Page 88 of Little Nightmare

“And you looked so happy. I walked away until a friend inside told me that Ace was succeeding in doing exactly what Lucian was supposed to do.” He drew a ragged breath. “I’m saving you.”

I snorted out a laugh. “Do I look like I need saving?”

My heart hurt, but this man, this man I didn’t know him, maybe I never had. He wasn’t the man I had fallen for, and Lucian was dead. The guy I’d barely known and thought was Louis wasn’t even here.

Lily’s real father, however, was probably getting either beat in the basement or tied up. I needed to find a way to convince my dad to let him go.

“Dad…” I reached for his hand. “Something feels wrong—I’m not saying Louis would betray us but…” I looked around. “I also don’t think Ace even knew what he was doing, plus he grew up with us. He would never willingly go against us. He’d die for me?—”

“He lied to me without thinking of the consequences,” Dad snapped. “He bled for me.”

“He bled forme!” I yelled back. “And for Lily!”

“Sweetheart…” Dad’s face softened. “We have no idea what he’s capable of or how long he was even under her spell. When we called him back from Italy he’d already been there three years.”

Three years of psychological torment.

Three years of being in love with someone only for them to leave you.

I didn’t have the whole story but it suddenly made so much more sense.

“I choose him,” I whispered. “Even if you don’t. I do. And Lily does too.” I shook my head at Louis. “I never knew you then,apparently, and Idon’tknow you now. Please leave me and my family alone.”

Louis’ eyes darkened. “I’m here saying I’ll fight for you. I’ll save you, I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

“That’s the thing about love,” I interrupted him. “It’s more. You don’t even have to ask, you just do, seamlessly day after day. Ace doesn’t offer to save me—he’s too busy giving me and our daughter the tools so we can save ourselves.”

I walked past my dad. Two men blocked the hallway. “Move. I’m going to go see my husband.”

“Raven,” Dad warned, “he can’t stay.”

“Where he goes I go.”

“I can’t let you do that.” I could feel his nod at the guys in front of me.

“Move,” I said again to the men in front of me. “At least let me say goodbye to my husband.”

The guys moved to the side while I stomped through.

“Ten minutes,” Dad snapped.

I knew what he meant.

“Can’t stay with us.” That was basically like saying he’d kill him, whether that was physically or just by sending him away and giving him a new life and name, I wasn’t sure; it depended on each case.

Lily would never know Ace.

I would never have him.

It was too dangerous.

The doorbell went off above me as I took the stairs down to the bottom and went to the first room.

It was a holding cell before dad decided what to do—it was a way for people to pay for their sins.

I shoved open the door.

Ace was shirtless, his scars on full display. He hung from the ceiling with both arms spread wide to the sides at a V angle. Hishead hung in front, his pants were tugged down low on his hips like they didn’t bother to pick them up when they also tied his ankles together, his jeans getting caught in the process. His body was gorgeous even like that, all sculpted muscle and scars.

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