Ace Of Spades (Complete Raw First Draft, Unedited)

Twenty Four: Secret

I dressed as quickly as I could, not bothering to dry my hair.  It left wet spots on my shirt, but I barely even noticed.  I was reeling from what just happened, and what I knew was about to happen.  I sat on the edge of the bed, trying to figure out what to do.

I knew what that package was, I'd seen plenty before, when Lucas owned me, and I was sure I knew where Ace had gotten it.  I also knew that the Specters dealt in drugs, but, since Ace wasn't an official member, they wouldn't entrust him with it, which meant one thing.

He had to have been in contact with Lucas and made some sort of deal with him. Probably that package I'd just helped to hide, for returning me.  He could sell it to the Specter's then, and make a pretty decent profit, I would think.

Meanwhile, Lucas would take me back and punish me for running away.  And I'd be back in hell.

I jumped to my feet when Ace knocked on the door, but he didn't open it.

I crossed the room and opened it for him, looking up at him as he stared down at me, his eyes holding nothing but kindness and concern.

"Are you okay, Jenna?"  He asked me, and I took a subconcious step back into the room.

"Please don't do this, Ace," I begged him.  "I'll do anything you want me to."

My voice caught in my throat, tears springing to my eyes.  After everything, years of being Lucas' prisoner, I'd had this taste of freedom, and now, it was about to be ripped away from me again.

How could he do this to me?  He'd saved me that night, promised me that I'd never have to go back to Lucas again, now that I was finally free, and now, he was selling me out, for drugs or money or something else he thought was worth more than me.

"What are you talking about?"  He asked, taking a step toward me, but I backed up three more, and he stopped.  "What's wrong?"

I said nothing, and he glanced down again at his phone that I was still clutching.  When I'd heard his footsteps in the hallway, I'd panicked, thinking that Lucas had found me, and I was just about to ring Clyde and Bonnie when I realized that it was only him.

Were they in on it, too?

"Please, Ace," I tried again, backing toward the window, hoping that I might be able to escape through it.  "Please just tell him that I was gone when you got back.  You'll never hear from us again."

"Jenna, stop."  He held his hands up in surrender, then ran them both back through his hair, watching me from across the room, looking alarmed, as though something had just dawned on him.  "Did Lucas come here while I was gone?"

"No one came here," I told him.  The backs of my legs hit the edge of the bed, and I dropped down onto it.

"I don't understand," he said, cautiously closing the distance between us, then stopped when I tensed.  "What are you so scared of?"

I searched his face, trying to find any evidence that he was trying to deceive me, but all I saw was confusion.  Maybe I had it wrong, and he really had no idea what I was talking about?

"You told me that you were going to the shop," I started, holding his gaze, trying to determine if he was lying or not.  "You went to see Lucas, didn't you?"

"What would I go to see that piece of shit rapist for?"  Ace demanded, looking angry, and I cringed away from him.

He took a deep breath in, lowering his voice, and came to sit beside me.

"Did you seriously think I was going to sell you out?"

He sounded devastated, and I felt so ashamed, I couldn't even look at him.  But I was so certain he was going to trade me.  If he didn't go to see Lucas...

"But, that package you brought home," I reminded him.  "That was drugs, wasn't it?"

He pursed his lips and looked away for a moment, and I felt myself begin to panic again.

"Yeah," he admitted, "but it didn't come from Lucas."

"Then, where..."

I trailed off.  I felt so stupid for freaking out the way I had, but I was still confused.  Why was Ace messing around with drugs and secret meetings?

"I wasn't supposed to tell anyone," he told me, lowering his voice, even though we were the only ones in the house.  "I met up with Beast."

"Beast?" I repeated, frowning.  "The President of the Specters?"

"Yeah," Ace nodded.  "I asked him for a favour."

"What kind of favour?"  Obviously a big one, if they involved him in their drug trafficking.

"I told him about you," he started.  "But he already knew about Lucas."

Ace paused for a moment, looking at me side on. 

"He knew who you were, too."

"How would he know who I was?"  I asked, alarmed.

"That day we found you, at the shop," Ace explained.  "Lucas was asking about you.  Maybe he asked Beast, as well."

He wouldn't ask around.  We had been a top secret.  If one of us escaped, he'd sooner kill us than ask people, and risk being exposed.

I explained this to him, and he nodded, agreeing.

"That's what Clyde and I decided," he acknowledged.  "I think that Beast knew about it already."

Ace told me about asking Beast for a favour, to protect me from Lucas, and then went on to explain about the Specters attempting to take Lucas down, a little over fifteen years ago, but then they lost him, and the trail has been cold ever since.

"I figured he must be trying to take out the competition," Ace explained, and I nodded.

"It makes sense," I agreed.  "But, why did he give you that package?"

Ace hesitated a second before answering.

"Well, he wanted me to do them a favour, first," he explained.  "I have to deliver it to someone, then, they'll help us out."

He paused for a second, tentatively wrapping his fingers around mine.

"He needed to know that I could be trusted," he said firmly.  "That's why you can't tell anyone about this, okay?  Or we're on our own."

I looked up at him from our hands, and smiled reassuringly.  I didn't know what to say to express my gratitude for all that he'd done to help me.  I knew rhe risk he was taking for me, and I felt my heart swell with appreciation.

I laughed bitterly.

"It's not like I have anyone to tell, besides you."