Page 65 of Coercion

Ruby

Idon’t know what wakes me but something clearly does.

I lay there, in my husband’s arms, feeling for the first time like this all might be okay. That despite the odds, if it stayed like this I could be happy, I could be content.

For a moment I watch Preston in the semi-darkness, feeling like he’s an enigma. Oh, I know he’s deadly, I know the man is ruthless, that he doesn’t hesitate to act when he needs to and yet despite that, I feel safe with him, truly safe.

Did my mother ever feel safe with my father? Did their animosity ever switch to caring for one another? I know they were passionate, I know they had their moments but as I’vegrown up I wonder if it wasn’t more necessity driving them than anything akin to love.

As I shift, Preston’s eyes open. He’s a light sleeper but I guess that comes hand in hand with a profession like his.

I can see the question in his eyes, the way he’s searching my face to see if I’m okay. No doubt he’s worried I’m off on another sleepwalking episode.

“I’m just going to get some water.” I whisper, like that’s the reason I’m awake. That I’m just thirsty.

I slip from the bed, pulling a robe around my naked body to shield me from the cool night and I tiptoe down through the ridiculousness that is this house.

In the kitchen, the moonlight is shining through the window enough that I don’t need to put any lights on. I grab a glass, going to fill it but just as I turn the tap on something moves.

A hand wraps around my mouth while another pulls me back.

I let out a scream, but it’s muffled by whoever has me.

They spin me around and, as my mind fears it’s Gunnar, here to enact his revenge, my eyes connect with brown ones so similar to my own.

My heart stops.

My breathing stops.

My entire damn world stops as I stare back at the ghost of a man who should be dead. Who is dead.

He drops his hold, letting me take a step back.

“How, how is this possible?” I whisper.

“I got away.” Jett says.

I don’t know how to process that. How to even get my head around it. He got away? That’s the explanation I get after all this time?

“They shot you, they…”

“I ran, Ruby. I kept running. They didn’t find me and I got away.”

“Where have you been? Where…?”

“Sssh.” He says, hissing because, in my shock, I’m talking far too loudly right now. “It doesn’t matter Ruby. None of it matters. It just matters that I’m back, that I’m here.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you here?” I ask, looking around us, checking that we’re actually alone and Preston’s men aren’t already making their way to us. God knows how he got in but I don’t doubt his presence will be noticed very soon.

He tilts his head like my question makes no sense. “Why do you think? You think I’m going to leave you with that monster? You think I’m going to let Preston Civello keep you as his wife?” He says like it’s the most disgusting thing in the world.

“I am his wife.” I state, folding my arms in some sort of show of defiance.

He drops his gaze, staring at way the robe is hanging on me, like he knows there’s nothing underneath it and I know he doesn’t miss the eighteen carat diamond nestled in my cleavage. “Jesus, Ruby.” He spits. “You’re fucking him, aren’t you?”