Page 59 of Freeing Ruby

“Then trust me when I say this is the right thing to do.”

“Okay.”

She smiles, and I find myself mesmerized once more, unable to look away. Her eyes search mine, and I feel a surge of electricity sparking between us. This has got to be my imagination. There’s no way she’s feeling a tenth of what I’m feeling. Unable to help myself, I reach out with my free hand and brush her silky hair back from her face. When her eyes drift closed on a sigh and she leans into my touch, my chest tightens. I suddenly feel hot, flushed, and my pulse starts racing.

I pull my hand back. “It’s late, and you need to sleep.”

“You’re not leaving, are you?”

“No.” I gesture to the sofa. “I’m going to park myself right there all night long. I’ll be here in the morning when you wake up. Now get some sleep, cariño.” I reach over to switch off the lights before I lean down to kiss her forehead.. “Goodnight, Ruby. Sleep well.”

* * *

At eight AM, I slip out of Ruby’s room to call Shane to get the wheels in motion. I also get his okay to ask Charlotte Mercer to come sit with Ruby while I go supervise the move. Charlotte—Charlie—is a good friend of mine, and she lives in my building. I figure it’s a good idea to introduce her to Ruby.

When I call Charlie, she jumps at the chance. “Anything to get me off this boring surveillance job I’m doing,” she says with a laugh. “I’ll call Jake to get a replacement.”

I slip back into Ruby’s room just as she’s waking. “Good morning, cariño. How’d you sleep?”

“Not bad.”

When I tell her all about Charlie coming to spend the day with her, she looks apprehensive.

“But she’s a stranger,” she says.

“I know, but I trust her with my life.” I reach out for Ruby’s hand and give it a gentle squeeze. “You’ll like her, I promise.”

I help Ruby walk to the bathroom, where she takes a shower and puts on her hospital gown. When she comes out, her breakfast has arrived. She sits up in bed to eats an omelet, toast, and some fresh fruit, and she drinks a cup of coffee.

About an hour later, there’s a knock on Ruby’s door. I get up from the sofa to answer the door. “Hey, Charlie. Come on in.”

Charlie follows me into the room and peers around the privacy curtain. She smiles at Ruby. “Hello, Ruby. I’m Charlie, your company for the day.”

Charlie is in her early thirties. She was born and raised in Atlanta, and despite having moved away when she graduated high school and joined the Army, she still has a hint of a southern accent and the manners to boot. Everyone likes Charlie. She has a beautiful smile that puts everyone at ease right off the bat.

She’s dressed casually in jeans and a pink T-shirt. Her curly black hair is up in a bun, with a few corkscrew curls hanging down. She’s about Ruby’s height, but that’s where the physical similarities end. While Ruby’s fair and blue-eyed, Charlie’s skin is a warm brown and her big eyes are dark pools of obsidian.

“Call me Ruby, please,” Ruby says. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Her gaze flickers over to me.

I give Charlie a rundown on the players at hand—namely, Allen Foster and Edward McCall. Those are the only ones who might visit Ruby while I’m gone. “Call me if there are any issues,” I tell her. “And don’t let Ruby’s father—Allen—browbeat you. He’s a bit of a jerk.”

Charlie nods. “Got it. Not a problem. Ruby and I will do just fine.”

I give Ruby a light kiss. “I almost forgot!” I reach into the bag I brought from the apartment and retrieve her phone and charger, handing them to her. “I thought you’d want these. Call me if you need me. I’ll be back just as soon as I can.”

She gazes up at me and nods. “Thank you! I feel naked without my phone.”

Once I’m sure Ruby is handling this okay, I leave her in Charlie’s very capable hands.

As I’m heading for the parking garage, I spot a familiar face at the end of the hallway near the door to the stairwell. Not just one familiar face, but two—Allen Foster and Darren Ingles, in a heated argument.

What the hell?

What are the two of them arguing about? And more importantly, how do they even know each other?

I change direction before either one of them spots me and hitch a ride downstairs in an elevator.

It looks like Darren and I need to have another talk.

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