Page 27 of Coming Up Aces

“Who are you and what are you doing here? And where are your shoes?”

Ace thumbed behind him. “Gotta meeting with Abraham.” Lowering his voice, he instructed, “Put down the weapon, andget on your knees.” The guard complied. Luckily, everyone in the house was so consumed with the chaos that they hadn’t heard Ace’s exchange. He turned and stepped up to the open door. David and the guard were both yelling at the other to drop their gun.

“Shoot him!” Abraham commanded.

Ruth yelled, “No,” and rushed the guard. Both weapons fired multiple times. Ruth and the guard went down just as Ace ducked outside. He grunted when a stray bullet tore through the window, hitting him. He went to his knees, one hand grabbing his chest. Sticky liquid coated his fingers, and when he looked down, his hand was covered in blood. Fuck.

“What have you done?” Abraham yelled. “Get the fucking doctor.”

Good idea. Ace needed one, but he couldn’t hang around and count on these ass-wipes to take care of him. He struggled to his feet and stumbled down the few steps to the ground. The guard on his knees stared at Ace.

“Grab your gun and come help me,” Ace ordered. The guard did as he was told. When he got to Ace, he wrapped an arm around Ace’s waist, and Ace stumbled around the side of the house, heading back to his bike. Another gunshot went off, and Ace stumbled again. The guard tightened his grip but didn’t say anything. If Ace could shift, he might be able to start the healing process, but he needed to get to his phone.

After what seemed like an hour, they reached his bike. “Open the pack on the right and get my phone.” When the guard had it, Ace said, “Call Sutton.”

“I don’t know how,” the guard admitted.

“Fuck.” Ace was close to passing out. He tapped the screen, bringing it to life, and angled it toward his face. He pushed the call icon, and it brought up his call log. Ace tried to tap Sutton’sname, but he hit it too hard. The phone slipped from the guard’s grasp, falling to the ground, as everything went black.

Rayna

The aroma ofcoffee wafted through the air, and Rayna rubbed her eyes. She listened for any sign of Asher in the house, but all was quiet. Dammit. She wanted to see him before he left for Oasis. After stretching, Rayna climbed off the bed, made it up, then changed into shorts and a tee after brushing her teeth and twisting her hair into a messy bun to keep it off her neck while working outside. She padded down the hallway to the kitchen, glad the coffee was already brewed. A piece of paper sat on the counter next to the machine.

Rayna,

Sorry to leave without saying anything, but I didn’t want to wake you. Enjoy your morning, and don’t work too hard on the garden before I get back. See you soon, A

Asher’s flowing, cursive penmanship was unexpected. Most men Rayna knew printed their words. If they didn’t, it was barely legible. She brought the paper to her mouth and kissed it. Then she giggled like a teenager. Placing the note aside, she fixed a cup of coffee in an insulated mug, went to the pantry for one of the boxes of cereal Asher had bought her, then took both outside, settling on the same chair she’d used the night before. Rayna sipped her coffee and munched on fruity bits, enjoying the peacefulness. Asher’s house was in a large neighborhood, yet it was quieter than Haven, which was situated out in the middle of nowhere. While she was glad to have met Glory and LisaAnn, Rayna didn’t miss the compound at all. She was thrilled Glory was away from the cult and had a new family who adored her. Rayna worried about Lisa Ann and wondered how the older woman was faring without Rayna or Glory to keep her company. Lisa Ann had been at Haven many years, but for some reason, had never been chosen as a wife. Rayna counted the other female lucky.

Rayna wasn’t used to downtime. Having the chance to enjoy coffee on the patio and just be was something she could get used to. At Haven, she had a job to do every morning. With the FBI, she rarely had the opportunity to do nothing. Even on her days off, she poured over cases or chased down leads. When she did take vacation, she went to see her Gran. Now, though, sitting in Asher’s backyard, Rayna imagined this being her life – not going to the office or chasing down criminals. Not answering to her boss. Rising each morning with nothing to do except have breakfast with Asher and then work in the yard. It was only her second morning at his home, and she already felt as though she belonged there. It wasn’t like she was taking advantage of his hospitality by mooching off him. Rayna had plenty of money, and if she needed to, she could hide away somewhere else.

Even if things didn’t work out with the hottie biker, Rayna could have the solitude. The peace. She could buy a house with a few acres and plant her own garden. Or she could move to Arizona to be with her grandmother. She had options, and the longer she stayed away from her job, the more she liked the idea of retiring.

A few cars drove down Asher’s street, and Rayna ignored them until a door slammed close by. She went inside and strode to the living room, peering out the window. Branson was unloading bags from the back of his truck.

Rayna stepped onto the porch to greet him. “Good morning, Branson.”

“Hey, Rayna. Where do you want this?”

“Around back. Here, let me help.”

“You can help by opening the gate. Ace would have my hide if I let you carry these.”

Rayna stuffed her hands onto her hips. “Excuse me? Are you saying he thinks I’m weak?”

Branson grinned. “No, ma’am. None of our females are weak, but we prefer to do the heavy lifting.”

“Well, I guess that’s okay then.” Rayna led the way around the side of the house and opened the gate. She pointed to the spot where she wanted the bags.

After he placed the first load on the ground, Branson studied the turned earth. “You know, we have plenty of room at Providence House for a garden, and it might be something the residents would like to learn. I’m not asking you to take on the task now, but maybe next spring, you could teach Lynette and me what to do. It’s a good skill to have and be able to pass along.”

Rayna was both shocked and touched that he would ask her to help. “I would love that.” Helping at Providence would give her the opportunity to get to know Lynette better. Rayna had Vanessa, but her bestie was often busy with her kids and salon, so having another friend would be a blessing.

Branson finished hauling the bags and took his leave. Rayna got busy extending the garden. She stopped long enough to fix a sandwich, then she added the compost to the turned soil. She had just finished when a motorcycle roared down the street. Rayna’s stomach dipped with excitement. Her Cheetah wanted free to play with Asher’s Lion.

We’ll do that later.

Rayna turned when the gate opened, only it wasn’t Asher.

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