ACE (Defenders M.C. Book 4) (3 page)

4

Marty woke the next morning to the sound of motorcycles and groaned.  She buried her head under her pillow and tried to go back to sleep, but it was no use.  The asshole kept at it.  She was not a morning person.  She tugged on a pair of shorts and stomped to the window and shoved it open.  There was a glass of water on the bedside table so she emptied it on the asshole who kept revving his engine.  She heard a curse before she closed her window with a satisfied smirk.  She climbed into her still warm bed and curled up just before her door burst open.

She sat up, ready to curse at whoever thought they had the right to storm into her room and then laughed at the man who was standing in her room dripping.

“It’s rude to be loud before nine in the morning.”  She lay back down and closed her eyes.  She heard his heavy footfalls and thought he had left her to sleep until she felt the water hit her in the head.  She came up fighting and sputtering curses that would make a sailor blush.

“Damn you, you sonofabitch.  Who do you think you are?”

“Name’s Mike Allen.”

“Mike?”

“Who the hell do you think you are throwing water on me?  I ought to pull your ass out of the bed and toss your ass out that fucking window.”

“Mike is a shitty biker name…maybe they should have called you Kitty.”  Marty knew she should shut up but her mouth would not listen to her brain. 

He took a step toward her and she held out her hands.

“Try it asshole and you’ll have to swallow your food around your balls from now on.”  Marty was tired of playing.

“Shut the fuck up.  You don’t get to talk to me like that. My biker name as you put it is.”

“I’ll say whatever the fuck I want to whoever I want.  Now get your ass out of my room!”  She was standing in the middle of her bed with her hands on her hips, glaring down at the rather handsome man in her bed room at eight in the damned morning.  No, not her bedroom.  The room she had been given last night at the club house… the motorcycle club, club house… she may be screwed.  She didn’t show fear, but she felt it begin to swirl in her stomach.  When the man stepped toward her she screamed as she leapt off the bed and ran from him. 

She had no idea where to go.  She ran down the rough wooden stairs and into the common room where she saw several men she hadn’t seen the night before and they were looking at her with hungry eyes.  There were a few women, but they looked like they were half dead and wouldn’t be much help.  Panic rose in her and she desperately searched the room for a friendly face.  There were none.  What could she do?  The man from her room caught up to her and grabbed her arm before she could get away.  She screamed.

“Parlay!”

The man froze and frowned at her as if she had lost her mind.  “What?”

“Parlay.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”  He looked so confused that it was almost cute.  His nose was scrunched up and his brows were furrowed over his too blue eyes. 

Marty noticed another man walking toward them and tried to get away, but the man, Mike, held firm.

“Hello Miss Cross.  We are bikers not pirates so parlay won’t help you much, but if you would simply inform Mike here of who you are, he might see fit to let go of you.”

Marty felt foolish, she took a deep breath and let it out in a puff.  “I’m Marty Cross.  Ace is my father.”

It was as if she had said the magic words.  Mike released her so fast she could almost believe he had never touched her, except for the throbbing that persisted in her arm.

“Why in the hell didn’t you say so to begin with?”  He looked as if she had slighted him.

The other man broke in.  “I’m The Inspector, but everyone calls me Spec.  Why are the two of you dripping wet?”

Marty could not believe this man was a biker, he looks too nerdy, but he also looked smart and she felt a kinship to him immediately.

She shrugged.  “I’m not a morning person…”

He nodded.  “He got you back.”

Marty frowned and nodded.  How did he know that?

“I don’t care who you are.  You owe me a bike wash and you can wear that.”  Mike said as he eyed her outfit.

For the first time Marty felt exposed.  She wore a tank top and shorts but she felt naked under this man’s gaze.  She rolled her eyes and snorted.

“Fuck off.”  She turned and stomped back to her room. Laughter followed her and she knew she had not seen the last of Mike Allen and he would make her pay for today one way or another.

5

Ace rubbed his head as he sat at the table.  Preach had started church half an hour ago and Ace was ready to leave.  He felt like shit and all he wanted was to go back to bed and sleep, but he was here because he had to make sure his brothers knew about Marty.   He had to make sure she was safe.  He caught Preach watching him and tried to straighten.  The pain ripped through his gut and took his breath but he nodded to his friend and gritted his teeth against the pain even as he felt the cold sweat pop out on his face.  He saw the worry in his brother’s face, but he wouldn’t accept pity.  He narrowed his eyes and dared Preach to comment on what he knew was going on.  Preach sighed and turned back to the business at hand.  Ace just listened and tried his best to breathe.

It was toward the end of church that Marty was brought into the conversation.

“As most of you know, Ace has a daughter.  I expect Marty to be respected the same as my girls and the same way you’d want your kids respected.”

“Respect is earned Preach.”

Ace turned to find Mike frowning at him.  Mike was the most even tempered brother in the club and one of the most focused.  Ace grimaced.  There must be a story behind his hostility.

“No.  You don’t have to like her, but she gets respect.  She has to give it too.”  Preach was firm.  He met Mike’s eyes and made sure he understood that he was to be obeyed.

“She has to give it?  I’ll believe it when I see it.  I had the misfortune of meeting her.”

The brothers were quiet.  Mike rarely spoke out and never with any heat.  Ace looked up to find Law watching him closely.  He saw respect in Law’s eyes and knew his brother would protect Marty.  Law was a hard man, but he respected Ace.  They respected each other.  Law always had his back and Law was one man nobody crossed, nobody.  It helped lessen his worry over Marty. 

“I’ll talk to Marty.  She isn’t used to club life yet.  I’ll make sure she know that she has to respect the brothers unless they cross a line.  That’s my job.  But you cross a line and she can gut you with my blessing.  I take responsibility for her and anything she does.”

Ace hoped he wasn’t making a huge mistake.  He had just told the brothers that if Marty stepped over the line they should blame him instead of her.  They all nodded as if that sealed the issue, and he hoped she wouldn’t let him down.

Preach ended church and the brothers left the room.  Law stayed along with Preach.

“I don’t like secrets Ace.  I never have.”  Law leaned back in his chair as he studied his friend.  His voice was deceptively even, but Ace knew better than to trust that.

Ace laughed.  “She was a secret to me too, but I’m glad I found out.  She sure is like her mama.  I think Nikki will like her.”

Law frowned.  “Marty isn’t the secret I’m talking about Ace so cut the bullshit right fucking now.  How long have you been fucking sick?”

Ace closed his eyes.  He should have known Law would notice.  He knew Spec had figured it out and probably Shadow, but only Preach knew everything.

“Two months.”

Law dropped his head and nodded.  Ace saw the hurt on his face before he hid it.

“Tell me what the fuck is going on and what you’re doing to fix it.”  Law was angry, but Ace knew it wasn’t at him.  Ace was the closest thing Law had to family in the world and Ace knew this would be hard for the man to take.

“Stomach cancer.  They say I have six months tops.  Not much can be done.”

Law nodded again and then just stood and walked out slamming the door behind him.

Ace looked to Preach.

“He’ll deal with it.  We all have to.”  Preach looked sad and angry.

Ace nodded.  “He’ll head to Nikki.  I should have talked to him, but damn it I don’t know how to do this shit.”  Ace ran his hands over his close cropped hair.  “I don’t know how to do any of it.  How am I going to tell Marty?”  He felt the fear rise in him again and he tried to push it back down, but the more people who knew the more real it all seemed.

“I don’t know how to help you there.  I can’t imagine having that talk with my girls.”

“Shit ain’t fair.  Not fucking fair.”

Ace wanted to hit something.  He slammed his fist down on the old scarred table.  He wanted to beat the shit out of somebody and he hoped Mike stepped in his path, but no one did.  He left the clubhouse and just started walking.  He felt a lump in his throat and wanted to rage and scream at the world for making him sick.  He wanted to wallow like a kid and cry, but he couldn’t do any of it.  He was a Defender and he had his pride.

“Hey!  Wait up!”

Ace turned to see Marty jogging after him.  She wore running shorts and a tank top.  She was soaking wet with sweat and her short hair stuck up all over her head.  Her dark sunglasses hid her big brown eyes that he had passed down to her and for some reason made her look more like her mother.  Ace missed Janie right then more than he ever had in the last twenty years.

“Hey kid.  What have you been up to, other than whatever happened with Mike?  He is not your biggest fan, so you know.”  He tried to clear the lump from his throat, but his voice was gruff.

“Yeah…about that…sorry.  I’ll try to be nice.  It’s just that I didn’t get all that much sleep and well when he barged into my room I lost my temper.”

Ace just raised his brows.  “You can sleep somewhere else tonight if that helps.”

“Yeah?  Where?”

“I’m not sure yet.  I think maybe you could stay with Law and Nikki, but I’ll need to ask first.  If not you can crash with Preach and Mrs.  She will spoil you like crazy though.”

“I wouldn’t mind that actually, but where ever is fine.  I’ll try to stay out of the way.”

“You aren’t in the way here Marty.”  She gave him a half grin that told him she wasn’t convinced yet and he vowed to convince her.

“So… I hope its ok that I’ve been running.  I like to keep busy and running helps me think.  Where is the best place the guy at the gate said I couldn’t run outside on the road?”

“It isn’t safe.  We have enemies.  You can run anywhere you want inside though.”

“Ace?”

“Hmm?”  He was looking off toward the gates.  Marty would be a target the minute she stepped foot out those gates.

“Am I like a prisoner here or something?”

“Hell no but I have to keep you safe.  I owe that to your mama.”

“Owe her more than that if you ask me, but since you didn’t…”

“You do have a sharp tongue that’s for certain.  Are you enjoying it here?”

Marty shrugged.  “I don’t like being treated like I’m not equal and I’m hungry, but it a pretty place.”

Ace nodded.  “Is that what happened with Mike?  I need to know Marty.  He was hot as fire in there today.  Why did he barge into your room?  I swore I would make it clear that you have to respect the brothers if you don’t it falls on me.  You have to behave yourself.  Don’t dishonor me Marty.”  He said it all straight out without giving her a chance to butt in.

“I would never.”  She looked hurt.

Ace looked at the child he had only just discovered.  She was so like her mother, but she had a sweetness that she only showed glimpses of.  He had no idea how to talk to her of the circumstances that led him to Georgia or anything else.

“I do know that.  Just give it some time for the brothers to get to know you.  You will earn their respect.”  He pinched her chin.  “You already have mine.”

She seemed so small and unsure.  An adult in age, but a child in heart.  Ace had never suffered the hardship of sentimentality, but before he could stop himself he pulled his child against his chest and propped his chin on her head.

“I want you to be happy here Marty.  Find your place here.  I want you to belong here like I do.  Janice said I needed to watch you because you are too smart.  What do you like to do?”

“Computer stuff.  Not really sure what good that can do me here.”  She sniffled.

“Well hell I think I’ve figured out who you need to meet.”  He looked down into her face.  “After you get something to eat.  You should never go hungry here.  There’s always food in the kitchen.”

“Ace, am I expected to wash bikes and clean like the women in there are?”

“No ma’am.  Those are the club whores and the sweetbutts.  They do it because its how they get to stay.  You get to stay because of who you are.  I will introduce you to some of the oldladies later.  That’s where you belong.  You answer to me and to Preach, but nobody else.  Stand your ground and earn their respect.  Make me proud.”

She let out a sigh and seemed to relax a little.  Ace felt his heart swell.  She was his kid and in that moment he loved her more than he had ever loved another person in his life.