Ace of Spades (Mc No limits Book 2)

Chapter 24

Nora

Ivy splashed her legs in the water of the pool we were sitting by and turned to me, smiling.
"Are you sure you don't want to come in?" she asked me.
"No...I'm good," I answered her briefly and she nodded before plunging into the water.
We had been in Mexico for four days now, where they kidnapped us and fortunately we were freed. Ace explained to me that the people we were with were friends who had helped them rescue us, biker brothers with a common past. I didn't ask any questions, it was unnecessary as Carmen told us everything.
The daughter of their President was obviously a victim of the traffickers herself but she was rescued by the No Limits just like us.
Carmen told Ivy and me about her time in captivity, and I could understand everything. Even though I didn't want to, I understood all her feelings and all the thoughts she told us. I could never speak as freely as she did, and I admired her for that.

Ivy seemed strong and tolerated everything well, but I knew that she was traumatized just like me and would probably need help.
Dr. Owen will have a lot of work in our community after all of this, not just the two of us, but Doc also seemed to be doing poorly again. King was strong, he seemed to get everything under control quickly and did things that were intended for the club reliable and laughing. He sent the men of our club home day after day as if they were on vacation and hadn't blown up a part of an organization. Only Duke came back with things from Ivy and me that Alice had packed. She called us a few times a day to talk to us and promised to tell us great news when we returned home. At the beginning our conversations were very emotional and tense, but after the third time, things got better and much more relaxed. What I couldn't say about Ace.

Although I was grateful that he came and put me out of Ted's terrible torment once again, the guilt he felt was devastating for him. He hardly slept, always awake at my side, and ate very little, which was noticeable on him. He was pale, and the circles under his eyes were dark and deep. His beautiful blue eyes no longer shone, bothered by the thoughts that were weighing on him. On the second day of our arrival, Ivy told them what had happened, all the details that I couldn't say, clearly overwhelmed by everything. In my head, I was still like in a dream, not realizing what was happening or in denial about everything.
"The day we were kidnapped, we were standing in the shed. We had planted the flowers and were about to put the shovels back. I was joking about our reward for our hard work when Nora turned to me, laughing and then her face turned pale. She stared behind me. She was in shock, and when I turned around, I was already being attacked by the two idiots you shot on the stairs...I tried to defend myself but..." she said and took a deep breath.
Ace sat with his head hanging and listened as King paced around the room.
"We were taken to a car, and there they overpowered me...when I came to we were hanging in this room...Nora woke up when I was arguing with Ted, and he admitted under stress that he hadn't said anything to anyone from us and from Tom as his security so that Ethan doesn't kill him. He had something like that for Ethan that he could use, and he also offered this as an exit to this David...the guy I was shadowing when Aunt Jane was kidnapped. Ted promised informations for his safety but he never got the opportunity. Everyone who knew was killed...we are safe. But the organization is much bigger than we thought...They're not just human trafficking women...children...but also weapons and drugs. I saw and heard what they had in that building as Nora was still knocked out" she added.

King nodded, knowing that Ted's death wasn't a tragedy and the club and Tom were safe, but Ace just sat there and said nothing.
She didn't talk about how they washed us, how they tore our clothes off and put their hands on our bodies. The way they groped us, squeezed our breasts, and stuck their fingers in our openings. The way they looked at us because they were so horny for our naked bodies, and the things they said when we screamed as they washed us with the cold water. I was glad she didn't mention it. A look between us revealed more than anything I could say; everything that happened in that basement was terrible.
"I should have stopped it...I shouldn't have gone that day," Ace kept saying, the day we were rescued.
It broke my heart to see him like that; he wasn't to blame for Ted's sick thoughts, but Ace felt himself responsible, and his feelings of guilt pushed him to his limits. I was grateful to Duke, whatever he said to him when he returned from Las Flores woke Ace out of his state, and he seemed to slowly come to. At the beginning, he was very careful with me, as if I were made of glass, careful not to push or touch me too much. But I wanted it, I wanted to be close to him, which he finally understood. I felt safe with him, he was my anchor in this storm that held me tight. There was never a moment when he didn't think of me. I was never forgotten. I was not helpless; he got me. And he always will. I leaned back on Ace's chest as he sat on the lounger behind me and watched Ivy swim with King in the pool.

"Are you sure I won't throw us in again like I did at Alice?" he asked and laughed.
"I don't care if it's with you," I replied, and he hugged me even more.
His presence calmed me down, and the event we experienced was bad for me, but now that I had him I will be fine. When I was alone and abandoned in captivity with Ted, I had no hope...none. But since I've had these friends...since I've been part of this family, I haven't been hopeless or defenseless. They've been there for each other...and for me, and this gave me wings when I couldn't even walk.

In that basement, I freed myself from Ted in the most brutal way possible. When I beheaded him with the machete, as Duke called it, I freed myself from my past. I freed myself from the fear of Ted and his tortures...and the memories of all the terrible things he did to me. I freed myself from the prison of my thoughts that he had contaminated and that I had lived in for an eternity.
The Nora he created died with him in that basement when I made the decision to murder him. I didn't have nightmares about his death, and for days I didn't think about what he could have done to me, or what he did to me...but about the family that came to save me and Ivy. I'm no longer alone, I have Ace and all the others who will fight by my side. You didn't win, Ted...I'm still alive, loved, and safe.
"When are we going home?" I asked Ace.
"Santiago said we can leave as soon as we want. He wanted to make sure you didn't have any damage. Your face looks better now," he said quietly.
"Those aren't bruises...that's proof of how strong we were," I said to him and felt him take a deep breath.
"It's not your fault...None of that. He was a sick man," I told him.
"Now he's a headless dead sick man," added Duke, who was lying in the sun next to us.
I had to laugh at his comment, which made Ace laugh too.
"I'm fine, Ace. You're here," I told him, and he kissed my shoulder tenderly.
"I don't go anywhere anymore," he said, and I laughed.
"Of course you will. I'm not letting Ted rule our lives," I said, and Duke looked at me and then at Ace.
"I want to go home," I said and felt his grin on my shoulder.
"Then we'll go home tomorrow morning," he replied.
"Did you hear that? We can go home in the morning!" Duke shouted, getting up to jump into the pool.
Ivy looked at me with a smile and nodded. What we couldn't say with words was clear enough between us with looks. She was proud of me, and I was proud to have such a strong woman by my side as a friend. As a sister, as a fellow sufferer, forever.
I would follow them wherever they went and fight alongside them without a doubt. They gave me what I never had without expecting anything in return. These friends who became my only family showed me what it means to be loved.
Alejandro and his wife came over to invite us to dinner to celebrate the success we had achieved together. We sat together in the evening at a large table with everyone and laughed, ate, and sang as if nothing had ever happened. We weren't victims...or survivors. We were free and happy about it.
"Are you all right?" Ace asked as he thought the amount of strangers would bother me.
"I'm with family and friends...I'm doing great," I replied, and he studied my face like I once did his.
"I'm not lying. I'm fine," I said, laughing, and he leaned back in his chair and looked at me with relief.
"To family and friends," Ivy shouted as she raised her glass, and everyone agreed.
"To family and friends!" I heard the crowd shout and looked happily at Ace.
He pulled me onto his lap and hugged me so strong I could hardly breathe.
"I love you so much," he said to me, and I saw his beautiful eyes shine again.
"I love you too," I replied and kissed his lips which I missed so much.