Page 33 of Ace's Ascension

“Come on, Ace.” Liz stands with tears in her eyes. “We need to get set up for the night.” There’s a sadness in her voice but I don’t push it, not yet.

We walk out the way we came in and the humidity slaps me in the face. Night has fallen and I cringe when I notice how uncomfortable my brothers are. “I didn’t think we were in there that long,” I state.

Liz shrugs, “Time has no meaning inside Pawpaw’s house.” She steps off the rickety old porch and walks down a single path leading into the woods. “This way.”

I follow her with Tex, Duke and Stone trailing behind us carrying our bags. “What about our bikes?” Duke asks, unsure if we should keep someone on guard.

“The bikes will be safe there,” Liz replies, there’s a sadness in her voice that she tries to hide. She walks further into the woods,moving tree branches and brush out of the way. I grab her hand, needing the contact between us and squeeze it. Liz returns the gesture and looks up at me. The pain in her bright blue eyes hurts my heart and I will do anything I can to help her through this. I kiss her softly on the lips, offering to take her pain and put it on me before we move again.

Duke and Stone take notice of the slump in her shoulders and the sadness in her voice. They give me a questioning look, but I shake my head. It’s not the time to get into it. I’ll fill them in later.

“This place is giving me the creeps,” Tex grumbles as he brings up the rear, not realizing the sadness radiating off Liz as he slaps another bug away. Duke lets go of a branch and it swats Tex in the face. “What the fuck, Duke?”

Duke glares at Tex, the bandana covering his bald head is sweat-soaked. “If you value your balls, you’ll keep our mouth shut and quit bitching about shit.” He motions to Liz and Tex snaps his mouth shut thankfully. If he didn’t quit bitching I was going to do something about it.

There is a break in the trees, opening up to a small white house sitting proudly in the middle of a clearing. “We’ll stay here for the night.”

Liz opens the front door and a blast of cool air hits me in the face. I deeply inhale, thankful to be out of the sweltering humidity for a little while. Turning on a light in the living room, Liz looks around before disappearing into another room. I follow, wondering where she’s going.

I find her in the small kitchen, grabbing five water bottles and closing the refrigerator door with her hip. “Talk to me, Liz.” I take the water bottles out of her hands and set them on the old table in the center of the small room. Pulling Liz into my arms, she sobs uncontrollably for a few minutes before she quiets down.

“I didn’t think it would be this hard coming back here. I loved my Memaw and I love my Pawpaw. Losing him is going to hurt just as bad as when I lost her.”

“I know you told me a little bit about her, but I’m listening if you want to tell me more,” I reply, kissing Liz on the forehead. “Whatever you need, I’m here.”

“Thank you, Ace. I don’t think I could do this without you.” Liz leans up on her toes and kisses me. Our gentle kiss turns passionate and all I can think about at this moment is commanding Liz’s body beneath mine. She pulls away too soon and I release a deep breath.

“The things you do to me, woman,” I growl while nipping at Liz’s lips. She whimpers but stands strong.

“I have guests and now isn’t the time, Ace.” She chides me.

“Now is the perfect time, Sweet Cheeks. Those assholes can wait.” I try to kiss her again, but she pushes against my chest.

“Not those guys. We have guests coming any minute. I’m sure Pawpaw told my mom and dad we are here.” Her fingers clutch onto my leather cut tightly at the mention of her parents.

A sudden knock on the door has me pushing Liz behind me and unholstering my gun. Tex and Duke follow my movements and Stone disappears down the hallway. Duke opens the door but before he can see who it is, a strong breeze blows through and shoves the door open further, pushing him back. A woman with tan skin comes barging in dressed in an elegant, long white and gold dress that flows past her ankles with tons of necklaces, bracelets and big hoop earrings. She’s wearing a gold and white silk hat that matches her dress. The woman’s blue eyes glare at Duke holding his gun up but not threatening before she searches the room and her eyes land where I am with Liz still tucked behind me.

“Elizabeth Madeline-Rose LeRoux, get your behind out here so your mama can take a look at you.” The woman’sauthoritative voice raises the hair on the back of my neck. Liz’s grip tightens on my cut and I don’t let her move.

“Who the hell are you?” I respond before Liz steps forward.

The woman tsks before stepping toward us with disdain written all over her face. The closer she gets to me, the more similarities I see between her and Liz. “Well, that’s no way to speak to a woman. Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?” My spine stiffens from the woman’s hoity-toity voice and the mention of my parents.

“Mama, please. You don’t know the first thing about any of these men.” Liz returns her question before I can say or do anything.

“Hmph, what I do know is Memaw would be very disappointed that you’re running around with a bunch of bikers.” She looks down at me from the end of her nose.

I open my mouth to say something but again, Liz beats me to it. And what she says next makes me question everything I ever knew and my blood turns cold. “Memaw already gave us her blessing.”

Chapter Nineteen

Liz

My mother is a whirlwind. I don’t know how else to describe her. She radiates negative energy and the temperature in the room drops about twenty degrees. If she thinks you’re not better than she is, she will treat you like the scum at the bottom of the swamp, but she’s forgetting where she came from. My mother would still be sitting in the swamps if it wasn't for my father.

“Memaw already gave us her blessing, mama.” I stand tall, my voice is strong.

“Well, that can’t be, Elizabeth.” Mama adjusts the hat on her head in frustration.

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