Page 50 of Jace
Jace leans down, whispering, “Hence,snipers.”
Grant chuckles. “Alright. We’re locked down. Let’s go.”
I don’t hate Jace’s new habit of taking my hand. It makes me feel safe.
But I can’t stop my old habit of blurting out questions. “Did you close Delta’s? Oh my god, what about my client? Did you upset her? You fucking better not have.” I stomp up the back wooden stairs to the piazza. “And what about Stacey? You closed her shop? She’s gonna be pissed. And then you’ll have to deal with her husbands, and?—”
Jace tugs my hand, yanking me so fast, I bounce off his chest with an “umph.”
“Again,” he mutters sweetly, “I don’t want to say it, and I don’t want to waste our first kiss on making your lips stop, but…”
I bat my lashes. “Shut up?”
He snaps his fingers and cutely points at my smile. “You guessed it.”
Leading me inside and up the stairs to my studio, he leaves me standing in the middle of the room while he aims for the windows. Tugging the sheers closed, he draws the rarely used ivory-velvet curtains. “Stay in here.” He marches back toward the door. “We have to meet, then I’ll be back.”
I glance over my shoulder, then back at him. “Oh, I’m sorry. Does someone in here have to obey you?”
He leans on the doorjamb, smiling as he crosses his ankles. “Didn’t know you could be this feisty. Kinda fucking love it.”
“Didn’t know you could be Bratva.” I plop down on the edge of the bed and smile, swinging my sandals. “Kinda better tell me more, or I’m gonna lose my shit.”
Is it possible for him to smile even bigger? Yep. “I’mnotBratva.” I open my mouth to protest the obvious, but he calmly adds, “My shithead father is their Pakhan, their leader. And most of these inked men you’ve seen around here.” He circles his finger. “Are my brothers.”
I got nothing. No tears. No sass. Nothing but shock. “Brothers?” I bleat. “Like Russian nesting dolls, one after another after another after another, brothers?”
“Matryoshka dolls.” Again, his Russian is perfect. Not that I’d know, but I know sexy, and it is.
“How many brothers?”
“Six of us. Counting Nash, who’s not our blood brother, makes seven.”
I raise my index finger. “Pause for mind blown.” I process. “Seven? Seven men? So that’s…” I squint, willing my brain to puzzle this out. “You, Nash, Grant, Nick. And let me guess. That Michael lawyer guy, and?—”
“Axel.” Jace crosses his arms, settling into my interrogation. “Michael’s real name is Axel.”
“Okay, Axel and…” I make my memory work. Who’s been here? “The pastor. Rutledge.” I snap my fingers. “Sire! That’s his name: Sire Rutledge. And…” Fuck, I have to use my fingers, counting them. “Who am I missing?”
“Loch: the baby, who’s the biggest.”
My jaw drops. “There’s one bigger thanyou?”
He shrugs a shoulder. “I got an inch on him where it counts.”
“Cute,” I deadpan.
“I amthat:the cutest.”He bounces his brows. “Now, if we’re done for now, we have an emergency meeting, then I’ll be back.”
“Okay,Terminator, one more question.”
He pushes off the doorjamb, chuckling, “Shoot.”
I let my chest fall. I let the past hour catch up to me. I let the chaos of this fall away and focus on him. Knowing from this moment forward, Jace will be the rest of my life.
And I’m happy about it.
Though suddenly… I fear how long our lives will be.
