Page 50 of Conflicted
Will eyed his friend and partner. Somehow, he didn’t think Jim meant the wall. I’m a fucking asshole for losing it like this. But Ruby and Nathan looked so incredibly beautiful together—so passionate and... right. And it hurt.
“I have nothing to offer.” The finality of the statement hit him right in the chest and hurt more than a bullet—and he would know. Will rubbed over his breastbone and check his hand to be certain—no blood.
“What the hell are you talking about, Tolbert?” The edge in Jim’s voice was unmistakable. Too bad I’m pissing off Jim.
Will shrugged. “It’s true. I don’t have a beautiful home or a fancy degree. I’m a blue-collar worker with an elderly mother to take care of and a demanding job that’s likely to kill me.”
The hand on his shoulder tightened into a punishing grip. Will welcomed the bite of pain as a distraction. He preferred the physical discomfort over delving deeper into his discombobulated feeling.
When Jim spoke, it was through clenched teeth. “You’re a wonderful caring person, who spends most of his salary supporting his mother—a courageous man, who always has my back—a fine Dom and a great Bakushi. Ruby loves you, and if you can’t see that, maybe you are stupid. And blind.”
Will’s mouth fell open. It wasn’t like Jim to speak so bluntly. “What, no Elvish wisdom—no Tolkien metaphor?” Despite himself, the tips of his mouth curved up. His friend was well known for his love of the fantasy author and even nicknamed his submissive Melda, which meant beloved in Elfish.
Before Jim could reply, his wife and submissive strolled into the men’s locker room like she owned the place. The detective sergeant never hesitated to bust into men’s quarters, even at work, so it wasn’t a big surprise.
The hard expression on Paula’s face—which once earned her the nickname Häagen-Dazs—softened when she took her first good look at Will.
“GT and Sandra took Ruby home. She’s pissed at you both, but I’ve got her promise she’ll talk to you when everybody has calmed down.”
“What’s the use?” Dejected Will hung his head. “She’s better off with Nathan anyway.”
Chapter Thirteen
After her embarrassing fainting spell, her friend retrieved Ruby’s phone from the floor and GT drove them to Truman Medical Center. To Ruby it seemed to take ages before they found out where Luke and Jewel were. When she finally saw her mother, Ruby’s knees almost buckled.
“Momma.” Ruby rushed through the waiting room. Jewel was pale and had obviously cried, but she straightened her shoulders and hugged Ruby.
“Let’s sit, honey.” Jewel sank down and patted the spot next to her. She didn’t seem to notice Sandra and GT, who walked in at a more moderate pace.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get your message sooner.” Ruby sank on the bench and took Jewel’s hands in hers. “I wasn’t where I could pay attention to the phone.”
“That’s all right, dear. You’re here now.” The smile didn’t reach Jewel’s eyes.
“What happened to Luke, Momma?”
“I don’t know the details, but he collapsed on stage.”
