Page 51 of Crush (Deadly Hearts 1)

ChapterTwenty-Seven

Ruby

My initial thought is that something has happened to one of my family. My blood runs cold as I hobble to my dad, leaning casually against the black car, his dark sunglasses on, even though it is still raining.

“That’s her dad?” I hear Ramsey mutter, but ignore him.

“Is everyone okay?” I ask before I reach him.

“Fine,” he says and stands up straight.

He is a man of few words. I get that, but jeez. Sometimes he makes me want to scream.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, slipping into his arms for a reassuring hug that was desperately needed after this hellish day.

“Go inside,” he says and turns to give Ramsey and Layton a thorough glaring at before he offers to help the injured Ramsey inside my house. I open up and enter the sitting room, watching as my dad helps Ramsey inside and then Layton follows with Declan closing the door behind us.

Ramsey slumps into an armchair and I go to him, running my hand over his head. “I’m sorry,” I mutter.

He shakes his head. “This wasn’t your fault.” He grabs my hand and kisses it, doing a good job of ignoring my dad’s eyes on him.

“We need to stitch that up,” Declan says quietly and disappears into the kitchen. I wonder how he knows where the first aid kit is. But then figure, seeing as he managed to get in here like a ninja while I was sleeping, it probably isn’t the first time. He’s probably had a good poke around. With a smile I can’t help, I wonder what he thought about the box under my bed.

“So?” I direct this at my dad, folding my arms across my chest in an effort to appear stronger than I feel right now. I need to lie down and sleep for a week, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon.

“I came to check on you,” he states, standing on the other side of the couch where I fucked Layton.

That inappropriate thought enters my head and now, it’s all I can think about. I avert my eyes and clear my throat.

“Uhm,” I stammer and then pull myself together. “Why?”

“Because you are my daughter and you are in deep shit,” he replies.

“Gee, thanks,” I mutter. “I can handle myself.”

“I know you can, I made sure you could, but Ruby…” he sighs and removes his sunglasses. “This life…it’s not what we wanted for you.”

“You don’t get a say,” I snap. “Not when you are keeping secrets.”

“What secrets?” he asks, dark eyes narrowed.

“How do you know Declan?” I ask. This is so not how I wanted to do this. I hadn’t even processed it yet. I don’t even know what there is to process. It’s a shitshow.

He grimaces at me. I think he is going to deflect when he opens his mouth to speak, but instead, he says, “I know Declan from a long time ago. We both used to work for your Great Uncle Teddy.”

“As a what?” I ask sarcastically. “An assassin?”

“Yes,” he replies steadily and the blood drains from my face. “I used to be a contract killer.”

* * *

My eyes fly open, which confuses me. One minute I was standing listening to my dad tell me he was a killer for hire and now I’m lying on the sofa with four men hovering over me.

“I’m fine,” I grit out and shoo them away as I sit up. Great. I passed out. What a way to be strong.

I glare at my dad and then at Declan. He knew all of this and didn’t tell me. Asshole.

He holds his hands up and shakes his head. “Not for me to say, Princess.” Then his cheeks go an adorable shade of red as he fries under the simmering gaze of Rex – the contract killer.

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