Page 25 of Ace of Spades

I know it the second I lay eyes on him.

And thank God for that because the moment I saw Levi Steele open that door, panic wracked through my body in a way I thought I would never be able to recover from.

All I have is an address scribbled onto an old napkin.

That's all I was able to find tucked away in one of Mom’s old journals.

The entry was dated just eight months before I was born. Talk of her one night stand. A whirlwind night with a young man who was going off to fight on the other side of the world. She didn’t even know his name, but he told her to keep in touch.

Apparently, she never did.

That address is the reason I’m really here.

So I guess it could've been Levi this whole time.

And if that were the case, I would need the earth to just swallow me whole right where I stand. There's absolutelynocoming back from that.

I follow the man’s tall figure down the hall, its hard to take my eyes off of him. He walks with a gait and immediately I wonder if he has the same condition my mom had.

But as we walk I take in my surroundings.

The home feels historic and full of old world charm. Crown molding lines the ceiling and we pass a spiral staircase that I’m pretty sure I’ve seen featured in a home decor magazine at some point.

The man who must be my father pulls out a chair in what looks like a kitchen nook. I'm sure a house this size has a formal dining room. It's a nice house. Very nice. And neatly kept for a bachelor.

Which makes me wonder if he's not. Maybe he's married. Maybe he has a family.

There's an older woman that appears at the bottom of the stairs. She has her hair up in a bun, but her clothes look pretty casual.

Is that his wife?

She gives me a puzzled look before moving into the kitchen.

"Should I make a fresh pot of coffee, Mr. King?" the woman asks.

King? Wait… as in SteeleKing'sCustoms?ThatKing?

"That would be great, Mags. Thank you." The man says, looking back at me with a smile. "Please, have a seat."

I take it. Behind me is that looming presence I haven't been able to shake since last night. Levi hangs back at the entrance from the hall.

"Sienna Riley," the man says in thought. "You wouldn't happen to be related to an Amalie Riley, would you?"

I smile at the mention of my mom.

I can tell by the way he says her name that he must have fond memories of her. And who wouldn't? My mom is—was—amazing.

"I'm her daughter."

He cocks his head to the side and really looks at me. "I see the resemblance. Same green eyes. Pretty smile."

"You remember her?"

"I could never forget her," he admits. "How is she? Is…" his eyes flare with fear. "Is she okay?"

My heart sinks. Its in the way his browline wrinkles in genuine concern that immediately makes my throat dry.

I cough.

---