Page 41 of Ace's Ascension

“You got it.”

We mount our bikes and fire them up. Taking off, once we reach the pavement, I open the throttle and let everything go.Blayde keeps up with me as we shift gears, letting the world pass us by. After three hours of just riding, the sun is setting, creating an eeriness, which I find ominous for what’s going to happen tonight. Blayde and I turn down the driveway and pull into our parking spots. I figured Liz and Siren would be out here when we pulled in, but neither of them came out. That’s strange. I can hear another rumble of a bike heading our way from the distance. I set my kick stand down and wait in the seat of my bike for whoever is coming. It sounds like they’re coming in hot and heavy. The rumble grows louder and I recognize Butch’s bike. He’s back from whatever Kayne sent him on with Detective Kendrick.

Butch pulls onto the driveway and doesn’t stop until he’s in his parking spot. He removes his helmet without saying a word to either Blayze or me and heads right into the Clubhouse. I look at Blayze but he shrugs his shoulders. We dismount our bikes and head inside. I spot Butch in the kitchen drinking shots of whiskey. He releases a loud belch before he sets his glass down.

“Fuck, I needed that. That woman is a tornado! She’ll be the death of me sooner or later.” Butch grumbles before pouring another shot.

“Do you want to tell us what you had to do and where you’ve been for the past month?” I ask.

“No.” One word and Butch leaves the kitchen disappearing with his bottle of whiskey and his bad attitude.

“That was…pleasant,” I mumble.

“Don’t worry about Butch. He’ll come to us when he’s ready. Right now, we need to get you ready for tonight.” Blayde slaps me on the back, setting my teeth on edge. “Poison, Kayne, Liz and Stone are already at The Cage. Kayne didn’t know how long we’d be gone and he wanted to get the ladies safe and secure before all the assholes show up. Once you’re ready, we’ll head on over and take care of business.”

“That explains where Liz and Poison are, but where are Siren and Alyssa?”

“Siren, Alyssa, Holly, Stryker, Tex, Duke, Maddox and Damon are split between Stryker’s house and Rooster's house with the kids. Everyone else that isn’t going with us is staying here with the Bunnies and watching over them. We don’t know what’s going to go down or how tonight will affect us, but Kayne figured it would be beneficial for everyone if we split up instead of being in one place. These guys you’re taking out are into some dark shit and have connections in the dark web. Kayne didn’t want blowback on the ladies.” Blayde explains.

“Will Poison and Liz be OK or should I have them go to Stryker’s house?” Now I’m worried I made the wrong decision in bringing those two with us.

Blayde shakes his head, “Nah. They’ll be protected by us.”

I frown, “If it gets bad, promise me you’ll get Liz and Poison out of there.” Blayde nods his head but doesn’t promise. “Promise me, brother. I wouldn’t be able to handle it if something happened to Liz or Poison.”

“Fine, but I’m positive they’ll be well guarded and protected tonight.” Blayde approaches me, “I need you to focus on what you’re doing, not everything else. We have that covered.”

Fuck, I hope he does. If things go sideways, the last thing I want or need is for Liz to get hurt because of what I need to do.

“Ok, Blayde. I’ll trust you to watch my Ol’ Lady.”

We leave the Clubhouse with Rooster and make our way to The Cage. Tonight is do or die. Either I finish this or Liz watches me die.

I’m hoping for the former, but not everything is handed to me. I’ll have to fight my way back to the top and take back what these two assholes took from me years ago. I just hope I’m strong enough to do it.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Liz

Kayne leads Poison and me into the building Ace took me to a while ago called The Cage with Stone bringing up the rear. I’m not sure why we had to leave before Ace and Blayde got back from their ride. I really wanted to see Ace before he stepped into The Cage and wish him luck, but Kayne said it wasn’t safe. If it’s not safe, then why are we here? I don’t ask these questions, even though I want to. Ace has expressed numerous times that I don’t question Kayne. His word is law and if I am disrespectful, it's not me that gets the punishment but Ace. He has enough to worry about tonight rather than me being an asshole. So, I keep my mouth shut and follow along like a good little sheep, even though I don’t want to. There isn’t anyone in here yet, except for the Emcee, Seth. He nods his dark head in our direction and gestures for Kayne to meet him. They step up to each other and shake hands.

“I heard we have a couple of special guests tonight,” Seth says to Kayne.

Kayne nods his head, his eyes cut to me, warning me not to question his remark. “Aye, we do. But let’s keep that on the down low.”

Seth doesn’t say a word and gestures for us to follow. I look at both Kayne and Seth in confusion and my forehead wrinkles trying to figure out what Kayne is talking about. Before I can ask what Kayne means, Seth leads us up a set of stairs hidden from view and opens a door.

“You’ll be in here tonight. Consider this VIP Access for you beautiful ladies.” Seth motions with his hand for Poison and me to enter and we do. “The door can only be opened from the inside unless you have this special key, which no one but myself has. I will hand it over to Kayne so he has access to get in here if you need something. You ladies will be safe here, and still be able to see everything that is going on. The windows are one-way, double-paned, bulletproof glass. You can see out, but no one can see you unless you flip the switch on the wall.”

I look around the vast room and take in my surroundings. There are huge picture windows overlooking The Cage below. There are soft leather seats placed strategically around the room for anyone to sit anywhere and still see all of the action. There is a fully stocked bar at the back of the room and a couple of bathrooms off to the right. Under my feet is a dark plush carpet that my feet sink into. Tables are set up next to each seat, some are tall to stand at and others are level with the furniture. Paintings and photos of previous MMA fighters line the walls around us. This room is comfortable and made for someone with high security.

“Thanks, Seth. We owe you one.” Kayne reaches out to shake Seth’s hand while I wander further into the room.

“Only thing I ask is when Ace takes over with that beautiful woman, he keeps me on. I’m as loyal to him as they come andhis safety is my number one priority.” Seth responds grabbing Kayne’s hand. They shake on it.

“Can I ask why?” Kayne questions.

“Of course. If you’re going to be my new bosses, boss, you should know. Back when I was a teenager, Ace and his little brother Spencer took me under their wings. They kept me out of the bad shit and showed me I can still be me, even if others don’t approve. I might not be a strong fighter like the two of them, but no matter what, they’ve always had my back, just as I will always have theirs. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to leave you to it and get shit around for tonight.” Seth backs out of the room after he hands Kayne the key.

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