Page 116 of Wicked Devotion
“Be careful with your new friends, Lillian,” he says, still eyeing Ruby like he’s waiting for her to shoot him as we get up.
“I heard that, Mr. Dario,” she says while I give him a hug. “Are you as feisty in the courtroom?”
He’s already halfway out of the coffee shop, turning around to answer Ruby. “I’ll pass, Mrs. Ryves. Heard doing business with you kills more than just careers.”
Ruby just shakes her head with a laugh, pulling me out of the coffee shop after her.
“He does have a flair for the dramatic,” she says as we walk back to her car.
“Told you he’s protective of me.”
“Let’s just hope the little trip was worth it,” she says, getting in the car. “Wanna tell the guys about it now? Or maybe wait until we’re back home. I can’t focus on driving when they start yelling.”
“Yeah, I better wait,” I say, smiling as I look at the picture of Max and me on my home screen. I wish Logan was also on it, but I didn’t want to annoy him by asking.
“We could order a cake,” Ruby suggests. “Throw a divorce party.”
“Annulment party,” I correct her with a chuckle that’s stuck in my throat as my gaze catches on something in the rearview mirror.
All that time spent with the guys probably has me seeing ghosts. Still, I keep my eyes on the gray sedan following us. I’ma second short of telling Ruby, but as we round the corner and drive onto the street leading to her house, the car vanishes.
“Is everything okay? You're awfully pale,” Ruby says, looking at me with furrowed brows.
“I’m good,” I mumble. “Skipped breakfast today, I probably just need to eat something.”
“I’m sure we’ll find something for you in the fridge now that the guys aren’t here to steal all the good stuff.” Ruby turns off the engine, but as we enter the house, I can’t shake the feeling that something is off.
“Mochi, baby, we’re back,” Ruby says. Unlike usual, Mochi doesn’t come running to greet us, and the house is dead silent.
Ruby continues to call out for her, vanishing into the hallway leading to her and Sam’s bedroom, just when my gaze lands on the open patio doors.
“Hey, Ruby, did you leave the patio doors open?” I ask, a little louder, while I walk out on the terrace to check if Mochi is lounging outside, soaking up the sun.
She’s nowhere to be seen, and my gut tells me to get my phone out. To call Max, Logan, the police, anyone; because something is wrong.
“Put the damn phone down, Lillian, or I’ll kill both of you,” a man snarls behind me as he presses something hard and cold against my lower back.
Then I hear Ruby before she even steps out of the hallway. A man follows her, and a shiver runs down my spine as I realize I’ve seen him before. In the coffee shop, sitting outside together with another guy.
His gun is pressed against the back of Ruby’s head, but Ruby doesn’t seem too impressed.
“If you hurt my dog, I’ll wipe out your entire fucking bloodline, you dirty son of a bitch,” Ruby yells, and the man shoves her. “Touch me one more time, and you’ll regret it.”
He does.
Ruby slams her head back, and the man’s nose breaks with a nasty sound. He pushes her so hard she falls down, groaning when she lands on her hands and knees. A third man emerges from the hallway, making sure Ruby doesn’t move while the other one wipes his bleeding nose, cursing.
“Boss told you she’s vicious,” the non-injured guy says, a self-righteous grin on his face. “We’ll see how long she’s gonna fight back. I’m taking bets.”
Ruby acknowledges him by spitting right in front of his feet.
“You’re not like her,” the man holding me whispers, sliding my hair to the slide.
He strokes over my neck with his disgusting fingers, and I can’t wait for the moment when I’ll watch Logan cut them off one after the other.
“You won’t fight back. Nice and obedient, not causing me any trouble,” he murmurs, and I hate that he is right.
He cuffs my hands behind my back and takes my phone away from me before he shoves me inside the house, where the others struggle to restrain Ruby. She yells at them, fights, while I just stand there like a pathetic statue.
