His Innocent Queen

Chapter 6

Ace's POV

I was finally out of the hospital. I was only there until Thursday, and they kicked me out. I was never more thankful. I spent all day Thursday and Friday in bed and most of Saturday. Come Saturday evening I needed out. I was still having headaches, but they said I would for a while. I was supposed to take it easy, and I did and now I needed to check in at the club and I could also use a drink.

I pulled into the hotel and went in through the back. It made my heart rate pick up a little and I hurried a little quicker than I ever have. I didn't like this feeling and if this is what girls felt like when they went out alone, I felt bad for them and like an asshole for just being a man.

I went up to my office and fired up my email and didn't have much which tells me that Reign had been doing my work. I picked up my phone and called Savannah. She came by the hospital several times.

"Hey Ace, how are you?"

"Better. Headed to the club to check on things. Anything new with the girls?"

"No. I haven't found a replacement girl yet. However, your friend Mila came to me about a job."

"Damn her, I already told her no and whatever you do don't give her the go ahead. I don't want to deal with Dominic, and I promise you don't want too either."

"I told her no. She was a little pissed and I wouldn't be surprised if she tried again."

"Don't worry, I don't want that mess with him. Hey, I'll swing by the club in a while and see you," she said, and we hung up.

I closed down my laptop and locked up my office and headed downstairs and as soon as I stepped off the elevator, I saw Berkley and holy s**t. She looked amazing. Then some man stepped up behind her and placed his hand on her back, but she quickly moved it, but he didn't let it affect him as he grabbed her hand. I stepped behind a weird ass tree we had in here. I felt like a creep for watching them but when he pulled her down the back hallway, I got a bad feeling and just slowly walked towards it and stood there listening.

"Cole, this is too fast for me. Please stop."

"Come on baby, I bought you dinner, we had a good time. I thought we could finish the evening with a bang."

"Gross, no that isn't happening, get off me," I heard her yell and that was enough for me to go charging down the hallway.

"I think she said to get off her," I yelled charging towards them.

"This doesn't concern you," this man said back but it did, and he was about to find how much.

"I suggest you leave now or you're going to regret ever stepping foot in here," I growled out as I got close enough to rip his arm off of her. One look at her face and I knew she was terrified.

"Get the f**k out of here and don't ever come back," I growled getting in his face. I didn't really want to fight him with my head, but I would.

"Screw this, you're not worth it," he said and stormed away.

The second he was out of ear shot I heard her let out a sob and I turned around to see her crying. I quickly pulled her to my side and guided her to the elevators and up to my room on our floor. I unlocked the door for her and got her to sit down on the couch.

"You're OK. You are safe here. No one is going to hurt you here."

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm crying like this."

"Because it's traumatic."

"I just don't understand what makes guys think they go do whatever they want just because of the way I'm dressed or because they bought me dinner."

I went to say something, but my phone started ringing. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw it was Savannah. I hit ignore. I would talk with her later.

"I'm sorry about us. Men are assholes and I don't know what makes them think that they can do that." I wanted to pull her in and hug her, but I wouldn't.

"How about this, let me take you out and show you how a real man would treat you on a date?"

"I don't think that's a good idea." she said and looked away from me.

"Why is that?"

"It just isn't."

"Is that because of Tate?"

"Yes."

"Look after I got hurt, I've realized a few things, and the first one is if you want something you should go after it. Life is too short, and I like you and kick myself every time I see you and don't ask you out."

"Really?" she asked, looking up at me with a red face.

"Really, I kind of thought my flirting was pretty obvious."

"I mean yes but I don't know you and you could be like that with all girls," she said, and she wasn't wrong, but I wasn't going to tell her that.

"Just you beautiful. Now when is your next day off work?"

"Thursday night."

"Perfect then we have a date Thursday night. I will pick you up and show you that not all men are assholes all the time."

She laughed out loud, even throwing her head back and everything. Her long lean neck was beautiful, long and slender and begged to have my lips on it. s**t I wanted my lips on every part of her body.

"So, tell me how did you meet Mr. Douche bag?"

"On a dating app."

"Why would you do that?"

"Several different reasons."

"Where's your guard. I know that Tate has one assigned to you."

"I gave him the night off."

"I'm pretty sure that is not supposed to happen."

"I sweet talked him into it, with a promise not to tell Tate and to be careful. I was coming here and then going right back home." She said with a worried look on her face.

"Who was it?"

"I can't tell you."

"You know all it takes is one phone call and I could find out."

"But if you do that then you have to tell Tate that I'm with you and he isn't going to like that."

"But I saved you, he would be OK with that."

"If I tell you, promise not to fire him."

"I'm not making any promises, but I need to know who it was. Your safety is top priority."

"Tony."

"Thank you," I told her and brought my hand up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. You could feel the mood shift quickly between us.

I took a deep breath and leaned into her and gently pressed my lips to hers. I swiped my tongue over her soft plump lips, and she opened up for me, letting me explore every inch of her mouth. I pressed against her, and she laid back against the couch with me on top of her. I was hard as a f*****g rock. I ground myself onto her hip and that's when she pushed me off her breaking the kiss. We were both breathing hard, and I so badly wanted to explore the rest of her.

"I'm sorry Ace, but that isn't going to happen."

"What?"

"Anything more than a kiss."

"OK," I said sitting up and straightening my shirt back out.

"I should go home. Thank you for tonight and you really don't need to take me out Thursday." she said avoiding my gaze. She grabbed her purse and headed to the door. I got up and followed her to the door.

"You don't have to leave, and I want to take you out Thursday night. Wear jeans." I told her.

"I should go home."

I just nodded at her and opened the door and walked her to the elevator and scanned my card for the elevator to open up. I walked her all the way to the valet and when they pulled her car up, I walked her to the driver's side and opened the door for her and she gracefully got into the car.

"I will see you Thursday night, be there at five."

"You don't need to do that."

"I want to and don't argue with me."

She just smiled at me and pulled her door closed and took off. I grabbed my phone and pulled up Tony's number and hit send.

"Hey Ace, what's up?"

"Want to explain why in the f**k you left Berkley on her own tonight?" I practically yelled into the phone.

"Look I'm sorry. She was headed to the hotel, and I figured she would be safe there and then said she would call me on her way home and I would meet her back here."

"This is your one f*****g chance. Unless one of the four us, not her tell you to take the night off then you f*****g stick to her like f*****g glue."

"I'm sorry sir."

"You will be if it happens again. Now get to her apartment." I yelled and hung up and went back in and headed to the club.

I didn't even make it halfway there when Savannah found me.

"Hey, you, where have you been? I've been here for over an hour, and you didn't answer your phone. I was getting worried."

"Sorry I had something come up. Let's go to my office and we can chat." I told her and we headed to my office at the club.

As soon as we made it to my office, she closed my door and spun me to her and kissed me, but it felt wrong. My mind was on Berkley. I pulled back and went and sat at my desk.

"What do you have for me?"

"I've missed you. I thought maybe I could make you feel better tonight."

"Not tonight. What do you have for me regarding our girls?"

"I have a new one. What do you think?" she said as she opened her phone and slid it to me.

I looked through the couple of photos she had of her, and she was good looking, and I swiped one too far because the next one was of Mila.

"What the hell is this?" I said, turning the phone around, "I told you she isn't working for us."

"I know. Those were taken before I realized who she was."

"You knew exactly who she was. Shut it down now."

"Fine but you don't have the right to tell her how to live her life."

"You want her on our list then you take her and go talk to Dominic before I do because if I do it, it won't end pretty."

"I will talk to her again, but I'm just going on record saying that you can't stop her from doing this. If she wants to, she is going to find a way to do it whether it be through us or someone else and wouldn't you rather it be us, so we know she is staying safe."

"Dominic will kill us and that is something I'm not willing to risk."

"I will talk to her," she said and stood up and came up behind me and started to rub my shoulders. I couldn't help but relax for a minute and then Berkley flashed through my mind, and I pulled away and she took that as an invitation to move in front of me.

"What's got into you? You've never turned me down."

"I know, I'm just not in the mood. My head is still hurting." I told her. It was a lame excuse, and she knew it.

"Let's go get a drink then. I haven't had one in several days and could use it."