Page 51 of Freeing Ruby

Shane sighs. “Miguel, I know he’s hard to deal with.”

Feeling frantic, I keep pacing, dragging my fingers through my hair. “How in the hell could I have let this happen?” I feel sick.

Shane grabs my arm. “There’s no way you could have anticipated this. Don’t blame yourself.”

“Of course I blame myself! She’s my responsibility, and I fucked up!” I lower my voice when I notice people are staring. “But why would Darren drug Ruby? What could he gain from hurting her? Or worse?” I point in the general direction of the treatment area. “She could die, Shane! We don’t know how much of the drug she consumed.” I blow out a breath.

“We need to know the stipulations of the trust fund,” Shane says. “We need to find out what happens to the money if Ruby dies before her twenty-fifth birthday.”

“Edward McCall would know. He’s the trustee.”

Shane claps his hand on my shoulder. “You stay here and wait for news. I’ll contact Edward and see what I can find out.”

I nod. “I’m not leaving until I know Ruby’s okay.”

A few minutes later, Foster returns from the treatment area.

“How is she?” I ask him.

He nails me a grim look. “She’s still unconscious. They said she’s in serious, but stable condition. She’s being treated for a drug overdose—gamma something. I forget what they called it.”

“Gamma-hydroxybutyrate,” I say. “GHB.”

“Yeah, that. They found the drug in her blood, as well as alcohol. Apparently, alcohol magnifies the effects of the drug.”

My chest tightens painfully. I’m almost afraid to ask. “Is she going to be okay?”

Foster shakes his head. “The doctor said it’s too soon to tell. They’ll know more when she regains consciousness.”

“Can I see her?” I ask.

Allen Foster looks at me like I’m nuts. “See her? Hell no, you can’t see her! I’ll make sure you never see her again. You almost got her killed!”

Before I can respond, Shane joins us. He clearly heard Allen’s last remark. “Mr. Foster, Miguel’s quick action saved your daughter’s life.”

Foster turns his ire on Shane. “He was supposed to be protecting my daughter, and yet he let someone drug her!” To me, he says, “You stay the hell away from my daughter, do you hear me? If you go near her again, I’ll call the police.”

Foster storms off, leaving me speechless. I’m worried sick about Ruby, I have no idea how she’s doing, and I doubt her father is going to keep me informed. And because of patient privacy laws, I can’t even inquire. I turn to Shane. “Now what?”

“Be patient and try not to let Foster get under your skin.” He lays a hand on my shoulder. “For now, since he’s her next-of-kin, Allen’s calling the shots.”

I feel so helpless. “Her father’s going to do everything he can to prevent me from seeing her.”

“Don’t worry,” Shane says. “Ruby’s an adult. Once she regains consciousness, she’ll decide who she wants to see.”

We grab seats in the waiting room and hope for news on Ruby’s condition.

Not long after, a man in a dark suit, white shirt, and dark tie approaches, pulling something from his jacket pocket. He flashes a police badge. “Miguel Rodriguez?”

I nod. “That’s me.”

“I’m Detective Dale Cartwright, Chicago PD. I’d like to ask you a few questions about Ruby Foster, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure.” I glance at Shane, who’s listening intently. “What would you like to know?” My pulse kicks up. This isn’t good.

“What can you tell me about Ruby Foster’s drug overdose?”

My body tenses as my heart pounds. “Ruby didn’t overdose,” I ground out. “Someone drugged her.”

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