“What did you say?” Benny said in disbelief.
“I said you’re a dumb fuck,” she screamed. “You have no idea what you’re doing. If you want to fucking shoot me, then shoot me. I can’t stop you. But you should know before you shut me up forever that you are the dumbest motherfuck that ever lived.”
“How dare you!” Benny roared, standing and shaking the gun at her head. “My friend is dead because of you! You’re only alive because I need you to make my deal. Shut up before my patience runs out.”
Emma laughed. She had never felt so free in her entire life.
“Your friend is dead because you two were too fucking stupid. You tried to play the mob. Now you’re fucked. Fritz is lucky that Ace took him out in a fit of rage. I can only imagine what the Don will do to you.”
Emma grinned even wider as Benny’s face changed. He was finally coming to his senses and starting to get worried.
“Shut up,” he said, leaning forward with the gun. Emma shuffled across the floor, getting closer so she could press the barrel right to her forehead.
“Go on, shoot me!” she yelled. “Blow my head off.”
“I’ll do it, you fucking bitch!”
“Fuck you!” she screamed back. “You can’t kill me twice! What are you waiting for?”
Benny swung his arm down, catching her across the cheek with the gun. The blow hurt like hell, an explosion of pain that rang through her skull and left her cheek and jaw aching as she fell against the cold, hard floor of the van.
Emma stayed curled up on the floor, laughing softly to herself. Benny sat, fiddling with the gun and looking worried. His other goons had lost their composure, as well. Emma struggled to cover her giggles, knowing that they would just kick her around even more if they heard her.
But it didn’t matter. She wasn’t scared, and she never had to be ever again. She was so proud of herself.
I just wish Ace could have been here to see it. He’d be proud too.
The thought of Ace stilled her mirth. She didn’t even know if he was alive. If he were, he’d be coming for her. Emma didn’t dare think about the alternative.
She didn’t have all her hopes pinned on him either. Pride soared inside her for standing up to these assholes, even if it meant she was going to die.
Emma closed her eyes and rested her cheek against the floor of the van. The last slap across the face had been particularly nasty, and she reeled with pain. As the darkness closed around her, all she could see was Ace … his wide, savage eyes that became so soft and gentle when he looked at her and the peace that swept through her when she met his gaze.
Her only regret was that she would never see him again. That was the only thing that really mattered, and it was the one thing she couldn’t have.
Chapter22
Ace
Once Ace saw what had become of Emma’s loft, he regressed into a fit of rage. His animal came out instantly, kicking her couch and the boxes of skimmed coke that remained. He sent a burst of white powder into the air, and he howled, eventually finding the coffee table and shattering it with his fists.
He found a way, however, to stop and calm himself. What he was doing was pointless. It wouldn’t help Emma.
He breathed deeply, filling his belly as it rose and fell. He sat on the edge of the couch, which was mostly broken, taking in his breath and seeing Emma in his mind’s eye.
She had taught him that he wasn’t just some wild animal. He could relax, take in the situation, and make a conscious decision to find a solution. He was a thoughtful, sweet man, beyond all of the animistic tendencies that he thought would always rule him.
Ace owed her more than just being some raging idiot. Even if she didn’t want to be with him, he had to find her and show her how much he cared. He couldn't bury this any longer, and finally confessing his feelings to her would feel better, even if she rejected him.
So he got himself together, finding the extra clothing he had previously brought with him. He put a hoodie on, then washed his face with water. He knew that what he was about to do was insane. But it might just be crazy enough to actually work.
He looked up at himself in the mirror, noting scratches from the battle with Fritz. He surprised himself by smiling, noting a glow in his eye that hadn’t been there before.
Ace moved through the city in his human form. Anyone who saw him as a cheetah would be likely to notice. Plus, it was sure to frighten the very people he was heading toward. He had to show them that he was willing to show himself, to work with them, all for the sake of saving Emma.
He was going to the Fontana family.
The Fontana family owned a billiard room and bar just outside the Moretti’s turf. There they discussed business and tactics the most. That’s what Ace had learned from his investigations anyway. He had to know what was happening, even if the information wasn’t fruitful. That was his job on his family’s side, and he was good at it.