“I need to talk to you,” he says gruffly and takes my arm, guiding me back inside my own house.
I shake my head and step away from his touch. “I don’t really care what you need. I need to find my sister.” I pull out my phone and call Kelsey, but the call goes straight to voicemail. “Kelsey, it’s me. I need you. Call me back. Please.”
“McKenna.” His voice is deep and commanding, daring me to argue with him.
“What is it? What in the hell do you want from me?”
Ace’s shoulders fall, and his big, heavy hands rest on my shoulders. “It’s about your friend, Grace. She was found dead this morning.”
“Yeah, I know.” The tears start to flow again, and my shoulders, hell my entire body, quakes with the emotions flooding my system. “The cops just left.”
He nods and wraps an arm around me before guiding me to the sofa. “I’m so sorry about your friend, McKenna. So damn sorry.”
His arms feel warm and protective, soothing enough to let my tears fall for several long moments of peace. “She’s too young to be dead.”
“I know,” he whispers, and his big hand slides up and down my back, a soothing gesture that I let myself sink into, but only for a few seconds.
I pull back and look at Ace. Maybe he has some information I don’t. “What happened to her, Ace? Do you know?”
“Yeah. My guys are the ones who found her.”
“Your guys? Of course, they found her. Did your gang have something to do with Grace’s death?”
His expression turns dark, and Ace gets to his feet. “You are un-fucking-believable woman. I came here to tell you about your friend, and you accuse me?”
I shrug. “Well, why else would you be here asking questions?”
“Because someone killed your friend on my turf, and I’m trying to figure out who the fuck it was.” He scrubs a hand over his face and glares at me. “We run the port, McKenna, so whatever you think of me, just know that I don’t shit where I eat. If anyone from my club had killed your friend, she wouldn’t have been found. Period.”
I swallow at the intent behind his words and nod. “What happened?” My voice is shaky, and I hate it.
Ace shakes his head. “It’s not good. Are you sure you want the details?”
I nod. “No. I don’t know if I want them, but I need to know. Tell me. Please.”
Ace nods and takes a seat. “It was pretty gruesome. She was beaten and mutilated, and the cops think she was also assaulted. Sexually.”
“No!” Bile makes my stomach lurch, and I cover my mouth while shaking my head. “Not Grace. Why? Who?” Am I such a terrible friend that she couldn’t tell me she was in a relationship she couldn’t get out of? I’m trembling and crying, a hot mess, when Ace wraps his arms around me and holds me tight.
“I’m trying to figure out the who, McKenna, I promise. Once I know who is responsible, I’ll know why.” His words are so sure as if he can figure out what the cops can’t.
“Do you moonlight as a cop or something?”
“No.” His deep chuckle sounds against my face, and I smile. “I suspect her death has nothing to do with my club but dumping her body at my port is definitely about the MC. So wipe your tears, sweet cheeks, because for now, you and I are on the same team.”
I can’t say why, but Ace’s words hold a ring of truth to them. “Does that mean you’re going to find out who murdered Grace?” I sniffle and swipe at my tears, but Ace takes my wrist and puts a black bandana in my hand to use.
“Yes. I’m going to find out who did this and make them pay. You’re going to help by telling me everything you can about Grace and her boyfriend.”
Chapter Six
Ace
Nothing about McKenna’s help will come easy, but so far, she’s my best hope of figuring out why the fuck someone dumped a body at the port. My port.
McKenna stares at me with those big hazel eyes, still a little red from crying, skeptical and defiant. She doesn’t trust me. I don’t blame her, not after what happened to her sister and now Grace.
I stare back with my hands on my hips, knowing that whatever information I want from her, I’ll have to pull it out of her piece by piece.
“So, what do you know about this guy?”
She shakes her head defiantly, arms folded to show off perky tits that are more effective than her attitude at distracting me.
“No way, Ace, if that’s your real name. You tell me how you even know Grace has a boyfriend first.”
I don’t have time for this shit, but I also don’t want to track down Grace’s former coworkers to see what they know. McKenna is her best friend, and girls share every goddamn thing. I let out a low grunt mixed with a sigh and shake my head.