Page 33 of Dare You to Catch Me
His jaw clenches before he swallows hard. “We can't find your father.”
I chew at my lip trying to think of a place where he may be hiding. “I assume the safehouses have been checked?”
“Yes, all of them. His estate, the hotels; he's disappeared. Ace growls with his words. His breathing quickens in pace and I continue to think of where my father could be and honestly, I don’t know. Ace has been wanting to say something to me so, while I think, I try to take his mind off it for a minute. “You've been wanting to say something Ace, what is it?”
He takes a deep breath, a really deep one, raising me with his breath before it escapes his lungs with his words. “I need you to do something for me, without fighting me on it.” I lift a brow, my words follow with annoyance. “Spit it out, Ace.”
He cocks a brow at my tone before a smirk forms from the corner of his lip. “When we get to Russia, you're going to stay with Bear while I go back and find your father.”
I spring backwards, sitting up in the bed as my voice comes out loud and fucking stern. “NO. FUCK NO.”
“It's not up for discussion, Baby Girl.” I feel betrayed, used, and fucking livid as my heart pounds in my chest and I stare him in the eye. A Devilish huff sounds out before I lay into him. “That'smycity. I have been there working alongside our father's, running our empires every fucking day while you were in Russia!”
“Bab-”
“NO! I will not let you leave me in Russia.”
“Emma. I can't have you there. You fucking distract me. I can't fucking think clear like I need to.” He spits.
“That's not my fucking problem!”
“GODDAMNIT, EMMA!” He growls with his words before his hand latches around my throat, firmly holding as his darkened eyes bore into mine, the fire igniting in them, burning hot while he growls.. “You WILL stay there, my decision is made, and you will notchange it, or anyone else.”
My lip curls into a snarl before I ask him an honest question. “You really think us being apart is safer?”
“No, I don't, there is nowhere safer than in my arms.”
“Then why? Why do you have to leave me?”
“I need to be the man I was trained to be, Baby Girl. And I can't do that with you around me. You cloud my mind, I'm too focused on your safety. Baby, I was never trained.” He pauses as his icy blues return, they bore into mine before his words come out just above a whisper. “I was never trained how to love and be the man I am. The man I have to be to keep you and our empire safe.”
My heart slams against my chest with his words, the gaze he holds on me, the purity to his words melting me, tears threatening to fill my eyes. “You did something to me a long time ago that no one has ever done. And then that night at the races; you are all I can think about.”
A smile forms on my lips thinking back to the night we saw each other for the first time since we were kids, at the office but then, he caught me racing. “I guess you caught me then, didn't you?” Whispering my question, knowing what the answer is, yes, he has caught me, and I'm head over heels for him. “I will always catch you.” He hooks his hands around my hips, and pulls me onto his lap as I straddle him, his warm hands rest against my bare skin on my thighs, resting my palms against his chest. “I need you to do this for me, Baby Girl, so I can find your father, and then.” A Devilish grin twists from those delicious lips of his. “Then, I will bring you home so you can do whatever that beautifully twisted mind of yours has been dreaming of doing.”
I want that, more than anything. I have dreamed of exactly what I want to do and how it will take hours, showing no mercy. I will show him the worst version of himself, and then some. But as much asI want that, I do not want to be away from Ace, the only person I can trust. “I don't like this.”
“I know, but I promise I will bring you home as soon as I find your father.” I take a deep breath as I shake my head, letting it out, my eyes fluttering closed. “Look at me.” His firm words cause my lids to rise and I stare into those gorgeous eyes. “Okay Ace, if I do this for you, you have to promise me something.” He cocks a brow, my invitation to continue. “We take Luca down together.” He shakes his head. “Bab-”
“No, you and I are stronger together than apart, if you would let yourself believe that.” He searches my eyes as I stare into his, he knows I'm right. Luca is a dangerous man, far more dangerous than my father, and he needs my help to take him down. “I'll make you a deal. I'll let you stay with me in the city after I find your father, but when it comes to Luca.” He shakes his head as his eyes darken. “He's mine and I will be the one to end the war with him, this is my fight I started years ago when I killed his son.”
“Yes, I'm aware of that.” He lifts a questioning brow. “My father enlightened me as he tried to choke me to death.”
Ace growls with his words. “Are you going to tell me about that?”
“No. Not yet, but I will.” I watch the look of concern spread across his face. I will tell him but I am so sickened by my father, I don't want to talk about it. So I change the subject. “So, who is the Bear person?”
“He's my best friend; You’ll love him. He's a big teddy bear when he wants to be. And he's got your car.”
“Oh?”
“You can trust him. He knows how important you are to me.”
A wave of warmth floods my body as a smile twists from my lips, watching Ace reach up, cradling my face in his hand, I lean into him. “You are the most important person in my life, Baby Girl. That's whyI need you to do this.” Everything in my body is telling me to fight this and not let him control me, but him admitting my importance, his feelings, I have to trust he's being honest and doing this for the right reasons. I mean I have to watch my back always, my empire is on the line here. I know he's doing this to protect our empires and me, not to steal my empire and gain more power. I know that, I see it, and most importantly, I feel it in every bone in my body. I also feel everything for a man I knew when I was young, but also don’t know him at all. And now, we are married, and love incases my heart completely, swallowing it whole. “Okay.” He leans forward and presses his lips to mine before he pulls back, hovering over my lips. “Let's take this outside on the deck so I can drool over what's mine in a bikini.” I smile against his lips as I whisper. “I say that sounds perfect.” If he's leaving, I want to spend what time we have together, because in the deepest parts of my heart, the fear of losing him now is greater than anything I have ever felt before.
I lift myself from his lap before I stand from the bed as he follows. “I'll meet you out there, I need to check on something.”
“Okay.” I say as I continue to walk to the bathroom, letting him do what he needs to do. I look over my shoulder as he slips on his swim trunks, before he snatches his phone from the night stand and walks out the door.
