I can't leave this story alone, I hope someone still reads x

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Each bump on the road sent Alex flying from her seat. In her haste she had forgotten to clasp the seat belt across her lap, but it didn't matter. When breaking every speed limit it took her a little over ten minutes to get to Back Harlow. She looked down each little gap in the trees until she spotted Ace's car. She stamped on the breaks with such ferocity the truck nearly doubled over. By the time she had hopped out Vince was beside the truck ushering her back in.

"You can't be here"

"I have to be" she pleaded "Ever since Ace and I got together everyone treats me like this baby!" Her voice had begun to rise in panic.

"We're protecting you! We've always protected you but it's only now you can see how much!"

This stumped her. She looked at her brother's eyes and for the first time she felt a glimmer of real, honest fraternal love.

"You're my kid sister Alex, if you get hurt I'll never forgive myself."

Alex threw her arms around his neck. She thought of all the times he had protected her, from their dad, from

Ace's reputation. She had never thanked him for this.

"Is he gonna kill him?" Her voice was barely a whisper in his ear. The dead air spoke volumes and sucked out the oxygen from her lungs.

"He isn't here yet… I shouldn't tell you that, but if you wanna see him you can, quick" that was all she needed to hear. Her feet tripped over roots and bushes on her way to find him, but eventually she did.

Stood in the clearing his switched blade perched between his hands as he paced. He looked calm and collected. He should have looked terrified but that summed up Ace.

When he saw her he turned to push her back and away from here but before he could she leapt towards him. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she took his face in her hands kissing him with a sense of urgency that caught him off guard.

"I know I can't stop you, but I can't let you do this without you knowing how much I love you." She whispered in his ear.

The air was knocked out of Ace's chest. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had told him that they loved him. His mother had been affectionate as a child, but his father had never spoken a positive word to him in his life. Girls had said it to him before, usually as a last ditch attempt to stop him while he was cutting ties with them. They never meant it though.

"Lex-" he started but she cut him off with another kiss. She didn't expect him to say it back, she doubted he even could manage the words.

They only stopped when the gentle hum of an engine came into ear shot.

"Leave" he stated flatly but his tone was gentler than usual.

"I can't. You were right I'm not your mother, but I am a Cobra, I can't stop you but I won't leave you." Ace ran a hand through his hair. Eyeball stood in his peripheral, in a glance he could have her packed in the back of a truck far away from here. He knew she was right. He had no right to change her.

"You stay behind Eyeball, Vince, Fuzzy everyone. I don't want him looking at you and you don't get involved, this is between me and him. Got it? I don't need to be worrying about you right now." Alex only nodded her head before kissing him one last time.

No, not the last time. She told herself desperately hoping it was true. That everything would work itself out. That the two would leave battered, bruised and scraped but alive. Ace's arms found her waist as he pulled her body as close to his as he could, breathing in her scent letting it linger in his nose for as long as he could.

This isn't the last time. This isn't the last time. This isn't the last time.

The words swam round their heads as a desperate mantra.

Heavy footsteps and a cruel voice cut through the air.

"Look who decided to show up"