Leather & Lace- THE SPECTER SERIES [book five]

Chapter TWENTY ONE

Ace Greyson

Three weeks in a military holding facility and I'm beginning to wonder what Rafferty is planning to do with me..

Which is exactly what he fucking wants..

I know I have to keep my will strong, keep him out of my head.. But the deprivation of food, water, sleep, sunlight and just about everything else has me exhausted and worn.. My tired body is breaking down, bit by bit and becoming less co-operative by the day..

I've spent most of the time being interrogated or tortured in one way or another, the constant needling becoming an inescapable, crushing pressure..

On the odd occasion they leave me alone in isolation, I pass the time by singing Sinatra as loud as my lungs will allow.. Mostly because the guards seem to fucking hate it, much to my amusement..

But also, because it reminds of home...

See, solitary confinement is designed with one purpose in mind.. To send the captive crazy.. And I am somewhat determined not to leave here completely insane if I can avoid it..

So instead of bending to the torture, I suspend my thoughts in memories, escaping reality to find brief, moments of peace..

The old time crooners songs remind me of the woman who gave me everything, the woman who took in a good for nothing street punk, and gave him a chance.. The closest thing to a mother I'll ever have,

Loretta James.. Though, most people just call her Lori..

She is a sweet old woman, so kind and generous hearted, there isn't enough I can do to repay her.. And I mean that literally, because without her I most definitely wouldn't be anybody worth knowing.. Actually, I probably wouldn't even be alive..

After enlisting, I watched my brother's lives change and expand as they started families and their wealth accumulated.. But my choices had been different, I had turned down contracts to stay near the city, putting my life on hold so that I could be there for her..

Instead of investment portfolios and savings accounts, I had spent almost every cent earnt on Loretta and her family.. And I don't regret a single dollar..

Not that living like that hasn't cost me in other ways... It's my experience that women haven't exactly decided it was worth sticking around once they realise where my priorities lay..

And honestly, I can't say I've been with anybody who's ever really made me want to shift those priorities..

Well, almost.. The one girl who could.. She was always off limits.. Unattainable..

For the millionth time since being brought here, my thoughts wander to Lacey Paxton.. Her quiet intensity.. Her brilliance.. Her beauty..

There is no one like her, so fiery and filled with this fierce determination.. But there isn't a single word she speaks that isn't without gentle empathy and softness.. An angel, too lovely for this fucked up world..

Though, I'm not a complete moron, I am well aware the tiny doctor is miles out of my league..

But with all this time to think.. Well, I've been thinkin'..

What if she wasn't?..

I've always been loyal to Hunter.. Maybe to a fault.. But the days I had spent with Lacey had changed everything.. Including my perspective..

When she kissed me and shared her secrets, at first that had sparked a series of doubts for me that had me wondering if I had done the wrong thing..