stared at a point over Ace’s shoulder. “With this being the holiday weekend, Vanessa would have taken the kids to visit her parents over in Little Falls. They stay with their grandparents for the month of July. Vanessa should’ve been back in time to open her shop today.”

“And Seth doesn’t go with them?”

“If he’s not on a case, but since he drove by Delia’s and found me missing, he must be working on something.”

“Thank you. That’s helpful. As for Seth, I didn’t find anything in his financials out of the ordinary. Rayna, can you tell me about Vanessa’s life? I know she owns her salon, but what about after she leaves for the night? And with the kids staying with her parents, what does she do on weekends? Do they go to church? Does Seth normally go into the office on the weekends?”

Rayna gave Bishop all the information he requested plus some he didn’t. It was clear Rayna was close with the McCauleys and knew details about their lives including the name of the older woman who watched the kids while Vanessa and Seth worked. “They don’t go to church except at Christmas when Seth’s parents come visit. As for the office, he works all hours if he’s on a case. I didn’t ask him about his current one when he picked me up, though. His text said that Hanson is going to be out of town for the next week.”

“Does Hanson use a company jet, or does he fly commercial?”

“A company craft. If it’s for personal use, he’s supposed to reimburse the cost.”

“I was afraid of that, but it’s helpful. Anything else you can think of that’ll dictate whether anything is out of the ordinary?”

“Only if Vanessa didn’t show up for work today.”

“Thank you, Rayna. I can’t imagine this is easy for you.”

“It’s not. Like I told Asher, I’ve never had reason to doubt Seth. If he is involved in any way, it’s under duress.”

“I’ll keep you posted if I find anything suspicious or otherwise.”

“Thanks, Brother.”

Rayna propped her head against her hand. “This sucks. I’m not used to sitting on the sidelines.”

“How long were you supposed to stay at Haven?”

“Two months. At least that’s what I agreed to. When I was still there longer? I became both nervous and pissed off.”

“I’ve heard about being in the cult from those who were there against their will. What was it like for you?”

“It was a culture shock of epic proportions. I had read case studies on The Ministry, so I had some suspicions of what it would be like, but living it… It was intense and hard for me to keep my head down and mouth shut. Women expected to heel, to be silent, to marry a man they have no interest in is ludicrous. It’s like living in the Stone Age. If they were a loving group, only wanting to live off the land in a peaceful environment, it would be easier to assimilate to not having creature comforts like electronics. Being self-sufficient isn’t wrong. When it’s for less than peaceful purposes where the men rule with an iron hand, that I can’t wrap my head around. The hardest part was interacting with Glory every day and not being able to help her. She has one of the brightest souls I’ve ever encountered. The night before the Hounds rescued her from the market, she came into our cabin with a mark on her face where Amos struck her. It was all I could do to sit there and not go claw his eyes out.”

“Glory’s safe now. She and Ripley moved into their new house yesterday, and Rip’s parents are relocating from Florida to be closer. Conrad and Regina will more than make up for all the hurt Glory’s parents caused.”

“That’s wonderful. I can’t wait to see her outside of Haven. I feel like we could be good friends.”

“I’m sure she’d like that as well.” Ace would too. If Rayna and Glory became close, it would give him the opportunity to spend time with his own best friend without feeling like a third wheel. He would love nothing more than to have Rayna on the back of his bike. For that to happen… “I need to run some errands. Will you be okay alone for a couple of hours?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m going to go back outside and resume my nap in the sun.”

“Help yourself to anything to eat or drink. I want you to feel at home here.”

“I appreciate that.” Rayna climbed down from the stool and walked outside. Once she was lying on the lounge chair, Ace headed to her room and opened the closet. He picked up a shoe to see what size she wore. Back in the kitchen, he grabbed his keys, then headed to town. His first stop was the bike shop where he purchased a backrest and a few helmets since he wasn’t sure of Rayna’s size. He also bought her some riding boots and a few T-shirts. He was going overboard for someone he’d just met, but it felt right. Still, he wasn’t going to let himself get carried away thinking of a future with the female. That way lay madness, but a male could dream. With his purchases stored in the trunk, Ace turned the car to the grocery store where he filled a cart. If he bought more fruity cereal and several packs of grape soda, that was his business.

He returned home in just under two hours, and Rayna was where he’d left her, only now, she was on her stomach. Ace put the groceries away, then went to the garage to install the backrest on his Harley. It wasn’t as cushy as some, but it would allow her to feel more secure.

“Asher?” Rayna called out.

“In the garage.” He stood when she appeared in the door. “Come see.” Ace gestured to the bike as Rayna closed the distance.

“Is that for me?” She ran her hand over the leather.

“It is. I also got you some riding boots and a helmet. Well, a few helmets since I didn’t know your size. I’ll return the ones that don’t fit.”

Before he knew what was happening, Ace had his arms filled with a happy female. “Thank you. It’s been a long time since anyone did something this nice for me.” Rayna hugged him tightly, her body fitting perfectly against his. Ace returned the embrace, setting his cheek against her hair. His Gryphon rumbled, and Rayna pulled back to look at him.

“Was that your animal?”

Ace ran his finger down her cheek that had an indention from the cushion she’d been lying on. “Yep. He likes hugs.”

Rayna smiled as she leaned back in. “I do too. Anytime he wants one, all you have to do is ask.” They remained in each other’s arms for several minutes just being, and it was the most peaceful Ace had felt in years. “Can we go for a ride soon?” Rayna asked against his neck.

He pulled away, keeping his hands on her arms. “Sure can. Let’s see which helmet fits.” He walked around to the trunk where he’d left them. After finding one that worked, he handed her the other bags. “Here are your boots and some shirts. You’ll want to wear jeans if you have them.”

“I do. Let me get changed. I’ll be right back.” Rayna smacked a kiss against his cheek before rushing inside. Ace placed his fingers where her lips had been like a lovestruck fool. He didn’t understand what was happening, and he would not allow himself to get his hopes up. Too many times he’d been optimistic and had his heart broken.

She’s different.

You can’t know that.

I can. Her Cheetah likes me.

Ace chuckled. Leave it to his Gryphon to puff up like a peacock.

We’ll see.

While waiting on Rayna to change, Ace closed the trunk lid, then opened the garage door. He backed his bike out and turned it around.

Rayna jogged out of the house and held her arms out. “Tada,” she sang. “The boots fit perfectly. How’d you manage that?”

Ace admitted, “I snuck a peek at your shoes before I left. You look great.” She’d braided her long hair and changed into one of her new T-shirts and a pair of jeans.

“Thank you. Not only for the compliment but also for the new duds. I love the shirts, and the boots are comfortable while being badass.”

Ace couldn’t help but smile at her. “You’re most welcome. Let me lock up the house, then we’ll hit the road.” When he finished inside, Ace handed Rayna her helmet and helped with the chin strap. “I’ll get on first, then you climb on behind me. The trick to riding with someone is to sit still. Don’t try to lean with the bike.”

“Don’t lean. Got it.”

Ace slung a leg over the bike and stood it up. Rayna placed her hand on his shoulder, her foot on the peg, and slid on behind him. He didn’t have to tell her to wrap her arms around him. Leaning her chest against his back, she said, “I’m so excited.”

“Then hang on.” Ace cranked the motor, dropped the gear shifter into first, and eased off the clutch. There were no obstructions at the road like trees or hedges, so he pulled out when he saw no oncoming traffic. He kept to the backroads and took a route that was long and winding. Rayna sat perfectly still except for her hands that dug into his stomach when he took a sharp turn. It had been too long since he had someone to ride with. Only one of his previous partners was interested, but it didn’t last long. Ace shook off the memory and focused on the present.

They’d been riding a couple of hours when Ace asked, “Are you hungry?”

“I could eat.”

“The next town has a few restaurants, and there’s also a state park that offers a buffet.” Ace held his breath. The last female he’d been interested in had laughed at Ace for even mentioning a buffet, but the Hounds often stopped at state parks during their group rides since there was something for everyone.

“Oh, the state park please. I love buffets. I know some people frown on them, but I like being able to eat a little of everything. And they offer so many good desserts too.”

Ace smiled to himself. How could he not? “Buffet it is.” When they arrived, he pulled into a spot and placed his feet flat on the ground, turning the bike off. Rayna gave his stomach a squeeze before climbing off. Ace flipped the kickstand down, then dismounted. Rayna’s smile was bright as he helped remove her helmet.

“Man, that was exhilarating. If I knew how to ride, I’d never drive a car.”

Ace placed their helmets on the handlebars and smoothed out his hair. Rayna didn’t have to worry about “helmet hair” since hers was braided. “I can teach you.”

Rayna clasped her hands together. “Really? Isn’t your bike too big for me?”

“Nope. Several of our females ride their own bikes, and some aren’t as tall as you. Plus, you have your shifter strength to keep it upright. We can start you off on something smaller, though. I’ll give Havyck a call and have him on the lookout for a starter bike.”

Rayna wound her arm through his as they headed to the door. “Let me know how much it is, and I’ll transfer the money from my savings account.”

Ace didn’t argue, but he also wouldn’t take her money. She would find he was a generous… friend. That’s all they were at that point, but a male could dream.