Page 11 of Ace's Legacy
"Does everyone here call him Ace?" I ask, desperate to change the subject.
"It's his road name. His club name." She shrugs. "Out there, in the real world, they use birth names. In here, they use road names. It helps separate the two lives."
Two lives. The idea that Ryan has been living a double life. One as the charming, green-eyed man who made me feel beautiful fora night, and another as this hardened outlaw preparing for battle makes my head spin.
"How did you get involved with all this?" I can't help but ask.
Evelyn's eyes darken. "That's a long story for another time. Let's just say Reaper saved me when no one else would or could."
Before I can press further, the distant sound of motorcycles reaches us, followed by shouting from the front of the clubhouse.
"They're here," Evelyn says, rising to shut the heavy door. "Don't worry. Our men know what they're doing."
Our men. As if these dangerous outlaws with their guns and their violence are something to be claimed, to be proud of. The door closes with a definitive click, and Evelyn turns the lock. We're sealed in now, safe from whatever battle is about to unfold outside.
In the sudden silence, I can hear my own heartbeat, rapid and frightened. I place both hands over my stomach now, no longer caring if Evelyn notices.
"What have I done?" I whisper. "What kind of world am I bringing you into?"
The baby can't answer, of course. But as I sit in this concrete room, surrounded by emergency supplies and the distant sounds of men preparing for war, I make a silent promise to my unborn child.
No matter what happens with Ryan—with Ace—no matter what danger we face, I will protect you. Even if it means protecting you from your own father's world.
The first muffled crack of gunfire makes me flinch.
Evelyn's hand finds mine in the dimness, squeezing gently.
"First time is always the scariest," she says, her voice steady. "Breathe through it. That's what I do."
I focus on my breathing, on the tiny life inside me that needs me to stay calm. But all I can think about is Ryan out there, with his bandaged shoulder and his guns, facing men who want to kill him.
The father of my child, fighting a war I never knew existed until today.
Chapter 5 - Ace
Gunfire cracks through the air as I take position behind an overturned picnic table, Viper to my right. The Vultures MC have taken cover behind their bikes and a rusted-out truck at the edge of our property.
"See Wilder?" I ask, my voice low as I check the chamber on my Glock.
Viper shakes his head, peering through the scope of his rifle. "No sign. Either they got him or he's playing ghost."
The thought of Wilder down makes my stomach clench. He's a brother, family in every way that matters. But right now, I can't let myself think about that. Can't let myself think about Sarah either, locked in the safe room with Evelyn. Can't think about the baby.
Focus. Breathe. Shoot.
"Movement, ten o'clock," Viper mutters.
I spot it. A flash of leather as one of the Vultures MC tries to circle around to our flank. I squeeze off two shots, the gun bucking in my hand. The Vultures duck back behind a tree.
"Six bikes, my ass," Ghost says from his position at the front door. "I count at least eight of them."
Reaper's voice comes through on the radio clipped to my cut. "Blade spotted two more coming up through the back woods. They're trying to surround us."
The reality of our situation settles over me like a cold blanket. Sarah unwittingly drove straight into an ambush. If Wilder hadn't intercepted her, if she'd been on the road when these Vultures MC arrived...
The thought makes my blood boil. I pop up and fire three more rounds, rewarded with a shout of pain from behind the truck.
"Got one," I say, ducking back down as return fire peppers the wood above my head.
