Ace of Spades (Underground Affair Series Book 1) (22 page)

A
CE WOKE UP THE
next morning to find three nurses pointing and whispering at him.

“What’s up, ladies?”

One of the nurses pushed the other forward. She blushed.

“Well I recognized you from the Underground. We’ve all seen you strip.”

“Oh, I see. Well in the condition I’m in, don’t expect an encore here.”

“How about a bath?” The young nurse smiled.

“I’ll pass but thank you for the offer.”

“Ok, well if you need anything at all…”

“If he needs anything, I’ll be sure to come and get you.”

Ace smiled at Lucy and thanked God she walked in before the nurses molested him.

“Again, thank you but right now all I need is my girlfriend and to go home.”

The trio turned and left without another word.

“Girlfriend, huh?”

“How about it? Will you be my girlfriend, Lucy Jenkins?”

“I’d be honored to be your girlfriend, Mr. Dean.”

“Good, now come over here and give your boyfriend a kiss.”

Lucy laughed.

“Yes, Sir.”

Lucy leaned down and kissed Ace. Ace pulled back and started to cough. He was still having trouble breathing at times.

“You ok?”

Ace nodded his head as he held his side.

“Coughing hurts these damn ribs.”

“Do you want me to get the nurse to give you some pain medication?”

“No, I’ll be alright. I just need a few minutes.”

“So how are we feeling today, Mr. Dean?”

“He was doing well until he had a bit of a coughing fit, Dr. St. Paul.”

“I’d imagine. Fractured ribs are painful enough without coughing.”

The doctor examined Ace and then signed some papers in his chart and placed it down on the table next to his bed.

“So, here’s the deal; I’m willing to send you home if you promise me to stay in bed for the next few days and take it easy and that you will have someone home to take care of you?”

“I will be there to take care of him and make sure he follows orders, Doctor. I promise.”

“You will?”

“Of course I will.”

“What about work?”

“I have a few personal days I can use.”

Ace smiled at Lucy. “Thank you.”

“Get dressed, I will call in some pain meds and an inhaler for you. I want to see you back here in three days. If you feel any worse or your breathing becomes labored then I want to see you right away.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

The doctor turned and left. Lucy grabbed Ace’s clothes from the duffle bag that Declan had dropped by the day before.

“Let’s sit you up and then I will help you get dressed.”

“I can dress myself.”

Lucy stepped back, placed her hand on her hip and looked at Ace.

“I know you can, however, I am here and I am helping. Got it?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Ace chuckled but then groaned because it hurt to laugh.

“Let’s get you home to bed. You’ll be more comfortable there.”

“Sounds good to me, especially if you’re in my bed.”

“That can be arranged but no sex until the doctor says so.”

“Oh, you’re killing my fantasy.”

Lucy kissed Ace.

“I almost lost you once, I’m not willing to jeopardize your health, not even for sex.”

Ace reached out his hand and grabbed Lucy’s.

“Thank you for caring so much about me, Lucy.”

“I love you, Ace.”

Ace smiled and squeezed Lucy’s hand.

Chace decided to stop by the hospital and check on Ace before he went home to bed. He had been up all night working on the serial murders which they were now referring to as the “Murders by Number.” Five women were dead, his superiors were freaking out because they were getting the squeeze from the higher ups and the media was beginning to stir up a panic in the city.

“Detective McQueen?”

Chace closed his eyes and exhaled before turning around to see
that
woman.

“Yes, Dr. Mason. What is it?”

Chloe didn’t speak at first, she just took a look at Chace. He looked awful.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“You look awful. Are you sick? Is that why you are here?”

“Thank you for the compliment. I’m here to see a friend.”

“Can I get you a cup of coffee or something?”

“Boy, I must really look awful. You almost seem…concerned.”

Chloe huffed. He really was a prick. Why bother being nice.

“You know you’re a prick. I will catch up to you later at the station.”

Chloe got into the elevator ahead of Chace and she hit the close button so that Chace couldn’t get on the same elevator.

Chace just stood there watching the doors close shaking his head. That woman, how he just wanted to…forget that idea.

Ace was in the bathroom and Lucy had gone down the hall to let them know he was ready to leave so they could send a wheelchair to bring him to the front door.

Chace walked in and found two nurses peeking at Ace through the opening in the bathroom door. Ace never cared who saw him naked so he never bothered to shut the door tightly behind him.

“Excuse me ladies, but as an officer of the law, I am pretty sure that peeping, stalking and snapping unauthorized photos of someone indecently exposed is illegal.”

“We were just waiting to make sure Mr. Dean didn’t need us.”

Lucy walked in and was annoyed to find yet more women in Ace’s room.

“Now that I am here, I can make sure that Mr. Dean doesn’t need a thing.”

Chace held out his hand. The two nurses looked at one another and then handed Chace their cell phones. Chace deleted all the pictures of Ace while he was peeing and his ass while he had his back to the door at the sink.

“Goodbye ladies. Don’t ever let me catch you doing that again. Understand?”

The two nurses both took their phones back and nodded their heads as they walked out.

“I can’t believe it. That makes like a half dozen today.”

“Well Ace does get around.”

“Around?”

“He knows a lot of people.”

“I somehow think you are regretting saying that, Chace?”

“Look, he’s been at the club for fifteen years. The women like him. He has a bit of a reputation.”

“I suppose that is something I will have to get used to.”

“Get used to what, Babe? Hey, Chace.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“I came by to check in on you but it looks as if you’re going home?”

“Yes, thank God.”

“Do you want to bunk at my house?”

“Thanks but I have this beautiful woman here who has demanded to come home with me.”

“Ok, then I will give you a call later and see if either of you need anything.”

“Chace, are you alright? You look awful.”

“I’m fine, just exhausted. It’s been a few days since I’ve slept.”

“Damn. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not just you, its work too. I’m gonna get going.”

“Thanks for coming by. Get some rest and don’t worry about me.”

Chace smiled at Ace and then Lucy before walking out.

“Lucy, what is it that you will have to get used to?”

“It’s nothing, really. Let’s just get you home.”

“So you’re not going to tell me?”

“Ready to go home, Mr. Dean?”

Ace looked away from Lucy and smiled at the nurse who was pushing in the wheelchair to spring him from the hospital.

“Damn straight.”

Lucy helped Ace ease himself down into the wheelchair. Then she grabbed her purse and his duffel bag and they headed out the door.

Shane was working out at the gym. He probably should have started out slow but two hours into it he began to feel dizzy. He managed to get himself upstairs to his office so that he could lie down.

Declan was walking down the hall and noticed the light coming out from under Shane’s door. Shane almost never used his office and if he did it was almost never in the morning. He knocked on the door but there wasn’t any answer so he tried the door handle and it opened. Shane was lying on the couch with one leg and one arm hanging off, almost as if he collapsed. Declan ran to his side and started to shake him.

“Shane, Shane, wake up!”

Shane jumped and then shook his head.

“What the fuck, Dec?”

Declan stood up.

“I walked in and you looked as if you had collapsed.”

“I overdid it a bit with my workout and just needed to rest before I hit the shower and headed home.”

“Overdid it how? Did you pull a muscle or are you getting dizzy again?”

“I’m fine. I just got really tired.”

“I’m going to go get you some juice and eggs. Hang out here and rest.”

“Now that you mention it, I am hungry.”

“Good, then I will grab you some fruit salad too.”

“Thanks, Dec.”

“You bet.”

Declan walked out and closed the door. Shane laid back down. The dizziness was much better but he still didn’t feel quite right.

Ace and Lucy weren’t in his house for more than two minutes before the phone started ringing. Lucy had answered the phone twice and twice the person hung up.

“Ace that is the second time someone has hung up on me and I’ve noticed you have forty-seven messages on your answering machine.”

“Ahh, delete them.”

“Ace, what if they are important?”

“Are any of them from you?”

“No, I don’t even have your home number.”

“See, then they’re not important. Delete them.”

Ace figured they were all from women who had read or seen on the news that he was injured at the fire. He didn’t think Lucy needed to hear a bunch of messages from the women of his past.

“Why don’t you sit down and I will make you some lunch.”

“I need to shower. I also think we need to order in because last I checked I had no food.”

“Are you up to showering? I mean you’re not moving well.”

“You can come in and help me?”

“I said no sex, Mister.”

“No sex, just soap me up and wash my hair since I can’t lift up my arms yet without pain.”

“Deal but first I’m calling for food.”

Ace headed into the bedroom and kicked off his shoes and wiggled out of his pants. By then Lucy had come in and helped with the rest of his clothing.

“To the shower, Sir!”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Lucy got the water regulated and then she took off her clothes and stepped into the shower with Ace. She grabbed the soap and gently lathered him up. Then she kissed him. After she rinsed him off she began massaging shampoo into his hair.