Page 42 of Wild Card
“I didn’t hate your dad. I loved him,” Grizz admits.
“Don’t you think he’d be happy to know I was back here?” I check, suddenly needing some kinda confirmation.
“What difference would it make? You can’t wait to get your ass outta here,” he growls.
“And supposin’ I found a reason to stay, you think the boys would vote me in?” I try sounding casual about the whole thing.
“If that reason is her, forget it,” he warns me.
“Someone's gotta save her, Grizz.” I look across the room at her. To anyone who doesn’t know her, she looks like she’s having a good time, but I know she’s drowning on the inside.
“That ain’t on you, Wild Card.” His jaw tenses, and the grip he has on his bottle makes his hand shake.
“What’s the mayor got over the club? Why is Byron so scared of him?”
“The mayor ain’t got shit on the club, and Byron ain’t scared of him. You stay out of it, and you stay out of her,” Grizz warns, and I make him no promises as I get up and head back to the bar.
“These fridges need stocking.” One of the girls dressed in a shirt and tie, who Porter hired to help serve, tells me, like she’s suddenly become the one in charge. But instead of arguing with her, I head down to the cellar to grab a few crates. I could use a break from watching Ruby play her role as Mrs. fuckin’ Porter.
I take the stairs down into the cool, damp cellar, and rest my ass on one of the kegs. At least it’s quiet down here; that jazz band is starting to give me a headache. Taking out a smoke, I light it up and decide to give myself a few minutes' peace. Nothing I say seems to be getting through to Ruby; not even her best friend is making her see sense. Any thoughts of me sticking around here are stupid. Life was much easier when all I wanted was to be alone. I crush out my smoke when I’m done, picking up a crate of Bud on my way back up the stairs, and when I get to the top and see Ruby coming out the ladies' room, we both pause in our tracks and there it is again, that undeniable urge I have to put my hands all over her.
“Having a good night?” I ask her politely. Looking at her seems to hurt even more now I know how it feels to be inside her.
“What do you think?” She smiles sadly and goes to move on.
“I think you're fuckin’ crazy.” I give her my honest opinion, and it makes her pause and turn around.
“Don’t judge me, Ash, not when you have no idea about what's going on.” She goes to move on again, but I quickly put down the crate and stop her.
“Then tell me.” I let that desperation come out in my voice again. “Tell me what the problem is and let me help you.”
“You really think you’re God, don’t you?” She laughs. “You came into town to fix a drug problem, not me. Quit, Ash. Forget all this and just accept that this is how things are gonna be. Youdon’t know me; I’m nothing to you. Why do you even care?” She looks so frustrated, and all I wanna do is kiss her. She always seems to forget her problems when that happens.
“I know you better than any other guy in this town,” I remind her.
“That was a low blow.” She points her finger at me, and this time, I laugh at her.
“You have no fuckin’ idea, do you…? You think I usually act this way? You think I like how this feels. Ruby, I hate the person you’re turning me into.” I try not to raise my voice, but it comes out so angry. “I don’twantto care about you. I don’twantthe things you do with him to hurt me. I was fine how I was.”
“Then go back to being that person.” She goes to walk around me, but I grip her arm. I grip it far harder than I should because I’m not ready to let her go yet. Truth is, I don’t think I’ll ever be.
“I can’t,” I admit, closing my eyes and trying to disguise how weak this girl has got me.
“Ash, you’re acting crazy, you’re acting like…” She pauses and takes a breath. “We shared one night, and it was a mistake.”
“A mistake.” I drop my grip and stare at her. “You can call it stupid, or reckless, but don’t call it a fuckin’ mistake. Not when you begged me so hard for it… and not when you want, more than anythin’, to do it again.” I point my finger at her.
“I…I…You're so wrong.” She shakes her head stubbornly.
“I’m wrong, huh? So you haven’t thought about it? You haven’t once thought how it felt when I made you come?” I step into her space and use the fingers she came all over to stroke the skin on her neck. “You haven’t bitten on that cute little lip each time you’ve felt sore from when my cock stretched your pussy?” I press my body tight against hers so she feels that cock against her stomach. I watch her lose herself as her eyes close, and when I breathe her in, she smells like him.
I fuckin’ hate it.
“If I slide my hand up under this pretty dress, I wouldn’t find you wet, just from thinkin’ about me doing it again?” I tease my fingers along the hem of her lace, and it makes her gasp.
“You can fool your fiancé, Ruby. You can fool all the people out there. But you can’t fool the man you belong to.” I go to walk away, but this time she’s the one who pulls me back. Taking me by surprise when her lips slam over mine, and she guides my hand between her thighs.
“You're a real pain in my ass, Wild Card,” she tells me, reaching behind her for the cleaning closet door and pulling me inside. I close the door and pull the light cord, while she slips her panties off from under her dress and presses her back to the wall.
