Chapter 25
Paetyn
“Is that…?”
Ace’s voice sounds like static in my ears as I blink at the screen, one, two, three times, trying to process what I’m seeing right now.
My fiancé hired a mafia enforcer to kidnap me… Why? Why would he do something like that? It’s not adding up, but the evidence is staring me right in the face.
“That motherfucker,” Ace seethes, his balled fists on his thighs turning white. “I knew he was fucking hiding something.”
I’m snapped out of my daze when Ace stands, shoving the chair back so hard it crashes against the wall behind us. Before he can take a step, I wrap my hand around his wrist. His body is vibrating under my touch, and fury seeps into his ocean eyes, turning them darker than I have ever seen them.
If I were to let him go, I have no doubt he would go after Liam. Maybe even kill him. But hurting Liam isn’t going to change what he did. With him being a politician, he has a lot of eyes on him. He’s a household name at this point, so if Ace were to do something, I can’t guarantee he won’t get caught. Liam’s father is a very powerful man, so he would make sure Ace paid for his crimes. And given what I’ve learned about Ace and being part of the Gambino gang, I imagine an all-out war would erupt.
All because of me.
I shake my head. “Ace, don’t. I know you’re angry, and believe me, I’m getting there, but you can’t go after him.”
He searches my face, his jaw ticking. “He had me hired to kidnap you. I should have his head just for even thinking of bringing you harm. I’m going to make him wish he had never approached Enzo or gone through with whatever sick plan he had.”
I wrap my other hand around the same wrist, tugging him forward until his chest is pressed firmly against mine. Ace responds to my touch immediately, the fury slipping from his eyes ever-so-slightly as the tension in his muscles dissipates.
He pulls his wrist from my grip to cup my face. His skin sizzles against mine, and I find myself leaning into his touch, seeking comfort. After what I learned about my fiancé, I need support now more than ever.
“I’m going to make him pay for this, little bird,” Ace whispers against my lips.
“I know,” I murmur, my pulse thumping in my throat. “But I need to speak with him first. I think it’s time we put everything out on the table. I need to hear him admit that he did this.”
He scans my face, searching for something, but I’m not sure what. The curve of his jaw ticks before he swoops down to capture my lips. I instinctually wrap my arms around his neck, leaning into him for support as he steals my breath away.
The kiss is intense as Ace dominates my lips, claiming me with each swipe of his tongue and every time he nibbles on my bottom lip. And I let him because there is no point in fighting it anymore. Ace is the man I never knew I needed in my life. Not only does he protect me, but he puts me first every single time, and that’s more than I could say for Liam.
I’m breathless when I pull away. Ace lowers his forehead against mine as his thumb drags across my swollen bottom lip. “That fucker is going to know you’re mine, little bird. Fucking mine .” He pulls his hand away, but not before dragging it down the base of my throat. “Give me the word, and I’ll fucking kill him. If he so much as touches you—”
“I’ll be fine,” I interject, my voice barely above a whisper. “If I need you—”
“You’ll let me know right away,” he finishes for me, leaving me no room for argument.
I nod. “Okay.”
Ace presses a chaste kiss to my swollen lips before releasing me. I exhale a long breath, turn on my heels, and leave without looking back.
The air outside is cold against my cheeks as I race to my car parked on the street. As each mile ticks by, and the closer I get to the house I share with Liam, the quicker my pulse races. I think I’m still in shock over what I learned about Liam and haven’t had a chance to process it properly.
Anger is the first emotion I register. Why would my fiancé do something like that to me?
Betrayal follows close behind. How could someone I have spent four years of my life with plan something like this? And why?
None of this will make sense until I confront him with what I know.
By the time I arrive home, it’s close to 11:00 PM and I’m simmering with anger and confusion. My muscles are tense and my back tight as I fling the car door open and stomp up the driveway. When I enter the house, I hear shuffling in the kitchen, indicating Liam is home and awake.
Without kicking my shoes off, I march down the hallway. Liam is standing in front of the kitchen island, his eyes locked on me when I enter. His hair is styled neatly away from his face, and he’s dressed in a white linen button-down and dark brown slacks. His features twist in confusion when he sees me.
“Pae, where the hell have you—”
“Did you hire the Gambino gang to kidnap me?” The words tumble from my mouth, filling the space separating us.
Liam blinks at me, his face paling ever-so-slightly before he replaces it with a blank expression. “What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” I fold my arms over my chest, holding his gaze from across the island. “Don’t bullshit me, Liam.”
He runs a hand through his hair, his mouth opening and closing as he tries to form a response. After a moment, he huffs and shifts on his feet. “I didn’t do it to hurt you, Pae.”
“Then why did you do it?” I cry, throwing my hands in the air. “Why did you have me kidnapped? It doesn’t make sense.”
“I had to!” he shouts, his cheeks turning red as he stares back at me, his gray eyes wild. “I needed something to gain the public's attention. It had to be something big so I could rescue you, and in turn, draw more attention to my campaign and get more voters. The plan was perfect.”
My jaw drops open at his admission, my vision blurring at the edges. “Did… did you just say you organized for me to be kidnapped so you could rescue me and look like a hero in the media? Local politician saves his fiancée? Are you fucking kidding me, Liam?”
A wave of nausea crashes in my stomach as I stare at the man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with. The same man who claims he loves me, would do anything for me, and couldn’t wait to start a family with me.
Now, I see him as a man who used me as a goddamn pawn in his game to climb the political ladder, endangering me in the process all because he wanted to be a hero. A fucking hero.
“Paetyn…”
“No, I don’t want to hear a goddamn word from you,” I interject, anger simmering in my veins. “I can’t believe you would stoop so low as to use me like that. What if I had been hurt? What then? You can’t make yourself a hero if you never were one to begin with, Liam. You have to earn it, not take it.”
Liam frowns, his features twisting in annoyance. “But you weren’t hurt because I saved you, Pae. That was the point.”
“That’s beside the point!” Red blurs the edge of my vision, and every muscle in my body pulsates as I flex and unflex my fists at my sides, trying to control the high emotions tearing through my chest. “I’m not a pawn you can use in your game, Liam. I never consented to be a part of this plan. Did you ever stop to think about how being kidnapped would affect me? I was terrified that I would never see you, my mom, or Raya, again, and you were sitting at home without a care in the world. That’s fucking sick.”
“I did care,” he says defensively, but the lack of emotion in his voice tells me otherwise. “At the end of the day, you came home safe and sound, and that’s all that matters.”
I scoff and shake my head, unable to look at him a second longer. “Yeah, I may have come home, Liam, but I’m no longer the same person.”
The decision I had been toying with the past few weeks becomes clearer now, like the clouds have parted and sunshine consumes me. I know for a fact I won’t regret what I’m about to do.
“We’re over, Liam.” My voice is so low I almost don’t hear the words, but I know Liam did because his eyes widen.
“Paetyn… you don’t mean that.”
I rip the engagement ring from my finger and toss it at his chest. It clatters to the floor at his feet, but he doesn’t take his eyes off me.
“The engagement is off, and I never want to see you again. I mean it.” I take a step back. “I’ll return to collect my things when I’m ready.”
Liam steps around the island, his hands clenched at his side. He opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out.
Of course, he has nothing to say.
Before I can walk away, Liam’s voice sounds behind me. “You’re making a huge mistake, Paetyn.”
I scoff and shake my head. “Leaving you is the best decision I could’ve made.”
Once I walk out of this house, my life is going to change. I’ll no longer be engaged, have a house, or support for my mother. But what I will have is the knowledge that I made the right choice.
And now, I have Ace. A man I didn’t know I needed in my life, but I’m so glad he is.
When the front door slams shut behind me, closing the door to that chapter of my life, it hits me that I’m going to have to deal with the fallout of what I just did. Leaving Liam isn’t going to be easy. I know far too much about his personal dealings that could be a problem for him. But I’m willing to take the risk.
When I’m back in my car, I dial Ace’s number. He answers on the first ring.
“Pae, are you okay?”
I smile and lean my head back, a weight lifting off my shoulder. “I’m okay.”
“He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
I shake my head. “No, but I did call off the engagement.”
I can almost hear Ace grinning through the phone. “That’s my girl.”
My cheeks grow warm. “Can I spend the night with you?”
A pause.
“Little bird, you never have to ask to spend the night with me. If you want to spend the rest of your nights with me, I’d be a happy man.”
“Okay,” I murmur. “Just so you know, Liam isn’t going to let this go. I know what he’s like.”
“You will never have to worry about him so long as I’m around. I will stop at nothing to ensure your safety, you have my word.”
I smile to myself. If Liam were to say those words to me, I would take it with a grain of salt because he never put me first or went out of his way to protect me. But when Ace says it, I know it’s a promise he is willing to keep.
Ace is the devil in disguise, a walking sin, and I will gladly follow him into the fire.
Thank you for reading! Book 2 is coming soon!