Page 212 of Malice and Surrender
“You’re terrible,” I said, shaking my head at him, which only made Jace laugh.
“Maybe, but you love it, and I can’t wait to see you out there squirming as everyone stares at you, and you’re not sure if it’s because you were backstage getting fucked or because you just got engaged.”
I glared at him and thought every swear word I could think of, but before I could mouth off, he dropped his lips to mine and kissed me with so much tenderness that it was as breathtaking as when he was demanding.
“I love you, Peaches. I’m proud to have you on my arm tonight.” Jace stepped back and held out his arm like a perfect gentleman. There were so many layers to him that my head swam, and my emotions turned inside out.
I put my hand on his arm to see the stunning ring with what looked like a million little diamonds surrounding the large emerald-cut stone. “You’re really sure about this? I don’t want to be the girl that was proposed to because you were forced to do it.”
“I’ve done many things, Raine, but I wouldn’t lie about wanting this. I watched as my mother was beaten down emotionally and physically before her beautiful life was stolen for good. What that taught me, what I want, is a chance at a happy ending, whatever that looks like. You helped complete what was missing in me. Avro knew it from the first moment he met you, and he’s been prepping us both for this moment.” Taking my hand, he linked our fingers together. “Like keys to my soul, you and Avro hold them all,” he softly sang before kissing my hand.
“I love you too, Jace,” I said, my body melting at his smile.
Raine
Breathing fast as I held the sheets to my chest, I sat up in bed. It was always the same when the nightmares hit. The attack, running down the alley, the pain and fear mixed with the stench of their bodies and the couch, all in vivid detail.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I forced the old images down. I didn’t know why they were still creeping up. It was so long ago, and now that Kai and I were in a different place, I thought they would go away for good.
Jace was sound asleep, his two awards sitting on the nightstand, and I couldn’t help but smile. He deserved them, and I was so proud as he walked up on stage to receive the second award of the night. We’d celebrated with the band for a few hours after everything wrapped up before coming back here, where Jace had a very loud conversation with Avro before we did anything else. I’d never heard Avro so angry, but he was livid and didn’t let Jace get a word in before he hung up on us. If Avro was that mad, how the heck was Kai going to react?
He said we’d deal with it when we got home and weren’t letting it ruin our night. It had taken a while, but once I decided Jace was right and let go, our time together was amazing. I’d made the mistake of thinking that Jace couldn’t still be able to go that long, but he kept me panting for him for hours until I couldn’t even open my eyes or lift my head. I glanced at the clock and realized I’d only been asleep for a couple of hours.
Swinging my legs out of bed, I pulled on his discarded dress shirt, did up a few buttons, and rolled the sleeves. It smelled like him and immediately calmed the last bit of nerves. I checked my phone to see if there were any answers to the texts I’d sent Kai, but all I saw was my side of the convo staring back at me. He was ignoring me. I tried calling, but he wouldn’t pick up. I knew he needed space, but if he just talked to me for five minutes, I could set his mind at ease and explain in detail when we got back. Jace was strict about what was put into texts, so I couldn’t just lay it all out there, but I expected an I don’t want to fucking talk to you right now, at the very least.
I padded into the main part of the suite. I’d never seen anything as extravagant as this before and wasn’t sure if I liked the lavishness. The sitting room alone could fit my entire house three times over. It was stunning, and there was no denying that, but I’d never lived like this and didn’t see the need for all this unused space.
The kitchen was as large as the sitting room and held fancy appliances I doubted ever got used. Grabbing a glass, I hit the ice button on the fridge, and a few clunks later, I had perfectly round ice balls. Holding up the glass, I stared at the shape. Even the ice cubes couldn’t be normal. What the heck? I filled the glass and took a long drink of water that felt good as it hit the back of my throat, reminding me that I’d been screaming half the night.
My stomach flipped with the same butterflies as last night, and my lips curved up as I thought about the jacuzzi and then back in bed afterward.
I sucked in a startled breath as I reached the bedroom door. It took a second to understand what was happening, but someone was dressed in all black with one of Jace’s awards in their hands raised to strike Jace.
“Jace, look out!” Without thinking, I threw the glass I was holding. After years of throwing glasses and bottles across the bar to Avro, the glass sailed with accuracy and crashed into the side of the attacker’s head.
“Fuck,” came the deep growl of a man’s voice as the glass hit him, and he slammed into the dresser.
“What the fuck?” Jace yelled, his eyes snapping open. He sat up straight in bed as I ran across the room and slammed my shoulder into the startled attacker like I was playing rugby. Whoever the guy was, he dropped the award as the second one on the nightstand toppled over. He held up his arms as I caught him in the knee with my foot, knocking it to the side at an odd angle.
“Fuck off, you bitch,” he growled. He could call me whatever name he wanted. I wasn’t letting some robber come in and hurt either of us. Gripping his injured knee, he stumbled to the side and tripped over his feet before smacking into the wall and hitting the ground with a thud.
The same kind of blinding anger was taking over as it had when I saw the girl all over Kai at the bar, and I balled my fists, ready to attack again, but Jace picked me up and turned me away from whoever it was.
I was gearing up to complain when I realized I was in nothing but his dress shirt. Jace had his phone in hand, already glowing with nine-one-one on the screen.
“Who the fuck are you, and what do you want?” Jace growled and held his arm out like he thought I would try something again as I stepped up beside him. The guy on the floor laughed and reached up, pulling down the hood. “Allen? What the hell are you doing?”
My eyes widened, and I stared up at Jace, who looked as shocked as I was. “He was trying to kill you. He had the award ready to smash over your head,” I said, and Allen’s eyes rolled in my direction.
“I should’ve done it long ago, you thankless prick,” he drawled, his words a little slow like he’d been drinking or was on drugs. “And, wouldn’t that be ironic? The girl that put an innocent man in jail ends up in jail for murder, but she is also innocent. Well, you’re not innocent, but…you get my drift.”
I pressed against Jace’s arm. “Why are you doing this? I’ve never done anything to you.”
Allen pointed at Jace. “Bullshit, this is all because of you!” I was shocked by the venom in his voice. “He ruined me because of you and the stupidity of wanting to keep you. I told him you’d bring him down, and you will. The fans will learn about your druggie parents and your lies that sent a man to jail, and they’ll turn on you. Or how about your interactions with a known motorcycle club enforcer, the one you happened to put in jail?”
“How the hell….”
Jace grabbed my arm, his look telling me not to confirm or deny. I ground my teeth, livid that he dug into my past and tried to twist all the pain I had suffered into a weapon.
