Ace of Spades (Underground Affair Series Book 1) (37 page)

“Good morning. How are you feeling?”

“Much better than you look.” Kaylee smiled.

“I told you I wouldn’t leave you. My word is my word.”

“My words to you are thank you and please go home and get some rest. I feel awful that you’ve wasted all this time on me.”

“I didn’t waste a minute. I told you that you’re like family to us. I had my laptop and did my work. Ace had an accident so if I wasn’t here with you I’d still be here, just downstairs.”

“Oh no, is he alright?”

“Lucy’s car took a plunge into the harbor and Ace went in after it to save her. They both ended up with hypothermia and for a while it was touch and go with their breathing but they’re both slowly getting better.”

“Thank God.”

“Yes, because I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

“I know what you mean, it’s very hard to lose people you care about.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s ok. I’ve accepted the fact that my parents are gone.”

“Well you have us. Don’t forget it.”

The nurse came in to check on Kaylee.

“So it looks as if you may be going home in the next day or so.”

Home. She didn’t want to go home. What if that woman came back to finish the job she started?

“Kaylee are you alright?”

“I, I can’t go home. What if that…”

“You’re not going home. I already made arrangements for you to stay in one of the suites at our hotel. I will have two members of the security team with you at all times as well as a nurse and a cook until you are back on your feet. Chace has also made arrangements to have two officers stand guard until this bitch is caught.”

“That is very kind of you but I can’t afford to…”

“I’m taking care of everything. Don’t worry. Let me take care of you. It’s payback for all the extra things you always did for us at the Underground. I’ve already discussed this with Chace and Shane and they are in agreement. I know Ace would be on board too. So this discussion is over. When they spring you, you will have a safe place to stay.”

“Thank you. I promise I will make it up to you.”

“No, Kaylee, please don’t feel that way. Just allow us to do this for you.”

Kaylee bit down on her lip so she didn’t cry. She hated to look like a sissy.

“Ok, but only if you go home and take care of yourself.”

“Deal…but I’ll be back and I will bring you some of Chef Jan’s cheesecake. I know that is one of your favorites.”

Kaylee smiled. “It is.”

“Alright then, done deal. I will head home and see you later with cheesecake.”

“When you see Ace please tell him that I am praying for him and Lucy.”

“I’m going to stop by his room now on my way home.”

“Thank you.”

Declan smiled at Kaylee and then picked up his briefcase and headed out the door.

Chace and Kyle had just left another briefing with Detectives St. Paul and Donovan and were on their way to check out another lead.

“Maybe this so-called witness actually witnessed something.”

“I know, if we had a dollar for every so-called witness we could retire.”

“You can retire any day, you’re a wealthy man. In fact, sometimes I wonder why you haven’t already?”

“I always wanted to be a cop, besides what the hell else would I do? Sit and watch beautiful women parade around the pools and spas at the Underground while I drank one hundred year old Scotch?”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Kyle smiled.

“So I noticed you weren’t moving very quickly today. Did the kickboxing class kick your ass?” Chace laughed.

“My ass muscles are killing me.”

“Just think about how sexy that ass will look in a few weeks.”

“You’re a jerk.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“I still find it hard to believe that Chloe was right and that this killer is a woman.”

“I haven’t seen her since we found out and I know I’m going to want to pummel her when she starts in with the, I told you so.”

“Will you fuck that chick already?”

“Never.”

“Yeah, ok.”

“That woman is only beautiful until she opens her mouth and then it’s all over.”

“Uh huh.”

“Whatever.”

Kyle and Chace drove on in silence.

Ace had all he could do to hold himself up, his legs were trembling by the time he made it to Lucy’s room, but he had to see her. He pushed the door opened slowly and there she was lying there peacefully, while her room was full of beeping noises. He spotted her mother asleep in a chair in the far corner. He was happy her father wasn’t there. He walked over to the bed and reached for her hand.

“Lucy, it’s me, Ace. Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner. I just wanted you to know I’m ok. I need you to get better, Baby. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you. Please fight, Lucy. I love you.”

Ace leaned over and kissed Lucy on her forehead. When he turned around Lucy’s father was eye to eye with him.

“I was just leaving.”

Ace moved around Lucy’s father.

“Ace, wait.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for risking your life to save my daughter. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to her either.”

“It’s what you do…when you love someone.”

Ace walked out the door.

Shane and Andy were going at it in the cage. Shane had already started with his pre-fight jitters. He kept thinking about Andy kissing him in the shower. He decided it was because he hadn’t had sex in a few days and knew he wouldn’t have any again until after his fight.

“That’s enough for today.”

“You sure, Buddy? I’m not tired.”

“Shane, I’m your trainer. I said enough. I want you to take it easy and get a good night sleep. I’ll see you back here at five tomorrow morning.”

Buddy walked out of the gym. Andy had climbed out of the cage and was unwrapping his hands when Shane walked up and stood beside him.

“Good job today.”

Andy looked up and smiled.

“Thanks. I haven’t told Buddy yet but tomorrow is going to be my last day.”

“Why? I’m still going to have to train when I get home from Vegas.”

“Because I can’t stop thinking about you and all this touching, having your sweat on me, and feeling your body heat…I’m so fucking hard it hurts. I would have left already but I didn’t want to leave you without a partner the week of your fight.”

“I appreciate you staying but if it is too much then don’t come back tomorrow.”

“What’s one more day at this point?”

Andy leaned down and grabbed his bag. When he stood back up Shane kissed him, then pulled away.

“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t of. It was wrong. I just, I couldn’t stop thinking about being with you in the shower.”

“But nothing has changed?”

“No. I’m sorry.”

Andy grabbed his bag and walked out.

Declan felt so much better, he had caught a quick nap and shower and even stopped to grab some cheesecake and flowers for Kaylee on his way back. As he approached her door he heard screaming and panicked. The officer wasn’t outside Kaylee’s door. He burst through the door to see the two officers by Kaylee’s bed with a nurse trying to calm her down. She apparently had a nightmare. Declan put down the flowers, cheesecake and his briefcase and walked over to the bed. The nurse stepped out of the way and Declan leaned down and gently cradled Kaylee in his arms and held her. His heart broke. She was shaking and the tears were streaming down her cheeks.

“I think she needs a sedative, Sir.”

“No, please, I don’t want to sleep.”

“She doesn’t want one. Can you just give us a few minutes? I’m sure I can calm her down.”

The nurse and one of the officers left the room while the other officer stood back by the door.

“I’m here, I won’t let anyone hurt you. You need to calm down.”

“It was so real, I thought she was here.”

“She’s not here. I swear.”

“I saw something.”

“You remembered something in your dream from your attack?”

“I think so.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not yet but I need to tell Mr. McQueen.”

“Call him Chace.”

“Can you tell him I need to see him?”

Declan pulled away from Kaylee and laid her back down. She had stopped trembling and the tears were starting to dry up. He handed her a few tissues and then pulled his phone from his pocket and texted Chace to come by.

“Texted Chace. How about some cheesecake?”

Kaylee looked up and Declan was placing down the vase of flowers by her bedside.

“Thank you.”

“I passed them by in the lobby, thought maybe they would help cheer this place up.”

“I love them.”

Declan grabbed the cheesecake and a fork and sat on the edge of the bed and extended a forkful to Kaylee.

“Now you’re going to feed me too?”

“I’m sorry.”

Kaylee giggled. Declan looked at her and smiled. It was nice to hear her happy for a moment.

“I just never in a million years would have imagined you wasting your time on someone like me, moreover going above and beyond to take care of me.”

“I told you before, I’m not wasting my time. And what is someone like you supposed to mean?”

“Just…well, not like you.”

“Not like me?”

“I’m sorry I said that.”

“Don’t…”

“I see Declan is taking good care of you.”

“Mr., uhh, Chace, yes he is.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Physically better today. But I had a terrifying nightmare and I think I remembered something about her.”

“Ok, are you ready to talk about it?”

Kaylee shook her head. Declan got up and went to walk away but Kaylee grabbed his hand.

“Please don’t leave me.”

Declan put down the cheesecake and grabbed Kaylee’s hand and sat back down.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Kyle went to talk to the guard outside the door so that he could take a break while he was there to cover. Chace pulled up a chair and sat down so he didn’t look so intimidating hovering over her bed.

“Ok, ready whenever you are.”

“On her left arm, by her wrist, she had a black tattoo…it was a butterfly but the body of the butterfly was a dagger.”

“If I get a sketch artist over here can you describe it with more detail so I can show it around the local tattoo shops?”