Page 26 of Ace

“Sore.”I scooted over and swung my legs over the edge of the bed.“Any chance you’ve got some stronger painkillers in that bag?”

“No.And you wouldn’t need them if you’d obey doctor’s orders and avoid any strenuous exercise.”He gave me one of those looks usually reserved for naughty toddlers.

“I’ve been good,” I protested.

He didn’t look convinced.“Pull off that shirt and let me take a look.”Placing his bag on the bedside table, he squatted down beside me and waited for me to expose my side.

“We’re planning on moving over to my place.”Ace outlined the plan to Joker.“You think she’s okay for that?”

“It’s healing well, so yeah.I can come check her out over there, or you can come into the clubhouse.I’d like to keep an eye on it daily until I’m sure it’s well on the way to healing.”Joker finished his inspection and rewound the bandage to hold the gauze in place.

Ace nodded.“Good.I’ll get the prospects on it.”Pulling out his cell phone he moved to the doorway and started barking orders out.

“He’s a good man.”Joker looked at me intently.

“Yes, he is.”I paused.“We knew each other growing up.”

“Ah.That makes sense then.Thought this was a bit quick.”

I cocked my head.“What was?”

“Him falling for you.He’s never shown much interest in the groupies who show up for parties, other than a quick lay.Suddenly he brings you in and he’s all over you like you’d been together for years.Pissed as hell that someone has the gall to threaten you and ready to start a turf war over it without approval.”

“Approval from who?”Confusion caused me to frown.

“I think Joker’s said enough.”Ace pocketed his phone, glaring at Joker.

“Sorry, Prez.”Joker ducked his head and glanced at me.“Club business.Forget I said anything.”

I looked from one to the other.Club business?What?That the other bikers thought Ace had the hots for me, or that he didn’t have the final word on anything that happened?My head was spinning already, without wondering if the club was a democracy or a dictatorship.To be honest, it didn’t matter to me.

“The prospects are going to set things up at my place.”Ace eyed up the unpacked baggage stacked in front of the new dresser.“Since you haven’t unpacked much yet, it should be an easy move.”

Chapter Seven

Ace

The move to my place didn’t take much.The prospects did the grunt work, and one of them made a grocery run to stock up the fridge with enough food to keep us fed and happy for a couple of weeks.If Emma wanted something special, I’d let one of the prospects know and they could run out and get it for her.

Fuck, I didn’t even know what Emma liked to eat.Or if she liked to cook.Or if she even knew how to cook.We’d both grown up poor enough to know twenty ways to serve cheap noodles.Pretty sure she hated them as much as I did at this point.

This might turn out to be a good thing, shacking up and getting to know each other.

I glanced at my watch.I had a couple of hours to spare.

I had a meeting scheduled with the Feds this afternoon.I needed to let them know Emma was permanent.It was a given that they’d run a background check on her.Kind of a pointless exercise since I had no intention of letting her go, but they had their protocols, and they followed them religiously.Dumb as fuck, and just one of the reasons Riptide cut the umbilical cord decades ago.

Originally Riptide had been formed as a ghost organization for the FBI, and occasionally the CIA.Totally controlled.They’d owned our asses, carefully recruiting guys who knew how to handle themselves in risky missions.Guys willing to take on those nasty undercover missions that might get them killed.Ex-Navy SEALs fit the bill perfectly, or so the desk jockeys thought.

Problem was, we weren’t so good at blindly taking orders or we would have stayed in the SEALs.We had our own values, and we stuck to them.We asked questions.We refused to compromise our honor.It wasn’t long before we refused to be a ghost organization under the Feds’ control.That did not make them happy.

A lot of shit went down at first.Threats.Posturing.The Feds didn’t like to be told no.In the end, though, we came to an understanding.Riptide became an independent group.If the Feds needed something done quietly, they’d contact us.If we all agreed on the mission, we’d do it on a contract basis.They paid us.We kept their reputation lily-white for them.Sometimes justice needs to be served, and you know the pansy-assed legal system just isn’t up to the task.

That’s where Riptide came in.

Part of the arrangement though, was letting them know about any newbies in the group.Paranoid bunch, those Washington desk jockeys.Seemed to think we could be tricked into taking a spy into our club, someone trying to get to them.As if we’d just pick up a stranger and let them into our clubhouse.They did not understand the brotherhood, the bond we shared, the family we’d become.

Hell would freeze over before that would happen.Yeah, they could check Emma out, but it meant fuck-all.She belonged, part of the family.

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