MIRANDA
I eventually pulled myself together while Odette held me, whispering words of comfort that fell on deaf ears. It took me a while to blink away my tears and note that she was alone, no partner in sight, and no other cops trailing behind her to cordon off the crime scene. Her face was set in a placid mask that had my trembling bones calming.
She smoothed down my knotted hair, green eyes softening when they landed on my injured head and shoulder. When her attention moved to the dead man on the floor I swear a shadow of fury flickered across her face before her mask slipped into place again.
"You're okay," she murmured, shrugging off her jacket and draping it over my shoulders, "you're safe."
I didn't realize how cold I was until the warmth of the jacket danced over my icy skin. With white knuckles, I held the jacked close to me and breathed in a sigh, allowing a sho
ACE If there was one place I hated more than my very own home, it was the fucking hospital. From the white vinyl floors to the pungent odor of disinfectant that had my nostrils burning, I hated it all. But what I hated the most—what instantly became my pet peeve—was their stupid fucking rules. I was good and ready to threaten whoever I needed to but Jericho held me back. He didn't even have to do it physically or use words. It was a simple glare, one that reminded me of how our mother used to use the very same glare to chastise me during my childhood. It gave me pause. I now sat in the God-awful waiting room along with my brothers, Quinn and her brother, and Odette—she arrived as soon as her shift ended. The only people allowed in to see Miranda was her family which included her motherfucking father who barely ever saw her. He was more pissed that his apartment had become a crime scene instead of caring whether or not his daughter was alive. I could unalive him. That was now an opt
MIRANDA"Would you stop moving," I chastised but the words came out muffled since I had a pin pressed between my lips, "if I poke you it will be entirely your fault, don't even think of blaming me."Ace scowled down at me, jutting out his lower lip and batting his stupidly long eyelashes, "You've already poked me more times than I can count on one hand.""And I'll poke you some more if you keep looking at me like that," I grumbled, continuing my work of sewing the button of his black button-down while the shirt was still tightly stretched over his body."Is this totally necessary?" He asked, catching my wrists in his large hands and yanking me close until the tip of his nose was to mine. I was certain my brain forgot how to perform all bodily functions suddenly I was rendered mute while my lungs refused to inflate with air. My mind became dizzy as I drowned in those rich
ACE "Hey," I caught Miranda by her wrists, the pads of my thumbs tracing over her thrumming pulse points, "you need to breathe, baby. Take in a deep breath for me." Her sky blue eyes held my hazel ones as she inhaled deeply through her nose, chest inflating with air and round tits pressing against the bodice of her dress. My gaze flickered down before I could stop myself but I instantly regretted it. I locked my jaw and forced myself to plant my feet in place so I wouldn't attack her with my insatiable need for her, "Now," my voice sounded strained to my ears but I continued through clenched teeth, "release that breath for me, baby." She exhaled sharply through her mouth, sweet-scented breath flooding my senses, "I'm fine." "You're running around like a fucking headless chicken.
Please read book 1: Gunnar first! Just in case you haven't. It's easier to understand this book if you read that first! __________________________________________ ACE "Motherfuc—" I tossed my phone onto the passenger seat, slamming an open palm down on my steering wheel. God, I needed a drink or I needed to fuck. Maybe both. Yes, definitely both! Expelling a harsh breath, I dropped to first gear and took off, heading for home. I barely saw the four walls of my room. It was a depressing as shit place before both my brothers' decided to run away from it. Now, it was a vacant house filled with horrors I didn't want any part of. Too many memories filled that house. I instantly made a U-turn, barely giving two fucks about the honking horns and phased drivers that almost collided with me. With a sigh, I made my way to the clear destination I had in m
MIRANDAI hit my head on the desk. Once. Twice. Then three times while adding an eye roll. The professor in front of the lecture hall droned on about... I had no idea what the man was talking about. All I knew was that this middle-aged man had a voice box on him that I needed to cut out because his voice was just way too loud for this early in the morning.I was counting down the minutes for this class to be over so I could acquaint myself with a large cup of coffee and something sweet. My mouth began salivating at the thought and my stomach grumbled a little too loudly. I instantly sat up straighter, looking around me to check if anyone had heard. Satisfied that no one had heard me, I let my shoulders slump forward.As soon as the professor dismissed us, I stuffed my belongings into my bag, slung the bag over my shoulder, and ran out of the room as if it were on fire. Quinn, my best friend since I could r
ACEThe elevator doors parted and I stepped through them with a sigh. I knew Gunnar was here because he wasn't at home, neither was he at his office. As much as I wanted to go off the grid for some time, I didn't want to make things obvious for whoever was watching me. If he or she suddenly found me changing my routine then they would catch on that their cover had been blown. I had to do what I usually did. That included pitching up on certain days just so my older brother knew I was still alive and kicking.My footsteps were cushioned by the plush cream carpet that lined the hall, the dry walls were painted a deep brown and had artwork strung from them. It was a nice place - a little too extravagant for my liking but nice nonetheless. I didn't expect anything less from my brother. He had the money and wanted Quinn to live in comfort. This place was definitely designed with comfort in mind.I made my way t
MIRANDAIncessant ringing was what pulled me out of my comatose state. I was vividly aware of the headache pounding on my frontal lobe.Jesus, what happened to me last night?My eyelids peeled open, the harsh rays of the morning sun burning my irises. With a hiss, I buried my face under my pillow but then realization hit me and I jolted up from the bed I found myself in — my bed. I couldn't remember coming home last night; maybe Quinn had brought me here.Bless her sweet soul.I tossed my covers aside and trudged into the bathroom, glaring at my ratchet reflection. My make-up was a complete mess and half of my hair was matted to my head while the other half had tufts sticking out in multiple directions. I was no longer in the dress I had worn the night before. Instead, I was in my sleep shorts and a loose tank top but I couldn't remember changing. Most of the night w
ACE"You're asking a bit much of me, brother," Jericho grumbled, "as much as I'd love to help you, there are two problems. One, I can't find the person who spiked her drink, and two, that fraternity is known for this sort of thing, and campus security always sweeps it under the rug.""Fuck," I expelled a harsh breath, dodging the swinging punching bag before landing a right hook with a vicious roar."You can't save them all and you definitely can't kill every bad person you come across," my brother attempted to calm me down but I was seeing red.I thought by calling him, he would be able to help me but I thought wrong, "I can sure as hell try," I gritted, landing a spin kick, "you should have seen her last night. She passed the fuck out, Jericho. What if Quinn hadn't been there? What if I hadn't been there?""It's already happened and she's fine so stop thinking about the