Page 56 of Reclaim (Deadly Hearts 3)

ChapterTwenty-Nine

Ruby

The second gunshot makes me stop and turn around. Declan has gone completely ice-cold. His face is a blank mask that I can see from here, whereas the other three men are all embroiled in a fight with fists, and heads, to get the other men down and to keep them down. Declan hauls Scott to his feet, from where Layton floored him, despite the blown-out kneecap.

I fold my arms across my chest and wait for the bullet to the head, but it doesn’t come. I feel a bit hard done by, and not just from the lack of Declan shooting Scott in the head. The sex session before has left me feeling a bit out of sorts. Not with regard to the sex, which was fantastic, but with regard to the other stuff.

I killed a man, and whether he deserved it or not, he is still dead, and I killed him. My soul needs absolution from my Daddy and I didn’t get it. My Master didn’t punish me properly either and I’m starting to think it’s some big conspiracy theory among them.

Drawing in a breath, I watch as Declan drags Scott across the parking lot. David is standing next to me, all serene and full of sunshine.

“Yeah, yeah,” I growl in his direction. “He’s so hot. Stop mooning and open the fucking door.”

He snickers and turns to open it. I don’t begrudge his happiness. Not one bit. I love that he is happy and that things are working out for him and Declan. What I’m pissed off about is this Maribel bird, along with the fact that Scott is, for starters, still alive, but also that his impending death is going to go down without me.

Not amused.

“Come,” David says, taking my arm. “Let them deal with it.”

I clench my jaw.

“You aren’t ready to confront him,” he adds quietly.

“Wanna bet?”

Pretty hazel eyes narrow. “Okay, run it down for me. What will you do?”

“Go out there and slice his neck wide open, perhaps ram a gun up his ass so he knows what it’s like to be violated by a psycho and then maybe pull the trigger while it’s up there.”

“Nice imagery. But I don’t think you’re ready for it. He is responsible for Boomer going after you.”

My blood runs cold.

No, that isn’t what it was about.

I haven’t told any of them what Boomer said about my parents. I know Declan will go all guns blazing to Rex and the whole sordid story will come out.

“Right?” David asks, dark suspicion in his tone.

“Right,” I murmur, eyes trained on Declan, who is now practically in front of me with Scott.

“Ruby, you don’t need to see this. Go back home.”

“No.” My tone is just as cold as his. If he thinks he’s getting rid of me, then he has another thing coming. I’m not an obedient woman at the best of times. Now, even less so.

“Ruby,” Scott croaks. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t send Boomer…”

“Then why did you run, arsehole?” Layton asks, shoving his head forward roughly from behind.

“I knew you’d think it was me. I’m sorry for trying to take over your turf. I know better, but I didn’t know about Boomer.”

All this talk about Boomer is making me feel sick. I want to sit down in a corner and block out the whole world. My head swims and my vision blurs.

David was right.

I’m not ready for this. It’s too close.

My breathing goes shallow, and the sky feels like it’s coming down on me, ready to smother me to death.

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