Page 92 of Waiting Forever
We exit through a door that leads to the side of the house.
“Stay close.” Ace sticks to the brick exterior as he runs toward the lake visible from here.
We stop at the end of the house.
Ace peers around the side to the backyard. “I don’t think anyone knows yet.”
“Good.”
“Run.” Keeping to the shadows, I follow him across the grass and into the woods. Behind us, chatter and music sound from the pool area. I don’t look back.
We make it to the shelter of the trees and keep running at top speed. Soon, we’re following one side of the lake and then it’s behind us as we race toward the tall wall in the near distance.
Throbbing forms behind my eye. How could I have let that little fucker get a hit on me?
At the wall, I clasp my hands so Ace can step onto them and scale to the top. Once he’s over, he hangs down and holds out his hand to me, pulling me up enough so I can get myself over the rest of the way.
The Jeep is parked along a dark, deserted road. The lights are off, but the engine is running.
Ace climbs in front, and I take the back next to Reese.
Malia drives away, night vision goggles strapped to her face.
I rest my head on the back of the seat and wipe my eye again. “How’s Isa?” I ask around my panting breaths.
“Fine,” Reese says. “Dalton took her home.” His laptop rests on his thighs, a joystick set up beside him. He must still be scanning the party with the drone.
“Did Prescott hurt her?” I ask.
“No,” Ace answers. “He might have had I not walked in, but I distracted his anger and he flung her toward me. I caught her. She was shaken but unharmed.”
“I need to thank her again.”
“Did you fuck him up?” Malia steers us onto another dark road.
“Yeah.” I exhale.
“He’s good to die another day?” she asks.
Ace chuckles. “I feel sorry for the man who ever wrongs you, Malia.”
“He’ll live,” I murmur and lift my head. Pain radiates around my knuckles and fingers. Hope I didn’t sprain any.
“Feel better for having done it?” She pulls into a neighborhood, takes off the goggles, and turns on the headlights.
“Yes and no.” Yes, because I got to unleash my own justice on the prick. No, because no amount of beatings will take away what he did to Kensi or stop him from doing it again.
“We’re in the clear.” Reese shuts his laptop. “Mission accomplished.”
“Good work,” Ace says to Malia and Reese.
“Was it? Good work? We didn’t change anything.”
“You might have changed his face a little.” Ace chuckles.
“Don’t go down that road,” Malia says in a solemn tone. “Take the win—the win being that he didn’t get away without a scratch. Sometimes that has to be enough.”
Did someone violate her like Kensi had been hurt, or worse? Sounds like it. Might explain her anger. I shake my head, appalled. How many women have stories like this?
