Page 38 of Ace's Ascension

“That’s not necessary,” My dad responds without looking up. “I’m saving his life, train your guns on those two over in the corner if you need someone to shoot.”

Tex glances at me and I nod my head. “My mother and Aerik tried to force me to marry Aerik and then when it didn’t work, she tried to kill Ace while Aerik tried to kill me. I never thought I’d say this, but my father and twin are innocent in all of this.” I point to Jalinda and Aerik in the corner, unconscious. “This is all their doing. I’m not sure how, but they drugged my dad and Tomas.”

“It’s been happening for years,” Tomas confesses as he holds Ace’s wound with his bloody hands. “At first, I tried to fight it, but then I was too tired to continue to fight them off and just went with it.” My dad nods his head as he leans over Ace’s body. He’s chanting something I’ve heard Memaw and Pawpaw chant but I could never get the hang of this type of Voodoo.

“There, that should do it so we can move Ace safely back to Pawpaw’s house.” My dad stands up and wipes his bloody hands on his dress pants. “If you’ll allow me, Rose, I would like to come back with you and watch over Ace. He’s done something I never could and I will forever be indebted to him. He sacrificed his life to save yours.”

He called me Rose. He hasn’t called me Rose in years. The sadness in my father’s eyes is my undoing. I don’t know if I’m being an idiot for trusting him, but I’m willing to take that chance to have a relationship with my father.

I nod my head with a lump in my throat, “Of course, but you’ll be under heavy watch.” I gesture to Stone who’s standing over Aerik’s unconscious body with a snarl on his lips. He dips his head toward me, silently telling me he will end anyone who messes with me or Ace. I take the place where my dad was and grab ahold of Ace’s warm hand.

Looking around the room, I realize someone is missing. “Where’s Duke?” I ask.

“Outside. He didn’t want anyone to get the jump on us if we were all distracted in here.” Tex responds, not taking his gun off my mother. “What do you want us to do with these two?”

“I don’t care what happens to them,” I respond. Tex aims his gun at my mother’s head. She’s awake and glaring at me like I was the one who committed this crime on my Memaw’s death day.

“Wait.” My father says, stopping Tex from putting a bullet in her brain. “Look, I know she has done a lot of wrong, but there was a time in our lives when she wasn’t this way. She was a loving human being. Let me try something and if it doesn’t work…” My dad trails off and exhales a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling. “If it doesn’t work, you can shoot her.” That has to be hard for him to allow.

I watch as Tex lowers his weapon. “Fine, but if she tries anything, and I mean anything, I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in her brain or yours.” From the look in his eyes, I wouldn’t doubt he’d do it and not bat an eye.

My dad takes hesitant steps toward my mother. Tomas follows him, ready to help. “Grab Memaw’s stones on the tables scattered through the room.” Tomas does what he asks. “Tex, will you help me move Jalinda to the spot with the pentagram on the floor and then help me hold Jalinda down? I have to make sure she is very still for this next process.”

Tex and my father move a kicking and screaming Jalinda to the center of the room. Tex spots some rope hanging on one of the outer walls and grabs it. He ties my mother's feet and knees then threads the rope through eye holes drilled into the floor by her feet, inside the circle. Then he wraps the rope around her torso, holding her arms at her sides. My dad ties the rope around her shoulders and threads it through eye holes drilled into the floor above her head. Jalinda fights them both the entire time, but she is no match for their strength.

Tomas comes over with all the stones he can find. “Good, job. Now, place them around her entire body as close as you can get them, without touching her.” Tomas does what my dad tells him. Once he’s done, my dad places several candles on my mother’s body, “If you move, Tex will kill you. I know you’re not a bad person, Jalinda, you’re just lost. If you want to survive this, hold as still as possible.” My dad leans down and kisses my mom on the forehead. “I love you always and forever.”

He begins chanting as he lights each candle. My mother screams bloody murder but doesn’t move. Warm and cold air whips around us as my father’s chanting gets louder and louder over my mother’s screams. This goes on for fifteen minutes, and neither of us moves as we watch with rapt attention as my father tries to save my mother. Suddenly a heavy boom shakes Memaw’s shack, it gets eerily dark and quiet before the sun comes back into the room bringing a warmth across my skin.

My dad quickly removes all the candles on my mother’s still body and then proceeds to remove all the stones surrounding her. She hasn’t opened her eyes or taken a breath since the light came back into the shack. I don’t know if she’s alive or not.

“Dad?” I ask with a tremble in my voice. My mother might have been trying to kill me and Ace, but I know that wasn’t her. It wasn’t the woman I remember growing up.

“Jalinda, come on baby, open your eyes.” My dad begs. He gathers her into his arms and holds on tight. “Come on, love. Breath.”

I can’t be here any longer. If my mom doesn’t survive, I don’t know how I’ll feel now. Ace’s hand tightens against mine and I look down. He looks up at me, his whiskey eyes are full of sympathy. “Sweet Cheeks.”

My nickname rolling off his lips breaks open the floodgates and tears roll down my cheeks. Ace carefully sits up and I hold onto him tightly. “I thought you were dead.” I cry against his chest.

“Me too, Sweet Cheeks. Me too.” Ace looks around the room. My dad is still holding onto my mom, crying into her hair. My brother is next to them, holding her limp hand. Tex and Stone have taken Aerik out of the room, hopefully to feed him to the gators and Duke is guarding us while watching my family mourn another death. “Come on, let’s give them some space to deal with what happened.”

I stand, helping Ace off the floor. He’s moving slowly but every time he moves, his energy comes back. I don’t think my dad or twin needs to follow us back, he has his own grief to deal with. Not only did he lose his mom and dad, but quite possibly his wife, too.

Duke, Ace and I walk out of my Memaw’s shack. I hold my head high and raise my face to the warmth of the sun. I feel a presence wrapping around me and a light kiss on my temple. I know who that is. If my mother doesn’t survive, she will be well cared for by the two people who welcomed her into their lives when my dad found his true love.

Tex and Stone come toward us with no Aerik. I don’t want to know, so I don’t ask. “Come on, let’s head back to Pawpaw’s house so Ace can rest and we can head out. I’ve got all I need from here.” I head to the airboat with Ace, Duke and Texfollowing. Once everyone is on, I fire it up and we slowly make our way back to the mainland. I send up a prayer that my family can heal from this ordeal and move on, even if it’s hard.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ace

We’ve been back at the Clubhouse for a couple of weeks since the whole, Jalinda and Aerik trying to kill Liz and me, fiasco. Liz hasn’t left my side and I wouldn’t want it any other way. We are dealing with what happened together. She quit her job at the nightclub before we left and Kayne has agreed to hire her at Savage Saints Bar when she’s ready to go back to work.

I’m healing nicely from the stab wound. I don’t know how and Liz is tight-lipped, but I’m thankful for it. I even asked Stone and Tex what happened and all they would say was that it was a miracle and they’re still trying to process it.

Liz heard from her dad, fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, her mom is alive. He said she’s different than how she was when I first met her, but only time will tell. I’m hoping for Liz’s sake her mom isn’t an evil psycho anymore.

Kayne wanted a sit-rep the moment we got back on what went down in Louisiana. I could only tell him what I remembered and that was up until I was stabbed. Stone and Tex filled him in on what they knew, but since they weren’t in thebuilding when everything went down, they could only tell Kayne they heard Liz screaming for help. They also said her dad saved me from death but couldn’t explain how. I don’t think Liz could explain it either or she wouldn’t explain it. Either way, I’m good with not knowing.

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