Page 24 of Crush (Deadly Hearts 1)

ChapterThirteen

Ruby

“I’ve told you, you don’t need to be with me twenty-four seven,” I growl as Declan follows me around the house, while I get another cup of coffee. I don’t offer him one. Fuck that. He can get his own or better yet, fuck off to Starbucks down the road.

“Sorry, you are stuck with me,” he growls back.

“Fine,” I say, seemingly relenting to his obvious relief. “You can drive me to work, seeing as you are here.”

“Fine by me,” he snarls and waits impatiently while I continue to get ready.

Ten minutes later, he ushers me to the black Aston Martin on the driveway. Of course he drives a DB9. Why wouldn’t he? He has a James Bond air to him, might as well play on it.

We are both silent on the drive into the city. I’m thinking of all the ways I can yell at my dad for firstly, lying to me all these years and secondly, for being an overbearing asshole. It has occurred to me several times in the last hour that Declan could be lying about why he is here, but bringing my dad into it would be a stupid move and he is anything but stupid. It reminds me of what he did to Derek, and I grimace, hunching my shoulders and trying to turn off the feelings that have sprouted since his arrival in my home. I still have that need to please him, which is insane because he is a dick, but there’s more…I can’t quite get my head around it yet. It’s more than just basic attraction.

I shove it aside and glare out of the window.

“I really am sorry about your friend,” he says a moment later, startling me out of my thoughts.

I turn to face him. “Yeah, you said that already.”

“I didn’t mean it then. It was platitude. I can’t change what I’ve done, nor would I, but I want you to know that hurting you makes me feel guilty,” he says, with an almost confused shake of his head.

“Why did you kill him?” I ask quietly, ignoring his attempt at remorse.

“I don’t know,” he says with a shrug.

“Who hired you?”

He sighs. “It doesn’t work that way, Ruby and you know it.”

“How does my dad know how to contact you?”

“You really don’t know?”

“Would I be asking if I did?”

“He used to be in the game, that’s all I’m telling you. It’s between him and you.”

“How old are you?”

“Thirty-six. How old are you? Actually, scrap that. I know it was your birthday yesterday, twenty-six.”

“Yeah, you ruined it.”

“I know.”

“Fuck’s sake,” I mutter and turn away again. Learning that someone put a hit out on Derek makes my bones ache with cold. I’d thought he was legit. He had no obvious ties to the underworld. He did everything he could to help me start off here.

“Where to?” he asks after an uncomfortable pause.

“Canal Street.”

“Whereabouts?”

“Do you know Liberty & Justice?”

“I do.”

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