Page 33 of Reclaim (Deadly Hearts 3)

ChapterSixteen

Layton

Ruby pulls away from me, all business. She stalks over to the front door and yanks it open, fully expecting us all to follow.

We do.

It’s not like any one of us will leave her to do this alone.

Giving Adam a careful look as he is the first out of the door behind her, I wonder what the deal is with him. The real deal. He calls her Rubes, they seem to have a rapport that borders on too familiar and there is something in his eyes that goes past admiration. I know all about him. His reputation anyway. He is a brutal, savage killer. Not that you’d know it by looking at him. And we all know that Ruby likes her men…dark.

Am I worried about this budding whatever it is?

In truth, yes.

Cillian was one thing. He is Declan’s twin, and he has a way with Ruby that not only tells me he has fallen in love with her already, but he helps her. I can only imagine that Adam would enable her.

Before that probably wouldn’t have bothered me as much. I might’ve even reveled in seeing her set the world alight, but after everything that happened to her, I just want to keep her safe. I want to wrap her in my arms and never let her go.

Fact is, though, I have to let her go. If I stifle her, she will resent me and that would kill me. I need her like I need air to breathe. She brings me a peace that I never knew existed, even before being shipped out.

I feel my phone buzz in my back pocket and frown. I let the rest of the men go first and then I follow them out, slamming the door closed behind me. Glancing at the screen, I see it’s Maribel.

Grimacing, I ignore the call and hastily put my phone away. I’m not trying to hide this from Ruby, as such. Just now isn’t the right time to tell her that my ex has started calling me again. I will tell her. But after she has done what she needs to do to feel at peace with herself and her work. A small voice in the back of my head asks why I don’t just block Maribel, but half of me wants to see what Ruby will do when I tell her. Call me crazy, many have, but I want to see that flash of jealousy. I need to see that she is bothered by it. That she will go to any lengths to keep me to herself. I’m not insecure with our relationship at all. It’s not that. It’s the fire and the knowledge that I’m hers and no one else’s. I’m playing a stupid game. A very stupid game, but I can’t help it. I’m obsessed with her, and I need to know that she feels the same about me.

I watch, wondering which car she will climb into. She has paused to check her phone. A fierce frown descends, but she ignores it, shoving it back in her pocket. When she chooses Cillian’s Range Rover over Adam’s Hummer, I feel relieved and beat Ramsey to the back seat with a shove to his chest that pisses him off, but he won’t act on because he is the most rational, level-headed man I know. He can beat a man to death with his bare hands. But only if he has to. I, on the other hand, know that my temper is volatile and while I have tried not to be that guy with Ruby, it’s still there and probably always will be. I will beat a man to death with a smile on my face.

My thoughts go briefly back to Linda. I must remember to call her and see how she is doing after the upheaval. The reason that I wasn’t around to save Ruby from falling into Boomer’s hands. I blame myself and that guilt will never go away. All I can do now is try to help her heal and make sure that no one ever touches her again.

Including this Adam prick.

Ruby turns to give me a slow smile. It’s sexy as fuck and it affects me on deeper levels than it should right now. I return it and then lean forward through the small gap in between the front seats to grab the back of her head and kiss her.

Cillian blasts out of the driveway before I’ve settled back down, following Adam, who is already gunning it down the road.

Staring out of the window, I contemplate our next move, when Cillian veers off the road and bounces up the grass verge of one of Ruby’s neighbors.

Frowning, I sit forward, “What is it?”

“Not sure,” Ruby murmurs, eyes trained on the Hummer in front of us.

We watch as Adam shoves the car door open, climbs out and kicks the tires, multiple times, his phone attached to his ear.

David opens the back door and peers back at us with a ‘don’t know, don’t ask,” expression on his face.

Ruby opens the passenger side door, prepared to climb out.

“Wait,” I say. “I’ll go.”

“No, let me,” she says absently and without waiting for a reply, gets out of the car.

Cillian and I exchange a worried glance, our gazes then going back to Adam.

He is punching a tree, messing up his hand. He hisses something at Ruby as she approaches, and she stops dead. Her hand goes to her throat.

Then she goes to him, and takes his bloody hand, pulling it away from the tree. His face is furious, and I open the door to intervene before he hurts her, but she says something, and his face goes taut. He nods stiffly. He pulls away from her and gets back in the Hummer, Ruby turning and coming back to us.

“What was that?” I ask before Cillian can.

“Vinnie being the worst asshole in a city full of assholes,” she growls.

I narrow my eyes, but she doesn’t elaborate. I won’t press her. Her face is grim, her lips pressed tightly together. She is barely holding it together and one wrong word, one any word, might push her off the cliff she is currently teetering on the edge of.

My jaw is tight. I bite my tongue as does Cillian, also presumably picking up on the atmosphere that has plunged from dark into a sucking blackness. Whatever Adam said to Ruby has kicked her in the gut.

We sit in a simmering silence, following Adam as he pulls back onto the road. Whatever just transpired, I hope that it doesn’t mess with Ruby’s head when she needs it clear to do whatever it is she plans on doing.

Right now, that is anyone’s guess.

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