Page 5 of Ace's Legacy
Viper seems to debate internally before jerking his head toward the clubhouse. "Follow me."
"Thank you," I say, genuinely grateful. As I follow Viper around the building, I notice the other men watching us with curious expressions.
The back of the clubhouse opens to a fenced yard with picnic tables, a fire pit, and what looks like a makeshift shooting range at the far end. And there, working on a motorcycle engine laid out on a tarp, is Ryan.
He's shirtless, his lean, muscled torso on full display except for a white bandage wrapped around his left shoulder. His blond hair is slightly longer than when I last saw him, falling across his forehead as he concentrates on the mechanical parts in front of him.
Viper clears his throat. "Ace. Got a visitor."
Ryan looks up, and when his green eyes lock onto mine, time seems to stop. He stands slowly, wiping his hands on a rag.
"Sarah," he says, my name rolling off his tongue like he's tasted it before and never forgot about it. "What are you doing here?"
Viper raises an eyebrow between us.
"I'll leave you to it," he says, backing away but not before giving Ryan a look that clearly communicates some unspoken warning.
Once we're alone, Ryan takes a step toward me, wincing slightly at the movement.
"You're hurt," I say, my eyes going to the bandage.
He shrugs, then immediately regrets it based on the slight grimace. "It's nothing. Occupational hazard."
"Another bar fight?" I can't help but ask.
A small smile plays at the corner of his mouth. "Something like that. Look, not that I'm not happy to see you, but this isn't exactly a social call, is it?"
My rehearsed speech evaporates. Standing here, looking into those impossibly green eyes, all I can think about is how his hands felt on my skin that night, how he whispered my name as we moved together. And now I'm carrying his child.
"I need to tell you something," I begin, my voice steadier than I feel. "And I don't want anything from you, but I think you have a right to know."
His expression changes, growing guarded. "Okay..."
I take a deep breath and decide to just say it. "I'm pregnant, Ryan. And it's yours."
His face goes completely blank, like someone's wiped every emotion clean off it. For a terrifying moment, he doesn't move, doesn't speak, just stares at me with his mouth closed.
"Say something," I whisper.
He runs a hand through his hair, a gesture I remember from our night together. "Are you sure?"
"Three tests sure. And yes, I'm sure it's yours."
Chapter 3 - Ace
Pregnant.
The word hits me like a sledgehammer to the chest, knocking the wind out of me more effectively than the bullet that grazed my shoulder days ago.
Sarah stands before me in that pretty pink dress, looking like everything I've never deserved, waiting for me to respond. But my brain is short-circuiting, trying to process what she's just told me.
"How—" I start, then realize what a stupid question that is. I remember exactly how.
Every breathless moment of that night is burned into my memory. Her curves under my hands, the way she trembled when I touched her, how she looked at me like I was something more than the piece of shit I know myself to be.
"That night after the bar?" I manage instead.
"Yes," she says, her hazel eyes never leaving mine. "About seven weeks ago."
