Page 32 of Ruined (The Knights of Ruin)

CHAPTER NINE

Cat

I’DJUSTGOT Annie into the bath when my phone started buzzing with a call. I left her in the tub and stepped into the hallway, grabbing my phone from the pocket of my jeans and glancing down at the screen.

My heart sank right down into the bottom of my sneakers.

It was Justin.

Briefly I debated not answering it.

Tonight was the night of the party at the Knights’ clubhouse—my debut with Smoke as a couple—and I had to bathe Annie and put her into bed before the sitter came, then get ready myself. I was in no mood to talk to my abusive ex.

Smoke had wanted us to go earlier in the evening, when there were apparently kids around, so Annie could go, too, but I didn’t want that quite yet. I needed to check out the place first, before I brought her into it. He hadn’t argued, had simply gone ahead and organised a sitter for her before I’d even broached the topic.

Now I wished I’d done what he said and gone early—then I wouldn’t have to deal with this phone call.

Still, avoiding it would be cowardly, so I hit the answer button. ‘What do you want?’

‘Hey, don’t be like that.’

Justin’s smooth tones were warm and silky, like melted chocolate. To think I’d once loved his voice. What a lie it had been.

‘I only want to talk.’

I gritted my teeth. ‘What do you want to talk about?’

‘Come on—don’t play dumb. This is about Annie.’

‘And?’

‘What? Your boyfriend didn’t tell you?’

‘He’s not my boyfriend,’ I said reflexively. Then I realised what a mistake that was. Smoke was supposed to be my boyfriend. Crap.

‘Yeah, like I ever believed that for a second.’

There was a bitterness I recognised in Justin’s voice. He’d never liked my friendship with Smoke, and that had been the source of most of our arguments. Justin had wanted me to stop seeing him, but I’d refused. I wasn’t cutting Smoke out of my life just because he couldn’t handle the fact that my best friend was a guy.

‘What do you want?’

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling exhausted. The past few days had been shitty. I’d been trying to find work to replace the shift at Lucky’s, but hadn’t managed to turn anything up, and rent was due at the end of the month—only a week away. I didn’t have the money. Or at least I had the money for rent, but if we wanted to eat, then that might be problem.

‘Like I said, this is about Annie. Thought I’d be a gentleman and let you know personally that I’m going to be suing for full custody in the next couple of weeks.’

He sounded so pleased with himself I wanted to punch him.

‘Unless you agree to give me full custody yourself and then we can save all the messy court drama.’

My heart clenched tight. ‘Why the hell would I do that?’

‘Oh, come on, Cat.’

His voice had softened, taking on the warm and tender note that had once managed to reach inside me and undo all my defences. The note that told me I was cared for. That I was loved.

‘Being a single mom is hard. You’re working two jobs... You’re tired every night. How is that good for Annie? Having such a tired mom all the time? And that apartment is a dump—not to mention dangerous. Mine is big, and there’s security, and—hey, you know how much she loves swimming, right? I’ve even got a pool.’

His voice poured over me, smooth and rich, lulling me.

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