Page 93 of Ace

I do as he says, knowing it leaves me in an even more vulnerable position, but I can't think of any other way to overpower him or get the upper hand. I can't think of a way that this ends where there's no more bloodshed. I'm not trained for these types of situations, and I don't know many people who would be.

As a woman, I've always considered it possible that someone could try to hurt me, but I never once imagined it would be someone I cared for, someone I loved and was supposed to love me back.

"How do you see this ending?" I ask when he's done tying my hands behind my back.

I wince when I try to readjust and they bite into my wrists.

"He'll die and then you die. I'll be a victim also, of course," he says as if he can see it all play out right in front of his eyes. "I'll be the lone survivor. I'll have the ear of every person in the nation. They'll watch me overcome adversity and support my transformation all the way to the White House."

"That's not what makes a good politician," I counter.

"If you think there's ever been a president in office without blood on their hands, then you're even more delusional than I thought."

Chapter 39

Ace

"She's got a fucking tracker on her car," I snap.

"I know," Wren says, still on the line, his voice coming through the speakers in the SUV. "That's another thing William had done. I'm trying to access the information."

"No, I mean, I put one on her car after leaving her in the hotel after I—"

"Do tell," Jericho says, and I can tell the man is just wanting to take the edge off the situation, but now isn't the fucking time.

"Enough," Hemlock snaps at the man before darting his eyes in my direction. "You have that information."

"Max has that information," Wren says. "Which means now I have it. I'm sending the information to you," Wren says, and as if he's a magician the map on the SUV console activates and the female navigation directs us to make a U-turn in point three miles. We've been driving in the wrong direction that we need to go for over an hour, putting us two hours away from where we need to be.

"Damn," Jericho says.

"Impressive, huh?" Wren says.

"You like Daddy's big cock?"

"I will turn you into a pillow," Wren snaps at the obscene bird. "The location looks to have been purchased under a shell company, but as good as the younger Preston hasbeen at hiding who he really is, he didn't take too much care into hiding this very well."

"How long has he had it," Hemlock says as he slows down so he can follow the directions on the navigation.

"Kincaid said to go to the old hospital out on the highway. He's sending the chopper there."

Wren, having heard Jericho, redirects the navigation for us.

"Is this what it's like working for Cerberus now?" I ask. "Back in the day, we were sometimes stuck in a holding pattern for days, sometimes even weeks before we got new intel and could make a move."

"Welcome to a new age," Wren says, pulling a smile from everyone in the SUV. "Only there's a problem."

"Jesus," I mutter. "What the fuck now?"

Can't one goddamned thing line up right for us?

"The cabin isn't going to be accessible with a helicopter. I'm looking at the maps. He needsa hundred feet by a hundred feet to land, and the closest place I can see for that is a field about eight miles away."

"Can we have units there?"

Silence fills the line other than Wren's fingers working over the keyboard.

"I can SWAT them out there," Wren says, but he doesn't sound very happy about it.

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