Page 24 of Destroy (Deadly Hearts 2)

ChapterEleven

Ruby

My eyes flutter open. My ceiling swims into view and I blink a couple of times. I turn my head to the window to see that it’s night out. I must not have slept for very long. I sigh and struggle to sit up from my position propped up on the pillows behind me. I swing my legs gingerly over the side of the bed and reach out to turn the lamp on. I smile when I see a brand-new phone lying on the nightstand.

“You are a gem,” I mutter and pick it up. I’m startled when I see that it is the next day. I’ve slept for about twenty-four hours. Dammit. That means we’ve missed our flight. But I must’ve needed the rest, or I wouldn’t have slept that long. I place my phone back on the nightstand and with sorrow, mourn the loss of my knives. My pretty, pretty knives that have saved my life more than once. I sigh and open the drawer to pull out the bottle of painkillers when my heart stops and tears spring to my eyes.

“Fuck,” I murmur and pull out two brand new knives and holsters. “How did I get so lucky to have met all of you?”

I stroke them lovingly and then replace them carefully in the drawer. I pop two pills and gulp them down with a bottle of water. I gave in to the pain earlier, but I won’t again. I force myself to my feet with as little help as possible. I’m going into my third day of this wound and by fuck, I’m not going to let it slow me down any more than is humanly possible. Inhaling, I take a step towards the door and then another and then it becomes easier. I open the door and nearly jump out of my skin.

“Jesus!” I shriek when I see Declan sitting on the floor, legs stretched out, right outside my door.

He smiles up at me and rises gracefully. “How do you feel?” he asks.

“Better,” I say, meaning it. All that rest did me the world of good. “Hungry,” I add when I can smell food close by.

“Thought so,” he says and holds his arm out for me to take.

I do, linking mine through his and we walk slowly but steadily to the kitchen.

“Soup and homemade bread?” I ask. “Which kitchen god is responsible for this?”

“Me,” Ramsey says, holding his hand up like a schoolboy.

I giggle. “Handy man to have around, aren’t you?”

“Dude’s got skills,” David says lightly. “Did you see your new phone?”

“I did. Thank you.”

He grins, pleased with himself.

“And the knives?” Layton asks.

I nod. “Very pretty,” I murmur.

Declan leads me to the table, and I sit down. Ramsey produces a bowl of steaming hot soup and delicious warm bread and I don’t even care that I slurp and gobble it all up like a woman starved for many days. Which I suppose I am.

When I’m finished, I sit back, replete and smile. It’s shaky, but it’s real. “You are all amazing. I’m sorry I slept so long, and we missed our flight.”

“Don’t be,” Declan says. “It’s a private jet. It will wait.”

“Oh?” I ask, and then a sense of dread fills me. “You didn’t borrow it from my mom, did you?” I ask with trepidation. If any of these men went to my parents, I’ll gut them with my brand-new rainbow-colored switchblade.

Declan scoffs. “If you think I’m eejit enough to say anything about this to your da, then you don’t think very highly of me.”

I relax. “Phew,” I joke, wiping my brow.

“Princess, please give us a little bit of credit,” he says, but shoots Ramsey a look that speaks volumes.

I raise my eyebrow, but clearly, they haven’t violated my privacy. I hate that I can’t tell them, but there is no way they would let this lie.

“What about Scarlet?” David asks, and then purses his lips when he gives Declan a filthy look. “Should we tell her what’s gone on?”

“Don’t look at him that way,” I chide David. “He did nothing wrong. But no. I don’t want any of my family to know. Scar will worry and tell Mom, and then Rex will find out and, well…” I make an explosion motion with my hands.

He nods. “Your pyro friend called, by the way. He’s good to go.”

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