AN: Hey here are the next few chapters, I would love some feedback if you get a chance. Enjoy!
"How did you get in?" Laura asked a little baffled.
"I do know how to pick a lock babe," Ace said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh right," she said feeling a little stupid, "can you unzip me?" she asked struggling to reach the back of her dress.
He sat up on the bed so he could reach her zipper and watched her get changed into her night clothes.
"You still cold doll," he asked as he removed his jacket and got into bed.
She nodded her head in the affirmative and he opened his arms wide as she crawled in next to him.
"Is that better babe?" he said pulling her to rest on his chest.
But she was already asleep.
When she woke up again Ace had already gone leaving his jacket draped over her.
She walked out in to her kitchen to find him sitting in the kitchen with her mother, dressed in the jacket she had leant him previously. It clicked in her mind that he had wanted to look like he had changed his clothes from yesterday. Noticing from her expression that she had cottoned on to this fact he gave her a small wink and raised his finger to his lips when her mothers back was turned.
"Well I'll leave you ladies to catch up," he said when he had finished his meal.
He beckoned Laura over to say goodbye and Caroline took this as her signal to leave.
"Your Ma busted me as I was leaving," Ace explained when she had exited the room, "luckily I changed jackets," he smiled, clearly impressed with himself. "I had to pretend I just got here."
"But I think this is better," he continued, "I get to kiss you good morning," he whispered as he began kissing her softly.
"Okay," he said after a few minutes, "I'll leave you with your Ma, I know you missed her."
"Bye," Laura said hugging him lightly.
"Bye babe," he said and slipped out the door.
He walked to his car and decided to go see his uncle to make sure he had gotten the stuff alright. As he opened the door he was nearly bowled over by a man about a foot taller than he was and twice as wide. Ace shot him a filthy look but the man only smiled.
"I see what you mean about the kid being lethal," he addressed Reg chuckling.
Ace was not particularly warmed by this statement and turned around to leave the store again when Reg grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Not so fast now," he wheezed, laughing through a throat that had been subject to thirty five years of chain smoking. "I'd like you to meet your partner."
"Names Clyde," the man said, "but most folks call me Bear."
"Ace," came Ace's reply as he shook the bigger man's hand wearily.
"I can tell we's gonna get along fine," Bear said chuckling again. Ace wasn't so sure. This guy looked as thick as two planks, and he wasn't talking about his stature.
"What do you mean partner?" he asked his uncle.
"What's to understand, he's gonna go with you when you pick the stuff up from the truck," he said lighting up a cigarette.
"Fine," Ace said wanting to get away from these two, "when do I meet you?"
"Tonight," Bear said, "meet me here, I'll drive us."
"So is it the same as last time?" Ace asked.
"Exactly," Reg assured him.
Ace agreed to meet up with Bear, collected the money he was owed and got out of there as soon as he could. He didn't want to waste his day hanging around a pair of assholes.
"Nice wad," Eyeball said as he spotted Ace putting his pay into his back pocket.
Ace shrugged, "what are you up to?"
"Hunting," he said grinning, staring at two girls across the street.
"You prepared for both of 'em," Ace asked smirking slightly.
Eyeball reached into his back pocket and pulled out two condoms.
"Always man, always."
Ace spent the remainder of the afternoon in the bar, listening to a basketball match on the radio and drinking. The barmaid bumped him once or twice as she passed but had mostly left him alone. When he had turned around to scowl at her one of these times he caught sight of her name tag, it said Vera.
He only knew of one Vera in this town and it was a girl in the grade above him at school. She'd always had a bad home and a worse reputation. He wondered if she was bumping him on purpose, trying to get him to recognise her. But for now he ignored her.
As the time rolled on he decided he'd better go meet up with Bear, although he couldn't figure out why this job needed the two of them, he had managed fine on his own last time.
They met at the agreed time, mumbled some small talk and began driving in Bear's pick up truck. After half an hour Ace decided he had better ask where on earth they were going.
"Highway," was Bear's short reply before he chuckled slightly. Ace decided he was enjoying this car trip way too much.
When they finally did reach the highway it was getting late. The road was deserted. Bear opened up his boot and pulled out a baseball bat.
"I got a spare," he offered, "or do you prefer your blade."
Finally figuring out this was going to be a robbery Ace pulled his switchblade out of his pocket. Why the fuck not? He had no problem with using it.
They spotted a truck coming toward them and Ace started to walk toward it, extremely confidant it would slow down to avoid hitting him. When it finally stopped he jumped up into the cabin and put his knife to the throat of the unsuspecting driver.
It almost felt routine to Ace, threatening the man, getting him to open his haul and begin transferring it into the back of Bear's pick up whilst the larger man took a few swings at the driver. Ace couldn't of cared less what was in those boxes he just wanted to hurry up so he could head back to the bar.
When they arrived at Castle Rock Bear dropped Ace off on main street and kept driving. Ace had no idea where he was going and he really didn't care.
He swung through the door and spotted Eyeball and Billy more drunk than sober.
"Hey Ace," Billy called out, "where you been."
"Around," he replied before sitting next to them at the bar.
"Look at this chick, if her clothes were any tighter she'd be busting out of them," Billy said almost in awe, clearly he had no difficult finding Vera attractive.
"Probably," Ace agreed, "darts?"
Eyeball stood up to join him whilst Billy stayed to chat up Vera.
"How was the action this afternoon?" Ace asked remembering Eyeball's two girls.
"Superb," he said giving Ace a knowing look.
After a while Ace grew bored of darts and headed for home. Eyeball caught a ride with him but Billy decided to stick around.
"He must be hard up," Eyeball joked as they left him in Vera's clutches, "though I guess if you squint you eyes and concentrate on her tits it wouldn't be so bad."
"Well I hope that's true for his sake," Ace said puffing on a cigarette.
"Here's my stop," Eyeball said before launching himself out of the passengers seat.
Ace backed out of his drive and headed towards his own house. He didn't even bother to undress as he flopped down on his bed and fell asleep.
