Page 39 of Ace

As if I hadn't spoken, she goes to the phone and orders two breakfasts, extra greasy and lots of carbs.

My stomach turns with the thought of eating.

I didn't get blasted last night, but there's something different about getting tipsy on champagne that makes for a really shitty morning after.

I feel like complete shit, and with the way her face contorts when she stood, I can see she isn't in a much better place.

Standing, she looks no less appealing than she did last night. Hell, if anything, the rumpled look is an improvement. All of her harsh edges seem smudged a little, making her more human and less robotic, but it didn't take her passing out on the couch for me to see that. I saw it last night in her quick, genuine smiles and in the way her nose scrunched when I said something distasteful. She held on to every word I said and didn't hesitate to ask questions, as if we were just longtime friends catching up.

I can't recall the last time I was able to just unwind and have a conversation with someone.

"I'm going to get a shower," she says without looking back as she leaves the room.

I stand, my knee popping the way it always does in the morning, and I don't realize just how much of a mess I am until I stand to look out the massive window overlooking the park.

My clothes are wrinkled, my hair is all over the damn place, and I can only imagine what my breath smells like. I cringe when I lift my hand to my mouth and sniff my exhale.

"Fuck my life," I grumble as I make my way across the room and grab one of the bottles of water from the mini-fridge. I swish with the water but know it's no real supplement for a good scrubbing.

Instead of worrying about my appearance, I pull out my phone and call Max. He's been working for years as tech support for Cerberus, and he just so happens to also be in a triad relationship with Tug, one of the Cerberus team members, and Kincaid's niece, Jasmine.

"Hey there," Max says when he answers the phone despite the early hour.

"Hate to bother you so early," I mutter, squeezing my eyes closed and pinching the bridge of my nose.

"No big deal," he says. "The guys left out early for Guatemala, so I was up. Whatcha got?"

"Any chance you're near your computer?"

"I'm always near a computer."

"I was informed that the Preston family has an account at Daydreamer's Spa. Any chance you can dig around and find out who set that up?"

Before I can get the question out fully, I hear his fingers working over a keyboard.

"We've done a lot of digging into that family, but the older brother has been very protective over their stuff, especially in the last five years since Senator Preston died," he says as he works.

"You think that has to do with him covering his tracks or trying to keep things locked down because Sadie Preston has caused so many problems?"

"A combination of both, I imagine. Everyone is keeping their stuff much closer to their chest these days. Technology makes it nearly impossible, but they just try harder. When this manifest or link between these types of facilities was brought to my attention, I tried finding a connection, but it's just not there. It makes me wonder if every one of these places isn't owned and operated by the same organization."

"How did Anthony Wiedman get on the list if you don't have access to it?"

"I planted some Easter eggs along some different paths on the internet and hoped their system would pick it up. Thankfully, it worked. How was your cuddling session?"

I scoff, smiling when he chuckles. "That was Snatch's idea."

"Of course, it was," I mutter.

Snatch and his husband, Itchy, or Jax and Rob to those outside of the club, were just as big a part of my life as Noah was back when I joined Cerberus. We were all young, dumb, and full of cum, ready to party at the drop of a hat, but then those two fell in love, which was great for all who wanted to fall in love and live happily ever after, but for me it was the beginning of the end of my time with the club. The club is great. It just wasn’t the same one I joined.

"I've got nothing. It's buried, man. Whoever is running this place is not only a tech genius to keep it all locked down, they've gone to some lengths to make sure it's impenetrable."

"That's disappointing."

"Kincaid did say that it would be okay to call Blackbridge in if we hit a brick wall. Want me to give Wren a call?"

"I don't know if we're ready for that yet but I'll give Kincaid a call and see what he wants to do."

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