Page 83 of Destroy (Deadly Hearts 2)

ChapterThirty-Six

Ramsey

Ihaven’t left her side since she fell asleep. I don’t want to. I can’t. She looks so vulnerable, yet she seems to be at peace. At least she is resting for now.

I look up when the door opens quietly and Layton gestures for me to follow him. Climbing off the bed carefully, I do up my pants, still undone from when we fucked and quietly leave the room, shutting the door behind me.

“What’s up?” I ask when I see the other four men gathered in the hallway outside the bedroom.

“We’ve got bad news,” Layton says.

“You get to tell Ruby,” David adds hastily.

I groan. “Again? Why me? I took the bullet last time.”

“You know why,” Declan says.

“Why can’t Cillian do it? He’s new. He should learn. Baptism by fire,” I complain.

“Pass,” Cillian says. “Don’t you even want to know what the bad news is?”

“Yes,” I grumble. “Go on.”

Layton’s face goes dark when he says, “Cillian has a source who has just informed him that Connor is on his way to Manchester. We have to go back and let Declan take him out.”

“Jesus,” I mutter. This is the last thing that Ruby needs. “What about the police sniffing around?”

“I have managed to divert their attention in a different direction,” David says cagily. “I owe some very scary people, big time.”

“Which direction?” I grit out.

“Hmm, the less you know the better,” he mutters.

“Great,” I say. “Just great.”

“So, go on then,” Declan says, more anxious than I have ever seen him.

“Give me a minute,” I hiss. “Not only do I have to go in there and wake her up, but I also have to…”

“AAAAH! AAAAH! No! Boomer, please don’t let him do this!”

As one, we turn to the bedroom door where Ruby is shouting. I lunge for it, yanking it open and fighting Layton for who gets to go in first. Turns out, I win and rush to the bed, where Ruby is sitting up, holding the sides of her head and shaking it violently.

“Ruby,” I say, taking her hands. “Look at me. You’re safe. Look at me.”

Her wild eyes come up to meet mine and my heart breaks for her. She is terrified.

“You’re safe,” I say again, but don’t pull her towards me. I just let her hear my words.

She blinks, the fear turning to nothing in her eyes. Absolutely dead. It scares me how she is able to do that. Just switch off like that.

“Yeah,” she says. “They’re both dead.”

She pulls her hands from mine and drags the sheet up to cover her bare breasts. I hadn’t even noticed. I step back, giving her room.

“What’s wrong?” she asks suddenly. “How did you all get in here so quickly?”

“We were lurking,” David says. “Ramsey has some news.”

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