Page 58 of Crush (Deadly Hearts 1)

ChapterThirty

Ramsey

My ribs hurt like fuck, but I force myself to dry off after the most painful shower in history. But however agonizing it was, there was no way I was asking Layton, or David to help me. I stare at myself in the mirror above the basin in Ruby’s fancy bathroom and wince. I look a right sight. I lift my hand up that Layton bandaged carefully to see blood seeping through where my nails should be. I had to get it wet, there was no choice about that. I wrap the towel around my waist and delicately prod my ribs. Not broken, but really sore.

I sigh and head back into Ruby’s room where Layton and David are waiting. “Is she okay?” I ask.

“She’s fine,” David replies. “Don’t worry about her. She will only get mad that you’re fussing. Are you okay?”

“Yep, right as the Manchester rain.”

“Of which there is plenty,” David says and with a nod, he adds, “I will leave you to it. I had better get back to Black Widows before it gets busy.”

I wave him off and give Layton a speculative look. “Is she really okay?”

“Yes,” he replies. “She is tough.”

“Yeah, maybe too much.”

“Don’t blame yourself for this. She knows it has nothing to do with you.”

“I know, but still. She got hurt because, like an idiot, she came in to save me. Where were you? Or Declan?”

“At her back,” he replies steadily.

He is being a bit off. I feel there is something he wants to say.

“What is it?” I ask, crawling into bed and hoping Ruby doesn’t mind if I lie down for a little bit.

“What’s what?” he asks evasively.

“You have something to say about her. I’ve known you for a long time, Lay. Out with it.”

He heaves a sigh and finally looks me in the eye. “She wants more from me. And she is also now involved with David.”

“Yeah, I figured about David. He looked like the cat that got the cream,” I snort.

“Are you pissed off?”

“Nope. It’s up to Ruby who she wants to be with. If that’s just me, fine. If it’s all four of the men that are currently hovering around her all the time, then that’s also fine. She is the one with all the power and I’m happy with that. Don’t feel like you have to skirt around the issue, Lay.”

The look of relief that crosses his face tells me all I need to know. He is falling in love with her. I get it. I’ve worked for her for several years and each passing day was just another day for me to fall for her. It would be selfish of me to want to keep her all to myself.

“Did she fuck David earlier?” I ask the burning question.

“Yeah,” Layton replies with a smirk. “In the bathroom.”

I chuckle. “Guess that leaves me.” I’m not bitter about it, even though I’m the one that’s supposed to be romantically involved with her. We will get there in our own time. I’m not going to rush her. There’s no need or no point in that. I get the feeling that she has been badly burned in that area. What she wants from me is different from what I expected. I thought she would be all dark all the time with sex, but that’s not what she said. She wants ‘normal’ with me. I'm cool with that. Layton said that the other women I’ve been with are vanilla and it’s true. Beautiful, wealthy, sexy, vain creatures that balk at the mention of anal never mind a bit of knife play. I have these urges that I want to let loose on Ruby, so I hope she will bend in that area for me.

“Not so sure Declan has been with her in that way,” Layton mutters, interrupting my thoughts.

“Hm. There’s definitely something going on with them though.”

“Yes, it runs deep and dark,” Layton says, looking me dead in the eye. “It is something that no one can compete with.”

I nod, taking in the warning. Not that I would interfere. Declan is…I wouldn’t say scary, but he is not someone I would cross easily. I respect that. Hopefully he respects what I have growing with Ruby as well. He saw us together and heard our conversation earlier and didn’t make a fuss, so I’m going to assume he won’t make waves.

“You look knackered,” Layton says. “Get some sleep.”

I nod, suddenly exhausted now that sleep has been mentioned. I think my usual couple of hours will see dust as soon as I close my eyes.

I really need to speak to Ruby, but it will have to wait now. She has other shit going on with her dad here and whatnot. My head hits the pillow and my eyes close of their own accord. I hear Layton open the door and a muttered conversation between him and Ruby before she comes in and heads straight for the bed. She climbs in and strokes my face. I smile and grab her hand, kissing it.

“Sleep,” she murmurs.

“Will you hold me?”

She hesitates. That screams that she doesn’t like that kind of intimacy in bed. I’m about to let her off the hook when she snuggles down and places her head on my chest. Luckily my bruised ribs are on the other side, so I hold her gently and fall asleep with the woman I love in my arms.

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