Page 13 of Ace's Legacy
I turn to Viper. "You still carrying those incendiary rounds?"
A slow grin spreads across his scarred face as he reaches into his pocket and produces a handful of specialized ammunition. "Never leave home without them."
We quickly load the incendiary rounds into Viper's rifle. He takes aim, his breathing slowing as he focuses on the nearly invisible propane tank behind the burning truck.
"Fire in the hole," he mutters, and squeezes the trigger.
The explosion is magnificent and terrible. A fireball erupts into the sky, the shockwave hitting us seconds later. Heat washes over us as debris rains down across the yard. The Vultures MC who survived the initial blast stagger out from their cover, disoriented and burned.
We show no mercy. They wouldn't have shown any to us.
When the last man falls, a strange silence descends over the property, broken only by the crackling of flames and the ringing in my ears from the explosion.
"Check for survivors," Reaper orders. "And Ace, go let the women know it's over."
I nod, suddenly desperate to see Sarah, to confirm with my own eyes that she's unharmed. I sprint across the yard and into the clubhouse, past the broken windows and bullet-riddled walls, down the hallway to the safe room.
My hand hesitates on the door. What will I see in her eyes when she looks at me now? Fear? Disgust? Regret that she ever let someone like me touch her?
Taking a deep breath, I knock three times.
"It's Ace," I call out. "It's over."
The heavy lock clicks and the door swings open. Evelyn steps out first, immediately looking past me, searching for Reaper. When she spots him coming through the front door, she runs to him, throwing herself into his arms.
And then Sarah appears in the doorway, her face pale but composed. Our eyes lock, and for a moment, neither of us moves.
"Are you hurt?" she asks finally, her gaze flicking to my bandaged shoulder, now stained with fresh blood where I've reopened the wound.
"I'm fine," I say. "Are you—is everything—" I can't bring myself to specifically mention the baby with others potentially in earshot.
She seems to understand, placing a hand briefly over her stomach. "We're okay."
The relief that washes over me is so intense it's almost painful. I want to touch her, to pull her against me and feel for myself that she's unharmed, but I hold back. We're not there yet. Maybe we never will be.
"I'm sorry," I say instead, the words inadequate for what I'm trying to express. "You shouldn't have been involved in this."
Her eyes harden slightly. "No, I shouldn't have. But I am now." She takes a deep breath. "What happens next?"
"We clean up," I say, focusing on the immediate. "And then we figure out how to get our revenge."
A troubling thought occurs to me. With Vultures MC attacking and Sarah caught in the middle, there's no way I can let her go home tonight.
"I need to talk to Reaper," I say, the urgency in my voice making Sarah's eyes widen. "Stay here. Please."
I find Reaper in the main room, his arm around Evelyn as Ghost and Blade report on the bodies outside.
"We need to talk," I say, cutting into their conversation. "Now."
Reaper studies my face for a moment before nodding. "My office."
Once the door closes behind us, I don't waste time. "I need Sarah to stay here tonight. At the clubhouse."
Reaper leans back against his desk, arms crossed. "The woman who just drove back here? Who is she to you, Ace?"
I hesitate only briefly. Reaper is my president, but more than that, he's the closest thing to a father figure I've ever had. "She's pregnant. With my kid."
To his credit, he doesn't look shocked. "You sure it's yours?"
