Authors Note:

I'm sorry that this is so short, but I wanted this in the story, but I didn't want to continue the story in this chapter so I just made it a little shorter! Let me know what I think! :)

Chapter Fourteen

Jace POV:

After I checked the power box and turned the power back on I went back to my family but Clary wasn't there. I looked in the kitchen, and the hallway but she wasn't there. I turned towards my family and frowned.

"Where is Clary?" I asked and they all shrugged.

"She went to find some candles and never came back." Maryse said and I went to check the place where we normally keep the candles and the cabinet door was opened, and so was the back door. I cursed to myself and made my way back to my family.

"Someone has been in here." I said and their eyes widened. "Take the kids up to my room and hide in the closet. I'm going to look for Clary." I said and they all nodded and left the room. I grabbed my shoes and headed outside. I could hear voices and I followed them and saw Clary speaking to a man who looked about her fathers age. I ducked behind a tree so that I could listen to what was going on.

"I don't know what you want me to say Lovelace, I haven't seen my father in almost a year." I heard Clary say and the man laughed.

"I know you helped him go underground, I want to know where he is." The man demanded.

"I gave him money to leave me and my family alone. I want nothing to do with the crime world, I never have." Clary said back to him. "How the hell did you find me?"

"I have my ways." He said back cryptically.

"What does that mean?" Clary asked.

"Well, I simply went and paid your cousin a little visit." The man said and I knew Clary was pissed.

"What did you do to him?" Clary demanded.

"Nothing too terrible." The man said with a devilish laugh.

"What did you do?!" Clary demanded again.

"Nothing a couple days in the hospital won't fix." The man said and I heard Clary verbally grunt.

"Why does everything have to involve physical injury with you people? Why can't you just leave someone, I don't know, with out a scar when you go and speak with them?" Clary said.

"Because they wouldn't speak if they knew they weren't going to get some sort of punishment for disobeying." The man responded.

"Look, I don't know where Valentine is. I gave him money to leave me alone, and that was the last time I saw, or heard from him." Clary said and the man nodded.

"Shame, cause he owes me quite a debt." The man said and I saw Clary nod.

"I'm sure he does. That's all Valentine knows how to do. Be in debt and not pay it back. Look, I know the Lovelace and the Verlac family had a huge falling out years ago, but I'm not involved anymore. I have a family, and I really don't want anything to do with your world. I would appreciate it if you would leave me alone, and keep this address to yourself."

"I have a deal. You give me what I want, and I get rid of this address and promise to never bother you again." He said and Clary crossed her arms.

"What do you want?" Clary asked.

"I want you to pay off your fathers debt." He said and Clary sighed.

"I'm not made of money." Clary said and the man didn't seem to care. "How much does he owe you?"

"Roughly 80,000." He said and I nearly shit myself. I was going to go broke if these people kept demanding money.

"I can't afford that." Clary said and the man laughed.

"You don't think I did my research before arriving did you? I know who your husband is." He said and Clary sighed.

"He has nothing to do with this. His money isn't my money." Clary lied.

"Yes it is. You're married, everything he has, is part yours." The man said and Clary went to protest when I decided to jump in.

"I will pay you." I said and Clary cut in.

"Jace, you don't have to do that." Clary said and I walked over to her.

"I want these people out of our life as much as you do. I will pay you that amount, but you have to leave us the hell alone."

"It's a deal. We'll meet at the park down the road, three days. 11 am. Don't be late." The man said and walked away. When he was gone I pulled Clary into a hug.

"We can't keep giving our money to these people Jace. This will get back to you and your business could suffer."

"I'm not using the company money. I'm using my fathers bank account. It was never emptied and doesn't have my name on it. Clary, I want these people gone, and if paying them to get them to leave, that's what I'll do." I said and she nodded.

"I'm so sorry. I thought this was behind us. I thought that we were finally in the clear." Clary said and I kissed her forehead.

"One day, we'll be free of that life and we won't have to worry about looking over our shoulders, or paying debts." I said and she nodded. "I love you Clary, and I wouldn't want a life with anyone other than you. I don't care how much baggage you come with." I said and she laughed.

"I love you too." She said as she kissed me. "Come on, lets get back to our son's birthday." She said and I grabbed her hand and we started walking towards the house. I guess this life was incredibly hard to get away from but I was determined to get Clary and my family out of the mafia's light so we could finally start living free of worry and concern about who would find us.