Chapter 44
Ace
Ihang up slowly.
Too slowly.
Because every instinct I have is already firing—tracking, calculating, hunting.
“He’s close,” I say.
Blaze’s voice comes through immediately. “Working on the trace. Give me ten seconds.”
I don’t like ten seconds. Not in a situation like this. Not when someone just called her shop.
Her space. Her life.
“Tessa,” I say, turning to her. “Talk to me.”
She’s pale. Not weak. Not broken. But shaken.
And yeah—so am I.
“That arrangement…” she says quietly. “I didn’t make that.”
“I know.”
Her eyes flick to the flowers on the counter. Wildflowers. Placed like a message. Like a signature.
“He knew I’d come back,” she whispers.
Yeah. He did.
And this is targeted. Controlled. Personal.
“Trace hit,” Blaze says.
I turn slightly. “Where?”
“Burner bounced through three towers,” he says. “But I’ve got a direction. North side of town. Old service road near the river.”
Trigger cuts in. “That area’s got abandoned buildings.”
“Plenty of places to hide,” Beast adds.
“Or set a trap,” I mutter.
“Yeah,” Blaze agrees.
I glance at Tessa.
She’s already looking at me.
Ready.
Damn it.
“We’re not rushing in blind,” I say.
“We’re not waiting either,” she fires back.
My jaw tightens. “You don’t know what’s out there.”
“Neither do you.”
Fair.
Doesn’t mean I like it.
She nods toward the flowers. “They left that for me. They wanted me to see it. To feel watched.”
“They succeeded.”
“Not the way they wanted.”
That stops me.
There’s something different in her now. Not fear.
Focus.
“You sure about that?” I ask.
She steps closer. Close enough that I feel her heat.
“I’m not scared of them.”
“Liar,” I murmur.
And then I kiss her.
Right there in the middle of the shop.
She breathes against me, steady but honest. “Maybe a little. But I want this over. I need my life back.”
Yeah.
So do I.
“We got this,” I say.
I pull back before I forget where we are.
“We move.”
Because if I don’t—
I’m going to forget everything except her.
And that’s not happening.
Not with this threat still out there.
We step outside.
The air feels colder. Heavier.
Like the whole damn town knows something’s coming.
I stay close to her—closer than before.
My hand brushes hers once.
Then I don’t let it go.
We reach the SUV. Blaze is already mapping routes. Trigger and Beast fall into position without a word.
This is what we do.
But this time?
It’s different.
Because it’s her.
“Tessa,” I say before she gets in.
She turns. “What?”
I step closer, lowering my voice. “This could get bad.”
“I know.”
“You stay on me. No hero moves.”
Her brow lifts. “After everything, that’s what you’re worried about?”
“Yeah.”
I hesitate.
Then it comes out anyway.
“Because I can’t lose you.”
The second the words leave my mouth, I know—
That wasn’t strategy.
That was real.
Her breath catches. She steps in, cups my jaw, and kisses me again.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Just truth.
My hand slides to her waist, pulling her in, grounding myself as much as her.
When we finally break apart, I exhale.
“Okay.”
She nods. “Okay.”
Blaze leans out the window. “Hate to interrupt, but whoever’s messing with you? They’re not waiting.”
Yeah.
Neither are we.
I open the passenger door for her.
She gets in—not like someone I’m protecting.
Like someone stepping into the fight.