Memorizing Mace (Twist Brothers #2) - Bex Dane Page 0,36

stop moving. Got the hell out of there and ran away to California. Met Cutter, Sutton, and Remy. We all got lucky and got adopted by Foster and Mila."

I catch up to him and take his hand. "Oh my gosh. I swear I didn't know any of that."

He twines his fingers in mine and pulls me forward to walk side-by-side with him. "How would you know? And does it change anything?"

"Yes. It does because I see now why you might've become a bounty hunter yourself. You go after deadbeat dads?"

"Mostly. Exceptions for assholes that hurt women." He shrugs. "Tell me another secret."

I take a moment to collect my thoughts and listen to the sounds of the forest. "I only hated you because I liked you so much. I was obsessed with you and jealous. Hated that I couldn't be like you."

He stops and stares down at me with his cobalt blue eyes that look so stunning against the forest canopy. His tentative grin spreads into a full-blown smile that creates wrinkles around his eyes. "My turn. I never hated you. Was always intrigued by you. When I followed you, it wasn't because you were a threat. I wanted a glimpse into your life."

"And what did you see?"

He looks up into the trees before answering. "I saw the beautiful girl I knew had grown up to be a gorgeous lioness, but she was lonely. She needed someone to protect her. I stepped in to make that happen, and when I did, it felt right." He shrugs like it's not a big deal, but it means everything to me.

Mace is blowing my mind with this talk. It's hard to believe him, but there's no stiffness in his shoulders, nothing in his eyes tells me he's lying.

The tree canopy opens up, and we're staring at a peak with big boulders at the base. He hops up and offers me a hand. "This is the fun part."

As we climb, the rocks get steeper and narrower, and I have to watch my step as I battle the fear of heights that threatens to ruin this awesome day. We're high above a ravine now, and one mis-step could be deadly. Whenever the path gets really narrow, Mace turns back to watch me and gives me a hand when I need it.

We come across a huge rock plateau, and my stomach pitches when I look down at the valley below. "I take it this is Hopper's Ledge?"

"This is the hopping part. The ledge is up there."

He steps out to the edge and jumps across the gap. My heart lurches up into my throat.

"Mace!"

"I've done this jump a thousand times. Now, you." He holds out his hand.

The gap is about five feet wide, but it's not the width that scares me. It's the depth. We're at least five hundred feet up with nothing but rocks and trees below. I feel like I'm the stick figure about to fall into the abyss. "I can't."

"Yes, you can. I've got you."

"This is crazy."

"You don't have to jump. There's another way around. This one is more fun."

This does not feel like fun, but he's challenged me, and I'm not giving up.

"Think of how good it's gonna feel when you make it. You can sail over that thing. Stop worrying."

My gosh. Mace is actually convincing me to jump off a cliff. And the insane part is I'm thinking of doing it.

"If I die??

"You won't."

"If I do, I support my three half-siblings. They get everything I have. It's not much, but??

He freezes for a second. "You support them?"

"Yes! If I die, they won't have anyone. Please, send them all my money."

He bites his bottom lip and nods his head. "Can I have the Maserati?"

"Mace!"

"Fine. The kids get the car too."

"Can we stop talking about this?"

"If you would jump, we could."

I take a deep breath. Okay. I can do this. I'm a cop. I've been in dangerous situations before. I just need to call on my inner Wonder Woman detective skills. What if I was chasing a perp and had to jump? I'd do it no problem.

My father had me walking on coals every weekend at his retreats. It's all about conquering the fear and pushing through.

I close my eyes, bend my knees, and imagine myself flying over the gap.

"That's good." He's smiling on the other side, his big arms spread out to catch me. Can I really trust him? What if he really did plan all this to get me out here to kill