He had one fucking chance.
And if she hated me for that… Well, she’d loved me through muzzling Rogue.
She’d get over it…eventually.
“Okay,” Ace said after what I realised was a long silence.
“Okay?” I asked.
“I can fix your mess.”
I froze, staring at him as he settled his arm down, and it was impossiblenotto notice how his hand drifted to Thistle’s waist.
“You can?” Thistle asked, wide-eyed, and she shuffled closer on instinct.
I didn’t believe him.
No way could he have come up with a solution that quick.
But… what if he had?
I hated the little whisper in my head that thiswasAce Maverick. A kingpin so prolific that his name had frequently come up in trafficking circles.
It took all my self-control not to look at Rogue. If I did, with that ice-blue gaze fixed on me like it was, he’d know how unsure I was.
“Yup.” Ace leaned lazily on the armrest. “But first. My mansion.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You want to go back?”
“Yes.”
“You can give us the details,” I began. “We can?—”
“No.” Ace’s voice cut me off, ice cold. “You want me to fix the messyoumade?I’mgoing back.”
“Not a chance.” I wasn’t letting him wander out of here to get up to god knew what.
He tilted his head, lifting his hand from where it rested on Thistle’s waist. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Thistle tense, eyes sliding to him as even the shadow of his touch vanished.
I forced my gaze back to him. “What do you need your house for?”
“It’s political.”
“Explain.” I folded my arms.
A smile curved his lips. “No.”
“Then you get fuck all.”
Ace shrugged. “Then enjoy planning without me.”
I sneered.
He was here to help because otherwise he’d be sent back to insanity. But I truly wasn’t sure if he was bluffing when he said he didn’t care.
“What would be the point?” Rogue asked. “If you went.”
I threw him a dirty look. I didn’t like giving Ace an inch when he was acting like this.