I release a long breath as I pull up outside Remi’s house on Friday night. I’m five minutes early because I couldn’t put up with pacing back and forth in the pool house any longer.
I don’t date, so why I’m doing this now fuck only knows. But as I was staring down at her last night, all I could think was that I was doing her a disservice. I already know that she deserves better than me. She should have a guy who treats her right, not who just sneaks into her bedroom at night under the cover of darkness and does wicked things to her body. She deserves the hearts and flowers I’m incapable of giving her.
Shaking my arms out at my sides, I notice some movement at the window. I narrow my eyes trying to see her, to see what she’s chosen to wear, but when there’s no further movement, I figure that it must be Sarah. I wasn’t expecting her to be home, or to be aware of this date. It just proves that she and her daughter are closer than James and I will ever be. There’s no way he’d stand at the window and watch me take off on a date with his precious Remi.
After a few more minutes, the front door opens and she steps out. My breath catches as she floats down toward me.
She’s wearing a black pair of skinny jeans and a loose white blouse.
“Hey,” she sings once she’s close enough that I’ll hear over the rumble of the engine. She stops in front of me and leans forward for a kiss. I hesitate, knowing that Sarah is watching us, and Remi barks out a laugh when my lips connect with her cheek.
“What?” I ask. “Your mom is watching.”
“And? I’m my own person, and I know what I want.” She places her hands on her hips and stares at me. “Plus, if she’s going to stare, then we might as well give her something to stare at.”
“Well, when you put it like that.” Reaching out, I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and pull her up against me. “Better?”
“Much. I missed you today,” she whispers. I’d stayed out of her way, knowing it would drive her crazy for tonight.
I stare at her, amazed that she’s willing to spend time with me, let alone come back to the Heights without argument. I was kind of joking when I suggested going and hanging out with the guys, but Remi was all in with the idea. I have a suspicion she’s only willing because she’s hoping to get an insight into the kind of guy I am. If that’s the case, then she’s going to be sorely disappointed, because I’ve hidden nothing. My past is my past, and I am who I am. I refuse to pretend that it’s anything else.
My fingers tighten on her neck as I pull her lips to mine. She doesn’t hesitate to open up, and my chest swells, knowing that she’s not at all ashamed to openly stand in her street with me like this. My tongue sweeps into her mouth, but I pull back long before I’m really ready to, knowing that we have at least one person’s attention on us.
“Ready?”
“To grill your friends for all your secrets? Yes.” She grins, and I laugh, my earlier assumption confirmed.
Throwing my leg over my bike, I hand her the helmet. “Come on then, Princess. Time to go to the dark side.”
“Hmm… I like it when you take me there.”
“You’ve experienced nothing yet.”
Remi wraps her thighs and arms around my body, forcing me to blow out a steadying breath. Will her touch always feel this electrifying?
Not putting too much thought into what the answer might be, I gun the engine and we fly out of her street. She squeals behind me in delight as I speed up on the freeway that heads toward the Heights, and I can’t stop the wide smile that spreads across my face.
I feel different when I’m with her. Like for once in my life, I belong, which is really fucking saying something. I feel anything but when I’m at James’ or in the Bay generally. She’s got some serious fucking magical powers, that’s for fucking sure.
The scenery soon changes to the familiar landscape of my past. The color of the buildings gets darker and the sizes smaller before I have to start swerving around the potholes in the road that didn’t exist a few miles ago.
I can navigate through this place with my eyes shut, so in no time we’re pulling up out the back of Sinners and I’m killing the engine.
“I never thought I’d be excited to be here,” Remi admits when I take the helmet from her and hang it over the handlebars.
No one else would risk leaving something that’s not bolted down, but everyone in town knows this is my bike and they wouldn’t fucking dare touch it, let alone steal it.
“Come on, then. They’ve already ordered dinner.”
“Good, I’m starving.”
Unlike when we were here last, we enter through the back door and head straight up the stairs. Neither Cruz nor D are working tonight; fuck knows how they managed to swing that, but the second I told them my plans they immediately said they’d sort it.
Both of them are a few years older than me. I vaguely remember them from Sterling Heights High, but then to be fair that’s probably because I was never really there rather than them being older. I’ve probably spent more time at Sterling Prep in the last couple of weeks than I did my entire senior year in Sterling Heights High.
“D, get in here,” Cruz shouts the second Remi and I walk into the living room they share in the apartment above the studio. “Jag really did bring his girl back.”
“Fuck off,” I bark as he comes over.
“Ace’s girl! It’s so good to see you.” He holds his hand out for her, and when she slips her fingers into it, he kisses her knuckles and then encourages her to spin for him, which she also does.
He whistles. “Looking good, girl. You’re wasted on this motherfucker, you know that, right?”
“Get your fucking eyes off her.” I pull Remi into my side and Cruz stares at me like I’m some kind of stranger to him.
“Girl, I love ya, but please, hand my guy his balls back. He’s going to think he belongs with the rich ‘uns in the Bay at any moment.”
“I really don’t think he is,” she mutters. “You might think he’s different, but they’re all running scared with just one look.” Cruz barks a laugh.
“Nah, they’ve got it all wrong. He’s all bark. There’s not much to his bite.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Remi mutters, and my mind goes straight in the gutter as I recall rebranding last night.
“Whoa, is it getting hot in here?” Cruz fans himself before gesturing toward the couch. “Come on, stop loitering in the doorway, mi casa es su casa.”
Tugging Remi behind me, we both fall down onto the couch as Cruz brings us over a bottle of beer each.
“This good or do you need champagne, Princess?”
“Fuck you, Cruz,” Remi snaps, reaching for the bottle and knocking the top off like a pro.
“Ouch, burn,” D says, coming to join us. “Jag, Rem.” He nods. “Dinner’s on its way.”
“So tell us about life in the Bay. What’s it like to have more money than sense?”
“I don’t remember,” Remi says at the same time I reply with, “Fuck knows.”
“Okay let’s try this another way… What’s it like living with people who have more money than sense?”
“Fucking awful,” we answer simultaneously, much to both Cruz and D’s amusement.
“Jesus, it’s like they’re a married couple.”
“My turn. I want to know what Sterling Heights Ace is like,” Remi says, not even attempting to cover up her secret mission.
“Well…” Cruz says, leaning back on his chair and crossing one leg over the other. “Basically as much as a moody fucker as he is in the Bay, I’d imagine. I’d think the only difference is that he spends most of his days planning people’s murders rather than actually committing them.”
Remi tenses beside me. “He’s joking, baby.”
“Am I?” Cruz asks, his eyes going wide.
“Mostly.”
“Is Kelsey missing him?”
“Fucking hell, does she always ask this many questions?” D asks, sounds way too amused about the situation.
“Nah, she’s over it. Got herself a stand in. It was about time she found herself someone better looking.”
“Jesus. I knew coming here and letting her spend time with you two was a mistake.”
The banter continues long after the takeout arrives, and we all dig into the best Chinese that the Heights has to offer.
“Are you all done?” Remi asks once we’re resting back with full bellies and fresh beers.
“Stay put, Ace’s girl. Your boy’s got this, haven’t you?” He smirks at Ace. “It’ll do him good to remember what it’s like to live without a maid.”
“How’d you know about Ellen?” I ask, shocked.
“I didn’t, it was a joke.” He gawks. “You’ve got a fucking maid?”
“My uncle has, and I don’t want anything to do with him or his life, so I stay as far away as possible.”
Remi sits silently beside me but I can tell she wants to say something. Whether that’s to defend James or to say something about Ellen, I’m unsure but Cruz doesn’t give her a chance.
“Come on then, Preppy. Show us your skills.”
The two of us collect the empty containers and take them through to the kitchen.
“I never thought I’d say this,” he says when we’re out of earshot of Remi, “but that place looks good on you.”
“It’s not the place,” I mutter.
“Yeah, about her.”
“What about her?”
“She’s too fucking good for you, man.”
“Don’t I fucking know it.”
He stares at me, his eyes narrowing.
“What?”
“I’m missing something. What gives?”
I open my mouth to answer. These guys know me better than anyone, so I’m not surprised he can see something’s not quite right.
“You know my main purpose of going to the Bay.”
“To take down your uncle,” he says without missing a beat. “What’s that go to do with Remi?”
I hesitate, not really wanting to vocalize my intentions when it comes to the girl who has managed to bury herself deeper than anyone else. No one other than my brothers get under my walls, but I fear that she’s managed to without my knowledge.
“She’s really important to James. He’s seeing her mother.”
“Ace,” Cruz warns. “You telling me that this is all one big game?”
I shrug. That was my intention, but I can’t help wondering if things have changed too much for that to still be the case.
“I don’t know, man. She’s…”
“Yeah, I know. I see it. The way she looks at you… You’re going to fucking shatter her if you go through with this.”
“She deserves better than me. She’ll get over it.” It pains me to say it, but I can’t deny that it’s the truth.
“Maybe so, but it seems that you’re what she wants.”
I hold his heavy stare with my own until my pocket vibrates, demanding my attention. I quickly scan Donny’s text before switching it off.
“Problem?” Cruz’s brow arches.
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Watch your back, yeah? You know Donny doesn’t give two shits if you’re living in the Bay now. You run for him, only he gets to say when you walk away.”
I’m about to tell him to stay off my back when D shouts, “What the fuck are you two doing in there? Remi is planning her first ink.”
Cruz’s eyes light up at the prospect of inking my girl’s virgin skin before all but running from the room.
“Ace’s girl,” he drawls. “You getting ready for your first inking? You want the master, right?” Cruz wiggles his fingers at her and she blushes.
“Hey,” I mutter, slapping him around the head. “Only I get to make her blush like that.”
“Sorry, man. I can’t help if she imagines my fingers doing other things.”
“I think it’s time we left. Neither of these motherfuckers are getting their hands on your body.”
“All right, caveman. Calm down.” Remi pats the couch beside her, and I have no choice but to sit beside her as she discusses options and where the least painful parts of the body are.
I watch as she soaks up everything he tells her. She continues drinking when they offer us more beer, but I stop. I need to get her home in one piece. I might want to teach my uncle a lesson, but killing us both in the process isn’t part of my plan.
When Remi starts yawning, I make our excuses and we head for the door.
“Call me and we’ll book that appointment in, girl.”
“You’ve got it.” Remi salutes Cruz and he beams at her.
Part of me is glad my friends approve of her and have accepted her in their lives this easily. A bigger part of me hates it. It’s only making what I need to do harder and more confusing.
Is it time I focused on myself for once? On what I want, me, instead of plotting the demise of someone else?
“You okay, Princess?” I ask when we come to a stop beside my bike and she sways slightly on her feet.
“Yeah. I really like those guys, and they’re not scary at all.”
“Like me, you mean.”
“You’re not scary, Ace.” Her voice is slurred, making me wish I cut her off a beer before I did. “I know you’ll protect me. Everyone is wrong about you, you know. You’re a good person. You make good choices.” Guilt engulfs me as her words rock my body.
“Oh yeah. Who says otherwise?”
“Conner.”
My brows pull together as anger swells in the pit of my stomach. If he’s in agreement with James and is warning Remi off me, then I’ll string him up by his fucking balls.
“And what did Conner say?”
“Shit. I shouldn’t have told you that. Whoopsie.” She covers her mouth with her delicate fingers and tries to look innocent. “Forget I said anything?”
“Sure,” I say with a smile. I can forget until the next time I’m face to face with my brother.
“Come on, let’s get you home.”
“I don’t want to go home.” She pouts as I pull her helmet on and lift the visor.
“No? Where do you want to go?”
“To your pool house.”
“Isn’t your mom expecting you?” She quirks an eyebrow. “Princess, have you been holding out on me?”
“I’m not the only one who can keep secrets, Jag.”
I chuckle at her use of my Heights nickname. “Oh yeah?”
“You want to know them?”
“Sure. Enlighten me.”
“I want you to take me back to your bed to do wicked things to me. And…” she says before she gasps and blushes.
“And?”
“I want you to fuck me on my birthday.” Her teeth sink into her bottom lip, as if she’s embarrassed to ask me.
“I thought you wanted a tattoo for your birthday.”
“I do. But I also want you,” she whispers the last two words, and I nearly come on the fucking spot with anticipation. She’s so innocent and sweet.
So fucking sexy.
“If that’s what you want, then who am I to deny you, Princess?”
A wide smile spreads across her face.
“Now, let’s go and make your first wish come true.”
I throw my leg over my bike and wait for her to join me.
With her wrapped around me, I head home, to my pool house, to do almost all the things I’ve been imagining while sitting beside her tonight.
