Page 81 of Crush (Deadly Hearts 1)

ChapterForty-Three

Ruby

“Do we need to get in front of this?” David asks after a moment’s silence at my bloodthirsty request.

“No,” I state. “I need to shower and get ready for work. I will see you all later.” I stalk off and then it occurs to me how rude that is. I turn on my heel and walk back into the kitchen, grabbing David and planting a kiss on his lips. I then turn to Ramsey and do the same, followed by Layton.

“I’ll be here when you get out of the shower,” Declan says before I can kiss him goodbye.

“Fine,” I murmur and march back out of the kitchen and straight to my bedroom. I close the door and lean against it, my heart hammering in my chest. This is bad. Really bad. If Giselle makes good on her threat and sends those videos to my parents, I will be mortified. So will they. I’ll never be able to look them in the eye ever again. But the worst is if it hits social media. My reputation will be destroyed. The hardcore boys club, which is very cliquey and something that I struggle to stay a part of on a daily basis, will see me as a weak, submissive woman that gets treated like shit by men and doesn’t stand up for herself. They will see me at my most vulnerable, crying and shaking and weak. I will be ruined. I’ll be run out of town and there will be nothing I can do about it. It’s different for men, they’ll be able to laugh it off and claim they love a strong woman and depraved sex, but me? I will never recover.

With shaking hands, I place my phone on the bed and strip off my robe, heading straight for the shower. My foul mood is lightened when I see the alien dildo still lying on the floor of the cubicle. I giggle and pick it up, throwing it into the sink and then turning the water on to lukewarm. As much as I want to blast my aching body with steaming hot water, the cuts on my back will sting like fuck and I’m not in the mood for self-inflicted pain this morning.

I’m quick to wash up and step out, grabbing a towel as my phone rings in the bedroom. I hurriedly dry off, walking into the bedroom and I scoop it up quickly. The caller ID makes my heart stop in my chest.

Mom

“Fuck,” I mutter and wonder if I should answer it or not. I decide that there is no getting away from it if Giselle has already sent them the videos, so answer it breezily.

“Ruby,” Mom’s voice says urgently. “Have you heard from your father?”

I pause for a moment. “Uhm, which one,” I murmur, forgetting about pleasantries as she did and feign ignorance.

“Rex,” she says impatiently. “Have you heard from him?”

“Is everything okay?” I ask, my concern switching from myself to my mom.

“He said he was going on a business trip, but I haven’t heard from him since. Do you know where he is?”

I debate my reply.

In the end, I have to protect myself. My dad can take care of himself. “No,” I lie, knowing it’s convincing because I’ve been lying to her for years.

“Dammit,” she mutters. “Call me immediately if you hear from him.”

“Will do,” I chirp.

“Sorry, hunny,” she says. “How are you?”

“Fine,” I lie again. “But running late. I’ll call you soon and we can chat.”

“Okay, love,” she says, and we hang up.

I grimace at the phone and fling it back on the bed.

“Fucking Giselle,” I mutter and sigh, pushing it aside in order to get dressed.

Twenty minutes later, I’m dressed in a black dress that is tight fitting across my breasts because I discovered I can’t wear a bra without it being too uncomfortable. The skirt flares a little bit but not enough that it swirls around me when I turn. As a result, I decide to forego panties knowing it will drive my men wild when they figure out I’m going commando. Picking up my phone and shoving it in my handbag, I make my way back to the kitchen. Declan is still in there, eating the squashed orange to my amusement.

I snort at him, and he grins. “Waste not, want not.”

“Hmm,” I murmur. “So speaking of homes…”

“Were we?”

“Now we are. Do you have one to go back to around here?” I ask casually.

“Not anymore. I live here now,” he informs me.

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