Hers To Keep (Servite Academy #2)

Chapter 25

Chapter

Twenty-Five

SCARLETT

Unknown: Meet me on the second floor, third door to your right. I need to ask something of you and need your utmost discretion. Don’t make me remind you my nephew must not see you sneak away.

I scowl at the screen of my phone, my heart’s racing rapidly, threatening to escape the safety of its chamber in my chest. Sneaking away from Ace won’t be a problem since he’s been nowhere to be found for the past hour. He said he needed to take care of some drunk guys that were getting out of hand, but I’ve yet to see him since he left with Bass. I’ve actually enjoyed myself even with Carrington and her minions glaring at Ace and I all night long. Thankfully, neither one of them is lurking around here anymore either.

I turn to Stella, placing my hand upon her shoulder and whispering in her ear. “Have you seen Jade?” She shrugs her shoulders, shaking her head .

“She’s been gone for a while. Suspiciously, I haven’t seen Bass either,” she slurs, raising a brow at me insinuating they’re somewhere off together.

“It’s almost midnight, I’m going to go look for Ace,” I say, as she nods, drunkenly mumbling back at me.

“Hurry, everyone’s heading outside to see the fireworks show.” I take off, leaving her with an equally drunk Ruby.

I was hoping today would be different. That I’d be able to enjoy myself without the impending threat of Agent Servite since I hadn’t seen him all night. I even went as far as believing he skipped out on today’s festivities, but just like he said he would, he summoned me.

I head up the stairs without being seen, mostly because everyone has gone out to the beach, and those who are still here are too drunk or are just not paying me much attention. I walk up to the door he mentioned, and find it unlocked and slightly ajar. Before entering I halt, hearing familiar voices coming from inside.

“She doesn’t know you already knew she was in town, does she?” I recognize Carrington’s screechy voice and can see the waves of her blonde hair peeking through the small opening of the door. Why is she up here with Agent Servite, and more importantly who are they talking about?

“There was no need for her to know when I first met her. So don’t even think about running off to tell her.” My heart drops as I hear Ace’s voice.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it, love, to ruin this charade you’ve got going on. I must admit even I’m starting to believe you actually like the poor girl.” I push the door open further being careful not to make a sound, but the hollering from the guests outside is so loud they wouldn’t hear me if I did.

I can clearly see Carrington by Ace’s side, her hands roaming over his shoulders as she walks around him. His back is to me as he stares out the open window before him looking out toward the crowded beach below .

“I know where she’s hiding,” Carrington says, pausing as she places a hand on his chest. “She’s terrified of Wesley, but you already knew that since you’re the one who convinced her to come back to Hillcrest. My father’s been helping her, much to my mother’s dismay. I guess she’s a whore just like her daughter. Luring the men who belong to another.”

My blood is boiling as I take in what’s playing out in front of me. Carrington has her hands on my boyfriend, once again thinking she can touch what belongs to me, all while talking about my mother, insinuating Ace brought her back to Hillcrest and not Agent Servite.

“We were never anything, you need to get that through your head, Carrie,” Ace says, pushing her hand off of him. At least he did one thing right.

“Oh but, my darling Ace, what you need to get through that thick head of yours is that when your uncle says it’s over, this charade, this relationship you’ve concocted in your head will be done with. And I’ll be here to pick up the pieces of the broken king, just like a queen must do.”

He turns to her, pushing her back against the wall, his hand moving to grip her shoulders. I feel a profound pain shoot through me, at the sight of him so close to her, his hands on her, his lips a mere inch from hers, and I can’t keep quiet anymore.

I push the door the rest of the way open. “Ace,” I mumble, between broken sobs, as I come out from my hiding spot in the shadows.

He turns to me abruptly, a look of sheer panic instilled within his dark blue irises, his hands dropping to fists at his sides as he approaches me. All while Carrington stands smiling smugly in my direction.

I should take off. I should leave the room and run to the safety of the outdoors, amidst the crowd of drunken interlopers roaming the beach, instead I move further into the room. Carrington mentioned knowing where my mother is, and I need to talk to her .

“You know where she is?” I ask, ignoring the fact that I found her with her hands on my boyfriend.

“I know where she’s hiding, yes,” she says arrogantly.

“You need to tell me now!” I shout, pushing her back against the wall, into the same compromising position I found her in with Ace.

However, my arm comes up to her neck as I push it into her, cutting off her air supply. She wriggles beneath me, her eyes bulging and begging me to loosen my grip.

“Scarlett, don’t,” Ace says, snapping me out of my anger, as I lighten the pressure of my arm at her throat.

“You don’t want me to choke the life out of your precious bitch,” I sneer, pressing my thumb into the crook of her throat.

Carrington coughs loudly, exaggerating of course. I barely even touched her. “What makes you think you can tell me what to do?” she cries out, as Ace comes up behind me, placing a hand upon my shoulder. I look back to him and his gaze tells me to back off. He’ll get what I need out of her.

“Go, Scarlett. I’ll meet you outside. She’ll tell me, she’ll have no other choice. I’ll make sure of it,” he says. Not wanting to find out what it is he’s willing to do to convince her to tell him, I flip him off before leaving the room.

“Fuck you, Ace Servite, you two deserve each other.”

One minute till we ring in the New Year, and everyone has scattered along the beach, gathering to watch the fireworks show.

I stand by a tree near the end of the path leading toward the crowded sand, watching it all unfold before me. My entitled classmates are drunk off their asses, ready to ring in a new year of equal opulence and good fortune, unbothered by the struggles of the rest of the world, beyond their town limits. Their parents, equally if not more wasted then their offspring, are toasting to a new year of prosperity and high-status. While I stand back watching, as I once again come to accept the fact that hope breeds misery, and in my case, a new year brings new sacrifices.

“Everyone’s looking to the sky to see the beautiful fireworks when the epitome of beauty stands here before me.” I turn and find Ace stumbling toward me, with his jacket gone and shirt now completely unbuttoned. He’s obviously drunk, but still looks sexy as fuck, as the moonlight illuminates him from behind, his hair looking golden in its glow. He glides closer to me, stopping only inches away from me, cupping my face in his palm. My head involuntarily tilts, loving the feel of his hot calloused hand against the cold skin of my cheek. My eyes close, as tears ask for an escape from their confines behind my lids.

“They look for beauty in all different places when it’s been standing in front of them all along. It’s unforeseen yet so satisfying,” he leans down, and I know he’s going to kiss me. His lips are red and thick, slightly parted, his breathing heavy as he looks down at mine. I should pull away. I want to pull away.

I should push him away. I don’t know what happened between him and Carrington, but her words, however ill-willed they may have been, are true. When Agent Servite orders Ace to end our relationship, will he listen? Will he once again obey his king? Or will the rebel prince revolt and continue to fight with me?

But then again, I must remember Agent Servite was the one who texted me to go upstairs, he wanted me to find Ace with her, probably even ordered her to take him up there, all so I’d find them together and doubt his intentions. It’s all too complicated, it always is, and as much as my common sense wishes I’d pull away, my need for him is too overpowering and I give in to my impulse. He takes my mouth in a torturous kiss, the endless lies he tells falling like venom along my lips, like sweet poison coating my tongue. He’s my only drug, and like an addict, I can’t pull away from his enticing taste. What is wrong with me? Am I truly this far gone ?

Ace devours my mouth taking with him every inch of me and every bit left of my sanity. My fear. My rage, my pain. How can this beautiful man make me feel so powerless against him? He tastes of whiskey and something sweet that I cannot quite pinpoint. My mind plots to deceive me, the cunning bitch that she is. He’s probably been kissing her.

The sky sparks above us, thundering as the rain pours down. Screams are heard among the attendees, who instead of running for shelter, dance around basking in the rainfall.

I pull away from him pleading. “Ace, please, what game are you playing? My heart can’t take such torture.” I can’t hold back the tears anymore and they fall slowly, but deliberately against my cheeks, mixing in with the tears the sky is shedding. He reaches out to me running his finger across my cheek, catching my teardrops against the hardened skin of his fingers.

“I’m working it out, please give me time. Be patient with me. Just trust that what I feel for you is real and what you see is all part of my plan.” I pull away from his touch. The torment of his words and sting of his actions are too much to handle.

“I can’t anymore, it just hurts too much. I don’t deserve to feel so much pain. I’m not a bad person, I can’t be.” He runs a hand through his tousled wet hair and reaches for me once more, my body too weak to fight. My emotions overtake my mind every time I try to fight my fate, reminding me once again I’m not the one in charge.

“You’re an angel, Scarlett, you’re my guardian angel. I feel safe whenever I’m around you and losing you would be my ruin.” I can see true pain in his eyes, but I can also see my reflection. I don’t recognize myself. I haven’t been able to since I met him and if I don’t pull away now, I may never again. I place a soft kiss upon his cheek and with such sorrow I back away.

“You are my ruin, Ace Servite, this torturous love affair is going to be the end of me,” I whisper before leaving him there stranded amidst a sea of his people, just as the clock rings in the New Year.