Poison Me by Cami Checketts Page A

body was now forever out of his reach. He kneaded his neck with his fingertips. Chanel, his lost dream. She probably hated him. He didn’t know if he could blame her if she did.
    “What about her?” he asked from between clenched teeth.
    “Maybe she went somewhere with Don since he saved her from the cops. I’d like to find her too.” Willy licked his lips, watching Ace’s reaction. “She’s probably ticked at you, but I could give her a little attention.”
    Ace straightened, flames racing through his veins. “Don’t you dare touch her. You understand me?”
    Willy turned away, studying the industrial carpet. “You’re not my boss,” he muttered.
    Finding strength beyond his own, Ace grabbed Willy’s shirt and slammed the huge man into the wall. “You’re the reason she hates me.” He swallowed hard, aching to strangle the thickness out of Willy’s neck. “Don’t you ever touch her. There won’t be anything left to start that hamburger joint if I find out you went looking for her.”
    Several seconds ticked by. Even though Willy could’ve crushed Ace, he didn’t struggle or try to defend himself.
    “You even think about her again,” Ace went on in a low voice, “you’ll be in prison so fast any thoughts of women will be a daydream to you. You understand me?”
    Willy glared at Ace’s chin and then nodded. “Got it.”
    Ace released him and stepped away. “Stay low for the rest of the night. If you find anything valuable, take it. We’ll be off the ship first thing in the morning.”
    Willy twisted the door handle, then blew a bubble and popped it. He didn’t look at Ace. “Got it.”
    “And get rid of that shirt. People are going to remember a shirt that stupid. We don’t need to be remembered. Throw the thing in the trash.”
    “Got it.” Willy skulked through the door and slammed it behind him.
     
     

Chapter Eight
     
    Armchair aerobics was in full swing when Jake entered the retirement center’s open commons area. As usual, he was dressed in a wrinkled shirt and loosened tie. When he winked at Chanel, she lost her concentration. The music kept playing, but she stopped calling out the next move to the class. The twenty participants watched her expectantly, until Ellie followed the direction of Chanel’s dreamlike stare.
    “Woo-hoo. The man of my dreams is here. Hey, Jakey.” Ellie gestured him into the room. “Come join us in our misery.”
    Ruby turned and smiled at him. “Hello, sweetheart.”
    Jake moved to his grandmother’s side. He kissed her cheek, retrieved a chair and a set of five-pound dumbbells, and pumped his eyebrows. “Don’t know if I can keep up, but the view would be worth the embarrassment of being outdone by Aunt Ellie.”
    Ellie hooted. “Nobody can keep up with me.”
    Chanel flushed. She attempted to ignore the recent star of her dreams, both day and night. “Okay,” she said. “Bicep curls, slowly now—up for one-two and down for one-two.”
    “Did she say curl your woo-hoo?” Marissa asked.
    Ellie chuckled. “No, but it sounds like more fun.”
    Chanel shook her head. It was anyone’s guess if Marissa really misunderstood what people said or if she simply wanted to make Ellie laugh. Chanel was just grateful they weren’t bickering anymore.
    “Slow down, Marissa,” Chanel said. “That’s it. Nice and strong. All right, Ellie, looking good. No, Ellie, don’t stop because I complimented you. We’ve got two more reps in this set.”
    “Flipping Nazi,” Ellie muttered to Jake.
    “I heard that,” Chanel said.
    “Stop complaining,” Ruby admonished. “You make it harder.”
    “That’s right,” Chanel said before Ellie could start a fight with Ruby. “A positive attitude makes exercise easier.” She talked the class through three sets of bicep curls without glancing at Jake, but when they moved to triceps kickbacks, she couldn’t resist any longer. He looked so cute sitting in the chair, his long legs and arms jutting out at odd