Laces and Lace (Assassins #6) Read online

  “I do love me,” she admitted. “I just hate that I allowed him so much power.”

  “He’s gone,” she said, squeezing her hand. “You are Lacey Martin, owner of the hottest lingerie store in the US. You are successful, beautiful, and simply amazing. No one has any power over you.”

  Well, that wasn’t entirely true, but Lacey said, “You’re right.”

  Rachel smiled as she wrapped her arms around Lacey’s waist, placing her chin on her shoulder. “Now what else is wrong?” she asked, her eyes locking with Lacey’s.

  Rachel was one of those women people loved to hate. She not only was married to a successful, star hockey player, but she was gorgeous. She had big brown eyes that were always filled with love and dark brown curls that fell just to her chin in a chic way. Standing in Lacey’s white fifties pin-up style lace set that covered her midsection, Lacey could see that Rachel was thicker than she was when they first met freshman year, but that had a lot of do with the fact that she had been pregnant twice with Lacey’s nephews, Flynn and Zander, in the last six years.

  “Nothing, I’m just in a mood,” she said, trying to downplay what was really the problem. She knew she was using the Ethan thing to cover up the real reason she was upset. Why she was always upset when he came to town.

  She bit on her lip as Rachel nodded. “You’re always in a mood when the Nashville Assassins are in town.”

  How did she do that?

  That was an easy question to answer. They had been best friends her whole adult life. No one knew her like Rachel did.

  Taking in a sharp breath, Lacey nodded as she looked down at the counter, tears stinging her eyes. She did her best not to mention him. She kept him locked tight in her heart, but as always, Rachel saw right through her. She hadn’t been lying all those years ago when she’d looked him in the eye and said that she would never be the same.

  She hadn’t been since she’d watched him walk away, leaving her behind.

  “Yeah, I don’t want to hash out all that again, haven’t done it in nine years, and today isn’t the day to do it. I’m sorry for being a bitch. Let’s go do this.”

  “Okay,” Rachel said but didn’t let Lacey go like she expected her to. Instead, she held her gaze and said, “You’re not going to lock yourself away all weekend are you?”

  Yes. “No, but I’m not going to the game.”

  She never missed a Blackhawks home game, except when the Assassins were in town. She didn’t step foot anywhere near the arena when that team was here. She couldn’t chance it. She hadn’t seen him or spoken to him in nine years, and she wanted to keep it that way.

  “I know that, but you’re still coming out tonight, right?”

  She nodded. “Of course I am. It’s Grady’s birthday. I wouldn’t miss that.”

  “Okay, are you going to leave the bitchy attitude at home?” she asked with a teasing smile.

  With a smile, Lacey nodded. “I’ll try.”

  It was actually harder than she thought to leave her bad mood at home. It seemed like the whole walk toward The Gage, Grady’s favorite restaurant, all Lacey saw were Nashville Assassins hockey jerseys. They were everywhere, the damn purple and black jerseys with the stupid ninja assassin guy on the front that she hated so much, visible at every turn. If Lacey didn’t know the game was tomorrow, she would have thought it was tonight. It honestly made no damn sense. Did the whole Assassins fan base drive up for the damn game? She wasn’t sure, but it sure did fuel her bitchy mood, especially when a familiar number sixteen jersey ended up walking in front of her. That had her breathless and made her walk a little faster and around them toward the restaurant.

  She thought once she got around her family she would be good, but no such luck. Everyone was so happy, while she was anything but. Grady and Rachel were blissfully in love, still after so long, and of course they were the best parents to their beautiful boys, looking like a family off a Pottery Barn catalog. She should have known that night at her very first college party that Rachel was a goner when she met her big brother, but a part of her didn’t want to accept it. Even when they got married a year later, Lacey waited for someone to tell her it was all a joke. They just didn’t go together. Rachel was crazy OCD and Grady was a freaking pig, but they worked. Perfectly together. To the point that Lacey was insanely jealous of them.

  Even her father, Nate Martin, had brought someone to dinner, his girlfriend, Sabrina. It was weird seeing him with someone other than her mother, but it had taken him at least twenty years just to date, so she kept her mouth shut while he was extremely happy with Sabrina. She fully expected them to get married, which would be the final nail in her coffin.

  While everyone else was happy and in love, Lacey was alone, and if she was honest, lonely. It had been three years since she’d kicked Ethan to the curb; maybe it was time to start dating again. But as soon as the thought came, she pushed it away.

  She didn’t want to date. She didn’t want to put herself out there again just to be hurt in the end. She had been there, done that, twice, and she was done with all that. Maybe it was time to get a dog, or a cat, or turtle. Maybe she needed a vacation, somewhere tropical, where she could sleep with someone there and not worry about what they thought of her body as long as they got her off. Or hell, give her a vibrator and a good erotic novel, and she’d be fine on her own. That was the only way she’d been getting off lately, and now that she thought about it, that’s probably the way she’d end the night.

  Yes, she was envious that everyone else got to go home and bang it out with their significant other, but, oh well, it wasn’t in her cards. She was meant to be alone, and the faster she accepted that, the better.

  “How was the shoot today, ladies?” her father asked.

  “Went great,” Rachel said with a grin, her face burning with a little color.

  He looked over at Lacey. “You happy, princess?”

  Lacey smiled at her childhood nickname as she nodded. “Yeah, it’s going to be great.”

  “Can’t wait to see it,” he said and Lacey smiled.

  “You all right, Lacey?” Grady asked and she nodded.

  “Fine.”

  “You’ve been quiet,” he said, taking a pull of his beer.

  She shrugged. “Lots on my mind.” By the look Grady gave her, he knew exactly what was on her mind. Leaning back in her seat with her wine glass in hand, she took in a deep breath and let it out. Glancing at her phone, she saw that it was nearly nine and hoped that Grady would say it was time to go soon.

  “Lacey, darling,” Sabrina said, bringing Lacey’s attention away from her phone. “Are you dating anyone?”

  Shaking her head, she said, “I’m not at the current moment.”

  Or ever.

  “My nephew, Richard, would love to meet you,” she said and Lacey shook her head.

  “No, thank you, I’m too busy with work.”

  “Don’t let work take over your life. It’s lonely, princess,” her father said and she nodded.

  “I know, but at least my work will love me, no matter what. Men, not so much,” she said with a tip of her glass toward him. He gave her a tight smile that told her he was not happy with that response. Too bad she didn’t care.

  “Mr. Right is out there,” Sabrina said, causing Lacey to laugh.

  “I think Mr. Right had a one-way ticket out of Chicago and never looked back. But I’m fine on my own, no worries,” she said, and she didn’t miss the way her father and brother tensed up.

  “It’s good he’s gone,” her father said. “He didn’t deserve you.”

  “That’s your opinion,” Lacey said through tight lips.

  “Who are we speaking of? Ethan?” Sabrina asked and Lacey laughed.

  “Hardly. While he didn’t deserve me, he isn’t the one we are talking about.”

  “No one important, honey,” Nate said with a shake of his head, but Lacey couldn’t disagree more.

  He was important, he was the love of her life, and he j