Ace
Putting a hand to the side of my neck, I lean back and crack it. Before me sits Leanna Rawlings. Her boring, square face is a splotchy mess. Her hair is tangled up in a ponytail that lists too far to one side, and tear tracks race down her full cheeks.
"Please," she begs. "I don't know. I don't know where he is. I promise I'm—"
"Stop." She hiccups out another sob as I move toward her. "I don't want to hear anything out of your fucking mouth but the truth, Leanna."
"I-I am t-telling the truth," she insists.
I don't know how some women do it, but every time I'm in this situation, they always try this. It's almost as if they have some magical ability that allows them to convulse in hyperventilation. Crocodile tears fall down her face. I don't like hurting women; I never have, but that doesn't mean I don't recognize that they can be just as dangerous as men. Oftentimes, even more so.
"Where is your brother?" I ask again, and before she can repeat the same sob story she's tried to blubber to me over the past few minutes, I hold up a hand. "And before you think you can get away with lying to me..." I reach into my pocket and withdraw a knife, flicking the little lever against the spine, allowing it to slide out right in front of her face. "Just know that I'm getting quite tired of your attempts to fool me."
Behind me, the door opens. Leanna's gaze shifts over my shoulder, and I hear a short curse from one of my men. "Sir..." I glance up and turn back. Standing there, in the doorway, is Cara. Her eyes are wide, her lips parted in surprise as she takes in the scene before her.
A growl slides out of my throat. "Get her out of here," I snap.
"Wait!" Cara rushes toward me. "I—"
"You shouldn't be in here," I cut her off, grabbing her arm as she reaches my side. I tug her away from Leanna and glare at one of my men, Devin. "Get. Her. Out. Of. Here." I repeat the words, and he jumps forward. The second his fingers reach out to grip her other arm, however, I stop him. "And make no mistake, if you leave a bruise on her, I'll make you wish for death," I growl out.
"No, Ace, please," Cara begs. Her eyes fill with tears, and she jerks her gaze back and forth between Leanna and me. "She's my friend."
I arch a brow. "She's the reason I took you instead of her the first time," I point out.
"T-That was an accident," she insists. "She had something to do. I was just filling in. She didn’t know. It was your men—" She winces as my hand tightens around her arm in anger. Immediately, I loosen my grip. Her words are a reminder, though. She's right. It was my men who made the mistake. "Ace." Her tone turns softer as she gazes up at me, pleading, hopeful. Does she think I'm a good man? I'm not. "Please," she begs.
"I can't release her."
"T-Then let me talk to her," she suddenly says instead. "Maybe I can convince her to tell you what you want to know. You don't have to hurt her."
I narrow my eyes on Cara's face, trying to search for any sign of deceit. Her eyes are wide open and fixed firmly on me. "You want to help me, Cara?" I ask.
She nods emphatically. "Yes, please, Ace..." Her hand reaches up and hovers over my chest. "I can help you. I can help her."
My eyes trail beyond her to Devin. I jerk my chin to the side, and he gets the message. Devin releases her, and then one by one, each of the men in the room file out. Turning so that Cara is facing away from her friend and her attention is solely on me, I flip the knife in my hand closed and reach back, setting it on the desk just behind me. "If you truly want to help me, Cara, then you can't back out of this," I warn her, keeping my voice low. I glance up at Leanna's face. Her brows are furrowed as she stares at the back of Cara's head, but when they shift over to me, and she realizes I'm watching her, she blanches and lowers her gaze to the floor. That won't do.
"I won't," Cara says.
Oh, Cara,I think. Sweet, innocent Cara. Since that first night, I've been kind to her. Considerate. Something I've never been with another woman. Maybe after tonight, she'll realize just how deviant I can be, though. A part of me can't wait to find out. I want to pick her apart and see her reaction. Will she falter under the darkness … or will she flourish?
"Last chance to back out," I warn her.
Cara pulls back and looks up at me with a frown fixed firmly in place. "I'm not doing it," she snaps. "I'm not backing out."
For the first time in a long time, tingles of excitement race through me. Something sinister and depraved. "Go close the door," I order her.
She nods and then hurries toward the door, shutting it, and I feel the edges of my lips twitch as she flips the lock. As if that would keep my men out if they needed to get to me.
"Come here." I hold out my hand, and with a shuddering breath, Cara moves toward me, her arm lifting. "We're going to show your friend…" I glare at the woman in question, who appears to shrivel under my gaze. Pathetic. Not at all like young, sweet, headstrong Cara. "Exactly what will happen to her if she doesn't talk."
Cara's hand lands firmly in mine, and I close my fingers over it before she can take it back. "What do you mean?" she asks with a frown. A small, cute little v forms between her brows.
"You're going to get on your knees," I inform her, "and you're going to suck my cock."
Her lips pop open, and when she tries to rip her hand from mine, I tighten my hold and use it to pull her closer. "I'm not—" She glances back at her friend before returning her attention to me. Red rushes over her cheeks as she shakes her head. "N-No. I can't do that in front of—"
"Then she will," I interrupt her.