Ace Killian

chapter 25: Let her go

Ace's P.O.V

The club lights blurred red and gold as I pushed through the crowd, pulse steady but jaw clenched tight.

Music thudded through the floor — bass, bodies, noise — but all I could hear was the echo of Naomi's voice in my ear.

"Just out."

"Watch me."

She hung up on me.

I stared at my phone screen for two whole seconds before tracking her location.

She should've known better.

Now I was here, wading through smoke and perfume and strangers, following the faint blue dot that led me straight to her.

She was near the back — laughing weakly as Nora waved down another round of shots. Her smile didn't reach her eyes.

Even half-hidden in the crowd, I could see it — that small flicker of relief in her movements. Like she wanted to be here.

And somehow, that made me even angrier.

I moved before I even thought about it, cutting through the crowd until I was standing a few feet away.

When she saw me, her expression shifted from surprise to disbelief.

"Ace," she breathed, setting down her drink. "What are you doing here?"

"What the fuck do you think?" My tone came out low, almost calm — the kind of calm that meant I was one second from losing it.

Nora blinked, half-drunk and confused. "Hey, Ace! You made it—"

"Go," I said, eyes not leaving Naomi.

She hesitated, but one look at my face and she pulled Stacy away, muttering something under her breath.

Now it was just us.

The silence between us hummed louder than the music.

"You tracked me?" she asked, disbelief laced with anger.

"I called you," I said evenly. "You hung up."

Her jaw tightened. "You don't get to track me like I'm property."

"I do when you walk out at night without telling me where the hell you're going." i snapped

"This isn't about safety, Ace. You're not protecting me — you're controlling me." she fired back.

I stepped closer, the space between us charged and narrow.

"You think I like this?"

"You think I want to lose my mind every time you walk out that door?"

"Then don't!" she shouted, voice cracking just slightly. "You can't keep locking me into your paranoia. I needed to breathe tonight, not be followed like a runaway!"

The words hit harder than she realized.

I stared at her — hair messy, eyes shining from anger or maybe the alcohol — and for a second, I didn't see defiance. I saw hurt.

"You have no idea what kind of people I deal with, Naomi," I said, my tone rough around the edges. "What kind of shit I'm trying to keep away from you."

"I'm not afraid of them," she said quietly. "I'm afraid of this."

That stopped me cold.

The air between us thickened. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The music thumped, lights flickered, but everything outside that small space felt distant.

Finally, I said, "We're leaving."

"No."

Her defiance was soft but sharp, and it made something inside me snap. I grabbed her wrist — not hard, not gentle either.

Her eyes met mine, hurt flashing behind the anger.

She yanked free. "Don't touch me."

The world tilted for a moment — my control, my logic, gone. I exhaled through my teeth, stepping back before I did something I'd regret.

"Get in the car, Naomi," I said, forcing the words out evenly.

But she only shook her head. "You can't keep fighting everything that scares you, Ace. Not even me."

I didn't answer.

I couldn't.

Because for the first time tonight, I wasn't sure if I was angry at her — or at the fact that I might actually lose her.

She stared at me for a long, heavy moment — chest rising, eyes glassy, the air between us still charged with all the things neither of us would say. Then she turned away.

"Naomi," I called after her, my voice low, warning.

She stopped, just for a second. But she didn't look back.

The music swallowed her whole as she disappeared into the crowd, leaving me standing there — hands clenched, heart pounding, every instinct screaming to go after her.

But I didn't.

Not right away.

Because I knew if I followed, it wouldn't be to talk.

It would be to win.

To control.

And she'd been right — I couldn't keep fighting everything that scared me.

Especially her.

So I waited. Watched the exit through the haze of lights and movement.

Minutes passed.

No sign of her.

I checked my phone — nothing. Called once. Straight to voicemail.

The pit in my stomach grew heavier, colder.

Jake's voice cut through the noise behind me. "Boss. You good?"

I looked up, scanning the room one last time. "She left."

He frowned. "You want me to—"

"No." I swallowed hard. "Let her go."

The words felt like glass in my throat.

I turned and walked out of the club, the night air hitting like punishment. Somewhere deep down, I hoped she just needed space — that she'd cool off, come home, yell at me, anything but disappear.

But that hope didn't last long.

Because an hour later, when I checked her location again...

She wasn't at the club.

She wasn't anywhere near home.

And the name that popped up beside the new address — Harries Estate — made my blood run cold.