8. Ace
ACE
It feels strange being at the compound with neither Jack nor Ghost. It’s like the lynchpins of our organization are missing, and we’re not entirely sure how to function without them.
I’m so fucking proud of Camile, though. If she hadn’t thought up this new part of our plan, Ghost would be about to lose body parts. While I’m obviously not against cutting off fingers, I’d prefer if we were the ones doing the cutting.
A knock comes at the office door, and Cash sticks his head around the corner, his expression grim. “We’ve got the cops at the main gate.”
My stomach drops.
Fuck. “What do they want?”
Normie should be dealing with their shit, surely?
“The hospital had to report the shooting because of Jack’s gunshot wounds. They’ve also got access to the footage of the vehicles because Normie had it pulled for us. They know something has gone down, and I guess the news of it has spread beyond those in our pockets.”
I grind my teeth. This is the last thing we need.
“Does it look like a raid?” I ask.
“No, it’s just a deputy and a couple of local uniformed cops. They’re only asking questions. For the moment, anyway.”
“Goddamn it. We don’t have time for this shit.” I look around the room. “Take Big Mike and go and speak to them.”
Mike gets to his feet. “What are we going to tell them?”
“That we don’t know anything. We were on a ride out and got attacked, but we’ve got no idea by who.
We’re the victims in this shit, remember that.
But we also can’t have the cops tracking down the cartel.
If that happens, people are going to end up dead, and one of them is most likely going to be Ghost.”
“And the cops,” Camile says softly. “The cartel will kill whoever is asking questions. They won’t even hesitate.”
I let out a growl. “Dead cops are always a bad thing, and if we’re linked to this, it’s going to get even worse for us.”
The last thing we need is everything spiraling out of control. We might have a chunk of the department in our pockets, but dead cops would totally override that.
Big Mike smacks me on the back as he passes. “Don’t worry, Ace. We’ve got this.”
I hope he’s right.
They’ve barely left when Caroline appears.
“Hey, Jack’s daughter has just called from the hospital. Jack’s awake now, and it looks like he’s got some idea of what happened. He wants one of you to go in there and bring him up to speed. Oh, and he’s asking for Camile, too.”
Hope lights her pretty face. “He is?”
“Of course he is,” I tell her. “I’ll take you in, and bring Jack up to speed, too.”
“What about the recording and the phone call?” she asks anxiously. “Shouldn’t we be here for that?”
“We’ve got our best guys working on it. We don’t need to be here. Rook and the others can handle it. We can’t just go racing off, though. We don’t know who might be watching the compound. We’re all vulnerable right now, so let’s all make sure we take a breath before we do anything rash.”
I give Rook a nod, making sure everything I’ve just said checks with him, and he returns it.
Camile shoots him a smile, too, before allowing me to lead her out of the office and the clubhouse.
I hope Mike and Cash will get rid of the cops before we need to leave so we don’t have to answer any of their questions.
I call to a couple of hardened, long-serving bikers, including Tank, who are hanging around near the clubhouse, smoking.
“Come with us. We’re heading to the hospital again. I want you armed.”
I take Camile’s hand and squeeze it. She nibbles at her lower lip as we cross over to my bike. “I wonder if Ivani will ever forgive me.”
I pull her in for a hug. “Of course she will. I’m guessing Jack’s probably had a word with her, if she’s passed on the message that he wants you there. She knows he doesn’t just want you as a friend.”
“I hope she understands that we’re serious about each other, you know? This isn’t only a physical thing. I love him, Ace.” She stares up at me with a world of emotion in those deep brown eyes.
“I know you do, Princess.”
She smiles. “And I love you, too.”
My heart balloons. “I love you. You’re my everything. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”
It seems crazy that not so long ago I didn’t have her in my life.
How dull my days must have been. Now, she’s the sun my world revolves around, and I wouldn’t change it for a second.
It doesn’t bother me in the slightest that I’m not the only man she feels this way about.
The MC are my brothers, and I completely understand how they can feel the same way I do.
How could they not? How could any person have her come into their lives and not fall deeply and madly in love with her?