Hateful Love (King of Aces #1)

by T. Ashleigh

never thought I’d be into this whole cutesy-dating shit, but I kind of like it. “Do you like it?” Blaine asks, as if reading my thoughts, motioning to our Oreo milkshake that rests in front of us. He’s got a bit of crumbs on his bottom lip, so I lean into him and lick them off, enjoying the way his breath hitches.

He snuggles up to my side, resting his head on my shoulder. “I told you we could order Strawberry Cheesecake instead.” “But you don’t like Strawberry Cheesecake.” “I would have drank it for you,” he mumbles tiredly. Damn it, Blaine.

This guy is going to kill me with how he makes my heart want to leap out of my chest. I know I said I wanted him to finish his milkshake, but I can’t take it. I haul him onto my lap, smothering his icy lips with mine and tasting the chocolate on his tongue.

“Are you tryin’ out because you want to or because your dad wants you to?” I know I shouldn’t bring up his dad, not after all that’s happened, but he has to realize the Mayor is still pulling all the strings. Blaine’s not an idiot. He’s got to see how much doing all this extra shit is killing him. “Fuck you, Silas!” he snaps, scrambling off my lap. “What if I like baseball?” “Well, do you?” I bark back, holding my ground. “Do you actually like half the shit you do?”

wooah

Fucker didn’t even kiss me first. Once I finally got him up, we came to Kelly’s Diner where he refused to eat anything but a goddamn milkshake. He’s exhausted, out of it, and I don’t fucking like it. Sue me if I want my guy to be happy and healthy.

“Don’t touch me,” he hisses, slapping my hands away. “I don’t want to talk to you right now.” I sigh, not letting him break out of my hold, and seize his chin. “Blaine, look at me. I’m fuckin’ sorry, alright?” “No, you’re not,” he seethes, his jaw clenched as he glares at me. “You just want me to stop bitching.” “That’s not true,” I say slowly, breathing out deeply as I try to gather the right words. “I’m just— Fuck. I worry about you.”

I worry a lot. I never knew it was possible to feel this goddamn concerned all the time. I’ve gotten a front row seat to how Blaine lives his life, and it ain’t good. When he’s not chugging Red Bulls and studying at all hours of the night, he’s running around doing the most random shit for people. Don’t get me started on the fucking panic attacks. He’s drained and tired when he gets home, always trying to put up that ‘Blaine’ front, but I know better now.

“Doubtful.” He snorts before sighing dramatically and dropping his head against the booth. “I guess we’ll just wait and see.” I wish I was better at this boyfriend shit. I want to console him, make him feel better about the stuff with his dad, but I don’t really know how. Not without sounding like a broken record.

“You ready?” I ask Blaine as we slip out of the booth. He nods before giving me a happy peck on the lips. “Yeah.” I keep a hold of his hand as we leave, actually excited at the fact that I get to take care of my guy. It’s going to be a good night.

“Hey, asshole!” Silas shouts, grabbing the guy by his collar and hauling him toward us. “You gonna apologize for runnin’ him over?” Okay. Hot, but definitely not the time. “It was just an accident, Si,” I say, gently removing his hand from the guy’s shirt. “Leave him.”

He scoffs but slings his arm around my waist, pulling me to his side. “Shut the fuck up.” “You going to defend my honor?” I question, teasing him as I play with the Aces patch on his jacket. “Bring me back his head as a prize?”

“Hey,” he says, stopping me and cradling my face with his hands, rubbing my bottom lip with his thumb. “No one fucks with you. Got it?” His words make me preen and I can’t believe how lucky I am to have a boyfriend that would beat someone’s ass for touching me.

“They didn’t bother you, did they?” I shake my head. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.” “That’s my guy,” he praises before kissing the top of my head. “Alright, you get your one dance and then we’re outta here.”

“I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else,” I tell him, nudging his chin up so I can brush my lips against his. “You’re stuck with me. I hope you’re okay with that.” There’s a moment where those brown eyes flicker with something I can’t describe—like the stars forming a perfect but brief constellation—before it’s gone.

“More than okay,” he whispers against my lips, moving us to the beat. “Fuckin’ hurt anyone who tried to take you away.” I beam. “And you say you’re not cute.” “I’m not, cute and possessive are two separate things.”

I’m about to agree, desperate to get off with him when I’m hit with a bout of nausea. I straighten, clutching at my stomach as my head starts to spin. Silas immediately senses the change in me and rubs his hands up and down my thighs. “You okay?” “I-dooon’t-feel-good.” My words slur together as I shake my head, the motion causing me to see stars. “Whateverrr-Kent-wass-drinking-fucked-meee-up.”

I KNEWWWE IT

appreciate the fact that they’re not busting my balls about being whipped. Before, I think I would have just dumped Blaine’s ass in a cab and sent him on his way, but that hot, possessive streak inside me needs to be the one to take care of him. I’m not too sure what’s wrong, but I’ll spend all of my last paycheck buying him whatever shit he needs to feel better.

“Bunk, I will stomp your ass if you don’t fuck off.” I’m not kidding. I know he’s insane but he shouldn’t underestimate me when it comes to Blaine. I don’t do well with people keeping me from what’s mine, and I have no problem clocking Bunky in the face to get to my guy.

This son of a bitch drugged my boyfriend. He could have killed him by adding toxic shit to his body, and he has the nerve to laugh about it. He actually looked me in my face all teasingly like it was a damn joke while doing it. Nah, fuck this and fuck him. He messed with the wrong fucking person.

He could have killed the one good thing in my life, the only thing that’s ever really mattered to me, the one thing that gave me hope in my miserable existence.

When the sheriff opens his mouth to speak, I do it again and again until more blood leaks out of Kent’s busted lips. The sheriff protests but makes no move to stop me. What a fucking pussy he is. Can’t even protect his own flesh. Yeah, Whaley was right all those years ago. There is a very big difference between people like them and people like us.

Although, a part of me is upset that for this plan to work, I can’t actually kill Kent. The memory of Blaine’s drugged face flashes in my mind. My heart cracks at how his words were slurred and how he held his stomach when I led him out to the car.

was always going to end up here, wasn’t I? At least this way, I’ll go for an honorable reason. There can’t be a better way to protect the people I love than by giving myself up for them. And I love Blaine Yates. I can’t believe I tried to fight it.

NO

Blaine might not think he is, and other people might tell me I’m wrong, but he’s perfect in every sense of the word. He came into my life when I needed him the most and made me feel like a real person. He gave me the worth I didn’t believe I had. So, as I’m pushed into a holding cell, surrounded by criminals who look like they want to tear me limb from limb, I smile with all the calmness in the world.

I’ve finally found my purpose in life and that’s to protect Blaine Yates.

“Wait, what? Why’s he in there? Fucking tell me!” Bunky doesn’t so much as flinch. Instead, he gently removes my hands from him and looks at me with sympathy. “He took the fall for you.”

“What are the charges?” I ask in a quiet whisper, looking behind me at where I think Silas must be. Knowing him, he’s probably nervous and too proud to admit it. Why would he take the fall for me? Why would he put himself in that position? “What do they have him on?”

“Shit, Blaine. He really messed him up.” Of course he did. That’s Silas. He’s always looking out for the people he considers his family. Somewhere along our journey, I became a part of that. I bet he didn’t even hesitate before throwing himself under the bus. I need to see him. I need to make sure he’s alright. I need to find a way to get him out of here.

“You say that like it means something to me,” I snap right back. “Nobody is going to stop me.” I’ll burn down this entire station if I need to. Only Jesus Christ himself could prevent me from seeing my boyfriend, and even he may not cut it.

gingerly grab his hands, noting how busted they look. I’d give him grief over it but now isn’t the time. Not with all he’s done for me. I cling to him and fight the tears in my eyes. “Si, I’m so sorry.” “Why are you sorry?” he questions with furrowed brows. “It’s not your fault that Kent has a vendetta. All I care about is that you’re okay.”

“Why’d you take the fall?” I want to understand and need to know what could possibly possess him to do that. Silas closes his eyes, leaning his forehead against the bars. “Turns out I don’t hate you as much as I thought.”

“This is serious,” I snap, feeling all sorts of jittery, the apparent drugs still messing with my head. “Do you realize how many years you could get for all these charges?” “It’s worth it if it means you’re okay.” His brown eyes plead with me to understand. “You need to be okay. Baby, you go...

That’s not a good enough reason for me. I kiss the tips of his fingers as the first tear slips out. “Why?” “Because I fuckin’ love you, you dumbass.” His eyes narrow and his voice is rigid, his professi...

Suddenly, it’s only the two of us. Nobody else. The other men in the cell disappear until Silas is all I can see. I stare into his eyes—dark as night with flickers of stars—and I can see just how much he means those words. “I love you too,” I whimper, the tears falling at a ...

I’ve imagined telling him I love him, pictured what it would look like, and it wasn’t like this. I know it’s stupid, but I wanted it to be romantic. I wanted to be able to hold him and make love to him and...

So I palm the spot above his heart instead. “I’m getting you out of here. I’ll find a way, Si. I promise.” He looks at me and it’s not pity in his eyes, but something akin to defeat. “It’s pointless.” “Don’t say that,” I snarl, knowing there has to be something I can do to get him out. “I’ll figure it out. You took care of me, now it’s my turn to take care of you.”

“I love you,” I repeat against his lips. “I love you so fucking much, Si.” He pulls back, dropping my necklace, and I swear I can see his eyes watering, but Silas would never let those tears fall in front of other people. “I love you too, baby. You gotta go.”

“Blaine got drugged,” Raid says quickly, coming to my defense, although I don’t feel like I deserve it. “Someone drugged and planted shit on him. The cops busted him, and Silas ended up taking the fall.” “I promise I didn’t make him.” Tears spring to my eyes as I fight to keep my wobbling lip still. “I would never want him to do that. I woke up and he had already done it. I wish I could trade places with him, but I can’t. I’m so sorry.”

“He’s right,” Donna agrees. “Ever since he took his dad and brother, the sheriff’s been on us, trying to pick up as many Aces as he can.” “I should have tried,” I argue, gripping her hands tightly. “I would trade places with him in a heartbeat.” She brushes my hair out of my eyes and wipes away the tears on my cheeks with her other hand. “Honey, I know, but Silas has always taken care of the ones he loves. He might not have told me, but I know he loves you so much.”

“I love him too, more than I ever thought I could love someone,” I say, accepting her embrace when she pulls me into her arms. “What are we going to do?” “We’re gonna get him outta there.”

Perfect Blaine Yates would never resort to anything crooked to get what he wanted. He’d insist that there could be another way without having to break the law, but I’m not perfect Blaine Yates anymore. He’s dead and gone, buried six feet under. I belong to Silas now. I know I’m young, but I know for certain that he’s the love of my life. He completes me, fulfills me, and frees me. I promised I’d get him out of there. No matter what.

“I’m in,” I say with a firm nod. “What do we do?” Whaley shakes his head as he takes another drag of his cigarette. “Nah, kid. Can’t have you involved in this.” I stand up quickly, nearly knocking Donna off the couch. Then I clench my fists, teeth gritting as I stare Whaley dead in the eyes. “I’m going to help whether you like it or not. Silas is mine to protect. If anyone is going to be a part of this, it’ll be me, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

Whaley stares at me for a moment, narrowing his eyes, and when he stands up, I’m afraid for a moment that he’s going to punch me for my tone, but I breathe a sigh of relief when he smiles. “Good.” He claps me on the shoulder, filling me with pride. “Loyalty is important to me. If you’re willin’ to risk it all for Silas, you’re one of us now.”

Donna reaches for my arm. “Blaine, honey, you have to be absolutely sure. Silas mentioned you have plans. If whatever we’re gonna do doesn't work, it’ll ruin your future.” “There’s no future without him,” I state, knowing in my heart that my words are true. “He and I belong together.” “So it’s settled then,”

Well, I don’t feel good either. Honestly, I’m feeling a bit traumatized being here. This is where I grew up, in a cold environment, trapped and filled with overwhelming anxiety. This is where my intimate moment with Silas was revealed, invading our privacy. This is where Dad chose the future he planned over the future I wanted. Whaley’s plan might work though. Even if the chances are slim to none, Silas deserves for us to try.

“You’d really change your plans?” he asks, cocking his head to the side. “You were so adamant that you didn’t want the life I laid out for you.” “I’d do anything for Silas,” I repeat for what feels like the hundredth time. “You might not think he’s worth much, but to me, he is. You might not think he has a future, but he wants so much more than this life. He’s loyal, protective, and a good man.” “And you love him?”

Dad stares at me for a long moment, and there’s something apologetic in his eyes. He shakes his head. “You don’t have to go to Georgia.” “What?” My eyes squint in confusion. “But⁠—” “You were right.” His voice sounds pained, his jaw tense, and I can tell it’s costing him to admit he was wrong. “It’s your life. I’ve thought about it. I might not agree with it—your choice of boyfriend and your choice of school—but you’ve been a good son. I love you, and you’re entitled to your own life.”

ok this made me cry but thd chracter switch up was kinda wild

I think about it for a minute. Silas would say I’m too forgiving, but Dad’s made some great strides tonight. Although, I don’t know if I could live in this house if he doesn’t agree to help Silas, but I don’t want to shut down the possibility either. He’s been more open and honest than he’s ever been before, and if he does the right thing, I want to get to know this side of him better. “Let me think it over for a bit,” I joke, mimicking his words. He just smiles at me and nods. “Alright. Have you been safe?”

I know Christmas has already passed because when they moved me from the holding cell to a regular one, I didn’t see decorations anymore, which means I’ve been in here for more than a week. I wonder how long they’ll keep me? Until my trial when I get sent to prison?

omg this is so sad

I sigh, stretching my legs out on the cot and trying to ignore the growing pain in my lower back. This metal bed and flimsy mattress are shit. Not that the old pull-out couch is much better, but at least it has some cushion. At least it had Blaine.