Kace (Allen Securities) Read online

  “Well now seems like a good time to tell them,” she said. She held up her left hand and giggled. “We’re getting married after the baby is born.”

  Jessica reached over and hugged her friend, squishing the children between them. They all giggled when she pulled back.

  “That’s fantastic news,” Jessica said to Reed and Olivia.

  She watched as the happy couple embraced others in the family. The sweet little boy was back in his father’s arms. He stopped to stand next to her.

  “Lucy,” he said to the little girl on her lap. “How about you come sit with Daddy?”

  She shook her head and wrapped her arms around Jessica.

  “I want to sit with Pocahontas,” she said and ran her hands in Jessica’s hair.

  She heard Kace laugh loudly beside her.

  “You think I look like Pocahontas?”

  Jessica looked down at little Lucy as she nodded. She grinned at the sweet little girl.

  “I think that’s the best compliment I’ve ever had,” she said. Jessica looked up to Mason and smiled. “We’re good.”

  “You be a good girl,” he said and went back to his seat at the end of the table.

  Kace leaned over. “He looks like he could use a good sleep,” he mumbled in her ear.

  She nodded. In fact, the children looked like they were due for a good sleep.

  Lucy snuggled further into her. Kace moved his chair next to hers and put the girl’s legs on to his lap. She sighed and closed her eyes.

  Jessica watched Lucy sleep peacefully on her lap and leaned on Kace. It was so nice to have someone to lean on. She sighed when his arm wrapped around her.

  * * *

  She felt a tug on her arms and jolted awake.

  “It’s okay, babe. Let Mom have Lucy,” Kace said in her ear, his voice rough.

  Her eyes blinked into focus, and she saw Marilyn’s smiling face.

  Jessica smiled back and passed over the sleeping girl.

  “Sorry,” she said.

  Marilyn shook her head. “Glad they are getting some sleep.”

  She nodded over to where Mason was sleeping on the chair in the corner. His head lulled to the side, and he breathed heavily.

  “Would you help me get her in bed?”

  Jessica stood and stretched. When she turned to Kace, he was standing quietly behind her.

  “I’m just going to get something,” he said quietly.

  Jessica nodded and followed after Marilyn to a bedroom on the first floor. Tommy was curled up under the covers. She chuckled at how cute he looked, even when he wasn’t threatening burly men.

  She pulled back the covers and moved out of the way as Marilyn placed Lucy next to her brother. They snuggled closer to one another, and she smiled at the pair.

  Marilyn stood next to her and ushered them into the hall.

  “They are so precious,” Jessica said when the door was closed.

  “It’s been hard for them recently with their mom gone all the time.” She glanced toward the dining room. “Hard on all of them.”

  Jessica nodded and watched as Kace walked out to the front porch.

  “You’re the first woman he’s brought home, and I can see why. He’s different with you,” Marilyn said quietly. “We didn’t know if he’d ever find someone. He can be hard to get to know.”

  Jessica turned and stared at her.

  “Kace has had a hard time since Paul,” she said. “I’m just glad to see him happy for a change.”

  Marilyn smiled at her, and she felt the love of a mother. Not just for him but her as well. It rocked her.

  “You stay safe out there,” Marilyn said and wrapped her in a warm hug.

  Jessica struggled to keep her tears back. It had been such an emotional day.

  She walked out the door and found Kace waiting, the picture from earlier in hand. He gave a wave to his mother and ushered Jessica back to the car.

  * * *

  They drove in silence back to the house, and Kace struggled with the right words. He knew she was on the fence but feared the wrong words would send her over the other side.

  He pulled down a dirt road and turned the car off.

  “What are we doing?” she said, surprise evident in her voice.

  The lights flicked off, and they were wrapped in the dark silence of the country road.

  “Spill it,” he said quietly.

  Jessica shifted in her seat. “What?” she asked quietly.

  “I said I loved you, and you’ve been backing away since,” he said gruffly.

  He heard her labored breathing and knew she was struggling.

  “It’s just so soon,” she said.

  Kace shrugged. “I feel what I feel.”

  “You come from this big family.” Anxiety crept in her voice. “I don’t have that to offer.”

  “I’ve got more than enough family,” he countered.

  “What if I’m not good enough?” She breathed in. “You’ve got this whole noble thing going. I’m not really the noble type of girl.”

  Kace chuckled. “Thank God for that.”

  He pushed his seat back and reached across to her. She jumped when he easily seated her to straddle his lap.

  “You are a woman who picks the best paying job she can, just to send her kid sister to school. Who gets warm and fuzzy when a little girl called her Pocahontas.” He nuzzled her neck and grinned when she molded herself to him. “Someone who drives me wild in bed and isn’t afraid to butt heads with me. These are all the reasons I love you.”

  She froze in his arms, and he just held her more firmly.

  “I love you, Jessica, and I don’t care how fast it is.” He kissed her neck. “You were made to be mine.” His hands came up to find her head and turned it to look at him. “And I was made to be yours.”

  She gasped and he moved in. He nibbled on her bottom lip.

  “Kace,” she sighed.

  “Tell me what you want,” he growled as she gyrated over him.

  She moaned and moved faster. Kace seized her hips, stilling the motion.

  “Tell me,” he said forcefully.

  “You damn it. I want you,” she ground out. “Better?”

  Kace grinned. “For now.”

  Their mouths met. The world around them faded away. She’s all he needed. Jessica moved her hips in time. He felt himself reaching the edge. When she flopped over to the passenger seat, Kace groaned.

  Her voice snapped him out of his daze. “Do you have a condom?”

  Kace looked over to see her stripping out of her shoes and jeans. The sight of her bare flesh excited him again.

  He yanked out his wallet and prayed there would be a condom in there. When his fingers touched the foil packet, he praised the gods above.

  He jumped when she snatched it out of his hand and started pushing his pants down.

  “Maybe we should—”

  “No,” she said impatiently. “Now.”

  She shoved his pants down further and pulled him free of his boxer briefs. Her hot hands wrapped around him made him groan.

  Not wasting any time, Jessica rolled on the condom and positioned her hot pussy over his aching cock. She slammed herself down on him, taking his full length into her.

  Kace groaned as her tight muscles gripped his dick.

  “Fuck,” he groaned.

  When she gripped his shoulders and began bouncing on him, he reached up to pull her face to him. The act seemed to push her further. His fingers bit into the flesh at her hips, coaxing her to move even faster.

  He could feel her shudder as the head brushed against her cervix each time. When she came down, he held her into place.

  “Tell me what you feel, Jess,” he said.

  “I feel,” she panted in frustration. “Your dick. That’s what I feel.”

  He lifted himself up and rubbed the tip against her cervix again.

  “Jessica,” he said and waited for her to look at him. “What do you feel for me? Forget eve
rything else, what does your heart say?”

  She groaned and leaned forward, her body hot with the pending orgasm.

  “My heart says,” she paused and shivered over him. “My heart says it’s love.”

  Kace sat up and pulled her to him. “Say it again.”

  She bit out, “It’s love. I love you. Happy?”

  Kace groaned and slammed himself into her over and over, his hips moving at lightning speed as he pushed her toward her orgasm. He could feel the muscles around him flutter as she reached her peak.

  Not stopping, the slap of their skin echoed in the car. A few more hard strokes, and he went off inside of her.

  Jessica leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder.

  “Prick,” she groaned. “Making me say it.”

  “Babe, I’d walk through hell just to hear you say it,” he panted. “Don’t deny me.”

  He stared deeply at her and hoped she felt half as much as he did.

  She sighed, leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips.

  “Kace, you are a major pain in the ass.” The breath from her words landed on his mouth. “But, I do love you.”

  Kace grinned and pulled her to him again.

  “You know this is totally crazy right?” She smiled at him.

  He shook his head. “I know this is the most right I’ve ever felt.”

  Kace kissed her hard until all her protests vanished into their passion.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “What do you mean he wants to see me?” Jessica fumed as she paced the bedroom.

  He had all last night to tell her about her father, and he waited until now? She was so angry. He was just lucky she didn’t have enough energy, thanks to last night’s acrobatics, to really tear into him.

  “There were a lot of things going on,” he said.

  “Wrong,” she shouted. “You just didn’t want it interfering with what you wanted.”

  “Yes!” Kace shouted back and stood toe to toe with her. “I wanted the woman I love to say it back to me. Is that so wrong?”

  Jessica sucked in several deep breaths. Having him this close wasn’t helping her stay calm.

  She yelped when Kace grabbed her and flipped her over his bare shoulder. The borrowed t-shirt she had on slipped up her thighs, exposing her to him.

  “What are you doing?” she giggled.

  “I’m saying fuck your dad and taking you back to bed.” He pulled her off his shoulder and plunked her on the bed. Without missing a beat, he was on top of her. “I’ll just fuck you until you’re happy again.”

  Jessica laughed at his playful banter.

  “I don’t think that’s going to work,” she said.

  “I don’t know.” He kissed the sensitive area below her earlobe. “I think I can.”

  Jessica pushed him back slightly and laughed.

  “Oh I’m sure you can do that,” she said. “I wonder what he wants?”

  Kace shrugged. “Best guess, he’s heard what’s going down.”

  She swirled patterns on his chest. “Do you think I should go?”

  Kace froze.

  She groaned. He did, and that’s why he was so on edge about telling her. This was going to be one giant clusterfuck, but she had no choice.

  “Will you go with me?” Her voice was suddenly timid.

  Kace placed a finger under her chin and lifted.

  “Hey, you’re not to go unless I’m there. I don’t trust this fucker.” Kace scowled. “He’s got something up his sleeve and is not above selling out his own daughter.”

  Jessica wrapped her arms around Kace. “This is going to suck.”

  * * *

  Jessica stared up at the giant concrete monstrosity. The window slats were just another a reminder of where they were. She followed the fencing and ignored the razor wire above.

  “Just stay calm,” Kace said in her ear. The warmth at her back gave her comfort as she walked through the doors.

  Jessica placed her purse on the table and walked through the metal detector. On the other side, she picked up her purse and moved forward. Kace followed behind and caught up with her.

  They came to another guard, this one behind a box. She gave her license and signed in to meet her father. They walked down the narrow corridor. She stayed away from the dirty walls and tried to focus on Kace next to her. The tap of the guard’s footsteps echoed as they neared a gate. He pulled out the keys and nodded to the guard on the other side.

  They passed into another grimy room with yet another locked door. The feeling of being trapped started to overwhelm her as the guard opened a metal door with a small window. She followed them through. Bright orange tables were scattered around the space. The chairs looked bolted in, and she wondered how many times someone had tried to throw them. She shivered at the desolate area.

  They waited at a little table as her father entered. She knew him immediately. His dark black hair and crisp blue eyes were exactly as they had been years ago. All the rage of she felt for the past years came boiling up.

  He sat across from her, and she stared at him. He was much older than she remembered. Living in prison all these years had weathered him. New scars littered his face.

  He smiled at her, and she felt her blood run cold.

  “It’s so good to see you,” he said.

  Jessica let out a hollow laugh.

  “Cut the crap,” she said. “We both know I’m here because you threatened me.”

  He scanned the two of them, and his eyes locked in on Kace.

  “Shacking up with a cop?” he sneered.

  “I’m here to make sure you know your place in all this,” Kace said.

  The two glared at one another as she glanced around. Several other families were crying with one another. Others were talking quietly. As she stared at the inmates, she knew her father must be someone important at the prison. He had an edge that others just hadn’t developed yet. Or maybe he always had this, and she just never noticed because he was either not around or she was just a child.

  “Why are we here?” she abruptly asked.

  Her father turned and surveyed her.

  “You’ve grown,” he said.

  Jessica rolled her eyes. She was not up for a visit down memory lane. Her thoughts about Ando Tamm were about the same as they had ever been.

  She stood and turned to Kace. “He doesn’t have anything. Let’s go.”

  Ando’s right hand shot out to hers. She stared down at the worn calloused fingers and was surprised to see a small cross tattoo between his thumb and index finger. Several guards jumped from their posts, and he let go quickly, placing his hands in the air.

  “Tamm, keep your hands to yourself,” one guard shouted.

  Ando nodded. He looked up to her, his eyes pleading with her.

  “Please,” he said. “I do have information.”

  Jessica slipped back into the seat.

  “Go,” Kace said from behind her.

  “There’s a rat in the Kellys,” he said.

  Jessica twisted the watch on her hand. “We know that already.”

  He pinned her with his dead stare. “Did you know it was someone close?”

  “Who?” Kace shifted next to her on the bench.

  Ando shook his head. “No name. Just someone close and that this goes far deeper than just one person. We’re about to see the splintering of a mob family that could lead to problems for the city.”

  Kace absentmindedly rubbed his face.

  “Is that true?” she asked him.

  He shrugged. “It could be. Depends on why.”

  “Some aren’t happy with the changes. They liked the old ways better,” Ando chimed in.

  “How do you know all this?” Jessica stared at him.

  Ando looked around the room. “Lot of men like me. Those who worked independently for a number of people.”

  Jessica nodded. It did make sense that he would know.

  “Anything else?” Kace said.

&nb
sp; Ando looked around and leaned in. “Something big is happening in just a matter of days,” he said.

  “Like what?” she whispered.

  “A hit,” he said. “A hit on Finn Kelly.”

  “But the Russians already have one out on him,” Kace said.

  Ando shook his head. “This one is from people in his own clan.”

  Jessica narrowed her eyes at him. “Why are you telling us this?”

  Ando leaned back. “Because your grandma was right. Best thing I could do for you girls was remove myself and the world I live in.” He laughed. The sound haunted her. “Guess life took care of one of them.”

  She stared at him confused.

  “The big C,” he said, pointing to his brain. “Not much they can do. It’s the fast-growing kind with very little chance of surviving.”

  Jessica stared hard at him. She didn’t know if she could believe him or not. He did look like a man ready to meet his death, but that could just be years of hard living in the prison.

  She fumbled for words. What did you say to the father that was never there who was now dying of cancer? Nothing came to mind. No Hallmark card for that situation.

  “It’s fine.” He leaned forward. “I’ve made my peace with it, and it’s not for you to worry about.”

  She stared at him in surprise.

  “You just need to get away from those people,” he said quietly. “These people aren’t like the others out there. They will come for you and anyone you love.”

  Jessica gasped. Victoria. She slipped her hand into Kace’s and clutched it to regain her strength.

  “What makes you so sure they will win?” Kace ran a soothing finger over her wrist.

  “Because Finn isn’t strong enough. He stepped the family down, and in doing so, made himself weak.”

  Jessica shook her head. “Finn is anything but weak.”

  Ando shrugged. “It’s not a risk I would bet on.”

  “Time,” a guard yelled across the room.

  Her heart jumped as she stared at the virtual stranger across from her. He looked to Kace.

  “Keep them safe,” he said.

  Kace nodded.

  Without warning, he grabbed her in a hard embrace.

  “I’ve been a shitty father, but I do love you girls,” he said in her ear. “Take care of each other.”